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Grades
The work of all students on the UC Merced campus is reported in terms of the following grades:
A+, A, A- (excellent)
B+, B, B- (good)
C+, C, C- (fair)
D+, D, D- (barely passing)
F (not passing)
P (passed at a minimum level of C- or better by an undergraduate student)
S (satisfactory - passed at a minimum level of B or better by a graduate student)
NP (not passed)
U (unsatisfactory)
I (incomplete)
IP (in progress)
NR (no report, when an instructor fails to report a grade for a student)
Credit Towards Degree Requirements
A course in which the grade A, B, C, D, P or S is received is counted toward undergraduate degree requirements. A course in which the grade F, NP or U is received is not counted toward degree requirements. Grades of I or IP are not counted until they are replaced by grades A, B, C, D, P or S. Course minimum grade requirements may differ depending on the program. Students should check with their academic advisor to confirm.
Grade Points
Grade points are assigned as follows: A+ = 4.0, A =4.0, A-= 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2.0, C- =1.7, D+ = 1.3, D = 1.0, D-= 0.7, F = 0.0. The grades P, S, NP, U, I and IP carry no grade points and the units in courses so graded are excluded in determination of the grade point average.
Grade Point Average
A student’s grade point average is computed on courses undertaken in the University of California, with the exception of courses undertaken in University Extension. Grades A, B, C, D and F are used in determining the grade point average; grades I, IP, P, S, NP and U carry no grade points and are excluded from all grade point computations. Grade point average is calculated by dividing the accumulated number of grade points earned by the accumulated number of units undertaken.
Or, to find out how this semster's grades will effect your cumulative GPA use this GPA calculator.
Change of Grade
All grades except Incomplete and In Progress are considered final when assigned by an instructor at the end of a term. An instructor may request a change of grade when a computational or procedural error has occurred in the original assignment of a grade, but a grade may not be changed as a result of re-evaluation of a student’s work. No final grade may be revised as a result of re-examination or the submission of additional work after the close of the semester.
Grade changes for “clerical” errors (such as incorrect addition of points), upon documentation, are automatically granted. Requests to interchange P, NP, S or U grades with normal letter grades based upon student need (such as to allow graduation or to meet entrance requirements for professional school) do not involve clerical or procedural errors and are automatically denied. Thus, students should exercise the Passed/Not Passed or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading options with caution.
Students are reminded of their responsibility to be aware of the procedures and regulations contained in this catalog and the Schedule of Classes, to verify their class schedule and to familiarize themselves with the expectations of their instructors. No changes, except completion of an I grade as noted above, can be made to the student’s record once he or she has graduated.
Grade I (Incomplete)
The grade of I may be assigned when the instructor determines that a student’s work is of passing quality and represents a significant portion of the requirements for a final grade, but is incomplete for a good cause. (Good cause may include current illness, serious personal problems, an accident, a recent death in the immediate family, a large and necessary increase in working hours or other situations of equal gravity). It is the student’s responsibility to obtain written permission from the instructor to receive an I grade as opposed to a non-passing grade. An Incomplete form is available from this website and must be filed prior to the end of the final examination period. If, however, extenuating circumstances exist where submission of the I grade form is not possible before the end of the final examination period, an instructor may submit an I grade; however, the form, including student and instructor signatures, must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar before the first day of instruction of the next semester (which would include the summer sessions). If the form is not received by the Office of the Registrar before the first day of instruction of the next semester, then the I grade will revert to an F, NP, or U.
If an I grade is assigned, students may receive unit credit and grade points by satisfactorily completing the coursework as specified by the instructor. Students cannot re-enroll in the course to complete an I grade. Doing so would result in the course being recorded twice on the transcript.
I grades are not counted in computing the grade point average. An I grade received in the fall term must be replaced by the first day of instruction in the following fall term. An I grade received in the spring or summer terms must be replaced by the first day of instruction in the following spring term.
Except as noted below, any I grade that has not been replaced within the deadlines will revert to an F, NP, or U. The grade will retroactively be counted in computing a student’s grade point average.
Filing a Graduation Application with an outstanding Incomplete grade on your record or with outstanding transfer work may prevent degree conferral, and you will be required to re-file for a later term.
Exception: If a degree is conferred before the end of the deadlines above following the assignment of an I grade, the grade will not be converted to an F, NP, or U. However, the student still has the option of removing the I grade within the deadlines above.
Students with 15 or more units of I on their record may not register without permission of the appropriate dean.
The incomplete form can be found here.
