Policy 6-100: Instruction and Evaluation

Purpose and Scope
Definitions
Policy
Policies/ Rules, Procedures, Guidelines, Forms and other Related Resources
References
Contacts
History

‌Purpose and Scope‌
1. Purpose.
  
  This policy governs university Courses, including how Courses are offered and approved, defining Course-Offering Units, when final exams and assessments are conducted, the standards for Course credit (i.e., credit hours), when essential Course information is made available to students, how Courses are assessed and student feedback is provided to Instructors, attendance expectations, accommodations for students, and how students may appeal an academic action, including their final grade in a Course. These policy provisions bear upon the responsibilities of individual Instructors, students, Course-Offering Units, and the university administration.
2. Scope.
  
  Except where specifically stated otherwise, this policy applies to all undergraduate and graduate instruction at the university and all Course-Offering Units. Degrees with accreditation requirements that conflict with provisions in this policy (e.g. certain degrees offered by the College of Law, the Spencer F. Eccles School of Medicine, and the College of Nursing) are not subject to provisions of this policy that conflict with those accreditation requirements.
‌Definitions‌

The following definitions apply for the limited purposes of this policy and any associated regulations.
1. “Academic Action” means the recording of a final grade (including credit/no credit and pass/fail) in a Course, on a comprehensive or qualifying examination, on a culminating project, or on a dissertation or thesis. It also includes a decision by the appropriate department or college committee to place a student on academic probation or to suspend or dismiss a student from an academic program because the student failed to meet the relevant academic standards of the discipline or program. The term “Academic Action” does not include the decision by a department or program to refuse admission of a student into an academic program. Academic Action also does not include academic sanctions imposed for academic misconduct or for professional misconduct (See Policy 6-410).
2. “Add/Drop Deadline” means the date by which students must finalize their class schedule as described in this policy.
3. “Campus Advising Solutions” means the administrative unit with the responsibility for administering academic standing for undergraduate students.
4. “Course” means an organized subject matter in which instruction is offered within a given period of time and credit toward graduation or certification is usually awarded after completion. A Course is included in the catalog.
5. “Course Section” means a Course as listed in the catalog that is available for registration in a particular term. Multiple sections of a Course may be offered in a particular term.
6. “Course-Offering Unit” means an academic unit authorized to offer credit-bearing Courses and bearing primary responsibility for the content, instruction, and evaluation of such Courses.
7. “Instructor of Record” or “Instructor” means the individual with primary responsibility for a Course Section as indicated in the schedule of Classes.
8. “Transcript” means a student’s permanent academic record.
9. “Unofficial Withdrawal” means, as defined in 34 C.F.R. 668.22, when a student stops attending classes but does not notify the university. A transcript notation of EU is used to indicate an unofficial withdrawal.

