Grading

Grade point averages are computed by assigning numeric values to the letter grades:

Letter Grade Values

The grade given in a course is the teacher's evaluation of the student's performance, achievement, and understanding in that subject as covered in the class. The following adjectives indicate the meaning of the letter grades:

Hence, the grade A means that the student's performance, achievement, and understanding were excellent in the portion of the subject covered in the class.

There are prerequisites that qualify students to be admitted to the more advanced classes offered by a department. A senior has added experience, understanding, and preparation. Consequently, a senior progresses in courses that would have been impossible as a freshman. The level of performance, achievement, and understanding required to qualify for each grade that carries credit is higher in a more advanced class than in those classes that precede it, and the student is prepared to work at this higher level.

Additional grade designations are as follows:

1. If a student drops from a class by the add/drop deadline, the transcript will not show any registration for that class. If the student officially withdraws from a class after the add/drop deadline but by the withdraw deadline, the record will be marked W (official withdraw). A W is not calculated into the GPA.
   
   
2. A WE grade will be given if a student petitions to withdraw from a class after the withdraw deadline and he or she is failing the class at that time. A WE is calculated into the GPA.
3. A grade of P indicates a passing grade. It has no effect on the GPA.
   
   
4. The letter grade I (Incomplete) is given on a contractual basis with the instructor to students who are unable to complete the work by the end of the semester or term. An incomplete grade may be given for nonacademic extenuating circumstances (serious illness, personal injury, death in the immediate family, etc.) that arise after the discontinuance deadline (the twelfth week of a semester or the sixth week of a term). To be eligible for an incomplete, the student must have attended up until the discontinuance deadline and be passing the class. If extenuating circumstances arise before the discontinuance deadline, the student should discontinue or petition through the Registrar's Office to be officially withdrawn from the class(es). The Incomplete Grade Contract should be completed and signed by the instructor before submission of the official grade roll at the end of the semester. A copy of the Incomplete Grade Contract must be submitted to the Registrar's Office. A grade of E will be posted until a valid Incomplete Grade Contract is submitted to the Registrar's Office.
   Class attendance in a subsequent semester or reregistration is not permitted to make up the incomplete. In some special instances, such as a lab class, attendance may be required for the portion of the class or lab section missed. Once all the work has been completed, the instructor should complete the portion of the Incomplete Grade Contract, showing the grade earned, and submit the form to the Registrar's Office (B-150 ASB). 
   The instructor may designate the specific length of time the student has to complete the course requirements (not to exceed one year). If the work is not completed and the new grade submitted by the instructor within the agreed upon deadline, the I grade will be changed to an IE (the IE grade is considered and calculated as a failing grade). (To extend the contract date within the one-year deadline contact the Registrar's Office, B-150 ASB.)
   
   
5. A grade of T indicates course work in progress and is only used in certain approved courses in which work may extend beyond the semester. It is not calculated into the GPA. The T grade may be changed to A, B, C, D, E, or P, depending on the grade rule for the course, when the work is completed.
   
   
6. The grade NS is placed on the student record when a grade roll has not been submitted to the Registrar's Office by the grade submission deadline. After the deadline, an official grade change must be submitted by the instructor, either online through the grade roll or with a Grade Change Authorization form. An NS is not calculated into the GPA.

Numeric Grade Values (Law School)

In fall semester 1987 the Law School was granted permission to grade their courses on the numeric grading system. In fall semester 1994 the Law School was granted permission to change the numeric grading system to a new numeric scale. All current Law School students with previously earned numeric grades had their grades converted to the new numeric scale:

Calculating GPA

To calculate the GPA manually, follow these steps:

Step one:  For each class, multiply the credit hours by the grade points (Take the value of the letter grade and multiply that letter grade value by the credit hours.)

Grade points are:

Example:

Step two:  Add up the points

Example from above:  11.1 + 8.0 + 9.0 + 8.1 = 36.2

Step three:  Divide the total grade points by the total number of credits (Do not include P Credits)

Example from above:  36.2 divided by 11.0 = 3.29.  3.29 is the GPA for above example.

Step four:  If the digit in the thousandths place of your GPA is a 5 or above you may round up.  If it s a four or below you need to round down.

Example:  If your GPA is 3.336, then round it up to 3.34
If your GPA is 3.334, then round it down to 3.33

Step five:  To figure your Cumulative GPA, follow the steps one through four for all of your classes.  Do not just average your semester/term GPAs.

