Academic Standards

Academic Standards

Grading System

Academic achievement is indicated by the following letter grades and points used in calculating grade point averages. 

Other letter grades are listed below. Except for the grade of P, no academic credit is given for the following grades, and none are used in calculating grade point averages. Students may not graduate with temporary (I, M, N) grades on their record.

Grades for Pass/Fail courses

Other Grades

Discontinued Grades

* Academic action examples include physical presence in a class, completion (in-person or online) of a class event - for example: exams, quizzes, assignment submissions, tutorials, tutoring or formal study/review sessions, or counseling/advising sessions.

Grade reports are made available to students through WINGS Express. Students who notice discrepancies on their grade reports should contact Enrollment Services within thirty days.

For additional information about the grading system at Wright State University, please refer to policy 4010.

Grade Point Averages

For the official grade point average, quarter credit hours and grades are combined with semester credit hours and grades to produce a single grade point average. The official grade point average is truncated at the second decimal place, not rounded up or down (policy 4020). For example,

Computation of Grade Point Average

A Wright State grade point average is computed by dividing the number of points earned at Wright State by the total number of grade point average hours earned at Wright State.

1. Each credit hour of an A grade is assigned 4 quality points. 

2. Each credit hour of a B grade is assigned 3 quality points.

3. Each credit hour of a C grade is assigned 2 quality points. 

4. Each credit hour of a D grade is assigned 1 quality point.

5. Each credit hour of an F grade is assigned 0 quality points.

6. Each credit hour of an X grade is assigned 0 quality points.

7. Each credit hour of an NR grade is assigned 0 quality points.

8. Each credit hour of a P earns credit but is not computed in GPA.

9. Each credit hour of a K, L, N, NU, U, W, XU grade is not considered.

10. Each credit hour of an I or N grade is not considered until a grade is assigned.

Academic Standing - Undergraduate

Good Academic Standing

An undergraduate student who is eligible to enroll full-time is considered to be in good academic standing.

Probation

When a student’s grade point average drops below 2.00, the student is placed on academic probation. Students who are on probation must have an advisor’s approval of their course selection before they register for classes.  Advisor approval is also required for all drop-add transactions. Students on probation may have their course loads limited and may be required to take particular courses and participate in academic support programs as indicated by their advisor.

Academic Dismissal from the University

Students who remain on probation for two semesters may be dismissed from the university for unsatisfactory academic performance. Dismissal action is taken by the dean of the college or school to which the students are assigned, in consultation with the head of the respective program unit or the academic advisor.  In taking dismissal action, the academic officer will generally consider the student’s progress toward meeting degree requirements, as well as overall academic performance.

Notice of dismissal from the university will be sent directly to the student by the dean or his or her designee of the college, school, or division to which that student is assigned.

*Note: Boonshoft School of Medicine and School of Professional Psychology students must meet all academic stipulations defined by their professional program of study.

Non-Academic Dismissal from Colleges/Programs 

Academic units may have additional, non-academic, professional standards that, if breached, may make it impossible/not feasible for a student to continue in a program or be eligible to pursue a profession related to the program or major. Examples of non-academic requirements might include requirements on integrity, criminal history, or the like.

Students found in violation of the ratified policy will be considered for dismissal by the appropriate administrative body of the academic unit. Students under consideration for dismissal will be notified, in writing, of the time, date, and location where they may be heard and present information to the decision-making body. The student will be notified of the decision and, if dismissed, of their right to appeal the decision.

Students who are dismissed from a college/program are expected to have access to advisors who can help them plan a transition to another college/program. The dismissing unit will inform the student that they may continue to use their current advisor through the student’s next enrolled semester. 

For more information on undergraduate academic standing, please refer to Wright State policies 3350 and 3365.

Academic Standing - Graduate

Evaluation

Graduate students who have attempted 9 semester hours of graduate study may be evaluated each term by their graduate program committee and/or the Graduate School (the program, however, has the right to review or evaluate a student’s academic performance at any time). The evaluation will verify

• a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00
• only 6 hours of C grade allowed
• any D grades are not applied to the program

After the evaluation by the Graduate School, the student will be:

• recommended for continuation in the graduation program
• placed on probationary status, or
• dismissed from the Program and the College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies

Probation

Students admitted in regular status who have earned 9 or more graded semester hours of graduate credit will automatically be placed in probationary status the term their cumulative graduate grade point average (GPA) drops below 3.00. A student in probationary status may remain enrolled only as long as all of the following conditions are met:

• current semester GPA is 3.00 or higher;
• the total number of hours the student has earned that would count toward the student’s degree program is less than or equal to the total number of hours required for completion of the program plus an additional nine hours;
• the student undergoes formal advising before registering;
• the student is following any applicable remediation plan.