‌Policy‌

‌The Academic Year‌
1. The academic year consists of a fall and spring semester of approximately 15 weeks each of instruction time plus a final exam period for each and a summer term of approximately 12 weeks of instruction time plus a final exam period. The fall and spring semesters are also divided into two half sessions of approximately eight weeks of instruction. The summer term is divided into two half sessions of approximately six weeks of instruction.
2. A Course Section that meets for a length of time shorter than a half session, such as a short-term intensive Course, must begin and end within the session start and end dates established in the academic calendar.
3. Professional colleges or programs, such as the College of Law, the Spencer F. Eccles School of Medicine, and the School of Dentistry, may have semester or term start and end dates and lengths that differ from the university’s standard academic year if they are term-length programs as defined in federal financial aid regulations.
‌The Credit Hour‌
1. One credit hour is the amount of work represented by intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement, as established by the university and that reasonably approximates at least:
  1. one hour of classroom or direct instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for one semester or the equivalent amount of work over a different period of time for shorter sessions; or
  2. an equivalent amount of work for other academic activities, such as laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, field trips/ field work, and other appropriate academic work leading to the award of credit hours.
2. A student’s expected time and work spent on a Course increases proportionally for Courses that are two, three, four, or more credit hours.
‌Minimum Enrollment Threshold for Undergraduate Course Sections‌
1. Decisions to offer or cancel an undergraduate course that does not meet the minimum enrollment threshold rest with the department chair of the Course-offering Unit. Such decisions are made in concert with the College/School Dean, or their designee, who retains authority over resource allocations. Rule R6-100F describes processes governing minimum enrollment thresholds.
‌Credit-Bearing Courses‌
1. Courses are developed by Course-Offering Units in accordance with university regulations and applicable Utah Board of Higher Education policies. In keeping with the principles of shared governance, Policy 6-500 requires that Courses be approved by the faculty members of Course-Offering Units before being submitted for higher-level review and approval.
2. A student may not receive credit applicable toward a degree or certificate for a precollege or developmental Course.
3. Courses must be taught, evaluated, or directly supervised by an Instructor who is approved by the Course-Offering Unit and whose teaching qualifications meet the criteria adopted by the Course-Offering Unit.
  1. In establishing teaching qualifications for an educational trainee (as defined in Policy 6-309) or other graduate student who is the Instructor of Record for a Course Section, the Course-Offering Unit should ensure that the individual completes training or a Course on teaching in higher education either before or concurrently with the teaching assignment or has comparable, prior experience in teaching in higher education. Examples include a training or a Course offered by the individual’s home unit or the Martha Bradley Evans Center for Teaching Excellence, or through other means.
4. An Instructor must make essential information about a Course Section available to students at least one week before the first day of class, as part of the syllabus or separately. The essential course information must include:
  1. the Course goals and objectives;
  2. the expectations for the Course Section, including the workload, activities essential for earning credit, activities on which grading is based, and attendance expectations; and
  3. a preliminary schedule of the major examinations and assignments, as applicable.
5. An Instructor assigned to teach a Course Section less than three weeks before the first day of the Course Section must make essential course information available as early as possible but is not required to make the information available one week before the first day of class.
6. All Courses carrying a General Education designation must align with Course level learning outcomes for the requirement area, which are articulated in Utah Board of Higher Education Policy R470. All General Education courses are part of the university’s General Education Program and must also align with a General Education Program learning outcome.
7. All courses carrying a Baccalaureate Degree designation must align with the course-level learning outcomes for the requirement area, which are defined by the university.
8. Credit-bearing Courses are recorded on a student's Transcript.
9. Acceptance of transfer credits depends on the sending institution’s regional accreditation standards; comparability of the nature, content, and level of credit earned; and appropriateness and applicability of credit to the university and the student's educational goals as determined by the university faculty. The university must accept transfer credits from Utah System of Higher Education Institutions in accordance with Utah Board of Higher Education Policy R471. See also Policy 6-404 regarding transfer credits.
10. A student may only receive credit for a Course Section for the number of credit hours for which the student is registered.
11. Except as otherwise specified in this policy, a student must complete the work for a Course Section during the term in which the student is enrolled in the Course Section.
12. A reduction in course credit may be used in studio-type Courses or in independent study Courses only. If a student fails to complete the volume of work they are registered for in a qualifying Course, the Instructor and student may agree to reduce the credit earned and the student is graded on the quality of work completed.
  1. Course-offering Units may determine which of their studio-type or independent study Courses may provide a reduction in Course credit.
  2. A reduction in Course credit may not be used in Courses used to satisfy general education or baccalaureate degree requirements or Courses for which completion of the full semester's work is essential for a graduation requirement.
  3. The deadline for the Instructor and student to agree to a reduction in course credit is the last day of classes prior to the final exam period.
‌Class Meetings‌
1. Course-Offering Units must schedule class meetings within the standard time blocks established by the Office of the Registrar, unless the Course-Offering Unit notifies the Office of the Registrar of the variation from the standard-time blocks.
2. The location of a Course Section must be listed on the schedule of classes.
3. Classes must begin promptly, be dismissed promptly, and take precedence over any special examination or exercise not a part of the official academic calendar unless such examination or exercise is authorized by the Academic Senate.
4. An Instructor should not require a student to attend a class meeting outside of the scheduled time and location of the Course Section included on the class schedule unless the Instructor provides advance notice and reasonable accommodations. Instructors should consider a student’s other obligations, such as other classes, when scheduling class meetings outside of the scheduled time for the Course Section. Instructors should also consider transportation needs for students when scheduling a class meeting in a location other than the location included on the class schedule. In general, meetings outside of the scheduled class time should be optional for students.
‌Attendance Expectations‌
1. The university expects regular attendance at all class meetings. Instructors must communicate any attendance requirements in the syllabus. Students are responsible for acquainting themselves with and satisfying the entire range of academic objectives and requirements as defined by the Instructor.
2. An Instructor must allow a student who is absent from class to make up assignments and examinations, or otherwise accommodate the absences, if the student is absent for any of the following reasons:
