Academic Standards
Class Attendance
Students, whether present or absent, are responsible for all material presented in or assigned for courses, and will be held accountable for such material in the determination of course grades. Absences for athletic or school-related participation are counted as any other absence, and all absence, whether athletic-related or not, should NOT exceed 25 percent of the class meetings and/or laboratory sessions scheduled for a course . Regular and punctual attendance, therefore, is expected and essential to success in a course. Accordingly, absence from more than 25 percent of class meetings and/or laboratory sessions scheduled for a course (including absences because of athletic participation) is regarded as excessive, and a grade of F may be assigned as deemed appropriate by the professor.
Students may be required to make up any class work and/or assignments missed due to absence. Since absences are counted from the first class session, students entering class late will already have missed class work, which must be made up just as any other type of absence. Any student whose absence was caused by (1) personal illness, (2) a death in the family, or (3) authorized participation in official school functions will be given an opportunity to rectify, in a manner acceptable to the professor, any deficiencies which may have resulted from such absence. The professor has the prerogative of determining whether or not a student may rectify deficiencies occasioned by absences for other reasons. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the professor of the reason for an absence and to do so in a timely fashion if the student wishes to claim the benefits stated in this paragraph.
Academic Attendance for Online Courses
Properly documenting attendance is necessary to ensure appropriate use of federal aid funds as it allows clear determination of when a student last attended class. This determination is essential for an accurate calculation of federal aid earned, and aid to be returned, when a student does not successfully complete his or her courses. Per the federal regulations found in 34 CFR 668.22(l)(7), attendance in a fully online course is evidenced by academically-related activity.
Academic attendance and academically-related activity includes, but is not limited to:
• Physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and student
• Submitting an academic assignment
• Taking an exam
• Completing or participating in an interactive tutorial or computer-assisted instruction
• Attending a study group that is assigned by the school
• Participating in an online discussion about academic matters
• Initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course
The definition of academic attendance in an online course and academically-related activity does not include activities where a student may be present, but not academically engaged, such as:
• Logging into an online class without active participation
• Living in institutional housing
• Participating in the school’s meal plan
• Participating in a student-organized study group
• Participating in academic counseling or advising
Grades and Quality of Work
A college grade indicates the level of knowledge, understanding, and competence attained by a student relative to the objectives and subject matter of a course as determined by the professor’s evaluation of the student’s performance during the semester. A grade is assigned for each course in which a student is enrolled, and that grade is entered on the student’s permanent record.
The following grades are assigned as appropriate:
| A |
Superior |
| B |
Good (Above average) |
| C |
Average |
| D |
Poor (Below average, passing) |
| S |
Satisfactory, given only in a few courses such as practicums, internships, or other special courses offered on a pass-fail basis. (Does not affect the student’s GPA.) |
| U |
Unsatisfactory Given only in a few courses such as practicums, internships, or other special courses offered on a pass-fail basis. (No credit points; has the effect of an ‘F’ on the student’s GPA.) |
| I |
Incomplete Given to a student who has substantially completed the course but whom, at the end of the semester and due to circumstances beyond his/her control, lacks certain essentials of performance. A grade of ‘I’ is not counted as an attempt in calculating the student’s grade point average. However, if the course is not completed by the deadline specified by the professor giving the ‘I’ the grade will be changed to an ‘F’ which becomes the permanent grade. The deadline specified by the professor can be no later than the last day of the following long semester after the semester in which the ‘I’ was awarded. |
| IP |
In Progress Available only when, by design, course work extends beyond the semester or term in which the course is scheduled. This grade implies satisfactory progress and is used primarily in internship, travel, individual research, and thesis courses. A grade of ‘IP’ is not counted as an attempt in calculating the student’s grade point average. The student is given a full year from the end of the term in which the grade of IP was assigned to complete the course or the grade will be changed to an ‘F’. In addition, no student may graduate with a grade of ‘IP’ still active. |
| F |
Failure No credit given. |
| W |
Withdrawn *See note. |
| WP |
Withdrawn Passing *See note. |
| WF |
Withdrawn Failing *See note. |
| CR |
Credit (Does not affect the student’s GPA.) |
| NC |
No Credit (Does not affect the student’s GPA.) |
| AU |
Audit Indicates a course for which the student enrolled but did not seek credit. |
| P/F |
Pass/Fail |
*NOTE: A student who officially withdraws from a course will receive a grade of W if the withdrawal occurs early in the semester, prior to the date specified in the calendar. A student who withdraws after the last date for a W will receive a grade of WP if judged by the professor to be passing or a WF if judged by the professor to be failing. No student may withdraw after the last date for withdrawal indicated in the academic calendar.
It is the responsibility of a candidate for graduation to see that all incomplete courses have been completed. Grades must be reported to the Registrar’s Office two weeks prior to the end of the semester of graduation.
Grade reports are posted on HSU Student Self Service at the close of each semester and at the end of each summer term.
Statute of Limitations on Changes in an Academic Record
The statute of limitations for any change in an academic record is one year from the date of the closing of the semester in question. Included are such items as grade changes and incompletes.
Calculation of Grade Point Average
Grade points are earned in courses in which grades of A, B, C, or D are awarded. To determine the grade point average, total all of the grade points from all courses in which any of the following grades are given and divide the total by the number of semester credits represented by those courses.
| A |
4.0 |
| B |
3.0 |
| C |
2.0 |
| D |
1.0 |
| WF |
0 |
| F |
0 |
| U |
0 |
Repeat Courses
When courses are repeated, only the most recent grade will be used to calculate grade points and semester credits. HSU does not accept courses repeated at other institutions if the course was taken originally at HSU and a grade is recorded.
Mid-term Grade Policy
Mid-term grades will be reported following the eighth and eleventh weeks of the Fall and Spring semesters. Progress will be reported with letter grades to show the status of the student at that time. Mid-term grades reports are available in HSU Student Self Service