Grading System
Lindenwood University operates under the 4.0 grading system. An A carries four quality points; a B carries three quality points; and a C carries two quality points. A grade of F carries zero quality points and no credit. Thus, a course worth three credit hours in which a student earned an A would merit 12 quality points. The grade point average is computed by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of semester hours attempted. Only grades earned at Lindenwood are used in computing the GPA unless the student is seeking teacher certification.
Graduate students may receive grades of A, B, C, F, W, AF, NG, I, and Audit. A grade of A represents work outstanding in quality; it indicates that the student has shown initiative, skill, and thoroughness and has displayed originality in thinking. A grade of B grade is awarded for work of high quality, well above average. The grade of C indicates below average work but completion of course requirements. An F grade indicates coursework so unsatisfactory that no credit is given. No grade of D is awarded at the graduate level.
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.
A student may register to audit lecture courses, not to include studio or photography courses. 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 semester and two class meetings into a five-term or summer session to make a change in registration either to audit a class or take it for credit. The audit fee is 50 percent of the regular tuition for a course.
A grade of I (incomplete) is given at the end of a term only for incomplete coursework due to exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control, such as an extended illness, hospitalization, or death of a close relative requiring absence from class for a significant period of time. When assigning an incomplete grade, the professor should consider whether the student is capable of successfully completing the course. Incompletes should be offered only toward the end of the term for students who are, at the time, successfully completing the coursework.
A grade of I (incomplete) must be resolved prior to the end of the subsequent term; otherwise, the incomplete automatically becomes an F. Any request to extend the time needed to resolve the grade of incomplete must be submitted to the Office of Academic Services no later than two weeks before the date the grade is due. Requests will then be sent to the appropriate school dean and the associate provost to be considered for approval.
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.
Some academic activities such as practicum placements, internships, residencies, and thesis projects are graded on the basis of pass/fail. In these cases, the grade of P denotes successful completion of the assigned requirements for the aforementioned academic activity courses.
A grade of W indicates that the student withdrew from a class with no effect to the student’s GPA. A student wishing to withdraw from a class for a grade of W may do so by completing an add/drop form and securing the signature of the student’s advisor and course instructor before the appropriate deadline, set at the two-thirds mark of the semester, term, or quarter.
The only circumstance in which the student will not be charged for a course is if the student never attends a class session. If the student attends one class session or more, the student will be charged a determined percentage of the course’s tuition cost. The percentage applied to the student’s account depends on how many classes the student attends and the withdrawal date. For further information, please contact either the Financial Aid Office or the Office of Academic Services.
Note: A student who is a first responder may elect to withdraw from a course with a grade of W at any time during the term if documentation is provided verifying that the student’s first responder duties were the cause of absences exceeding the number of allowable excused absences. This policy applies to academic withdrawal only.
When it is in the best interest of a student or of Lindenwood University for a student to withdraw, a student may be given a W and put on administrative hold. This action of administrative withdrawal results in removal of all credits associated with the affected classes and places the student on administrative suspension. Before re-enrolling at the university, the student on administrative suspension must write a letter of appeal to the dean of students. An Administrative Withdrawal does not affect the student’s grade point average.
Students may not add a course (except for tutorials or independent studies) after 5 p.m. on Friday of the first week of the regular semester or the Friday before the first week of an 8-week term. Students may add a class during the second week of a regular semester only under extenuating circumstances and only with the signatures of the course professor, the dean of the appropriate academic school, and the associate provost.
If a graduate student 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.
Grades are made available to all students at the end of each term and may be accessed through the student portal. Cumulative records are maintained for each student on individual transcripts.
All semester and five-term program courses are required to meet until the end of the scheduled academic periods as stated in the university calendar. Professors are required to hold a final exam or other significant evaluative activity at the scheduled final exam time as outlined in the final exam schedule. There are to be no exceptions to these requirements.
Faculty members are not to change the schedule of the final exam, either by changing the date of the exam or by changing the time of the exam. Students should plan to attend their final exams on the scheduled dates.
In the event that classes are officially cancelled during final exams, the students’ final course grades will be calculated based on the work in the course completed to that point if 75 percent of the graded work in the class has already been assigned. If 75 percent of the graded work in the class has not been assigned by the final exam, a makeup exam will be scheduled.
Registration for extensions on graduate thesis, capstone experience or culminating projects must be completed by the student each succeeding term after the student’s initial enrollment for the thesis, Capstone III, or culminating project. The fee charged for extension is listed on the fee page of this catalog. If the student fails to register for a term during which he/she plans to complete the thesis, capstone experience or culminating project, he/she will no longer be considered a degree candidate. Should the student wish to resume the thesis, capstone experience, or culminating project, he/she must pay the full tuition rate for the thesis, capstone experience, or culminating project at the time of re-enrollment. In order to appeal that charge, the student must submit a written request to the assistant vice president of the business office including any evidence that would substantiate the appeal.