:: American University in Dubai :: Office of the Provost

Office of the Provost

Grading Policies

Grading System

Grade reports are issued to students at the completion of each semester/term. Grades are based on the quality of work as shown by written tests, laboratory work, term papers, and projects as indicated on the course syllabus. Earned quality points are calculated for each course by multiplying the quality point value for the grade received for the course times the credit hour value of the course. For example, a three-credit course with a grade of B would earn nine quality points [credit value of course (3) times quality point value of B (3)]. The Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is calculated by dividing the total earned quality points by the total attempted credits.

Letter Code	Description	Included in Credits Earned	Included in Credits Attempted	Included in CGPA	Quality Points
A	Excellent	Yes	Yes	Yes	4.00
A-	Very Good	Yes	Yes	Yes	3.70
B+	Good	Yes	Yes	Yes	3.30
B	Good	Yes	Yes	Yes	3.00
B-	Good	Yes	Yes	Yes	2.70
C+	Satisfactory	Yes	Yes	Yes	2.30
C	Average	Yes	Yes	Yes	2.00
C-	Below Average	Yes	Yes	Yes	1.70
D+	Poor	Yes	Yes	Yes	1.30
D	Poor	Yes	Yes	Yes	1.00
F	Failing	No	Yes	Yes	0.00
I	Incomplete	No	Yes	No	n/a
AU	Audit	No	No	No	n/a
P+	Passing with Distinction	Yes	Yes	No	n/a
P	Passing	Yes	Yes	No	n/a
Grade *	Repeat	No	Yes	No	n/a
TC	Transfer	Yes	No	No	n/a
W	Withdrawal	No	Yes	No	n/a

All IELP courses and developmental Math courses (098/099) are graded P* P+* F*, with P* as the lowest passing grade. It is also the lowest passing grade in ENGL 100. Internships and study tours are graded on a P+, P and F scale.

I :- An incomplete (I) is issued no sooner than the last two (2) weeks of the semester to a student who has satisfactorily completed a substantial portion of the course work, but for non-academic reasons beyond the student's control , he/she is unable to meet the full course requirements on time. The course instructor issues this grade, subject to approval by Dean/Program Chair and the Provost. The incomplete course work must be completed by the end of the subsequent semester/summer session. If the student does not complete the work within the stipulated time, the incomplete is changed automatically to the grade of F. An incomplete must be processed at the time the concession (e.g., authorized suspension of attendance, accepted tardiness/non-completion of assignments, etc.). The university does not grant incompletes retroactively.

AU :- No credit is given for audit (AU) classes, nor is the grade included in the student's academic average . Students must receive written permission from the Dean or Chair to audit a class, or classes, prior to the first day of the semester. Instructor approval may be required for some courses.

W :- A student is allowed to withdraw officially from a course no later than the Tuesday of the ninth week of the semester (end of the fourth week in a summer session). The W is calculated in Satisfactory Academic Progress but is not calculated in the CGPA. Students are not permitted to withdraw after this deadline.

W is used to denote withdrawal of students in the case of dismissal by a Conduct Council.

Application of Grades and Credits / Repeating a Course

The previous chart describes the impact of each grade on a student's academic progress. For calculating rate of progress (see below), grades of F (Failing), W (Withdrawal), and I (Incomplete) are counted as hours attempted, but are not counted as hours successfully completed.

Students will only be allowed to repeat courses in which they have received a C– or below, and they may do so twice. When a course is repeated, the better of the two grades received is calculated into the CGPA. The lower grade will be followed by an asterisk (*) indicating that the course has been repeated. Both original and repeated credits will be counted as attempted credits in rate of progress calculations. In the case of repeating a course from which the student has previously withdrawn, a W remains on the student's transcript, while the new grade (also shown on the transcript) substitutes for the W in the calculation of the CGPA.

In order to receive credit, the student must repeat any required course in which a grade of F or W is received.

In the case of students who have been accepted to the university as degree candidates (including those whose majors are “undecided”), failing and/or withdrawing a required course (including noncredit courses) three times will be grounds for dismissal. When a student registers for a course the third time, he/she may only do so subject to the conditions set by the University Committee on Academic Standing.

Release of Grades

All grade reports are mailed to the student. When the student has an overdue library book, has an incomplete admissions file, is in possession of school properties or is delinquent in payment of fees he/she will not be allowed to register until the irregularity is remedied.

