Grade and Grading System

Grade and Grading System jeff Mon, 09/30/2019 - 17:02

Grades are issued at the end of each semester. The requirements for obtaining the course grade will be stated in each course syllabus. If there is a question, the student is responsible for clarifying the instructor’s expectations.

Grading Scale

The grades given in LCN courses are as follows:

Grade	Description	Scale	Grade Point Value
A	Excellent	93-100	4
B	Good	85-92	3
C	Average	77-84	2
D	Poor/Failure	70-76	1
F	Failure	0-69	0
W	Withdrew - No Grade		-
AU	Audit		-
CR	Credit		-
I	Incomplete		-
PR	Proficiency		-
R	Repeat		-
S	Satisfactory (Clinical)		-
U	Unsatisfactory (Clinical)		-

No grade will be rounded.

All students must earn at least a “77%=C” average on all exams to pass the course, except N311 Foundations of Professional Practice an “85%=B” must be earned. Test averages are calculated prior to adding in papers, projects, or other non-exam scores. If the average is less than a “77%=C” or “85%=B” for N311, the student earns the test average for the course. If the student’s test average is “77%=C” or “85% =B” or greater, all of the remaining course assignments are calculated into the final grade. Students who do not earn a C in all courses except a "B" in N311 when exams are averaged fail the course, regardless of the grades on the other non-exam course activities.

In a nursing course that contains laboratory and/or clinical components, a student must earn a grade of at least “77%=C” in theory, except N311 Foundations of Professional Practice an “85%=B” must be earned and “77%=C or S” (satisfactory) in the laboratory/clinical components to receive degree credit for the course. If the student’s clinical-grade is satisfactory, the grade for the course is the theory grade. An unsatisfactory clinical performance results in failure or an “F” grade for the course.

No extra credit will be provided for students to raise their grade. Students cannot earn more than 100% on any assignment or exam in any course. Student letter grades will be determined by the whole number; no rounding is used. Therefore if a student earns a 76.9, the grade earned is a 76. If a student receives an 84.5, the student receives an 84.

All LCN grades and all semester hours count on the student’s grade point average in determining scholastic eligibility to remain in the College.

Grade Reports

Grades are issued at the end of each semester. Students may review their grades through the SONIS system. No grades will be given out by the Registrar’s Office over the phone or by e-mail, in accordance with the Family and Educational Right to Privacy Act of 1974. Official grades are in SONIS.

Incomplete Grades

An incomplete grade may be requested by a student with the approval of the Dean of Nursing when a student is unable to complete the coursework because of illness, serious injury or other circumstances beyond the student's control. An "I" may be assigned if at least three quarters of the course has been completed within the term grading period and the student has maintained a consistent rate of progress in the course. Failure to appear for a final exam or to complete coursework in the time allowed is not justification for an incomplete. The Course Coordinator will complete Section 1 of the Incomplete Grade Record which, identifies the reason for the incomplete.

The Course Coordinator will complete the incomplete form after the last day of class; set the date for completion within a 30 day time limit; and, will distribute the form to the Registrar and Financial Aid Office. The student and Course Coordinator will also retain copies.

An incomplete grade must be removed no later than 30 days after the course has ended. Students who do not complete the course in the designated time will receive a grade of "F," which will be recorded on the student's transcript. Any course with an incomplete grade that is a prerequisite for another nursing course must be completed before starting in the course. The due date for removal of the incomplete grade "I" must be met whether or not the student is currently enrolled in college courses. In the event the Course Coordinator from whom a student receives an incomplete grade "I" is not on campus, the disposition of the grade will be made by the Dean.

Grade Appeal

Consistent with the College’s mission and academic policies, course instructors have both the right and responsibility to render constructive and critical judgment regarding the quality of the academic work performed by students according to the grading criteria stated in the respective course syllabus. The College will not review the judgment of a faculty member in assessing the quality of students’ work.