A grade of E, WE, I, IE, or UW converts to a grade point score of 0.0.  An Incomplete (I) is changed to an IE if it is not completed within one year.  A grade of T, W, P, or NS is never used in the grade point calculation. Do not calculate any course with a RPT next to it.

Total college earned credits are used to determine class standing. 

Grade Changes

After the final grade submission deadline, grades may be changed only for the following reasons:

• making a calculating error in computing the grade
• posting the wrong grade to the grade roll
• changing a T grade after the course work is completed
• posting a grade if no grade was submitted
• reevaluation of the previous grade with no additional work submitted

When such corrections need to be made, an official grade change must be submitted by the instructor, either online through the grade roll or with a Grade Change Authorization form.

If a student completes any additional work beyond the end of the semester or term (original T grades excluded), grade changes should not be made. Instead, the student should request to have an Incomplete Grade Contract.

A previous grade cannot be changed to a W (Official Withdrawal). If the student had a nonacademic emergency, he or she should file a petition for withdrawal with the Registrar's Office.

Student Academic Grievance Policy

There may be occasions when a student believes her/his academic work or conduct has been unfairly or inadequately evaluated (see note 1 below) by the faculty (see note 2 below). Usually such differences of opinion can be amicably resolved informally between the student and teacher. If not, the following procedures are intended to encourage satisfactory resolution of academic grievances with a minimum of formal procedure.

1. The grievance must be initiated by the student no later than four months (120 days) from the last day of the examination period of the semester in which the alleged unfair or inadequate evaluation occurred. A grievance related to restrictions limiting participation in university academic programs must be initiated within 30 days of the decision in question.
   
   
2. The student should initially address the grievance in writing to the faculty member or administrator responsible, requesting review and resolution. If the faculty member or administrator is unavailable or the student has a valid reason to believe the matter will not be dealt with fairly or that retribution may result, the student may submit the grievance directly to the applicable department chair. (The faculty member, administrator, or department chair shall have the right to consult others regarding the matter as reasonably necessary and with due regard to the student's right to privacy under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.)
   
   
3. If the grievance is addressed to the faculty member, and it is not resolved satisfactorily, the student may submit a written request for further review to the department chair within 30 days of the faculty member's decision.
   
   
4. The department chair's decision shall be given in writing to both the student and the faculty member within 30 days after receiving the student's request and all supporting material for review.
   
   
5. If the matter is still unresolved, the student may submit a written request for formal review to the dean or director of the applicable college or school within 30 days of the department chair's written decision.
   
   
6. If formal review is requested, the applicable dean or director shall be assisted in reviewing the grievance by a committee, as described in the following paragraphs.

• The dean or director will appoint several individuals associated with the university to serve as an ad hoc review panel. At least two of these individuals must be faculty with continuing faculty status from outside the area of study in which the grievance arose. One of these faculty members will be appointed to chair and conduct the proceedings, which should take place within 30 days after receiving the student's written request and all supporting materials. Faculty appointed to a panel reviewing a graduate student's grievance must have graduate faculty status.
• In reviewing the grievance, the review panel, the affected student, and the affected faculty member are responsible to identify or provide relevant sources of information. The review is intended to be collegial and not adversarial. Accordingly, legal counsel is not allowed to attend nor advocate in the review process. Presentation of the issues should be concise and relevant. The chair of the review panel shall be responsible to conduct the review and establish applicable procedures if such are not available from the dean or director. Any formal presentation should be limited to pertinent issues and panel members allowed sufficient time for questions. Following presentation and discussion of the grievance, the review panel will deliberate in closed session and submit its written recommendation to the dean or director.
• The dean or director will determine the resolution of the grievance and give the decision in writing to the student and faculty member within 10 days of receipt of the review panel's recommendation. This decision is final and not subject to further appeal, unless it involves termination of a graduate program or termination from the university.
• If the matter involves termination of a graduate program and is not resolved to the graduate student's satisfaction, the student may submit a written request for review to the Dean of Graduate Studies. The written request for review should contain an outline of the grievance and its disposition and set forth facts supporting the student's request for review. The request for review must be made within 30 days of the date of the written decision by the college dean. The Dean of Graduate Studies will convene a formal administrative review of relevant matters that have not been resolved at the department or college level. Following the review, the Dean of Graduate Studies will make the final determination.
• If the matter involves termination of an undergraduate student from the university for academic reasons or revocation of a degree, the student may submit a written request for review to the Academic Vice President. The written request for review must contain an outline of the grievance, its prior disposition, and set forth facts supporting the student's request for review. The request for review must be made within 30 days of the date of the written decision by the dean or director. The Academic Vice President may either make a decision on the matter or delegate the review to an associate AVP who will convene an ad hoc review panel to study the issues and prepare a written recommendation for the Academic Vice President. A written decision by the Academic Vice President will be sent to the student within 30 days of receipt of the written recommendation of the panel, unless an extension is necessary and all parties are notified of the extension in writing.