Academic Recognition and Dean's List

Undergraduate full-time students earning a semester grade point average of 3.67 or above will be named to the Dean's List. The Dean's List designation applies only to undergraduate bachelor's degree programs and is only made for the two semesters (Fall and Spring) of the academic year.

Grade Appeal

Questions and concerns about grades are often the result of misunderstandings about grading practices and expected standards. Direct communication between the instructor and the student usually clears up these misunderstandings. In some cases, however, a grade appeal is warranted.

Students have the right to appeal the grade and request a reconsideration of the assigned grade; however, they must provide sufficient, tangible evidence to support their request for a re-examination of the assigned grade. Reasons for submitting a grade appeal may include:

Miscalculation of marks;
Misgrading of a paper, project or exam;
Application of an evaluation or grading system which was not included in the course syllabus;
A departure from the instructor’s previously announced standards;
Assignment of grade on some basis other than the student’s performance in the course;
Demonstrable evidence of discrimination or prejudice in the assignment of the grade;
Arbitrary assignment of grade (lack of consistent and equitable standards for grading).

Grade Appeals will be dismissed if:

Allegations by the student do not indicate erratic grading;
The basis of the disagreement is with the instructor’s particular grading standards;
The appeal is not within the given one month subsequent to the issuance of the grade.

Students should follow the steps listed below to clarify any questions about a particular grade or the instructor’s grading policy:

The student should make an appointment with the appropriate instructor when there is any question about a particular grade or the instructor’s grading policy. Students in the Study Abroad Program (SAP) may contact the instructor via telephone or e-mail;
The student seeking additional clarification related to grading should make an appointment with the appropriate Dean or Program Chair;
The student seeking further recourse related to a grade received should make an appointment with the Provost and Chief Academic Officer. The Provost will discuss the questions raised with the instructor, give the student a perspective regarding the grade and review the mechanism for appeal;
The student may request a Grade Appeal Council to review the matter. Composition/operations of the Council parallel those of the Honor Council;
In the event that the grade in question is received in a course taught by the Provost and Chief Academic Officer, the Dean or Program Chair will discuss the matter with the President, give the student a perspective regarding the grade and review the mechanism for appeal. All grade appeals must be submitted within one month subsequent to issuance of the grade;
If a student chooses to appeal a decision beyond the Grade Appeal Council decision, all documentation can be submitted to the Provost and Chief Academic Officer for review. Final review may be requested of the university’s Grievance Officer.

Additional information/documentation on the grade appeal process can be obtained at the Office of the Provost and Chief Academic Officer.

Academic Honesty

At AUD, students are expected to demonstrate academic integrity by completing their own work, assignments and assessments. Effective planning and progress must be accomplished for students to be successful in their degree program of study. Submission of work from another person, whether it is from printed sources or someone other than the student; previously graded papers; papers submitted without proper source citation; or submitting the same paper to multiple courses without the knowledge of all instructors involved can result in a failing grade or be reported to the Dean/Program Chair for appropriate sanction or disciplinary actions. All students are expected to maintain the standards as set forth in the Student Code of Conduct and Statement on Academic Honesty.

AUD Honor Code Pledge

The administration, faculty and student government of AUD believe strongly in the concept of an honor system. This belief is based on the knowledge that in competitive professional environments, greater emphasis is placed on originality and integrity of ideas and work. All members of the AUD academic community, including faculty, students, and administration, are expected to assist in maintaining the integrity of the university, which includes reporting incidents that violate the Statement on Academic Honesty. To this end, all students are asked to adhere to an honor pledge that reads as follows:

"As a student of The American University in Dubai, I pledge that all tests taken by me and that all work submitted by me will be original and solely the results of my own efforts. Furthermore, as a student and member of the academic community of The American University in Dubai, I am bound to uphold standards of personal integrity and honesty and to accept my personal, academic and professional responsibilities in the community.

Specifically, I pledge:

to adhere to the university’s policy on cheating and plagiarism;
not to lie or steal in my university undertakings;
not to evade the truth or deceive;
to inform the appropriate faculty member and Dean or Program Chair of my School or Department of any and all cases of academic dishonesty and violations of the Honor Code.”

*Violations of the Honor Code are handled as set forth in the Student Handbook. All members of the AUD academic community, including faculty, students and administration, are expected to assist in maintaining the integrity of the university, which includes reporting incidents that violate the Statement on Academic Honesty.