Academic Standards

Grading System

Only grades A through F impact grade point average. The grading system used in evaluating a student’s work is as follows:

* CR and SC credits do not count towards residency hours or upper-level hours requirements. Up to 30 hours of each type, CR and SC, may be applied to a degree program.

** For more information about withdrawal grades, refer to the Academic Calendar  in this catalog or the UCM Student Handbook. Course withdrawal and refund dates can also be found in MyCentral in the Student Records and Registration tab, under Registration using the “Check Refund and Withdrawal Dates” link. 

Grade Point Averages

In order to receive a degree or certificate, a student must earn a minimum grade point average of 2.00 (C) in each of the following areas:

1. All work attempted (cumulative GPA, includes transfer work)
2. All work attempted at Central Missouri (UCM GPA)
3. All work taken to satisfy major requirements at UCM
4. All work taken to satisfy minor requirements at UCM
5. All work taken to satisfy certificate requirements at UCM

Students must review their degree and major program for all minimum GPA requirements. Several degree programs specify grade standards that may apply to acceptance into a program and/or that must be maintained for graduation from a program. Such special standards are listed under the major programs in the curriculum section  of this catalog.

UCM does not freeze grade point average upon graduation. Additional courses taken at the undergraduate level at UCM will continue to impact both the UCM and cumulative GPAs. Additional transfer work will only be applied to the UCM transcript after graduation if a second undergraduate degree program is being pursued at UCM.

Computation of Grade Point Average

In order to compute grade point average, total quality points earned are divided by total hours attempted. Each semester hour is assigned a grade point value as indicated below:

1. Each semester hour of A is assigned 4 quality points.
2. Each semester hour of B is assigned 3 quality points.
3. Each semester hour of C is assigned 2 quality points.
4. Each semester hour of D is assigned 1 quality point.
5. Each semester hour of F is assigned 0 quality points.
6. Each semester hour of CR, LD, LW, P, SC, or W is not considered.
7. Each semester hour of U and NR is not considered until a grade is assigned.

Academic Standing

Student academic standing is determined by both the cumulative GPA and the UCM GPA. Students can find their academic standing in MyCentral and on the Central Degree Audit.  Academic standing is calculated at the end of each semester and students who are not in good standing are notified via campus email from the Registrar’s Office.

Good Academic Standing
Undergraduate students who have both a 2.00 cumulative and UCM grade point average are in good academic standing and are eligible to enroll for classes.

Academic Probation
A student whose cumulative GPA or total UCM GPA drops below 2.00 will be placed on academic probation. New freshmen admitted to UCM as part of the UCM Advantage Program are admitted on academic probation. A transfer student will be placed on academic probation at the time of admission if his/her cumulative GPA is less than 2.00. Students placed on academic probation may continue to enroll in classes. Students are encouraged to seek advice from their Academic Success Advisor about future enrollments. Students on academic probation may not enroll in more than 15 semester hours during any fall or spring semester of academic probation. Summer enrollment is limited to 12 credit hours.

Removal from Probation
A student placed on academic probation will continue on probation until the UCM GPA and the cumulative GPA are 2.00 or higher. When a student on academic probation raises their UCM GPA and their cumulative GPA to 2.00 or above, the student is removed from probation. 

Academic Suspension
A student on academic probation will be suspended from Central Missouri at the conclusion of his/her next semester/enrollment period if his/her semester/enrollment period GPA is less than 2.00. A transfer student who was admitted on probation will be suspended from Central Missouri at the conclusion of his/her first semester/enrollment period if his/her semester/enrollment period GPA is less than 2.00. Academic suspension is for a period of one full semester (not including summer semester), after which students may petition for reinstatement. Reinstatement is neither automatic nor guaranteed. International students must contact the Graduate and International Student Services office immediately upon suspension from the university.

