Grades

Grades

Final grades are submitted by the student’s instructors and are issued to the student by the Office of the Registrar via PROWL at the end of each term.

Grade Appeals

It is understood that, except in rare instances, only the instructor, with the Department Chairperson’s, Program Director's, or equivalent to the Dean of the instructor’s college or school (hereafter called Department Chairperson) and Dean’s approval, may change the final grade through the Office of the Registrar. The Dean may, however, change the grade if all of the following processes of appeal have been followed. The Dean must notify the instructor, in writing, of the change in final grade.

  1. No later than three weeks into the semester following the issuance of a disputed grade, the student must meet with the instructor to review the reasons for the grade.

  2. If the instructor is not available for discussion or if discussion fails to resolve the problem, the student may ask the appropriate Department Chairperson to meet with both the instructor and the student. If the chairperson and the instructor are in agreement about the validity of the grade, the student may appeal to the appropriate Dean. If the chairperson cannot agree with the instructor, he will automatically refer the student to the Dean.
  3. The student who appeals beyond the department level must file a written appeal to the appropriate Dean.

The Dean, upon receipt of the written appeal, will bring all parties together in an attempt to resolve the matter by mutual agreement. If agreement cannot be reached at this meeting, the Dean may appoint a committee of three impartial persons to investigate the matter and make a recommendation to the Dean. The Dean will normally follow the recommendation of the committee; however, the decision of the Dean is final.

Grading System

The work of all students at LMU is reported in terms of grades. Instructors are required to assign a final grade for
each student registered in a course.

Undergraduate Grades

The following grades are used to report the quality of undergraduate student work at LMU:

A Superior
B Good
C Satissfactory
D Poor
F Failure
CR   Credit-Equivalent to grade of C or higher
NC No Credit-Equivalent ot grade of C- or lower
NR Not reported by instructor
AU Audit
I Work Incomplete
W Official withdrawal from course

A grade of A may be modified by a minus (-) suffix, and grades B and C may be modified by a plus (+) or minus (-) suffix. Grades A, B, C, and CR denote satisfactory progress toward the degree, but a D grade must be offset by higher grades in the same term for students to remain in good academic standing. Note that a “C-” grade is not a passing grade in courses requiring a minimum grade of “C.” An F or NC grade yields no unit or course credit.   Failure to withdraw officially from a course will result in a grade of F (see Withdrawal).

Graduate Grades

The following grades are used to report the quality of graduate student work at LMU:

A Superior
B Satisfactorily demonstrated potential for professional achievement in field of study
C Passed the course but did not do work indicative of potential for professional achievement in field of study
F Failure
CR Credit-Equivalent to grade of B or higher
NC    No Credit-Equivalent to grade of B- or lower
NR Not reported by instructor
AU Audit
I Work incomplete
IP Work in progress (for courses requiring more than one semester to complete)
W Official withdrawal from course

A grade of A may be modified by a minus (-) suffix, and grades B and C may be modified by a plus (+) or minus (-) suffix. Grades A, B, and CR denote satisfactory progress toward the degree, but a B- grade must be offset by higher grades in the same term for students to remain in good academic standing. Courses in which a grade of B- through C- is received may be applied toward graduate degrees unless otherwise prohibited by the program requirements. A student must maintain a 3.0 GPA in order to remain in good academic standing. See the Graduate Bulletin for specific information. An F or NC grade yields no unit or course credit.

Failure to withdraw officially from a course will result in a grade of F (see Withdrawal).

Grade Point Average

Grade points are a measure of the quality of the academic work completed, just as semester hours are a measure of the quantity of this work. The University uses a letter grade to indicate the level of individual student achievement. Each letter grade has a point value assigned for the grade achieved. The point value assigned to each letter grade is as follows:

A

  4.0

  grade points

   C+

  2.3  

  grade points

A-

  3.7

  grade points

   C

  2.0

  grade points

B+

  3.3

  grade points

   C-

  1.7

  grade points

B

  3.0

  grade points

   D

  1.0

  grade points

B-

  2.7

  grade points

   F

  0.0

  grade points

The grades of AU, CR, NC, I, IP, and W have no point value and are not used in calculating the grade point average. The LMU grade point average is determined by dividing the total number of LMU grade points by the number of LMU semester hours completed with a letter grade.

Change of Grades

Grades, once submitted to the Office of the Registrar, will be changed only in case of error. An instructor desiring a change of grade must present a written explanation to the Chairperson and the Dean with a Correction of Grade form from the Office of the Registrar. No grade changes will be made after the fourth week of instruction of the next full
term.

A student’s permanent record reflects the coursework upon which the University awarded the degree or recommended a credential. Therefore, no grade or other changes are permitted either after awarding the degree or recommending the credential.

Mid-Term Deficiencies

The Office of the Registrar e-mails and posts to PROWL mid-term deficiency notices to students informing them of
unsatisfactory work as submitted by instructors. The notices, advisory in nature and issued prior to the last day to withdraw in a term, are not part of the student’s permanent academic record.

Graduation Rate

The completion or graduation rate by August 2005 for students who entered Loyola Marymount University in Fall 1999 on a full-time basis was 73%.

