Academic Policies (Graduate)

• Inactive Status

  POLICY NAME: INACTIVE STATUS
  POLICY CATEGORY: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES – GRADUATE STUDENTS
  POLICY STATEMENT:
  Graduate students (including those taking Foundation courses) who do not register for two consecutive terms will be considered “inactive” and will be notified of their status by their program’s Academic Committee in writing. Inactive students will be required to make their plans known to their Program Director, also in writing, regarding resumption of their studies. As a rule, students who are inactive for two consecutive terms beyond the first two, i.e., for a total of four consecutive terms of non-registration, will be terminated. Exceptions to this rule must be approved by the respective Program Director on a case-by-case basis.
  
  Should inactive students who have been dropped from a graduate program eventually decide to resume their studies, they will be required to apply for readmission to the program. Approval of readmission will not be automatic but will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

• Readmission Following Interruption of Degree Progress

  POLICY NAME: READMISSION FOLLOWING INTERRUPTION OF DEGREE PROGRESS
  POLICY CATEGORY: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES – GRADUATE STUDENTS
  POLICY STATEMENT:
  A student desiring to re-enroll at AUD after a period of one year from the official date of withdrawal or inactivity is considered a new student. Should the student decide to resume their studies, they will be required to apply for readmission to the program and will be required to complete the degree in accordance with the Graduate Catalog in effect upon their reenrollment.
  
  A student desiring to re-enroll after less than a one year period since the official date of withdrawal should contact the Registrar’s Office to initiate the reenrollment process.

Academic Standing and Progress (Graduate)

• Academic Probation

  POLICY NAME: ACADEMIC PROBATION
  POLICY CATEGORY: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES – GRADUATE STUDENTS
  POLICY STATEMENT:
  
  Academic Probation
  In its review following the end of each semester or term, the program’s Graduate Academic Committee will identify cases of noncompliance with the above standards and place the following students on academic probation:
  
  

  • Students whose CGPA has fallen below 3.0.
  • Students who have earned a first grade of F in a course.

  The Graduate Academic Committee will inform each student placed on probation, in writing, of the specific conditions required for reversion to good academic standing. In all cases, students on academic probation (other than those admitted on probation) must maintain a term GPA of 3.0 or higher until they revert to good academic standing. If a student fails to maintain a minimum term GPA of 3.0 or higher in any subsequent semester, the student will be dismissed from the graduate program.
  
  Conditions Applicable to Students on Academic Probation
  Students on Academic Probation must consult with the Program Director prior to selecting their courses and obtaining their academic advisor’s approval to register.

• Appeal of Termination

  POLICY NAME: APPEAL OF TERMINATION
  POLICY CATEGORY: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES – GRADUATE STUDENTS
  POLICY STATEMENT:
  A student who has been terminated from the graduate program may be readmitted by filing an appeal to the Program Director, within fifteen days of notification. The School housing the program will reach a decision upon critically assessing the student’s academic performance, his or her overall contributions to the classroom learning environment, and his or her prospect for successfully completing the program. The School’s decision must be ratified by the Provost and Chief Academic Officer, and will be communicated by the School to the student in writing within five days from receiving the appeal. If the appeal is denied, the student has the right to submit a final appeal of the decision to the President within three days from notification of the denial. The President’s decision will be final and will be communicated to the student in writing within three days from receiving the appeal.

• Limits on Grades

  POLICY NAME: LIMITS ON GRADES
  POLICY CATEGORY: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES – GRADUATE STUDENTS
  POLICY STATEMENT:
  
  

  1. Limits on Grades of C or C+
     Grades of C and C+ are considered Minimally Acceptable for the purpose of passing a course. No more than two grades of C and/or C+ will count toward completion of the degree requirements. A student who earns C and/or C+ in three core course must repeat one of these courses and secure a grade of B- or higher in order to satisfy the degree completion requirements. A student who earns a third grade of C or C+ in an elective course may either repeat the elective or take another elective instead.
  2. Limits on Grades of F
     A student who receives a grade of F will be placed on Academic Probation. The course in which an F is earned must be retaken the next term the course is offered. A student who receives a second F grade will be subject to dismissal from the graduate program.
  3. Limit on Repeated Courses
     A graduate student may not repeat more than three courses. Within this limit, the same course may only be repeated once. All failed courses must be repeated. Failure in the same course twice will result in terminating the student’s enrollment in the graduate program.
  4. Limit on Ws
     Students who withdraw from a course receive a grade of W. Students may receive no more than three W grades.