Academic Dismissal
A student who has been reinstated from suspension and continued on probation, but does not achieve a semester GPA of 2.00 or higher in a subsequent semester/enrollment period, will be dismissed. Academic dismissal is for a period of one calendar year, after which a student may petition for reinstatement. Reinstatement is neither automatic nor guaranteed. International students must contact the Graduate and International Student Services office immediately upon dismissal from UCM.

Reinstatement. The reinstatement of students who have been suspended or dismissed from UCM is not automatic or guaranteed. Petitions for reinstatement are reviewed by the Success Advising Center (UN 128, 660-543-4721) in conjunction with the program coordinator of the degree program the student has selected for reinstatement. Students in the Intensive English Program (IEP) who wish to petition for reinstatement must contact the English Language Institute at iep@ucmo.edu.

The reinstatement petition can be accessed in MyCentral in the Student Records and Registration portal. For the best selection of courses, students should submit a petition in March for summer or fall semester reinstatement, and in October for spring semester reinstatement. Petitions will be considered through the following deadlines:

Fall semester: July 15
Spring semester: November 15
Summer semester: April 15

The petition includes a written portion which should include an explanation of the circumstances that led to poor academic performance, and an explanation of activities and plans which may lead to improved academic performance in the future. Other substantiating evidence may also be requested. No additional application fee is required. Students must submit transcripts from all colleges attended that are not already on file with UCM, even if classes are in progress.  The petition for reinstatement will not be reviewed until all transcripts and updated application are received by the Admissions office.  After a review of the petition, academic records, and any other substantive evidence available, students will be notified of the reinstatement decision.

Students may petition for reinstatement as follows:

1. Students who have been suspended may petition for reinstatement after sitting out one fall or spring semester (summer session does not count as a semester for suspension purposes). Students who have been dismissed may petition for reinstatement after one calendar year.
2. A student with documented extenuating circumstances who has been suspended or dismissed may petition for immediate (or early) reinstatement. Petitions for early reinstatement may not be submitted via MyCentral. Students seeking Early Reinstatement should contact the Dean of their college or, in the case of Open Option students, the Director of the Success Advising Center (UN 128, 660-543-4721) directly for consideration. Early reinstatement is rarely granted and only applies for extenuating circumstances for which supporting evidence can be provided.

Grade Requirements for Program Admission and Graduation

In addition to the general requirements applicable to all areas, several academic programs specify grade standards that may apply to program admission and/or graduation from a program. Such special standards are listed under the major programs in the curriculum section  of this catalog.

Dean’s List

To be eligible for the Dean’s List, a student must be an undergraduate who earns 12 or more gradable semester hours of residence credit during the fall or spring semesters with a grade point average for the semester of 3.50 or above. During the summer semester a student must be enrolled in nine or more gradable semester hours and achieve a 3.50 or above grade point average. Unfinished (U) grades must be resolved before Dean’s List designation can be determined.

Graduation with Honors

Graduation with honors is available for students seeking an undergraduate degree. Undergraduate certificates are not eligible for graduation with honors. To be eligible for graduation with honors, a student must have earned both cumulative and Central Missouri grade point averages of at least 3.50. Those with cumulative and Central Missouri grade point averages of 3.50 to 3.74 graduate with Cum Laude; 3.75 to 3.84 graduate with Magna Cum Laude; and 3.85 and above graduate with Summa Cum Laude. Should the Central Missouri and cumulative GPAs be in different categories, the lower designation of honors will be recognized.  For the purpose of inclusion in the printed commencement program and for recognition at the commencement ceremony, honors will be calculated based on the prior semester’s grade point averages,  because the final semester grades are not turned in by faculty until after the commencement ceremonies.  Final determination of graduation with honors will be determined, and reflected on the transcript and diploma, after final grades are calculated.

Grade Appeals

Students who wish to appeal a grade have until the mid-point of the semester following the semester that the grade was issued.

