Grading & Academic Standards

Policies & Procedures

• Undergraduate Academic Grading Symbols
• Administrative Grading Symbols
• University Grading Policy
• Grade Availability after Final Exams
• Appealing an Inappropriate Grade
• Grade Forgiveness & Course Repetition
• Grade Forgiveness of Previous Terms

Academic Standards

• Grade Point Average (GPA)
• Qualifying for the Dean’s & Honors List
• Latin Honors
• Undergraduate Probation & Disqualification Policy
• Undergraduate Reinstatement after Disqualification

Grade Point Average (GPA)

The student’s grade point average (GPA) is calculated by dividing the total number of quality hours (units attempted, excluding CR/NC courses) into the number of grade (quality) points earned. 

A 2.00 (C) average in all college/university courses, all Cal State East Bay courses, and all major courses are required for a baccalaureate degree (excluding “CR,” “NC,” “W,” and “AU” grades). All courses taken as part of the major, including those in other departments are included in the calculation of the major GPA.

See also Academic Grading Symbols for information about grade points.

Academic Grading Symbols (Undergraduate)

Undergraduate Course Symbols & Grade Points Earned

“A-F” Grading Pattern

Courses required for majors in a major department are taken in this pattern. Specific department exemptions are noted in the course description. Faculty use of “+” or “-” is optional.

Credit/No Credit and A/B/C/No Credit Grading Patterns (CR/NC and A/B/C/NC)

Students may enroll in up to 40 semester units in credit/no credit patterns as an undergraduate. There are two credit/no credit patterns:

1. “CR/NC,”
2. “A/B/C/NC.”

Some courses are only offered in the “CR/NC” or “A/B/C/NC” patterns. Undergraduate students can select the “CR/NC” pattern for most other courses subject to certain restrictions. Students can choose the “CR/NC” pattern during registration until the end of the Grade Type Change period.

Note: No changes to, or from, the credit/no credit pattern are permitted after the Grade Type Change period. There are no exceptions to this rule. Courses in a student’s major department, regardless of course prefix, may not be taken “CR/NC,” unless that is the only grading pattern in the course.

Units that students earn in courses taken under these grading patterns will apply to their degree requirements as long as they are not pre-baccalaureate courses (courses numbered 000 - 099).

• “CR” signifies that a student mastered the material at the level of “C-” or higher.
• “NC” signifies a work level of “D+” or lower. 

Administrative Grading Symbols

Administrative Grading Symbols & Their Definitions

Report in Progress (RP)

The symbol “RP,” Report in Progress, is used in connection with courses that extend beyond an academic term. This symbol indicates that work is in progress, but that a final grade cannot be assigned until additional work is completed. The work must be completed within one year. 

Note: If the work is not completed within the established time limit the “RP” grade will be changed to an “F” or “NC,” depending on the grading pattern for the course.

Incomplete (I)

The symbol “I”, Incomplete (Authorized), indicates that:

1. a discrete portion of the required coursework has not been completed and evaluated in the prescribed time period due to unforeseen, but fully justified, reasons,
2. attending a future offering of the class is not required to complete the work, and
3. the instructor believes it likely that the student will earn credit for the course upon completion of that work.

Students who are currently failing a course are not eligible for an Incomplete.  

It is the student’s responsibility to bring pertinent information to the attention of the instructor and to determine from the instructor the remaining course requirements that must be satisfied to remove the Incomplete. A final grade is assigned when the work agreed upon has been completed and evaluated. The instructor will specify the work needed to complete the course that can be viewed in MyCSUEB.

Note: An “I” must normally be made up within one calendar year immediately following the end of the term during which it was assigned. This limitation prevails whether or not the student maintains continuous enrollment. Students may not repeat a course in which they currently have an incomplete grade. Students who are currently failing a course are not eligible for an Incomplete.

Students may be able to receive up to a one-semester extension from the instructor. These extensions are for cause and must be approved by both the instructor and department chair. (Examples of cause include military service, serious health or personal problems, or instructor’s leave of absence.) If a student wants credit for a course after an “I” has been converted to an “IC,” the student must re-register and pass the course.

When the required work has been completed and evaluated, the instructor will submit a change of grade form and the academic grade will be recorded. If the student does not complete the work within the allowed time limit, the grade will be recorded as an “IC” (Incomplete Charged).

A student can graduate with an “I” grade on their record if the course is not necessary for graduation requirements. No grade may be changed once the degree has been awarded.

