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Section 4. Measuring Academic Progress

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the cornerstone of a university education. Academic dishonesty diminishes the university as an institution and all members of the university community. It tarnishes the value of a UCSC degree.

All members of the UCSC community have an explicit responsibility to foster an environment of trust, honesty, fairness, respect, and responsibility. All members of the university community are expected to present as their original work only that which is truly their own. All members of the community are expected to report observed instances of cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty in order to ensure that the integrity of scholarship is valued and preserved at UCSC.

In the event a student is found in violation of the UCSC Academic Integrity policy, he or she may face both academic sanctions imposed by the instructor of record and disciplinary sanctions imposed either by the provost of his or her college or the Academic Tribunal convened to hear the case. Violations of the Academic Integrity policy can result in dismissal from the university and a permanent notation on a student’s transcript.

For the full policy and disciplinary procedures on academic dishonesty, students and instructors should refer to the Academic Integrity page at the Division of Undergraduate Education.

Course Credit

Most courses at UCSC carry 5 quarter credits. The exceptions are described in the sections below.

Noncredit Courses

All physical education courses offered by the Athletics and Recreation Department and a few other courses identified in the UCSC General Catalog are noncredit. Noncredit courses do not count toward your 15-quarter credits program of study, and you may enroll in as many noncredit courses as you wish. Be sure to enroll; a record of these courses might be important to you at another institution, and your enrollment is used to justify the program’s financial support.

Workload Credit-Only Courses

Courses offered at UCSC which are preparatory for university-level work count for “workload credit only.” For example, the credits earned in Writing 11 are valid for financial aid purposes and academic standing, but do not count toward a baccalaureate degree. It is important that you officially enroll in these courses, because they affect your academic standing and/or eligibility for financial aid. These “workload credit only” courses are clearly identified as such in the catalog course descriptions.

One (1)-, 2-, and 3-Credit Courses

Some courses carry 1, 2, or 3 credits, because they require less work and meet for fewer hours than 5-credit courses (e.g., special interest seminars, laboratories, music lessons, and individual studies). The UCSC General Catalog shows the credit value for these courses after the course title, e.g., Music 9, Wind Ensemble (2 credits). The Schedule of Classes notes the number of credit hours for the course in the column immediately after the title: MUSC 9-01 Wind Ensemble 2.0.

If you are in the Part-Time Program, you are advised to pay special attention to the number of credits assigned for each course in which you enroll so that you do not exceed the 10-credit enrollment limit. Students in the Part-Time Program are assessed full fees if they enroll in more than 10 credits.

Credit by Petition

Regularly enrolled students may obtain full academic credit for a course by challenging the course. Challenging the course entails passing an examination or completing an appropriate body of work supervised by a regular instructor for the course. The petition for such credit must be approved by the instructor of the course, the chair of the department offering the course (or provost, if it is a course offered by a college), and the provost of the student’s college. Some courses are not considered appropriate for credit by petition.

For foreign language students, credit by petition may not be used by students whose language ability greatly exceeds the course level proposed for challenge. Petitions for credit for levels 4 and 5 cannot be filed in the same quarter. Contact the Language Program, 239 Cowell, 459-2054, for more information.

Evaluating Academic Performance

The UC Santa Cruz evaluation system consists of two components: the assignment of a final grade in the course, and an accompanying evaluation of your performance. Grades are submitted for every course; evaluations are optional, and are completed at the discretion of the instructor.

Grades

For each course in which you enroll, you will receive a grade notation at the end of the term. If you complete the course, you will receive a final letter grade (A–F) unless you have elected the Pass/No Pass option for the course. If you withdraw from the course, you will receive a W notation. Under certain circumstances, when you have not completed all the requirements for the course, you may receive an interim grade of Incomplete (I) or In Progress (IP). Your official transcript contains a list of all of your courses and the grades that you receive.

