The Law faculty revised the grading standards for application beginning in the fall of 1998. Under the standards, grades in all courses will be strongly suggested to meet certain grade distribution ranges and means.

The strongly suggested curve for classes of forty or more is as follows:

1. Course mean grade anchored at approximately the grade of B minus.

2. Course grades distributed with the following ranges:

Grades of A, approximately 5 to 10 percent of group
Grades of A-, B+, approximately 10 to 15 percent of group
Grades of B, approximately 18 to 22 percent of group
Grades of B-, approximately 18 to 22 percent of group
Grades of C, C+, approximately 30 to 40 percent of group
Grades of C-, D+, D, D-, F approximately 0 to 10 percent of group

[approved 11/18/93, revised 5/21/98]

Students will be graded on a scale of 0.00 to 4.00. Faculty may request a half-step grade increase for a student’s class participation provided such participation was not already accounted for in the original grade submitted. Faculty must submit to the Registrar a list of students receiving grade increases at the time of, or prior to, submission of grades.

A student’s class standing is determined on the basis of his or her weighted average, which is cumulated after the first year. Reports of grades are made as follows:

Once course grades are submitted by the instructor to the registrar they may not be altered (other than to correct a clerical error), except by vote of the Law School faculty.

For first-year Day Division students in Contracts, Property, Civil Procedure, and Torts, and for first-year Evening Division students in Contracts, Civil Procedure, there shall be a two-hour examination given at the end of the first semester, and a three-hour examination given at the end of the second semester. To calculate the final examination grade for these year-long, two-semester courses, the letter grade awarded for the first semester examination is to be weighted as 25% of the final grade, and the letter grade awarded for the second semester examination is to be weighted as 75% of the final grade. The subject matter of the examination for the first semester is to include only course material covered in the first semester; the subject matter for the second semester examination may include any course material covered during the academic year. [amended 5/21/98]

Official class standings are compiled only at the close of each academic year. However, unofficial class standings are compiled after the first semester. Only official class standings may be recorded on a transcript.

Cumulative and yearly grade point averages (GPAs) will be computed and recorded by a 0.0 to 4.00 system. [Grades of A+ awarded prior to August 1998 will be weighted as 4.33] A student’s official transcript will also show the letter grades awarded for all courses taken and will translate those letter grades into yearly and final cumulative grade point averages (GPAs). Class rank will be recorded on the transcript for any student who requests it. For first-year students only, section rank will also be recorded at the student’s option. [5/22/97]

Examination numbers are used in all examinations. Only those students who have fulfilled their financial obligations to the University will receive examination numbers. A student must take the courses and examinations for the section in which he or she is enrolled.

The faculty has promulgated a set of Examination Rules and Regulations which govern all examinations. A copy of the Examination Rules and Regulations are contained in the Student Handbook. Copies are also available in the Registrar’s Office.

No student may fail to take an examination scheduled for his or her program of study or take an examination not so scheduled. If for some compelling reason beyond his or her control the student is unable to take a scheduled examination, a written statement setting forth the reasons therefore must be promptly submitted to the office of the Dean of Students. If the compelling reason exists in advance of the examination, the written statement must be submitted before the examination. The Dean of Students will approve or disapprove the request. An unapproved failure to take a scheduled examination will be recorded as a grade of No Credit (F).

No record will be made or credit given for an unapproved taking of any examination. Where a student has omitted to take a required examination with approval, the grade for the course will be recorded temporarily as an “X”. A permanent grade of F will be recorded if the student fails to take the next regularly scheduled examination in the course. Where a student fails to complete a paper or other project for a course by the end of the term, the grade for the course will be recorded temporarily as “I” for “incomplete.” [07/29/92]

A student who without permission fails to sit for his or her examinations may be dismissed administratively.

A student in good academic standing may take a reexamination in any course in which he or she has received an unsatisfactory grade of C-, D+, D, or D-. A student who wishes to take a reexamination must register for the reexamination at least 30 days before the examination period begins. Reexamination must be in the same division, unless an associate dean waives this requirement for good cause. The reexamination option does not apply to a grade of F.

Reexaminations shall be graded on a Pass / Unsatisfactory / Fail basis. The grade on the reexamination shall appear on the student’s transcript along with the original unsatisfactory grade, but only the original grade will be counted in the student’s overall grade point average. However, if a student receives a Pass on the reexamination, he or she shall be deemed to have a satisfactory grade in the course for purposes of the regulation (Regulation I(A)(3)) barring graduation with unsatisfactory grades in more than three courses, and he or she shall be deemed to have satisfactorily completed the course for purposes of any prescribed prerequisite requirement under Regulation II(C)(5)(f). The Reexamination shall have no effect under Regulations I(B), I(C), or II(C)(5)(b).

Students taking reexaminations must take the examination prepared by the professor who gave the original examination, unless exempted from this requirement, in writing, by an associate dean. No such exemption is required, however, if the professor is no longer teaching the course.

Grades received in reexaminations are final. Only one reexamination may be taken in any one course.

Note: In accordance with the provisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (Section 438 of the General Education Provisions Act, 20 U.S.C § 1232 (g)), commonly known as the “Buckley Amendment”, Suffolk University has adopted regulations to protect the privacy rights of its students. A copy of these regulations are available in the Registrar’s Office.