Incomplete Charged (IC)

The symbol “IC,” Incomplete Charged, is used if the student received an authorized incomplete (“I”), but did not complete the required coursework within the allowed time limit, and the original grading pattern of the course was “A-F.”  If the grading pattern was either “A/B/C/NC” or “CR/NC”, the grade will be recorded as “NC.”

Note: The “IC” replaces the “I” and is counted as a failing grade for computing grade point average.

Report Delayed (RD)

The Report Delayed grade is an administrative grade assigned to students for a course if the instructor notifies the Office of the Registrar that grade reports have been delayed by circumstances beyond the control of the instructor. An example is the illness of the instructor at the end of the semester. The instructor will replace the “RD” grade with an academic grade as soon as possible.

Note: If the instructor fails to replace it with an academic grade by the end of the following semester, the grade “RD” will be converted to a “WU” or an “NC” depending on the grading pattern.

Withdrawal (W)

Dropping a course may be permitted, without restriction or penalty, during the Add/Drop Period.  No grading symbol is recorded in such instances.

The “W” administrative grade indicates that the student was permitted to withdraw from a course after the end of the Add/Drop Period and prior to the last twenty percent of instruction, and may be assigned only for serious and compelling reasons. Permission to withdraw during this time shall be granted only with the approval of both the instructor and the department chair. The requests and approvals shall state the reasons for withdrawal. 

Undergraduate students may withdraw after the Add/Drop Period from no more than 18 semester units in the undergraduate career. Only withdrawals recorded in terms beginning with Fall 2009 are counted. When serious illness or accidents are documented and used as the basis for approval of withdrawal from classes in the term, the units in question will not count against the maximum units allowed.  Open University units are counted toward the maximum units. No limitations are placed on withdrawals by post-baccalaureate students taking classes in a post-baccalaureate career.

Withdrawals are not permitted during the final twenty percent of instruction except in cases, such as accident or serious illness, where the cause of withdrawal is due to circumstances clearly beyond the student’s control and the assignment of an Incomplete is not practicable. Withdrawals of this nature may involve total withdrawal from the campus or may involve only one course, except that a course grade and credit or an Incomplete grade may be assigned for courses in which sufficient work has been completed to permit an evaluation to be made. When serious illness or accidents are documented and used as the basis for approval of withdrawal from classes in the term, the units in question will not count against the maximum units allowed. Request for permission to withdraw under these circumstances shall be granted only with the approval of the instructor, the department chair, the college dean and the administrator appointed by the President to act in such matters.

The “W” grade shall not be used in the calculation of grade point averages.

Withdrawal Unauthorized (WU)

The “WU” grade (Withdrawal Unauthorized) shall be used where a student who is enrolled on the census date does not officially withdraw from a course, but fails to complete it.  Its most common use is in those instances where a student has not completed sufficient course assignments or participated in sufficient course activity to make it possible, in the opinion of the instructor, to report satisfactory or unsatisfactory completion of the class by use of the letter grade (A-F).  The “WU” is counted in the grade point average as an “F” grade. When assigning the “WU” grade, the instructor shall report the last known date of attendance by the student.

Audit (AU)

Students may take courses for instruction only (Audit), and will attend class but will not receive credit. Audit students will pay the same fees and enjoy the same instructional privileges as students enrolled for credit. Audit students may participate in class, take examinations or complete other assignments, but are not required to do so.

Note: Students may not petition to change their enrollment status from, or to, “Audit” after the Grade Type Change period has ended.

University Grading Policy

It is an integral part of the teaching responsibility of the faculty to provide careful evaluation and timely assignment of an appropriate grade to each enrolled student. There is a presumption that grades assigned are correct. It is the responsibility of anyone appealing an assigned grade to demonstrate otherwise. In the absence of compelling reasons, such as instructor or clerical error, prejudice, or capriciousness, the grade determined by the instructor of record will be considered final.

For purposes of correcting an error, an instructor may change a grade with approval of his/her department chair and college dean. No grade may be changed once graduation has been recorded unless an error has been made, in which case students have one term after their degree has been awarded to dispute the grade and have it corrected, or if a Grade Appeal petition has resulted in a grade change. The administrative symbol for withdrawal cannot be assigned by a faculty member.

See the Registration & Enrollment  chapter for the description of withdrawal policies and procedures.

