Grading Procedures

I.         Grading

Grades represent the professional judgment of a faculty member on a student’s academic performance in a particular instructional experience.

Stockton University permits two systems of grading, letter grading or Pass/No credit (P/NC).

II.        Letter Grading

The following letter grades will be recorded on the student’s official transcript:

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

FX = Stopped attending (requires a last date of attendance)

F- = Never attended

A grade of A symbolizes excellent work, grades in the B range symbolize good work, grades of C+ and C symbolize satisfactory work, grades of C- and in the D range symbolize poor work, and an F symbolizes failure.

Grade requirements may vary for graduate programs. Refer to the graduate program handbooks for specific requirements by program.

III.      Pass/No Credit (P/NC) Grading

At the discretion of the instructor or program, a course may be available either in letter-grade mode, P/NC mode, or both. If both options are available, students must select a grading mode using the Pass/No Credit Form at the time of registration. If students do not designate otherwise, the A–F grading mode is used. The choice of grading mode cannot be changed after the drop/add period.

The availability of the P/NC option is governed by the following conditions:

1.    A student can only request one course per semester to be designated in the P/NC mode.

2.    A student who is on Academic Notice cannot take courses in the P/NC mode during the notice period.

3.    Certain programs and University-wide requirements require academic progress in courses with a C or better; in those instances, the P/NC credit option is not available to students wishing to complete that program.

4.    Students must have earned 12 credits (including transfer credits) before they are eligible for P/NC mode courses.

5.    A maximum of 10 percent of Stockton credits to be applied toward graduation requirements may be taken in P/NC mode.

Courses graded P (Pass) or NC (No Credit) will be recorded on the student’s official transcript, but will not be factored into calculation of the student’s GPA. P symbolizes passing work (i.e., performance in the A to D- range), and NC symbolizes failing work.

IV.      Non-Grade Transcript Notations

The following notations may appear on transcripts: AU, W, WE, I

Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their Instructor, Preceptor, Academic Advising, School Assistant Dean, and/or Office of Financial Aid, if applicable, for guidance before pursuing one of the following non-grade options.

Note: Reduction in credit hours may impact a student’s financial aid. There is no automatic tuition refund for an approved withdrawal or excused  withdrawal. Details regardingrefund eligibility are available in Procedure 6400 Refunds Upon Withdrawal.

1.    AU symbolizes “auditing”

AU symbolizes that a student has officially audited a course. The University provides an opportunity for the student to participate in a course in its entirety and not have the course count toward a degree or be evaluated for a grade. Auditing is offered on a space-available basis. The student must register for and pay all tuition and fees normally charged for the course. The instructor of the course determines the extent of an auditor’s participation in the course. Requests for degree credit or a grade for an audited course after drop/add are not permissible. Students who wish to audit courses must complete and submit the “Permission to Audit a Course” Form to the Office of the Registrar before the end of the Drop/Add period for that term. Students who receive financial aid should contact the Office of Financial Aid before submitting a “Permission to Audit a Course” Form.

2.    W symbolizes “withdrawal”

A course withdrawal is the official process by which a student removes themselves from a course they attempted after the add/drop period has ended but before the eleventh week of a full term or the fifth week of a sub-term, resulting in a "W" (withdrawal) grade on their academic transcript.

The "W” grade is considered GPA-neutral, meaning it does not directly affect the student's GPA but indicates the course was not completed.  A withdrawal can impact financial aid, academic standing, and time to degree completion.

The dates for summer and winter terms are outlined on the respective academic calendars.

Withdrawals from courses after the published deadline are not permitted except under extenuating circumstances, as described below.  be included.

To withdraw from a FRST course, the student must complete the FRST withdrawal form by the published deadline. The form is located on the University’s FRST webpage and is reviewed by the Chair of the FRST Program after submission. Before withdrawing, students should note that a W grade in a 1000-level FRST course will count as an unsuccessful attempt at the course. Students are permitted two attempts at each FRST course. Excused withdrawals will not be counted as attempts under this procedure. WE symbolizes “excused withdrawal”

Students may petition for an excused withdrawal due to a serious documented extenuating circumstance that prohibits continued enrollment in all courses for the term. Extenuating circumstances may include but are not limited to: serious medical conditions including mental health, serious family emergency, military deployment, and other extenuating circumstances that would render a student unable to complete all classes in the term

Petitions for an excused withdrawal must be submitted by the last day of the term as          outlined on the academic calendar (i.e. fall, spring, summer, winter). An excused          withdrawal will only be granted in a current semester and will not be approved          retroactively for any prior semester. An excused withdrawal will apply to all courses taken during a semester. 