All grades, except I and IP, are final when submitted by the instructor. No change of grade may be made on the basis of re-examination or the completion of additional coursework with the exception of I and IP grades.

Letter Grades

The final letter grades for courses at UCSC are A (excellent), B (good), C (fair), D (poor), F (fail). The grades of A , B, C, and D may be modified by a plus (+) or minus (-).

You will not earn any credit toward graduation for a course in which you receive a final grade of F. Courses in which you receive a grade of C-, D+, D, or D- earn credit toward graduation, but cannot be used to satisfy a major requirement or a general education requirement, and cannot satisfy a prerequisite for another  course. The courses in which you receive final letter grades (and only those) are used to calculate your grade point average (GPA). See the section on Grade Point Averages for details.

There are a few courses that are offered only for Pass/No Pass grading. This limitation is noted in the Schedule of Classes and the UCSC General Catalog. The final grades in these courses are not used in calculating your GPA.

Pass/No Pass Option

If you enroll in a course to be graded on a Pass/No Pass basis, your final grade will be either P (Pass) or NP (No Pass). Under this grading option, you will receive a final grade of P for work that is clearly passing, i.e., which would earn a letter grade of C or better. For work below this level (i.e., equivalent to C-, D+, D, D-, or F), you will receive a grade of NP. Courses which are graded NP earn no credit toward graduation and do not satisfy major/minor requirements or a general education requirements, and cannot satisfy a prerequisite for another course. The grades P and NP both appear on your official transcript, but are not calculated in your GPA.

The P/NP grading option must be selected when you are enrolling in a course. You may change your grading option before the grade option deadline, listed in the Academic Calendar. You cannot change your grading option after that date.

Limits on the Pass/No Pass Grading Option

You must be in good academic standing to choose the P/NP grading option. If you request P/NP grading during pre-enrollment for a course and you are later placed on academic notice, your P/NP grading request will be cancelled. (Note: You may enroll in a course that is only offered for P/NP grading even if you are not in good academic standing.)

No more than 25 percent of your credits earned at UCSC may be graded on a Pass/No Pass basis. This includes any credits completed in the Education Abroad Program or on another UC campus in an approved intercampus exchange program, but does not include transfer work from community colleges or other institutions. You must exercise your P/NP grading option carefully. If you end up with too many UCSC credits graded P/NP, you will not be able to graduate.

While courses graded P/NP may be used to satisfy general education requirements, some departments place limits on P/NP grading in courses used to satisfy major or pre-major requirements. A few departments require that all courses used to satisfy the major must be taken for a letter grade. It is therefore important that you do not choose the Pass/No Pass option in any course for which you may eventually need a letter grade. (Grading status in a course may not be changed after the grade option deadline for the term in which you take the course.)

Evaluations

In each course for which you receive a grade of D or better (or P), you may receive an evaluation of your academic performance. Faculty may also write an evaluation for a course in which you receive an F, NP, or W, but the evaluation does not appear on an official transcript. An evaluation may:

  • describe the strengths and weaknesses of your performance in the various areas of class activity (discussions, laboratory work, term papers, examinations);
  • assess your general understanding of the course content;
  • recognize additional or particularly outstanding work.

Evaluations may be used at UCSC in academic advising and reviewing scholarship applications. Evaluations are a permanent part of your academic record. All students may request transcripts either with or without evaluations. An evaluation for your senior comprehensive examination or senior thesis also becomes part of your academic record.

You can view evaluations on MyUCSC.

