Graduation Honors

Students certified as graduates who have consistently maintained a high average and have successfully completed all requirements for the bachelor’s degree will have the degree awarded cum laude (with honors). To be considered for such honors, a student must have earned at least 60 credits (in addition to credits earned S/U) in residence. Courses which are only graded S/U may be counted as part of the 60 credits required to be taken “for grade” in the determination of graduation with honors as long as the course fulfills a major requirement.

• Students who have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 and have taken at least 60 credits at St. John Fisher College, as noted above, will be awarded the bachelor’s degree, cum laude.
• Students who have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.70 and have taken at least 60 credits at St. John Fisher College, as noted above, will be awarded the bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude.
• Students who have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.85 and have taken at least 60 credits at St. John Fisher College, as noted above, will be awarded the bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude.

Honors in Major

In order for the statement “with honors in (major)” to be added to a transcript, the student must:

• Qualify and be awarded a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, or higher
• Complete an honors project approved by a faculty supervisor, the department chair, and the provost and present and defend the project at a colloquium
• Declare the intent to develop an honors project prior to the beginning of the senior year

See individual departments for additional requirements.

Dean’s List

Each semester, a list of students who have excelled academically is produced. To be eligible, a student must have:

• A 3.50 or higher term GPA
• No grade lower than “C”
• At least 12 undergraduate credit hours earned in residence in addition to credits earned S/U
• No grades of “U”, “UA”, or “I”

The Dean’s List students will be identified at the end of each semester when academic standing is determined and again at the end of the six-week Incomplete grade period.

Students with approved ADA Accommodated Part-Time status are eligible for the Dean’s List as long as they meet all Dean’s List criteria, even though they may not carry full-time credit loads.

Students engaged in student teaching during a semester may be eligible to be named to the Dean’s List provided they receive the grade of “S” for student teaching, obtain a grade no lower than “B” in a regular course (if they are enrolled in one), and have been on the Dean’s List for two semesters prior to their student teaching semester.

All students with approved incomplete grade extensions or in Study Abroad or Washington Semester Programs are eligible for the Dean’s List when their grades are submitted as long as the incomplete grades did not first change to grades of “F” or default grades.

Honors Program

To be eligible for consideration for this program, students must rank in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class, have graduated with a high school average of at least 90 percent, and have a combined SAT score of 1100. Each year, 30 outstanding high school students are selected as Honors students.

Transfer students are also eligible for consideration if their cumulative grade point average is at least 3.40. If they have earned 12 credit hours or fewer at another college, they must have a high school average of 90 percent and a combined SAT score of 1150.

To graduate from the St. John Fisher College Honors Program, a student must take a minimum of six honors courses (the minimum for transfer students varies by the number of semesters at the College), maintain a minimum 3.30 cumulative grade point average each semester, and be a full-time student. Honors students receive a yearly $3,000 scholarship.

Honor Societies

The national social science honor society, Pi Gamma Mu, has recognized and admitted to membership St. John Fisher College. The society, established to encourage studies in the entire field of social sciences and to promote relations between colleges and universities, initiated members of the faculty and students of the College in 1959.

In March 1965, the Gamma Tau Chapter of Delta Epsilon Sigma, a national honor society, was established at St. John Fisher College. Membership in the society is open to both faculty and students. Its objectives are to recognize academic accomplishments, to foster scholarly activities, and to provide an intellectual meeting ground for its members.

A chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, an international honor society in history, was established at St. John Fisher College in the spring of 1971. It encourages excellence in historical research by both faculty and students.

Outstanding seniors showing ability to do independent scientific research are eligible for election to associate membership in the Rochester Chapter of Sigma Xi, a national honor society devoted to the encouragement of original research in science.

Membership in Alpha Mu Gamma, the national collegiate foreign language honor society, is offered to students who demonstrate outstanding achievement in foreign language study at the College. Alpha Mu Gamma encourages the study of foreign languages in several ways: e.g., student publication; scholarship awards; the reception of foreign students, and national; local and regional meetings.

Pi Delta Phi, the national French honor society, has the Eta Nu Chapter at the College.

Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international honor society in economics, established the Alpha-Omicron Chapter at St. John Fisher College in 1976. The objectives of Omicron Delta Epsilon are recognition of outstanding academic achievements in economics and the establishment of closer ties between students and faculty in economics.