• Periodic Evaluation of Academic Standing

  POLICY NAME: PERIODIC EVALUATION OF ACADEMIC STANDING
  POLICY CATEGORY: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES – GRADUATE STUDENTS
  POLICY STATEMENT:
  All students must maintain satisfactory academic performance in order to remain enrolled at AUD. Academic standing is evaluated periodically by measuring each student’s cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). Students are expected to meet minimum CGPA requirements in order for their academic performance to be considered satisfactory. Graduate students are required to maintain a minimum CGPA of 3.0 throughout their enrollment in order to be in good academic standing. A student’s CGPA will be reviewed at the end of each academic term after grades have been posted to determine whether the student is in good academic standing. Students admitted to an AUD graduate program on probation must attain a CGPA of 3.0 or higher at the end of their first term in the program.
  
  Limits on Grades
  
  

  1. Limits on Grades of C or C+
     Grades of C and C+ are considered Minimally Acceptable for the purpose of passing a course. No more than two grades of C and/or C+ will count toward completion of the degree requirements. A student who earns C and/or C+ in three core course must repeat one of these courses and secure a grade of B- or higher in order to satisfy the degree completion requirements. A student who earns a third grade of C or C+ in an elective course may either repeat the elective or take another elective instead.
  2. Limits on Grades of F
     A student who receives a grade of F will be placed on Academic Probation. The course in which an F is earned must be retaken the next term the course is offered. A student who receives a second F grade will be subject to dismissal from the graduate program.
  3. Limit on Repeated Courses
     A graduate student may not repeat more than three courses. Within this limit, the same course may only be repeated once. All failed courses must be repeated. Failure in the same course twice will result in terminating the student’s enrollment in the graduate program.
  4. Limit on Ws
     Students who withdraw from a course receive a grade of W. Students may receive no more than three W grades.

• The Graduate Academic Committee

  POLICY NAME: THE GRADUATE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE
  POLICY CATEGORY: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES – GRADUATE STUDENTS
  POLICY STATEMENT:
  The Graduate Academic Committee for each program consists of two full-time graduate faculty members and the Program Director as Chair. The Committee reviews the status and academic performance of graduate students each term to ensure that the academic standards of the graduate program are met. The Committee makes decisions on specific actions or future levels of academic performance that are required of students who are found not to be in good academic standing, and these decisions are communicated to each student in writing.

Grading Policies (Graduate)

• Grade Appeal

  POLICY NAME: GRADE APPEAL
  POLICY CATEGORY: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES – GRADUATE STUDENTS
  POLICY STATEMENT:
  Questions and concerns about grades often result from misunderstandings about grading practices and expected standards. Direct communication between instructors and the students usually clear up these misunderstandings. In some cases, however, a grade appeal is warranted.
  
  Students have the right to appeal a grade and request a reconsideration of the assigned grade within one month subsequent to the issuance of the grade; however, they must provide sufficient, tangible evidence to support their request for a re-examination of the assigned grade.
  
  Reasons for reconsideration of 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 a 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; or
  • The appeal is not submitted within the given one month period subsequent to the issuance of the
    grade.

  
  ONLINE GRADE APPEAL APPLICATION
  The Application
  In an effort to continuously improve communication within the AUD Community, IT Services and the Registrar’s Office have developed an online “Grade Appeal Application” to replace the previous paper based one. The application is accessible through the AUD website under the Registrar’s Webpage. (See link below.)
  
  Grade Appeal Procedure
  
  