  1. to participate in an officially sanctioned university activity such as band, debate, student government, or intercollegiate athletics;
  2. due to a government obligation such as military duty or jury duty;
  3. due to an accommodation for a student’s belief as described in Rule R6-100B;
  4. due to a disability accommodation described in Policy 5-117; or
  5. due to a pregnancy accommodation described in Rule R1-012C.
3. An Instructor may allow a student who is absent from class for any other reason to make up assignments and examinations or otherwise be held harmless for the absences at the Instructor’s discretion. An Instructor has the authority to determine whether the student may make up missed assignments and should work with the student to make this determination.
  1. A student must arrange with the Instructor to make up assignments in advance of an absence unless the student is absent due to a sudden illness or emergency.
  2. Instructors should consistently apply objective, non-discriminatory, factors when permitting a student to make up assignments or be held harmless for missing class.
  3. A student may seek assistance from the department chair of the Course-Offering Unit or the dean of the college to help the student work with the Instructor to make-up assignments or examinations the student missed. An undergraduate student may also contact the vice provost for student success for assistance, and a graduate student may also contact the dean of the graduate school for assistance. The Instructor has final discretion in whether to allow the student to make up the work.
4. Departments or programs that sponsor university-sanctioned activities that cause students to miss class should minimize students’ absences as much as possible. These departments and programs must provide a written statement to the students describing the activity and stating as precisely as possible the date(s) of the required absences. Students must provide this written statement to their Instructors as early as possible and before the absence(s).
5. An Instructor may require a student to complete coursework missed if a class is canceled due to weather, an emergency, a disaster, or for any other reason. An Instructor who schedules a make-up session may not penalize students who do not attend.
6. Parental leaves of absence for graduate students are described in Policy 6-409.
7. A person who is not registered for a Course Section may not participate in Course Section trips or activities.
‌Course Numbers‌
1. Course-Offering Units must classify and number courses in accordance with Utah Board of Higher Education Policy R475 and guidelines developed by Curriculum Management and Academic Planning, as reviewed by the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate.
‌Final Examinations‌
1. Final examinations shall be given under regulations as determined by the Academic Senate. An Instructor may determine the format of assessments given during the final exam period, including whether to assign an assessment due during the final exam period. An Instructor who administers a final assessment during the final exam period must administer the assessment in the location and at the day and time scheduled by the Office of the Registrar during the approved final exam period for the Course Section, which may be different than where and when the class normally meets. An Instructor who does not schedule a final Course assessment during the final exam period must notify the Office of the Registrar to allow rescheduling of the classroom.
‌Instructor and Course-Offering Unit Responsibilities Related to Grading and Instruction‌
1. Each Course Section must have an Instructor of Record, who is responsible for the following responsibilities.
  1. An Instructor must assign a student a final letter grade for the Course Section based on the quality of the student’s work, not on the student’s hours of effort for the course.
  2. An Instructor must inform students on the syllabus how grades are assigned. An Instructor must notify students in writing if the Instructor changes the method for determining a final grade or an assignment grade included on the syllabus.
  3. An Instructor for a Course Section may assign responsibility for grading or evaluating student work to a teaching assistant, grader, or other person who has a formal affiliation with the Course Section. The Instructor must take reasonable steps to ensure consistent grading by anyone who does grading for the Course Section.
2. The Instructor is responsible for all grades for a Course Section and must inform the students that the Instructor has final responsibilities for all grades. At the request of a student, an Instructor must provide an explanation for the reason the Instructor awarded the student a final grade or an assignment grade. A rubric or other written feedback included with a grade is considered an explanation of the grade, and an Instructor is not required to provide an additional explanation. The Instructor also is not obligated to reconsider the grade.
  1. A student may request an explanation for a final grade or assignment grade within 20 business days of the notification of the final grade or assignment grade. If the Instructor does not provide an explanation, the student may seek assistance from the department chair, the director of undergraduate or graduate studies for the Course-Offering Unit, or the vice provost for student success (for an undergraduate student) or dean of the graduate school (for a graduate student).
  2. A request for an explanation for a final grade or assignment grade is not an appeal of an Academic Action described in this policy and Rule R6-100C. To appeal a final grade, the student must follow the process established in Rule R6-100C.
3. Instructors and others who grade on behalf of Instructors must grade individual student performance consistent with the university's fundamental principles prohibiting discrimination on improper grounds (Policy 1-012) and requiring that academic activities be performed without prejudice or favoritism based on family, romantic, or sexual relationships (Policy 1-020) or financial interests (Rule R1-006D). These principles and university regulations apply to any person engaged in grading activities. Instructors and Course-Offering Units must take appropriate steps to ensure adherence to these university regulations, such as providing for alternative grading methods or assignment of grading responsibilities to another person, as appropriate to the circumstances.
4. If an Instructor leaves the university or is no longer available, the Course-Offering Unit must assign grades and address grade changes for the Course Section. Each Course-Offering Unit should assign a faculty member as a contact person to address any issues that arise with grades awarded by an Instructor who is not available.
5. An Instructor must accommodate a student’s disability as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and as described in Policy 5-117.
  1. The Center for Disability & Access (CDA) is the administrative office that determines a student’s disability accommodation. An Instructor who determines that they cannot provide the accommodation while meeting the objectives of the class should contact the CDA and not the student. The CDA will begin the interactive process with the Instructor to determine the essential elements of the course and whether adjustments need to be made for the required accommodation.
  2. A student who has an accommodation approved by the CDA is not required to disclose the reason for the accommodation to the Instructor.
  3. Instructors should not grant a student an informal accommodation if the student states they have a disability but should instead direct the student to the CDA for a formal accommodation analysis and determination.
‌Grade Reports‌
1. An Instructor must report the final grade earned by each student in their course sections at such times and in such form as the Office of the Registrar may direct. The date by which Instructors must submit a final grade and the form of final grades are subject to the approval of the Academic Senate.
  1. If a serious disruption to campus operations impedes academic activity, the Office of the Registrar may adjust the grading period and processes for the semesters or terms impacted.
2. Following each semester or term, the Office of the Registrar must report each student’s grades to the student.

