Academic Policies Grading Policies

Grade Reports

Official grade reports are available on the web through Owl Express. All grades reflected are those submitted by the faculty members at the time of posting. Grade reports, in addition to the official grades for that semester, contain a semester grade point average, an institutional (previously adjusted GPA) grade point average when required, and a cumulative (Regents) grade point average. For graduate students, a semester GPA and a cumulative (Regents) GPA are issued.

Grading System

Issuance of grades and formulation of individual attendance policies are the prerogative of the instructor. Faculty must provide feedback to students about their progress prior to the last published day to withdraw without academic penalty. Grades are expected to conform to those listed below. Any deviations must be approved by the Faculty Senate and the Office of the Registrar.

The following are the final grades included in the determination of the scholastic grade point average:

* Quality points are not awarded in learning support courses. These courses give institutional credit only, not graduation credit.

Other Grades

I - denotes an incomplete grade for the course, and will be awarded only when the student has done satisfactory work up to the last two weeks of the semester, but for nonacademic reasons beyond his/her control is unable to meet the full requirements of the course.

A grade of “I” must be removed (by completing the course requirements) within one calendar year from the end of the semester in which the “I” was originally assigned. In addition, should the student enroll in classes at KSU during the calendar year, the grade of “I” must be removed by the end of the first semester of enrollment during that calendar year.

Upon completion of the course requirements within the specified time limits, a final grade will be assigned on the basis of the student’s total performance.

If the course requirements are not completed within the specified time limits, then the  “I” will be changed to an “F” (for a course which awards letter grades of “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, or “F”) and the cumulative and adjusted grade point average will be recalculated accordingly or the “I” will be changed to a “U” (for a pass/fail course which awards a grade of “S” or “U”). An “I” cannot be removed by re-enrolling in the course.

IP - indicates “in progress” in a learning support course or where credit has not been given in a course that requires a continuation of work beyond the term for which the student signed up for the course (such as thesis). This symbol cannot be substituted for an Incomplete Grade.

K - indicates credit awarded for credit by examination including, but not limited to the following:

• Advanced Placement (AP)
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• DANTES (Subject Standardized Tests (DSST)
• Foreign Language Achievement Testing Service (FLATS)
• Departmental Course Exams for Advanced Standing
• Prior Learning Assessment (portfolio review)

NR - indicates no grade was reported.

NA - Never Attended (for attendance verification). The grade will be changed to the appropriate withdrawal grade.

S - indicates satisfactory completion of a credit course and is not included in the calculation of the grade point average. The use of this grade is approved for thesis hours, student teaching, clinical practicum, and internship.  It also indicates unsatisfactory completion of certain credit laboratory-type courses.

U - indicates unsatisfactory completion of a credit course and is not included in the calculation of the grade point average. The use of this grade is approved for thesis hours, student teaching, clinical practicum, and internship.  It also indicates unsatisfactory completion of certain credit laboratory-type courses.

V - indicates the student was given permission to audit the course. It is not included in the calculation of the grade point average. Students may not transfer from audit to credit status or vice versa.  The use of this grade is approved for cooperative (COOP) courses.

W - indicates the student was permitted to withdraw from the course without academic penalty. A course in which a grade of “W” has been assigned will not be included in the calculation of the student’s grade point average.

WF - indicates the student was permitted to withdraw from a course with the approval of the registrar after the withdrawal date listed in the Semester Schedule of Classes. The grade of “WF” is counted as an F in the calculation of the student’s grade point average.

WM - indicates withdrawal for Military Reasons (permitted under Board of Regents policy for military service refunds)

Directed Study

The following institutional regulations apply to directed study. Additional departmental requirements may exist.

General restrictions:

• Content in the directed study will not substantially overlap an existing course in the curriculum.
• A student may not carry more than three semester hours in a directed study per semester.
• A maximum of ten semester hours of directed study may be used to satisfy degree requirements with a maximum of three hours used as related studies electives and a maximum of three hours used as free electives. The department shall determine the maximum number of hours allowed within the major.
• A student must have an overall institutional GPA of at least 3.0 and a cumulative GPA in the major of at least 3.0 in order to be eligible for a directed study.

