Spring 2020 Grading Information
Student Information
On April 1, 2020, the Provost announced his decision to accept a motion approved by the Faculty Senate to revise our policy for undergraduate “credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit (CS/CD/NC)” and graduate “satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U)” grading for the Spring 2020 semester only.
Undergraduate students may apply for credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit (CS/CD/NC)” grading and graduate students may apply for "satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U)" grading on eligible courses beginning April 9th through May 1st.
Students who wish to retain a letter grade for a course in which they are currently enrolled need not take any further action.
Process for Requesting CS/CD/NC or S/U Grading Option:
The following process is required to submit a request for a credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade this semester.
The student will:
- Review the list of factors and frequently asked questions to consider, below, before applying to change your grading option: CS/CD/NC for undergraduate or S/U for graduate. The factors are also enumerated on a “Request for CS/CD/NC or S/U Grading Option Form” that students must submit. Students must confirm that they have considered these factors before applying for an alternate grading mode.
- Contact his/her advisor (undergraduate) or program director (graduate) to discuss if taking a course(s) with a CS/CD/NC or S/U grading mode, respectively, is the best choice given individual circumstances.
- Contact any other pertinent individuals who may help guide their decision-making process, such as the Office of Financial Aid, their pre-health or pre-law advisor, or their employer.
- Carefully think through this grading option before submitting the request form, as the University cannot anticipate all future unintended consequences of your CS/CD/NC or S/U grading selection.
- Prepare a list of course subjects, course numbers and course “CRNs” for which the student plans to seek an alternate grading mode (i.e. ACC252, crn 31624 and T/RS122, crn 31391). This list will be needed to complete the request form, which can accommodate multiple requested courses.
- By no later than 11:59 PM on May 1, file an Request for CS/CD/NC Grading Form (undergraduate) or Request for S/U Grading Form (graduate) both of which can be accessed from the “Students” page of the My.Scranton portal, under the Student Links/Academic Record Information section, as shown below. One form is permitted per student.
An advisor/program director will:
- Review and discuss the factors to consider with you before you request the CS/CD/NC (undergraduate) or S/U (graduate) grading option.
- Review and approve the courses eligible for CS/CD/NC or S/U grading after you submit a Request for CS/CD/NC or S/U Grading Option Form. Advisors will conclude their review of requests on Tuesday, May 5.
The Dean's Office will:
- Review the Request for CS/CD/NC or S/U Grading Option Form and render a final decision on the student’s request.
- Contact the student if a request is denied.
- Forward the appropriate information to the Office of the Registrar and Academic Services for processing no later than Thursday, May 7.
The Office of the Registrar and Academic Services will:
- Ensure that student records are updated to reflect approved change of grade mode requests no later than Monday, May 11.
- Email each student a confirmation once the request has been processed.
Please contact your advisor, Dean's Office or Office of the Registrar and Academic Services should you have any questions.
Grading Factors to Consider
Factors to consider before electing Credit Satisfactory/Credit Deficiency/No Credit or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grading:
- Credit Satisfactory, Credit Deficiency, and Satisfactory grades count toward the accumulated credit hours for the degree, but they are not included in a student's grade point average calculation.
- If you are repeating a course and choose the CS/CD/NS or S/U grading option, the CS/CD/NC or S/U will replace the former grade earned.
- Graduate/professional schools such as medical, dental, law and doctoral programs typically do not accept courses graded on the Credit Satisfactory/Credit Deficiency/No Credit or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading scale. Please consult with your pre-health, pre-law or graduate program director.
- Students who receive Veterans benefits may not be able to elect Credit Satisfactory/Credit Deficiency/No Credit or Satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading. Please consult your benefits coordinator.
- The Financial Aid Office should be consulted if there are concerns with making satisfactory academic progress or if merit scholarship(s) require a minimum GPA or graded credit hours.
- Students who receive employer reimbursement for completed coursework should consult with their employer about permissible grades.
- A course taken with a Credit Satisfactory/Credit Deficiency/No Credit or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade will likely be ineligible to transfer to another institution.
- Dean's list (undergraduate) eligibility requires a minimum number of courses graded in the traditional letter grade mode. See the FAQs for more details.