Grades for the term are available online after faculty submit their official grade rosters and grades are official. Check the Important Dates page on the University website for the dates grades become official each term. To check grades and academic standing, visit MyCSUEB.  Under Student Center use the drop-down “(other academics…)”.

Appealing an Inappropriate Grade

Faculty have the sole right and responsibility to provide careful evaluation and timely assignment of appropriate grades. There is a presumption that grades assigned are correct. It is the responsibility of anyone appealing an assigned grade to demonstrate otherwise. In the absence of compelling reasons, such as instructor or clerical error, prejudice or capriciousness, the grade assigned by the instructor of record is to be considered final. Students who believe that an appropriate grade has not been assigned should attempt to resolve the problem with their instructor. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome, they should discuss the issue with the department chair in which the course was offered. If the issue is not resolved, the student should make an appointment with the dean or associate dean of the college in which the course is offered. If all previous actions fail, the student should contact the Presidential Appointee to the Grade Appeal and Academic Grievance Committee by calling (510) 885-3716. If the student has applied for graduation, the student should notify their graduation evaluator that a question is pending resolution. Once a degree is posted, no grade changes will be allowed.

Grade Appeal and Academic Grievance Committee

The Grade Appeal and Academic Grievance process, administered by this committee, allows students to resolve serious cases of alleged academic unfairness. After every effort by all parties to resolve the dispute has been ineffective, students can discuss their case with the Presidential Appointee to the Grade Appeal and Academic Grievance Committee. The Presidential Appointee will assist students in exhausting all normal channels and, if necessary, in filing a Petition (see link below) for a Grade Appeal Hearing. Students will need to submit their petition and supporting documentation to the Academic Programs and Services Office. The committee will review this documentation and the response(s) filed by the other parties involved in the dispute. If the committee finds possible grounds for a grievance, a Hearing Panel will be convened to hear the case. Under normal circumstances, the student must file their Petition before the end of the semester following the semester in which the alleged incident took place.

The Grade Appeal and Academic Grievance Committee is empowered to change a grade in accordance with the Grade Appeal Document and to assign a grade in cases where the instructor may have assigned an unfair academic grade. The Grade Appeal and Academic Grievance Committee is authorized to change a grade only after it has conducted a proper review of the case.

Grade Appeal Petition Form 

For additional information see the Student Rights, Responsibilities & Conduct  chapter.

More information is available from the Office of Academic Programs and Services (Student Services and Administration Building, Suite 4500; Tel. (510) 885-3716)

Grade Forgiveness and Repetition of Courses

Undergraduate students (regular enrollment and Open University) may repeat courses only if they earned grades lower than a C (including C-, D+ D, F, WU, IC and NC). Repeating a course with an incomplete (“I”) grade is not allowed; a grade must be assigned or the “I” must revert to an “IC” prior to repeating the course. The policies regarding repeating courses with Grade Forgiveness or Grade Averaging as described below apply only to courses taken and repeated at Cal State East Bay. Any student who is repeating a course (except if the grade for that course was “W”) is not permitted to register during first or second pass and must register on a space available basis during or after the open enrollment period.

*Students may repeat a course for grade forgiveness two times.  “Grade forgiveness” is the phrase indicating that the earlier attempt(s) is ignored in GPA calculations, but not removed from the record, subject to the following conditions. (*see Errata Non-curricular  page)

Course Equivalencies For Purposes of Grade Forgiveness

For information about forgiveness equivalencies for quarter-based courses, students should contact the chair of the corresponding department. 

Equivalent course groups (ECGs) are certain General Education courses that are considered equivalent for the purposes of grade forgiveness. Therefore, students will receive credit for only one course in each of the following groups:

• CHEM 161, CHEM 165.
• GEOL 100, GEOL 101.
• INFO 210, INFO 220.
• STAT 100, STAT 110.

Unit Limit on Repeating Courses

Students are limited to 28 semester units.

1. Students can only receive grade forgiveness for 16 semester units of coursework.

2. Students may repeat an additional 12 semester units of coursework for grade averaging. The quality hours and quality points of the repeated courses will be averaged, while the units earned for these subsequent attempts will not be counted.

3. Students who have repeated the maximum allowable, are otherwise making appropriate progress to degree, and still need to repeat courses to fulfill specific major or minor requirements necessary for graduation may petition for an exception to the 28-unit limit. The General Education Office will administer the petition process. Any course(s) approved for repeating by this petition process will be grade averaged.