Withdrawal from a Course or No Pass Grade

After the add/drop/swap deadline, you may formally request to withdraw from a class with a W grade, or, request a No Pass grade (NP) by submitting a “Drop” request in MyUCSC. You can make this request regardless of the grading option you chose at the time of enrollment. The filing period and deadline for this process are detailed in the Academic and Administrative Calendar each quarter:

  1. After you log in, click on the Enrollment tile and select Drop.
  2. Select the class from which you wish to withdraw, and click the Drop Selected Classes Button.
  3. Confirm your selection and select the Finish Dropping button. This will automatically add the withdrawal (W or NP) to your record

Withdraw (W and NP) Deadlines

Deadlines are listed in the Academic and Administrative Calendar. Successful Withdrawal Grade requests completed by the filing deadline at the end of the sixth week of instruction will receive a Withdraw (W) grade. Successful requests submitted after the sixth week deadline, but before the end of the ninth week of instruction, will receive a No Pass (NP) grade, provided the student is in Good Academic Standing following the previous quarter.

If there is a medical or emergency reason to request a W grade after the sixth-week deadline, or a need to withdraw from a course after the ninth-week NP deadline, you should consult with your college advising office. Documentation is required. The grade notation of W and NP appear on your official transcript, but it is not included in your GPA calculation.

W grades have an impact on academic progress. There may also be financial consequences for students receiving financial aid or Veteran’s benefits if they withdraw from UCSC or request W grades. Students should review additional information about W and NP grades on the Advising website. Academic Senate Regulations 6.1.4 and 9.1.3 contain the general policies about W grade notations.

Incomplete Grade Notation

You must make arrangements with the course instructor before the end of the quarter to request an Incomplete. At an instructor’s discretion, an I grade notation may be assigned for work which is of passing quality but incomplete. If it becomes apparent that you will not be able to finish the final coursework before the last day of the quarter, let the instructor know as soon as possible.

Because an I grade carries no credit, you should talk with your college adviser about the possible consequences on your academic progress. Students already in academic difficulty could jeopardize their progress by taking an Incomplete.

To remove an Incomplete from a course, you must file a Petition for Removal of Incomplete and complete the coursework no later than the last day of the following quarter. The instructor may require an earlier date. (See Removal of an Incomplete Grade Notation, below.) You need not be registered to file a Petition for Removal of Incomplete. Once you have completed the coursework and the instructor has submitted the paperwork, the grade change will appear permanently on your academic record.

If the coursework and Petition for Removal of Incomplete are not completed by the specified deadline, or the instructor fails to submit a final grade, that course is treated as an F (Fail) or NP (No Pass), which will appear on your official transcript.

Academic Senate Regulation 9.1.6 contains the general policy on Incomplete notations.

Removal of an Incomplete Grade Notation

If you have received a grade notation of I (Incomplete) for a course, you must follow the steps below to convert it to a final grade. If you do not complete this process before the deadline listed in the Academic Calendar for the quarter following the one in which you earned the I, it will become a permanent failing grade (F or NP, depending on the grading option you chose for the course).*

  •        Obtain a Petition for Removal of Incomplete form from the Office of the Registrar website and complete the top section.
  •        Take the petition with the completed coursework to the instructor of the course by the same deadline.

The instructor will complete the process. The instructor will assign a final grade for the course based on the work that you submit. That final grade will be reported to the department that sponsored the course, which will forward the completed petition to the Office of the Registrar. Your final grade will be officially recorded by the Registrar.

* It is technically possible for faculty to remove an Incomplete grade notation on the grade roster without filing the petition with the faculty member, however, filing the petition with the faculty member can serve as a reminder for the faculty member to enter the grade on their grade roster.

Grade Notification

Grades are due from faculty approximately five calendar days after the end of the term. Access your grades via the MyUCSC.

If a course in which you believe you were enrolled is not listed as enrolled on MyUCSC, you were not officially enrolled. See your academic adviser as soon as possible to discuss your options.

Comprehensive Examination and Thesis Grades

Comprehensive examinations and senior theses are graded Honors, Pass, or Fail. When you are awarded Pass or Honors for your comprehensive examination or senior thesis, the notation is posted to your academic record after you complete graduation requirements. The faculty who administer the examination or advise on the senior thesis will write an evaluation of your performance. This evaluation becomes a part of your official academic record.

