Faculty members are responsible for providing a grade (based upon the officially approved grading symbols) for every student enrolled in their classes at the end of the term of enrollment. The following grade categories may be assigned by faculty members responsible for instruction in the course:
The grading scale below was modified effective Fall 2013. WS grades became a grade of W. Students who completely withdraw from a term will receive a WD grade for each course. WU grades ended at the end of the summer 2020 term.
Undergraduate Students
| Grade | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4.00 | |
| A- | 3.67 | |
| B+ | 3.33 | |
| B | 3.00 | |
| B- | 2.67 | |
| C+ | 2.33 | |
| C | 2.00 | |
| C- | 1.67 | |
| D+ | 1.33 | |
| D | 1.00 | |
| D- | 0.67 | |
| F | 0.00 | Failure through coursework |
| FN | 0.00 |
Failure by never attending a course (no participation in the course) Participation is defined as attending a face-to-face course, participating in an online discussion board, submitting assignments, or taking quizzes or exams. Simply accessing the learning management system (e.g. Canvas) without participating in some way does not meet this definition. |
| FS | 0.00 |
Failure by stop attending a course (ceased participating after a certain date, and did not have a passing grade in the course) Participation is defined as attending a face-to-face course, participating in an online discussion board, submitting assignments, or taking quizzes or exams. Simply accessing the learning management system (e.g. Canvas) without participating in some way does not meet this definition. |
| W | 0.00 | "Withdrawal" or "W" is a drop grade given to students who drop a course after the Drop Retain Record Date given in Access Stout and before the Drop with Penalty date. The Drop Retain Record Date means that a class dropped on or before this date will be retained on your academic record with a status of dropped. After this date a drop grade of W will be assigned to the class. Find your course deadlines on Access Stout. A W will appear on a students transcript but will not affect their GPA |
| WU | 0.00 | "WU" or "Withdrawal Unsatisfactory" is a drop grade given to students who drop a course after the Drop with Penalty date but before the Drop with Greater Penalty date (class end date) given in Access Stout, which is allowed only when there are extenuating circumstances. The Drop with Penalty means a class dropped after this date will appear on your transcript and a drop grade of WU will be assigned to the class. A WU will appear on a students transcript but will not affect their GPA. WU grades ended at the end of the summer 2020 term. |
| I | --- | Used only under extenuating circumstances that prevent undergraduate students from finishing coursework during the regularly scheduled course period. The university allows up to one year for coursework completion. After one year the course grade "I" expires to "F". |
| IP | --- | A grade of "IP" is given for approved courses in which more than one term is required for completion because of the nature of course requirement. A grade of "IP" can be given to select graduate courses and expires after one year if course requirements are not met. Undergraduate course grades of "IP" expire after two years. After expiration, the student must re-register for the course to obtain credit. |
Other Grades***
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| O | Outstanding -- for approved courses only |
