The following grading policy applies to courses offered in the Fall 2009 semester and thereafter.

1. Grading standards for the required courses in Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Property, and Torts.

The distribution of grades submitted in a course by a faculty member in each semester shall conform to the following limits:

A:                          5% to 10%

A- and higher:       20% to 25%

B+ and higher:      35% to 45%

B and higher:        65% to 70%

B- and lower:        30% to 35%

C+ and lower:       20% to 25%

C and lower:         10% to 16%

C- and lower:        0% to 8%

2. In courses other than Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Property, and Torts and having an enrollment of 40 or more students, the suggested median final course grade is B+.

3. This policy does not apply to the Legal Practice Skills course.

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 included 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:

Grades of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+ and C are considered Satisfactory. grades of C-, D+, D, and D- are considered Unsatisfactory. A grade of F is considered Failure and no credit is awarded.

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, instructors may use a number of different assessment methods for grading the students in their classes.  Instructors may follow a traditional approach by offering 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. When an instructor chooses to adopt this approach, to calculate the final examination grade for these year-long, two-semester courses, the letter grade awarded for the first semester examination is 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 includes 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. When additional assessments are offered (beyond the exams noted above) and form part of the student’s grade, the instructor will notify the students of the grading method used. [amended 9/25/12]

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. 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]

A first year student receiving fewer than 25 credit hours in the day division or fewer than 16 credit hours in the evening division will not receive a class rank. Without a class rank a student may not be eligible for certain honors including but not limited to some scholarships and honor board competitions.

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 Examination Rules and Regulations govern all examinations. A copy of the Examination Rules and Regulations is contained in the Rules, Regulations and Policies Book. Copies are also available on the Law School’s web-site and Portal.

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 the Assistant Dean/Registrar, the Dean of Students or 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 is available in the Registrar’s Office And in the Rules, Regulations and Policies Book. Copies are also available on the Law School’s web-site and Portal.