Faculty needing assistance with grading can find more information at Web Grading FAQs.

GPA FAQs

OSU does not round up, rather it truncates GPAs after two decimals. By not rounding up, OSU is able to uphold minimum GPA standards appropriately.

At the end of a transcript, you will likely see three GPAs listed under your transcript totals. The Total Institution GPA is the GPA calculated from only those classes taken at OSU. The Total Transfer GPA is the GPA calculated from only those classes taken elsewhere (non-OSU classes). The Overall GPA is the GPA calculated from all classes taken, from all institutions, for a particular degree level. Your Major GPA is the GPA calculated from only those classes that are a part of your academic major. You can find your Major GPA in MyDegrees and all other GPAs on your unofficial transcript

Honor Cords are available to those students who will graduate with a GPA that meets OSU’s GPA and credit eligibility. Academic honors are based on Winter Term OSU Institutional cumulative GPA & credits. A student must have completed at least 90 credits at OSU or sixty upper-division (300- and 400-level courses) credits at OSU and be a graduate of the current academic year. Future Summer graduates who are eligible to participate in commencement are not eligible to wear honor cords; there are no exceptions to this policy. The distinction, minimum GPA, and cord colors are as follows:

Degrees with Distinction
Academic Distinction OSU GPA Range Graduation Honor Cord Color
Cum Laude 3.50-3.69 Orange
Magna Cum Laude 3.70-3.84 Gold
Summa Cum Laude 3.85-4.00 White

These distinctions are noted on diplomas.

MyDegrees displays two GPAs in the top block to you. The OSU GPA displayed is the GPA calculated from credits taken at OSU. The Transfer GPA is the GPA calculated from credits taken elsewhere (non-OSU courses). The Calculated Degree GPA in the degree block may not necessarily reflect an accurate GPA because of repeat rules and exceptions. For the most accurate GPA, consult your transcript GPAs.

Incomplete Grade FAQs

Typically, it is within a time period established by the instructor. If the instructor has not established a deadline, then the student has until the last day of Dead Week before finals begin, to submit the required work to the faculty a year after the term in which the student received the incomplete. For example, if a student received an “I/Alternate Grade” in Fall 2016 without any specified deadline by an instructor, they have until the last day of Dead Week of Fall 2017 to turn in the completed work to the instructor to complete the “Incomplete”. The instructor has until the last day of term (normally Friday of Finals Week) to submit the removal of an incomplete to whatever grade the student earned to the Office of the Registrar.

The student should meet with the department chair who offered the course to reinstate the expectations of what would need to be completed (and by when it needs to be completed) for the incomplete to reflect the earned grade for that course.

The student should know whether the Alternate/Default Grade will impact their ability to graduate that same term. If it does, the student should withdraw the request to graduate at the Office of the Registrar before the last day of final exams for that term, until the incomplete has been resolved at some future date/term and an earned grade has been recorded. Subsequent to the earned grade replacing the incomplete, the student can then re-file to graduate.

No. Academic Regulation 17 specifically states: “Under no circumstances shall a student who earns an A–F grade or an N or U grade have their grade changed retroactively to an I grade.” Students need to pay careful attention to “I/Alternate Grades” that are clearly displayed on all unofficial (and official) transcripts and the “Grade Term Report” via the Student On-Line Services web site where a student’s grades can be accessed by the student. If the student suspects or is informed by their academic advisor or the Office of the Registrar that the “I/Alternate Grade” will negatively impact their ability to graduate, they should go to the Office of the Registrar to withdraw their application to graduate. This request to withdraw the application to graduate must be made before all grades are processed for the term in which the student wishes to graduate.

Yes. While 99.7% of all grades are turned in by the required deadline for each term, if the instructor misses the cutoff for turning in grades the Office of the Registrar will be able to process these late grades (including the “I/Alternate Grade”) and ensure they are correctly attributed to the students affected.

No. The revised Academic Regulation 17 goes into effect for Fall 2007 and all future terms. It is not retroactive to previous terms. Incompletes for all terms prior to Fall 2007 are at the discretion of the instructor and can either be changed to an earned grade or remain as an incomplete indefinitely. These grades are clearly identified by the lack of an alternate grade. For example, an “I” denotes the incomplete was assigned by the instructor prior to Fall 2007. All incompletes from Fall 2007 on would be reflected as an “I/Alternate Grade” (I/A, I/A-…I/F, I/P, I/N, etc.).

All students are held to the same grading systems. Academic Regulation 17 will apply equally to undergraduates, post-baccalaureates, graduate, non-degree seeking students, etc.

Students will see the incomplete and the alternate grade (i.e., I/A, I/A-…I/F, I/P, I/N, etc) in the grade field. However, until the incomplete is resolved, it will retain all of the same characteristics of an incomplete grade. In other words, the incomplete will not count in credits earned or a student’s institutional GPA. This will ensure that a student will not have an incomplete grade count in their credit totals or have it affect their GPA until the incomplete is resolved or defaults to the Alternate Grade.

No. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grade options are converted after the submission of the “I/Alternate Grade” is determined by the instructor. For example, if the student has requested an incomplete and has opted for an S/U grade, the instructor will submit an “I/Normal Grade” (i.e., I/B+) at the end of the term. The Office of the Registrar will subsequently convert the “I/Normal Grade” to an “I/S” or “I/U” in accordance with the grading option chosen by the student.

According to Academic Regulation 20 (Repeated Courses), both courses would appear on the student’s academic record (transcript), but only the second grade would be counted in the cumulative GPA and toward graduation requirements. Even if the “I/Alternate Grade” were to subsequently default to the Alternate Grade, the second taking of the course would be the one that counts.

Yes. Subsequent to the revision to Academic Regulation 17, the Faculty Senate also approved a revision to Academic Regulation 13c that allows the student to withdraw within the last four weeks of the term with incompletes in all subjects. The student (or family member), however, must submit evidence of the emergency situation to the Registrar for consideration. The Office of the Registrar is then charged with contacting each instructor and recording the individual “I/Alternate Grade” for each course the student is still enrolled for that term.

Possibly. The instructor must be willing to provide an extension. However, if the instructor does not agree to extend the timeline, it is unlikely anyone else would supersede that decision. If the instructor is willing to extend the timeline, the student can complete the Petition Extension of Time to Remove Incomplete Grade. The petition requires the signatures of the course instructor and department chair, and potentially, the approval of the Academic Requirements Committee to gain approval of the extension.

The students are encouraged to ask questions of their departmental or college advisors and/or to contact staff in the Office of the Registrar. Students are encouraged to call by phone (541-737-4331), utilize email ([email protected]), or visit the office in-person, B102 Kerr Administration Building.

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