Grading regulations cover Loyola’s grading policy, including grade-point-average (GPA) calculations used to determine both distinctions to recognize excellence and penalties for students who do not maintain appropriate grades. Grade appeals and academic grievance procedures can be found in this section.
If you do not find what you are looking for, please return to Academic Regulations Home. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Student Records at sturec@loyno.edu.
Undergraduate - Probation, Suspension and Dismissal
At the end of each semester, students will be notified by their associate dean of any academic actions.
An undergraduate student whose Loyola cumulative grade point average (GPA) falls below 2.0 will be placed on academic probation. In the next term*, the student will be required to earn at least a term GPA of 2.3. The goal of this GPA requirement is to assist the student in making progress toward good academic standing. A student returns to good academic standing upon achieving a Loyola cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 and upon fulfilling any other probation conditions required by the college. Students can be on continued probation for not more than three consecutive terms*. While on probation, students may not enroll for more than 14 credit hours per term unless approved by the Associate Dean, in exceptional cases. Any requests for an “incomplete” grade, while on probation, must be approved by the Associate Dean, as stated in the Incomplete Grade Policy. Failure to make progress during the probationary period will result in the student’s suspension or dismissal.
An undergraduate transfer student who is admitted on probation must satisfy the same requirements as stated above. Failure to do so will result in academic suspension or dismissal from the university. A transfer student is removed from probation upon achieving a 2.0 cumulative GPA and fulfilling any other probation conditions required by the student’s college.
At the end of each term*, students will be notified through Loyola email by their Associate Deans of any academic actions. Academic probation is determined solely by the student’s grade point average. Academic actions of suspension and dismissal result from the student’s inability to remove himself or herself from academic probation. Such academic actions may be appealed by e-mail to the Associate Dean of the student’s college. This appeal must demonstrate extraordinary circumstances with appropriate documentation within 7 days from the date of the suspension/dismissal notification. A decision will be made within 7 days. Students may not graduate while on academic probation.
*For these regulations, a term covers the entire Fall or Spring semesters or the Summer session.
Readmission to the University Following Academic Suspension
Students wishing to return to the university after a period of academic suspension must re-apply for admission through the Office of Admissions. Readmission is not automatic and will be determined by an admissions committee consisting of members of the Offices of Admission, Scholarships and Financial Aid, and the Associate Dean of the College in which the student was most recently enrolled. Please see the Office of Admissions application process for re-admit students.
Upon readmission to the University, the admissions committee will provide the student with a clear accounting of his/her financial aid status. Note: Applications for re-admission will not be considered for any student with an outstanding financial obligation due to the university or for any student who has an active Finance, Financial Aid, Admissions, Student Affairs, or Student Records registration hold on his/her record.
All students previously suspended who have been granted readmission will be re-admitted provisionally. Students will be required to maintain substantial academic progress as established by the admissions committee upon readmission. The admissions committee may apply additional stipulations to a student’s readmission depending on the specific circumstances of their case. Failure to meet these requirements and/or stipulations will result in the student being dismissed from the University.
Coursework Taken Elsewhere During Academic Suspension
Students who have been suspended may take up to 3 courses at another accredited institution with approval from their associate dean prior to taking courses elsewhere. Note: pre-approval to take coursework elsewhere does not guarantee re-admission to the University.
If the student is re-admitted to the University, course credits will be considered for transfer provided the courses have a Loyola equivalent and that the courses are eligible for transfers as per University policy. See Transfer of Coursework policy.
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Probation, Suspension and Dismissal
In order to remain in good academic standing, a graduate student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
A graduate student whose GPA falls below 3.0 will be automatically placed on academic probation. In the subsequent semester, the student will be required to improve their cumulative GPA to a 3.0 or higher. Fialure to return the student's GPA to 3.0 or higher in the semester following their initial probation placement may result in the student's supsension or dismissal. If a student is not suspended or dismissed after failing to improve their GPA to 3.0 or higher, they will be placed on continued probation for one additional semester.
A student is removed from probation upon achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. All decisions regarding suspension, dismissal, or continuation of probation are made on an individual basis. The final decision to allow a student to continue in a graduate program rests with the associate dean in consultation with the program director.
Academic suspensions may be appealed by email to the Associate Dean and Program Director. This appeal must be received with supporting documentation within 5 calendar days from the date of the suspension notice. A decision will be made by the Associate Dean and Program Director of the student's respective college no later than 10 calendar days after receipt of appeal.
Individual graduate programs may have specific grade requirements that also trigger academic actions. Students should consult their individual program bulletin pages and handbook to view those additional requirements.
