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academic program
ACADEMIC POLICIES AND PRACTICES Each student who enrolls at Hampden-Sydney is expected to become familiar with the regulations and practices set forth in the following section. Academic rules, regulations, practices, and procedures are fundamental to the total educational program at the College. Questions regarding these regulations may be directed to the student’s advisor, the Registrar, or the Office of the Dean of Faculty. Exceptions to these policies may be considered by the Executive Committee of the Faculty under extraordinary circumstances if sufficient justification is offered. Petitions for such exceptions should be directed to the Executive Committee through the Office of the Dean of Faculty. GRADES AND QUALITY POINTS Course work is evaluated in the following terms: Quality Points Grades Per Semester A............................ Excellent.............................4 A-.................................................................... 3.7 B+................................................................... 3.3 B................................Good................................3 B-.................................................................... 2.7 C+................................................................... 2.3 C.................................Fair..................................2 C-.................................................................... 1.7 D+................................................................... 1.3 D................................ Poor.................................1 F.............................. Failure...............................0 W............... Withdrew or Withdrawn.................0 WF.................Withdrew Failing or....................0 Withdrawn Failing I............................Incomplete...........................0 GRADE REPORTING At the end of every semester, a set of detailed instructions for accessing final grades on line via Tiger Web is sent to each student.
GRADE CHANGES BY FACULTY Grade changes may be made by an instructor no later than five class days after the beginning of the next term in which the student is enrolled following the term in which the grade was given. An instructor, wishing to change the grade of a student who has enrolled in May Term, has until the fifth day of May Term for the change to be made. Faculty appeals to change a grade after these deadlines must be approved by the executive committee of the faculty. Student appeals for a grade change must follow the procedures outlined in the section below entitled “Grade Appeals.” GRADE APPEALS A student who believes that his final grade reflects an arbitrary or capricious academic evaluation, or reflects discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, handicap, sexual orientation, or veteran status may employ the following procedures to seek modification of such an evaluation: 1. He should first discuss the grade with the faculty member involved before the end of the drop period of the next academic term. 2. If the student’s complaint is not resolved, the student may appeal the grade to the department chair. It is the student’s responsibility to provide a written statement of the specific grievance with all relevant documentation (syllabus, graded work, guidelines for papers, presentations, etc.) attached. 3. If the department chair is unable to resolve the grade appeal to the satisfaction of both the student and faculty member involved, or the person giving the disputed grade is the department chair, then a written appeal with all relevant documentation may be made to the Dean of Faculty. The Dean may make recommendations to the student or instructor and will try to find an equitable solution to the dispute. 4. All parties to the grade appeal process are to maintain strict confidentiality until the matter is resolved. The complete policy is available in the Office of the Dean of Faculty.