GRADE POLICY FOR POSTBAC

All grades are based solely on work completed during the term in which a course is offered, except in the case of a grade issued to replace an incomplete authorized by the Committee on Academic Standing. (See Incomplete Work in a Course.)

LETTER GRADES
The letter grading system within the Postbac Program is the same as that within Columbia's undergraduate colleges, namely, A, excellent; B, good; C, fair; D, poor but passing; F, failure (a final grade, not subject to reexamination). Plus and minus grades are also used, except with a D or F. No more than 10% of a student's total number of Columbia credits with the grade of D will count toward the degree; no work with a grade of D will be credited toward the major unless otherwise noted by a department in its official policies.

Postbac students are not allowed to take any of their courses P/F, except those courses that are offered only on a P/F basis. The P/D/F grading and uncovering option available to GS undergrads is not applicable to students within the Postbac Premed Program.
Postbac students also are not allowed to register for courses for “R” credit.
The mark of W (withdrawal) is permanently recorded on a transcript for a student who withdraws from a course after the seventh week and before the eleventh week of classes.
The mark of UW (unofficial withdrawal) is given to students who have not officially dropped or withdrawn from a course and who have not attended class or completed any substantive work in the course. However, for students who have not officially dropped a course but who have completed substantive work, such as a paper or a midterm examination, the incomplete work may be averaged into the final grade as a zero or an F, and the instructor may compute and award a final course grade. A UW is a permanent grade and will remain on the transcript even if the student repeats the course. While not averaged into the grade point average, UWs are treated as unsatisfactory grades. A student with one or more UWs is subject to academic discipline.

GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA)
The Registrar calculates semester as well as cumulative grade point averages based on the number of credits per class. The GPA is used to assess a student's academic progress as well as to determine a student's eligibility for certain honors such as the Dean's List or the Honor Society. The GPA is printed on all official Columbia transcripts. GPAs are computed on the following scale:

A+ = 4.33	B+ = 3.33	C+ = 2.33	D = 1.00
A = 4.00	B = 3.00	C = 2.00	F = 0.00
A- = 3.67	B- = 2.67	C- = 1.67

In reviewing a student’s cumulative GPA for eligibility requirements pertinent to linkage, committee support, or the Certificate in Premedical Sciences, the Premedical Sciences Committee takes into account the term and cumulative GPA derived from approved math and science courses taken as part of the premedical sciences curriculum at GS.

If a student repeats a course while enrolled in the Postbac Program, only the grade earned for the first attempt will be figured into the grade point average, except where grades of F, W, or UW were earned

GRADE APPEALS AND GRADE CHANGES (same for undergrads and postbac)
Assessment of a student's performance in a course is at the instructor's discretion. When a student feels a grade appeal is warranted, the student should first speak with the instructor of the course in order to understand how the evaluation was derived or to clarify other specific concerns. If dissatisfied with the explanation or uncomfortable in broaching this matter with the instructor, the student should speak with the director of undergraduate studies or chair of the relevant department. Deans and GS advisors can counsel a student on whether and how to approach an instructor about a grade appeal; however, they do not arbitrate grade disputes. Students should keep their GS advisors informed of any pending grade disputes or appeals, as the Office of the Dean of Students can help to expedite a response from a faculty member or department. The statute of limitations on final grade appeals is three months from the end of the semester in which the course was taken. Changes in final grades are subject to the approval of the Committee on Academic Standing once the change of grade and rationale has been submitted by the instructor.

PASS/D/FAIL OPTION
The P/D/F option, including the opportunity to uncover a Pass, is NOT available to Postbac students, with the exception of Math W1003.

MATH W1003
According to the academic requirements of the Premedical Program, all required and elective coursework in math and science must be taken for a letter grade. However, this requirement does not necessarily apply to College Algebra & Analytic Geometry (MATH W1003), which is preparation for a required course (Calculus I), but is neither a required or an elective course itself. Consequently, students enrolled in MATH 1003 may take the course either for a letter grade or for a P/D/F grade.

Electing to take the course for Pass/D/Fail will not compromise one's eligibility for committee support. If you elect to take this course Pass/D/Fail, please be advised that your advisor will verify that you performed at the C grade level minimally before permitting you to take Calculus I. No student will be eligible to take Calculus I until he or she is eligible to receive at least a C in MATH W1003.

Note: Pass/D/Fail grades cannot be uncovered.

UNOFFICIAL WITHDRAWAL (UW)
The mark of UW (Unofficial Withdrawal) is given to students who have not officially dropped or withdrawn from a course and who have not attended class or completed any substantive work in the course. However, for students who have not officially dropped a course but who have completed substantive work, such as a paper or a midterm examination, the incomplete work may be averaged into the final grade as a zero or an F, and the instructor may compute and award a final course grade. A UW is a permanent grade and will remain on the transcript even if the student repeats the course. While not averaged into the grade point average, UWs are treated as unsatisfactory grades. A student with one or more UWs is subject to academic discipline.

INCOMPLETE WORK IN A COURSE (INC) (same for undergrads and postbac)

Written Work and Exams
Students must complete all coursework by the last day of exams in a given semester. For students who cannot complete their course work or are unable to take a final examination, an incomplete for a course in progress may be granted by the General Studies Committee on Academic Standing (CAS). (Faculty members, while consulted for approval of specific extensions, are not authorized to grant incompletes beyond the end of term.) Students should contact their advisors first when an exam or deadline is missed. Petitions for official incompletes at the end of term should be based on unexpected circumstances that arise only within the last two weeks of the course which may prevent a student from timely completion of the final coursework or exam.

The only reasons for which an INC will be granted are incapacitating illness, as certified by the University Health Services or a personal physician, serious family emergency, or circumstances of comparable gravity. Students who wish to receive the mark of INC must, in consultation with their GS advisors, petition the CAS in writing. To be granted an INC, it is expected that students will have completed all work in the class with the exception of the final project or exam. Students who are granted an INC are assigned a deadline for completion of the overdue work or a date by which a deferred examination must be taken. Those who fail to meet the assigned deadline or miss the deferred examination will receive the contingency grade provided by the instructor.

Students with more than two incompletes usually cannot enroll in the following semester without the explicit permission of the GS Committee on Academic Standing. When allowed to enroll, students with more than two incompletes will usually be advised to enroll part-time.

Incomplete Written Work
Students must submit a formal petition for an incomplete on written work by the last day of classes. The petition must be accompanied by the syllabus and a copy of the assignment showing the due date for the assignment. This deadline is set because written work is normally due during the last week of classes; if a deadline for written work other than an exam is set for later than reading week, the student has one day from the missed deadline to submit a petition for an incomplete. Students are advised to submit a draft of their written assignment to the faculty member while the petition for an incomplete is being considered by the CAS.

Incomplete Exams
In situations in which an incapacitating illness prevents a student from sitting for a final exam, the student should contact his or her advisor immediately about the missed examination, and must provide to the advisor—within seventy-two hours of the missed exam—certification of the illness by the University Health Services, personal physician, or emergency room. If circumstances warrant a make-up exam, the student will be permitted to sit for the exam on one of the official deferred exam dates published in the GS Academic Calendar. (Students cannot pick the date, but they will be notified of the date, time, and place of the exam).