The purpose of this policy is to provide a general framework on assessing students’ academic performance in courses and programs, so that standards to assess students’ performance are fair and adequate. 

Scope

This is an academic policy, affecting academic staff and students of the University. 

Referenced Laws, Regulations, and/or Policies 

“The postsecondary degree granting educational institution shall maintain written policies and procedures for evaluating student performance, and the standards for evaluation of student performance shall be fair and adequate” 

(D.C. Mun. Regs. Tit. 5, § A8004.9)

 The catalog shall include “a description of the grading system and the minimum grade considered satisfactory”. 

(D.C. Mun. Regs. Tit. 5, § A8004.14 

Compliance/Policy Statement 

Grading Scale 

The University uses four passing grades (A, B, C, and D) and a failing grade (F), which are defined descriptively and numerically in terms of grade point as follows: 

Credit Hours Requirement 

The University uses credit hours in defining the amount of academic work students will have to complete in order to graduate from the program. Each academic program will set credit hours requirements. 

Minimum Grade Point Average 

For students to graduate from their respective program, students must maintain a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0. If a student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.0, the student is not meeting the satisfactory academic progress (SAP), and he/she will be put on academic probation. The details of academic probation are articulated in the Student Probation, Suspension, and Expulsion procedure. 

Assessments

All the courses at the University feature both formative and summative assessments. It is not permitted for academic staff to use only one summative assessment to assess overall student learning. The University believes in assessing students’ progression of knowledge and skills, rather than determining students’ level of knowledge and skills on the final day of the course. Using only the summative assessment fails to take into account unforeseen circumstances or students’ mental states in taking such a high-stakes exam. Moreover, formative assessments, as a way of assessing student’s understanding, informs the faculty on learning progress and needs of each student, enabling differentiated teaching. Therefore, the University’s academic staff are required to use formative and summative assessments in all courses. 

Syllabus 

To accommodate optimal learning, faculty are required to clearly articulate how assessment and grading will be organized. Faculty must communicate assessment and the grading scheme at the start of their course in their syllabi. Minimally, the syllabi must include 1) course description, 2) course objectives, 3) student learning outcomes, 4) grading methods, and 5) grading weights of each of the grading methods. The grading methods may include, but not limited to, attendance, in-class participation, student presentations, group projects, essays, research papers, reports, participation in threaded discussions, quizzes, tests, and exams. Academic staff must not, under any circumstances, violate fair assessment practices. If students wish to appeal, they will be able to appeal their grades in accordance with an appropriate complaint procedure. 

Review

The Academic Department is responsible for ensuring compliance with this policy in various offices of the University. 

Date