Grading Policy and Procedures

Grades

At the end of each course, semester, or rotation, a grade for each student will be submitted to the Registrar by the faculty member responsible for the instruction within 48 hours of receiving the grades for the Final Examination. In the Touro College of Pharmacy grading system, the following grades are used: A, B+, B, C+, C, D, P, F, INC, W, WU, WF, WNA.

Grades are as follows:

*End-of-course grades will be rounded by faculty to the nearest tenth (0.1) decimal place from the hundredth (0.01) decimal place.

Definitions

Passing Grades

Passing grades for which semester hours or credit are awarded are A, B+, B, C+, C, D, P.

Pass/Fail

Some courses within the College of Pharmacy are graded on a Pass (P) or Fail (F) basis. Pass grades have no impact on the GPA. Fail grades are calculated in the GPA the same as in courses in which letter grades are awarded.

Withdrawal (W)

Student has officially withdrawn from a course; only appears on the transcript after the second week of classes. “W” grades are not calculated in a student’s GPA.

Withdrawal (WU)

Student stopped attending/participating before 60% or less of the scheduled classes per semester; calculated as a failing grade.

Withdrawal (WF)

Student has withdrawn from a course, but is not performing at a passing level at the time of withdrawal in the respective course. “WF” counts as an “F” in the calculation of GPA.

Withdrew Never Attended (WNA)

Student never attended class. This grade is not included in calculating the student’s grade point average (GPA), but it appears on the student’s transcript.

Grade of Incomplete (INC)

An “INC” grade indicates that a student has not completed all required course work for issuance of a percentage grade. An “INC” grade is not calculated into the grade point average until the student completes the mandatory course work and achieves a percentage grade which will replace the “INC”. Coursework for an incomplete grade must be completed within two consecutive semesters or the “INC” grade will be converted to an “F”.

A grade of “Incomplete” (INC) may be given to students who have acceptable levels of performance for a given course but have not completed all course requirements – such as an examination, a paper, a field work project, or time on a clinical rotation. “Incomplete” grades are routinely allowed only for the completion of a relatively small percentage of work in a course (e.g., 25%). Grades of “Incomplete” are not issued to students who are doing substandard work in order to give them the opportunity to redo their projects/exams so that they can achieve an acceptable grade.

The procedure for granting an “Incomplete” begins with the student requesting a meeting with the faculty member in which the faculty member will review the student’s progress and decide whether it is appropriate for the student to receive the grade of “Incomplete.” If the faculty member decides that the student does not meet the requirements for the grade of Incomplete, she or he may deny the student’s request. The student may contest the faculty member’s decision by appealing in writing to the department/program chair. Policies regarding the consequences of missing a final exam may differ in individual schools or programs and will govern the student’s right to request a grade of “Incomplete.”

If the student is permitted to apply for an Incomplete, he or she will fill out a "Contract for Grade of Incomplete." The contract is considered a request until it is approved and signed by the student, faculty member, and department/program chair. Signed copies of the contract are given to the student, the faculty member, the departmental/program chair, and a copy is forwarded to the Registrar’s Office. The faculty member is asked to record the grade of “Incomplete.”

Although the time allowed for the completion of any single project may vary depending on the magnitude of the project, a grade of Incomplete should not be allowed to stand longer than one semester from the end of the semester in which the course was given. The faculty member will specify the amount of time allowed to finish an incomplete project in the contract. The amount of time should be appropriate to the project. For instance, a faculty member may only want to allow a relatively short amount of time to complete a missing exam. Under special circumstances, the Dean may extend the deadline beyond one semester. In such a case, the contract should be revised to reflect the change. Once the student completes the required project, the faculty member determines the final grade for the course and notifies the Registrar by using the standard "Change of Grade" form.

Courses that receive an “Incomplete” grade will be counted toward the total number of credits attempted, but not earned. The course will not be calculated in the student’s term or cumulative GPA until the Incomplete grade is resolved. If the INC grade is subsequently changed to an “F,” the “F” grade will be calculated into the student’s GPA and will appear on the transcript. Incomplete grades can, therefore, affect a student’s financial aid status at the college, but will not initially affect the student’s GPA. 

Grade Point Average

The Grade Point Average (GPA), also called the index, is obtained by dividing the total number of quality points earned in Pharm.D. courses by the total number of Pharm.D. course credits attempted and not otherwise excluded from the GPA calculation. Example: A student receives the following grades during a semester of study:

GPA = 30.999 quality points ÷ 9 credits = 3.444

Grade Appeal Process

Only final course grades may be appealed. Students receiving a final course grade that they wish to appeal must initiate the appeal process prior to the completion of the next semester following the semester the course was taken in, otherwise the appeal will not be considered. Once students have graduated and have had a degree awarded a grade appeal will not be considered.

Students, as partners in the learning process, are expected to fully reflect upon the grade received prior to beginning the grade appeal process. The following should be considered by the student:

1. Calculation of the Grade: Double-check the calculation of final numerical grade for the class based on the percentages of each element upon which the grade was based (e.g., examinations, term papers, projects) was worth as stated in the course syllabus.

