Grading Option -Additional Information

Brought to the Faculty Senate by ASCRC 4/8/04

Implementation issues of Credit No Credit Grading

• Apply change equally to students. Students governed by previous catalogs will have to take any pending general education courses for a letter grade. This will be somewhat of an advising problem. An announcement will be put on the advising list serve. Post cards will be sent to all undergraduate students the third week of the semester and a notice placed in the class schedule. Additional language is needed in the general education secition of the catalog.
• Registrar’s Office is making changes to free up the CR and NCR rubric.
• Transfer students who have taken general education courses credit/no credit or pass/no pass will receive credit if allowed at the transfer institution.

Changes to catalog language:

Pass/Not Pass Credit/No Credit (CTR/NCTR) Grading

Student Option: To encourage students to venture into courses where they might otherwise hesitate because of uncertainty regarding their aptitude or preparation, they may enroll in certain elective courses on a pass/not pass credit/no credit basis. A freshman or sophomore with a grade point average of 2.00 or better may elect one undergraduate course a semester on a pass/not pass credit/no credit basis. Juniors and seniors may elect more than one pass/not pass credit/no credit course a semester. *[An instructor may indicate that a particular course is not available under the pass/not pass credit/no credit option. Courses graded A-F only will be identified in the Class Schedule.]

No more than 18 pass/not pass CTR/NCTR credits may be counted toward graduation. The pass/not pass credit/no credit option does not extend to general education courses or courses required for the student's major or minor, except at the discretion of the department concerned.

Courses taken to satisfy General Education Requirements must be taken for traditional letter grade. Courses required for the student’s major or minor must be taken for traditional letter grade, except at the discretion of the department concerned.

A P CT designation is given for work considered to be passing complete (A, B, or C through D-) and therefore deserving credit, and an NP NCT for work of failing quality (D and F). CT and NP NCT grades do not affect grade point average.
A CR is given for work deserving credit (A through D-) and an NCR for work of failing quality (F). CR and NCR grades do not affect grade point averages. The grades of CR and NCR are not defined in terms of their relationship to traditional grades for graduate courses.

Election of the pass/not pass credit/no credit option must be indicated at registration time or within the first 15 class days on the internet. CyberBear. After the fifteenth day, but prior to the end of the 30th day of instruction, an undergraduate student may change a pass/not pass credit/no credit enrollment to an enrollment under the A-F grade system, or the reverse by means of a drop/add form.

The University cautions students that many graduate and professional schools and some employers do not recognize non-traditional grades (i.e., those other than A, B, C, D, F) or may discriminate against students who use the pass/not pass credit/no credit option for many courses. Moreover, students are cautioned that some degree programs may have different requirements regarding CTR/NCTR credits, as stipulated in the catalog.

Faculty Option: A faculty member may elect to grade an entire class on the pass/not pass credit/no credit basis. This method of grading is used in courses where more precise grading is inappropriate. *[An instructor A faculty member may indicate that a particular course is not available under the pass/not pass credit/no credit option. Courses graded A-F only will be identified in the Class Schedule.] Courses graded P/NP CTR/NCTR only will be identified in the Class Schedule.

No Credit Grading in Composition (NC)
Students enrolled in English 100 and 101 and COM 101 are graded by the traditional letter grades of A through F or are given NC for no credit. The NC grade is awarded when exceptional progress has occurred but the student needs to repeat the course. The NC grade does not affect grade point average.

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General Education Requirements

To receive a baccalaureate degree all students must complete successfully, in addition to any other requirements, the following General Education Requirements. (Students who have completed an approved lower-division general education program at an approved Montana institution of higher education, refer to the General Education for Transfer Students section of this catalog.)

All courses taken to satisfy General Education Requirements, both Competency Requirements and Distributional Requirements, must be taken for traditional letter grade (A-F).

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General Education for Transfer Students

Students transferring credits from other institutions must meet all requirements by transfer, by examination, or by completing courses at The University of Montana-Missoula. Courses taken at The University of Montana-Missoula to satisfy General Education must be taken for a traditional letter grade (A-F). According to Board of Regents policy, students who can demonstrate that they have completed an approved lower-division general education requirement at an approved Montana institution of higher education will be deemed to have completed general education requirements except for the upper-division writing proficiency assessment and the upper-division writing requirements in their majors.

Transfer students who believe they have completed an approved lower-division general education requirement at another Montana school should request that the registrar of the other school send a letter to the University Registrar’s Office certifying that the requirement has been met.

Students who have completed a bachelor degree at the University or elsewhere will be presumed to have completed the General Education Requirement.

Admissions & New Student Services will evaluate all transfer credits for General Education credit. Students who wish to appeal that evaluation may petition the Academic Appeals Subcommittee of the Academic Standards and Curriculum Review Committee, but such petitions must be initiated during the first semester of the student's attendance following that evaluation.