Decoding the Michigan State University Grading System

The grading system at Michigan State University (MSU) encompasses various methods for evaluating student performance. It's crucial for students to understand these systems to navigate their academic journey effectively. All grades are considered final and are not subject to change through re-examination or additional work submission.

Numerical Grading System

MSU employs a numerical grading system, providing a detailed assessment of student performance. The recording of grades on a student's official academic record is governed by the following (4.0) grading system:

A, A+: 4.0
A-: 3.7
B+: 3.3
B: 3.0
B-: 2.7
C+: 2.3
C: 2.0
C-: 1.7
D+: 1.3
D: 1.0
D-: 0.7
E: 0.0

It is important to note that not all instructors use the A+ and D- grades.

S/NS Grading System

Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, MSU introduced the S-Satisfactory and NS-Not Satisfactory grades for certain semesters. This system provided flexibility during the transition to online learning.

S-Satisfactory: Credit is granted for undergraduate students with performance equivalent to 1.0 and higher, and for graduate students with performance equivalent to 2.0 and higher.
NS-Not Satisfactory: No credit is granted for undergraduate students with performance below 1.0, and for graduate students with performance below 2.0, except for the College of Veterinary Medicine Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students where NS represents performance below 1.0.

This system was available for undergraduate and graduate students for Spring 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021 classes. Summer 2021 S/NS grades were available for undergraduate students only.

Read also: History of the Block 'M'

Credit-No Credit System

The credit-no credit system allows students to explore subjects outside their major without affecting their GPA.

CR-Credit: Credit is granted, representing performance at or above the grade-point average required for graduation, with a minimum passing grade of "C" or better.
NC-No Credit: No credit is granted.

Enrollment on a CR-NC basis is recorded with the academic advisor and the Office of the Registrar. Students must complete the Credit/No Credit Grading Option Request within five days of grades being released.

Pass-No Grade System

The pass-no grade system is used only in courses specifically approved by the University Committee on Curriculum. Non-credit courses and those involving field experience are the usual types of courses approved for P-N grading.

Grade Forgiveness Policy

Minot State University has a grade forgiveness policy for pre-baccalaureate undergraduate students. This policy allows students to exclude "F" grades earned three or more years ago from their GPA calculation. The courses for which forgiveness is sought must be discussed in consultation with the academic advisor of record, and must be approved by the student’s major department chair and the Registrar.

Excluded "F" grades remain on the permanent transcript but are not factored into the GPA for scholastic continuance and graduation requirements. This policy can be used only once during a student’s enrollment and cannot be revoked after approval. Students in the Teacher Education program should note that the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB) determines GPA for teacher certification purposes based upon ALL college courses taken by the applicant.

Grade Appeals

Students have the right to appeal a grade if they believe it is incorrect. The evaluation of student performance as a grade is recorded on the student’s University transcript as part of the student’s permanent record. The student’s grade is determined by the faculty member responsible for the course and is based upon factors related to achievement of the course objectives. The course grade is considered final unless an appropriate appeal is filed by the student.

The appeal process involves several steps:

The student must complete the Grade Appeal Form and confer with the instructor within the subsequent term (fall or spring) following the original posting of the grade.
If the faculty member is unavailable, the student should contact the department chairperson.
If the student is still dissatisfied, a formal written appeal can be submitted to the department chair within fourteen calendar days of completing Step 1.
If unresolved, the student may request a hearing by the Student Rights Committee through the Registrar within fourteen days of completing Step 3.

A student who fails to withdraw from school or who fails to drop a course prior to the first day of final exams is directed to the Student Rights Committee for individual review. Requests may be made up to one year following the completion of the impacted semester.

Grade Point Average (GPA) Calculation

Grade point averages are calculated by dividing the total honor points earned by the total hours elected. The term GPA and cumulative GPA are computed at the end of each term.

Additional Grade Notations and Special Cases

Several notations may appear on a transcript to describe special situations:

F: Failed (pass/fail option election).
I: Incomplete.
NR: Grade Not Reported.
P: Passed (pass/fail option election).
S: Satisfactory (courses graded S/E or S/U).
NC: No Credit.
VI: Audit.
W: Drop/Withdrawal.
X: Absent from Final Examination.
U: Unsatisfactory (courses graded S/U only).
Y: Indicates the course extends beyond the term.