1.    Provide Required Documentation. Students must complete and submit the online Petition for Excused Withdrawal Form and other required documentation. The specific documents required depend on the student’s extenuating circumstance, as follows:

a.    Serious medical condition(s) (including mental health related) that renders a student unable to complete all classes in the term – Required forms and documents: Petition for Excused Withdrawal (form), a statement from a medical practitioner that includes the following information:

     i.        General nature of the medical condition which prevents the student from completing course work.

    ii.        Date of the onset of the illness (or if a chronic condition the date the condition was exacerbated).

   iii.        The last date the student was able to attend class.

   iv.        The duration and/or severity of the condition, and if appropriate, a determination of when the medical/psychological condition will be successfully resolved so that the student can return to effectively function in an academic environment.

   v.        The healthcare provider’s recommendation for full or partial withdrawal.

b.    Serious family emergency that renders a student unable to complete all classes in the term – Required forms and documents: Petition for Excused Withdrawal (form), documentation to support the petition

c.    Military deployment to a location that renders a student unable to complete all classes in the term – Required forms and documents: Petition for Excused Withdrawal (form), deployment orders

d.    Other extenuating circumstances that would render a student unable to complete all classes in the term – Required forms and documents: Petition for Excused Withdrawal (form), documentation to support the petition

2.    Determination by the Office of the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar will review the petition upon receipt of all the necessary and supporting documentation. During its deliberations, the Office of the Registrar may request additional information or documentation from the student or faculty. Students will be notified of the final decision by email to their Stockton-student email account within thirty (30) days after submission of a complete petition. If the request is approved, a grade notation of “WE” is posted on the transcript for all excused courses to reflect the withdrawal.

3. Appeal. If the petition is denied, the student may appeal within ten (10) days upon receiving the decision email by submitting a new petition supported by new facts and documentation that support the student’s case to the Office of the Provost whose decision is final.

1.    Students are encouraged to meet with Stockton Cares to discuss their intent to petition for an excused withdrawal and to better understand the associated             academic and financial implications.

Because of course scheduling, it is recommended that graduate students consult with the program chair prior to seeking an excused withdrawal.

International students must consult with the Stockton University Office of Global Engagement prior to requesting an excusedwithdrawal to determine the effect on the student’s immigration status.

Excused withdrawals from FRST courses are not counted as attempts at the FRST course.

Additional information regarding the excused withdrawal process can be found on the Academic Affairs webpage.

3.    I symbolizes “incomplete”

An incomplete grade “I” is submitted when a student is unable to complete coursework due to unexpected circumstances or a circumstance beyond the student’s control, a grade of “I” is not a passing grade, and so courses cannot count as meeting a prerequisite until the incomplete work is satisfied. Incomplete grades must be resolved within the University’s established deadlines in order for a student to graduate. Incomplete grades cannot be replaced with withdrawal “W” grades and cannot count toward graduation. If a final grade has not been recorded by the deadline for graduation/degree clearance, students are not eligible to graduate and will need to reapply for the next graduation/degree clearance cycle.  Students must formally request to enter into an agreement to complete coursework and discuss the outstanding work with the instructor, prior to the end of the term. The instructor must set a deadline for the completion of the work. If the work is not completed by this time, the “I” converts to an F grade. Once the “I” grade converts to a letter grade (i.e., A through F), the grade cannot be changed.

a.    Eligibility:

An incomplete is appropriate when a student is prevented from finishing coursework due to unforeseen circumstances beyond their control, such as illness or personal hardship. The student must be actively engaged in the course and completing satisfactory work at the time of the request, for an incomplete to be considered. Excessive absence or low grades alone cannot constitute the reason for an incomplete. An Agreement for Completion of Course Work Authorization Request form must be completed and approved by the dean (or designee) of the school who is hosting the course. The dean's office will forward the completed form to the Office of the Registrar for processing.

