Academic Policy
Grading System
A+ Through F
Faculty members have the responsibility for evaluating a student’s performance and assigning a grade for the course. Indiana University uses a grading system from A (highest) through F (failing) with pluses and minuses. The grades and their numerical equivalent used for computing grade point averages (GPAs) are:
Grade Points
A+ = 4.0 (highest passing grade)
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 (Lowest passing grade)
F = 0.0 (Failing grade)
For complete information on the grading scale, visit this page.
Other Grades
FN (failed, non-attendance)
An “FN” is assigned to a student who has failed a course because of unexcused absences from classes, labs, exams, or other activities. When assigned, the instructor must also indicate the last known date of class attendance. When an “FN” has been assigned, an “F” will appear on the student’s transcript. The “N” and date of last attendance will be retained in the student’s record as an internal grade only. A student’s last date of participation in an academic activity in an online course must be documented.
FNN (failed, never attended)
An “FNN” is assigned to a student who has failed a course because the student never attended a class and did not withdraw. When an “FNN” has been assigned, an “F” will appear on the student’s transcript. The “NN” will be retained in the student’s record as an internal grade only.
I (incomplete)
An “I” is assigned to a student who, in the judgment of the instructor, has performed at a satisfactory level during a majority of the course but has not completed all the required work by the end of the term due to hardship or other good cause that the instructor deems would make it unjust to penalize that student for not completing the required work on time. The student has a year to complete all coursework and receive a final grade before the I will be automatically changed to an F.
If students have to retake the course in order to remove the Incomplete, they should not re-enroll in the course. Instead, they should make arrangements with the original instructor and any new instructor to sit in on a portion of or the entire course as required by the instructor(s). In all cases, the original instructor is responsible for assigning the final grade. If he or she is unavailable or no longer with the university, the student should consult with the chair of the department in which the course is offered. If after receiving an Incomplete, students wish to withdraw from the course, they must follow the official IU Indianapolis procedures for withdrawal.
Students should understand that sitting in on a course or otherwise making up the Incomplete does not count as part of the full- or part-time course load for financial aid purposes or for loan deferments. For complete information on the Incomplete Grade policies and procedures, visit this page.
X (grade replacement)
For undergraduates only: A letter grade may be changed to an “X” when a student has retaken a course. Only the grade earned on retake shall be reported on the student’s transcript and counted toward grade point average. The previous grade shall be changed to an “X” on the student’s transcript and the credit hours shall not be counted. The previous grade shall not appear on the transcript but may be retained as an internal grade by the student’s unit and the campus registrar. For complete information on the grade replacement policy, visit this page.
R (Deferred)
An “R” is assigned at the end of the first term of a multi-term course, thesis, or research project, to indicate that a letter grade cannot be assigned until all recorded work has been completed. When all required work has been completed, the instructor shall submit a letter grade covering all terms that will replace the “R” on the student’s transcript. If a student withdraws during the second term of the course, the instructor shall enter a letter grade for the completed first term if feasible, and a “W” for the second term. For complete information about the use of Deferred grading, visit this page.
S (satisfactory)
An ”S” is assigned in the following situations:
- To a student who has satisfactorily completed a course which was approved according to unit and campus procedures to be offered to all students only on an S/F basis.
- To a student who has successfully earned course credit or satisfied an academic requirement based on an individual examination of the student’s knowledge, work or experience that was not part of a regular course. The grade of “S” will ordinarily be used, and the grade of “A” may be assigned to denote clearly superior performance. The “A” will appear on the student’s transcript but shall not be used in computing GPA.
- During a state of emergency or other extraordinary circumstance that prevents the normal completion of a term, courses that were originally to be graded on an A through F basis may be converted to S/F courses. The university president may direct that this applies to all courses, the campus chancellor or provost may direct that it applies to some or all courses on a campus, or the decision may be delegated to individual units. Consultation with the appropriate faculty governance organization is required. Students must be notified of the change and must be given the opportunity to withdraw from the class or, if feasible, to request an A through D grade instead of an "S."
W (withdrawn)
A “W” is given in the following situations:
- If a student withdraws after the drop/add period but within the automatic withdrawal period.
- If a student withdraws after the automatic withdrawal period but within a time limit set by a unit under a unit policy that allows such withdrawals, with the consent of the instructor and principal administrator of the student’s unit.
- If a student received an “I” and the instructor, in consultation with the principal administrator of the unit offering the course, determines that it is not feasible either for the student to complete the required work to remove the “I” or to enter a letter grade based on the work completed.
- When the withdrawal is approved under the Military Withdrawal policy.
P (pass)
A “P” is assigned in the following situations:
- Under a procedure adopted by a unit, a student may, with the approval of the principal administrator of the student’s unit, register to take a course graded A through F on a pass/fail basis. The instructor shall not be informed that the student has registered for this option. The instructor shall assign the student the letter grade earned, and a passing grade shall be converted to a "P" by the campus registrar. The "P" grade does not have GPA value and cannot be changed back to an A through D grade.
- During a state of emergency or other extraordinary circumstance that prevents the normal completion of a term, students may be allowed to request P/F grading in a course otherwise graded A through F. The university president may direct that this option applies to all campuses, the campus chancellor or provost may direct that it applies to some or all courses on a campus, or the decision may be delegated to individual units. Consultation with the appropriate faculty governance organization is required. Students must be provided with a clear procedure for requesting P/F grading that includes the opportunity to appeal the denial of the option.
For complete information on the Pass/Fail option visit this page.
NC (non-credit)
The grade “NC” is recorded by the campus registrar to a student who has successfully audited a course.
NR (no report)
An “NR” grade is used for unreported grades for prior semesters or coursework that has not been graded for the current semester.
NY (enrollment in special program)
An “NY” is used to signify enrollment in a special program for which credit when earned will be shown as an ADDITIONAL entry on the permanent academic record.
Grade Appeal
Each degree-granting unit has policies and procedures for handling student appeals regarding academic decisions such as grades. For more information on the grade change policy and appeal process, visit the grade change policy here.
Indiana University Grades and Grading Policy (ACA-66) can be found here.