Grade IP (In Progress)
For a course extending over more than one semester where the evaluation of the student’s performance is deferred until the end of the final semester, provisional grades of In Progress (IP) shall be assigned in the intervening terms. The provisional grades shall be replaced by the final grade if the student completes the full sequence. The grade IP is not included in the grade point average. If the full sequence of courses is not completed, the IP will be replaced by a grade of Incomplete. Further changes in the student’s record will be subject to the rules pertaining to I grades.
Grade Passed/Not Passed (P/NP)
Undergraduate students in good standing who are enrolled in at least 12 units may take certain courses on a passed/not passed (P/NP) basis. Students may enroll in one course each term on a P/NP basis (two courses if they have not elected the P/NP in the preceding term), not including Freshman Seminars which are always P/NP courses.
Changes to and from the P/NP option must be made during the enrollment period. No changes can be made after the first two weeks of classes without the approval of the appropriate dean. A student may not repeat on a P/NP basis a course that was previously taken on a letter-graded basis.
The grade P is assigned for a letter grade of C- or better. If the student earns a grade of D+ or below, the grade will be recorded as NP. In both cases, the student’s grade will not be computed into the grade point average.
Credit for courses taken on a P/NP basis is limited to one-third of the total units taken and passed on the UC Merced campus at the time the degree is awarded.
A course that is required or a prerequisite for a student’s major may be taken on a P/NP basis only upon approval of the faculty. Schools may designate some courses as passed/not passed only. Students do not have the option of taking these courses for a letter grade.
Grade Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U)
The grade of S is awarded to graduate students for work in graduate courses that otherwise would receive a grade of B or better.
Graduate students, under certain circumstances, may be assigned grades of S or U, but units earned in this way will not be counted in calculating the grade point average. Forms to elect S/U grading are available from the Graduate Division’s website at gradstudies.ucmerced.edu and must be signed by the student’s graduate advisor. Graduate students may request to take no more than one course per term on an S/U grading basis. A graduate course in which a C, D or F grade is received may not be repeated with the S/U option.
In specific approved courses, instructors will assign only Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory grades. Such courses count toward the maximum number of units graded S allowable toward the degree, as specified by each degree program.
Grading Options
Unless otherwise stated in the course description, each course is letter graded with a P/NP or S/U option (unless required for your major or graduate program), not including Freshman Seminars which are always P/NP courses.
Students have until the end of the second week of each semester to change the grade option on a course after obtaining advisor permission and submitting the appropriate form to the Students First Center. After the second week of each semester and up until the last day of instruction for that semester, a student may only change the grade option on a course with the approval of their School dean using the Petition of Academic Policy form. Students in good standing who are changing a grade option for a course from a letter grade to a P/NP option must conform to the rules guiding the taking of courses on a P/NP basis (see section on Passed/Not Passed).
Mid-Semester Grades
Mid-semester grades provide students in lower division courses with early feedback (both positive and negative) about their academic performance. Mid-semester grades provide an opportunity for students to receive positive reinforcement and motivation if they are doing well, and to identify those who are struggling. Mid-semester grades allow faculty, advisors, and services on campus to intervene with students who are in academic difficulty, while there is still time in the semester. Mid-semester grades for all lower division courses only are reported at the end of the eighth week of the semester, and all grades are submitted as letter grades for letter-graded courses (regardless of whether the student has elected to take the course as P/NP). If a course is P/NP only, all grades will be submitted as P/ NP. Mid-semester grades are notational grades which are used to help ensure the academic success of UC Merced students in lower division courses. These grades are not recorded in any permanent record or on a student’s academic transcript.
All mid-semester grades of D+, D, D- or F on any course requires freshmen-only students attend a one-hour Academic Success Workshop. Attendance is mandatory and a hold for future semester course registration will be placed for non-participation in the one-hour workshop. Sophomores with a D+, D, D- or F grade are encouraged to attend an Academic Success Workshop; however, they can have the hold for future semester course registration released by meeting with their academic advisor.
Final Grades
After grades are recorded for a semester or summer session, they are available online via MyStudentRecord (accessible via MyUCMerced). With the availability of online grade reporting, students can print their grade reports from the Internet.
Grade Appeals
A.
- If a student believes that nonacademic criteria have been used in determining his or her grade in a course, he or she may follow the procedures described in this regulation.
- Nonacademic criteria means criteria not directly reflective of academic performance in this course. It includes discrimination on political grounds or for reasons of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or ethnic origin.
- Appeals to this committee [see (B)(4)] shall be considered confidential unless both the complainant and the instructor agree otherwise. They may agree to allow the student representatives to the committee to participate in the deliberations of the committee, or they may agree to open the deliberations to members of the university community.
B.
- The student may attempt to resolve the grievance with the instructor within the first month of the following regular academic semester.
- If the grievance is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction, he or she may then attempt to resolve the grievance through written appeal to the Dean of the School responsible for the course or equivalent, who shall attempt to adjudicate the case with the instructor and the student within two weeks.
