20.4.0 Grading
20.4.1 Passing Grade
A, B+, B, C+, C, D+, D and P are passing grades. The grade considered satisfactory for completion of a course as a prerequisite for subsequent courses or activities will be determined by each department or program and stipulated in the course description.
20.4.2 Transfer Credits
Passing credits earned beginning Fall 2018 with a grade below “C” will be eligible for transfer. Requests for passing credits prior to Fall 2018 will be made in writing to the academic Dean and decided at the Dean’s discretion.
NOTE: Program requirements are still in effect.
20.4.3 Incomplete Grades
An incomplete grade may be assigned by a faculty member in cases when, for valid reasons (illness, accident, etc.), all of the required work has not been completed but is otherwise satisfactory. (Unexcused absence from the final exam and/or failure to turn in a final project or paper are not extenuating circumstances). Except in unusual cases, the delinquent work should not exceed 10-20 percent of the total required work. An Incomplete Grade Contract must be completed in full, including all signatures, prior to receiving a grade of (“I”) Incomplete.
- Responsibility for making up incomplete work lies with the student. Incomplete work must be made up by the due date posted on the academic calendar of the subsequent regular-term semester. Alternate arrangements (shorter or longer time frame) can be implemented if agreed upon by the instructor and student and approved by the School Dean. If the work is not completed according to the agreed-upon plan, the incomplete grade will be recorded as “F” on the student’s record. Access to the course content via the Learning Management System (Brightspace) is available as long as the course remains in Incomplete status, but is terminated once a final grade is assigned in the course.
20.4.4 Pass/Fail Policy
The Pass/Fail Policy is intended to better serve our students who want to take an elective course without risking a negative effect on their GPA. Earned grades of A-D will appear on the student’s academic transcript as a “P” (Pass); earned grades of F will remain an “F” (Fail). The “P” (Pass) grade is not calculated in the GPA, but counts towards program pursuit for financial aid purposes. It is understood that the Pass/Fail Policy is not designed to be used as a “lifeline” for students in jeopardy of doing poorly in courses.
20.4.4.1 Number of Courses Allowed to Choose Pass/Fail
Maximum number of 4 courses at SUNY Canton for a Baccalaureate Degree
Maximum number of 2 courses at SUNY Canton for an Associate’s Degree
Only one Pass/Fail Option per semester is allowed
NOTE: Courses in which students took a Pass Grade Option during COVID-related semesters (Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021) are excluded from the maximum number of courses al-lowed above
NOTE: Courses which are normally designated as Pass/Fail courses are excluded from the maximum number of courses allowed above
20.4.4.2 Deadline to Request a Pass/Fail Option
The deadline for students to request a Pass/Fail Option is 3 weeks from the date the course begins for full 15-week courses
The deadline for students to request a Pass/Fail Option is 1 week from the date the course begins for any course which is not a regular, full 15-week course
The deadline dates will be published on the Academic Calendar
Once the request for a Pass/Fail Option is approved and processed by the Registrar, the student is not permitted to revert the grade back to the standard A-F grading scale
20.4.4.3 Courses Excluded from Pass/Fail Option
Students may not request a Pass/Fail for any courses in their major, regardless of whether or not their program is accredited
Students may not request a Pass/Fail for any courses in their minor
Students may not request a Pass/Fail for any General Education Requirement (GER) courses
Students may not request a Pass/Fail for their First Year Experience (FYEP) course
Students may not request a Pass/Fail if they are repeating a course
20.4.4.4 Criteria for Requesting a Pass/Fail Option
Students must have completed one full semester at SUNY Canton
Students must be in Good Standing and have a minimum 2.0 GPA in order to request a Pass/Fail
20.4.5 Midterm Grades
At midterm, faculty members will submit student grades electronically for all courses they are teaching or supervising via secure access through UCanWeb, the online student information system. Faculty members will report midterm grades with the same letter grade designations used for course grades.
All midterm grades are available to students electronically through secure access to UCanWeb. Students receiving grades of D+, D, or F should seek out their instructors/academic advisors to identify the problem, seek additional support services (tutoring labs) and make the necessary improvement.
