East Carolinian

Issue date: 11/13/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Ashley Yarber

Students at ECU may often find themselves in a predicament over grades and university policies. All students have access to the Academic Advising and Support Center and the 2008-2009 advising manual, but the information is easy to overlook when students are unaware of what they are looking for.

ECU students are forced to make big decisions about dropping courses or grade replacement, within the limits of the university's policies.

According to two students, the policies at ECU are quite different from other neighboring colleges.

When asked about ECU drop policies, junior Camie Hileman said she likes them, but wishes there were more drops available in higher course levels.

"I think it would be nice if we had the pass/fail option like N. C. State, where you can take a class and it doesn't matter what you get in the class, just if you pass it, you get the credit. If you fail, then you don't get anything," Hileman said.

A nursing student at Pitt Community College, Ashley Jones, reported that she still has time to drop classes at Pitt without being penalized.

Mary Beth Corbin, ECU director for Campus Advising Policies, confirmed that students are "permitted to use the Grade Replacement Policy a maximum of three times for 0000, 1000 and 2000 level courses, only in which he or she earned a grade of D or F."

The policy states that students cannot grade replace a course if an advanced course, covering the same material, is successfully completed.

After requesting a grade replacement at the Office of the Registrar, the form must be submitted "no later than the last day of classes of the semester in which the student retakes this course," Corbin said.

The original grade does not determine GPA, but will be on the student's permanent academic record. Corbin said that if paperwork is not submitted on time, a retroactive grade replacement form can be submitted at a later date.

Students should also be informed that courses above the 2000 level must be retaken if the course is required for the student's major, in order to receive credit.

Incompletes are options for students who have not been able to complete the assignments necessary to receive a grade in a course. However, students are only given one additional semester to remove an incomplete with the instructor's approval.

"The date for removing incompletes is always listed on the academic calendar," Corbin said.

Continued...

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