07 Grades and Honors
General Regulations
Instructors must be prepared to discuss and to explain the basis for their evaluations of students. If, after consulting the instructor, students still believe that they were treated unfairly, they have the right to seek redress from the chairperson of the department or program in which the course is offered. Under exceptional circumstances, a final appeal may be made to the dean of the college in which the program is offered.
07.1 Grades
07.11(fs) The grading system in the undergraduate colleges and schools
The Faculty Senate recognizes that grade inflation exists at the University of New Hampshire. The senate, therefore, states that throughout this University the grade of C shall indicate competent, acceptable performance and learning in undergraduate courses; the grade of B shall indicate superior performance and learning; the grade of A shall indicate excellent performance and learning. These standards shall apply equally to all undergraduate courses, instructors, departments, subjects, and colleges.
An instructor may assign grades as listed below. In general, these are letter grades. The intermediate grades are designated by adding a plus or a minus to the letter grade. Grade points assigned to plus grades are 0.33 higher than those assigned to the letter grade without the plus. Grade points assigned to minus grades are 0.33 lower than those assigned to the letter grade without the minus. In certain cases, where the format of the course creates difficulties for this type of grading, the course will be designated “credit/fail” if authorized by the faculty of the department in which the course is taught, the dean of the appropriate school or college, and the provost and vice president for academic affairs.
| Letter Grade | Grade Points | Note |
|---|---|---|
| A | (4.00) | excellent |
| A- | (3.67) | intermediate grade |
| B+ | (3.33) | intermediate grade |
| B | (3.00) | superior |
| B- | (2.67) | intermediate grade |
| C+ | (2.33) | intermediate grade |
| C | (2.00) | satisfactory, competent |
| C- | (1.67) | intermediate grade |
| D+ | (1.33) | intermediate grade |
| D | (1.00) | marginal grade |
| D- | (0.67) | intermediate grade |
| F | (0.00) | failure: academic performance so deficient in quality as to be unacceptable for credit. |
| AF | (0.00) | administrative F (usually indicates student stopped attending without dropping the course); is included in grade-point average |
| CR | credit: given in specific courses having no letter grades, designated credit/fail | |
| P | passing grade in a course taken under the student pass/fail grading alternative | |
| W | withdrawal grade-assigned if withdrawal is after the fifth Friday of classes, but before mid-semester, is not included in grade-point average | |
| WF | (0.00) | assigned if withdrawal is later than mid-semester and the student is failing the course at the time of withdrawal; is included in the grade-point average |
| WP | assigned if withdrawal is later than mid-semester and the student is passing the course at the time of withdrawal; is not included in the grade-point average | |
| AU | audit-no credit earned | |
| IC | grade report notation for student’s incomplete coursework | |
| IA | indicates “incomplete” in a thesis or continuing course of more than one semester; the grade earned will replace “IA” assigned in previous semesters | |
| IX | grade not reported by instructor |
In an attempt to keep evaluation as objective as possible, instructors will assign a letter grade to a student exercising the pass/fail grading alternative. The instructor will not know that the student is exercising this alternative. (See 07.112(fs).)
The semester hours or other work units covered by the F grade shall be considered in full in figuring the average, except that the F awarded in a pass/fail grading alternative or in a credit/fail course shall not be figured in the average. (See 07.112(fs).) Courses covered by the CR or P grades shall not be considered in figuring the average. (See 07.111(fs).) The number of grade points for a course is determined by multiplying the numerical equivalent of the grade times the semester hours of the course. The grade-point average is determined by the sum total of grade points divided by the sum total of graded credits (courses taken under the pass/fail grading alternative or credit/fail courses are not included in the divisor). The grade-point average is calculated to two decimal places. It is not rounded.
No course dropped at the University of New Hampshire with a grade above F nor any course taken from another institution will be used in figuring the grade-point average.
07.111(fs) Courses repeated
When students repeat a course, the former credits and grade points shall be removed prior to the calculation of their cumulative grade point average and the repeated course information shall be added. Both grades are visible on the official transcript. A notation will be made on the student’s record beside the grade received on the repeated course indicating that it is a repeat. Students may not use the pass/fail grading alternative to repeat a course (See 07.112(fs)). Both the original course and the repeated course must be UNH courses. In general, students may not earn credit for two equivalent courses. If two equivalent courses are taken, the Registrar’s Office will remove credit for one.
07.112(fs) Pass/fail
An undergraduate student working toward a bachelor’s degree may elect to use the pass/fail grading alternative for a maximum of 4 credits per semester, not to exceed 16 credits during the student’s matriculation.
Students in their first term at the University have the option to change up to 4 credits from graded to pass/fail at any point prior to the Friday of the 10th week of the semester and must obtain the approval of their advisor.1
All other students have the option to change up to 4 credits from graded to pass/fail prior to the end of the add period (the second Friday of classes) and must obtain the approval of their advisor.1
The pass/fail grading alternative may not be used the following courses;
- Courses that are used to fulfill Discovery/General Education Requirements;
- Writing Intensive requirements
- Major and minor requirements;
- To repeat a course previously taken; and
- For B.A., B.F.A., and B.M. candidates, in courses that are used to meet the foreign language requirement.
