Academic Policies and Grading

Class attendance is a necessary part of the learning process. You are responsible for anything covered in class during an absence. At the beginning of a course, faculty members often present the procedure to follow when absent or include it in the syllabus.

If You Miss a Class

For minor illness when absence may be one or several days (such as cold, flu, sore throat):

• Inform the professor of the illness and make arrangements for making up missed work.
• Visit the Wellness Center in Winslow Hall for assessment and treatment.
• If you wish, you may indicate in writing that the Wellness Center may verify to the professors that you have visited them. You are still responsible for meeting academic and attendance requirements for each course.

If a serious medical condition or accident is verified by the Wellness Center staff, and it requires missing five consecutive days of class or more, the Academic Affairs Office will notify your professors about the anticipated length of your absence.

After recovery, it is your responsibility to meet with each professor to make arrangements for making up missed assignments and tests. If you are called home for a family emergency, such as a death or a personal issue:

• Notify the Office of Academic Affairs at ext. 2790 or 410/857-2790.
• Your professor will be notified about your absence, but it is your responsibility to satisfy any missed work and to provide documentation if requested.

The College assigns students’ class levels according to the following credit criteria:

For each course, the instructor determines the progress of the individual and the class by means of class work, tests, special assignments, papers, projects, conferences, and other procedures that might prove valuable.

The scholastic standing of students is indicated by a system of grades designated by the letters A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F, CR, NR, and I. A, B, C, and D are passing grades, A+ indicating work of the highest rank, D- of the lowest. Students receiving the grade of F must repeat the course if they wish to receive credit for it.

If, due to extenuating circumstances, a student is unable to complete the requirements of a course, the instructor and the student together may agree to a temporary grade of Incomplete (I) for the course. The instructor will stipulate the terms and deadline for completion of the requirements on an Incomplete Grade Request Form. The deadline may not extend beyond the end of the following semester. The instructor determines in advance what the course grade will be if the required work is not completed by the deadline.  The instructor submits the form to the Registrar’s Office, provides a copy to the student, and keeps a copy on file.  

An Incomplete (I) grade is not a substitute for a failing grade (F), but is rather an indication that the coursework could not be completed by the end of the semester. Extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to, a family emergency, a documented illness, or the unavailability of needed materials to complete an assignment.

Students may not graduate with a grade of I on their academic record.

NR (Not Reported) is given when no grade is reported for the student by the instructor. These grades will be changed to an “F” if they are not resolved within one academic year.

Once a course grade has been reported to the Registrar’s Office, it may be changed only with the permission of the instructor and the Associate Dean of Student Academic Life, and generally only where there has been a recording or arithmetical error. If, however, a student believes that a semester grade has resulted from prejudicial or capricious evaluation, he or she should consult first with the professor of the course, if necessary with the head of the department, and ultimately with the Provost, whose approval is required for all grade changes of this nature.

If the Provost finds insufficient reason to support the student’s complaint, the appeals process is ended. Should the Provost find clear evidence of prejudicial or capricious evaluation, the Provost will recommend to the professor that the grade be changed. If the professor refuses to change the grade, the Provost will ask the Curriculum Committee to appoint an ad hoc faculty committee to consider the case. This committee will be composed of three faculty members, two of whom must come from the professor’s department or a related discipline. The Committee’s decision, which will be rendered within 30 days of the appeal’s submission, will be final.

The deadline for appealing a grade is the last day of classes of the semester following the term in which the course was taken.

Qualified juniors and seniors may elect one course per semester under the Credit-Fail option. To receive credit (CR) for a course under this option, a student must attain a grade of C- or better, but the letter grade is not recorded on the student’s record. Grades of “D+” or lower are converted to “F” under this option. Any grades of “F” obtained under the Credit-Fail option will be used in the calculation of the student’s grade point average. Although a student must declare the Credit-Fail option prior to the end of the second week of class, they can request a change from Credit-Fail to letter grade prior to the end of the semester. Courses taken Credit-Fail will not count toward a major or minor, or satisfy The McDaniel Plan Requirements, except for Physical Activity and Wellness. All internships and some January Term courses are graded on a Credit-Fail basis only, with the exceptions of student teaching and social work.

An audit is entered on the record as “AU,” no credit hours attempted, and no grade or quality points awarded. The instructor sets the amount of participation required in the course. For a full-time student, there is no additional charge. For a part-time student, the charge is one-half the regular tuition. Although a student must declare the Audit option prior to the end of the second week of class, they can request a change from Audit to letter grade prior to the end of the semester. Students who choose this option must complete course requirements as assigned, must have the instructor’s approval to change from audit to credit, and must pay the price differential. While audited courses appear on student transcripts, they do not carry grades or credit. If the student does not meet the instructor’s requirements, the instructor has the right to delete the course from the student’s record.

The general quality of students’ work is determined numerically and is called the grade point average (GPA). The GPA is calculated in two steps. First, letter grades are converted to numerical values on the following scale: A+=4.00; A=4.00; A-=3.70; B+=3.30; B=3.00; B-=2.70; C+=2.30; C=2.00; C-=1.70; D+=1.30; D=1.00; D-=0.70; and F=0.00. A student earns quality points for each course completed equal to the number of credit hours for the course multiplied by the point value for the grade. Then, the semester grade point average is calculated by dividing the total quality points achieved by the number of credit hours attempted in letter-graded courses. Thus, a student taking four, four-hour courses (totaling 16 hours) who received one A, one B, and two Cs would have earned a GPA of 2.75 for the semester. (4 X 4.00) + (4 X 3.00) + (8 X 2.00) = 44.0 ÷ 16 = 2.75.