The Academic Amnesty Policy is designed to benefit undergraduate students who are currently enrolled at Loyola University New Orleans to complete their undergraduate degree.
This policy will allow students to repeat a maximum of up to 12 credit hours in which a grade of “C-“ or below was received.
Students must submit the Academic Amnesty Request Form to the associate dean of their college for approval. Members of the University Honors Program (UHP) must have their form signed by the director regardless of whether the course being repeated is an honors course. If approved, the associate dean will notify the Director of Student Records. The effect of the previously repeated courses will be removed from the student's record (will not average into the student's grade point average and/or major grade point average). However, the grade a student received each time the course was taken will still appear on their official transcript, and the first course enrollment on the transcript will be permanently identified as a course that has been repeated for grade replacement.
Note to Students, Faculty and Advisors: If the student is receiving financial aid, please be aware that the satisfactory academic progress, as stated by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, is separate from this grade replacement policy. Replacement of a grade does not change the satisfactory academic progress calculation. All work attempted is part of this calculation and repeating couraes could negatively affect the student's eligibility for financial aid. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at (504) 865-3333 or finaid@loyno.edu.
Eligibility:
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Students may have an undergraduate, graduate, professional (law), doctoral (nursing practice) and continuing education career at Loyola University. Each career has its own GPA.
The Academic Forgiveness Policy is designed to benefit undergraduate students who are returning to the university to continue to pursue an initial undergraduate degree at Loyola University New Orleans after an extended absence of no less than two academic years at any college or university and whose cumulative GPA when they were last enrolled was less than a 2.0.
Students may request Academic Forgiveness at the time of readmission. The Office of Admission or Office of Professional and Continuing Studies will seek approval from the associate dean of the college that the student is seeking admission. If approved, the associate dean will notify the Director of Student Records and the academic record will be adjusted.
It is the responsibility fo the student to contact the Financial Aid office to determine if any aid would be available upon their return.
*Updated August 2017 to include grades of C.
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A greivance is a complaint made in writing to an administrative officer of the University concerning an academic decision made by a person or group of persons acting in an official University capacity that directly and adversely affects the student. The purpose of a grievance procedures is to obtain an independent review of the allegedly improper academic decision.
Informal Attempts at Resolution: the student first should discuss the matter with the individual most directly responsible for the decision in question.
The Filing of the Grievance:
The Response to the Grievance:
The Filing of an Appeal:
The Response to the Appeal:
The Request to the President: If the student is dissatisfied with the disposition of the appeal by the Provost, he or she may write to the President of the University giving reasons why he or she believes the grievance result to be wrong. No more than 30 days should elapse between the transmittal of the Provost's disposition and the written statement to the President urging further appeal. In any case, the President may agree or decline to entertain this further appeal. If the President declines to entertain the further appeal, the decision of the Provost is final. If the President decides to entertain the further appeal, he or she will follow the general procedures set forth in Section "Response to the Appeal" above, and the decision of the President will be final.
For a grievance concerning a decision of the University Director of Registration Services, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the University Senate, or any committee or subcommittee charged to administer the academic policies of Loyola University New Orleans the grievant will file his or her grievance with the Provost, rather than with the dean, and the Provost will handle that grievance in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section "Response to the Grievance" above.
There is no appeal of the Provost's disposition of that grievance except as specified by "Request to the President" as itemized above.
The review of grievances or appeals will usually be limited to the following considerations:
The time frames set forth herein are guidelines. They may be extended by the relevant administrative officer in his or her discretion for good cause.
Questions concerning the filing and appeal of grievances should be directed to the Office of the Provost. The Provost will designate someone within her or his Office to provide the inquiring party with proper direction.
Students who feel that their privacy has been violated, should review Loyola's Privacy, Student Records, and Student Rights Regulations which include instructions on procedures to file a student complaint.
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Students are expected to attend classes. Classroom attendance is essential to the educational objectives of each Loyola University New Orleans course. Every student is expected to accept the responsibility for satisfactory attendance in each course for which she or he is registered.
Instructors must include an attendance policy in their syllabi with regard to how attendance in class will affect grading. They will keep records of student attendance using Blackboard even when attendance is not used as a grading component.
Students may have a valid reason to miss a class. When any of the following reasons directly conflict with class meeting times, students are responsible for informing their instructors of the reason for the absence and for arranging to make up missed assignments, tests, quizzes, and class work insofar as this is possible. Notification of planned absences must be made in writing and must be delivered by the student electronically or in a face-to-face meeting to the instructor of each class. Notifications must take place before the absence. As appropriate, students need documentation from Student Affairs or the Office of Disability Services.