Any student wishing to do a directed study must obtain approval from his/her advisor and complete a Directed Study request.

Cooperative Education and Internships

The Cooperative Education (Co-op) and Internship programs offer students work experience relevant to their majors. Most employers want students with practical experience and often prefer to hire those who have worked with them and others through internships or co-ops.

Co-op classes are taken only on a pass/fail basis; thus the grade of “S” or “U” will be assigned. Exception: The COOP 2000 is a 12 credit hour Cooperative course and is taken as an audit; thus a grade of ‘V’ will be assigned.

The Internship grade structure depends on the academic department involved. For more information about these programs, students should check with the Career Services Center for more information about these programs.

Co-op and Internship course credit may be used as general elective credits in most majors. Students should see their academic advisor for information regarding co-ops and Internships applicable to their major.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Kennesaw State University uses a 4.00 grade point average system, calculated to and truncated at two significant digits. (BOR Policy Manual 3.5.1) The grade point average or GPA is calculated by dividing the total quality points earned, by the total number of hours of credit for which grades have been assigned, excluding courses in learning support (0998, 0999).

Semester GPA (also known as SGPA or Term GPA)

Kennesaw State University calculates a semester grade point average (SGPA) for courses attempted each semester. This SGPA becomes particularly significant for students on academic probation who must maintain a 2.0 SGPA to avoid academic dismissal.

Institutional GPA (also known as KSU Adjusted GPA)

Kennesaw State University calculates an institutional GPA that is used as the primary, overall GPA. Transfer credit/grades will not be used in calculating the institutional GPA.  The institutional term GPA will be used to determine semester honors and academic standing at the end of the term.  This GPA is adjusted for course repeats.

Cumulative GPA (also known as Regents GPA)

Kennesaw State University calculates a cumulative GPA, by dividing the total number of hours in which a grade of A, B, C, D, F or WF has been received into the number of quality points earned on those hours. Institutional credit (such as learning support courses) will not be included in this GPA. (BOR Policy manual 3.5.1.2)

Grade Changes

Errors in grades must be reported to the Office of the Registrar immediately. In general, no grade changes will be made after the end of the next semester after the grade was assigned, except with the approval of the Academic Standing Committee. In general, the Academic Standing Committee will not consider requests for grade changes beyond one year from the end of the semester in which the grade was assigned. A petition for a grade change will not be accepted after the date of graduation.

Grade Appeals

Grade appeal will follow the level of the course.  Students’ rights to grade appeals are defined in the university catalog. A key element in the grade appeal procedure is the faculty member’s responsibility to publish a specific grading policy for each of his/her classes. Specifically, the grade appeal procedure states: “Each faculty member must specify his/her grading policy, at the first of the semester. He/she may change his/her grading policy for cause after that time, but he/she must do so uniformly, with ample notification to students, if at all possible.”

Note that failure to publish the grading policy would mean that a faculty member would have great difficulty in sustaining his/her assigned grade if a student appealed with anything but a frivolous or irresponsible basis for his/her charge. The grading policy should be quite specific and should be distributed to each class in written form. Some departments may also require faculty members to file grading policy statements in the departmental office. Because the student can submit a grade appeal to the Department Chair within 20 business days after the first day of classes of the next academic term after the academic term in which the final grade was awarded to the student (see Grade Appeals Procedure, section B), it is strongly recommended that instructors retain any student papers, tests, projects, or other materials not returned to the student for 70 days after the end of a semester or if an appeal is filed until the appeal is resolved. Refer to the following section for specific grade appeal procedures.

Grade Appeal Procedure

Kennesaw State University is committed to treating students fairly in the grading process. Students may appeal a final grade that they receive in a course, but interim grades or grades on specific assignments are not appealable. Any such appeal must be based on an allegation that the faculty member has violated his/her stated grading policy or/and that the grade was a result of discrimination or retaliation. The student has the burden of proving these allegations. All formal appeals under these procedures will be based only on the written record.

