Grades and quality points represent the instructor’s final assessment of the student’s performance in a course.
The “C” grade is the instructor’s certification that the student has demonstrated average mastery of the material. The grade of “B” signifies that the student has gained a significantly more effective command of the material. The grade of “A” is interpreted to mean that the instructor recognizes exceptionally high performance. A student is graded “D” when a grasp of the course is minimal. The “F” grade indicates failure to achieve the minimal level required and the necessity for successful repeating of the course before credit will be awarded.
A quality point is the value assigned to a letter grade. Lincoln Memorial University uses a plus/minus grading system for its undergraduate curriculum. The grading scale for each Nursing program may be found with the appropriate program specific information.
| A | 4.0 quality points per semester credit hour |
| A- | 3.67 quality points per semester credit hour |
| B+ | 3.33 quality points per semester credit hour |
| B | 3.0 quality points per semester credit hour |
| B- | 2.67 quality points per semester credit hour |
| C+ | 2.33 quality points per semester credit hour |
| C | 2.0 quality points per semester credit hour |
| C- | 1.67 quality points per semester credit hour |
| D+ | 1.33 quality points per semester credit hour |
| D | 1.0 quality point per semester credit hour |
| D- | 0.67 quality point per semester credit hour |
| F | no quality points earned |
Other possible grades or transcript notations include:
| I | Incomplete. If the request for an “I” grade is approved, the work must be completed within the first six weeks of the following semester (excluding summer terms); otherwise the grade automatically becomes “F.” The grade of I is calculated in the grade point average with zero points. A student may not repeat (re-enroll) in a course to resolve an Incomplete. |
| NC | No Credit. No credit assigned for the course |
| SC | Special credit. Not computed in the GPA. |
| CE | Credit by Examination. Not computed in the GPA. |
| AU | Audit. Denotes official audit of course; no credit awarded nor grade assigned. To be designated by the Drop/Add Deadline. |
| WD | Withdrew. Denotes official withdrawal from the course. See “Change of Schedule” and “Withdrawal from the University.” |
Standards of Academic Progress
If a student fails to maintain the following Standards of Academic Progress, he/she will be notified in a letter from the Office of Academic Affairs.
Academic Warning— When, for any one semester, the GPA for an undergraduate student in good academic standing falls below 2.0, while the student’s cumulative GPA remains above a 2.0.
Procedures: The student will be required to meet with his/her Academic Advisor and an Academic Support counselor. During this meeting, a plan will be developed which will include academic counseling, referral to tutoring services, and possible referral to other resources as needed. The Office of Academic Support will monitor the student’s progress throughout the semester. A student who fails to achieve a minimum semester GPA of 2.0 for two consecutive semesters will be placed on Academic Probation.
Academic Probation— When an undergraduate student’s cumulative GPA falls below a 2.0; or when an undergraduate student has a semester GPA below a 2.0 for two consecutive semesters, but does not meet criteria for Academic Suspension.
Procedures: The student will be required to meet with his/her Academic Advisor and an Academic Support counselor. During this meeting a plan will be developed which will include academic counseling, referral to tutoring services, and possible referral to other resources as needed. An Academic Probation Contract is developed, which stipulates that the student will attend tutoring and meet up to once a week with an Academic Support Counselor. The Office of Academic Support will monitor the student’s progress throughout the semester. Students on probation may register for 12 to 17 hours during their probationary period with schedules approved by the Office of Academic Support.
Special conditions: Should a student enter a third consecutive semester with a semester GPA below 2.0, but the cumulative GPA remains above the scale (see below) for Academic Suspension, the role of Academic Advisor for that student will be transferred to a member of the Office of Academic Support. This, in addition to the aforementioned criteria, will assist the student in identifying strategies for improving his/her academic performance.
Academic Suspension—When an undergraduate student fails to meet the minimum GPA requirements listed below; or when a full-time undergraduate student fails all courses in any given semester.
Scale: GPA Required to Avoid Suspension
| Hours Attempted | Cumulative GPA |
| 0-29 | 1.5 GPA |
| 30-45 | 1.75 GPA |
| 46-59 | 1.90 GPA |
| 60+Hours | 2.00 GPA |
Procedures: A student who is academically suspended has the opportunity to submit a written appeal to the Director of Academic Support, if the student feels there are extenuating circumstances to be considered. The Office of Academic Support will receive all academic appeals. A student who is academically suspended from the University may apply for readmission after the elapsed suspension period by submitting a written request to the Academic Affairs Office a minimum of 30 days prior to the beginning of the semester for which the student is requesting re-admission. A second academic suspension will result in suspension for a full calendar year. A third academic suspension will result in permanent dismissal from the University.