Grade Policies
The final grade in any course represents the instructor’s best judgment of the degree to which the student has achieved the objectives of the course. Each instructor establishes standards appropriate to the individual course and is expected to explain those standards early in the semester. Any student unsure of the grading standards has the right and obligation to ask the instructor to explain them.
Students are expected to attend every meeting of all classes in which they are enrolled. The definition of excessive absence, as well as the penalty for such absence, may vary with the nature of the course. A student who is absent due to an unexpected or emergency situation and is unable to contact their professors may request assistance from the Office of the Dean of Students. This notification does not excuse a student from class. It is the student’s responsibility to learn and observe the rules governing each class.
Progress Reports are course-based feedback provided by instructors that aim to shed light on individual student academic and/or behavioral performance. Through Progress Reports, advisors and students are able to view information on the student’s likelihood of earning a C- or lower in a class; the student’s current or anticipated grade; current absences; and other potential alerts. Progress Reports may also be utilized to recognize students with high potential in a subject to engage in Undergraduate Research or other academic endeavor. When a Progress Report is submitted, the student may receive information about various campus resources that can help them to improve their academic performance.
Progress Reports are submitted via Navigate. While Progress Reports may be sent at any time during a term, instructors are asked to provide feedback on student performance at the 6-week mark of the fall and spring term.
At the end of each semester, Registration and Records post grades to my.butler.edu. There students will see the grades and GPA for the semester, the cumulative GPA, and total hours completed. A student who sees what appears to be an error in the grade reporting should immediately call it to the attention of the instructor or the appropriate dean.
Students in good academic standing are permitted to elect up to a total of four courses from their total undergraduate hours for pass/fail credit. Courses carried pass/fail may not be counted toward the core curriculum, the academic major or minor, or any other course requirements specified by the University or the college in which the degree is to be conferred. The only exceptions are required courses offered only for pass/fail, such as Well Being (WB) courses. Students who have elected the pass/fail option earn credit and a pass grade for work equivalent to a D-minus or better. Courses taken for pass/fail do not count in the grade point average if passed; if failed, they are counted as F. Upper-division courses passed under the pass/fail option shall count for upper-division credit if passed. A change from pass/fail to grade credit or from grade credit to pass/fail is not permitted after the deadline published by Registration and Records, typically in the fourth week of classes during the fall and spring semesters.
If a student passes a course under the pass/fail option and subsequently changes the intended major to one for which pass/fail credit in the course would not normally be accepted, the course may be counted toward the new major with the approval of the administrative committee of the college in which the degree is to be conferred.
The pass/fail option is not available to graduate students, but some courses in the Jordan College of the Arts are designated as pass/fail.
A student, with the approval of his or her advisor, may repeat a course one time that is not otherwise repeatable for credit. Upon completion of the subsequent attempt, only the second attempt will count in the student’s grade point average. When repeating a course, a student may not withdraw from the course or change to non-credit unless the student withdraws from the University. This policy shall apply only to courses taken at Butler. The same policy applies to graduate students.
Once a final grade has been reported, it can be changed only upon written request of the instructor and with the written approval of the chair of the department and the dean of the college. Ordinarily only a demonstrable clerical or computational error will be accepted as grounds for changing a grade.
If a student has good reason to believe that a grade has been improperly assigned for reasons other than a penalty for academic dishonesty, the student shall first discuss the matter with the instructor. If not satisfied, the student may appeal to the department chair and then to the dean of the college.
If a student has any other complaint about an instructor or a course, they may follow the same appeals procedure described above. The decisions in all appeals on these academic matters will be advisory rather than directive.
Any student who has not met any University-related obligations or has not returned academic materials to the proper library or instructor may not receive transcripts from the University. Only the Registration and Records Office is authorized to report grades.