| S | Satisfactory -- for approved courses only |
| U | Unsatisfactory -- for approved courses only |
***Not used as "credits attempted" in calculating grade point average.
Graduate Students
| Grade | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4.00 | Exceptional achievement |
| A- | 3.67 | |
| B+ | 3.33 | |
| B | 3.00* | Satisfactory work |
| B- | 2.67 | |
| C+ | 2.33 | |
| C | 2.00 | Work at a level worth credit, but of less quality than expected |
| D | 1.00 | Marginal performance, minimal passing level. Work at a level unacceptable for application to a graduate degree or certification program at UW-Stout. |
| F | 0.00 | Failure through coursework |
| FN | 0.00 |
Failure by never attending a course (no participation in the course) Participation is defined as attending a face-to-face course, participating in an online discussion board, submitting assignments, or taking quizzes or exams. Simply accessing the learning management system (e.g. Canvas) without participating in some way does not meet this definition. |
| FS | 0.00 |
Failure by stop attending a course (ceased participating after a certain date, and did not have a passing grade in the course) Participation is defined as attending a face-to-face course, participating in an online discussion board, submitting assignments, or taking quizzes or exams. Simply accessing the learning management system (e.g. Canvas) without participating in some way does not meet this definition. |
| W | 0.00 | "Withdrawal" or "W" is a drop grade given to students who drop a course after the Drop Retain Record Date given in Access Stout and before the Drop with Penalty date. The Drop Retain Record Date means that a class dropped on or before this date will be retained on your academic record with a status of dropped. After this date a drop grade of W will be assigned to the class. Find your course deadlines on Access Stout. A W will appear on a students transcript but will not affect their GPA |
| WU | 0.00 | "WU" or "Withdrawal Unsatisfactory" is a drop grade given to students who drop a course after the Drop with Penalty date but before the Drop with Greater Penalty date(class end date) given in Access Stout, which is allowed only when there are extenuating circumstances. The Drop with Penalty means a class dropped after this date will appear on your transcript and a drop grade of WU will be assigned to the class. A WU will appear on a students transcript but will not affect their GPA. WU grades ended at the end of the summer 2020 term. |
| I | --- | Incompletes can be used for graduate courses only under extenuating circumstances that prevent the student from completing the last major course assignment. The university allows up to one year for coursework completion. After one year the course grade "I" expires to "F". |
| IP | --- | A grade of "IP" is given for approved courses in which more than one term is required for completion because of the nature of course requirement. A grade of "IP" can be given to select graduate courses and expires after one year if course requirements are not met. Undergraduate course grades of "IP" expire after two years. After expiration, the student must re-register for the course to obtain credit. |
| NC | 0.00 | "No Credit Earned" is used only for select graduate courses involving research papers when the student did not complete enough work for evaluation. This does not affect GPA and requires re-registration if the course is not completed that term. |
*The minimum cumulative GPA required for Education Specialist degree program students is 3.25.
Other Grades***
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| O | Outstanding -- for approved courses only |
| S | Satisfactory -- for approved courses only |
| U | Unsatisfactory -- for approved courses only |
***Not used as "credits attempted" in calculating grade point average.
According to policy, all final grades for classes are due 3 business days from the course end date in the SIS system. For further information about upcoming deadlines please refer to the Registrations and Records Calendar.
Cumulative grade point averages are determined by the "grade point system"; they are computed by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of credits attempted.
A Final Grade Report is different than an official and unofficial transcript. A final grade report is a reflection of one term grades and may be requested at the end of each term by filling out a Final Grade Report Request form. However, if your full academic history at UW-Stout is desired then you will want to request an unofficial or official transcript.
Grade reports are issued from the Registration and Records Office and are available no less than five working days after the end of the semester. Grade reports must be requested in writing or by filling out an online request form. Reports are mailed to the students at the address they have listed as their "home" address. It is a condition of registration that the student keeps this address, as well as their local Menomonie address, current and correct. Grade reports are not mailed outside of the United States. International students may designate their Menomonie address as "home" for receiving their grades or pick them up in the Registration and Records Office.
Assignment of an Incomplete "I" grade requires a written agreement between the instructor and student specifying the time and manner in which the student will complete the course requirements
Incompletes should be requested or granted for extenuating circumstances that are:
- Beyond the student's control and/or
- Could not have been anticipated early enough in the semester to warrant a withdrawal
Examples of acceptable reasons to request/grant an incomplete:
- Significant and unexpected illness of self or close family member
- Death in the family
- Called to active duty in the military
Incompletes should not be requested or granted for:
- Personal convenience
- Student attended only a few or no class sessions
- Student is busy with requirements for other courses
- Student believes they can get a better grade with additional time
ESTABLISHING DEADLINES FOR COMPLETION
- It is the course Instructor's right and responsibility to determine deadlines for completion of all work listed on the contract
- The University allows up to one year for completion of the Incomplete. The Instructor may specify any time limit from one day to one year. Exception: students called to active military duty are allowed up to one calendar year following their discharge from active duty to complete their incomplete grade. An "I" must be removed by the student up to one year from the date the "I" is received. However, on the Incomplete Form the Instructor can assign a due date prior to one year. When a final grade is assigned by the Instructor, it replaces the "I" and a notation appears on the transcript. If the Incomplete is not removed within the time limit, the "I" becomes an "F" on the student's transcript. If extenuating circumstances warrant it at the time of expiration, an additional extension of up to one year can be requested by the student. If the Instructor approves the request, a Change of Grade form is used to facilitate the extension. A one year limit will be assigned unless noted otherwise. The Department Chair approval is required for this time extension.
