Assessment and Examinations

Performance Assessment
A student’s academic performance is assessed throughout the semester using various instruments: homework, exams, research papers, projects, practical work, research, etc. The student has the right to receive continuous feedback about his/her performance. The instructor must complete a midterm performance assessment to give students chance to withdraw from the course before the end of the withdrawal period and to help faculty advisors better advise students during the pre-registration period (if implemented).

Course Grade Policy
Course components and associated assessment criteria must be clearly stated in course syllabus. Course grade distribution is expected to conform to the following recommendations:
• At least 60 percent of the total course grade should be allocated to examinations, with a minimum weight of 30 percent assigned to the final exam with emphasis on practical work and projects for the remaining percentage. Any grading scenario that does not meet this policy should be cleared with the dean early in the semester.
• A certain portion of the final grade will be assigned for attendance and class participation among other possible course requirements (e.g., term paper, project, homework, etc.)

Examinations
All courses normally have final examinations that students must take. The instructor will announce at the beginning of the semester the policy that he/she intends to follow as indicated in the course syllabus in the matter of missed examinations and quizzes, so that the students are fully aware of this policy and its consequences.

Make-Up Examination
A student who misses an examination or a quiz shall receive a grade of zero for the exam or quiz he/she misses. If the student presents a legitimate excuse, the course instructor may then require the student to take a make-up exam or shift its weight to the final exam. Only documented and verifiable medical reports issued by qualified professionals will be accepted.

A student who was absent from the final exam shall receive a grade of zero for the missed exam. If the student petitions the Administrative Committee with a valid excuse for his/her absence and the petition is approved a grade of incomplete ‘I’ would be posted on the student’s record. The student must take a make-up exam within one month from the start of the following semester to remove the “I” grade. For more details refer to the ‘Incomplete “I” Work’ section in this catalog.

Appeal of Exam grade
The course instructor is the authority that decides on the student’s grade. However, if a student has strong evidence that a mistake has been committed he/she has the right to request the course instructor for a review. If the student is not satisfied with the instructor’s decision, he/she has the right to submit a petition of grievance to the department chairperson within the first two weeks from the beginning of classes in the following semester at the latest. The Chairperson will give a final ruling on the issue after consulting with the faculty members of the department.

Incomplete “I” Work
“I” is an incomplete grade. Normally, no incomplete grade of “I” is given as a final grade in any course. In exceptional cases, and provided the guidelines stated below are met, a student may be allowed to make up incomplete work. The guidelines are:
• Incomplete course work will be reported as an “I” followed by a numerical grade reflecting the evaluation of the student’s work available at the end of the semester; example “I 55”. This evaluation is to be based on a grade of zero on all missed work.
• For securing permission to complete the work for a course, a student must submit a valid excuse to the instructor of the course and to the College Administrative Committee within two weeks from the date of the scheduled final exam for the course. For that purpose, Form “I” must be completed in advance for approval of the instructor, the head of the department and the College Administrative Committee. Students should be aware that approval is not automatically granted. Forms for “Incomplete” are available on the University’s website and the Office of Admission and Registration.
• Students permitted to complete work for a course must do so within four weeks of the start of the next semester. In exceptional circumstances, the College Administrative Committee may decide to give the student additional time to complete a course.
• After the incomplete work is done and evaluated, the course instructor should complete a change of grade form and submit it to the College Administrative Committee for approval, as stated above.
• If no valid excuse is presented and the work, if permitted, is not completed within the time limits specified above, the “I” will be dropped and the numeric grade available will become the final grade in the course.
• For the purpose of averaging, the numeric grade will be used, until changed through the procedure described above.

Submission of Final Grades
All final grades must be submitted by the Dean’s Office to the Office of Admission and Registration by the predefined deadline using the “Grade List”. The grades through grade rosters must be signed by the course instructor, the department chairperson, and dean of the college.

Request for a Review of Final Course Grade
Any student, who feels that the grading was unfair, must promptly discuss the matter with the instructor of the course. If the student and the instructor are unable to arrive at a solution, the student must submit a “Review of Course Grade Petition Form” to the Chairperson of the concerned department within the first four weeks from the beginning of classes of the following Fall or Spring semesters. The department chairperson investigates the student’s arguments and may request the Academic Committee to review the instructor’s evaluation of the student based on the student’s class work and final examination scores.

Change of Grade
Normally, grades cannot be changed after the submission of the final grades to the Office of Admission and Registration (OAR). Under appropriate circumstances, the course instructor submits an approved “Change of Grade Form” to the OAR stating the reasons for the change and endorsed by the department chairperson and the dean of the college. The Office of Admission and Registration should receive the approved form within a month from the beginning of the semester that follows the semester in which the course was taken.