Letter Grades

Letter grades are a means by which faculty members communicate their professional assessment of students’ work. The primary purpose of assigning grades is to provide a realistic standard of reference by which students can measure their progress while enrolled at CIA.
Grades are reported twice each semester: mid-term grades after the first eight weeks, and final grades at the end of the term. The mid-term grade is a preliminary indication of progress to date.
Semester and cumulative grade point averages are reviewed by Academic Services every term to determine each student’s academic status. Each transcript includes the semester Grade Point Average (GPA) and the cumulative GPA. Letter grades have the following meaning:

• A, A-: Work of consistently outstanding quality, which displays originality, and often goes beyond course requirements;
• B+, B, B-: Work of consistently good quality, demonstrating a high level of proficiency, knowledge, and skills in all aspects of the course;
• C+, C, C-: Satisfactory work that meets the requirements of the course and conforms to the standards for graduation;
• D+, D, D-: Work deficient in concept or execution but acceptable for course credit in all courses;
• F: Failing grade. Work unacceptable for course credit and does not meet the standards for graduation.

Pass/Fail Grades (P/F)

CIA has a limited number of courses that are permitted to be taken as Pass/Fail. Pass/Fail are credit-bearing but do not impact student GPA. A Pass grade requires 65% in the course or higher.

Audit Grades (AU)

Courses taken as audits are marked as AU on official transcripts. Audits do not receive a letter-grade and do not count towards GPA or degree requirements. Courses taken as audit are for instruction only and cannot be changed to credit-bearing retroactively.

Mid-term Grades

CIA records mid-term grades for each class. These grades are available to students online through myCIA and are used for advising purposes by both faculty and academic advisors. They are not calculated in the GPA, nor are they included as part of the student’s permanent transcript.

Incomplete Grade

An “Incomplete” grade should be requested only for serious extenuating circumstances, not simply for failure to complete course requirements on time or to waive the absence limit as outlined in the attendance policy. Incomplete grades must be requested by the last day of regular classes in the semester as indicated on the Academic calendar. Incomplete grade requests submitted after the deadline will only be considered for serious student related medical situations as determined by the Dean of Students Office. Students on a leave of absence or students who withdraw from CIA the following semester are not permitted to request Incomplete grades from any of their instructors. If a student goes on a leave of absence or withdraws from CIA after an incomplete grade has been approved, they will receive a failing grade for the incomplete course.

Requests for “Incomplete” grades must be student-initiated by means of completing an Incomplete Grade Request Form available from Academic Advising. Instructors may not issue an “Incomplete” grade without students’ request or permission. Students on Academic Recovery are not permitted to request Incomplete grades from any of their instructors.

Incomplete grade revisions are due up to the end of the sixth week following the last day of finals for the semester in which the incomplete grade was granted. Faculty can determine an earlier date if needed and must provide a list of the work needed to complete the course. Faculty will be provided with an Incomplete Grade Revision form and are responsible for meeting the deadline regardless of work completed by the student. Incomplete grades not revised by the deadline will revert to a failing grade. Students who withdraw from the College prior to the incomplete grade revision deadline will receive a failing grade for the incomplete course.

Incomplete grades could affect financial aid for the following academic semester. For financial aid purposes, the sooner the Incomplete grade is revised, the sooner the financial aid award can be adjusted or finalized. Faculty members are not responsible for re-teaching missed material during the incomplete period. Faculty have the right to deny an incomplete if they determine the amount of work needed to successfully complete the course cannot be accomplished within the six-week timeframe.

Depending on the course, there may be a fee assessed for access to facilities or if materials are required for completion of the course’s incomplete grade.

Grades Excluded from the Calculation of the CIA Grade Point Average (GPA):

• Grade of “W” due to withdrawal after the drop/add period;
• “Incomplete” grade;
• “Audit,” “Satisfactory,” or “Pass” grades;
• Grades received in courses that were transferred to CIA from another college toward the CIA degree (see Transfer Credit);
• Failing grades (“F”) in courses that were repeated and satisfactorily passed.

Course Repeat

Students who receive a failing grade may repeat the same course at CIA. The original grade will remain on the record for the semester in which it was earned, but it will not be included in the GPA. The repeated course and the new grade will be recorded in the semester in which it was repeated.

