Grading System
Lindenwood operates under the 4.0 grading system. The grade point average is computed by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of semester hours attempted. An A carries four quality points; thus, a course worth three semester hours in which a student earned an A would merit a total of 12 quality points. A grade of B carries three quality points; a grade of C carries two quality points; and a grade of D carries one quality point. A grade of F carries no quality points and no credit. A grade of AF (attendance failure) carries no quality points and no credit. Only grades earned at Lindenwood are used in computing the GPA.
Undergraduate students may receive grades of A, B, C, D, F, W, AF, N, I and Audit (AU). A grade of A represents work of outstanding quality; it indicates that the student has shown initiative, skill, and thoroughness and has displayed originality in thinking. A grade of B is awarded for work of high quality, well above average. The grade of C indicates average work and satisfactory completion of course requirements. The grade of D indicates minimally satisfactory completion of course requirements. The grade of D is not awarded at the graduate level. A grade of F or AF indicates that one’s coursework is unsatisfactory, and no credit is given.
An undergraduate student who earned a grade of C or lower in any part(s) of a cluster may repeat the entire cluster. Only the highest grade(s) earned will be used in the calculation of the grade point average. Repeating a course does not remove the previous grade from the transcript. Additional credit hours are not earned when a student repeats a course or cluster. A student's eligibility for federal financial aid may be affected if they choose to repeat a course. The university is under no obligation to offer a course aside for its usual schedule to accommodate a student repeating a course.
If a graduate student fails and retakes a course, the second grade does not replace the first grade; the two grades are averaged. For instance, if a student earns an F for a class and retakes the class, earning an A, the two grades would be the equivalent of two Cs and would affect the overall grade-point average as two Cs.
A grade of I (incomplete) is given at the end of a quarter only for failure to complete the coursework because of exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control. An incomplete is not an alternative for the student who is failing the course or who has excessive absences. An incomplete is not an option for the student who has consistently missed or been tardy with assignments. A student should have attended all cluster meetings to date and should be relatively current with the assignments in order to qualify for the extension afforded through an incomplete grade. Students must contact their faculty advisors for additional information about requesting an incomplete grade in a cluster. Any incomplete grades not made up by the end of the next term automatically becomes an F.
A student may register in any lecture course as an auditor. Students are not permitted to audit skill courses such as studio or laboratory courses involving extensive supervision by an instructor. Auditors will be expected to attend all classes. No credit may be earned or later claimed by a student who audits a course. A student has one week into a regular term and two class meetings into a quarter or summer session to make a change in registration to audit a class or to take it for credit. The audit fee is 50 percent of the regular tuition for a course.
This grade is given when a student stops attending a particular class prior to the published deadline to receive a grade of W but does not withdraw from the course. The grade of AF is treated as a grade of F in the calculation of the student’s grade point average.
An administrative grade of N is assigned by the registrar when final course grades have not been submitted prior to making grades accessible to students. Under normal circumstances, the N grade will be cleared within two weeks after the end of the term. Faculty members are not authorized to submit a grade of N.