Academics - Academic Standing & Grading

Academic Standing

A student may be permitted to remain in the University for a limited period and with certain program restrictions if he/she fails to meet minimum standards of satisfactory scholarship as set by the faculty.

The maximum quality-point deficit permitted to avoid academic probation or to be removed from academic probation is based upon the number of hours passed according to the following scale:

Transfer Students with Quality Point Deficits

Transfer students will not be admitted if deficient by twenty or more quality points in their work at previously attended institutions. Any student on academic probation at the university previously attended will be assigned a probationary status for the first period of attendance at Concord, regardless of quality point standing.  Transfer students who are denied admission based on a greater than 19 quality point deficit may appeal their denial to the Academic and Financial Aid Appeals Committee.  Students must include in their appeal an explanation of their academic deficit and a plan to remediate the deficit.

Once a student is enrolled at Concord, only grades earned at Concord may count toward removal from academic probation.

Academic Probation

After being placed on academic probation, a student must maintain in the following semester or summer session (courses taken between the Spring and Fall semesters) a G.P.A. of at least 2.0, or reduce the quality point deficit equal to or below the maximum permitted on the above scale, to prevent suspension.

Each session or semester on probation following the first, a full-time student must maintain a grade point average of better than a 2.0, and a part-time student must earn at least a 2.0 average or reduce the quality point deficit equal to or below the maximum permitted on the preceding scale, to prevent suspension.

For the purpose of calculation of academic standing, any student who attempts at least eight hours during the summer will be considered a full-time student.

A student on academic probation cannot enroll for more than fifteen hours in a semester or for more than six hours in a summer term. A student on academic probation is advised to follow the normal pattern of courses in his or her curriculum. Avoidance of required courses to take classes which have little relevance to the program, except for the quality points to be earned, will be considered a negative in any review of the student's record.

If a student on academic probation desires to be a transient student at another institution, the student must submit an Academic Exception to the Office of the Provost to be considered for approval.

Students on initial Academic Probation with 60 or fewer earned hours are required to participate in the Academic Momentum Program (AMP), which includes enrollment in UNIV 101. This program gives students the opportunity to strengthen their academic skills and improve their academic records.

Students who fail to earn a passing grade in UNIV 101 may be required to retake the course.

Removal from Academic Probation

Removal from academic probation requires reduction of the quality point deficit for hours passed as indicated on the preceding scale. If this is not accomplished (except under conditions described above), the result is academic suspension. The student may appeal an academic suspension to the Academic and Financial Aid Appeals Committee.

Academic Suspension

The first period of academic suspension is one fall or spring semester. A student suspended at the end of the spring semester may not attend the following summer session. A student suspended for academic reasons must apply for readmission to the University after the period of suspension has been completed.  However, there is no guarantee of readmission following the suspension.  Academically suspended students must meet the same admission standards as all other University applicants.  See the admission policy  for readmit students.  Following an academic suspension period, a readmitted student must maintain a grade point average of better than 2.0 for each semester or summer session while on probation if he or she is classified full-time or earn at least a 2.0 average if enrolled as a part-time student. If these standards are not met, the second period of academic suspension shall consist of one academic year. If a student is suspended for academic reasons a third time, the suspension shall continue until such time as the student is readmitted upon appeal to the Committee on Academic Standards. Students will be obligated to present compelling evidence in writing to indicate that their chances of academic success have improved. Concord honors academic suspension applied by other institutions; application for admission of a student so suspended will not be considered until the period of suspension at the previous institution has expired, and that suspension will be treated as a prior suspension at Concord if he or she is admitted. All state-supported colleges and universities in West Virginia are required to honor each other's academic suspensions.

Academic Suspension Appeal Procedure

A student who is placed on Academic Suspension has the option of sitting out their period of suspension (one semester for the first suspension or one year for a subsequent suspension) or appealing the academic suspension.  Students who choose to appeal their suspension must submit an appeal form with supporting documentation.  The student is also asked to provide a plan of action for remediating his/her academic deficit.  The appeal is reviewed by the Academic and Financial Aid Appeals Committee.  This committee membership includes a representative of the Business Office, Student Support Services, Financial Aid Office, Center for Academic and Career Development (CACD), three faculty members, the Associate Provost, and the Registrar.  If documentation is not adequate the committee may table the decision until the student provides additional information.  No additional action will be taken until the requested documentation is provided.