Notes

1. Academic evaluations which are subject to this policy include grading, restrictions limiting participation in university academic programs, dismissal from the university or a university program for academic reasons, actions arising from incidents of academic dishonesty, the withholding, and/or revocation of a diploma for academic reasons, and the withholding of or special notation on transcripts for academic reasons. Evaluations relating to admissions to the university, ecclesiastical endorsements, discipline administered by the Honor Code Office, or petitions are not covered by this policy. Persons who believe they have been unlawfully discriminated against or sexually harassed should contact the Equal Opportunity Office.
   
   
2. For purposes of this policy, "faculty" means any teacher or other individual authorized by the university to academically evaluate students, or who has a legitimate need to know regarding the processing and disposition of an academic grievance.

Scholastic Recognition Each Semester

The dean of each academic college at the close of each semester will post a list of names of undergraduate students who are ranked in the top 5 percent of their college for the given semester, who have earned a minimum of 14 credit hours, and who have earned a minimum grade point average of at least 3.5 for the semester.

Grades

After the semester/term has ended and all grades have been submitted by the faculty, students may access their grades through AIM in MyBYU.

Records

Registrar's Office 
B-150 ASB 
(801) 422-2631

The Registrar's Office is the official guardian of all permanent records of all academic work done at the university. The office is also responsible for issuing official transcripts of credit. Official transcripts include only credit completed through BYU.

Classification of Students

Students are classified as follows:

Access to Education Records—FERPA

Student education records at BYU are generally accessible to eligible students according to the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). BYU has adopted Access to Student Records Procedures that explain in detail student rights relating to their education records.

The following is notice of student rights to their education records, a summary of the procedures for exercising those rights, and a description of student directory information that may be disclosed to the public without the students' consent as required by law:

Eligible students, admitted and enrolled at BYU, generally have the right to:

1. Inspect and review their education records within a reasonable period of time upon submitting to the appropriate department managing their education records a written request, with proof of identification, specifying the records to be inspected. The department will notify the student of the time and place the records may be inspected.
   
   
2. Petition BYU to amend or correct any part of the education record believed to be inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of their privacy rights. Students may submit a written request to the department holding the record, clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the department decides not to amend the record as requested, the department will notify the student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures as outlined in university procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
   
   
3. Control the disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education record, except as otherwise authorized by law. BYU will disclose student education records without the written consent of the student in the following limited circumstances:
   1. To school officials and to specified agents of the university who have a legitimate educational interest in the records.
      • A school official or specified agent of the university is:
        • the Board of Trustees or its agents; or
        • a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff position, (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); or
        • a person or company, with whom the university has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using university employees or officials (such as Student Clearinghouse, an attorney, auditor or collection agent); (the contracted party is subject to the same conditions of use and redisclosure of education records that govern other school officials); or
        • a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks; or
        • a person employed by, under contract to, or designated by the university to perform a specific task.
      • A school official or specified agent has a legitimate educational interest if the official is:
        • performing a task that is specified in his or her position description or by contract agreement;
        • performing a task related to a student's education;
        • performing a task related to student discipline; or
        • performing a service or benefit relating to the student or the student's family, such as health care, counseling, job placement, or financial aid.

   2. 
      