- If the student does not meet the Instructor's requirements for completing the course by the established time limit, the Instructor may issue a grade based on the coursework already completed. Instructors are under no obligation to grant additional time, or to serve as Instructor beyond the specified date. If the student does not complete the course by the deadline, the student will be required to pay tuition if the course is retaken.
- Important note: In order to complete "I" grade, students are not allowed to "sit in" on future offerings of the same course number without registering. If the student cannot complete the contract work without attending further classes, the student will receive the grade earned and may re-register for the course.
PROCEDURE
- The student must contact the Instructor before the last day of class
- If the Instructor deems that circumstances warrant "I", the Instructor and student will discuss specific guidelines, conditions, and/or time limits for course completion, and the consequences of failure to complete outstanding coursework.
- This understanding will be documented through the use of the "Agreement for Completion of Incomplete Grades Form"
- The student and Instructor should each retain a signed copy, a third copy should be retained in the department office, and the original copy forwarded to Registration and Records
A grade of "IP" is given for approved courses in which more than one term is required for completion because of the nature of course requirement. An "IP" may be given for graduate research papers, thesis, independent study, field experience, internship, co-op and other courses for which this alternative has been approved through the Curriculum and Instruction Committee approval process.
If the course requirements for an undergraduate course are not completed within two years from the term the "IP" is received, the student must re-register for the course to obtain credit for it. During this process, an "IP" remains on the transcript. When a final grade is assigned by the instructor, it replaces the "IP" and a notation appears on the transcript.
If the course requirements for the graduate research paper course are not completed within 1 year from the term the "IP" is received, the student must re-register for the course to obtain credit for it. Should that occur, the "IP" for the initial registration will remain on the transcript; a final letter grade will only be assigned for the active registration. A grade of "NC." "No Credit Earned" is used only for select graduate courses involving research papers for when the student does not complete enough work for evaluation. This does not affect GPA and requires re-registration if the course is not completed that term. (Effective beginning with Fall, 2012 research paper registration.)
If extenuating circumstances warrant it at the time of expiration, an additional extension of up to one year can be requested by the student. If the instructor approves the request, a Change of Grade form is used to facilitate the extension. A one year limit will be assigned unless noted otherwise. The Department Chair approval is required for this time extension. Records of "IP" grades are kept in the department offering the course.
For information regarding these optional grading scales please visit the Auditing Classes and Credit/No Credit Grading Option page.
For information regarding please refer to the Academic Forgiveness Policy page.
Students who feel they have received an incorrectly recorded grade should check with the instructor of the course immediately upon reviewing your grades in Access Stout.
Students who question the validity of a grade they have received should contact the instructor directly or file a written request for a grade change with the department chair. The department chair will try to contact the instructor who then decides whether to make a change of grade. If it is determined that a mark should be corrected, it is the responsibility of the instructor to initiate that action. If the department chair is unable to contact the instructor, the department chair will make the decision based on grade sheets left by the instructor. A grade correction form must be submitted to the Registration and Records Office, and should carry signatures of both the instructor of record and the department chair. Questions as to the validity of a grade must be received within one year of the ending date of the semester or term in which the grade is recorded.
For more information, please refer to the Awards and Honors page.