Grades

Grading Policies

BFA Grading System

MFA Grading System

Otis College operates on a semester system. For BFA students the semester and cumulative grade point averages (GPAs) are computed at the end of each semester by multiplying the number of credits earned in each course by the numerical values associated with those grades. This figure is then divided by the total number of credits completed, including failed courses, if any. The semester and/or cumulative GPA is used in determining probationary status, requirements for graduation, qualification for the Dean’s list, and all matters concerning academic status. Credits transferred from another college are not included in the cumulative GPA at Otis College. MFA students are graded on a pass/fail basis and no numerical GPA is calculated.

Select sections of writing as discovery and visual culture as well as the English writing labs are graded on a pass/no pass basis with HP (high pass), P (pass)or NP (no pass) as grade options. Credits are earned for the class if a student receives a grade of HP or P. No credits are earned for a grade of NP. The pass/no pass option grades do not factor into the semester/cumulative grade point average.

The faculty member has the authority to determine the grades that each student will receive for work done under their instruction. Criteria for grading is often described in assignment rubrics. Faculty members customarily discuss their grading practices with students during the first class session. These grades are also made available by accessing self-service through MyOtis.

Dean’s List

Undergraduate students carrying a load of 12 credits or more and with a semester grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or above will be placed on the Dean’s List for that semester. This distinction is noted on students’ transcripts and becomes a permanent part of the academic record. There is no Dean’s List for graduate programs.

Foundation Grade Replacement Policy

Foundation students who receive a grade of D, F, or UW in a course taken in their first or second semester of full-time study, with the approval of the department chair and the Provost, may request to retake the course the following academic year. Although both the original grade and the repeated course grade will appear on the transcript, the repeated course grade will replace the original course grade in the determination of cumulative GPA, even if the repeated course grade is lower.

Under this policy, students may repeat up to three courses. Students may repeat a given course multiple times in order to fulfill degree requirements, but the original course grade can be replaced only on the first attempt to repeat the course. Repeated course credits do not count toward graduation unless the original grade received was an F or UW. Repeated course grades are not included in Dean’s list or honors calculations. The policy does not apply to courses in which the grade received was due to academic dishonesty. Students who wish to receive federal financial aid are expected to maintain full-time status in the semester during which a course is repeated. A student may not take a course at another institution for the purpose of replacing a grade for a course at Otis College. The student must complete a foundation grade replacement form available at the registration and records office and submit the form by the last day to add a class during the semester that they repeat the course(s).

Grades of Incomplete

The grade of “i” or incomplete” may be assigned when a student in good standing in a course has completed and passed a majority of the work required for a course but, for reasons beyond the student’s control, cannot complete the entire course. Incomplete grades can only be granted by faculty upon their respective department chair’s approval and faculty are under no obligation to grant students an incomplete grade.

In cases where the faculty agrees to assign an i grade, it is important to arrive at an agreement between faculty and student about exactly what is required in order to finish the course.

Grades of incomplete cannot be entered by faculty in self-service and can only be entered by authorized registration staff once a completed request for incomplete form has been submitted by the department to the registration office and approved by the registrar.

Students can obtain a request for incomplete form online in the student dashboard, My Otis. The form must state the reason for the incomplete grade and the work that must be completed. The date the work is due must also be listed on the form by the faculty. The forms must be approved by the department chair. In cases in which it is impossible for the student to complete the form, the request for incomplete form may be submitted by the faculty member in consultation with the student and the appropriate department chair.

If granted, the student will have 30 business days from the end of the semester in which to complete the coursework, faculty will then submit a grade change form (available in My Otis) in order to assign the final grade for the course.  All coursework must be completed by the due date established on the incomplete form and grade change forms must be submitted within a week of that due date. If a student does not complete the coursework within the appropriate time frame and no final grade is reported from the department, the incomplete grade will revert to an F.

Grade Appeals

It is the faculty member’s prerogative to evaluate student work based on their stated criteria and professional judgment. It is the student’s prerogative to know how their work was evaluated and the basis for calculating the final grade. If a student has a concern about a final grade, the student may appeal the grade. Reasons to appeal a grade include but are not limited to the following:

• clerical error or dispute about the calculation of the final grade;
• unfair or unequal application of grading standards;
• prejudicial, capricious, or arbitrary grading; and
• failure for plagiarism that was not determined by the Academic Integrity Committee.

 

Grade Change Request

Students have one semester from the time the grade was issued to initiate an appeal. After the semester has lapsed, all grades become a permanent part of the student’s academic record and no appeals will be considered. A student who wishes to appeal a final grade should complete a Grade Change Request Form, available on MyOtis. The Department Chair and faculty member will review the Grade Change Request form and, per the Chair’s discretion, meet with the student to discuss the issue. The Chair then completes the Grade Change Request form and it is submitted to the Registration Office for final processing.

Appeal

If the student believes their concerns have not been adequately addressed and they can provide additional information that was not made available for consideration in the grade change request form, then the student may make a final appeal by submitting the Grade Change Appeal form within thirty (30) days of being notified of the initial decision. In this request, the student should be prepared to include the following

1. a detailed written statement describing the reasons for the appeal;
2. a copy of the completed appeal for grade change form;
3. the course syllabus;
4. additional relevant documentation.

The Grade Appeal Committee reviews the Grade Change Appeal and when appropriate meets with the student, faculty member and/or Department Chair. If the determination is an approved grade change, the Committee Chair completes the Grade Change Appeal form, and a copy is sent to Registration for processing. If the determination is no grade change, the Committee Chair will inform the student via email, with a copy to the Registrar.