  • 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), if they have returned to their home countries, may contact the instructor via telephone or email;
  • Subsequently, if students wish to file for a grade appeal, they log into the Grade Appeal Application available under the Registrar’s Webpage: https://registrar.aud.edu/
  • Once a grade appeal is submitted, the course instructor receives a notification email prompting him or her to log into the application and confirm meeting with the student and entering his or her remarks;
  • The Chair of the department offering the course in which the grade appeal is made will then follow up on the case and enter his or her decision to the system.
  • Students and concerned faculty will receive an update on the status of the appeal via email. If the grade appeal is approved by the Department Chair, the instructor will proceed with the grade change, with an explanation of the reasons and the new grade. In the event that the appeal is not approved by the relevant Chair, students may choose to appeal to the Dean, who will then follow up on the case and enter his or her decision to the system.
  • The student, concerned faculty, and Chair will receive an update on the status of the appeal via email. If the grade appeal is approved, the instructor will proceed with the grade change, with an explanation of the reasons and the new grade. In the event that the appeal is not approved by the relevant Dean, the student may raise the appeal to the Provost and Chief Academic Officer for review.
  • The Provost and Chief Academic Officer will discuss the questions raised with the instructor, give the student a perspective regarding the grade and review the mechanism for appeal.
  • The student, concerned faculty, Chair, and Dean will receive an update on the status of the appeal via email. If the grade appeal is approved, the instructor will proceed with the grade change online.

• Grading System

  POLICY NAME: GRADING SYSTEM
  POLICY CATEGORY: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES – GRADUATE STUDENTS
  POLICY STATEMENT*:
  Letter grades are issued to students at the completion of each semester/term. Grades are based on the quality of work as shown by written tests, term papers, presentations and projects as indicated in the course syllabus. The following scale is used in the evaluation of academic performance and grading in all graduate programs. Earned quality points are calculated for each course by multiplying the quality point value for the grade received for the course by the credit –hour value of the course. For example, a threecredit 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 corresponding number of attempted credits.
  
  

  	Letter Code	Description	Quality Points
  Earned Grades	A	Excellent	4.00
  	A-	Very Good	3.70
  	B+	Good	3.30
  	B	Good	3.00
  	B-	Acceptable	2.70
  	C+	Minimally Accepted	2.30
  	C	Minimally Accepted	2.00
  	F	Failing	0.00
  	P	Thesis, Pass	n/a
  	I	Incomplete	n/a
  	AU	Audit	n/a
  	IP	Thesis, In Progress	n/a
  	TC	Transfer Credits	n/a
  	W	Withdrawal	n/a

  *During the COVID-19 pandemic, including Spring, Sum I & Sum II 2020 terms, the grades P(Pass) & NP (NoPass) were issued
  
  A | Excellent
  This grade is awarded for outstanding academic performance and the demonstration of exceptional mastery of the subject matter of the course.
  
  B | Good
  This grade signifies average academic achievement as evidenced by work that exceeds the minimum expectations for passing the course.
  
  C | Minimally Acceptable
  This grade designates academic achievement at the minimum level required for passing the course.
  * A + or – following a grade indicates somewhat higher or lower performance than that reflected by the definition provided.
  
  F | Failure
  This grade indicates failure to meet the minimum requirements for satisfactory completion of the course. It carries no quality points, and the course must be repeated and passed before credit is granted.
  
  I | Incomplete
  This grade is issued in rare cases for extenuating non-academic circumstances that prevent the student from completing all course requirements on time. A grade of “I” requires the approval of the Program Director. The incomplete coursework must be completed before the end of the Drop /Add period of the subsequent semester the student is enrolled in; otherwise, the Incomplete will be changed automatically to a grade of F.
  
  AU | Audit
  No credit is given for audit (AU) classes, nor is the grade included in the student’s academic average. Students must receive written approval from the Program Director to audit a class, or classes, prior to the
  first day of the semester. Instructor approval may be required for some courses.
  
  W | Withdrawal
  Students who withdraw officially from graduate courses (using the designated withdrawal form) before the final examination will receive a grade of W. Credits for the course in which the grade of W was awarded are considered attempted credits, but are not included in the CGPA calculation. A grade of W may not be awarded after the final examination in the course.
  
  IP | In Progress
  This symbol is used in lieu of a grade when a thesis is still in progress. It is assigned at the end of the first term of registration for the thesis, and in subsequent terms within the time limit for completion, until the thesis is completed, submitted, evaluated and a final grade (P or F) is assigned. No credits are awarded for a thesis while it is in progress.
  
  P | Pass
  This grade is awarded upon satisfactory completion of the thesis. Thesis credits are considered attempted credits once a grade of P or F is issued, but are not included in the CGPA calculation.

• Release of Grades

  POLICY NAME: RELEASE OF GRADES
  POLICY CATEGORY: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES – GRADUATE STUDENTS
  POLICY STATEMENT:
  Final grades are released by the Registrar’s Office within three working days after the end of each academic term. All grade reports are available online https://registrar.aud.edu/.