Please see “Grade Review Procedure” section in the JMU Undergraduate Catalog for policy statement regarding grade reviews.
Incomplete Grades
If, under extraordinary circumstances, such as illness, a student is unable to complete course work in a class, the student may request an Incomplete be given from the instructor of the course before the end of the semester in which the course is being taken. The letter “I” represents on transcripts incomplete work in a given course.
Final coursework for a course in which a student receives a grade of “I” must be completed by the end of the next regular semester or the grade is recorded as a “F.”
Students who receive financial aid, have incomplete grades, and have not completed another full-term course must complete the incomplete course work within 21 days after the day grades are due to demonstrate they have completed the term; otherwise, their financial aid for the term may be reduced. For example:
- A student taking 12 full-term credits in the fall term who receives a grade of “D-” or better in 9 credits and an Incomplete in 3 credits IS considered to have completed the term; however,
- A student taking 12 full-term credits in the fall term who receives an Incomplete in all 12 credits is NOT considered to have completed the term.
You can learn more about the impact of incomplete classes on financial aid eligibility in Section 19 of the JMU Terms and Conditions for financial aid.
Midterm Grades
Midterm grades may be provided by an instructor for undergraduate students in their first-year of college. Instructors are encouraged to submit midterm grades as a courtesy to new students, but are not required by the university to do so.
Not Recorded (NR) Grades
When an instructor does not enter a grade for a student on a final grade roster, a grade of NR will be posted as the student’s grade. The NR stands for Not Recorded. This value indicates that a grade was not submitted from the instructor of record by the time of grade posting.
If a student has an NR grade, the student should contact the instructor of the course. The instructor will need to initiate a grade change. The student will receive an email when the department head approves the new grade submitted by the instructor.
Repeated Courses
Most classes may be repeated and will be included in calculating GPA.
With the “repeat forgiveness” option, the grade and credit hours earned in the second attempt will be calculated in the cumulative GPA. The first attempt will not be factored in after the second attempt has been completed. Students are limited to using the “repeat forgiveness” option twice during their time at JMU.
There are other guidelines, including exceptions, for repeating courses which are not mentioned here. More information can be found within the FAQs about Enrollment. For the full policy statement on repeating courses, please see “Repeating Courses” section in the JMU Undergraduate Catalog.
“W” Grades
A student may terminate enrollment in a course by withdrawing from the course after the drop deadline but before the course adjustment deadline. A student who withdraws from a course will receive a grade of "W" for the course, and this grade will be recorded (and remain) on the student's transcript regardless of the status of the student in the course at the time of the withdrawal. Additionally, full tuition charges will apply for a withdrawn course. For a comprehensive listing of all enrollment dates and deadlines by term, visit: https://www.jmu.edu/registrar/students/print_dates.shtml.
Students considering withdrawing from a course should be aware that other schools and future employers might hold differing opinions on a student's withdrawal from a course. For this reason, a student should withdraw from a course only after serious consideration.
A grade of W does not affect credit hours attempted, quality points earned, or GPA.
“WP” and “WF” Grades
In extraordinary situations, a student who becomes unable to complete course requirements after the course adjustment (withdrawal) deadline has passed may request a grade of WP (withdrawal passing) or WF (withdrawal failing) from the instructor. The method (verbal or written) and timing of such a request are determined by individual instructors. The student is responsible for ensuring the request is made in an appropriate manner and at an appropriate time. In response to such a request, the instructor may choose to record a grade of WP or WF when submitting final grades, but is not obligated to do so (and may record any grade other than “W”.)
A grade of WP or WF do not affect credit hours attempted, quality points earned, or GPA.