Alpha Sigma Lambda, the national continuing education honor society, has the Delta Mu Chapter at the College.

A chapter of Epsilon Chi Omicron, the national honor society in international business management, was established at St. John Fisher College in 1988. The purpose of the society is to recognize and encourage scholastic achievement and excellence in the field of international business management.

The International Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau, Delta Sigma Chapter, recognizes the achievement of academic scholarship of superior quality. Because achievement of superior scholarship demonstrates leadership, creativity, and overall ability in nursing, membership at this level is based upon the student’s grade point average.

The Trustees Ranking Scholar Award is given upon the decision of the Trustees to the graduating senior with the highest cumulative grade point average.

The Trustees Distinguished Scholar Award is given to the graduating senior with the highest cumulative grade point average based on at least 100 graded credits earned at St. John Fisher College.

The John A. Murray Award is awarded to a junior or senior whose academic proficiency and other qualities show outstanding promise of leadership.

*In addition, each of the five Schools presents a number of academic awards to its graduating seniors. Please contact the Office of the Dean of the respective School for more information.

St. John Fisher College operates on a semester basis with final examinations at the close of each semester.

These grades indicate passing work:

Outstanding: A, A-
Good: B+, B, B-
Satisfactory: C+, C, S
Passing: C-, D+, D, D-

These grades indicate work below the passing standard:

Failure: F
Unsatisfactory: U
Failure due to excessive absence: FA

To earn credit, a student must repeat and pass the course in which a grade of “F,” “FA,” or “U” has been received.

Other grades:

Audit: AU
Incomplete: I
Withdrawal: W

Calculating the Grade Point Average (GPA)

The grade point average is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of graded credits attempted. Thus, a student who has attempted 60 credit hours and has accumulated 120 grade points would have a grade point average of 2.00 or a “C” average. Failures are included in the calculation of the grade point average until the course has been repeated and passed.

Audit Grade

The grade of “AU” is assigned to students who have officially registered to audit a course. With permission of the instructor, any student may register to audit a course. Although the student does not earn credit, the course appears on the student’s transcript with the grade “AU.” Students must choose between credit and audit by the date published in the academic calendar. At the time of approval for the audit, the instructor and student will agree upon the amount of work the student is required to complete and the nature of the student’s participation in the course and the assignments. Generally, an auditor listens to the lectures, reads the material, writes brief quizzes, and may participate in class discussions. Courses which require ongoing, active participation in the work of the course, such as Independent Study and Elementary Foreign Language, are not open for audit. The current per-credit tuition charge applies to audited courses.

Note: Non-matriculated students who wish to audit a course must meet the criteria outlined in the Non-Matriculated Students section.

Incomplete Grade

The grade of Incomplete (I) is used ONLY when required assignments are not completed due to serious circumstances which are clearly beyond the student’s control. The instructor, after consultation with the student, submits an Incomplete (I) grade.

The final grade must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the published Incomplete grade deadline date* found on the academic calendar. Therefore, missing coursework should be submitted to the instructor in advance of the Incomplete grade deadline.

If the final grade is not submitted by the Incomplete grade deadline, the Incomplete grade will be converted to a Failing (F) or Unsatisfactory (U) grade as appropriate.

The instructor and students can review their outstanding Incomplete grades in Fish’R’Net until the Incomplete grade is resolved.

A written appeal for an extension of the published Incomplete grade deadline must be filed in writing with the Academic Standing Committee at least two weeks before the I grade is scheduled to convert to an F or U. The written appeal should be sent to the Undergraduate Academic Standing committee in care of the Registrar’s Office. The appeal must contain a full explanation of why an extension of being requested and have the written support of the instructor. The decision of the Committee will be communicated to the student and instructor by email.

Note: A student may not graduate from St. John Fisher College with an incomplete grade on his/her record.

*The Incomplete grade due deadline is six (6) weeks from the Friday of final exam week for the term.

For information on Incomplete grades earned while participating in study abroad program see the Study Abroad Program.