Transcript Notations for Grades Based on Academic Performance

Letter Grades and Grades Used in Calculating a Student’s Grade Point Average (GPA)

Student work in University courses shall generally be reported in terms of the following grades: A, A-, excellent performance, superior achievement; B+, B, B,- good performance, substantial achievement; C+, C, C-, standard performance and achievement; D+, D, D-, substandard performance, marginal achievement; E, unsatisfactory performance and achievement.
An Instructor must award a student a grade of EU when the student's name appears on the final grade report but there is no record of attendance or other evidence of participation in the Course Section. An EU is treated as an E in calculating a student’s GPA.

The Office of the Registrar converts letter grades submitted by Instructors using the following grade scale:

A	4.0
A-	3.7
B+	3.3
B	3
B-	2.7
C+	2.3
C	2.0
C-	1.7
D+	1.3
D	0.7
E	0.0
EU	0.0

The university assigns grade points for each of a student’s credit hours taken to compute academic averages, class standing, and eligibility for continuation.
The university determines a student’s GPA by dividing the sum of a student’s grade points as listed in the table above by the number of the student’s credit hours taken for a grade. No other grades count toward the student’s GPA.

Student Election of Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) in Place of a Letter Grade
1. An undergraduate student may elect to receive the grade CR (credit) in place of grades A through C- or the grade of NC (no credit) in the place of D+, D, D, E, or EU in a limited number of Courses as described in Rule R6-100A, which is subject to approval by the Academic Senate.
2. A graduate student may enroll in some Courses in which the graduate student elects to be graded on a CR/NC basis, rather than on a letter basis, subject to the approval of the administrator of the Course-Offering Unit and the cognizant dean (or equivalent) of the student's major department and review by the dean of the graduate school.
3. A student may elect to receive a grade of CR/NC anytime up to but not after the deadline to withdraw from the Course established in this policy.
4. The CR grade carries credit toward graduation, but neither the CR nor NC grade is included in computing a student’s GPA.
Grades of Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Performance (S/U) in courses that are pedagogically designed for all students to be graded on a binary basis.
1. An Instructor awards grades of S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) in a Course that meets one of the following conditions.
  1. Noncredit Courses and Courses that produce one hour or less of academic credit must be graded on a S/U basis unless the relevant Course-Offering Unit and college’s curriculum committee approves assigning letter grades for the Course.
  2. Courses that produce more than one hour of academic credit may only be graded on an S/U basis with the approval of the relevant Course-Offering Unit and college’s curriculum committee.
2. The grade S indicates a student successfully completed a Course. The grade U indicates a student failed to successfully complete the Course.
3. The S grade carries credit toward graduation, but neither the S nor the U grade is included in computing a student’s GPA.
Pass/Fail (P/F)
1. The S.J. Quinney School of Law and the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine may use Pass/Fail (P/F) grading. The grade of P indicates the student successfully completed a Course with a passing grade and a grade of F indicates the student failed to achieve a passing grade, as determined by criteria established by these colleges.