Excused absences for on-ground courses include:
Individual instructors may have attendance policies stricter than that of the university, as long as the policies are stated in the class syllabus and they adhere to the excused absences described above.
Loyola University New Orleans expects students to maintain a minimum overall attendance level of 80% or above every academic term. Students who stop attending class (both excused and unexcused absences) may be administratively withdrawn. A grade of “WR” may be assigned when a student fails to attend 20% of any class meetings. Instructors may initiate a course withdrawal for a student who has excessive absences as defined by this Attendance Policy by filling out a Faculty Initiated Withdrawal Form no later than the last day to withdraw from the class.
Students with absences exceeding 20% or more of their class meetings will be referred to the Director of Academic Advising or the student’s Associate Dean for possible counseling and appropriate action. Honors Students will be referred to the Director of the Honors Program.
An instructor may change a grade previously assigned by processing an official change of grade form obtained in the Office of Student Records or in the dean’s office. The instructor must request the grade change and cite the reason for changing the grade. The form must be approved by the instructor, the department chair, and the associate dean under whose jurisdiction the course was offered. The deadline for submitting a change of grade is 6 weeks into the following semester. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for deadlines.
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Syllabi for courses are published on the web-based schedule of classes on the Loyola Online Records Access (LORA) system by term and subject and are available for review and downloading.
An undergraduate degree-seeking student enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, or College of Music and Fine Arts, who completes at least 12 credit hours; or a registered undergraduate adult part-time degree-seeking student who completes at least 9 credit hours are eligible to be placed on the Dean’s List if they recieve an appropriate GPA for the semester. An appropriate GPA is defined as an earned term 3.5 GPA with no I, X or blank grades. Grades of P are not used in GPA calculations. Students who are placed on the Dean’s List will have this distinction indicated on their transcript at the end of each semester.
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The student has a right to know the grade he or she has earned, the right to know the grading system of the instructor, and the right to know grades as they are given during the semester. The grading system for each course should be included in the course syllabus.
If the student feels that he or she is not being graded justly, the student should first consult the instructor. If this consultation with the instructor proves unsatisfactory, the student should then consult the department chairperson. If the student still feels that the problem has not been resolved, he or she should consult the associate dean of the college in which the course is offered.
The student has the right to submit a grade appeal form to the associate dean up to 30 days after the beginning of the subsequent semester. Grade appeals are considered only on one of the following grounds:
In the absence of these reasons, the grade assigned by the instructor of record is to be considered final.
The student shall collect and present any evidence (tests, papers, laboratory reports, etc.) to the associate dean. Until the grade is finally determined, the student’s academic standing and all related rights and privileges are based on the grade as originally assigned.
If the grade appeal cannot be mediated between the student and the associate dean, the student can request the associate dean convene a grade appeal committee. The associate dean may appoint this committee composed of the associate dean or the dean’s designated representative; two faculty members, who, if possible, should be familiar with the course; and one student who has taken the course, if possible.
If the associate dean denies a student a grade appeal committee hearing, the student may appeal to the provost. The provost may convene a grade appeal committee composed of himself or herself or a designated representative; two faculty members, who should, if possible, be familiar with the course; and one student from the college in which the course is offered and who has taken the course, if possible.
Loyola students enrolled in courses at other institutions are subject to the grade appeal policy at those institutions.
Online Programs
Alternative means will be made available for students enrolled in online programs to present their case to the grade appeal committee, in order to accomodate the difficulty for face-to-face meetings on Loyola's campus.
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A student’s grade point average is based on credit hours, grading method (pass/fail, etc.), grade awarded, and quality points.
