Academic Standing

Students refer to Chapter 4 regarding student responsibilities.

All students must maintain an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 in all work taken in the Leavey School of Business. A grade of C- is considered a minimum passing grade in each course. A grade of F is considered a failing grade, and the units will not be counted toward graduation requirements. There are no grades of D (+ or -) in the Leavey School of Business.

Evening MBA, Online, MBA, STEM MBA, and JDMBA Students

If an MBA student has a cumulative GPA below 3.0 during the first 17 units of study, they will be placed on academic warning.  After completing 17 units, if the student fails to increase the cumulative GPA to 3.0, they may be disqualified from the program. Once on academic warning, students have the following two quarters of attendance to meet the minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA requirement.  

Evening MS, Online MS, and JDMSIS Students

If an MS student’s GPA should fall below 3.0, they will be placed on academic probation starting with academic warning. Students then have two quarters to raise the GPA to a cumulative 3.0 or they will be dismissed from the program. Students failing required classes may be dismissed immediately if it is mathematically impossible to return to good standing and remain on track to graduate with their class. Students who receive an F in a required course are eligible for immediate dismissal based on the availability of the course and its requirement as a prerequisite for other courses.

Appeal Process

A student is allowed to appeal a disqualification one time only. The process begins with the student submitting a written appeal, including the steps to be taken to reestablish good academic standing. Further registration will not be allowed until the written appeal has been approved. Upon approval, the student will be responsible for adhering to the plan outlined in the appeal. If, at any time, the conditions of the appeal are not met, or the student is not consistently making academic progress, the student will be withdrawn from all classes and required to leave the program.

Academic probation and disqualification status are noted on the student’s transcript but academic warning status is not noted.

The administration will contact faculty midway through the term to acquire a status update on academic performance, and to ensure that students are aware of academic resources available to them in an attempt to assist the student in improving performance.

If a student has a cumulative GPA below a 3.0 at the end of their final quarter and all program requirements have been satisfied, no degree will be awarded until the cumulative GPA is a 3.0 or better through completion of additional coursework in the SCU graduate business school.

Grading

The grading system is as follows:

The A grade indicates distinguished performance and competence; the A- and B+ ranges indicate excellent performance and competence; and a B grade demonstrates work meeting academic and professional standards. Grades in the B- and C+ ranges are given for acceptable performance levels in a particular course.. A C- grade is the minimal passing grade. A grade of F is given for performance that insufficiently demonstrates academic and professional competence. Instructors may assign grades without pluses and minuses, at their discretion.

The University also uses the following designators for which no unit credit or grade point value is granted:

I: Incomplete
N: Continuing work
NS: No Show
W: Withdrawn

Repeating Failed Courses

When a student repeats a course after failing to pass it on the first attempt, the grade received on the second attempt shall replace the initial grade in the calculation of the student’s GPA. A failed course may be repeated only once. The Academic Support and Records Office must approve requests for a third attempt. If approved and the course is successfully repeated on the third attempt, only one of the previous F grades will be replaced in the calculation of the student’s GPA. All attempts are reflected on the student’s transcript. A student who fails an elective has the option of taking the same course again (if offered) and the student’s GPA will be recalculated. The student may take a different elective but it will not count as a repeated course, and the grade will not replace the grade from the failed course. The program is under no obligation to offer electives to allow a student to repeat the elective course that was not successfully completed. A failing grade received as a sanction for a violation of the academic integrity protocol may not be replaced.

Students are not allowed to retake a course if they have already received a passing grade of C- or higher in that course. If a student re-enrolls in a passed course the units will not be counted toward graduation requirements.

Disputing Grades

Only the faculty member responsible for a course may assign grades. All grades become final when they have been assigned and reported to the Office of the Registrar. A faculty member may report a correction of a final grade to the registrar only if a clerical or procedural error was made in assigning, transmitting, or recording the original grade. A grade may not be changed as a result of re-evaluation, re-examination, or the submission of additional student work after the term ends (with the exception of work completed to convert a grade of Incomplete). Any grade change must have the approval of the department chair and the associate dean. No grade may be changed after one year.