‌Change of Final Grades‌
1. After reporting a final grade to the Office of the Registrar, an Instructor may only change the final grade with approval from the department chair or equivalent of the Course-Offering Unit and using the form specified by the Office of the Registrar.
2. An Instructor may only change a final grade for reasons related to a reassessment of the quality of the student’s work or to correct an error. Once an Instructor has submitted the student’s final grade in the Course Section, the Instructor may not accept additional work nor give additional examinations unless the Instructor changes the final grade to an Incomplete.
‌Temporary Grades‌

A student’s Transcript may include the following temporary grades.
1. Incomplete Grade (I)
  1. An Instructor may report a grade of I (incomplete) for a student who is unable to complete a Course Section due to emergency circumstances beyond the student's control.
  2. An Instructor should report a grade of I if the student is passing the Course and needs to complete 20% or less of the Course.
  3. The Instructor and the student must have a documented, agreed-upon plan for the student to complete the remaining coursework.
  4. An Instructor must submit a change of grade request to the Office of the Registrar once the Course work is complete but no later than 90 days after the start of the following semester or term.
    1. An Instructor may provide a student with an extension to resolve an I beyond the deadline in exceptional non-academic emergency circumstances. The Instructor must notify the Office of the Registrar of the extension.
    2. If the Instructor fails to submit a final grade within 90 days or after an agreed upon extension, the Office of the Registrar changes the I to an E.
  5. A student must resolve all I grades to be eligible to graduate.
  6. A student may not attend or register for a Course Section for the purpose of completing requirements for a prior term Course with an assigned I grade.
2. Thesis Credit (T)
  1. An Instructor may award a student a grade of T for a thesis or other independent work that is still in progress at the end of a semester.
  2. A T remains on the student’s record until the student completes the work, at which point the Instructor must report a letter grade to the Office of the Registrar, which replaces the T with the reported grade.
  3. A student must resolve all T grades to be eligible to graduate.
  4. A T grade does not contribute credit toward graduation.
3. Not Reported (NR)
  1. If an Instructor does not report a grade by the grading deadline, the Office of the Registrar must assign the student an NR (not reported) for the Course.
  2. The Instructor, or Course-Offering Unit if the Instructor is unavailable, must replace the NR grade within 45 days of the start of the following semester or term. If the Instructor or Course-Offering Unit does not replace the NR, the Office of the Registrar converts the NR to an E.
  3. NR grades must be resolved for a student to be eligible to graduate.
‌Registration for Courses‌
1. A student may register for a Course Section if:
  1. the student is eligible to take the Course;
  2. the student has received the required approvals to take the Course, if applicable; and
  3. there is space available in the Course Section.
2. A student must be registered for a Course Section through the system of record to attend and participate in the Course Section.
  1. Having access to a Course Section in the learning management system does not constitute official registration, and the university does not retroactively register students.
  2. A student who is not registered for a Course Section may attend the Course Section before the Add/Drop Deadline with the permission of the Instructor. Following the Add/Drop Deadline the student must be registered in the system of record to continue to attend the Course Section.
‌Modifications to Registration – Adding, Dropping, or Changing Sections of a Course‌
1. The Add/Drop Deadline
  1. The Add/Drop Deadline is the second Friday of the fall or spring semester.
  2. The Office of the Registrar must establish the Add/Drop Deadline for Course Sections that meet for less than a semester by prorating the semester-length Add/Drop Deadline in relation to the length of the Course Section. These Course Sections include summer-term classes, workshops, or any other short-session.
2. Adding Courses
  1. A student may add a Course Section on or before the first Friday of the fall or spring semester without authorization.
  2. A Course-Offering Unit may authorize a student to add a Course Section after the first Friday of the fall or spring semester and before the second Friday of the fall or spring semester. A student who receives authorization from the Course-Offering Unit to add a Course Section must register for the Course Section through the system of record on or before the second Friday of the fall or spring semester (the Add/Drop Deadline).
  3. A student may only add a Course Section after the Add/Drop Deadline with approval of the dean or designee of the Course-Offering Unit.
3. Dropping Courses
  1. A student may drop a Course Section on or before the second Friday of the fall or spring semester (the Add/Drop Deadline).
