FINAL EXAMINATIONS AND GRADING
College of Arts and Science Academic Catalog 2008-2009
Final Examinations. All final examinations or alternative assessments given in lieu of final examinations must be given during the regularly scheduled examination period at the end of each semester at the time listed for the course in the officially announced schedule. Examinations are scheduled for two and one-half hours and should not interfere with subsequent examinations. Take-home examinations may be distributed as early as the last day of classes and cannot be due before the regularly scheduled examination period for that class. In accordance with Honor Council procedures, a student is required to pledge to disclose neither the contents nor the form of any examination until after the conclusion of the examination period. A student who has not taken a required final examination has not completed the course requirements and therefore fails the course.
In instances of multiple sections of the same course taught by the same instructor (including lab periods), it is permissible, at the discretion of the instructor, to allow students to take final exams in either scheduled exam period. It is the student’s responsibility to make him/herself aware of the final examination schedule and to make arrangements to be available to take the examination at the scheduled time. Any adjustments to a student’s examination schedule MUST be made by the FRIDAY PRECEDING THE LAST WEEK OF CLASSES.
Students who have more than two examinations scheduled within a 24-hour period may reschedule until there are only two exams within that 24-hour period. The student shall decide which examination would best be moved and then should consult with the instructor who teaches that course. If the instructor deems it inappropriate because of the nature of the examination to reschedule the examination, the student should then approach the other two instructors. If none of the instructors is able to reschedule the examination given in the course, then the student will bring the dilemma to the associate dean of Academic Services who will then contact the instructors to work out a solution. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT TO START THIS PROCESS EARLY ENOUGH IN THE SEMESTER SO THAT IT WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE FRIDAY PRECEDING THE LAST WEEK OF CLASSES. The make-up date will be decided by mutual agreement of the instructor and the student. Alternate examination dates will be set by consulting with the instructor or instructors and, if necessary, through consultation with the associate dean of Academic Services. In cases where an examination conflicts with a student’s religious observances, students should follow the procedures with respect to religious holiday observances as noted in the earlier section titled “Class Attendance.”
Any illness or emergency that prevents a student from attending an examination or completing a take home examination at the scheduled time should be reported to the Office of Academic Services before the examination time. The student should provide the title of the course, name of the instructor and time of the examination. NO EXAMINATIONS MAY BE TAKEN IN THE HEALTH CENTER. The Office of Academic Services will notify the instructor of the reason for the absence from the final examination, but it is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor to arrange a time for the make-up examination as soon as health permits. If a make-up exam cannot be arranged prior to the deadline for instructors to submit their final course grades, then the student should contact the Office of Academic Services to request a grade of Incomplete.
Grades. Academic performance in any course is rated according to the following system:
| A | 4.00 quality points – Excellent |
| A- | 3.70 quality points |
| B+ | 3.30 quality points |
| B | 3.00 quality points – Commendable |
| B- | 2.70 quality points |
| C+ | 2.30 quality points |
| C | 2.00 quality points – Acceptable |
| C- | 1.70 quality points |
| D+ | 1.30 quality points |
| D | 1.00 quality points – Marginal |
| F | 0.00 quality points – Failure |
The following grades carry 0.00 quality points:
| PA | Pass in a Pass/Fail Class |
| FA | Failure in a Pass/Fail Class |
| SA | Satisfactory |
| UN | Unsatisfactory |
| W | Course Withdrawal |
| I | Incomplete |
| G | Delayed Grade |
| CI | Test Incomplete (Test Failed For Credit-by-Examination) |
| CR | Credit-by-Examination |
| TR | Transfer Credit |
| NG | Audit |
| NC | No Credit |
| ZC | Zero Credit |
Grade-Point Average. Grade-point averages are computed only on courses taken at the University of Mary Washington. Each grade, “A” through “D” carries a numeric quality-point value which, when multiplied by the number of course credits, produces the number of quality points for the course. The overall cumulative grade-point average (GPA) is the product of the total number of quality points divided by the total number of completed UMW graded credits. For example, a three-credit course with a grade of “A” provides 12 quality points (3 credits times 4.0 quality points = 12 quality points); a four-credit course with a grade of “A-” would yield 14.8 quality points (4 credits times 3.7 quality points = 14.8 quality points). A student who completed 15 graded credits with a total of 45 quality points would have a grade-point average of 3.0. Transfer credits (including AP, IB, Cambridge, and CLEP), credit-by-examination, physical education or 100-level dance credits, or courses taken for a pass/fail grade for which a pass grade (PA) was earned are not included in the computation of the grade-point average (GPA). However, a failing grade (FA) received in a course taken for a pass/fail grade will be included in this calculation.
Mid-Semester Grade Report. In the middle of each semester, students are notified by the Office of the Registrar if their performance in a course is unsatisfactory. Although the report is neither entered on a student’s permanent record nor sent to parents or guardians, mid-semester unsatisfactory reports are sent to the Office of Academic Services (or the BLS Office for BLS students) and to each B.A./B.S./BLS advisor. Because a “U” is a warning that significant improvement is needed, the student should consult instructors, advisors, and the Office of Academic Services for assistance.
Final Grade Report. Final grade reports are made available to students at the end of each semester. According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended, a federal law, a student’s educational record may not be disclosed to anyone outside the University, including parents, without the student’s written permission.