- Once chosen, the Credit Satisfactory/Credit Deficiency/No Credit or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading option cannot be reversed in anticipation of a high letter grade; conversely, the likelihood of a lower grade is not grounds for a belated request for Credit Satisfactory/Credit Deficiency/No Credit or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade. Students retain the right to appeal a grade through the existing Change of Grade procedure after submission of final grades.
Grading FAQ's
Why are you offering these grading options?
Are all courses in the Spring 2020 regular term eligible for a change in grading?
Do I have to elect a different grading scale for my courses?
What is the deadline to decide on an alternate grading scale?
How do I request a change in grading scale for a course?
What factors should I consider when deciding whether or not to change my grading scale for a course?
Will I hear whether or not my request for "credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit" or "satisfactory/unsatisfactory" grading is approved?
Will I receive academic credit for a course taken in the "credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit" or "satisfactory/unsatisfactory" grading mode?
What constitutes passing?
Can I declare more than one course "credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit" or "satisfactory/unsatisfactory"?
If an undergraduate course in a future term requires a C or better as a prerequisite, will a grade of CS (credit satisfactory) satisfy the C or better requirement?
How will "credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit" or "satisfactory/unsatisfactory" grading impact my grade point average (GPA)?
My course ended and was graded before March 13, 2020. Can I change the grade mode for a completed course?
Can I change my mind once I've chosen the "credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit" or "satisfactory/unsatisfactory" grading option?
What is the Change of Grade Procedure?
Will the undergraduate Dean's List be run in the Spring 2020 term?
What are the criteria used to calculate the Dean's List?
Q: How will Spring 2020 classes be graded? Back to Top
A: Faculty will continue current grading practices in their courses. Beginning on April 9th, however, undergraduate students may elect to change their grading mode from traditional letter grades to the "credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit" grading scale. Graduate students may elect to change their grading mode from traditional letter grades to the "satisfactory/unsatisfactory" grading scale.
Q: Why are you offering these grading options? Back to Top
A: We are offering students registered in the regular and special Spring 2020 terms these grading options in response to current national circumstances. As we move to remote instruction, we want to acknowledge the uncertainties of grading for both students and faculty within this new online environment. We believe this grading option will provide flexibility to those who need it.
Q: Are all courses in the Spring 2020 regular term eligible for a change in grading? Back to Top
A: No. Not all courses are eligible for this change in grading scale. Faculty and Deans have determined which courses are not eligible for these grading options due to accreditation concerns or other long-term issues that may not be in the best interest of students. A list of eligible and ineligible courses can be found here.
Q: Do I have to elect a different grading scale for my courses? Back to Top
A: No. Students who wish to retain a letter grade for a course need not take any further action.
Q: What is the deadline to decide on an alternate grading scale? Back to Top
A: Students may request a change in grading scale between April 9th and May 1st at 11:59 PM.
Q: How do I request a change in grading scale for a course? Back to Top
A: Students must apply for the credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading mode. To begin the process, students will complete a request form that will then be reviewed by their academic advisor. After the request is reviewed and approved by the academic advisor, the request will be sent to the student's home Dean, who will take further action on their application. Students will be contacted by their Dean's Office in the event a request is disapproved. The Office of the Registrar and Academic Services will email each student a confirmation once the approved request has been processed. All notifications will occur between May 7th through May 11th.
Q: What factors should I consider when deciding whether or not to change my grading scale for a course? Back to Top
A: There are many considerations, as noted below. If you have any concerns, we encourage you to speak to your academic advisor, program director or Dean. Considerations:
- Graduate/professional schools such as medical, dental, law and doctoral programs typically do not accept courses graded on the credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading scale. Please consult your pre-health advisor, pre-law advisor or graduate program director.
- If you are repeating a course, and choose the CS/CD/NC or S/U grading option, the CS/CD/NC or S/U grade will replace the former grade earned.
- Students who receive Veterans benefits may not be able to elect credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading. Please contact your benefits coordinator.
- Students in the ROTC program should consult with their program director before electing credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading.
- The Financial Aid Office should be consulted if there are concerns with making satisfactory academic progress or if merit scholarship(s) require a minimum GPA or grading credit hours.
- Student who receive employer reimbursement for completed coursework should consult with their employer about permissible grades.
- A course taken with a credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade will likely be ineligible to transfer to another institution.
