Marks and Evaluations
Every student must obtain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.00, to be calculated from all courses taken at Simmons using the letter grade system, to be eligible for the baccalaureate degree. The grading system is based upon the following categories:
A = 4.00
A- = 3.67
B+ = 3.33
B = 3.00
B- = 2.67
C+ = 2.33
C = 2.00
C- = 1.67
D+ = 1.33
D = 1.00
D- =.67
F (Fail) = 0 P (Pass)*
AU (formal audit)*
W (Approved Withdrawal)*
*not included in GPA
Grading Options
A student may select grading options by filling out a form in the Office of the Registrar. This may be done at any time from registration up to (but not after) the day designated as the final day to add a course in each semester. Any student who fails to do so will automatically receive letter grades.
Pass/Fail
A regularly enrolled Simmons student may take at most one for-credit course pass/ fail in any given semester. The following courses may not be taken pass/fail:
- Modern Languages and Literatures: All language courses numbered 101, 102, and 201; Level I or Level II language courses taken at another institution by a student while she is enrolled at Simmons.
- Mathematics: MATH 101.
If a student using the pass/fail option receives a P in a course, the student will receive credit for the course, but the P will not be averaged into her GPA. If the student receives an F in a pass/fail course, no credit for the course will be given, and the F will be averaged into the GPA as a zero. Departments may also have specific policies about pass/fail courses for their majors.
Formal Audit
A formal audit may be elected by any fulltime undergraduate student after the first semester, provided that the student has the instructor’s permission and agrees to abide by the instructor’s conditions for the audit. A student may formally audit no more than one course each semester. There is no charge to full-time undergraduate students for a formal audit. A formal audit will appear on the student transcript, but no credit is given. A formal audit may not be used to satisfy any of the undergraduate requirements. More information on the formal audit option is available through the Office of the Registrar.
Informal Audit
Any undergraduate student is permitted to informally audit a course with the permission of the instructor, who will determine with the student expectations for coursework. No record of the student’s work is kept, and the student is not permitted to take the final examination. No credit is granted for an informal audit, and the audit does not appear on her transcript. Informal audits do not go through the Office of the Registrar.
Incomplete Evaluations
Required coursework must ordinarily be completed by the last day of final examinations. In extenuating circumstances, undergraduate students may request an “incomplete” by filing a petition with the Administrative Board. The petition, signed by the student, her advisor, and the instructor, should outline a plan to complete the work. It is the student’s responsibility to monitor her progress and complete all work so that the instructor can submit a final grade by the date set by the Board. Failure to submit work by the approved incomplete extension date may result in a grade of F. Failure to formally petition for an incomplete will result in automatic assignment of an F grade.
Course Repeat Policy
The course repeat policy allows student to repeat up to two courses for credit on a limited basis in order to enhance their understanding of the subject or to improve their overall grade point average. The following principles apply to this policy.
- A student may repeat at most two Simmons courses for credit.
- If a course is repeated for credit, both versions of the course will appear on the student’s transcript and be included in the student’s grade point average.
- A student who repeats one 4-credit course must complete 132 credits in order to still have 128 unique credits and meet that requirement for earning a degree.
- A student who repeats two 4-credit courses must complete 136 credits to still have 128 unique credits and meet that requirement for earning a degree.
Academic Difficulty
The records of students who are experiencing academic difficulty are reviewed periodically by the Administrative Board, a faculty committee charged with monitoring Simmons’s academic standards.
This responsibility includes reviewing the records of any student who has two or more failures in a semester (including a retroactive withdrawal) any student whose semester or cumulative grade point average is below 2.0, any student who as a result of their achievement in Simmons Summer School has a summer or cumulative GPA of less than 2.00, any student who applies for a leave of absence or withdraws after the eighth week of the semester, or any student whose overall record is considered marginal.
The faculty has given the Administrative Board the authority to take whatever action is deemed appropriate to each individual’s situation. Such actions may include a letter of warning, probation, continued probation, removal from degree candidacy, or exclusion from Simmons. As a result of this review, special conditions may be imposed by the Administrative Board, in which case both the student and a parent or guardian (if the student is dependent) may be notified.
Warnings of academic difficulty are reported to academic advisors, and other student support specialists, by individual faculty members throughout the academic year, and assistance is made available.
See also the sections on Student Academic Progress in the Academic Policies portion of this Catalog.