  2. If the student drops the Course Section on or before the Add/Drop Deadline as published on the academic calendar, the Course Section will not appear on a student’s Transcript, and the student is not assessed tuition for the Course.
‌Withdrawing from Course Sections‌
1. Beginning the day after the Add/Drop Deadline and continuing through 75% of the instructional period, a student may withdraw from one or more Course Sections, provided no final grade has been issued and the student follows the process established by the Office of the Registrar.
2. An undergraduate student who seeks to withdraw from all Course Sections in which they are enrolled must receive approval from the dean of their major college or designee or vice provost for student success before withdrawing from all Course Sections (full-term withdrawal), regardless of when the student seeks to withdraw. A graduate student must receive approval from the dean of their college or designee or dean of the graduate school.
3. Between 75% of the way through the instructional period and on or before the last day of the Course instructional period, a student may only withdraw from a Course Section or multiple Course Sections if a final grade has not been issued and the student receives approval from the dean of their major college or designee or the vice provost for student success (for an undergraduate student) or dean of the graduate school (for a graduate student).
4. The Office of the Registrar establishes the withdrawal deadline for Course Sections that meet for periods of time within semester term dates by prorating the semester-length withdrawal deadline in relation to the length of the Course Section. These Course Sections include summer-term classes, workshops, or any other Course Section that meets for less than a semester.
5. The Office of the Registrar adds a W to the student’s Transcript for any class from which the student withdraws after the Add/Drop Deadline.
6. The university assesses applicable tuition and fees for a class from which the student withdraws after the Add/Drop Deadline, and those tuition/fees are non-refundable.
‌Auditing a Course‌
1. A student who audits a Course Section is not required to complete Course work or take examinations, the Instructor is not obligated to assess any work the student chooses to submit, and the student will not receive credit for the Course.
2. A student who audits a Course Section must pay the tuition and fees for the audited class, adjusted for any reductions for which the student qualifies described in Rule R5-305A.
3. A student’s Transcript shows an AU grade and 0.00 as the awarded number of credit hours for an audited Course. Audited Courses are not included in the student's GPA calculation.
‌Repeating Courses‌
1. Unless a Course is repeatable for credit, an undergraduate student may attempt the Course up to two times without additional approval (the initial attempt and one subsequent attempt). An “attempt” means registering for a section of the Course and receiving any grade for the Course, including AU, EU, I, NC, U, or W.
  1. A student must receive permission from their academic advisor or other designated approver before attempting a Course for the third time.
  2. A student may only repeat a Course more than three times if granted permission by the dean or designee of the college in which the Course-Offering Unit resides. To request permission from the dean, the student must meet with their academic advisor, who makes a recommendation to the dean as to whether the student should be permitted to attempt the Course again. The dean or designee, after considering that recommendation and other relevant facts, must make the final decision to allow or not allow an additional attempt, and must communicate that decision to the student and to the Office of the Registrar. The dean or designee’s decision is the final decision of the university and is not an Academic Action appealable under this policy.
2. A student may earn credit hours for a given Course for graduation only once, unless the Course is repeatable for credit.
  1. Beginning with a Course repeated on or after August 1, 2026, the highest earned grade in the Course is used to compute the student's GPA. For a Course repeated before August 1, 2026, the most recent grade earned is used to compute the student’s GPA.
    1. If a student earns a grade of NC, U, W, AU, I, or T in a repeated Course, the previous earned grade is used to calculate the student’s GPA.
  2. Grades from all instances of the same Course are shown on the record for the term the Course was taken.
3. Transfer Course work that is equivalent to university coursework and test credit, including but not limited to AP, IB, and CLEP, counts as one attempt at a course, and is subject to this policy.
‌Appeals of Academic Actions‌
1. A student may appeal an Academic Action, including a final grade in a Course or a decision to place a student on academic probation or suspend or dismiss a student from a program for academic reasons, through the process described in Rule R6-100C. Only actions that meet the definition of Academic Action may be appealed, and the only basis for finding in favor of the appeal is if the action was made without a principled basis or in a manner that substantially deviates from applicable policies (arbitrary and capricious).
‌Academic Standards for Undergraduates‌