A student who does not pass the comprehensive examination may be permitted to repeat it once. Examinations or theses of students receiving Honors or Fail are read by at least two readers.

Academic Senate Regulation 9.3.1 contains the general policy on grading of comprehensive examinations. 

UCSC Undergraduate Grading Policies

Students entering before fall 2001 please see appendix F.

Enrollment

When students enroll, letter grading is the default. The Pass/No Pass option is available only to students in good academic standing. Students may change the grading option up until the ninth week of instruction.

Withdrawal

After the last day to drop a course, students may withdraw from a course whether enrolled for a letter grade or for Pass/No Pass grading. The Academic and Administrative Calendar lists deadlines for withdrawing from a course. After the deadline, students may only withdraw from a course for documented medical or emergency reasons.

Grades

If enrolled in a course for a letter grade, students will receive a grade of A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F, W (Withdraw), or I (Incomplete). If enrolled in a course for Pass/No Pass, students will receive a grade of P (Pass), NP (No Pass), W (Withdraw), or I (Incomplete).

Evaluations

Undergraduate evaluations are provided at the option of the faculty. In each course for which you receive a grade of D or better (or P), an evaluation of your academic performance may be submitted.

UCSC Grade Point Average

For all students, a UCSC GPA is calculated from UCSC courses, courses taken through the Education Abroad Program, courses taken on another UC campus in an intercampus exchange program, and courses taken from UCSC Extension through Open Campus (formerly called Concurrent Enrollment). The first course taken at UC Extension through Concurrent Enrollment after matriculation at UCSC will be calculated towards the GPA. Additional courses taken through UC Extension will not be calculated in the GPA. The UCSC GPA is displayed on the official transcript. Courses taken through the Domestic Exchange Program are not calculated in the UC or the UCSC GPA.

UC Grade Point Average

All students have a UC GPA calculated from courses taken for a letter grade at UCSC, at other UC campuses, through the Education Abroad Program, and through UCSC Extension’s Open Campus. The UC GPA is not on the official transcript but is available on MyUCSC when checking grades from a previous quarter. Your UC GPA must be at least 2.0 in order for you to graduate. Courses taken through the Domestic Exchange Program are not calculated in the UC or the UCSC GPA.

Satisfying Requirements

Departments may require that some or all courses used to satisfy the major must be taken for a letter grade.

A course graded C-, D+, D, D-, or F cannot be used to satisfy a course prerequisite or to satisfy major or general education requirements. Any course graded P is equivalent to a C (2.0) or better and can be used to satisfy prerequisites, major, and general education requirements.

Incompletes

The notation I (Incomplete) may be assigned when work for a course is of passing quality but is not complete. Prior arrangements must be made with the instructor for a grade of I. To remove the Incomplete, the student must file a petition and the completed coursework by the deadline on the last day of the following quarter. If an I is not removed by the deadline, it will lapse to F or NP, depending on the grading option in effect. The F and the NP will appear on official transcripts, along with the removal of incomplete notation.

Repeats

Undergraduates may repeat courses in which they earn a C-, D+, D, D-, F, or No Pass. Courses in which a C-, D+, D, D-, or F is earned may not be repeated on a Pass/No Pass basis. Courses in which a grade of No Pass is earned may be repeated on the same basis or for a letter grade. Students may only repeat a maximum of 15 credits for courses in which a grade of C-, D+, D, D-, or F was received for grade improvement. In computing the GPA for these repeats, only the grade and corresponding grade points earned the last time the course was taken will be used. After the 15-credit maximum is reached, the GPA will be based on all grades assigned and total credits attempted. Repetition of a course more than once requires the approval of your college. Credit is not awarded more than once for the same course, but the grade assigned each time the course is repeated will be permanently recorded on the official transcript.

Graduation Requirements

No more than 25 percent of the UCSC credits applied toward graduation may be graded on a Pass/No Pass basis. This includes any credits completed in the Education Abroad Program or on another UC campus in an intercampus exchange program. Departments may require that some or all courses used to satisfy the major must be taken for a letter grade.