Withdrawal Grade

The grade “W” is assigned administratively when a student withdraws from a course within the appropriate time frame as published in the academic calendar. The grade of “W” may be requested by the provost or school dean when there is evidence presented before the end of classes to show that the student is compelled to withdraw for a non-academic reason, such as a serious health emergency or call to military service. The withdrawal grade does not affect the grade point average. After the deadline date to withdraw from a course has passed, all appeals for late grades of “W” must be directed to the Committee on Academic Standing. If approved, these changes will be subject to the Course Change Late fee.

The last day on which the grade of “W” can be assigned is indicated in the academic calendar. Withdrawal forms submitted to the Registrar’s Office after this date will be assigned a grade of “F.”

When a student withdraws on or before the last day for “withdrawal without academic record,” the course does not appear on the transcript.

Note: Students who have a repeated pattern of withdrawals from some or all courses in a semester will be reviewed by the Undergraduate Committee on Academic Standing and may be placed on an Academic Contract.

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grading

To encourage students to enroll in courses for which they might be reluctant to register on the basis of the traditional grading system, a student may elect to take courses on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) basis.

Any course may be taken S/U except:

• Courses in the major department (some internships may be taken S/U).
• Courses outside the major department, which are specifically required for the major.
• Honors courses for students in the College Honors Program.

Credit is earned only by the grade of “S,” which is given for work equivalent to a “C” or higher. A grade of “U” is given for
work which merits a grade below “C” and no credit is earned. Neither the “S” nor the “U” grade is included in the calculation of the grade point average.

No more than four courses may be taken using the S/U grading option. Freshmen may not take a course S/U, sophomores may take one course per semester; juniors and seniors may take two courses per semester. If a student enrolls in a course S/U and subsequently changes to traditional letter grading prior to the deadline or withdraws, the course will not be included in the four-course S/U limit. Courses graded solely as S/U are not included in the four-course limit.

A student electing S/U grading may designate a minimum acceptable grade “A” through “C.” If the earned grade equals or exceeds this minimum grade, then the actual earned grade will be recorded on the transcript and computed in the GPA. This does not change the course’s S/U basis, and the course counts toward the maximum of four.

The student shall declare an intention to be graded S/U by the deadline published in the academic calendar.

To be considered for honors, a student must have earned at least 60 credits beyond those earned S/U. Transfer students should be aware of this requirement when considering the decision to take a course S/U.

Repeating Courses

A course may be repeated as many times as desired. When a course is repeated, the original grade is not removed from the student’s record, but will be excluded from the GPA.  The most recent grade is calculated in the GPA even if the second grade is lower than the first grade earned.  If a previously passed course is excluded and the most recent grade is a failing grade, the previously earned credits are lost.  When a student repeats a course in which any passing grade has been earned, additional credits are not earned for the course. The S/U option is not available for the repeat of a failed course.

Content courses which carry both the LC (Learning Community) attribute and another core attribute may not be taken twice for credit.  For example, PSYC 100C – P3 Intro to Psychology may not be taken for credit as a P3 core course after completing PSYC 100C – LC Intro to Psychology.  Credit may not be earned twice for the same content. Since upperclassmen may not go back and repeat their freshmen LC courses, the more recent grade/credits will be excluded, rather than excluding the LC instance.

Any student considering a repeat of a Learning Community (LC) course for any reason must consult with the associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences for advisement. Failure of one or both courses in a Learning Community necessitates a special course arrangement for completion of this core requirement.

Note: Repeated courses cannot be used to achieve the full-time status required for TAP funds.

Grade Reporting

Final grades are available at the end of each semester on the College website. Mid-semester grades are available through the mySJFC portal for students enrolled in 100 and 200-level courses.

Parental Access to Grades

The College does not routinely send reports of final grades to parents. Information, including grades, concerning dependent students as defined by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 may be released to parents upon request. To obtain a grade report, parents must submit to the Registrar’s Office a written request citing the specific information desired and stating that the student is a dependent.

The Registrar’s Office will verify the dependency of the student in question with Student Financial Services or the parent can submit a copy of the most recent tax return that shows the student is claimed as a dependent. If documentation exists proving dependency, a grade report may be sent to the parent(s) and the student will be notified. If dependency cannot be proven, the grade report will not be released.