• For grades issued during the fall semester, the appeal must be made before the end of the eighth week of the spring semester.
• For grades issued during the spring semester, the appeal must be made before the end of the sixth week of the summer term.
• For grades issued during any summer session, the appeal must be made before the end of the eighth week of the fall semester.

These appeals should be directed to the instructor who taught the course in question.  Please refer to the current Grade Appeal Procedure in the UCM Student Handbook for information regarding this procedure.  This policy is not for reviewing instances where a student has been accused of cheating, plagiarism, or other academic dishonesty.  Also not covered by this policy are grievances based on discrimination.

Academic Renewal

Undergraduate students returning to UCM after an absence of three (3) or more calendar years to complete an undergraduate degree or certificate may request academic renewal of prior UCM coursework.  The renewal can apply to multiple semesters and will affect only courses taken at UCM prior to the absence.  The following rules apply:

• Does not include transfer work.  (There is a separate academic renewal policy for new transfer students at UCM.  This policy can be found in the Admissions section of this catalog.)
• Academic renewal does not remove grades from the academic transcript.  A notation on the transcript will indicate the academic renewal.
• Academic renewal of undergraduate courses will not be considered to raise grade point averages for admission into graduate programs.
• Any degree requirements met during the designated term(s) will need to be repeated.
• Credit hours forgiven by this policy cannot be used to meet any requirements (prerequisite, graduation, certification, etc).
• Once approved and processed cannot be rescinded.
• Cannot predict how other bodies (graduate school, law school, medical school, etc) will interpret UCM’s policy.
• Request must be made no later than one semester prior to degree conferral.
• Final approval is made by the Assistant Vice Provost for Enrollment Management.
• A student cannot request UCM’s academic renewal policy if a similar policy from another institution was approved.

Students who receive financial aid must meet with a Financial Aid Counselor in Student Financial Services (WDE 1100, 660-543-8266) to determine how Academic Renewal could impact federal or state financial aid.  Awarding of scholarships after Academic Renewal will be determined by the awarding body.  Students who have ever received GI Bill® benefits at any institution must contact Military and Veteran Services (UN 117, 660-543-8776) regarding the impact of Academic Renewal.  Student athletes must contact the Senior Associate Athletic Director (660-543-4310) to determine how Academic Renewal impacts athletic eligibility and athletic scholarship.

Unfinished Work

Unfinished work is denoted with a U grade on the transcript. The U grade is intended for use either in extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control in the last few days of the semester (illness or death in the family) or if the course is of an individualized nature that requires completion time beyond one semester, e.g., thesis, research report, or similar investigation.

Students with a U grade do not re-enroll in the class during the subsequent or later semester. They simply make up the missing work from the prior semester, as arranged with the instructor. Students who need to attend the entire class again will be assigned a letter grade and must re-enroll and pay fees accordingly. Students who have more than one U grade are expected to reduce their course load accordingly in order to complete the unfinished work. It is the student’s responsibility to contact his/her instructor concerning the removal of the U grade. Students may not graduate with a U grade on their record.

All U grades will be changed to F grades on the last class day of the subsequent semester if no other grade change has been submitted.  Some courses, as designated by the academic schools, may carry the U grade for more than one semester if the course is of an individualized nature, e.g., thesis, research report, or similar investigation.

Extenuating circumstances: An instructor may report a semester grade of U when, for justifiable reasons, the student has not completed the work of the course. For example, if a student has an extenuating circumstance beyond their control during the last week of the course, an extension may be granted at the discretion of the instructor. The grade will remain a U until the instructor has assigned a new grade. If at the end of the next semester (Fall, Spring or Summer) a new grade has not been provided, the U becomes an F. While the grade change does not occur until the end of the semester, instructors may set earlier deadlines for completion of the missing coursework.

Courses of an individualized nature: Some courses, as designated by the academic schools, may carry the U grade for more than one semester if the course is of an individualized nature, e.g., thesis, research report, or similar investigation.

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