- If the grievance still is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction, he or she may then attempt to resolve the grievance through written appeal to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (or Dean of Graduate Studies), who shall attempt to adjudicate the case with the instructor, the chair, and the student within two weeks.
- If the grievance is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction by the provost or dean, the student may request consideration of the appeal by an Undergraduate (or Graduate) Council subcommittee chosen by the appropriate Council Chair (hereafter the Committee). This appeal will be according to the procedures outlined below. This request must be submitted before the last day of instruction of the Semester following the Semester in which the course was taken.
C.
- The student’s request for Committee consideration should include a written brief stating the nature of the grievance, including copies of any and all documents in his or her possession supporting the grievance. The submission of the brief to the Committee places the case before it and restricts any change of the challenged grade to a change initiated by the Committee, unless the Committee determines that all other avenues of adjudication have not been exhausted.
- Upon receipt of the student’s request, the Committee immediately forwards a copy of it to the instructor involved and asks the instructor, the Dean of the School offering the course or equivalent, and the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (or Dean of Graduate Studies) for written reports of their attempts to resolve the complaint.
- The Committee, after having determined that all other avenues of adjudication have been exhausted, shall review the brief and the reports to determine if there is substantial evidence that nonacademic criteria were used.
- If the Committee finds substantial evidence that nonacademic criteria were used, it shall follow the procedure in paragraph (D) below.
- If the Committee decides the allegations are without substance, it shall serve written notification of its findings to the complainant and to the instructor within two weeks. Within ten days the complainant or the instructor may respond to the findings and any member of the Committee may appeal the Committee’s findings to the full Undergraduate (of Graduate) Council. If there are no responses, or if after consideration of such responses the Committee sustains its decision, the grade shall not be changed.
D.
- If the Committee determines that there is evidence that nonacademic criteria were used, it shall interview any individual whose testimony might facilitate resolution of the case. The complainant shall make available to the Committee all of his or her work in the course which has been graded and is in his or her possession. The instructor shall make available to the Committee all records of student performance in the course and graded student work in the course which is still in his or her possession. The complainant and the instructor shall be interviewed. At the conclusion of the case each document shall be returned to the source from which it was obtained.
- The Committee shall complete its deliberations and arrive at a decision within two weeks of its determination that evidence of the use of nonacademic criteria had been submitted. A record of the Committee’s actions in the case shall be kept in the Senate Office for three years.
- If the allegations of the complainant are not upheld by a preponderance of the evidence, the Committee shall so notify the complainant and the instructor in writing. Within one week of such notification, the complainant and the instructor shall have the opportunity to respond to the findings and the decision of the Committee. If there are no responses, or if after considering such responses the Committee sustains its decision, it shall so notify the complainant and the instructor in writing and the grade shall not be changed.
- If the Committee determines that nonacademic criteria were significant factors in establishing the grade, it shall give the student the option of either receiving a grade of P or S in the course or retroactively dropping the course without penalty. A grade of P or S awarded in this way shall be acceptable towards satisfaction of any degree requirement, even if a minimum letter grade in the course had been required, and shall not be counted in the number of courses a student may take on a P/NP basis. If the student elects to receive a grade of P or S, the student may also elect to have a notation entered on his or her transcript indicating that the grade was awarded by the divisional grade appeals committee.
- The Committee shall serve written notification of its finding and its decision to the complainant and the instructor. The complainant and the instructor may respond in writing to the findings and the decision of the Committee within one week of such notification.
- If there are no responses, or if after considering such responses the Committee sustains its decision, the grade shall be changed; the Committee shall then instruct the registrar to change the grade to P or S or, if the student elected the drop option, to retroactively drop the course from the student’s record. Copies of the Committee’s instruction shall be sent to the complainant and the instructor.
E. These procedures are designed solely to determine whether nonacademic criteria have been used in assigning a grade, and if so to effect a change of that grade.
- No punitive actions may be taken against the instructor solely on the basis of these procedures. Neither the filing of charges nor the final disposition of the case shall, under any circumstances, become a part of the personnel file of the instructor. The use of nonacademic criteria in assigning a grade is a violation of the Faculty Code of Conduct. Sanctions against an instructor for violation of the Faculty Code may be sought by filing a complaint in accordance Merced Division By-Laws. A complaint may be filed by the student or by others.
- No punitive actions may be taken against the complainant solely on the basis of these procedures. Neither the filing of charges nor the final disposition of the case shall, under any circumstances, become a part of the complainant’s file. The instructor may, if he or she feels that his or her record has been impugned by false or unfounded charges, file charges against the complainant through the office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (or the Dean of Graduate Studies.)