Grade Forgiveness is not possible in the following circumstances:

1. Repeating any one course for Grade Forgiveness more than twice. (Some departments may restrict grade forgiveness to only one repeat.)
2. Repeating a grade of “C” (2.0) or better.
3. Any grade assigned as a result of academic dishonesty.
4. If the original grade(s) was assigned at Cal State East Bay, Grade Forgiveness by repeating a course at another institution is normally not possible. (Exceptions may be made for disqualified students who file an approved petition prior to repeating the course elsewhere, but only to the extent necessary for their readmission.) Disqualified students repeating courses through Open University at CSUEB, only to the extent necessary for their readmission, do not need to file a petition.

Cal State East Bay honors the Grade Forgiveness policies of other institutions as stated on their official transcripts.

Grade Forgiveness of Previous Terms

Under the most extenuating circumstances, a student can petition to exclude from degree requirements and GPA computations up to two semesters (or up to three quarters) of coursework taken at any institution*. To have the petition approved, the student must meet certain conditions and follow the process described below. (*See Errata Non-curricular  page for content correction)

• The student must formally request such action and present evidence that substantiates that the work in question is substandard and not representative of the student’s current scholastic ability; 
• The previous level of scholastic ability was due to extenuating circumstances; and,
• All degree requirements except the earning of at least a 2.0 grade point average have or will soon be met.

Petitioning students must complete the following steps:

• Complete the student’s portion of the “Petition for Forgiveness of Previous Term,”
• Obtain the major advisor’s approval on the petition,
• File the petition in the Department of General Education.

If the petitioner is eligible, the Chair of General Studies shall certify that the conditions are met, attach a copy of the student’s academic record, and forward the package to the Grade Forgiveness committee. The committee, chaired by the Dean of Academic Programs and Services and consisting of at least three members with the majority being faculty, acts upon all petitions by majority vote.

If the Chair of General Studies determines the petitioner does not meet the conditions, the petitioner will be notified and no action is taken. Final determination shall be made only when:

• Five years have elapsed since the most recent work to be disregarded was completed;
• The student has earned in residence at Cal State East Bay since the most recent work being considered was completed:
  • 15 semester units with at least a 3.0 GPA, or
  • 30 semester units with at least a 2.5 GPA, or
  • 45 semester units with at least a 2.0 GPA;
• When such action is taken, the student’s record shall be annotated so that it is readily evident to users of the record that no work taken during the disregarded term(s), even if satisfactory, has been applied towards the meeting of degree requirements. However, all work must remain legible on the record.

If another institution has acted to remove coursework from consideration, such action shall be honored in terms of that institution’s policy. But, elimination of any coursework’s consideration shall reduce by one semester the two semester maximum on the application of academic renewal to an individual Cal State East Bay’s student’s record.

Dean’s & Honors Lists

Qualifying for the Dean’s List

Students who achieve academic distinction in any academic semester, as evidenced by a grade point average of 3.80 or higher in 9 units or more, in addition to any units graded CR/NC, will be included on the Dean’s List for that semester.

Qualifying for the Honors List

Students with a grade point average in the range of 3.60-3.79 will be included on the Honors List for that semester.

Academic (Latin) Honors

Graduation with Honors

Candidates for the baccalaureate degree may be eligible for the awarding of Latin Honors at the time of graduation if they have fulfilled the following conditions:

1. They must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.65 or higher in all coursework and in coursework completed at Cal State East Bay.
2. They must have completed at least 40 semester-units of coursework in residence (as defined in the University Catalog) at Cal State East Bay.

summa cum laude (cumulative GPA, overall and at CSUEB, of 3.85-4.00) highest honor

magna cum laude (cumulative GPA, overall and at CSUEB, of 3.75-3.84) high honor

cum laude (cumulative GPA, overall and at CSUEB, of 3.65-3.74) honor

The GPA is officially calculated at the time the student has completed graduation requirements. The honors designation will be noted on the student’s diploma and official transcript. The conditions noted above apply equally to second-baccalaureate degree candidates.

Note: Post-baccalaureate and graduate students are not eligible for Latin Honors.

University Honors Program

The University Honors Program is different from “graduation with honors”. Graduation with honors is determined strictly on a GPA basis, and no additional coursework is required. The University Honors Program provides outstanding students the opportunity for academic challenge through the completion of specialized courses, seminars and projects under the direction of faculty mentors.  To see their website, click on the link for more information.

