Grading Policies

Credits, Honor Points, and Grade Point Average

Academic credit is expressed in semester hours. Honor points are assigned to the student's grades and used to determine the academic standing of the student.

Academic Credit Honor Points Awarded
Each credit hour of A 4 honor points
Each credit hour of B 3 honor points
Each credit hour of C 2 honor points
Each credit hour of D 1 honor point
Each credit hour of F 0 honor points

The symbols I, W, X, UX, P, S, N, and U do not carry honor point values.

The grade point average is the total of all honor points divided by the total of all credit hours attempted, with the exception of credit hours passed with a grade of P or S. If a course is repeated after a student receives an F grade, all grades enter into the computation of the grade point average. An audited course may not be repeated for credit.

Dean's List (Semester and Summer Session Honors)

To be eligible for semester honors a student must be in good standing, receive a minimum of 12 hours credit in courses graded A, B, C, or D, and earn a 3.60 average for the semester.

To be eligible for summer session honors a student must be in good standing, receive a minimum of six hours of credit in courses graded A, B, C, or D, and earn a 3.60 average for the summer session.

Grade Change

When an error has been made in computing or reporting a student's course grade, the reported grade may be changed. The student initiates the procedure for the change by contacting the course instructor. The instructor completes and signs a Change of Grade Form, available from the registrar or department chair. The form must be signed by the appropriate department chair and college dean before being forwarded to the registrar. The registrar should receive the form no later than the end of the third week of the next semester. The change must be approved by the Council on Admission, Graduation, and Academic Standards (CAGAS) or its designated representatives. Upon receiving CAGAS approval, the registrar will change the student's permanent record. Notification of the change will be emailed to the student and the student's academic adviser.

Incompletes

A temporary symbol of I (Incomplete) for a course may be given only when a student, due to circumstances beyond his or her control, has been unable to complete the course requirements within the official limits of the term. The circumstances must be documented to the instructor’s satisfaction. The I must be removed by the end of the ninth week of the next semester in which the student is enrolled. If the student is not enrolled during the next two semesters, the I must be removed no later than one calendar year subsequent to the incurrence. If the I is not removed by these deadlines, it will automatically become an F.

The permanent grade which replaces the I will be used to calculate honor points and determine the student's academic standing and progress toward the degree. Any changes in the student's status resulting from the assignment of the permanent grade become effective at the time of the change from I to the permanent grade.

Pass/Fail System

The pass/fail grading option is open to all undergraduate students in good academic standing. Undergraduate courses open to the pass/fail option carry the following limitations:

  1. Only courses that will be used as general electives may be taken pass/fail. (No General Education, major, or minor requirements can be fulfilled with a P/F course.)
  2. Students wishing to register for a course on a pass/fail basis must indicate this option when registering.
  3. A student may change from pass/fail to regular grading or from regular grading to pass/fail up until the end of scheduled program change periods.
  4. Students withdrawing from a course taken on a pass/fail basis follow the usual withdrawal procedures.
  5. Final A, B, C, and D grades are recorded as pass (P) by the registrar and the student receives the credit hours for the course. However, this will not affect the student's grade point average. A "P" grade becomes the official grade for the course and may not be changed. Students wishing to transfer to another college or university are cautioned to determine the transfer school's policies regarding the transferability of P grades. An F in a course taken for pass/fail is recorded as such and affects the grade point average accordingly.
  6. A student may earn a maximum of 12 semester hours of credit in pass/fail to be applied toward general electives within the graduation requirement. 7. Instructors will not be informed as to which students have elected pass/fail in their courses, but will evaluate all students by the regular University grading system.

Permanent Grades

There are five permanent grades which indicate the quality of a student's work in a course. Four of these indicate successful completion of the course: A (highest), B, C, and D (lowest). The fifth, F, indicates failure to complete the course successfully.

Several other symbols may appear on student transcripts. The symbol P indicates that the student has passed a course taken under the pass/fail option. The symbols S (satisfactory) and U (unsatisfactory) are given in courses in which a student receives credit for hours earned but does not receive honor (grade) points. The symbol W is entered on the transcript when the student withdraws from a course or is withdrawn from a course as the result of action by the Council on Admission, Graduation, and Academic Standards (CAGAS). The symbol N (never attended) is entered on the transcript when CAGAS grants a withdrawal from a course because the student never attended and did not complete any coursework.

The symbol X denotes that a course has been audited; the symbol UX denotes an unsatisfactory audit, given when the student has not attended a sufficient number of classes. An audited course may not be taken for credit at a later date.

Transcripts

All new matriculating students pay a $7 non-refundable transcript fee which entitles the student to unlimited transcripts. Upon written request of the student, the Office of the Registrar issues a transcript of a student's record. Transcripts are not issued for persons under financial and administrative obligation to Western Illinois University. Western Illinois University follows the condition set forth in the General Education Provisions Act of 1974 (as amended 1976).

Withdrawal from Courses or from the University

A symbol W on a student transcript indicates official withdrawal from a course. A student may withdraw from a course or totally withdraw from the University during the first ten weeks of a semester. After the first ten weeks, a student may not drop individual courses or withdraw from the University. For academic courses of an irregular length, the withdrawal date shall be 0.6 of the length of the course. If the student has been found guilty of academic dishonesty and the penalty of F (Fail) is assessed, a W cannot be granted.

Previous | Next