Students must complete all requirements for the major with a grade of P, C (2.0), or better. See the section on Catalog Rights regarding graduation requirements in effect for each student.

All undergraduates, regardless of when they entered UCSC, must meet the minimum UC GPA requirement of 2.0 in order to receive a degree from UCSC.

Grade Point Averages

A summary grade point average (GPA) can be calculated from your course grades by dividing the number of credits attempted for a letter grade into the number of grade points earned for those credits. This calculation is described in more detail in the box below. Students are expected to maintain a GPA of at least 2.0, calculated from courses taken for a letter grade within the University of California system. (See the section on the UC Grade Point Average.)

UCSC Grade Point Average

The Office of the Registrar calculates both a current UCSC GPA, based upon courses attempted in the current term, and a cumulative UCSC GPA, based upon all courses attempted at UCSC. Both UCSC GPAs are part of your official record and appear on your transcript. They are used in calculating your academic standing. (See the section on Academic Standing.)

Courses that you take at other institutions are not counted toward your UCSC GPA unless they become part of your official UCSC transcript. (For example, transfer work from community college is not included in your UCSC GPA, but courses that you take while on the UC Education Abroad Program are included in your UCSC transcript and hence in your UCSC GPA.)

Students Who Entered UCSC Between Fall 1997 and Spring 2001 see Appendix F.

Students Who Entered UCSC Before Fall 1997 see Appendix G.

UC Grade Point Average

A UC GPA is different from the UCSC GPA because it is based on all courses attempted for a letter grade at any campus of the University of California system. Your UC GPA is displayed on your official and unofficial transcripts and is also available from the MyUCSC on your academic summary page.

All students, regardless of when they entered UCSC, must maintain a minimum UC GPA of 2.0 even if they do not have a UCSC GPA. If your UC GPA is lower than 2.0, you will be notified by the Office of the Registrar and your college that you have a UC grade point deficit. You must remove that deficit by earning letter grades above C in UC courses. Course work attempted for a letter grade at UCSC or at another UC campus can be used to improve a UC grade point average. This includes courses taken in the summer term. Consult your college academic adviser for advice if you have a UC grade point deficit. You cannot earn a degree from UC if you have a UC grade point deficit.

Grade Points

Grade points are assigned to each letter grade as shown below. Grades shown in bold (W, I, IP, P, NP) are not included in the UCSC GPA.

A+=4.0

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

F=0.0

W=0.0

I=0.0

P=0.0

NP=0.0

Calculating Your Grade Point Average

The Navigator 2012-14

The grade point average is determined by dividing the number of grade points earned by the number of credits attempted for a letter grade.

The number of grade points earned for a course equals the number of grade points assigned multiplied by the number of course credits.

For example, suppose a student takes three 5-credit courses and receives grades of A-, B-, and C+.

Grade

Grade Points

Course Credits

Total Grade Points

A-

3.7

5

18.5

B-

2.7

5

13.5

C+

2.3

5

11

Total

15

43.5

43.5 divided by 15 = 2.9 GPA.

UCSC truncates the GPA at the hundredths; for example, 2.998 becomes 2.99.

Academic Standing and Minimum Progress

Full-time undergraduate students at UCSC are expected to enroll in and earn a grade of C or better (or P) in an average of 15 credits per quarter, completing the 180 credits needed for graduation in four years. Students are allowed to enroll for a maximum of 15 quarters (9 for transfer students) or equivalent. (Also see the section for adjustments for part-time students.)

Your college will regularly check to ensure that you are making (at least) minimum progress toward completing your degree and, at the end of each term, will determine whether you are in good academic standing. If you do not pass enough credits with a grade of C or better (or P), you may be placed on academic notice. If your academic standing or progress falls below minimally acceptable levels, you may be disqualified from further enrollment in the university.