The following definitions apply:
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A | Excellent | This grade is assigned 4.0 quality points per semester |
A- | Excellent | This grade is assigned 3.7 quality points per semester hour. |
B+ | Above Average | This grade is assigned 3.3 quality points per semester hour. |
B | Above Average | This grade is assigned 3 quality points per semester hour. |
B- | Average | This grade is assigned 2.70 quality points per semester hour. |
C+ | Average. | This grade is assigned 2.3 quality points per semester hour. |
C | Average. | This grade is assigned 2 quality points per semester hour. |
C- | Below Average | This grade is assigned 1.7 quality points per semester hour. |
D+ | Minimally Passing. | This grade is assigned 1.3 quality points per semester hour. |
D | Minimally Passing. | This grade is assigned 1 quality point per semester hour. |
F | Failure or failure to withdraw. | No quality points are assigned. |
I | Incomplete. | See: Incomplete Grade Policy |
P | Pass. | Pass/fail grades are available only in courses designated as pass/fail. Grades of P are not counted toward quality point averages. |
X | No Grade Submitted. | |
W | Withdrawal. | Indicates that the student withdrew by the tenth week of class in the Office of Student Records. No credit is awarded. |
WR | Faculty-Initiated Withdrawal | A grade of “WR” may be assigned when a student fails to attend 20% of any class meetings. Please see Attendance for Faculty Initiated Withdrawal criteria and process. |
AU | Audit Complete. | |
AI | Audit Incomplete. | |
AP | Advanced Placement. | |
EX | Exempt from course requirement. | |
FA | Failed Audit. | |
IP | In Progress. | An IP grade may be granted for certain courses that typically are longer than a normal semester. |
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Each instructor has the option of using a grading method within each course that best meets the needs of students and the subject. However, all grades are translated by instructors into the following grades:
A | Excellent. | This grade is assigned 4 quality points per semester hour. |
A- | Excellent | This grade is assigned 3.7 quality points per semester hour. |
B+ | Above Average | This grade is assigned 3.3 quality points per semester hour. |
B | Average | This grade is assigned 3 quality points per semester hour. |
B- | Below Average | This grade is assigned 2.7 quality points |
C+ | Below Average | This grade is assigned 2.3 quality points per semester hour. |
C | Below Average | This grade is assigned 2 quality points per semester hour. |
C- | Below Average | This grade is assigned 1.7 quality points. This grade will not count toward graduation. |
D+ |
Minimally Passing |
This grade is assigned 1.3 quality points per semester hour. This grade will not count toward graduation. |
D | Minimally Passing | This grade is assigned 1 quality point per semester hour. This grade will not count toward graduation. |
F | Failure | No quality points are assigned. |
I | Incomplete. | This grade is to be assigned only when the instructor has been presented with serious and compelling reasons why the student should be allowed to complete the course at a later date. These reasons are customarily medical. The I grade is not an automatic extension. An I grade which has not been made up by the sixth week of the subsequent term, excluding summer terms, will be changed automatically to F. |
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P | Pass. | Pass/fail grades are available only in courses designated as pass/fail. Grades of P are not counted toward quality point averages. |
X | No Grade Submitted. | |
W | Withdrawal. | Indicates that the student withdrew by the tenth week of class in the Office of Student Records. No credit is awarded. |
AU | Audit Complete. | |
AI | Audit Incomplete. | |
AP | Advanced Placement. | |
EX | Exempt from course requirement. | |
FA | Failed Audit. | |
IP | In Progress. | An IP grade may be granted for certain courses that typically are longer than a normal semester. |
The use of certain other administrative notations on student grade reports are explained in those reports. Averages are computed only on the basis of letter grades A through F.
A temporary Incomplete grade (“I”) may be given to a student who is unable to complete the required coursework during the semester for reasons beyond her/his control. Such circumstances may include illness, a death or other family emergency, or other serious and unanticipated challenges. An Incomplete grade may be assigned only if the student has completed an appropriate amount of coursework for the semester (generally considered to be 75% or more), and only if the student’s work in the course thus far is passing. Course work that is incomplete must be finished and submitted within 6 weeks of the start of the following term (6 weeks into the Summer term for Spring term work, 6 weeks into the Fall term for Summer term work and 6 weeks into the Spring term for Fall). Failure to complete required course work within the allotted time will result in a grade of “F.”
The “I” grade is not an automatic extension and should not be issued to allow the student additional time to complete academic requirements of the course (except as noted above), to repeat coursework, or to complete extra work. An “I” grade should not be offered due to excessive absenteeism or the student’s unexcused absence from the final exam.
Students who are on Academic Probation will need approval from the Associate Dean of their college to get an “I” grade in any course for the term in which they are on Academic Probation.
A disability documented by the Loyola Office of Disability Services is not, in and of itself, justification for the assignment of an “I” grade. Loyola has the responsibility of preserving quality in grade representations; the university is not required to lower or waive the essential requirements for a program or course due to a student’s disability.
Procedure: The student must request the Incomplete prior to the final examination or the last class meeting (courses with no final exam) using the Incomplete Grade Request form. The course instructor should determine if the completed course work meets the minimum requirement for a grade of Incomplete. If the Incomplete is approved, the instructor must fill out the “Instructor” section of the form and sign it, including an estimate of the student’s grade thus far in the course, what work needs to be completed, by what deadline, and how work will be submitted. The course instructor must submit a copy of the form to the Associate Dean of the college where the student’s major is housed.
The signed Incomplete Grade Request form must include what work remains to be completed and by what date. If the completion date is during the summer, the form must also include how the work will be submitted.
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