Academic Standards

Click on any of the following links for information:

• Grading System
• Academic Probation and Disqualification
• Special Administrative Action

Grading System

Academic Grades

A/A– (Excellent): Student has demonstrated a high level of competence in meeting course objectives. Four grade points per unit of credit are awarded. (A– yields 3.7 grade points.)
B+/B/B– (Good): Student has demonstrated a more than satisfactory level of competence in meeting course objectives. Three grade points per unit of credit are awarded. (B+ yields 3.3 grade points and a B– yields 2.7 grade points.)
C+/C/C– (Satisfactory): Student has demonstrated a satisfactory level of competence in meeting course objectives. Two grade points per unit of credit are awarded. (C+ yields 2.3 grade points and a C– yields 1.7 grade points.)
D+/D/D– (Unsatisfactory): Student has demonstrated only a barely passing level of competence in meeting course objectives so that it is not necessary to repeat the course for credit. One grade point per unit of credit is awarded. (D+ yields 1.3 grade points and a D– yields 0.7 grade points.)
F (Failure): Student has not demonstrated a minimally passing competence in meeting course objectives. Credit is not merited. Zero grade points is assigned.
CR (Credit): Student has demonstrated at least a satisfactory C– level of competence in meeting course objectives (at least B– level in graduate courses). Not used in grade point average calculations.
NC (No Credit): Student has not demonstrated minimally satisfactory competence in meeting course objectives. Credit is not awarded. Not used in grade point average calculations.

Grade Availability

Students may access their term course grades on the Web at www.csustan.edu.

Administrative Symbols

WU—Withdrawal Unauthorized: The symbol WU indicates that an enrolled student did not withdraw from the course and failed to complete course requirements. It is used for courses graded A–F when, in the opinion of the instructor, completed assignments or course activities or both were insufficient to make normal evaluation of academic performance possible. In courses where the student is graded CR/NC, use of the WU is inappropriate and NC is used instead. For purposes of grade point average computation, the WU symbol is equivalent to an F.
I—Incomplete Course: Students have not completed course requirements due to reasons beyond their control. Must be made up within the time limit set by the instructor (no more than one calendar year following the end of the term in which the grade was assigned). Failure to complete the assigned work will result in an incomplete reverting to a grade of NC for grading options 1 and 2; and to a grade of IC for grading option 3. (See Grading Options in the following section.) An extension of time may be granted via approved petition. Not used in grade point average calculation. (See Incomplete Work under Academic Policies and Procedures.)
RD—Report Delayed: No grade reported by the instructor. RD grades will revert to a NC or WU grade, depending on the course grading option, one semester after assignment.
W—Withdrawn from Course: Indicates that the student was permitted to drop the course after the Enrollment Census Date. It carries no connotation of quality of student performance and is not used in calculating grade point average. (See Withdrawal from CSU Stanislaus under Academic Policies and Procedures in this catalog.)
RP—Report in Progress: Indicates that work is in progress, but that assignment of a final grade must await completion of additional work which normally requires more than one term to complete (e.g., master’s thesis). RP grades shall be removed within one year after issuance of the grade except for thesis or project. A student whose graduate thesis or project is planned to extend over more than the term of first enrollment in a 5990 or 5960 course may receive an RP grade. The RP will remain through the period of the program which is limited to a maximum of seven years. If the RP is not removed within these time limits, the grade will revert to NC for grading options 1 and 2 and to a grade of F for grading option 3. An extension of time may be granted by approved petition. The RP is not used in grade point average calculation. (See Academic Policies and Procedures.)
AU—Audit: The recorded grade if a student enrolls in a class and fulfills attendance requirement but is not receiving credit. Not used in grade point average calculation. (See Auditors under Academic Policies and Procedures.)
IC—Incomplete Charged: The IC symbol is used when a student who received an authorized incomplete “I” in a course with grading option 3 has not completed the required coursework within the allowed time limit. The IC replaces the “I” and is counted as a failing grade for grade point average and progress point computation.