In order to graduate from St. John Fisher College, a student must earn a 2.00 cumulative grade point average for all courses at the College. In addition, the student must earn a 2.00 cumulative GPA in the major and minor department in courses completed in residence. (See Degree Requirements.) End-of-term academic standing is calculated after the fall and spring terms. This standing is based on the cumulative end-of-term grade point average (cumulative GPA) and falls into one of the categories listed below.

Cumulative Grade Point Average* For:

*Averages will not be “rounded.” For example, 1.49 will not be rounded to 1.50. Therefore, 1.49 will be within the academic disqualification range.

**Includes all hours (Fisher and transfer hours) applied toward the St. John Fisher College bachelor’s degree. However, only Fisher credits are used in calculating the grade point average.

***Students may only be placed on Probation standing after their first semester at the College, whether as freshmen or transfers. First semester students will not be academically dismissed.

Note: If a continuing full-time student receives three failing grades (e.g., “F,” “FA,” “U,” and/or “UA”) in a semester or a continuing part-time student receives all failing grades in a semester, the student will be dismissed from the College.

Good Standing

All students with cumulative GPAs of 2.00 or higher are considered to be in Good Standing.

Students with a cumulative GPA that falls within the 2.19 to 2.00 range will be sent a letter focusing attention on their borderline academic performance.

Warning

Students with a cumulative GPA within the appropriate Warning range, though making satisfactory academic progress, are placed on Warning. These students receive a personal letter from the Committee on Academic Standing cautioning them that their academic performance is not completely acceptable.

Early Intervention Academic Contract

Students with a cumulative GPA within the appropriate Early Intervention Contract range will receive a letter from the Committee on Academic Standing stating that the student is being placed on Academic Contract and must have a meeting with a counselor in the Center for Academic Advising and Support Services for a serious discussion of their academic performance, registration choices/adjustments, and an improvement plan.

The end-of-term standing for these students will be Early Intervention Contract. Each student on an Early Intervention Contract will design an individual Academic Contract with a counselor. The terms of this Contract must be met at the end of the specified semester.

Students enter the Early Intervention Contract category as a result of the cumulative GPA declining from the Good Standing or Warning categories:

• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student’s cumulative GPA rises, the student will be placed into the appropriate category of either Good Standing or Warning.
• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student’s cumulative GPA falls into the Dismissal category, the student will be dismissed from the College.
• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student’s cumulative GPA remains in the Early Intervention Contract range, the student remains on Contract.

The Committee on Academic Standing will review students on an Early Intervention Contract at the end of each semester, evaluating their performance and compliance with the terms of the Contract.

Probation Contract

A first semester student (i.e., first semester freshman or first semester transfer) with a cumulative GPA below the appropriate threshold for Probation will receive a letter from the Committee on Academic Standing stating that the student is being placed on Probation Contract. The student must schedule a meeting with a counselor in the Center for Academic Advising and Support Services for a serious discussion of the student’s academic performance, registration choices/adjustments, and an improvement plan.  This meeting is mandatory; the student’s account is not active until this meeting takes place and failure to schedule this Contract meeting before the end of the first week of classes in the new semester may result in withdrawal from the term.

The end of term standing for these students will be Probation Contract and each student will design an individual Academic Contract with a counselor. The student must meet the terms of this contract at the end of the specified semester. The Contract specifies that:

• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student’s cumulative GPA rises to or above 2.00, the student will be placed into the Good Standing category.
• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student has met the terms of the Contract (semester GPA of 2.00 or higher), but the cumulative GPA remains below 2.00, the student remains on Probation Contract.
• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student has not met the terms of the Contract (semester GPA of 2.00 or higher), the student will be dismissed.

The Committee on Academic Standing will review all students on Probation Contract at the end of each semester, evaluating their performance and compliance with the terms of the Contract.

Academic Dismissal/Post-Dismissal Contract

Students with a cumulative GPA below the appropriate threshold for Academic Dismissal will be sent a letter informing them of their dismissal from the College.

A student who is academically dismissed may appeal this decision to the Committee on Academic Standing. Information concerning such appeals will be sent with the dismissal letter, and is also available from the Center for Academic Advising and Support Services and the Registrar’s Office, along with the appropriate appeal forms.

If the appeal is granted, the student will receive a letter from the Committee on Academic Standing stating that the student is allowed to return and will be placed on a Post-Dismissal Contract once the student has met with a counselor in the Center for Academic Advising and Support Services for a serious discussion of his or her academic performance, registration choices/adjustments and an improvement plan.