The grades of E, IE, UE or XE are not assigned honor points and thus will lower the student's grade point average.

Repeating Courses

Students may repeat a course no more than two times. All grades received must appear on the transcript, but only the last grade received is counted in the GPA.

Grades of D-

In the College of Engineering & Computer Science (CECS), a grade of D- is not considered passing in any CECS course. If a CECS student earns a D- in a course from another academic unit, it will not count toward a CECS degree or certificate and must be repeated.

Audit, Pass/Fail, and Non-Credit Courses in CECS

CECS students cannot take required courses within their major on an audit or pass/fail basis. Any course audited or taken pass/fail will not count towards the degree, even as a general elective. In addition, CECS students cannot use non-credit courses towards their degree.

Pass/Fail Option Conditions

The Pass/Fail option is subject to the following conditions:

No honor points will be awarded for courses taken as Pass/Fail.
The Pass/Fail option is open only to students who are not on academic probation.
Courses taken under the Pass/Fail option may not be used to fulfill requirements for majors, minors, concentrations, cognates, and/or teacher certification.
However, up to four courses taken with the Pass/Fail option may be accepted for credit towards a degree.
Students in the Honors Program must take all Honors Program requirements for a grade.
A student is limited to, at most, four courses taken under the pass/fail option. Courses specifically designated as "S/E only" are not counted in this limitation.

Grading Benchmarks

The University of Michigan-Dearborn provides grading benchmarks to clarify the characteristics of each grade level.

Superior Achievement (A Level): Recognizes exceptional performance and achievement that exceeds course expectations.
Good Achievement (B Level): Recognizes work that meets course expectations.
Adequate Achievement (C Level): Recognizes work sufficient to prepare for continued study in the field.
Limited Achievement (D Level): Indicates a lack of readiness to continue in the field.
Inadequate Achievement (E): Indicates that coursework is insufficient to merit academic credit.

Grade Notations Explained

NC - No Credit: No honor points. Not computed in the grade point average. Used only in specially approved courses that are graded A, B, C, No Credit.

I - Incomplete: No honor points. An incomplete may be granted if:

The student has completed the majority of the coursework.
A passing grade could still be earned upon completion of all incomplete work.
The work is unfinished for acceptable reasons.

A contract outlining the remaining work and due date must be completed. The deadline is up to five weeks after the start of the subsequent term. Unfinished incompletes will lapse to a failing grade.

X - Absent from Final Examination: No honor points. A student may be granted the privilege of making up the examination within five weeks beginning from the first day of classes of the immediately following term. Failure to take the examination within the specified time, or the denial of this privilege by the instructor, will result in a mark of E for the final grade.

Y - Course extended beyond term end: No credit. No honor points. This mark is only used for courses that have been specially designed and approved to extend beyond the end of one term. The student has up to one year (52 weeks) after the start of the subsequent term to complete the course.

NR - Grade Not Reported: No honor points. Student should consult the Registrar immediately.

W - Official Withdrawal: No credit. No honor points. Not computed in the grade point average.

S/E - Satisfactory/Fail: Used only for specially approved courses. If a student passes, an S (satisfactory) is awarded. It is not computed into the grade point average. If a student does not pass, an E is awarded. If a student stops attending, without officially dropping, a UE is awarded. Both the E and the UE are computed in the GPA as failing grades.

P/F - Pass/Fail Option: No honor points. A student must elect to take…

Automated Grading Systems and AI

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to the development of automatic short answer grading (ASAG) systems. These systems use machine learning (ML) techniques and large language models (LLMs) to provide consistent and objective scoring. Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) is a promising solution for enhancing LLMs' ability to achieve satisfactory performance by enabling access to relevant domain-specific knowledge during assessment.

GradeRAG Framework

GradeRAG is a novel framework that enhances LLM-based grading through retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). It implements a specialized RAG pipeline that provides the LLM with access to curated domain-specific knowledge bases, enabling a more accurate assessment of scientific concepts.

Clinical Curriculum Grading (MSUCOM PA Medicine)

MSUCOM PA Medicine employs the P-N (Pass-No Grade) grading system for pre-clinical and clinical courses. Each course has a syllabus outlining grading policies, academic honesty, professionalism, remediation policies, and class attendance. Students are issued a P or N grade based on points accumulated in each course.

tags: #michigan #state #university #grading #system #explained