Undergraduate Probation and Disqualification Policy

The following policies govern undergraduate academic & administrative probation and disqualification:

Academic Probation

According to Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, students must achieve at least a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) in all baccalaureate work, all work at Cal State East Bay, and all work in their major to receive a baccalaureate degree.

A student will be placed on academic probation if, following a Fall or Spring Semester, their Cal State East Bay cumulative GPA falls below 2.0. Academic probation warns individuals that their academic performance is below the state minimum required for graduation, and that their GPA must improve before a degree can be granted.

The probation status is shown on the student’s transcript.

Undergraduate students on probation will remain on continued probation when the following semester term GPA is 2.0 or better, but the Cal State East Bay cumulative GPA remains below 2.0. The continued probation status is shown on the transcript and is treated like probation in terms of academic standing.

Freshmen on academic probation are allowed a second consecutive semester of probation (known as “continued probation”) if their Cal State East Bay cumulative GPA is in the range of 1.50 to 1.99.

The Registrar will notify students who are placed on probation when semester term grades are posted. The notification will include a referral to academic advisors, including advisors in Academic Advising and Career Education, advisors in college success centers, and faculty major advisors. EXCEL or Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) students should contact their counselors.

Students remain on probation or continued probation until they are either returned to good academic standing or are disqualified.  When the Cal State East Bay cumulative GPA is raised to at least 2.0 following a Fall or Spring semester, the student will be returned to good academic standing.  

Academic Disqualification

As authorized by Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, undergraduate students on academic probation are subject to academic disqualification when:

• as a freshman (fewer than 30 semester units of college work completed), the Fall or Spring term grade point average is below 1.50;
• as a sophomore, junior, or senior, the Fall or Spring semester term GPA is below 2.0.

The disqualified status is shown on the student’s transcript.

Administrative Academic Probation

As authorized by Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, a student may be placed on administrative academic probation for: 

• withdrawal or administrative disenrollment from all or a substantial portion of a program of studies in two successive terms or in any three terms. (Note: A student whose withdrawal is directly associated with a chronic or recurring medical condition or its treatment is not subject to administrative academic probation for such withdrawal);
• repeated failure to progress toward the stated degree objective or other program objective, including that resulting from the assignment of 15 semester units of “NC,” when such failure appears to be due to circumstances within the control of the student;
• failure to comply, after due notice, with an academic requirement or regulation, as defined by campus policy, which is routine for all students or a defined group of students, such as failure to complete the writing skills test, failure to complete a required practicum, failure to comply with professional standards appropriate to the field of study, or failure to complete a specified number of units as a condition for receiving student financial aid or making satisfactory progress in the academic program.

When such action is taken, the student shall be notified in writing and shall be provided with the conditions for removal from administrative academic probation and the circumstances that would lead to administration academic disqualification, should probation not be removed.

Administrative Academic Disqualification

As authorized by Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, a student who has been placed on administrative academic probation may be disqualified from further attendance if:

• the conditions for removal of administrative academic probation are not met within the period specified;
• the student becomes subject to academic probation while on administrative academic probation;
• the student becomes subject to administrative academic probation for the same or similar reason for which the student has been placed on administrative academic probation previously, although not currently in such status.

Students who are not on probation may be subject to administrative academic disqualification if:

• the student’s cumulative grade point average is below 1.0 at the end of any term;
• the student’s cumulative grade point average is so low that in view of the student’s overall educational record, it seems unlikely that the deficiency will be removed within a reasonable period.

When such action is taken, the student shall receive written notification, including an explanation of the basis for the action.

Reinstatement as an Undergraduate after Academic Disqualification

To be readmitted or reinstated as an undergraduate student following Academic Disqualification, a student must have earned good grades at another accredited institution, or through Open University, have improved their CSUEB and cumulative GPA to 2.00 or better, and have completed any required remediation. Typically, students will not be considered for readmission for one year, and certainly not for at least one semester. If a student is not readmitted within two semesters, they must also reapply for admission. 

The Admissions Review Committee will decide on petitions for reinstatement, on a case-by-case basis. Students who do not meet the above-mentioned criteria but feel they have compelling and/or extenuating circumstances which prevent them from achieving the reinstatement requirements may be reinstated on probation by the committee if, in their judgment, the student is likely to remove any grade point average deficiencies within the subsequent two terms.

Note: Students who are readmitted or reinstated must maintain a minimum term GPA of 2.5.  Students who are academically disqualified for a second time will not be readmitted or reinstated.