If a course is repeated more than once, only the grade achieved in the first attempt will be eliminated from the GPA calculation.

Note that if a course fails at CIA and is repeated elsewhere, the credit (upon approval) will transfer toward the CIA degree. The actual value of the grade earned elsewhere is not included in the calculation of the GPA at CIA however, and the original failing grade is not removed from calculation of the GPA.

Students may repeat a course that they passed for a higher grade. Both grades will be shown on the transcript, but only the higher of the two grades will be calculated in the GPA. Credit toward graduation for a repeated course may be counted only once. Federal financial aid regulations disallow funding for repeated courses that have been passed; therefore, students must carry a minimum of 12 credits of unrepeated courses during the semester in which they repeat a passed course.

Grading Errors

Grade revisions are only permitted to correct errors. They cannot be corrected for additional work submitted. If a student believes that there was an error in a grade awarded, they must contact the faculty member who awarded the grade, and the faculty must complete a “Grade Correction” form, available to faculty from the Registrar’s Office. The completed form must be signed by the faculty member’s Division Chair. The grade correction must be recorded by the end of the semester following the term in which the course was taken.

CIA Full-Time Student Audit Option (AU grade)

On an available basis, CIA UG students who are registered full-time (12-15 credits) can audit a three-credit course for an audit fee. Refer to https://www.cia.edu/financial-aid/tuition-fees/ for details. Financial Aid will not apply towards this fee. Undergraduate students seeking credit for the course will get priority for registration. Students who choose to audit a course will not receive a letter grade and it does not count towards GPA or degree requirements. A course selected for audit cannot be changed to credit-bearing retroactively. Students are expected to attend all sessions, complete reading assignments, and participate in class, but will not be expected to do homework assignments or exams. Letter grades are not assigned. The option to audit a course becomes available two weeks prior to the start of the semester.

Non-Degree Audit Option (AU grade)

Undergraduate students receive priority for registration in CIA courses, but adults (who are 18 years +) with a high school diploma or GED can take a course at CIA as an audit option when seats are available. Proof of a diploma or GED is required.

Auditing a course results in an “AU” mark on official transcripts and does not count for credit. Auditing is meant for class instruction only, and subsequently students are not provided with a studio workspace. A course selected for audit cannot be changed to credit-bearing retroactively. Instructor and Division Chair approval is required. Students are expected to attend all sessions, complete reading assignments, and participate in class, but will not be expected to do homework assignments or exams. Letter grades are not assigned. Refer to https://www.cia.edu/financial-aid/tuition-fees/ for details on tuition and fees. Financial Aid will not apply towards this fee. Alumni, senior citizens, and veterans are eligible for a discount.

The option to audit a course becomes available two weeks prior to the start of the semester. Refer to the Registrar’s Office ([email protected]) for the application form. If a degree-seeking student is required to register for the course and the seat capacity is met, the Registrar’s Office reserves the right to drop a non-degree seeking student with a full refund for the course.

Final Grade Appeals

Students have the right to appeal a final grade for a course if the grade is inconsistent with the course grading policies or there is evidence of bias against the individual student. Grade appeals are not for clerical or miscalculation errors.

Grade appeals will only be considered before the end of the semester after the grade is received.

Students with final grade concerns should:

• Request clarification from the instructor regarding the grade and discuss concerns. If the instructor agrees to the reevaluation of coursework, they will then need to request a Grade Correction form from the Registrar’s Office.
• If discussion with the faculty member does not resolve the issue, the student should then request the Grade Appeal Form from the Registrar’s Office. The student will need to provide evidence of either inconsistent grading or bias. If the student indicates bias as the reason, the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs will be notified for further action.
• The Registrar’s Office will forward Grade Appeal Forms to the appropriate chair. The chair will determine 1. if the grade will be reevaluated based on the evidence provided and 2. the revised final course grade based on the student’s coursework. The chair completes the remainder of the Grade Appeal Form and submits it to the Registrar’s Office for processing.
• In instances where the faculty member is also the chair, determination of reevaluation and final grade will be done by the VPAA + Provost.