Grading Policies

CUSBLT awards letter grades in recognition of academic performance in each course. Grades are based upon formative and summative assessments as described in the study process below. The course instructor’s academic judgment as to whether the student has demonstrated a specified level of performance based on objective and subjective evaluations is the main and final reference for evaluation of the student's work. Students are graded according to their individual performance in the course, even if some of the course work is done in groups.

Grading Criteria

All of the grading criteria listed are subject to the specific course syllabus. Criteria for awarding grades as described in the course syllabi may include, but are not limited to:

Quality of assignments and peer assessments
Sufficient participation in the discussion forums (according to the requirements laid out in the course syllabus) and the quality of the postings
Performance on quizzes, exams and course projects

Each course is based on a total of 100 maximum points.

Late Work Policy

Students must be sure to always meet the deadlines. There will be no makeup assignments or quizzes, or late work accepted unless there is a serious or compelling reason and contingent on the instructors’ approval.

Timely Feedback

Instructors will always let students know when they will receive feedback about their assignments. Instructors will do this by posting a note on the CUSBLT learning portal.

The “standard” time for providing feedback for course activities is 5 business days, instructors should be sure to be explicit and reaffirm this with students. Posting a note about the expected feedback schedule is also a good opportunity to change this timeframe if the schedule requires such an adjustment.

Instructors will tell students the “how” of the process by which feedback is provided. (i.e., will the instructor be sending back a copy of their assignment or paper with embedded comments? Or will the instructor be providing more of a holistic grade and comment in an email?)

Letter Grade Assignment

CUSBLT awards letter grades in recognition of academic achievements in each course. Grades are based upon formative and summative assessments as described in the study process below and the course instructor’s academic judgment if the student has demonstrated a specified level of performance based on objective and subjective evaluations. Students are graded according to their individual activities in the course.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

All course credits in which a letter grade is received will be used to calculate the student’s Grade Point Average (GPA).
The grade-point average (GPA) is determined by dividing the number of grade points achieved by the number of units attempted. The total grade points achieved for a course equals the number of grade points assigned multiplied by the number of course units.

Standards of Academic Achievement

A student must earn the minimum standards of academic achievement and successful course completion while being enrolled at CUSBLT. The student’s progress will be evaluated at different time intervals to determine satisfactory academic progress (SAP). CUSBLT forbids students to remain enrolled who are not meeting the standards of satisfactory progress.

Maximum Degree Program Duration

CUSBLT understands that many students are working adults attending the institution part time. Thus, most students’ academic programs will exceed the normal duration for full-time students. However, CUSBLT encourages students to complete their studies as fast as possible. The maximum time to complete any degree program is one and a half times (150%) the program length, unless exceptional circumstances such as illness exist. The normal length of each academic program is indicated in the curriculum description for the academic programs in this catalog.

Grade Reports

At the end of each semester of study, the student receives a communication that provides detail on grades achieved. Refer to the Academic Calendar for date of final exams and posting of grades.

Grade Appeal Procedure

1. CUSBLT permits students to appeal their final letter grade of any course, if they feel it is unfair or unjustified. As the initial step in the Grade Appeal Procedure, the student must seek a discussion with her course instructor. This must be done within a week of the grade posting. This discussion is intended to provide the instructor an opportunity to explain the reason for the grade and to provide the student with an opportunity to indicate possible errors or misjudgments in the assignment of the grade. Frequently, a discussion with the instructor resolves the appeal.

2. If the Instructor accepts the appeal, he or she must inform the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) and then send the CAO the corrected grade for rectification of the student’s academic results. If the discussion between the student and the instructor did not resolve the issue within 3 weeks of the grade posting and if the student still believes that an unfair grade was awarded, the student must request a Grade Appeal Form from her instructor. The completed Grade Appeal Form with the instructor comments on the request must be submitted by the student to Chief Academic Officer no later than a month after the grade posting or it will not be accepted and the grade will stay as originally recorded.

3. Grade appeals will be investigated by an Academic Affairs Committee, which may come to the decision that the given grade should stand, or that the grade received is unfair or unjust, in this case the Committee will determine the appropriate mechanism for awarding the final grade. Students submitting a Grade Appeal Form will be informed in writing of the Committee’s decision on their appeal in a timely fashion. Decisions reached by the Committee are final and binding. A documentation of the final decision and all related materials will become part of the student’s official academic record.

Students appealing a grade should note the following: For a change in grade to be recommended, a student must prove that the grade originally given was unjust or unfair.

The Chief Academic Officer looking into the appeal will not place his or her judgment over the Instructor except in clear and solid cases. The burden of proof in challenging a grade is the responsibility of the student.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

1. Students’ academic progress will be evaluated at the end of every term, starting in the third term of their studies. For each evaluation point, a minimum standard of satisfactory academic progress (“the Academic Standards”) is defined in each of the following three parameters:

Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)

Credits earned

Completion rate (i.e. credits earned divided by credits attempted)

2. Students must meet or exceed the Academic Standards in all of the three parameters listed above in order to stay enrolled as a regular student. A student will be put on Academic Warning at the first evaluation point in which he or she doesn’t meet or exceed the Academic Standards.

3. A student that is under Academic Warning and in the consecutive evaluation point she meets or exceeds the Academic Standards will be returned to a status of regular student. If the student under Academic Warning doesn’t meet or exceed the Standards in the consecutive evaluation point, she will be put on Academic Probation.

4. A student that is under Academic Probation and in the consecutive evaluation point she meets or exceeds the Academic Standards will be returned to a status of regular student. If the student under Academic Probation doesn’t meet or exceed the Academic Standards in the consecutive evaluation point, she will be dismissed from the institution.

5. If at any evaluation point it can be determined by CUSBLT that it is mathematically not possible for a student to meet the Academic Standards, he or she will be dismissed from the institution.

6. CUSBLT reserves the right to place a student on Academic Warning or on Academic Probation and the right to remove a student from Academic Warning or on Academic Probation based on her academic development, notwithstanding the Academic Standards. Student Services will send emails to students notifying them that they failed to meet the Academic Standards within 30 days of every evaluation point.

7. Students on academic or disciplinary probation will not be allowed to graduate.