Note:  The Academic Standing and Minimum Progress Standards monitored by your college is not the same as the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

Determining Your Academic Standing

Your academic standing is calculated at the end of each term based upon your current and cumulative UCSC GPA. If both your current and cumulative UCSC GPAs are 2.0 or greater, then you are in good academic standing. If either your current or cumulative GPA is less than 2.0, then you are on academic notice. In that event, you should consult with your college academic preceptor about what you need to do to return to good standing. If your current UCSC GPA falls below 1.5 in any term, or if you are already on academic notice and your cumulative UCSC GPA falls below 2.0, then you are subject to disqualification from further enrollment in the university. See the section on Academic Trouble.

(Students who entered UCSC before fall 2001, please see Appendix G.) 

Academic Trouble

The Registrar’s Office and your college will contact you if you are placed on academic notice. You should immediately make an appointment to see your college adviser for advice on how to return to good academic standing.

Academic Notice

You are placed on academic notice when you are not passing enough courses with grades at the level of C or better. In placing you on academic notice, the college is warning you that your current level of academic performance could put you in danger of disqualification from the university. The fact that you are on academic notice is not permanently entered on your academic record. However, that information is recorded on your unofficial transcript.

Academic notice is a serious call for you to take a careful look at your workload, study habits, choice of program of study, priorities, and motivation. The strategies for improving your academic standing differ depending upon the causes of your academic difficulty and whether the difficulty is a short-term problem in one term or whether it arises from a longer term pattern. Getting good advice from academic counselors will help you get back on the road to good academic standing. However, failure to actively address the problem may lead to a further decline in your academic standing to the point where you become subject to disqualification from the university.

Academic Disqualification and Barred Enrollment

If your academic standing declines to the point where you are subject to disqualification, your college will review your case and decide to take one of the following actions:

  • to bar your enrollment for a specified period of time with conditions on your readmission;
  • to disqualify you indefinitely from further enrollment in the university;
  • to waive your barred enrollment or disqualification for a term, based upon indications that you may be able to improve your academic standing. In this case, your status is called “Academic Notice — Subject to Disqualification.”

Students who are given “Academic Notice — Subject to Disqualification” status may still enroll in classes, and live in university housing.

If you are barred or disqualified, that fact is entered on your permanent academic record. Your financial aid is cancelled, and you cannot continue to live in university housing. You are not eligible to audit or attend classes during the regular academic year. You may not receive a degree while you are on barred or disqualified status.

Appealing Disqualification or Barred Enrollment

If you are subject to barred enrollment or disqualification, your college will notify you of the decision of the academic standing review committee regarding your status as soon as possible after the end of the term. The letter informing you of this decision will specify the time frame within which an appeal will be considered. If there is information relevant to determining your academic standing which you believe the academic standing review committee was not able to take into account, you may provide that evidence in a written appeal to your college provost. Students who appeal will receive written notification of the college’s decision. If you do not appeal by the appeal deadline, the decision of the review committee will take effect immediately.

Readmission After Barred Enrollment or Disqualification

If your college bars your enrollment for a fixed period, it may also stipulate certain conditions on your readmission to UCSC. For example, students who are subject to disqualification at the end of their first year may be barred for one full year. In addition, the college may require the student to complete the equivalent of a year’s coursework at another institution (for example, a community college) earning a certain GPA before the student can be readmitted to UCSC. In other cases, the readmission condition might not require additional coursework but would require a change of major or that personal or medical issues be addressed (courses taken outside of UCSC will not be used to improve your UCSC GPA).

Readmission after indefinite disqualification is more difficult. Generally students are indefinitely disqualified only after they have fallen into very serious academic difficulty. Readmission is approved for disqualified students only when there is reason to think that they have addressed the sources of their original academic difficulty and then only after more than one year has elapsed since their disqualification.

