Consistent standards must be applied by all faculty members in order to maintain a complete record of student progress, ensure equity in grading, and provide timely feedback to students regarding their achievements and challenges in meeting learning outcomes. Faculty must submit final course grades within 72 hours of the end of an academic course.
There are five course grading options at NDMU SOIH:
- The grade of Pass (P) denotes satisfactory work or better. Generally, the cumulative work for the course must be assessed at a minimum of 80 percent of the maximum possible score (e.g., 160 points out of a possible 200 points in the total course) to be deemed satisfactory and receive a P grade for the course. Note: Final course grades are rounded to the nearest whole number. Final grades of 79.50-79.99% are rounded to 80% and receive a final course grade of P
- The grade of Fail (F) denotes unsatisfactory work. If the cumulative work for a course is assessed below 80 percent, the work is deemed unsatisfactory and the student receives an F grade for the course.
- If a student fails a required/core course, the student must retake the course. After successful completion, earning a grade of P, the previously failed course will be converted to the grade of remediated (R). The student will be charged per credit at the current rate of tuition for any repeated course.
- If a student fails an elective course, the student must successfully retake and remediate that course or pass an equivalent elective course. After successful completion, earning a grade of P, the previously failed course will be converted to an R only if retaking the same course. If the student chooses not to retake the same course, and instead chooses to take an alternate elective course, the F will remain. The student will be charged per credit at the current rate of tuition for any repeated course.
- The grade of failure due to non‐attendance (U) is applied when a student fails to attend a course or fails to complete any other academically related activity (see definition below) in a course, but does not officially drop or withdraw from the course. The grade of U is a permanent grade and will be reflected on the student’s transcript. The student will be charged the full rate for the course. Note: Students who complete at least one academically‐related activity in a course (see definition below) will receive the grade earned (i.e., P or F) instead of U.
- The grade of Incomplete (I) denotes incomplete work in a course that is still to be completed before a final grade of P or F is assigned. The grade of Incomplete (I) is reserved for exceptional circumstances. Guidelines regarding the grade of I can be found in Policy 6040 Request, Approval, and Contract for Grade of Incomplete.
- The grade of Withdrawal (W) denotes withdrawal from a course. The grade of Withdrawal (W) is assigned when a student withdraws formally from a course after the official add/drop period.
- If a student withdraws from a required/core course, the student must retake the course. The student will be charged per credit at the current tuition rate for that course.
- If a student withdraws from an elective course, they may not be required to retake that specific course but must still meet the requirements of the program for which they
are enrolled. - Withdrawals are officially recorded and displayed on all student transcripts.
- Course withdrawals must be completed using the Registration Form available at https://www.ndm.edu/admissions/business-office/student-forms. More information is provided in Policy 6050 Course Withdrawals.
Academic Dispute Resolution
An academic dispute is a disagreement between faculty and a student about a grade or other issue related to classroom instruction, such as late penalties, acceptance or non‐acceptance of late assignments, and incomplete grades. Students who have an academic dispute should follow these procedures:
- The student must initiate the resolution process within two weeks of the occurrence of the academic dispute issue.
- The student should make an appointment with the appropriate faculty of the course to discuss
the issue. The meeting can be held in‐person, by phone, or by video as convenient to both parties. Academic disputes do not progress beyond the faculty unless, at the end of the course, the dispute affects the final grade of the course. In such circumstances, if the student cannot resolve the issue by meeting with the course instructor, the student may appeal the decision through the Department Chair. Students may consult with their Academic Advisor to identify the appropriate Department Chair to discuss the dispute. To appeal the decision through the Department Chair, the student must complete and submit the Grade Appeal Form. This form must be submitted to the Department Chair within two weeks of the end of the course. Grade appeals will not be considered if the form is not submitted within this timeframe.
In submitting a grade appeal, students must identify the specific assignment(s) which they wish to be reviewed along with a rationale for the appeal. Grade appeals are limited to specific charges of unfair action towards the individual student and cannot be based on the overall grading standard of the instructor. Grounds for an appeal include a marking error, arbitrary grading, and prejudiced grading. Examples include:
- A correct answer was marked as incorrect on an exam
- The assignment grade did not align with the criteria and designated points in the grading
rubric - The assignment grade was inconsistent with grades given to other students who submitted similar work in the same course section
- Points were deducted, or assignments were not allowed to be submitted, in ways inconsistent with policies listed in the course syllabus
- Instructor violated a university policy when giving assignments or assigning grades.
- The Department Chair will review the appeal, complete a Grade Appeal Worksheet, and make a decision. In situations where the Department Chair is the instructor, the appeal will instead be reviewed by the Dean of Academic Affairs or their academic designee. The Department Chair has one week from submission of the Grade Appeal Form to provide a final decision to the student.
- Students will be notified in writing of the outcome of the appeal. Any decision made by the Department Chair, the Dean of Academic Affairs, or the Dean’s academic designee will be final.
Definitions
Academically‐related activities include, but are not limited to:
- physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students;
- submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam, an interactive tutorial or computer assisted
instruction; - attending a study group that is assigned by the University;
- participating in an online discussion about academic matters; and
- initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in
the course.
Academically-related activities do not include activities where a student may be present, but not academically engaged, such as:
- logging into an online class without active participation; or
- participating in academic counseling or advisement.