Grade of INC (Incomplete) & FIN (Incomplete Changed to F)
INC Grade
A grade of INC is given in lieu of a grade only in exceptional circumstances for students who have been doing satisfactory work and have been unable to complete course requirements. While students must fulfill their academic obligation no later than the last day of classes of the following semester, faculty have the discretion to set an earlier due date for completion. This ensures sufficient time to evaluate work and submit the grade change before unresolved INCs convert to FINs. Internal deadlines for students and faculty are published each term in the academic calendar. In extraordinary circumstances, the deadline may be extended one additional year with the approval of the Dean of Academic Programs or the Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management.
Incomplete grades that are not resolved within the above-mentioned time period will be changed to a FIN grade on the last day of classes of the following semester. No credit is awarded for Incompletes that have not been appropriately resolved. A maximum of three grades of Incomplete may be converted to regular grades during the course of a student’s enrollment in graduate studies at John Jay College. In rare circumstances, more than three grades of Incomplete may be converted to regular grades with the approval of the Dean of Academic Programs or the Vice President for Enrollment Management.
Once a student has completed their outstanding coursework, they should follow up with their professor to ensure that the proper form was submitted to the Office of the Registrar. Only faculty members are permitted to submit this form to the Office of the Registrar.
FIN Grade
The grade of FIN (Incomplete Changed to F) is assigned when a grade of INC lapses to an F. The grade of INC (Incomplete) should be given by the instructor, in consultation with the student, only when there is a reasonable expectation that the student can successfully complete the remaining course requirements.
It is a temporary grade awarded when the final grade cannot yet be determined for reasons other than those related to the Procedures for Imposition of Sanctions under the Board’s Academic Integrity Policy.
The grade of INC lapses to an FIN no later than the last day of the following semester, or its equivalent in calendar time, exclusive of the Summer Term/Session.
Grade of W (Withdrawal)
The grade of W indicates withdrawal without penalty. It is assigned by the Office of the Registrar upon approval of an Application for Resignation filed by the deadline as indicated in the academic calendar (usually in the tenth week of classes). A grade of W is not computed in the grade point average. W grades may affect student eligibility for financial aid.
Grade of WN (Withdrawal – Did Not Attend)
The grade of WN is assigned by the Registrar when a student is registered for a course but has never attended. The grade is a non-penalty grade similar to a W but it will have an effect on the student’s financial aid for the semester.
Grades of WA-WD-WU
WA Grade - Administrative Withdrawal
The grade of WA is assigned by the Office of the Registrar when a student fails to comply with the Proof of Immunization Policy of the College. The grade of WA is not computed in the grade point average. WA grades may affect student eligibility for financial aid.
WD Grade - Withdrew Drop
The WD grade is assigned by the Office of the Registrar when the student who has attended at least one class session drops a course after the financial aid certification date but before the end of the refund period. The WD grade does not appear on the student's transcript.
WU Grade - Withdrew Unofficially
A grade of WU is to be assigned to students who participated in an academic activity related to the class at least once, stopped participating, did not drop the class or receive approval for an incomplete, did not otherwise officially withdraw from the course, and did not complete enough work for the instructor to be able to calculate an earned grade using the criteria delineated in the course syllabus.
An F grade should never be given in place of a WU grade.
As of Fall 2021, the WU grade is not computed in the grade point average. Students who want to withdraw from a class are advised to submit an official Application for Withdrawal through Schedule Builder prior to the end of the tenth week of classes. The exact date can be found on the Academic Calendar.
Pass/No Credit Option, Credit, and Pending
P/NC Grade
Graduate students taking undergraduate courses to meet conditions of matriculation, such as STA 250 or PSY 311, may take them on a Pass/No Credit (P/NC) basis unless a letter grade is required by the graduate program. Application for the P/NC option must be made through the Jay Express Services Center before the end of the second week of classes during the fall and spring semester, before the end of the first week of classes for 5-week and 8-week summer sessions, and before the end of the third class for 3-week summer session and winter session. Once granted, this option is irrevocable. Pass/No Credit option grades are not computed in the grade point average.
CR Grade
The grade of CR is used in certain courses that are graded on a credit/no-credit basis and indicates that a student has earned credit for the course. The grade is not included in the calculation of the student's GPA.
PEN Grade
The PEN grade is recorded when a faculty member suspects or determines that an academic integrity violation has taken place that warrants formal intervention. The faculty member submits a Faculty Report of Alleged Violation of Academic Integrity Policies to the Academic Integrity Officer of the College, who notifies the Registrar so that the Registrar can record a PEN grade to prevent withdrawal from the course by the student in question. A PEN grade is removed or changed when the applicable consultation, appeal, and/or adjudication processes are complete. In the event that the alleged violation is withdrawn in the student’s favor, the student will have the right to withdraw from the course based on the date that the violation form was filed.
Graduate Failing Grade Repeat Policy
Effective Fall 2022 and forward, students who receive a failing grade in a graduate-level course may retake that course, with certain limits set forth in this policy. This policy does not apply to INC grades.
If a course is retaken, the original failing grade remains on the student’s transcript. But, depending on the grade achieved upon retaking, the original failing grade may be removed from the student’s cumulative GPA. If a grade of C- or better is earned, that new grade will count toward the student’s cumulative GPA, and the original failing grade will not. If, on the other hand, a grade is earned that is not a C- or better, both the original failing grade and the new grade will count toward the student’s cumulative GPA.
This policy has both per-course and per degree caps. A particular course can be retaken only one time (this is the per-course cap). A maximum of two failing grades may be replaced during the course of a student’s graduate-level studies for each graduate degree obtained at John Jay College (this is the per degree cap). Because there are per-course and per degree caps, a student might earn a failing grade in a required course and be unable to replace it. That would put the student at risk of academic dismissal, so the student should consult with graduate program directors.
Grade Point Average
The grade point average (GPA) is computed by multiplying the index (numerical) value of grades A, A–, B+, B, B–, C+, C–, F, and FIN (see GRADES table at the beginning of this section) with the number of credits of each course, which yields the number of quality points. The number of quality points is then divided by the total number of accumulated credits to yield the GPA.
Graduate students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 to remain in good academic standing. See the Good Academic Standing section of this bulletin for more information.