20.4.6 Repeating a Course
Students may repeat courses. If higher, the grade earned in the repeated course will be substituted for the original grade in computing the GPA. Refer to the Policies & Procedures Manual regarding financial aid eligibility when repeating courses. Repeated courses must be taken at SUNY Canton for the course grade to be calculated in your SUNY Canton GPA. Repeated courses taken at another institution, will be transferred back for credit only and the SUNY Canton grade will be excluded from the student’s GPA; to clarify, the student will receive transfer credit, but the grade will not transfer.
20.4.7 Repeat of “D” Grades and Financial Aid Eligibility
According to New York State Regulations, “If a student repeats a course in which a passing grade acceptable to the institution has already been received, the course cannot be included as a part of the student’s minimum full-time or part-time course load for financial aid purposes. When such courses are included in meeting the minimum requirement, they render the student ineligible for a State award (TAP).” In the following instances, repeated courses may count toward full-time or part-time study:
- When a failed or withdrawn course is repeated;
- When a grade received is passing at the institution but is unacceptable in the current curriculum (i.e., Nursing I, II, III, IV for Nursing-622); and
- When a course may be repeated and credit earned each time.
In addition, the repeated course may not be considered in determining whether the student has met the Pursuit of Program Requirement and is in good academic standing. The student should check with their advisor and/or the Financial Aid Office - One Hop Shop to determine if repeating a course will affect their state TAP Grant eligibility.
Federal regulations allow a course that has been passed previously to be repeated once and count for federal aid eligibility. It would not be counted for aid eligibility if repeated a second time.
20.4.8 Academic Integrity Policy
The State University of New York at Canton is dedicated to holding its academic community to the highest standards of academic integrity. We believe that in order for students to have successful careers in their chosen fields, they must master their own course work and not imitate or copy another person’s ideas or work and claim it as their own. Academic integrity is essential to the success of the college’s educational mission, and violations of this policy are considered a serious matter.
Students are therefore expected to comply with all academic integrity standards described in the SUNY Canton Code of Student Conduct, Rights, and Responsibilities which can be found in the Student Handbook. These standards include issues of cheating and plagiarism. Breaches of our academic integrity standards will result in a variety of penalties depending on the severity of the problem.
20.4.9 Final Examination Period
There will be a final examination period at the end of each semester. This period must be used by the professor for a comprehensive final examination, the last unit test, or some other activity of academic merit. See the Policies & Procedures Manual for more information.
20.4.10 Credit for Prior Learning
There exists a variety of avenues for a student to obtain academic credit either through transfer from other institutions of higher learning, proficiency exams or life experience. To learn more contact the School Dean and/or review the College’s policy on Credit for Prior Learning in the Policies and Procedures Manual or the College Academic Catalog.
20.4.11 Transcript of Records
SUNY Canton’s transcripts are processed through Parchment. Students can access and view unofficial transcripts in UCanWeb. Official transcripts can be requested direct from SUNY Canton at the Registrar’s Office by completing this form which must include student signature. Print or electronic transcripts can be ordered from Parchment. SUNY Canton will cover the cost of the actual transcript(s) from the $5 transcript fee that students are charged each semester. However, it is the student’s responsibility to pay the handling fee associated with having their transcript(s) sent. The handling fee includes valuable notifications that alert students of any potential problems that may prevent their transcript(s) from being sent. In addition, students will have the ability to track the delivery status of their transcript(s). Expedited shipping is also available for an additional fee.
20.4.12 Student Course Comments
A standard Student Course Comment questionnaire will be issued for every scheduled course each semester. This questionnaire is designed for students to provide feedback on their courses. Student Course Comments will be distributed via students’ secured UCanWeb account and will be active for three weeks; the last week of classes, final exam week, and the week following final exams. Students will be presented with the Student Course Comment questionnaire when they log into their UCanWeb account during this timeframe. Students are strongly encouraged to thoughtfully complete the questionnaire, as SUNY Canton values student feedback.
NOTE: Students will NOT have the ability to access any records in UCanWeb until the questionnaire has been completed.