Incomplete Course Work

An incomplete grade may be assigned by the professor only if a student has completed at least 80% of the coursework.

Normally the student obtains from the Office of the Registrar a “Petition to Receive a Grade of Incomplete” form. The form is filled out by the student and given to the instructor who then completes the form by assigning a default grade which will be entered on the student’s record if the student does not complete the coursework by the deadline.

An incomplete grade not removed by the deadline, which is three weeks after the first scheduled class day of the next semester, will result in the assignment of the default grade as submitted by the instructor. If no default form or grade was submitted, the incomplete grade will be converted to an F by the Office of the Registrar.

If a student requires an extension to the deadline, the student must petition to obtain an extension to the deadline for removal of the incomplete grade. The petition, approved by the instructor, must be submitted to
the Office of the Registrar.

A degree will not be granted while a grade of Incomplete remains on a student’s record.

Leave of Absence

A leave of absence may be granted to a student upon written request to the Office of the Registrar. A leave of absence may be granted for no more than two years. The leave of absence date will be the date that the Leave of Absence/Withdrawal form is received in the Office of the Registrar.

For a student enrolled in a current term, application for the leave must be made before the stated deadline for withdrawal from classes. This date may be found in the academic calendar in the University Bulletin or online for
the given term. A leave of absence may be granted only if the student withdraws from all courses in the term. If completed by the deadline, a student will receive grades of W for all courses in that given semester. A student may not take a leave of absence from the term if application is made after the stated deadline for withdrawal from classes. Any student who stops attendance after the deadline to withdraw from classes will receive a grade of F for each course in progress.

A student who is accepted to the University but not yet enrolled may defer admission through the Admission Office. A student with prior enrollment may apply for a leave through the Office of the Registrar. A leave of absence is canceled if the student registers in another college or university without prior written permission of the student’s Dean. In this case, the student has de facto withdrawn (see Withdrawal) from LMU and must reapply through the Admission Office. The student may enroll again at LMU if accepted through the Admission Office. Similarly, a student is considered to have withdrawn from LMU if the leave of absence is extended unofficially beyond two years.

Major

A major indicates a particular curriculum within a degree program offered by one of the four undergraduate Colleges and one undergraduate School. The major is usually declared by the student at the time of acceptance to the University. If a student is unsure about a particular program of study within a degree program, some Colleges will allow for an undeclared major within that college. This option is at the discretion of the College or School. A student must, under normal circumstances, declare a major within a degree program prior to earning sixty semester hours of credit.

A student must have a cumulative grade point average of C (2.0) in all courses required by the major. Please note that certain majors have more stringent requirements. The particular requirements are listed under the department listings in this Bulletin.

Change of Major

A student wishing to change from one major to another in the same College or School must present to the Office of the Registrar a Change of Program petition approved and signed by the Chairpersons of the involved major departments and the Dean of the College or School. If the change involves another College or School, approval of the accepting College or School must be secured first. A student is subject to the major and degree requirements of the new program and responsible for making up any deficiencies under direction of the Dean. Changes of major should be processed prior to registration for the subsequent term.

Double Major

A student may earn a Bachelor’s degree with a double (secondary) major by successfully completing the following requirements for the second major prior to, or in the same term as, the first (primary) major:

  1. Completion of the requirements of the primary major; and

  2. Completion of the requirements of the secondary major; and

  3. Completion of requirements for the primary Bachelor’s degree.

No more than eight semester hours of upper division work in the primary major can be used to satisfy the requirements of the secondary major. The two majors will be printed on the student’s transcript of record and University diploma.

Minor

Students who choose to complete a minor must meet the following general requirements:

  1. A minor program consists of 18 or more semester hours. At least half of the upper division semester hours of the minor program must be completed in residence at Loyola Marymount.

  2. Specific semester hour requirements are listed by each department offering a minor program. A student who declares a minor is held responsible for the academic regulations in effect at the time the minor is declared. A student who interrupts LMU enrollment is subject to the academic regulations in effect in the University Bulletin at the time enrollment is resumed.

  3. A student must have a cumulative grade point average of C (2.0) for courses taken in the minor program.

  4. The minor may not be in the same program as the student’s major.

  5. Courses may not count as fulfilling both a major and minor program, unless a specific course is required by both programs.

  6. A minor may be earned only while the student is concurrently completing the requirements for a baccalaureate degree. The minor must be cleared by the Dean’s office at the same time that the baccalaureate degree is cleared.

  7. Students are advised to consult department regulations in the Bulletin for further information

Privacy Rights of Students in Education Records

The Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. 1232g) (“FERPA”) and regulations adopted thereunder and California Education Code Section 67100 et seq., set out requirements designed to protect the privacy of students concerning their education records maintained by LMU.

Specifically, FERPA governs access to student records maintained by the campus and the release of such records. In brief, the law dictates that LMU provide students access to records directly related to the student and an opportunity for a hearing to challenge such records on the grounds that they are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise inappropriate. The right to a hearing under the law does not include any right to challenge the appropriateness of a grade as determined by the instructor. The law generally requires that written consent of the student be received before releasing personally identifiable data about the student from records to other than a specified list of exceptions.