Similarly, an overall GPA for all work attempted at the College is calculated by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of credit hours attempted. Affiliated Study Abroad Programs and certain Special Off-Campus Programs will be used in the calculation of a student’s grade point average. However, transfer credit, AP credit, CLEP credit, and “credit” grades are not calculated in the College’s GPA.

To maintain class standing, students must successfully complete the normal program of credit hours with at least a 2.00, or C, average. The Admissions, Retention, and Standards Committee will review any student’s record whose cumulative grade point average is less than 2.00.

The standard course load is 32 credit hours a year, but students should undertake programs they can handle successfully, no matter what the credit hour totals. The number of credit hours that each course carries is stated in the Schedule of Classes and McDaniel College catalog.

The recommended first semester schedule normally consists of four regular (four semester hour) courses, totaling sixteen semester hours, with the possible addition of one or more courses with lesser credit (0.5-2 semester hours).

Twelve semester hours are the minimum you may carry in order to be considered full time. Failure to maintain full-time status may affect athletic participation, housing, health and automobile insurance, and financial aid.

Appropriate final examinations are given at the conclusion of the semester’s classes. The times of final examinations may be changed only for medical reasons or to relieve students who have exams scheduled in three or more consecutive half-day periods. Examinations will not be rescheduled to facilitate social, travel, or employment arrangements. Changes to the examination program must be authorized by the Provost.

A student has the option to repeat and pass a course previously failed in order to gain credit hours toward graduation. The student will receive the quality points for the new grade, and the original failing grade will no longer be used in the calculation of the grade point average. If a student repeats a course previously passed, they will not gain any new hours toward graduation. The higher of the two grades will be used in the calculation of the grade point average. All grades will remain on the student’s transcript. Transcripts will be marked indicating the repeated courses. There is no limit to the number of times a course may be repeated.

1. While a student planning to graduate in four years should average 32 semester hours per year from courses taken during the fall and spring semesters, January Term, or summer school, there may be circumstances under which it may be necessary for a student to take fewer than this number of hours in one academic year. However, action may be taken regarding athletic eligibility, financial aid, and college housing because of underloads (fewer than 12 credit hours in a semester).
2. A student whose cumulative grade point average in courses taken at McDaniel College drops below 2.00 will receive a letter from the Office of Academic Affairs informing the student of deficiency status. This letter may contain certain requirements such as regular meetings with an Academic Dean or a required improvement in cumulative grade point average in order for the student to continue at the College.
3. A student whose grade point average in courses taken at the College falls below the limits listed in the following table may be dismissed from the College. (see chart below).

Successful completion of a course requires a letter grade of A+ through D- or CR for a non-letter-graded course. Students not making satisfactory progress will have their records reviewed by the Admissions, Retention, and Standards Committee.

To remain eligible for financial aid, a student must successfully complete at least 75 percent of credit hours attempted, earn the required total credits, and maintain the required GPA for the semesters listed below:

A student may withdraw from a course and receive a grade of “W” before the deadline specified for that term in the undergraduate catalog, Schedule of Classes, and Student Handbook. This course is not counted in calculating the student’s GPA. After the stated date, exceptions to this rule may be permitted only by an Academic Dean and only in cases of genuine emergency, such as protracted illness late in the semester. In such cases, a grade of “W” may be permitted provided the student’s work was satisfactory (“C-” or better) at the time of withdrawal.

Students who desire to withdraw from McDaniel College during the academic year must initiate the process with an Academic Dean in the Office of Academic Affairs. The student withdrawing will receive grades of “W” in each enrolled course provided the withdrawal is between the dates specified in the Academic Calendar. In the event of withdrawal from the College after the date specified, a student will receive a grade of “WP” (withdrawn passing for grades of “D-” or better) or “WF” (withdrawn failing for grades of “F”).

Students who have formerly attended McDaniel College, officially withdrawn (not a leave of absence), and subsequently wish to return have a separate application process from new students and a separate application form, which may be obtained from the Office of Admissions. Transcripts must be submitted from any colleges attended since leaving McDaniel. A $50 application fee is required. Housing policies and residential requirements apply as they do for current students. Once a student is re-admitted to the College and commits to returning, it is then possible to talk to an advisor and discuss the course registration timetable for the next semester.

All students and their academic advisors are provided via the Archway with grade reports at mid-semester and at the end of each semester.

The Admissions, Retention, and Standards Committee reviews students’ academic records each semester. Students may be dismissed from the College when their academic records are so low as to justify such action.

Educational records are those records, files, documents, and other material directly related to a student and maintained by McDaniel College or any of its agents. The College assumes an implicit and justifiable trust as custodian of these records. Access to and release of student records are determined by College policy, which complies with Public Law 93-380 (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, often referred to as the Buckley Amendment). Copies of the College Policy on Release of Information About Students and of the U.S. Department of Education regulations implementing Public Law 93-380 are available in the Registrar’s Office. Students receive notification of the rights accorded them under the above documents at the beginning of each academic year. A more complete description of these policies appears in the Student Handbook.

Transcript records are permanently held by the Registrar’s Office. Documentation pertaining to the registration for each semester is held only for a period of one year. If any questions should arise regarding documentation of enrollment more than one year beyond registration for a course, it will be the student’s responsibility to produce proper documentation to support any claim for a change to their record.