- High School dual-enrollment students may not be allowed to apply courses graded on the credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit grading scale to their high school program
Q: Will I hear whether or not my request for "credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit" or "satisfactory/unsatisfactory" grading is approved? Back to Top
A: Your Dean's Office will contact you if a request is denied. The Office of the Registrar and Academic Services will email each student a confirmation once the approved request has been processed. All requests will be processed by May 11.
Q: Will I receive academic credit for a course taken in the "credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit" or "satisfactory/unsatisfactory" grading mode? Back to Top
A: If you receive a grade of credit satisfactory, credit deficiency or satisfactory, you will receive full academic credit for the course. If you receive a grade of no credit or unsatisfactory, you will receive no academic credit for the course.
Q: What constitutes passing? Back to Top
A: Undergraduate students will receive the following transcript notations under the credit/credit deficiency/no credit options: a grade of C or higher yields a CS (credit satisfactory) notation; a passing grade less than C (C-,D,D+) yields a CD (credit deficiency) notation; a grade less than passing (F) yields a NC (no credit) notation. Courses receiving a "credit" or "credit deficiency" grade count toward the accumulated credit hours for the degree, but they are not included in the grade point average calculation.
Graduate students will receive the following transcript notations under the satisfactory/unsatisfactory credit options: a grade of C or higher yields a S (satisfactory) notation. A grade less than C yields a U (unsatisfactory) notation. Courses receiving a "satisfactory" grade count toward the accumulated credit hours for the degree, but they are not included in the grade point average calculation.
Q: Can I declare more than one course "credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit" or "satisfactory/unsatisfactory"? Back to Top
A: Yes. For the Spring 2020 semester only, undergraduate and graduate students may declare as many (or as few) courses as they choose in these grading modes as long as the course is deemed eligible for that grading mode.
Q: If an undergraduate course in a future term requires a C or better as a prerequisite, will a grade of CS (credit satisfactory) satisfy the C or better requirement? Back to Top
A: Yes, an undergraduate grade of CS will satisfy a prerequisite requirement of C or better. Grades of CD (credit deficiency) or NC (no credit) will not satisfy a prerequisite requirement of C or better.
Q: How will "credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit" or "satisfactory/unsatisfactory" grading impact my term grade point average (GPA)? Back to Top
A: Courses taken under the credit/credit deficiency/no credit or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading option count toward the accumulated credit hours for the degree, but they are not included in the term GPA calculation. Credits earned in these grading scales will not help to improve your GPA. Before choosing one of these options, please carefully consider the potential impact on your GPA and ensure you will meet GPA minimum standards related to financial aid requirements and your program of study.
Q: My course ended and was graded before March 13, 2020. Can I change the grade mode for a completed course? Back to Top
A: No. This alternative grading allowance is specifically to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and applies only to courses that conclude after March 13, 2020.
Q: Can I change my mind once I've chosen the "credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit" or "satisfactory/unsatisfactory" grading option? Back to Top
A: Once chosen, the credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading option cannot be reversed in anticipation of a high letter grade; conversely; the likelihood of a low letter grade is not grounds for a belated request for a credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade. Students retain the right to appeal a grade through the existing Change of Grade procedure after submission of final grades.
What is the Change of Grade Procedure? Back to top
A: A student who believes the grade received for a course is inaccurate should first appeal the matter to the professor, whose decision is normally final. The student has the right, however, to appeal to the faculty member's chairperson, who will make a recommendation in writing to his or her dean. The student may request the dean to review the matter. The decision of the dean is final. Ordinarily, no grade change will be considered unless it has been reviewed by the dean's office within one month from the time the original grade was available to the student.
Will the undergraduate Dean's List be run in the Spring 2020 term? Back to top
A: Yes. The Dean's List will be run after Spring 2020 grades are recorded.
What are the criteria used to calculate the Dean's List? Back to top
A: To be eligible for the Dean's List, full-time students must earn 12 or more credit hours that count toward the semester GPA. Part-time students (students registered for fewer than 12 credits) must earn at least 6 credit hours that count toward the semester GPA to be eligible for the Dean's List. Credit hours earned with grades of AU, CS, CD, CR, I, IP, NC, NG, S, TC, U and W grades do not count toward this requirement.
Of the eligible students, only those who have earned a semester GPA of 3.50 or higher and who do not have grade of D+, D, F, CD, NC, I, NG or U are named on the Dean's List for that semester. (Note: Honors Program IP grades do not prevent eligibility for the Dean's List.) Students placed on the Dean's List will have this distinction noted on their transcripts. Dean's List designations apply to fall and spring semesters only.
