DOC. I-07-01

PROPOSAL TO THE ACADEMIC SENATE

TITLE: Changing reporting of “grade in progress” from “P” to “IP”

SUBMITTED BY: Academic Policies Committee

DATE: October 26, 2007

ACTION: Legislative Authority

Reference: Article II. B. 1.d. grading

Background

Each semester many faculty, schooled under a system where the letter “P” denoted “pass” in a “pass/fail” grading system, enter a grade of “P” for students taking courses on a pass/fail basis (e.g., ASI 150 in the College). What faculty fail to realize in doing so is that, in the University of Dayton grading scheme, “P” stands not for “pass” but for “in progress” (the proper mark for “pass” in our system is “S”). As a result, the Registrar’s and deans’ offices are often deluged with student inquiries as to why they received no credit for their course. Less attentive students go about their business not realizing that they have an open course grade on their record. Programs reviewing student transcripts, too, read the “P” as a pass, as the “P,” unlike an “I,” simply remains on the transcript forever.

Proposal

After consultation with the Registrar, the APC proposes that the designation for “grade in progress” be changed from “P” to the more descriptive designation “IP.” This is the designation used by most other schools. As such, the change would not only add transparency to the transcript, but would also bring our student transcript in line with those of other institutions. Given the lead time needed to educate faculty about the change and to update a number of official documents that have already been set for this year (transcript key, Bulletin, Student Handbook, etc.), the change will become effective for the 2008-2009 academic year.