Grade Reporting
Midterm and final grades are reported for each term. Midterm grades serve to inform students of their course progress–they do not factor into GPA nor appear on a student’s transcripts. Students may view their midterm and final grades on Empower (finlandia.empower-xl.com).
Grading Scale
Grades are reported and recorded according to the following scale:
| Letter Grade | Grade Points |
|---|---|
| A | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.70 |
| B+ | 3.30 |
| B | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.70 |
| C+ | 2.30 |
| C | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.70 |
| D+ | 1.30 |
| D | 1.00 |
| D- | 0.70 |
| F | 0.00 |
| XF | 0.00 |
Letter Grade Definitions
I-Incomplete. An “I” grade is a temporary grade given only in the case of extreme circumstances beyond the student’s control that prevent the student from completing all required work. An incomplete grade may only be given if a student has been making successful progress in the course. The instructor must submit an incomplete contract, signed by both the student and the instructor, on or before the date class grades are due. An incomplete grade is changed to a letter grade following the satisfactory completion of all unfinished work according to the conditions of the incomplete contract. An incomplete must be completed within the timeframe specified in the signed contract, but not to exceed six months from the end of the semester in which the “I” grade was incurred. If the work is not completed by that time, the grade for the course becomes an F unless the instructor has provided an alternative grade.
IP-Incomplete in Progress. An IP grade is a temporary grade given for theses, capstones, practicums, internships, and independent/directed studies in which the required coursework extends beyond the normal semester. An IP grade may only be given if a student has made successful progress in the course. The instructor must submit an incomplete in progress contract, signed by both the student and the instructor, on or before the date class grades are due. An incomplete in progress grade is changed to a letter grade following the satisfactory completion of all unfinished work according to the conditions of the incomplete contract. The IP grade must be completed within the timeframe specified in the signed contract, but not to exceed six months from the end of the semester in which the IP grade was incurred. IP grades not resolved by that time will be changed to an F unless the instructor has provided an alternative grade.
P – Passed. The student has successfully completed the course with the equivalent of a “C” or better.
R – Repeated. The previous completion of the same course does not affect semester or overall GPA and does not count as credits earned.
W – Withdrawal. A “W” indicates a class from which the student has successfully withdrawn according to the guidelines set forth in this publication. A “W” does not affect semester or overall GPA and does not count as credit(s) earned.
XF – Failure Due to Academic Misconduct. See section below.
AU – Audit. No grade or credit is given for the course.
CR – Transfer Credit. Please see the explanation of transfer credit at the beginning of this section.
NC – No Credit. Instituted during Spring 2020 due to Covid-19 Pandemic.
FAILURE DUE TO ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
Students who have violated the Academic Integrity Policy and who have been informed that they will receive an XF grade for the semester are not eligible to withdraw from a class. The XF cannot be replaced by retaking the course. If a student decides to withdraw from the university entirely, the student will still receive an XF for the course for which the academic integrity violation occurred while receiving Ws for all other courses. Requests for removal of the X from an XF grade must be submitted in writing to the Board of Student Conduct and will be considered by a panel of two staff members and two faculty members. Such requests will not be considered until at least 12 months from the time of the violation that resulted in the XF. Additional explanatory material on the procedures for the removal of the X from an XF grade may be found in the Student Handbook.
Cheating and Plagiarism
Cheating is committing fraud on a record, report, paper, computer assignment, examination, project, or other course requirements. Plagiarism is taking someone else’s ideas, words, statements, or other work as one’s own without proper acknowledgment. Any student found guilty of cheating or plagiarism may receive an “F” grade on the test, paper, report or other assignment and/or may be involuntarily dropped from the affected class. The instructor of the class has the authority to determine the response to the violation. Student(s) involved in incidents of this kind may appeal to the academic dean.
Grade Appeal Process
If a student feels that an incorrect grade has been assigned for a course, the student should first seek resolution with the instructor. If the issue is not resolved with the instructor, the student may appeal to the dean of the college or school in which the course is offered. A letter of appeal including its justification must be submitted to the dean within six weeks from the end of the semester in which the course was completed.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
To calculate the semester GPA, divide the total semester grade points earned by the total credits completed that semester. Only grades of “A” through “F” and “XF” earned at Finlandia University are used in calculating the semester and cumulative GPA. To calculate the cumulative college GPA, divide the total grade points completed in all semesters at Finlandia University by the total credits completed in all semesters at Finlandia University. Grades in courses below the 100-level are included in GPA calculations but the credits do not count toward degree requirements.
Course Repeat Policy
Students wishing to repeat a Finlandia University course to replace a lower grade must satisfy each of the following guidelines:
- The highest grade earned in the course will apply toward the cumulative GPA. The lower grade will be removed only if a subsequent grade of “A” through “F” is earned. The “XF” grade cannot be replaced by repeating a course.
- A course may not be repeated more than twice.
- The course for which the grade has been removed from computation of the cumulative GPA does not count toward credits earned, but remains on the transcript as a course attempted.
- The course repeat policy includes any course taken at any time at Finlandia University. The policy applies only when the exact course is repeated. Taking a course elsewhere to fulfill the requirement and transferring it in will not cancel out the grade that was taken at Finlandia University.
- The activation of the repeat policy for a course taken in a prior semester does not affect the student’s academic standing for the previous semester. Academic standing in a prior semester can be changed only in the event of a grade-reporting error.
Course Substitution Policy
Students with a legitimate reason for a course substitution must submit a formal course substitution request to the appropriate academic dean for approval and signature. Course substitution forms are available from the University Registrar’s office and/or website. Completed and approved substitution requests are to be filed with the University Registrar prior to applying for graduation.
OFFICE OF REGISTRAR STAFF
