Grades Policy

To define the responsibilities and procedures related to grading practices at the University of Central Missouri.

This policy applies to all University undergraduate and graduate level courses

Grades are defined using letter grades according to the following grading system:

1.     Assigning Grades

Faculty members who are instructors of record have the responsibility to assess the academic performance of students enrolled in their classes. If the task is delegated to a graduate assistant or another staff member is involved in assessing student learning, the faculty member of record remains responsible to compute and assign final course grades. In no instance shall an undergraduate student be allowed to assign recorded grades to peers.

Instructors of record must submit final course grades within the university’s electronic management system for all courses according to grading deadlines outlined by the UCM Academic Calendar, which has provided oversight by the Office of the Registrar on an annual basis.

         B.   Changing Grades

Instructors of record may change a recorded grade for up to one year using the established university process. The instructor of record’s department chair is copied on this action. Grade changes older than one year or performed by the department chair in the absence of a faculty member may be submitted via email to registrar@ucmo.edu.

         C.  Assigning a "W" (Course withdrawal)

A grade of W is recorded as the final grade if the course is dropped during the withdrawal period (i.e., after the 100% refund period through the 2/3 point of the course). A grade of W has no impact on grade point average but is reflected on the transcript. A grade of "W" is the grade assigned when a student is called away for military duty unless there is a specific request from the student for a “U”.

         D.  Late Withdrawals

After the published last day to drop a course, students may petition for a late withdrawal with documentation of extenuating circumstances. Students petitioning to late drop a partial semester schedule will do so through the Registrar's Office and petitions must be submitted no later than the midpoint of the following semester. (Reference Student Academic Appeals Procedures) If the student is petitioning to withdraw from all courses, the petition should be directed to the Office of Student Experience.  Late drops and withdrawals are by petition only and are only approved for documented, extenuating circumstances (e.g., hospitalization, death in the family) that prevented the student from completing the course(s). If a late withdrawal is approved a grade of LD (late drop of one or more classes) or LW (late withdrawal of a full schedule) will be assigned and the instructor will not be responsible for submitted a final grade. Grades of LD and LW will not impact the students’ grade point average but will be reflected on the transcript.

         E.   Assigning an "F" grade

 When assigning a grade of "F" to a student, faculty members are also to include the last date of class attendance for the student. Reporting this date is required for the University to be in compliance with federal financial aid regulations. If the student attended the entire semester and still earned a grade of "F", the date of the final exam for the course should be used as the last date of attendance. If the student began a course but subsequently stopped attending, complete and submit an Academic or Behavioral Concern using the university reporting system, report the appropriate grade earned (typically an "F") and the last date the student attended class (or, in the case of an on-line course, the last date the student "participated" in the class, as defined by the University). In accordance with the University's Enrollment Validation process , faculty is asked to report students who are not in attendance at the first class meeting. However, if a student who never attended a class is inadvertently not reported through the Enrollment Validation process, the student should be assigned a grade of "F" and the first day of the semester should be reported as the last date of class attendance.

        F.  Assigning a "U" grade

The "U" grade is intended for use only in extenuating circumstances beyond the student's control in the last few days of the semester or if the course is of an individual nature that requires more than one semester for completion. An instructor may report a semester mark of "U" when, for justifiable reasons, the student was not able to complete the work of the course. During the next semester, the "U" becomes an "F" unless the requirements of the course have been satisfactorily completed.  When the student's work is completed within prescribed time limits, the unfinished grade is replaced by a final grade by the instructor using the established university process.  

It is the student's responsibility to contact their instructor concerning the removal of the "U" grade. Students will not be permitted to graduate with a "U" on their record.