Readmission after barment or disqualification is not guaranteed, and will be carefully reviewed by the faculty at your college before being approved. In either case, you must make formal application to UCSC for readmission, observing the deadlines stated in the Academic and Administrative Calendar. Any conditions for readmission should be addressed in your application. See the section on Readmission.

What Grades Do You Need to Return to Good Academic Standing?

A grade point balance (GPB) is the difference between the number of grade points that you have earned and the number of grade points needed for a 2.0 GPA. In order to be in good academic standing, both your current and cumulative GPBs must be greater than (or equal to) 0. To return to good academic standing, a negative grade point balance (i.e., a grade point deficit) must be eliminated. Earning grades above the C level (C+ or better) adds points to your GPB. Grades of C-, D or F subtract points from your GPB. (A grade of C has no effect on your GPB.)

The chart below shows the effect of grades on your grade point balance. (Note that balance points earned by a letter grade are multiplied by the number of credits for the course.)

Grade earned

Points per credit

Points for a 5-credit course

A or A+

+2.0

+10.0

A-

+1.7

+8.5

B+

+1.3

+6.5

B

+1.0

+5.0

B-

+0.7

+3.5

C+

+0.3

+1.5

C

0.0

0.0

C-

-0.3

-1.5

D+

-0.7

-3.5

D

-1.0

-5.0

D-

-1.3

-6.5

F

-2.0

-10.0

For example, if your cumulative grade-point balance is -10 at the end of the term, your grade point deficit would be eliminated by any of the following grades in three 5-credit courses: an A with two Cs; two Bs and a C; or a B, a B-, and a C+.

Minimum Progress for All Undergraduates

An undergraduate student who is not making minimum progress toward a degree is subject to disqualification from further enrollment. As a full-time undergraduate student, you are considered to be making minimum progress toward the degree if you have satisfied all of the following conditions:

(1) You have passed (with a grade of D- or better or P) at least 36 credits for each academic year of full-time enrollment;

(2) You have earned an average of 12 credits or more for each additional quarter of full-time enrollment;

(3) You have earned four-fifths of credits attempted in part-time enrollment.

In determining satisfaction of minimum progress, transfer credits that you earned before admission to UCSC are not considered. Any transfer or UCSC Summer Session credit that you earn after admission to UCSC may be considered when satisfying minimum progress after it has been transferred and posted to your official academic record.

Part-Time Students

Part-time students are held to the same minimum progress standards as full-time students by treating each 15 credits attempted as the equivalent of one full-time term. Consult with your college academic adviser for assistance in this calculation if you have questions about the calculation of your academic progress.

Repeating Courses

Courses graded P (Pass) or C or better may not be repeated for credit. A few courses are labeled “May Be Repeated for Credit” in the UCSC General Catalog. These are courses in which the course content varies from quarter to quarter. Unlike other courses, grades are recorded and credit is granted for each quarter these courses are taken. Undergraduates may repeat courses in which they earn a C-, D+, D, D-, F, W, or NP. Courses with a grade of C- or lower may be repeated only for a letter grade and may not be repeated on a Pass/No Pass basis. Courses with a grade of NP may be repeated on the same basis or for a letter grade.

Degree credit for a repeated course is given only once. Hence, if you repeat a course in which you originally earned a D grade (and therefore degree credit), you will not receive any additional degree credit. If you repeat and pass a course in which you originally earned an F or NP, you will receive credit for the course. Your official transcript will record both the original course and the repeated course and the grades you got for each. (See Repeats for additional information)

The grade you receive when you repeat a course for a letter grade is included in your GPA. However, for the first 15 credits of repeated work, the grade that you originally received will be removed from the calculation of your GPA. Hence, repeating a course in which you got a C-, D+, D, D-, or an F (and getting a better grade) is an effective way of improving your GPA and perhaps your academic standing as well. If you exceed the 15 credits of repeated work, your GPA will include both the original grade and the grade that you earned on the repetition.

Repetition of a course more than once requires approval of your college.

