Grade and Grading System

Grade and Grading System jeff

Grades are issued at the end of each semester. Each course syllabus will state the requirements for obtaining the course grade. The student must clarify the instructor's expectations if there is a question.

Grading Scale

+/- scale effective fall 2021; grades earned prior to fall '21 remain as they are recorded.

Grade

Description

Scale

Grade Point Value

A

Excellent

97-100

4
A-   93-96 3.7
B+ Good 90-92 3.3

B

 

 87-89

3
B-   85-86 2.7
C+ Average 82-84 2.3

C

 

79-81

2
C-   77-78 1.7
D+ Poor/Failure 74-76 1.3

D

 

72-73

1
D-   70-71 0.7

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.

For all courses, students must earn at least a 77% average on all exams to pass the course, except for N311 Foundations of Professional Practice, an 85% must be earned. Test averages are calculated before adding papers, projects, or other non-exam scores. If the average is less than 77% or 85% for N311, the student earns the test average for the course. If the student's test average is 77% or 85% for N311 or higher, the remaining course assignments are calculated for the final grade. Students who do not earn a 77% in all courses or an 85% 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 clinical or lab components, a student must earn a grade of at least 77% in theory, except N311 Foundations of Professional Practice a 85% must be earned and 77% or S (satisfactory) in the clinical or lab 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. A U (unsatisfactory) clinical performance results in failure or an F grade for the course. The student may withdraw from the course if the deadline has not passed; see the course withdrawal policy.

No extra credit will be provided for students to raise a grade. Students cannot earn more than 100% on any assignment or exam in any course.

No rounding of grades. The whole number will determine letter grades; no rounding is used. Therefore if a student earns 76.9, the grade earned is 76. If a student receives an 84.5, the grade earned is 84.

Grade Point Average
Grade point averages are computed at the end of each semester and cumulatively over the semesters. All LCN semester hours count on the student’s grade point average in determining scholastic eligibility to remain in the College. The procedure for computing grade point averages in available from the Registrar.

Grade Reports

Official grades are issued at the end of each semester in SONIS. The Registrar's Office will give no grades over the phone or by email per the Family and Educational Right to Privacy Act of 1974.

Dean's List
The Dean's List recognizes students who have demonstrated academic achievement. Students who complete a semester of 6 or more semester hours with a GPA of 3.6 or higher are eligible for the Dean's List.

The Dean's List may be forwarded to the media and/or posted to the Lakeview website following each semester's final grade notification. If a student does NOT wish for this information to be published, they must opt-out of Merit within the first week of class for the semester that will be publicized. The information is released to newspapers based on the student's zip code.

Incomplete Grades

A student may request an incomplete grade with the approval of the Dean of Nursing when a student cannot 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. 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, identifying the reason for the incomplete.

The Course Coordinator will complete the incomplete form after the last day of class, set a date for completion within a 30-day time limit, and 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 at 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 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. If the Course Coordinator from whom a student receives an incomplete grade "I" is not on campus, the Dean will make the disposition of the grade.

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:

  1. An error in the calculation of the grade or clerical error in the recording of the grade that remains uncorrected.
  2. The assignment of a grade to a particular student by applying more requirements than were applied to other students in the course or
  3. 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:

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

 

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

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 meet with the instructor face-to-face to discuss the concerns within three (3) calendar days after submitting the grade in Edvance 360.

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. The instructor 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:

  1. Completed Formal Grade Appeal Form. The appeal form can be accessed via the Lakeview website here.
  2. 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 the instructor assigned for the assignment.

Emotional language and personal attacks should be avoided. Mentioning grades in other classes is not relevant. When appealing for a grade, students may think mentioning if they are a "strong student" overall is relevant. However, to most instructors, that information is irrelevant; 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 and submit the appeal form to the Faculty Organization Chair.

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

  1. Verify that the student has valid grounds for an appeal.
  2. Schedule a meeting with the student and instructor. The student and the instructor will present their sides of the Formal Grade Appeal to the Faculty Organization Committee. 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.
  3. 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 and submit the appeal form 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 unsuccessful 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.