Academic Regulations

Grades

In the College of Art one semester unit of credit is assigned for every two hours of work completed in class and one hour of work completed outside of class per week for one semester. A grade point is a measure of quality assigned to units according to the following system:

Grade   Degree Credit Grade Points per Unit
A+ superior yes 4.0
A superior yes 4.0
A- superior yes 3.7
B+ good yes 3.3
B good yes 3.0
B- good yes 2.7
C+ average yes 2.3
C average yes 2.0
C- average yes 1.7
D+ unsatisfactory yes 1.3
D unsatisfactory yes 1.0
D- unsatisfactory yes 0.7
F failing no 0.0
I course work incomplete no 0.0
X examination not taken no 0.0
N no grade reported no 0.0
P# pass (P/F option) yes 0.0
F# fail (P/F option) no 0.0
L successful audit no 0.0
Z unsuccessful audit no 0.0
W withdraw   0.0
R repeat    

Grades of I, X, and N will become grades of F if the deficiency is not made up within the next two semesters of residence. For a repeated course, students earn credit and grade points based on the second grade received.

Incomplete Courses

If, following the last day for withdrawal from courses, you experience medical or personal problems that make satisfactory completion of course work unlikely, you may request a grade of I (incomplete) from one or more instructors and should take the following steps: 1. discuss the request with the instructor before the final critique or portfolio review; 2. with the instructor's consent, complete an Incomplete Grade Petition signed by both the instructor and the student; 3. return the signed petition to the Associate Dean of Students for final approval.

Policy on Retaking Courses

Retaking courses in which “No Credit” has been received: When a student retakes a course in which “No Credit” has been received, both enrollments for the course appear on the transcript. If a passing grade is received in the second enrollment, the first enrollment may be changed to show an appropriate symbol indicating the re-enrollment upon request by the student and with departmental approval.

Retaking courses in which a passing grade has been received: When a student retakes a course in which a passing grade has been received, both enrollments will show on the transcript. If the second grade is equivalent to or better than the first grade, the first grade may be changed to show an appropriate symbol indicating the re-enrollment upon the request of the student and with departmental approval. Credit toward degree fulfillment will be allowed for only one of the enrollments.

Courses completed at institutions other than Washington University will not be considered as applicable under this policy.

Pass/Fail Grading

Students in the College of Art may take one non-art course per semester on a pass/fail basis (exclusive of courses that must be taken pass/fail). Any additional courses taken pass/fail in a given semester will not be counted towards the degree. All art courses (those courses with an F10 or F20 department number) must be taken for credit. Writing I (L13 100) must also be taken for credit.

Grade Point Average

Your undergraduate grade point average is determined by dividing the number of grade points earned by the number of semester units for which grades of A, B, C, D, or F have been recorded. Grades of P# and F# received for courses taken on the Pass/Fail option are not figured into the grade point average. The letter grade D+, D, or D- received by a senior in the major (F10 courses) will not be counted toward degree requirements. A maximum of 8 units of grade D+, D, or D- received by a junior in the major may be counted toward degree requirements.

Student Conduct & Academic Integrity Policy

Students are expected to comply with the regulations of the University and the rules of conduct stated in the “Student Judicial Procedures.” Most allegations of misconduct are handled through student judicial boards, with the assistance of the general counsel and the University judicial administrator. Major violations of the code will lead to disciplinary action and may result in expulsion from the University. Students and members of the faculty of the University have an obligation to uphold the highest standards of scholarship. Plagiarism or other forms of cheating cannot be tolerated. When a student has violated the integrity of the academic community, an instructor may recommend that the student be brought before a disciplinary committee.

These are the most frequent areas of violation:

  • failure to use adequate means of documentation in written reports or essays, resulting in plagiarism
  • use of either prepared notes or the work of other students while taking a test
  • alteration of test materials or class assignments that are submitted for regrading
  • collaboration with other students in preparing assignments, when not approved by the instructor.

If the Committee on Academic Integrity finds after a thorough hearing that a student in any School has violated any of the published standards, the committee has the authority to take the following steps:

  • issue to the student a formal reprimand, which shall be a part of the student’s file until graduation
  • recommend a penalty less severe than failure of the course in which the offense occurred
  • recommend that the offender be given a disciplinary grade in the course in which the offense occurred
  • recommend a one- or two-semester notation of “Academic Probation” on the transcript; refer the matter to the University Judicial Board, where decisions of suspension or expulsion are made.

Probation and Suspension Policy

A student whose semester grade point average is below 2.0 (equal to the grade of C) or has earned less than 12 credit hours toward the degree, will be placed on academic probation. If, after the following semester, the semester grade point average is still below 2.0, or if the student has earned less than 12 credit hours toward the degree, the student may be ineligible for normal advancement or may be suspended. While the School desires to give all students the opportunity to prove themselves, it is not in the best interest of either the students or the School to permit students to continue indefinitely in educational programs in which they are not producing satisfactory results.

Leave of Absence Policy

When an official leave of absence has been granted, you will be allowed to re-enter our degree program at the level you left, after either one or two semesters from which date your leave was approved. You should contact Georgia Binnington, Associate Dean of Students, if:
•you decide to take courses at another institution for possible transfer back to Washington University (if it was not approved prior to your leaving)
•you wish to extend your leave of absence or not return.

We also recommend that you contact Dean Binnington to confirm that you will return to Washington University at least thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of classes. (August 1 or December 1). The College of Art does not register students who are on leave for the following semester. Students must register when they return. Students returning from a leave should contact Dean Binnington or Cris Baldwin, Assistant Dean & Registrar, for an appointment to plan a schedule as soon as they arrive in St. Louis.

If you intend to apply for financial aid when you return to the University, you must obtain an application form from the Office of Student Financial Services, and complete and return it by the appropriate deadline. Application materials are available in January for the following academic year. The deadline for submitting the materials s, approximately, March 15. If you are on leave for the fall semester only, you must follow the same procedures.

NOTE: If you have a GSL or NDSL loan, you will be required to begin making payments on the loan after six (6) months of leave. Payments will not be required once you return to school.  You may obtain the necessary financial aid application materials by writing or calling:

Washington University in St. Louis
Office of Student Financial Services
Campus Box 1041
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130
(314) 935-5900

Withdrawal and Refund Policy

A written request for a refund must be submitted to the associate dean for consideration. The approval of the associate dean is required to officially withdraw from the University. Tuition adjustments will be processed based on data received by the dean and according to the withdrawal refund schedule. Tuition refund checks will be issued only after the 4th week of classes each semester. For any student whose medical condition makes attendance for the balance of the semester impossible or medically inadvisable, the University will make a pro rata refund of tuition, as of the date of withdrawal when that date occurs prior to the 12th week, provided that the condition is verified by the University Health Service or a private physician. The date of withdrawal may correspond to the date of hospitalization or the date on which the medical condition was determined.