The end-of-term standing for these students will be Post-Dismissal Contract and each student will design an individual Academic Contract with a counselor. The student must meet the terms of this contract at the end of the specified semester.

Students enter the Post-Dismissal Contract category as a result of having their appeal for reinstatement granted by the Committee on Academic Standing after dismissal from the College:

• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student’s cumulative GPA rises to or above 2.00, the student will be placed into the Good Standing category.
• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student has met the terms of the Contract (semester GPA of 2.00 or higher), but the cumulative GPA remains below 2.00, the student remains on Contract.
• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student has not met the terms of the Contract (semester GPA of 2.00 or higher), the student will be dismissed.

If the appeal is denied, the end-of-term standing remains dismissal. Students who have been dismissed for academic reasons and who later reapply for admission to the College will be reviewed by the Committee on Academic Standing in order to determine their readiness to return to St. John Fisher.

Students placed on either type of Academic Contract will receive a letter from the Committee on Academic Standing directing them to arrange a meeting with a counselor in the Center for Academic Advising and Support Services for a serious discussion of their academic performance at the College and to finalize the Academic Contract. This meeting is mandatory; failure to schedule this Contract meeting before the end of the first week of classes in the new semester may result in withdrawal from the term.

The Committee on Academic Standing will review all students on Contract at the end of each semester, evaluating their performance and compliance with the terms of the Contract.

Academic Standing and Athletic Participation

Students whose end-of-term standing is Good Standing or Warning are considered to be making satisfactory academic progress and are eligible to continue competing on the College’s NCAA athletic teams. However, students who are placed on either Early Intervention Academic Contract, Probation Contract or Post-Dismissal Academic Contract are not considered to be in Good Academic Standing and are therefore ineligible to engage in NCAA athletic competition as defined by NCAA Bylaw 14.02.5. They may, however, continue to practice with their athletic teams at the discretion of the institution’s athletic director and individual coaches.

Students matriculated in undergraduate programs at St. John Fisher College may be eligible to take graduate classes at the College.

Students interested in pursuing this option should meet with the graduate program director to discuss their interest, qualifications, and plans to pursue the graduate degree. If deemed appropriate, the student must complete the appropriate Petition to Take Graduate Classes form and obtain the required approvals. If approved, the undergraduate student may take up to two graduate courses (maximum six credits).

To be eligible to enroll in a graduate course, undergraduate students must have an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher and have completed at least 90 undergraduate credits.

These courses carry graduate credit and are taken in addition to those required to earn the baccalaureate degree at St. John Fisher College. Participation does not guarantee acceptance into the graduate program after completion of the baccalaureate degree. Registration will be on a space-available basis and is determined the week before classes begin.

For students already attending full-time as undergraduates (12 credits or more) and paying the prevailing full-time tuition, the tuition charge for the graduate courses will be waived. Students attending part-time (11 credits or less) will pay the prevailing per-credit graduate tuition for the graduate course.

Exception: Matriculated undergraduate nursing students may petition to take an approved GNUR graduate course for undergraduate credit. The completed course will appear on the undergraduate transcript until the graduate program is begun, at which time the course(s) will also appear on the graduate transcript. For further information on this program, contact the Wegmans School of Nursing Office.

Students desiring to take courses at other colleges must complete a Transfer Credit Request form in the Registrar’s Office in order to ensure that the course(s) they plan to take will be accepted in transfer. Credit will not transfer for courses in which a student earns grades below “C,” unless the student is guaranteed these hours as part of an associate’s degree at the time of the original transfer.

Students should keep in mind that grades earned in courses taken at other colleges are not calculated into their Fisher grade point average (GPA). Exceptions are made for students majoring in a modern language at Fisher who enroll in courses in that major at Nazareth College. In this case, both the credit and the grade will be transferred and averaged into the Fisher GPA.

Credit will not be granted for the same course more than once whether earned at St. John Fisher College, at another institution, or by examination. It is the student’s responsibility to be certain not to enroll again in the same course for which credit has been received. In doubtful cases, consult with the Registrar’s Office.

Transfer students should consult with the Registrar’s Office if they have questions concerning their transfer credit evaluations or have additional transfer credit to submit for evaluation.