• Informal: Students are encouraged to discuss concerns and disputes over final course grades with the faculty member, prior to filing a formal grade appeal, in an effort to understand the basis of his/her grade. Faculty are encouraged to be available to students for such discussion regarding grades so that if possible, grade disputes can be resolved informally.
• Formal: In situations where such informal resolution does not occur or is not successful, the student may appeal the final course grade to the Department Chair. The appeal must be in writing and describe the precise basis for the appeal. Any pertinent information must be submitted with the appeal in order to be considered in this or subsequent appeals. The appeal must be submitted within 20 business days after the first day of classes of the next academic term (fall, spring, summer [or any other term]) after the academic term in which the final grade was awarded to the student. The Chair will invite the faculty member whose grade is appealed to provide a written response to the student’s appeal statement. The Department Chair (or the Chair’s designee) will review the allegations and conduct any additional fact finding as needed and will provide a decision in writing to the student, within 20 business days of the receipt of the complaint in the Department if there is no allegation of discrimination or retaliation that impacted the grade. The Chair’s written decision will specifically address the relevant issues raised by the student. 
  • If the student alleges that the grade was a result of discrimination or retaliation, the following procedures will be followed. The Chair will consult with the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) if there is an allegation that discriminator or retaliation based on status in a protected class has an impact on the grade. Please see http://equity.kennesaw.edu/titleix/non-discrimination.php for the University’s Non-Discrimination Statement. The Executive Director of Institutional Equity or designee will review the information provided by the Chair to determine jurisdiction, routing. and whether an investigation is warranted, or if more information is needed. If the OIE determines that an investigation is warranted, the OIE will conduct an investigation. The general timeframe for the investigation is 60 business days, absent any special circumstances. The OIE will issue an investigation report to the Chair. The Chair will use the OIE investigation report to make the grade appeal decision and communicate the decision to the student within 20 business days after receipt of the OIE investigation report. The Chair’s written decision will specifically address the relevant issues raised by the student. 
• The student may appeal the Department Chair’s decision within 20 business days of being notified of the Chair’s decision. Such appeal will be made, in writing, to the Dean of the College in which the Department is located. At the Dean’s discretion, the Dean can appoint an advisory panel, consisting of two (2) faculty members from outside the department where the grade was awarded and one (1) student to review the written documentation and make a recommendation to the Dean. The advisory panel may invite the student and the faculty member who awarded the grade to meet with the panel to share each party’s position on the grade dispute. The panel will provide a written recommendation to the Dean within ten (10) business days of the receipt of the appeal. The Dean will issue a decision to the student, in writing, within ten (10) business days of the receipt of the report from the advisory panel or within twenty (20) business days of the receipt of the written complaint from the student if no panel was appointed.
• The student may appeal the Dean’s decision to the Provost, in writing, within twenty (20) business days of being notified of the Dean’s decision. [However, if it is a graduate course, the student will direct this written appeal to the Graduate Dean, and the Graduate Dean will issue a decision to the student, in writing, within twenty (20) business days of receiving the appeal. Within twenty (20) days of that decision, the student may then appeal to the Provost as is described in this section]. The Provost, will issue a decision to the student, in writing within twenty (20) business days of receiving the appeal.
• The Provost’s decision is final, and decisions regarding grades may not be appealed to the Board of Regents (BOR Policy 4.7).
• Nothing in this grade appeals process prohibits the parties from settling this matter at any stage. However, any attempt to settle the matter through mediation does not affect time deadlines for this grade appeals process.

Semester Honors

Dean’s List

 An undergraduate student is eligible for the Dean’s list at the end of the term if he/she has been enrolled in at least 9 credit hours awarding letter grades (A-D and F) and earns a term grade point average of at least 3.5 (but less than 4.0). (Please note that learning support courses are not included in the GPA calculations for the term.)

President’s List

An undergraduate student is eligible for the President’s list at the end of the term if he/she has been enrolled in at least 9 credit hours awarding letter grades (A-D and F) and earns a term grade point average of 4.0. (Please note that learning support courses are not included in the GPA calculations for the term.)