Student Appeals of Grades

Grades are not negotiable. In registering for a class, students implicitly agree to allow the instructor to make a judgment of their command of the subject matter, which will be expressed as a letter grade. Any appeal of a grade should therefore be limited to procedural issues– e.g., to computational errors or failures to follow grading policies set forth in the syllabus.

A student with a procedural complaint regarding a final grade may request a review of the grade, following the process below.  Any complaint regarding a grade must be initiated within four weeks of the beginning of the next scheduled term.

• The student must first discuss the matter with the course instructor of record.
• If the matter is not resolved at this level, the student may submit a written appeal to the instructor’s department chair. The department chair will discuss the case with the instructor and may recommend that the instructor review the grade.
• If the matter still is not resolved, the student may forward their appeal first to the dean (who may delegate this to the appropriate administrative resource in the Leavey School of Business), and finally to the provost, either of whom may discuss the matter with the instructor and, if they think it appropriate, request that the instructor review the grade.

The results of all grading appeals are advisory and are not binding upon the faculty member, who retains final authority to set the grade, as specified in the SCU Faculty Handbook.

If a change in grade occurs, the instructor will communicate the change to the registrar.

Incomplete Grades

The instructor may assign an “I” (Incomplete) grade when a student does not complete some essential portion of the assigned work in a class because of extraordinary circumstances beyond the student’s control. Students are not eligible to request an incomplete:

• Before the 7th week in a 10-week session
• Before the 3rd week in a 5-week session

Additionally, students must have completed approximately 80% or more of the coursework when requesting an incomplete, as determined by the professor.  The unfinished work must be completed and given to the instructor within three weeks of the beginning of classes in the next scheduled term (not the student’s next term of enrollment), unless extraordinary circumstances require an extension. A request for an extension must be submitted in writing by the instructor and approved by the University registrar within the original three-week period. Extensions shall not be for longer than two academic quarters after the incomplete was assigned. An incomplete that has not been completed within the specified deadline or has not received an approved extension will be converted to a grade of “F.”

Students should be aware when requesting an incomplete, they may not have access to their current or future Camino space, and it is the students’ responsibility to have consistent and clear communication with the professor regarding how they will be receiving and turning in their materials, assignments, quizzes, and/or exams. Deadlines are set forth by the professors, and students must adhere to them. No exception will be made.

NS (No Show) Grades

The “NS” (No Show) grade is assigned when a student fails to attend and does not drop a course for which he/she has registered. The NS grade does not impact the student’s GPA but cannot be changed or removed from the transcript. No adjustment in tuition will result from the awarding of a mark of “NS” in a class.

Withdrawn (W) Grades

A “W” (Withdrawn) is assigned by the Office of the Registrar when a student completes the formal requirements for dropping a class or withdrawing from the University after the quarter’s add/drop period. A mark of “W” cannot be changed to any other grade. A “W” is included in the student’s academic record and appears on the student’s transcript but has no effect on the student’s GPA.

Continuing (N) Grades

Some courses may be assigned a grade of “N” if the course dates span more than one academic quarter.  The “N” grade is assigned in the initial academic quarter and does not have any weight in the GPA calculation.  A final grade for a “spanned” course will be given in the last quarter in which course sessions occur.

Auditing Classes

The Graduate Business Program does not allow course audits at the Graduate-level except for the Executive MBA program. If you are an Executive MBA student or alumni, please refer to your curriculum section in Chapter 7.  For each other program, the unit requirement is the minimum; domestic graduates may take additional electives before petitioning to graduate and completing their degree.  Full per-unit tuition would be required.  The minimum requirement is stated below:

• Evening MBA, STEM MBA, and JD/MBA -  70 units
• MS Information Systems - 48 units
• MS Business Analytics and Online MS Business Analytics - 42 units
• MS Finance & Analytics, Online MS Finance & Analytics, and Online MS Marketing - 36 units

F-1 International students must complete their program (graduate) by the program end date on their I-20 and in accordance with program requirements.  Once an international student qualifies for graduation, they must petition to graduate and graduate in the earliest term possible.