Approved Appeals:  If an appeal is approved, the Committee may impose a variety of stipulations for the student to meet in the next semester or term of enrollment.  The student may be required to meet with the Center for Academic and Career Development (CACD) staff or Student Support Services.  Students are restricted to fifteen (15) semester hours unless approval to enroll in more hours is granted by the Office of the Provost.  Students may be required to repeat specific courses to take advantage of the D/F Forgiveness Policy.  Students are informed by email of the Committee's decision and an official letter is sent to the student as soon as possible.

Denied Appeals:  A student suspended for academic reasons must apply for readmission to the University after the period of suspension has been completed.  However, there is no guarantee of readmission following the period of suspension.  Financial Aid Suspension is not automatically rescinded after the academic suspension period has expired.  An appeal must be made to the Academic and Financial Aid Appeals Committee to request reinstatement of financial aid.  Students are advised that the decision of the Committee is final.

Grading

Final Grades

Final grades are issued from the Registrar's Office. Public posting of grades is a violation of the federal statutes concerning individual rights of privacy and is prohibited. A numbering system intended to protect the individual student's identity may be used to post student grades.

A grade reported by an instructor to the Registrar's Office will not be changed except to correct a demonstrable computational error. Approval of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the department chair, and the dean of the college is necessary before a grade can be changed.

All questions about a grade in any course should be taken first to the instructor of that course. It is more useful to request such conferences during the course than after it is over. After full discussion with the instructor, if the question remains, the next step is to consult the chair of the department in which the course is offered.

Appeals concerning grades which students consider to be prejudiced or capricious may be made, in writing, to the dean of the college in which the course was taken.

Students who repeat coursework should note: the original grade shall be negated and the grade(s) earned when the class is repeated shall be used in determining his/her grade average. All grades, however, will remain on the official transcript, even when a course is repeated and a subsequent grade is used to compute the grade average.

The Grading System

Instructors will indicate how they arrive at the particular letter grades, and they will be willing to inform students about the components of the final grade.

A—Superior

B—Good

C—Average

D—Below average; lowest passing grade

F—Failure

I—Incomplete

P—Pass

W—Withdrew: no penalty

*—Course not counted in hours earned

'—Course not counted toward graduation credit or grade point average

H—Honors designation (to accompany grades of A or B where appropriate)

If a student fails to fulfill a small number of requirements of a course because of illness or an equally compelling reason, a final grade of I may be requested. If the reason is acceptable, and a make-up possible, the instructor will report the grade as incomplete. An instructor who gives a grade of incomplete will furnish to the Registrar's Office a statement of the reason for which the grade was assigned and of the requirements to be completed; a copy of this statement will be given by the instructor to the student.

If the student does not enroll again for a five-year period, the I grade will automatically revert to an F unless otherwise specified by the instructor. If a student does enroll within that time (or immediately following a 5-year absence) the grade must be completed in the first 30 class days of the semester of return or it will revert to an F unless otherwise specified by the instructor.

In the calculation of grade averages, incomplete grades receive no quality points or semester hours for the course in which the incomplete grade was assigned. When an incomplete grade is removed within the allowable time, quality points appropriate for the grade received are awarded and the credit hours for the course are included when a new grade average is computed. A student's record will not be clear until the Registrar's Office receives notice from the instructor to change the I to another grade. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of a student to take the initiative to see that the grade is reported. Courses may not be repeated in which the student has obtained a grade of B or better with the exception of certain workshops, music courses, etc.

Quality Points

Academic standing at Concord University is computed in terms of quality points accumulated. Each grade received carries a quality-point equivalent as follows:

I, P, and W grades do not affect the grade point average. (See Withdrawal from the University.)

The quality-point value must be multiplied by the number of semester hours of credit a course carries to compute the quality points earned in the course. For example, a three-hour course in which a grade of B is earned will yield nine quality points in that course; if a D is received, only three quality points will have been earned.

Each semester, a grade report is available to the student showing the number of course hours attempted, the number of hours passed, and the number of quality points earned. The student should make a frequent assessment of his or her quality-point status using the following method:

The grade of C, which is required for graduation, yields two quality points for each hour's credit. Therefore, multiplying the total hours attempted by two (quality points) will yield the required number of quality points. By comparing this figure with the actual quality points earned, as shown on the grade report, a student can determine his or her status.

So long as a student maintains a C or better average at Concord (this means that there is no quality-point deficit), the student is in good academic standing.

Students are advised to check academic standing within their MyCU account each semester.