Dismissal

If any of the above 4 conditions are not met, the student will be immediately dismissed. Any petition to reverse a dismissal decision under this policy will be considered (by the Student Affairs Committee) only if a) it is accompanied by a viable remediation plan, on the approved form and endorsed by the director of the student’s program, and b) the completed petition (including the remediation plan) is received in the College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies no later than seven business days after the dismissal decision is communicated in writing. Students who are dismissed can reapply for admission only after having been unenrolled for at least one semester.

Conditional Status

Students entering the College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies on a conditional basis will have their academic records reviewed by both their academic departments and the College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies at the end of the term in which they complete the 9 semester hours of graduate course work. If the student’s grade point averages are 3.00 or above they will be:

• Recommended for regular status in the graduate program.
• Retained on a conditional basis until the department is satisfied with their ability to do graduate-level work.

If the student’s grade point averages are less than 3.0, they will be dismissed from the Graduate School.

Non-Degree Status

Students entering the College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies in non-degree status will have their work reviewed after the first 9 semester hours by the College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies. If the student’s cumulative grade point average is below 3.0, the student will be dismissed from the College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies.

For more information about graduate academic standards, please refer to Wright State Policy 5370.

Incomplete Work

An Incomplete (I) grade is a temporary grade given only when part of the required work is missing and arrangements have been made with the instructor to complete the work. Failure of a student to appear for a final examination without an explanation is, for example, insufficient grounds for assigning an incomplete. In such cases, an ‘X’ grade would be appropriate. In general, the grade of ‘I’ should be avoided except where it is clearly justified.

When a student and instructor agree on a grade of Incomplete, the instructor is encouraged to file an incomplete contract (PDF) with their department. The purpose of the contract is to clearly define and document the specific requirements that are needed to complete the course and the deadline for completion agreed to by the student and the instructor.  If a student is unable to sign the incomplete contract, the instructor is encouraged to attach documentation of the conversation or electronic communication with the student specifying the date the agreement for a grade of Incomplete was made and the specific requirements and deadline needed to complete the course. If the student does not complete the specified requirements by the required deadline or the instructor does not submit a grade change by the deadlines listed below, the ‘I’ grade will be converted to an ‘F’.

Undergraduate Deadline for Completion of I Grades

• The student’s work must be completed no later than the last day of final exams in the following term or earlier if required by the instructor.
• An ‘I’ grade given in the Spring term must be made up by the last day of final exams in the following Fall term or earlier if required by the instructor.
• The change of grade must be submitted via the Change of Grade Workflow by the Monday after final exams in the term in which the work is completed.
• The change of grade for an ‘I’ grade given for the term in which a student graduates must be submitted within 30 days after the last day of final exams for that term.

Renewal of  Undergraduate “I” Grades

If, for legitimate reasons, a student is unable to clear an ‘I’ grade by the last day of final exams for the following term (for Spring term, by the last day of final exams for the following Fall term), the instructor may submit another ‘I’ grade via the Change of Grade Workflow.

Graduate Deadline for Completion of I Grades

• The “I” grade may remain on the student’s academic record for up to two consecutive terms. This policy does not prohibit instructors from awarding an “I” grade for a lesser period of time. The student will have to make up an incomplete grade by the date the instructor has stipulated or if no date was stipulated, no later than the last day of classes of the second term. Failure to make up an incomplete grade will result in it being changed to a grade of “F”.

Renewal of  Graduate “I” Grades

Instructors may extend, one time only, the “I” grade for up to an additional two consecutive terms by submitting a grade change via the Change of Grade Workflow. If an “I” grade is awarded or an extension is granted for less than two terms, instructors must advise the student of the time period. If an “I” grade is assigned or an extension is granted for a period less than two terms, then it will be the responsibility of the instructor, after the specified period has expired, to assign a grade to the student by submitting a grade change form via the Change of Grade Workflow.

Grade Requirements for Program Admission and Graduation

In addition to the general requirements applicable to all degree programs, several academic units have specific grade standards that may apply to program admission and/or graduation. Specific standards are listed under the major programs in the Programs of Study section of this catalog.