Among the types of information included in the campus statement of policies and procedures are: 1) the types of student records and the information contained therein, 2) the official responsible for the maintenance of each type
of record, 3) the location of access lists that indicate persons requesting or receiving information from the records, 4)policies for reviewing and expunging records, 5) the access rights of students, 6) the procedures for challenging the content of student records, 7) the cost that is charged for reproducing copies of records, and 8) the right of the student to file a complaint with the Department of Education.

An office and review board have been established by the Department of Education to investigate and adjudicate violations and complaints. The office designated for this purpose is the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202.

LMU is authorized under the Act to release public “directory information” concerning students. “Directory information” includes the student’s name, address, telephone number, electronic mail address, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student.

The above designated information is subject to release by LMU at any time unless it has received prior written objection from the student by the close of official registration. Written objections should be sent to the Office of the Registrar. Requests to withhold “directory information” must be filed each semester. LMU is authorized to provide access to student records without a student’s consent in a limited number of situations, including but not limited to: campus officials and employees who have legitimate educational interests in such records, pursuant to a lawfully issued subpoena, to educational institutions where a student seeks to enroll, to authorized Federal and state officials, and in the event of an emergency if necessary to protect health and safety.

Registration

The days of registration are listed in the University Calendar. All students must follow the registration procedures as established by the Office of the Registrar. A student is not considered registered until official clearance has been obtained from the Controller’s Office and successful registration has been processed by the Office of the Registrar. The official academic program consists of the courses in which the student is enrolled at the close of official registration. Students may not attend a course for which they are not registered.

Repeating Courses

Students may repeat a course previously taken at LMU in a subsequent term at LMU up to two additional times,
including any withdrawals; the prior occurrence is excluded from the cumulative grade point average but remains on the transcript. All units attempted are used to determine the student’s grade point average and graduation eligibility. The grade of the latest occurrence of the repeated course will be the one calculated into the cumulative average. Please note that although the term GPA will change accordingly, the academic status of the term will not change. Courses taken on a credit/no credit basis may not be used as a repeat course to exclude from the cumulative average a grade of a prior occurrence taken on a letter grade basis. Students may not register for any course in the College of Business Administration for a third time without the written permission of the Department Chairperson of the course and the Dean. Questions concerning this policy should be directed to the Office of the Registrar.

Undergraduate students may not repeat an elementary or intermediate foreign language course after successful completion of a more advanced course in the same language.

For graduate students, repetition of a course requires the approval of the Graduate Division Director and/or Dean and is granted only under extraordinary circumstances. Courses taken at LMU after a degree has been granted will not change the graduation GPA.

Transcripts

Official transcripts of courses taken at the University are issued only with the written permission of the student concerned. Partial transcripts are not issued.

Transcripts show all Loyola Marymount University work completed as of the date of application for the transcript. Work in progress accompanies the transcript. Requests for transcripts to show end of current semester’s work are held until all grades are recorded.

Transcript requests are processed in accordance with the date of filing. Transcripts will not be issued when a student has outstanding financial obligations to the University. In this case, the student will be notified by the Controller’s Office.

Transcripts from other institutions which have been presented for admission or evaluation become a part of the student's permanent academic file and are not returned to the student. Students desiring transcripts covering work attempted elsewhere should request them from the appropriate institutions.

Transfer Credit

Credit for work completed at institutions accredited by one of the six regional associations of the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities, other than course work identified by such institutions as remedial or in other ways as being nontransferable, may be accepted toward the satisfaction of baccalaureate degree and credential requirements at the University within limitations of residence requirements and community college transfer maximums. Courses with grades below C (2.0) do not transfer. A maximum of 60 semester hours from a community college and 90 hours from a four-year institution is transferable to the degree program of the University. In order for work from foreign institutions to be considered for transfer credit, that institution must be recognized by the Ministry of
Education of that country.

Any student regularly enrolled as a degree candidate who elects to take courses at a college or university other than
Loyola Marymount University must obtain written approval of the Chairperson of the major department and the Dean prior to enrollment in such courses. Courses taken without this approval may not be counted toward the degree. Approved courses must be passed with a grade of C (2.0) or higher in order to transfer. Semester hour value is granted to transfer courses; grades or GPA information on transfer work is neither listed on nor calculated in LMU work printed on the academic record.

It is the responsibility of the student to submit all foreign transcripts to an LMU-approved credentials-evaluating agency for evaluation of U.S. equivalent course work and corresponding grade. Information on such agencies may be obtained by contacting the Office of the Registrar.

Foreign transcripts submitted without appropriate evaluations will not be considered for eligible transfer work to LMU.

Tutorials
Only regularly offered courses described in this Bulletin may be taken as tutorial courses. Students may individually arrange with a faculty member to take the course as a tutorial. A tutorial course is considered part of a student’s semester program. Registration for it takes place during the regular registration periods. Only fulltime students are eligible, and approval will be given for only one tutorial course per semester. Freshmen and firstsemester transfer students are not eligible.