The instructor sets the deadline for completing the coursework. Except in rare circumstances, the deadline shall fall on or before the end of the subsequent term, not including winter and summer terms.  If no deadline is specified, the deadlines default to March 15 for fall/winter courses and October 15 for spring/summer courses.

b.    Consequences of Not Completing Work:

If the coursework is not completed by the deadline and/or no grade change is submitted, the “I” grade will be changed to an F. Once an F grade is assigned, the grade stands. An incomplete grade is not passing and cannot count as meeting a prerequisite grade until the incomplete work is satisfied, and a grade is submitted.

c.    Requesting an Incomplete:

An incomplete grade is granted at the discretion of the instructor and in-line with the policy. Prior to the end of the term, students must formally request an Incomplete from the instructor by completing the Agreement for Completion of Course Work Authorization Request Form. This includes a summary of the agreed upon work that needs to be completed, the deadline for completion, and the student’s grade in the course at that time. Students must have completed at least 50% of the course activities with satisfactory work to be eligible for an Incomplete.

Particular circumstances may exist for which completion of the incomplete “I” arrangements, e.g., lab courses, foreign language courses, internships and the like. Those arrangements must be described in an attachment to the Agreement for Completion of Course Work Authorization Request Form and approved by the appropriate dean(s). Both the student and the course instructor must sign this form and file it in the office of the dean of the school in which the course is listed. A copy should be retained by the student and by the authorizing faculty member. Any variation from the signed contract must be initiated by the faculty member and approved by the dean and a new modified form should be to the Registrar. If an incomplete defaults to an F grade, the grade will not be altered.

Faculty may, with the approval of the dean, extend the time to completion of an incomplete grade. However, time cannot be extended once an F grade is assigned.

4.    IP symbolizes “in progress”

An “IP” will be recorded on the transcript by the Office of the Registrar for courses that continue to be “in progress” after the grading deadline.

An “IP” notation is assigned for multi-term incomplete final projects, capstone experiences, theses, or dissertations and is replaced by a final grade upon completion. Graduate students must continuously register each semester for their master’s thesis and will receive the “IP” grade until completion. If the final project, thesis, or dissertation is not graded, the “IP” notation will default to an F. All “IP” notations must be completed before the final class day of the subsequent term (not including summer sessions).

5.    X symbolizes “placeholder”

An “X” will be recorded on the transcript by the Office of the Registrar as a placeholder for completed non-credit courses that do not carry a grade, are not calculated into the GPA, or for other administrative determined by the Registrar.

V.       Assignment of Grades

Grades are due each semester by the deadlines noted on the Academic Calendar and are submitted by faculty online through the goStockton Portal. Faculty can only assign grades of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F grades online. Letter grades should be submitted for courses that have been approved for the Pass/No Credit grading mode. The letter grade will be converted on the student’s transcript as P for grades A through D- or NC for a grade of F. AU, IP, W, WE, and X grades can only be entered by the Office of the Registrar. Incomplete “I” grades will be entered by the Office of the Registrar with submission of an Agreement for Completion of Course Work Authorization Request Form or direction from the Dean, Associate Dean, or Assistant Dean.

VI.      Changes of Grades

Grades represent the professional judgment of faculty in their assigned areas of expertise and, once the final deadline for recording grades has passed, may only be changed when there has been a documented error in grade calculation or a successful grade appeal. Grade changes, except those awarded under the appeal system, may be submitted online by the instructor.

VII.    Change of “I” Notation

Those students receiving an Incomplete “I” notation must complete all remaining course work as specified in the Agreement for Completion of Course Work Authorization Request Form. Otherwise, the notation reverts to an F or NC, as appropriate. Once course work is completed, the instructor will record a regular grade within seven calendar days or by the due date for the current term’s grades, whichever is sooner.

VIII.   Repeating a Course for Credit

Refer to Procedure 2015 Repeat Courses.

Review History

*Removed the last date of attendance requirement for F grades on July 6, 2026.