Dean’s List

To be named to the Dean’s List, undergraduate students must: 

• have at least a 3.5 GPA for the semester;
• have completed for the semester at least 12 hours of credit for courses in which they have received grades of A, B, or C;
• AND cannot have received a grade of F, X, D, I, U, T, M, N, NR, XU, and NU

The three categories for the Dean’s List include: 

• Honors: A cumulative GPA of at least 3.50
• High Honors: A cumulative GPA of at least 3.70
• Highest Honors: A cumulative GPA of at least 3.90

Students who have qualified for the Dean’s List will be notified each term. Please contact the Advising Office in the college of your major with questions.

Full University Dean’s List

Wright State Policy 3340

Graduation with Honors

Undergraduate students with outstanding academic records are recognized at commencement. Three distinctions are made: summa cum laude (Latin for “with highest honors”) recognizes a cumulative GPA of at least 3.90; magna cum laude (Latin for “with high honors”) indicates a cumulative GPA of at least 3.70; and cum laude (Latin for “with honors”) indicates a final cumulative GPA of at least 3.50.

Academic honors are based on meeting the minimum honors GPA requirement for work attempted at Wright State University, as well as for all transfer college work accepted, as of the end of the term in which the student graduates; (that is, by the day on which term grades are due). This recalculation of the GPA may result in the student’s Wright State transcript GPA not matching the student’s Latin Honors eligibility.  

Students who hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, including Wright State, and who earn a second baccalaureate degree at Wright State per the academic policy requirements for second degrees, are eligible for Latin honors. Latin honors are based on all course work at Wright State University attempted for the second degree following and excluding the first degree course work.

Wright State Policy 3640

Grade Appeals

Before an official grade appeal is submitted, the Academic Mediation Process should be utilized.

To mediate and help resolve disputes between faculty and students over grades or other academic evaluations in which the student feels that he or she has been treated or graded unfairly while preserving the rights of both faculty and students, maintaining academic freedom, and upholding the aims of the university.

Recognizing that students should have protection through orderly procedures against prejudice or capricious academic evaluations and recognizing that they are responsible for maintaining standards of academic performance established for each course in which they are enrolled. Each college has an established mediation policy for students contesting grading or the assignment of grades. The student must follow the process for the college in which the course is offered, not the college in which they are majoring.

For information on the steps of mediation please refer to Academic Mediation Intent.

A student who has earned over 30 hours at the end of the semester in which the disputed grade was issued must submit the formal appeal before the final exam period of the semester immediately following the term in which the grade was issued.

The formal appeal should be directed to the Dean. For additional information, please refer to Petitions, Comments, and Complaints Procedures for Students.

Fresh Start Rule

Recalculation of cumulative grade point average (GPA) and credit hours earned.

An undergraduate student who re-enrolls in the university after an absence of three or more years may request the university, through the dean or director of his/her enrollment unit, recalculate the cumulative grade point average and hours earned during the period of previous enrollment. The Fresh Start Rule application must be submitted no later than the end of the student’s first reenrolled term and applies only to courses taken at Wright State University prior to that re-enrollment.

• If the application is approved, all courses taken prior to the Fresh Start Rule remain on the permanent record; however, only those courses with grades of A, B, C, or P are counted toward credit hours earned. No other grades are counted for credit as hours toward graduation.
• If the application is approved, the student resumes an academic program with no cumulative grade point average (0.00) for the period to which the Fresh Start Rule applies. This period is defined as all Wright State coursework prior to the application of the Fresh Start Rule (coursework prior to the first term of enrollment post-Fresh Start). For the purposes of scholastic action and advising, however, the student initially is assigned to the same scholastic standing as when he/she last attended the university. Thereafter, the student is subject to the conditions of probation and dismissal that govern all students.

After the Fresh Start Rule has been applied to the academic record, a student must earn at Wright State a minimum of forty-five quarter or thirty semester credit hours before graduation with a bachelor’s degree, or a minimum of twenty-four quarter or twenty-four semester credit hours before graduation with an associate’s degree.

All courses ever taken at the university will be used in the calculation of the cumulative point-hour ratio required for the purpose of determining graduation with Latin honors.

A student’s five cumulative grade replacements include those prior and subsequent to the application of the Fresh Start Rule.