Each course you repeat will be coded on your transcript to indicate that your cumulative grade point average has been adjusted in accordance with UCSC academic policies on repeated courses.

Academic Senate Regulations A9.1.8, 9.4.1.E, and 10.1.2 contain the general policies about repeating courses.

Questioning Grades and Evaluations

Your grade and evaluation for a course are based upon the instructor’s assessment of your academic performance in the course. If you have questions about how your grade or evaluation is related to the work that you did for a course, you should feel free to discuss the course requirements, criteria for evaluation, and your performance with the instructor of the course. A conversation like this will generally resolve your questions and sometimes reveals that a clerical error or other mistake was made in assessing your work. In the case of the latter, the instructor is able to revise the grade or evaluation.

Formally Disputing a Grade or Evaluation

If after discussing your assessment with the instructor you are convinced that your grade or evaluation was based upon non-academic criteria (such as ethnicity, political views, religion, age, sex, financial status, or national origin), or capricious or arbitrary application of academic criteria in a manner not reflective of student performance in relation to course requirements, you may officially dispute the grade or evaluation and file a grievance following the procedure described below. You may only file a grievance based upon evidence that the instructor disregarded your academic performance in giving the evaluation or grade. You may not file a grievance merely because you disagree with an instructor’s assessment of your work.

The procedure for undergraduate students to file a grievance for an assessment is outlined in senate regulations. You must contact the instructor within one regular academic quarter of the issuance of the grade or evaluation to see if the issue can be resolved. You must initiate a grievance within six months for summer, fall, and winter quarter courses or nine months for spring quarter courses from the date the evaluation or grade notation becomes part of your record.

Final Examinations

Final examinations are required in all undergraduate courses unless the department or other agency sponsoring the course has obtained permission from the Committee on Educational Policy to evaluate students in another manner. Final examinations are only given during the examination-week period at the time announced in the Schedule of Classes, usually in the same room used for class meetings during the quarter. No change in the time or date of a final examination may occur unless the course sponsoring agency has obtained the approval of the Committee on Educational Policy. Requests must be received by CEP no later than the first week of the quarter in which the course is occurring. When finals are administered, they must be completed at the scheduled examination time and may not require more than the scheduled three-hour time block. If a take-home examination is not assigned until the week designated for final examinations, it cannot require more than three hours to complete.

To avoid three final examinations on the same day, students may want to consider the final exam schedule when enrolling in courses.

Instructors may bar students from taking the examination if they arrive late. If a student misses an examination due to an unavoidable emergency, the instructor may agree to give an Incomplete grade and schedule a makeup examination provided that the student’s work is passing up to that point. When a final examination is one of the regular requirements in a course, no one taking the course may be individually exempted from it. Travel plans for vacation are not an emergency, and should not be made without checking the final examination schedule.

Closed Week

No examinations or tests other than laboratory examinations, quizzes, or individual makeup examinations may be given during the last week of instruction.

Examination Retention

An instructor may release to individual students the original final examinations (or copies). Otherwise, the instructor will retain final examination materials at least until the end of the next regular term. During that time students will be allowed to review their examinations.

Religious Observance

Given the diversity of religious practice within the campus community, academic and administrative units are encouraged to make reasonable accommodation when the schedule of a required campus event conflicts with an individual’s religious creed. It is the official policy of the University of California, Santa Cruz, to accommodate, without penalty, requests for alternate examination times in cases where the scheduled time for the examination violates a student’s religious creed.

Requests for accommodation for religious observance must be made directly to the faculty member in charge of the course within the first two weeks of the term or as soon as possible after an examination date is announced. Instructors are expected to make reasonable accommodation for such requests. Students who are unable to reach a satisfactory arrangement with an instructor should consult the head of the unit sponsoring the course.

Accommodations for Disability

Students with documented disabilities that require examination modifications will be accommodated in compliance with state and federal laws. Reasonable accommodations will be made based on recommendations from the Disability Resource Center.

Revised: 08/21/24