Credit is earned at Ithaca College in credit hours as measured by the Carnegie unit. The Carnegie unit is defined as one hour of classroom instruction and two hours of assignments outside the classroom, for a period of 15 weeks for each unit (credit).
Students are classified as freshmen, sophomores, etc., on the following basis (earned credits from all sources):
Freshman
0-29.9
Sophomore
30-59.9
Junior
60-89.9
Senior
90 and up
Incompletes are given only when a student is doing satisfactory work but, for a legitimate reason, cannot complete the course. The instructor, the student, and the dean of the school in which the course is being offered must fill out and sign the "incomplete" form, available in the registrar's office. The maximum time allowed to remove the incomplete and replace it with a grade is one full semester. When the incomplete is assigned, the instructor must specify a date within the following semester. The assigned date for removal of the incomplete takes priority over the one-semester rule. If no completed grade is received by the expiration date, a grade of F is recorded on the transcript and cannot be changed.
See p. 482.
A student who passes a course with a D+ or less may repeat the course only once, unless the student is in a degree program that requires that the course be passed with a grade of C- or better. All grades are counted when the GPA is calculated, but credit toward graduation requirements is granted only once. Failed courses may be repeated as often as necessary, but all attempts are counted in the cumulative GPA. GIPPE courses may be repeated on a space-available basis, but not for credit. Students who receive a C- in major courses that require a C grade or better are allowed to repeat the course as departmental graduation requirements dictate. Students are responsible for properly identifying a repeated course when they register for it.
The acceptable grades and corresponding points for GPA calculations are as follows. All grades except P, I, and W are used in calculating GPAs.
Grade
Points
A+
4.30
A
4.00 (Excellent)
A-
3.70
B+
3.30
B
3.00 (Good)
B-
2.70
C+
2.30
C
2.00 (Satisfactory)
C-
1.70
D+
1.30
D
1.00
D-
0.70
F
0
P
Not calculated
I
W
A student has the option of enrolling for a maximum of 4 credits in a semester on a pass/fail basis but may not exceed an overall total of 20 pass/fail credits. Failing grades are calculated in the cumulative GPA; passing grades are not.
Courses designated pass/fail by a department are excluded from both the 4-credit and the 20-credit rules.
Any course required for either a major program or a minor program must be taken for a letter grade unless the course is offered only on a pass/fail basis. In this context, required courses are those that are specified as such by number and title or are selected to fulfill a specified number of departmental credits.
If a student wishes to exercise the pass/fail option, he or she must complete a pass/fail option form. This form must be submitted to the registrar by the end of the third week of classes in the semester in which the pass/fail credit is being taken.
A student may choose to revoke the pass/fail option at any time until the end of the 10th week of classes in the semester in which the pass/fail credit is being taken.
Grades as filed with the Office of the Registrar are final, except where an error of judgment has occurred or an error has been made in computation or transcription. Shortly after the close of each semester, currently enrolled students receive a term report showing the final grade received in each course for which they were enrolled that particular semester. Any changes to the report must be arranged no later than two weeks from the date when classes begin in the succeeding semester; hence, each student is advised to review each term report carefully. Before the registrar can amend any records, the change must have been approved by the dean of the school in which the course is offered.
Grade disputes should be resolved directly between the individual faculty member and the student. If that is not possible, the department chair and/or dean may intervene for purposes of mediation. Failing resolution of the matter at the school level, the student may petition the provost as described under "Students' Right to Petition" (p. 490). The final resolution of the dispute will be made by the provost. As a general principle, the authority to change a grade rests with the individual faculty member. Exceptions made by the provost occur only for the most compelling reasons.
Transfer from Another Institution --- A student who transfers to Ithaca College from another accredited college or university may be granted credit for all courses satisfactorily completed with a grade of C- or better, except that transfer students must in all cases meet the same requirements as Ithaca College students in a given program. For example, if a particular course in the major area of study must be passed with a grade of C or better, transfer students will be required to meet that standard. It is the student's responsibility to request that a transcript be sent to the director of admissions directly from the institution. Credits accepted toward an academic program are determined by the student's academic dean. Credits are transferable; grades are not. All credits are converted into semester credit hours if they are not already so designated.
Occasional Study at Another Institution (semester or summer) --- Credit for occasional courses taken at another institution is accepted by Ithaca College under the following conditions:
1. The student has successfully petitioned for preliminary approval of the credit prior to taking the courses.
2. The other institution has regional and/or appropriate professional accreditation (confirmation is needed from the Ithaca College registrar on this point).
3. The courses in question are not among those that must be taken at Ithaca College to fulfill major requirements (refer to specific program listings and consult with adviser for information on this).
4. An appropriate final course grade is earned as set out under "Transfer from Another Institution," above.
The petition for preliminary approval requires the consent of the adviser, the chairs of the departments to which the credit for a required course relates, and the dean. On completion of the courses, the student must have the official transcript sent to the registrar's office.
This credit is counted toward graduation requirements, but grades are not counted for Ithaca College GPA.
Seniors are reminded that their last 30 credits must be taken at Ithaca College. Thus students who wish to take at another institution courses that would fall within the last 30 credit hours must petition for waiver of that requirement, as well as petition for approval of the courses (see p. 482).
Credit by Examination --- Ithaca College, at the discretion of the student's dean or program director, accepts credit from other established sources, such as CLEP General and Subject Examinations, New York ACT, CPEP, AP, and educational experiences in the armed services. Test results should be sent to the Office of the Registrar. All credits are converted to credit hours, if they are not already so designated.
All CATALOGS
The Web version of the Ithaca College Undergraduate Catalog 2001-2002 is produced by the Ithaca College publications office. Send all comments, corrections, questions to
Andrejs Ozolins
