For more information about grades, refer to the
U of M's Uniform Grading and Transcript Policy

1. There are five permanent grades given for a single course for which credit shall be awarded, which will be entered on a student's official transcript. A-B-C-D-F grades including pluses and minuses, as follows, and carry the indicated grade points. The S grade shall not carry grade points but the credits shall count toward the student's degree program if allowed by the college, campus, or program.

These definitions apply to grades awarded to students who are not enrolled in graduate programs, but the grade points are the same no matter the level or course of enrollment. 

Instructors are permitted to hold graduate and undergraduate students who are in the same class to different standards of academic performance and accomplishment. The syllabus must make clear what the different standards will be for the different groups of students who may be enrolled in the class. 

A  4.00  Represents achievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course requirements.

A- 3.67

B+ 3.33

B 3.00 Represents achievement that is significantly above the level necessary to meet course requirements.

B- 2.67

C+ 2.33

C 2.00 Represents achievement that meets the course requirements in every respect.

C- 1.67

D+ 1.33

D 1.00 Represents achievement that is worthy of credit even though it fails to meet fully the course requirements.

S Represents achievement that is satisfactory, which is equivalent to a C- or better.

F -0- Represents failure and signifies that the work was either (1) completed but at a level of achievement that is not worthy of credit or (2) was not completed and there was no agreement between the instructor and the student that the student would be awarded an I (see Section III (1)). 

The F carries 0 gradepoints and the credits for the course do not count toward any academic degree program. The credit hours for the course shall count in the gradepoint average.

N Represents no credit and signifies that the work was either (1) completed but at a level of achievement that is not worthy of credit or (2) was not completed and there was no agreement between the instructor and the student that the student would be awarded an I (see Section III (1)). The N carries no gradepoints and the credits for the course do not count toward any academic degree program. The credit hours for the course do not count in the gradepoint average.

Academic dishonesty in any portion of the academic work for a course shall be grounds for awarding a grade of F or N for the entire course.

Students who enroll for a course on the A-F grading system shall receive an F if such grade is warranted; students who enroll for a course on the S-N system shall receive an N if such grade is warranted.

3. In connection with all symbols of achievement, and especially for the S, instructors shall define for a class, at one of its earliest meetings and as explicitly as possible, the performance that will be necessary to earn each (subject to the provision in this policy that the amount and quality of work required for an S may not be less than that required for a C-). [In any class, instructors have the right to set the level of performance required for an S at any level. They may not set it at less than a C-.]

OTHER TRANSCRIPT SYMBOLS

1. There shall be a temporary symbol I , incomplete, awarded to indicate that the work of the course has not been completed.

The I shall be assigned at the discretion of the instructor when, due to extraordinary circumstances, the student was prevented from completing the work of the course on time. The assignment of an I requires a written agreement between the instructor and student specifying the time and manner in which the student will complete the course requirements. In no event may any such written agreement allow a period of longer than one year to complete the course requirements.

For graduate and professional students, an I is to remain on the transcript until changed by the instructor or department. For all other students, work to make up an I must be submitted within one year of the last day of final examinations of the term in which the I was given; if not submitted by that time, the I will automatically change to an F (if the student was registered on the A-F system) or an N (if the student was registered on the S-N system) for the course. 1

When an I is changed to another symbol, the I is removed from the record. Once an I has become an F or an N, under the provisions of the preceding paragraph, it may subsequently be converted to any other grade, upon petition by the instructor (or the department if the instructor is unavailable) to the college.

A student does not need to be registered at the University in order to complete the work necessary to convert an I to a grade with credit in the time and manner previously agreed upon between the student and the instructor. 2 The instructor is expected to turn in the new grade within four weeks of the date the work was submitted by the student. 3

1 If an I changes automatically to an F or an N, the instructor has the discretion to reinstate the I for another year.

2 An I will be converted automatically to an F or an N even if a student graduates: if a student receives an I in a course, but he or she graduates (that is, has enough credits without the course in which the I was received) before the year has run, and the student does not make up the work, the I will convert to an F or an N after the degree has been granted.

3 This may mean that there would be, temporarily, an F or an N on the transcript: if the student waits until the last week or so to turn in the work required to make up the I, and the instructor uses all or nearly all of the four weeks allowed to grade the work, the one-year period will lapse and the I will be changed to an F, until the instructor changes the grade.

2. There shall be a symbol T , transfer, posted as a prefix to the original grade, to indicate credits transferred from another institution or from one college or campus to another within the University when reevaluation is required.

3. There shall be a symbol V , visitor, indicating registration as an auditor or visitor, which shall carry no credit and no grade.

4. If a student officially withdraws from a course during the first two weeks of classes, there shall be no record of that course registration entered on the student's transcript.

There shall be a symbol W , withdrawal, entered upon a student's record when the student officially withdraws from a course in accordance with procedures established by the student's college or campus. The W will be entered on the transcript irrespective of the student's academic standing in that course if the student withdraws from the course during the third through sixth week of class (second or third weeks of summer sessions). Withdrawal in the seventh or later week of classes (fourth or later in summer sessions) shall require approval of the college and may not be granted solely because a student is failing the course; there must extenuating non-academic circumstances justifying late withdrawal.

Each student may, once during his or her undergraduate enrollment, withdraw from a course without college approval, and receive the transcript symbol W, after the sixth week of class and at any time up to and including the last day of class for that course.

5. There shall be a symbol X , indicating a student may continue in a continuation course in which a grade cannot be determined until the full sequence of courses is completed. The instructor shall submit a grade for each X when the student has completed the sequence.

6. There shall be a symbol K , assigned by an instructor to indicate the course is still in progress and that a grade cannot be assigned at the present time.

Amended by the University Senate April 20, 2000
Amendments approved by the Administration July 26, 2000