Grounds for Grade Appeal

Students may appeal a grade for the following reasons:

An error in the calculation of the grade or clerical error in the recording of the grade that remains uncorrected.
The assignment of a grade to a particular student by applying more requirements than were applied to other students in the course or
The assignment of a grade to a particular student on some basis other than performance in the course or clinical.

The following are not grounds for a grade appeal:

Specific test questions.
The assignment was too challenging or required too much work.
The assignment was poorly designed or facilitated.
Final course grades.

In all grade appeals, the student has the burden of proof. Note: If a student does not meet any of the steps by the set time frames, the grade appeal is void.

Step 1: Before Appealing a Grade - Informal Conference with the Instructor

Before a student raises a concern about a grade, the student should review the syllabus carefully. After the syllabus review, the student who believes that a grade was improperly assigned must promptly, within three (3) calendar days after the grade was submitted in Edvance 360, meet with the instructor face to face to discuss the concerns.

The best opportunity for a revised grade is with the faculty member - while an appeal to the Review Committee and Dean of Nursing is open, it is much less likely to result in a grade change. It is the instructor who knows the student’s work and is in a position to evaluate and assign a grade.

If the informal conference does not result in a mutually agreeable resolution, the student may proceed with the Formal Grade Appeal Process, if it meets the requirements.

Written verification of each step below is critical to promote a thorough review.

Step 2: Appeal to the Instructor - Formal Grade Appeal

The student is responsible for organizing their argument and has three (3) calendar days from the informal conference to submit the following to the instructor of the course:

Completed Formal Grade Appeal Form. The appeal form can be accessed via the Lakeview website https://www.lakeviewcol.edu/forms and
Copies of any relevant supporting materials.

When a student discusses concerns about a grade, the case should be presented factually: the student needs to explain how they believe their work meets the criteria and rubrics that the instructor assigned for the assignment.

Emotional language and personal attacks should be avoided. Mentioning grades in other classes is not relevant. When appealing a grade, student’s may think it is relevant to mention if they are a "strong student" overall. However, to most instructors, that information is not relevant; they are considering only the performance in their class.

Within five (5) calendar days from the date of receipt of the student's Formal Grade Appeal, the instructor shall complete the instructor’s section of the form. The instructor should explain how the grade in question was determined and address any other issues raised in the student's appeal statement. The instructor will submit the completed grade appeal form with their final decision and any supporting materials to the student.

Once the instructor has made a final decision about the grade appeal, the student has the right to appeal to the Review Committee – Faculty Organization. The student has three (3) calendar days to appeal the faculty’s decision to the Review Committee. The student should sign the appeal form and submit to the Faculty Organization Chair.

Step 3: Appeal to the Review Committee – Faculty Organization
The Faculty Organization Committee will:

Verify the student has valid grounds for an appeal.
Schedule a meeting with the student and instructor. The student and the instructor will present to the Faculty Organization Committee their sides of the Formal Grade Appeal. The student has the opportunity to bring one support representative to the committee. The support representative must be named as attending at least 24 hours before the meeting and cannot be legal counsel.
Prepare a written summary of the meeting that includes the informal meeting date and any outcome of the grade appeal.

Within three (3) calendar days, the Chair of the Committee will notify the student and the instructor in writing of the Committee’s decision. The student has three (3) calendar days to appeal the Review Committee's decision to the Dean of Nursing. The student should sign the appeal form and submit to the Dean of Nursing.

Step 4: Final Level of Review – Appeal to the Dean of Nursing

The Dean of Nursing will review the Formal Grade Appeal, all supporting material, and all decisions. The Dean of Nursing will also evaluate the process of the grade appeal. Within three (3) calendar days of receipt, the Dean of Nursing will make a final decision.

Step 5: What to Expect After Formal Grade Appeal

If the student’s grade appeal is successful, the instructor will adjust the assignment grade to reflect the outcome. If the student’s appeal is not successful, and the student thinks the grade will affect their future success in the course, the student should make an appointment with their academic advisor. The academic advisor can help the student plan whether or not to withdraw from the course or help identify academic improvement resources.