2. Objectively assess his/her attendance record compared to any attendance requirements as may be stated in the course syllabus. Objectively assess the quality of his/her class participation compared to any statements in the course syllabus regarding the assessment of class participation. If a student’s grade appeal is based solely on a difference of opinion about class participation, it is unlikely that a grade appeal will be successful as only the instructor will be able to evaluate this.

3. Check that all work submitted met the requirements of the instructor as specified in either the syllabus or the specific requirements outlined in the instructions for an assignment. For example, if a student submitted a well-written and well-researched paper on the use of insulin in the treatment of diabetes but the instructor specifically asked for a paper on alternatives to insulin in the treatment of diabetes, the grade will not be reviewed since the instructions as to what was required were not followed.

4. Carefully compare the above with the class syllabus to determine if all the requirements have been fulfilled as specified by the syllabus.

If after giving careful thought to these considerations the student determines that a grade appeal is warranted, then the following process should be followed:

Level 1: Faculty

Students should contact the instructor to discuss any concerns about their grade prior to beginning any formal grade appeal process. This contact should be in writing (preferably by email, but on paper if necessary) detailing the reason(s) for their disagreement with the grade received. While students have until the end of the semester that follows the semester in which the grade was received to initiate contact with the instructor, it is highly recommended that this contact be initiated within 10 calendar days of the posting of the final grade on the Banner student information system.

Level 2: Formal Grade Appeal Process

If all attempts to contact the instructor have failed, or the student has successfully contacted the instructor in writing and subsequent communication did not resolve the dispute by providing clarification on the basis upon which the grade was given, or the student still disagrees with the grade received, a formal grade appeal process may be begun by the student.

The appeal process begins with the submission of a written appeal (preferably by email but on paper if necessary) to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. While students have until the end of the semester that follows the semester in which the grade was received to begin the formal appeal process it is highly recommended that students initiate the formal appeal process within 10 calendar days of receiving the instructor’s response.

A disagreement about the subjective assessment of a student’s performance by the instructor is not grounds for appeal unless the student believes the subjective assessment was capricious, arbitrary, unreasonable, and/or biased upon the part of the instructor. It is assumed that the instructor, as the subject matter expert, is the individual most qualified to assess any work submitted. In general, for the likelihood of a successful appeal, students must demonstrate , from an objective standpoint. adiscrepancy between the way they were assessed, and the grading policies and procedures outlined in the syllabus.

As the grade appeal process involves a thorough review of the grade issued in the course, the student acknowledges that upon review and investigation, the appeal process may result in a final grade that may be:

• the same as the original grade.

• higher than the original grade.

• lower than the original grade.

The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will guide students as to what materials are required to be submitted prior to the start the appeal process that will be reviewed by the Academic Appeals Committee of the College of Pharmacy. The Academic Appeals Committee may require that the appealing student and/or the instructor appear before the committee to provide evidence regarding the appeal. The student will be notified in writing of the decision of the Academic Appeals Committee by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs within 30 days of the conclusion of the Academic Appeals Committee review.

Level 3: Written Appeal to the Dean

If after receiving the decision of the Academic Appeals Committee from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the student is still in disagreement with the grade received, the final step in the appeal process is to submit an appeal in writing (preferably by email but on paper if necessary) to the Dean of the Touro College of Pharmacy within 10 days of receipt of the Academic Appeals Committee decision by the student. The written appeal must include:

1. An explanation as to why the decision of the Academic Appeals Committee is being appealed.

2. A copy of the decision letter from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs providing the student of the decision of the Academic Appeals Committee decision.

3. A copy of the supporting materials submitted by the student to the Academic Appeals Committee.

The Dean will only consider appeals based on a lack of due process or evidence that relevant information was not taken into the consideration by the Academic Appeals Committee. The final decision of the Dean will be the grade that appears on the student’s official Touro College of Pharmacy transcript. No further grade appeals for the same course will be considered.

Important Notes:

1. Office of Academic Affairs Grade Appeal decisions are final.

2. Appeals which do not follow these steps or are not filed within the prescribed time schedule will not be considered and any claims are deemed waived.

3. If the Office of Academic Affairs determines that the student incorrectly received a higher final course grade than warranted, the error will be brought to the attention of the course coordinator who has the right to make a downward modification.

4. Any questions regarding the Grade Appeal Policy and Procedure should be referred to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Missed Course Work or Credit

Students who miss course work and who receive an “INC” grade in a prerequisite course must obtain approval from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs prior to progression into the subsequent courses.

Repeating a Course

Students may repeat any course to improve the grade, no matter what the previous grade was. While both grades will remain on the transcript, only the second grade will be calculated in the GPA. To repeat a course more than once, students must have permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

A student who earns the grade of “F” in a didactic or experiential course must repeat the course when next offered. N.B.: The College is not obligated to offer courses that the student has failed in the academic term immediately following the failure.