Undergraduate Grading Policy
To: University of Scranton Undergraduate Students Subject: Revised Undergraduate Grading System Option Announcement From: Dr. Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D, Provost & Sr. Vice-President of Academic Affairs
April 1, 2020
Dear Scranton Undergraduate Students,
Let me begin by thanking you for your patience and flexibility as we make the transition to remote learning. I write to you today to share an important adjustment that we are making in response to our move to remote learning as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Yesterday, the Faculty Senate approved a motion to revise our policy to choose a “credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit”. Over the next week, academic departments will consider which courses or programs will be eligible for this option. Because of accreditation or other important academic concerns, not all courses or programs will be eligible for this change. We will notify you of any courses that are not eligible on April 9.
Between April 9 and May 1, interested students will be able apply for a change to this system for eligible courses. While further details of this process will be provided to you next week, there are a few important things for you to know:
- You can just ignore this if you wish. Students who want to retain a letter grade for a course need not take any further action.
- Students approved for this option will receive the following transcript notations under the credit satisfactory/credit deficiency/no credit option: a grade of C or higher yields a CS (credit satisfactory) notation; a passing grade less than C (C-, D+, D,) yields a CD (credit deficiency) notation; a grade less than passing (F) yields an NC (no credit) notation.
- Courses receiving a “credit satisfactory” or “credit deficiency” count toward your accumulated credit hours for the degree, but they are not included in your grade point average calculation.
- Approval for this change must be given by your academic advisor and your college dean. More information on the application process to get these approvals will be sent to you on April 9.
As I noted above, more details will be sent to you on April 9. Until then, you can start considering whether this is an option that you want to choose.
As always, we continue to keep you and your families in our prayers during these challenging times. I have been so impressed with your resilience throughout the past few weeks as we prepared ourselves for remote learning. We know that this is not easy for you and not at all what any of us expected when we started the spring semester. We miss you on campus (it’s just not the same without you) and know that you wish you could be here as well.
We will get through this because we are a strong community.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gingerich Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D.
Provost & Sr. Vice-President of Academic Affairs
The University of Scranton Scranton, PA 18510
Tel: 570.941.7520
Graduate Grading Policy
To: University of Scranton Graduate Students Subject: Revised Undergraduate Grading System Option Announcement From: Dr. Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D, Provost & Sr. Vice-President of Academic Affairs
April 1, 2020
Dear Scranton Graduate Students,
Let me begin by thanking you for your patience and flexibility as we make the transition to remote learning. I write to you today to share an important adjustment that we are making in response to our move to remote learning as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Yesterday, the Faculty Senate approved a motion to revise our grading policy to choose a “satisfactory/unsatisfactory”. Over the next week, academic departments will consider which courses or programs will be eligible for this option. Because of accreditation or other important academic concerns, not all courses or programs will be eligible for this change. We will notify you of these courses on April 9.
Between April 9 and May 1, interested students will be able to apply for a change to this system for eligible courses. While further details of this process will be provided to you next week, there are a few important things for you to know:
- You can just ignore this if you wish. Students who want to retain a letter grade for a course need not take any further action. ·
- Students approved for this option will receive the following transcript notations under the satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading system: a grade of C or higher yields a S (satisfactory) notation; a failing grade yields a U (unsatisfactory) notation.
- Courses receiving a “satisfactory” grade count toward your accumulated credit hours for the degree, but they are not included in your grade point average calculation.
- Approval for this change must be given by your academic advisor and the dean. More information on the administrative process to get these approvals will be sent to you on April 9.
As I noted above, more details will be sent to you on April 9. Until then, you can start considering whether this is an option that you want to choose.
As always, we continue to keep you and your families in our prayers during these challenging times. I have been so impressed with your resilience throughout the past few weeks as we prepared ourselves for remote learning. We know that this is not easy for you and not at all what any of us expected when we started the spring semester. To the graduate on-campus students, know we miss you on campus (it’s just not the same without you) and know that you wish you could be here as well. To those students already operating remotely, we know that you might also be faced with personal circumstances created by the coronavirus and we are with you in spirit as well.
We will get through this because we are a strong community.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gingerich Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D.
Provost & Sr. Vice-President of Academic Affairs
The University of Scranton Scranton, PA 18510 Tel: 570.941.7520