The Undergraduate Council has jurisdiction over the university-wide academic standards for undergraduates established in this policy and delegates the responsibility for administering these university-wide academic standards to Campus Advising Solutions.
1. Minimum Required Cumulative GPA and Academic Non-Performance. An undergraduate student must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in Courses taken at the university to remain in good academic standing. This minimum is for the university overall. Individual Course-Offering Units may establish more restrictive requirements for a student to remain in good standing within a major, as described in Policy 6-101.
2. First Academic Notice. An undergraduate student who fails to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 receives a first academic notice and has a hold placed on their registration. Campus Advising Solutions must notify the student how to clear the registration hold.
3. Second Academic Notice. An undergraduate student whose semester GPA is below 2.0 in the semester following the student receiving a first academic notice receives a second academic notice and has a hold placed on registration. The student must meet with Campus Advising Solutions and satisfy conditions established by Campus Advising Solutions to clear the registration hold and register for Courses.
4. Academic Suspension. An undergraduate student whose cumulative GPA and semester GPA have been below a 2.0 for three consecutive semesters is subject to an academic suspension of at least three semesters. The student may not register for classes during the academic suspension.
  1. Readmission after Academic Suspension. To re-enroll in the university, an undergraduate student who received an academic suspension must complete the full academic suspension period, request and receive a favorable recommendation from Campus Advising Solutions, and apply for admission to and be accepted to the university as described in Policy 6-404.
    1. Campus Advising Solutions must issue a recommendation in favor of readmission for the student if they determine that the student demonstrates a reasonable likelihood of academic success.
    2. If the student is readmitted, the student must maintain a GPA of at least 2.0 each semester until the student's cumulative GPA reaches a minimum of 2.0 and comply with any other conditions imposed in the readmission process.
5. Academic Dismissal. An undergraduate student who does not meet the minimum GPA and other conditions following reenrollment after an academic suspension is subject to academic dismissal. To reenroll in the university, an academically dismissed student must qualify for academic renewal as described below and receive a recommendation in favor of readmission from Campus Advising Solutions. The student must also apply for admission and be accepted to the university as described in Policy 6-404.
‌Academic Amnesty and Academic Renewal‌
1. A currently enrolled undergraduate student may exercise the academic amnesty option to exclude grades earned in up to two consecutive semesters that are below a C- and that are not being used to fulfill degree requirements. A student must be working toward their first undergraduate degree and must have completed 30 consecutive credit hours with a GPA of at least 2.0 to exercise the academic amnesty option. A student may exercise the academic amnesty option only once.
2. A currently enrolled undergraduate student may exercise the academic renewal option to exclude grades that are below a C- and that the student is not using to fulfill a degree requirement. To exercise the academic renewal option, a student must be working toward their first undergraduate degree and the student must have earned the grades that the student is excluding at least four years before the semester in which the student exercises the academic renewal option. A student may exercise the academic renewal option only once.
3. Grades subject to academic amnesty or academic renewal remain on the student’s academic record and Transcript, but the Courses and grades received for them do not count toward total hours, cumulative grade point computation, or graduation requirements.
‌Dean’s List and Latin Honors for Undergraduates at Graduation‌
1. Dean's List Recognition for Superior Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students.
  1. An undergraduate student who earns a GPA of at least 3.5 in 12 or more earned credit hours during a term qualifies for the Dean’s List for that term.
2. The university awards Latin honors to undergraduate students at graduation based on students’ GPAs as described in this policy and as determined by the Undergraduate Council.
3. The university awards the following undergraduate honors:
  1. Cum Laude – GPA of 3.5 through 3.699
  2. Magna Cum Laude – GPA of 3.7 through 3.899
  3. Summa Cum Laude – GPA of 3.9 through 4.0
4. An undergraduate student must complete at least 60 credit hours at the university to qualify for Latin honors.
5. Names of students attaining Latin honors must be published in the commencement program and elsewhere as the president may direct.
6. The university must reassess the thresholds for Latin honors every six years beginning in 2032.
‌Course Assessment and Feedback‌
1. The university solicits and uses student feedback on Courses through the process described in Rule R6-100D and with the role of the Senate Advisory Committee on Student Course Feedback established in Policy 6-002.
‌Noncredit Courses‌
1. Course development procedures for noncredit Courses should be academically sound and as rigorous as, though perhaps different from, those applying to credit Courses.
2. The national standard for Continuing Education Units (CEU) is 10 contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction. The CEU may be the appropriate unit of measurement for qualifying noncredit Courses.
3. For purposes of this subsection, a noncredit Course:
  1. is one for which credit is not awarded, registration is required, and payment is required;
  2. meets criteria established by the offering unit;
  3. incorporates content, teaching methods, and attendance requirements appropriate to the students eligible to enroll;
  4. is taught or supervised by an Instructor who has met institutional qualifications established by the unit that offers the noncredit Course; and
  5. recognizes participation of students appropriately.
4. Units offering noncredit Courses must report the nature and extent of those activities to the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs (or designee) annually.
5. Policy 6-102 establishes processes for administering noncredit courses.
‌Course Content Accommodations‌
1. Rule R6-100E establishes the university’s process for granting a Course content accommodation to a student due to the student’s sincerely held belief.
‌Conflicts with Professional Degree Accreditation Requirements‌
1. Degrees with accreditation requirements that conflict with this policy (e.g. certain degrees offered by The College of Law, the Spencer F. Eccles School of Medicine, and the College of Nursing) are not subject to provisions of this policy that conflict with specifically articulated accreditation requirements. These programs instead follow accreditation policies governing these topics.
  