      • To officials of another school, upon request, in which a student is enrolled, or seeks or intends to enroll.
      • To the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, the Attorney General of the United States, the Comptroller General of the United States, and state and local educational authorities, in connection with certain state or federally supported education programs.
      • In situations where a student has sued the university, or the university has taken legal action against a student, as necessary for the university to proceed with legal action as a plaintiff or to defend itself.
      • In connection with a student's request for or receipt of financial aid, as necessary to determine the eligibility, amount or conditions of the financial aid, or to enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.
      • As required by state law disclosure that was adopted before November 19, 1974.
      • To organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the university on condition that the organizations conducting the studies not permit the personal identification of students by anyone other than the organizations' representatives. Additionally, all information provided must be destroyed by the requesting organizations when no longer needed for the study's purpose.
      • To accrediting organizations to carry out their functions.
      • To either parent of an eligible student if the student is claimed as a dependent for income tax purposes regardless of which parent claims the student as a dependent. Parents requesting information from a student's file shall be responsible to demonstrate that the student in question is a dependent pursuant to Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code. In addition, BYU may disclose to parents of an eligible student information regarding violations of local, state, or federal law or of the Church Educational System Honor Code regarding the use or possession of controlled substances for student violators under the age of 21.
      • To comply with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena in which case the order or subpoena shall be directed to the Office of the General Counsel for review prior to dissemination of the education record. The university will make a reasonable attempt to notify the student in advance of disclosure when non-directory information is released in response to subpoenas or court orders.
      • To appropriate parties, including parents or guardians, in a health or safety emergency.
      
      
      • BYU may (without the consent of the perpetrating student) disclose to the victim of a crime of violence or non-forcible sex-offense, (as defined in the Clery Act) the results of any disciplinary proceeding conducted by BYU against the alleged student perpetrator regardless of the outcome of the proceeding.
        
        
4. File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning failures by BYU to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is Family Policy and Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605, www.ed.gov/offices/om/fpco/.

BYU has designated the following student information as directory information that it may disclose to the public without the consent of the student:

Directory Information

Name 
Addresses and telephone numbers 
E-mail address 
Month, day and place of birth 
Names of parents or spouse 
Major and minor fields of study 
Participation in officially recognized activities and sports 
Weight and height of members of athletic teams 
Pictures 
Dates of attendance (current and past) 
Number of months/semesters enrolled 
Class standing (freshman, sophomore, etc.) 
Enrollment status (full-time, part-time, less than half-time) 
Degrees and awards received 
Previous educational institutions attended 
Dates of employment and job titles for student employment positions 
Anticipated future enrollments 
Course registrations prior to the beginning of a semester or term 
Expected date of graduation 
Deferred registration eligibility

Students have the right to restrict disclosure of the above directory information. To request restriction of disclosure, students must file a written request in the Registrars' Office. Forms for this request are available in the Office of the Registrar.

Transcript Record Holds

A hold will be placed on a student's record for failure to meet certain university obligations (outstanding fees, etc.). Until the obligation is fulfilled, no copy of the academic record or diploma or information about the record will be released, and graduation may be delayed or denied. Former BYU students may request a transcript for credits to be transferred to another school at any time, even if they no longer have a current ecclesiastical endorsement.

Earning Credits

Students earn approved university credit in the following ways:

Regular Course Work

Complete work in regular courses offered at BYU. Complete college-level courses through Independent Study, Evening Classes, or other Continuing Education programs.

Transfer Work

Transfer credit for academic college-level courses completed at an accredited college or university and transferred to Brigham Young University. (See the Admissions section of this catalog for further explanation on transfer college credit.)

Advanced Placement (AP) Exam

Students who complete an AP exam with a score of 3, 4, or 5 may receive college credit based on the subject and score.

Military Credit

Students who have been on active duty for more than one year may receive additional credit for college-level training and experience in the service. To receive credit, bring the military service DD-214 form to Transfer Services in the Registrar's Office, B-150 ASB.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Students who complete the International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations with a score of 5, 6, or 7 may receive college credit based on the HL subject and score.

Challenge Examination

Students may receive credit by challenging some courses at the university through a separate examination procedure. Departments reserve the right to decide which courses may be challenged by examination. Religion courses, internship courses, exercise sciences and dance activity courses, and other activity participative courses, such as music, youth leadership, and ROTC, may not be challenged.

The challenge examination is not meant to certify that a student has attended the class and completed all course requirements. The challenge examination credit merely shows that the student's skill and knowledge is sufficient to pass a challenge examination for the course.

Only students who have completed at least one course at BYU through day or evening school or the Salt Lake Center are eligible for the challenge examination option. Students currently enrolled are eligible to take the exam, but the credit will not be posted to the transcript until the other BYU credit and grades are posted. Students who are suspended or dismissed from the university are not eligible to challenge courses. Students who are suspended or dismissed may not have challenge examination credit posted to their record even if the examination was taken prior to the suspension or dismissal.