Credit/No Credit Grading

Any student may elect to be graded on a Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) basis in any course approved with a Credit/No Credit grading option. Courses approved for CR/NC are indicated as such in the Schedule of Classes. In no case shall more than one-third of the required upper-division or graduate units or courses in a degree program be graded CR. No more than 24 CSU Stanislaus CR semester units, including winter and summer term courses, but excluding credit from challenge examinations, may be applied toward a baccalaureate degree.

The student must elect the Credit/No Credit grading option on an Add/Drop form by the Enrollment Census Date of the term unless the instructor agrees to establish a later date and verifies this agreement by signing the student’s Add/Drop form requesting the grade option change. Add/Drop forms are available from the Enrollment Services Office. The Credit (CR) grade is earned for C– work or better (B– or better in graduate courses) as judged by the instructor concerned. Credit (CR) and No Credit (NC) grades will have no effect on grade point average.

Upper-division courses graded CR/NC taken at this or another institution may not be used to satisfy requirements for the student’s major except for those courses identified as graded exclusively on a CR/NC basis. The only courses with a CR/NC option which may be repeated are those in which the student previously received a grade of “No Credit.” If a course previously taken for a grade is repeated for a grade of “credit,” only the original grade will be used in computation of the grade point average. (See Repeated Courses.)

Note: Students planning to attend graduate or professional schools should be aware that CR may be counted as a C and NC as an F by some graduate admissions officers.

Grade Point Computation

Grade point averages are computed by multiplying units and grade points in courses graded A, B, C, D, F, IC, and WU and dividing the total number of grade points by the number of graded units attempted. Prebaccalaureate courses and courses with the administrative symbols: AU (Audit), CR (Credit), I (Incomplete), NC (No Credit), RD (Report Delayed), RP (Report in Progress), and W (Withdrawn) are not included in this calculation. Plus/minus grading is a faculty option. Faculty members who choose this option must state in their course syllabi if this option will be used. If an instructor uses this option it applies to all students in the class. The effect is explained below:

Grading Options

CSU Stanislaus courses carry different grading options, indicated below, which are listed in the Schedule of Classes.

1. Courses graded exclusively Credit/No Credit.
2. Courses graded A, B, C, D, F—with the student’s option to receive a Credit or No Credit grade.
3. Courses graded A, B, C, D, F.
4. Courses graded A, B, C, N/C (remedial courses only).

Repeated Courses

Please refer to the chapter on the Graduate School in this catalog for policies applicable to postbaccalaureate, graduate, certificate, and credential program students.

A student should file a Notification of Repeated Course form at the Enrollment Services Office immediately after the course is repeated.

At admission to CSU Stanislaus, the repeated-course actions and policies of former institutions will be honored.

Academic Probation and Disqualification

Please refer to the section on academic probation, disqualification, and appeal in the chapter on the Graduate School in this catalog.

Special Administrative Action

A student may be placed on administrative-academic probation for any of the followings reasons:

1. Withdrawal from all or a substantial portion of a program of studies in two successive terms or in any three terms.
2. Repeated failure to progress toward the stated degree or other program objective, including that resulting from 15 credits of NC, when such failure appears to be due to circumstances within the control of the student.
3. Failure to comply, after due notice, with an academic requirement or regulation which is routine for all students or a defined group of students.

Written notification of such action shall provide the conditions for removal from probation and the circumstances which would lead to administrative- academic disqualification. Furthermore, a student who has been placed on administrative-academic probation later may be administratively disqualified if:

1. The conditions for removal of administrative-academic probation are not met within the period specified, or
2. The student becomes subject to academic probation while on administrative-academic probation, or
3. The student becomes subject to administrative-academic probation for the same or a similar reason for which the student has been placed on administrative-academic probation previously, although not currently in such status.

Written notification of such action shall provide an explanation of the basis for the action.