  Sections IV- VII are for user information and are not subject to the approval of the Academic Senate or the Board of Trustees. The Institutional Policy Committee, the Policy Owner, or the Policy Officer may update these sections at any time.

‌Policies/ Rules, Procedures, Guidelines, Forms, and other Related Resources‌
1. Policies/ Rules
  1. Rule R6-100A: Election of CR/NC Grading for Undergraduate Studies
  2. Rule R6-100B: Student Religious Accommodations
  3. Rule R6-100C: Appeals of Academic Actions
  4. Rule R6-100D: Student Course Feedback
  5. Rule R6-100E: Content Accommodations for Sincerely Held Beliefs
  6. Rule R6-100F: Enrollment Minimums for Undergraduate Courses
2. Procedures, Guidelines, and Forms.
  1. G6-100: Accommodating Absences for Explicitly Listed and Other Compelling Reasons
3. Other Related Resources.
‌References‌
1. Policy 1-012: University Non-Discrimination Policy
2. Policy 1-020: Required Professional Boundaries in Relationships
3. Policy 5-117: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy
4. Policy 6-002: The Academic Senate The Academic Senate and Senate Committees: Authority, Structure, Functions, and Procedures
5. Policy 6-101: Undergraduate Study and Degrees
6. Policy 6-102: The Division of Continuing Education
7. Policy 6-309: Academic Staff, Educational Trainees, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Medical Housestaff
8. Policy 6-404: Undergraduate Admission
9. Policy 6-410: Student Academic Performance, Academic Conduct, and Professional and Ethical Conduct
10. Policy 6-500: Curriculum Management and Administration
11. Rule R1-006D: Individual Financial Conflict of Interest in Scholarly or Educational Activity
12. Rule R1-012C: Student Pregnancy or Related Conditions Rule
13. Rule R5-305A: Scope, Eligibility, and Limitations for Reduced Tuition Programs
14. Utah Board of Higher Education Policy R470: General Education, Common Course Numbering, Lower-Division Pre-Major Requirements, Transfer of Credits, and Credit by Examination
15. Utah Board of Higher Education Policy R471: Lower Division Major Requirements and Transfer of Credits
16. Utah Board of Higher Education Policy R475: Common Course Numbering
17. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq.
18. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. Sec. 794
‌Contacts‌

The designated contact officials for this regulation are:
1. Policy Owner(s) (primary contact person for questions and advice): Vice Provost for Student Success
2. Policy Officer(s): Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Executive Vice President for Health Sciences
  
  See Rule 1-001 for information about the roles and authority of policy owners and policy officers.
‌History‌
1. Current version. Revision 28.
  1. Approved by the Academic Senate on April 6, 2026 and the Board of Trustees on April 14, 2026 with effective date of August 1, 2026.
  2. Legislative History
  3. Editorial Revisions
2. Previous versions.
  1. Revision 27. Effective date: July 1, 2024
  2. Revision 26. Effective date: August 15, 2023.
    1. Legislative History for Revision 26
  3. Revision 25. Effective date: July 1, 2017.
    1. Legislative History for Revision 25
  4. Revision 24. Effective date: June 30, 2016.
    1. Legislative History for Revision 24.
  5. Revision 23. Effective date: December 8, 2015.
  6. Revision 22. Effective date: July 1, 2014.
  7. Revision 21. Effective date: February 12, 2013.
    1. Legislative History Revision 21
  8. Revision 20. Effective date: July 1, 2011
    1. Legislative History Revision 20
  9. Revision 19. Effective date: March 21, 2005
    1. Legislative History Revision 19
  10. Revision 18. Effective date: July 7, 2004
  11. Revision 17. Effective date: May 15, 2000.
  12. Revision 16. Effective date: January 10, 2000
  13. Revision 15. Effective date: December 27, 1999
  14. Revision 14. Effective date: January 12, 1998
3. Renumbering
  1. Renumbered from PPM 9-7 and Faculty Regulations Chapter VII. Section III.J. Appeals of Academic Actions was renumbered from Policy 6-400 Section IV. 6-400 Section IV.

Revision 28. Effective date: August 1, 2026