Once students have graduated, they are not eligible for challenging any additional credit at BYU unless it is specific to the graduate program to which the students have been admitted. (See current BYU Graduate Catalog for information on how to challenge graduate courses.)

Some challenge exams for credit are offered in the Testing Center, and others are arranged through the department offering the course. A fee payable to Student Services in D-155 ASB is required. The student should check with the department to see if the exam is offered in the department or through the Testing Center. To earn academic credit and a grade for the course, the student must sign a Challenge Examination Form and have the Testing Center or the department submit it to the Registrar's Office in B-150 ASB. The time limit for a student to choose course credit is determined by the individual academic department, not to exceed one year from the date of the exam. No additional fees are charged to post the credits to the transcript. The student's transcript and cumulative grade point average reflect the grade earned on the exam. The procedure to take exams and request academic credit follows.

Procedure for Challenge Exams Given at the Testing Center

1. Contact the appropriate department for the exam procedure and content before going to the Testing Center.
   
   
2. Go to the Testing Center (265 HGB). (For testing dates on GE challenge exams, see table in University Core: General Education section of the current class schedule.)
   
   
3. Pay the $20 required fee at the Testing Center.
   
   
4. After the exam is graded and the choice is made to receive graded credit, obtain a Challenge Examination Form at the Testing Center and have it validated there. To accept the grade and receive credit for the course, sign the Challenge Examination Form and have the Testing Center submit it to the Registrar's Office (B-150 ASB). After taking the exam there is a limited time to request that the grade be submitted to receive course credit. The time limit to choose course credit is determined by the department, not to exceed one year. Graded credit will be added to the student's official university transcript, and the progress report will show any GE requirement as fulfilled. (Students taking the Physical Science examination may take the grade or an exemption if their score is 75 percent or above. If their score is between 60 and 74 percent, they may receive graded credit.)
   
   
5. Students enrolled in the course when they pass its challenge exam must also drop the course. Students who drop the class after the add deadline (six class days after a semester or term starts) will receive a W on their transcript for dropping the course. If the course is not officially dropped before the withdraw deadline, the grade given by the instructor based on class performance will appear on the transcript.

Procedure for Challenge Exams Not Given at the Testing Center

1. Whether or not students are enrolled in the course they are challenging:
   1. Complete the Challenge Examination Form available from the department.
   2. Arrange with the department to take the exam.
   3. Pay the $20 required fee (per course) at Student Services (D-155 ASB) and have the form validated.
   4. Present the validated form to the department examiner.
   5. Have the grade and credit recorded on the form by the examiner and obtain the necessary departmental signatures.
   6. After seeing the grade, students may choose to have the credit posted to their academic record by signing the Challenge Examination Form and having the department send the completed form to the Registrar's Office (B-150 ASB). After taking the exam there is a limited time to request that the grade be submitted to receive course credit. The time limit to choose course credit is determined by the department, not to exceed one year from the date of the exam.
      
      
2. Students enrolled in the course when they pass its challenge exam must also drop the course. Students who drop the class after the add deadline (six class days after a semester or term starts) will receive a W on their transcript for dropping the course. If the course is not officially dropped before the withdraw deadline, the grade given by the instructor based on class performance will appear on the transcript.

Exemption Examinations for GE Requirements

Some general education requirements can be fulfilled by successfully completing an examination. Exemption examinations for selected GE courses are offered at the Testing Center. 

Procedure for Exemption Exams

1. Contact the Testing Center for dates of exemption exams.
   
   
2. Go to the Testing Center (265 HGB) on one of the examination days.
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3. Pay the $20 required fee per class at the Testing Center.

Students enrolled in the course when they pass its exemption examination must also drop the course. Students who drop the course after the add deadline (six days after a semester or term starts) will be officially withdrawn. (This shows as a W on the transcript.) If the course is not officially dropped before the withdraw deadline, the grade given by the instructor based on class performance will appear on the transcript.

Note: The progress report of students who pass an exemption exam at the Testing Center will be updated automatically at the end of the semester or term. Students should retain their score report for their records.

Earning BYU Credit While on Academic Suspension

Students who have been academically suspended from Brigham Young University are not eligible to enroll in courses through day school, evening school, or any of the Continuing Education programs offered by the university except those courses offered through Independent Study. Students should consult their advisement center to determine which Independent Study courses to take.

Repeating Classes

Students may repeat any course taken at BYU if the course is still being taught or an equivalent course exists. However, all grades are calculated into the grade point average (GPA) and all credit counts in the total hours.