Academic Standing

Good Standing

An undergraduate student is in good standing when he/she has an institutional GPA of 2.00 or higher.

Academic Probation

A student will be placed on academic probation at the end of any semester or summer term in which his/her institutional grade point average falls below 2.00. Students may remove themselves from academic probation by raising their institutional GPA to at least 2.00. 

Academic Dismissal

A student on academic probation will be dismissed for any one of the following reasons:

• He/she fails to maintain a 2.00 grade point average for courses attempted in any semester.
• He/she fails to remove himself/herself from academic probation after completing three semesters of attendance.

A student who is dismissed is not in good academic standing at KSU and is not eligible for immediate readmission.

Readmission to the University after Dismissal

• After the first dismissal, a student may be considered for readmission after an absence of one semester (this can include the summer semester). Dismissed students must apply for readmission through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions prior to posted deadlines.
• After the second dismissal, a student may be considered for readmission after an absence of one calendar year from the end of the semester in which the second dismissal occurred. Dismissed students must apply for readmission through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions prior to posted deadlines.
• After the third dismissal, the student will be academically dismissed and will no longer be eligible for readmission.

Any exceptions to this policy must be appealed and approved by the Academic Standing Committee. Information on academic appeals is available through the Office of the Registrar website. 

Repeated Course Policy  

When undergraduate courses taken at Kennesaw State University are repeated at Kennesaw State University with a higher grade, the highest grade received will be counted in the institutional GPA (previously adjusted GPA) calculations. The student’s permanent record and cumulative (Regents) grade point average will retain all course attempts and grades.

If a student repeats an institutional course as a transfer/transient student and receives a higher grade in the transfer/transient course, the repeated KSU grade will be EXCLUDED from the KSU institutional GPA the next semester the student is enrolled at KSU. 

The repeated course must be taken Fall 2015 or later to be eligible for this policy.

Re-enrollment Policy

After taking or attempting an undergraduate course for the second time, students will not be allowed to re-enroll in that class without the permission of the department chair or his/her designee. It is the sole discretion of the department chair/designee to decide if and when a student will be allowed to enroll in a class that they have taken/attempted twice (attempts include withdrawn courses). There is no obligation on the part of the chair to allow a student to enroll in a course after the student’s second attempt to take the course. This limitation is in place regardless of previous grades including grades of “W or “WF.”

The standing exception to this policy is for courses described in the KSU undergraduate catalog as being repeatable for credit.

Academic Renewal

Undergraduate students who have been readmitted after a period of absence of three calendar years or longer are eligible for academic renewal. The institutional GPA may be restarted by petitioning the Office of the Registrar for an academic renewal (previously academic fresh start).  This provision allows degree-seeking students who earlier experienced academic difficulty to make a fresh start.

The institutional GPA (previously adjusted GPA) will be used to determine academic standing (probation or dismissal) and eligibility for program admission. The institutional GPA will also be used to determine eligibility for graduation and eligibility for honors, but with some restrictions. To graduate, students must have at least a 2.00 institutional GPA and at least 30 earned hours of credit for KSU course work not excluded because of repeated courses or “academic renewal” status. To receive honors at graduation, “academic renewal” students must have at least 60 earned hours of credit at KSU after the “academic renewal” status was granted.

(http://www.usg.edu/academic_affairs_handbook/section2/C749/)

Students who wish to participate in the Academic Renewal program must contact the Office of the Registrar to complete the Academic Renewal Request Form. The request must be submitted within three semesters after re-enrollment or one calendar year, whichever comes first. A student can be granted Academic Renewal status only one time within the USG system. Once granted, the petition for Academic Renewal cannot be rescinded.

Academic Renewal for Second Degree 

A student who returns to KSU for a second KSU undergraduate degree may have his/her Institutional Grade Point Average (GPA) restarted at the time of re-entry. In order to restart the GPA, students must petition the Office of the Registrar within three semesters after re-enrollment or one calendar year, whichever comes first. A student can be granted Academic Renewal for Second Degree status only one time.