• Courses re-taken following application of the Fresh Start Rule where the original grade was A, B, C, or P are not eligible to be repeated with grade replacement. If a student chooses to retake such course, the course’s hours earned will not be counted in total hours and the grade will not be counted in the cumulative GPA.
• Courses re-taken following application of the Fresh Start Rule where the original grade was not an A, B, C, or P are counted towards a student’s cumulative total of five grade replacements. In such cases, the hours earned will be counted in total hours and the grade will be counted in the cumulative GPA.

A student is eligible for only one Fresh Start.

Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree from any institution are not eligible for the Fresh Start Rule. Students who have earned an associate’s degree from Wright State may apply the Fresh Start Rule only to coursework earned after the conferral of that degree. Students who
have earned an associate’s degree from another institution may apply the Fresh Start Rule to Wright State coursework earned prior to earning that degree.

Graduate Fresh Start

A “fresh start” is defined as beginning a graduate program and having the graduate academic record amended to reflect no hours attempted and no graduate grade point average for the new program.  A new program, for “fresh start” purposes, is defined as one which a student transfers into while in active status or returns to from inactive status.  All courses and grades previously taken at Wright State University will remain on the student’s academic record.

To be considered for a fresh start, the student must submit an application to the Dean of the College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies. Application forms are available in the College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies.  The Dean can approve the application or defer action on it to the Graduate Student Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate, which is the final appellate body for such decisions.  The student and the academic program are advised by letter of the Dean’s or the Student Affairs Committee’s decision.  If a favorable decision is rendered, the Registrar is sent a copy of the approved application and advised to make the appropriate adjustments to the student’s academic record.

The following conditions and restrictions apply to a fresh start graduate program:

• A student granted a fresh start will be admitted into the new program as a conditional degree-seeking student.
• Concentrations of graduate programs do not constitute a new program and, therefore, do not apply to the “fresh start” policy.
• The new program must be completed with a minimum of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of graduate credit.
• The seven year rule for completing the program requirements starts with the semester or quarter that the student first registers for courses required by the new program.
• Only one “fresh start” will be granted to a graduate student at Wright State University.
• Petitions to waive any of the conditions of the “fresh start” policy will not be favorably considered by the College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies.

For more information about the graduate fresh start policy, please refer to Wright State Policy 5580.

Second Start Policy

Recalculation of Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) and Credit Hours Earned

The Second Start policy allows an undergraduate student who is currently on academic probation or academically dismissed from Wright State to enroll in an articulated joint-enrollment program with a community-college partner institution. A student is eligible to use this joint-enrollment program as a Second Start if

• the student has attempted no more than 48 hours at Wright State, and
• if dismissed, enrolls in the joint-enrollment program within 12 months of dismissal.

Students in the Second Start program will be ineligible to register for courses at Wright State University for a minimum of two semesters. If the student does not return within three years of his or her departure from Wright State, he or she becomes ineligible for a Second Start and is instead eligible for a Fresh Start.

• Upon completing the requirements of the joint-enrollment program, the student will be re-admitted to Wright State University and may apply for the Second Start Rule.
• If the Second Start Rule is applied:
  • The student resumes an academic program with no cumulative grade point average (0.00) for all Wright State coursework prior to the application of the Second Start Rule (i.e. coursework prior to the first term of enrollment post- Second Start). Thereafter, the student is subject to the conditions of probation and dismissal that govern all students.
  • All Wright State courses taken prior to the student’s departure from Wright State remain on the permanent record; however, only those courses with grades of A, B, C, or P are counted toward credit hours earned.
  • Coursework taken prior to the student’s return to Wright State does not count towards the residency requirement for a Wright State University degree. That requirement must be satisfied after the student’s return.
  • All courses ever taken at the university will be used in the calculation of the cumulative point-hour ratio required for the purpose of determining graduation with Latin honors.
  • A student’s five cumulative grade replacements include those prior to and subsequent to the application of the Second Start Rule.

Courses re-taken following application of the Second Start Rule where the original grade was A, B, or C are not eligible to be repeated with grade replacement. If a student chooses to retake such course, the course’s hours earned will not be counted in total hours and the grade will not be counted in the cumulative GPA.

Courses re-taken following application of the Second Start Rule where the original grade was D, F, or X are counted toward a student’s cumulative total of five grade replacements. In such cases, the hours earned will be counted in total hours and the grade will be counted in the cumulative GPA.

• A student is eligible for only one Second Start.
• Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree from any institution are not eligible for the Second Start Rule.