The minimum passing grade requirement for a course taken pass/fail is D- (0.67). The course grade of a pass/fail course will not be calculated into the grade-point average of the student, but the pass or fail will be recorded on the student’s transcript. In the event of a pass, the student will receive the course credits (credit hours) toward degree requirements. The undergraduate student may elect the pass/fail grading alternative without permission or knowledge of the faculty member (course instructor). Upon request, the Registrar shall inform the instructor of any course of the percentage of students enrolled as pass/fail.
Associate in arts and associate in science degree candidates may use the pass/fail grading alternative for grading in a maximum of 8 credits. The pass/fail grading alternative may be used for a maximum of 4 credits per semester. The pass/fail grading alternative may not be used in any of the courses that fulfill the TSAS General Education or Discovery Program Requirements. Pass/fail may not be used for courses in the student’s declared option. The minimum passing grade for credit is D- (0.67). Any grade below this minimum will be considered as a fail.
07.12(fs) Freshman and new transfer reports
Freshman and new transfer reports. In the 5th week of the academic semester, course instructors will provide early alert indicators on any Freshmen and new transfer students with below average performance in any participating course. Some faculty may not assess substantive progress until the Midterm Examination, so the request for the early alert progress reporting for Freshman and new transfer students will be re-opened following mid-semester for those courses for which earlier data were not provided.
07.131(fs) Courses not completed
A notation of incomplete (IC) shall be recorded on a student’s record only if a major portion of the entire work of the course has been completed and if the instructor approves the student’s request for additional time to complete the coursework. The initiation and responsibility for finishing the incomplete work rests with the student.
When the work of the course has been completed, a final grade for the term will be submitted on a special grade form to the student’s college dean. The form indicating completion of the work must be filed with the Registrar no later than the middle of the semester immediately following the one in which the incomplete was granted. A petition requesting an extension of time beyond mid-semester, if approved by the instructor, may be submitted to the dean of the student’s college. An extension will be granted by the dean only under unusual circumstances.
If the work is not completed within the specified time, the grade will be recorded as F. Note: An Incomplete in a student's final semester will delay graduation date even if the course is not required for graduation.
07.132(fs) Courses dropped
When students withdraw from a course prior to the end of the drop period, registration for that course will not appear on their permanent academic record. If, normally for compelling nonacademic reasons, students submit an approved petition to drop a course after the drop period has ended and before mid-semester, they will receive a grade of W. Students dropping individual courses by approved petition after mid-semester must be assigned a WP or WF by their instructors. The WF will be computed into the students’ grade-point averages.
07.14(ad) Grade changes
Requested grade changes submitted before the middle of the semester immediately following the one in which the grade was granted may be approved by the student's academic dean or their designee. After mid-semester, students must petition the Academic Standards and Advising Committee.
07.2 Honors
07.21(fs) Classification
An undergraduate degree student, after completion of at least 12 graded semester hours2 in University of New Hampshire courses, will be designated as an honor student for a given semester if the student has
- completed at least 12 graded (not CR or P grades) semester hours for that semester and earned at least a 3.50 semester grade-point average or
- earned at least a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average and at least a 3.50 semester grade-point average regardless of the number of graded credits that semester.
These categories will be used: 3.50 to 3.64 (honors), 3.65 to 3.84 (high honors), 3.85 to 4.00 (highest honors).
07.22(fs) Honors at graduation for Baccalaureate degrees
Baccalaureate degree candidates who have earned honors for their entire work at the University will be graduated with honors based on the final cumulative grade-point average, provided that a minimum of 64 graded semester hours has been completed in University of New Hampshire courses. The Latin equivalent of the honors classification will appear on the student’s academic record and diploma. The student’s honors classification will be noted in the Commencement program.
Students graduating in academic year 2015-16 and subsequent years will be graduated with honors according to the following categories: 3.50 to 3.64 (honors); 3.65 to 3.84 (high honors); 3.85 to 4.00 (highest honors).
07.23(fs) Honors at graduation for associate degrees
Associate in arts, associate in science, and associate in applied science degree candidates who have earned honors for their entire work at the University will be graduated with honors based on the final cumulative grade-point average, provided that a minimum of 32 graded semester hours has been completed in University of New Hampshire courses. The English equivalent of the honors classification will appear on the student’s academic record and diploma. The student’s honors classification will be noted in the Commencement program.
07.3(fs) Educational Reprieve
Upon petition to the Academic Standards and Advising Committee, a former UNH student who has taken no courses for five or more consecutive years may, prior to readmission to UNH, request “educational reprieve.” The procedure permits retention of the previous credit from all courses in which grades of C- or better were earned; but the former cumulative grade-point average, although retained for informational purposes on the academic record, will not be used. A new grade-point average will be started upon readmission. Graduation honors will be based only on the restarted grade-point average, provided a minimum of 64 graded semester hours (32 graded hours in an associate degree program) has been completed at the University subsequent to the reprieve. The notation “educational reprieve” will appear on the student’s academic record.
- 1
No Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics course may be taken on a pass/fail basis by a student majoring in business administration, economics, or hotel administration.
- 2
Pass/fail and credit/fail courses are not graded courses.