Sarah Lawrence College

Student Handbook

Evaluating Student Academic Progress

Student Life
Undergraduate Student Handbook Undergraduate Academic Policies and Procedures
Undergraduate Academic Policies and Procedures Academic Integrity Attendance Policies Course Registration Enrollment Status Evaluating Student Academic Progress Parental Notification Policy Academic Program Options Academic Program Planning Special Arrangements Students in Academic Difficulty Study Away and Exchange Programs Transfer Credits
Residential Life Dining Student Involvement & Leadership Spiritual Life Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion NYC & Local Area Career Services Community Partnerships Meet the Student Life Staff International Student Services Health & Wellness Campus Safety Student Handbooks Admissions

Grade Scale

A traditional grade scale consisting of letter grades from A+ through F is used. The grade symbols issued appear on the legend that accompanies official transcripts. Beginning with incoming fall 2024 students, official transcripts display final grades of WD (withdrawal) and F (failure) which were previously omitted. The College does not calculate grade point average nor class rank.

Faculty Academic Alerts During the Semester

Faculty are urged to submit a Faculty Academic Alert form available on MySLC to the Office of the Dean of Studies about any student of academic concern whose attendance is irregular or whose work reflects academic difficulty. Upon receipt, the Office of the Dean of Studies follows up with the student and their don as appropriate. This permits the Office of the Dean of Studies to connect students with resources. The office may request progress reports on any student who is on probation or who seems to be experiencing academic difficulty.

Narrative Evaluations

Students receive written narrative evaluations from each of their instructors at the end of each semester. Evaluations are a detailed written assessment of student work in each course, which provide students feedback on their strengths and areas for improvement. Evaluations submitted electronically are available for students to view or print through MySLC. Faculty also submit traditional letter grades for courses posted to the student’s unofficial and official transcripts. Grades can also be viewed by the deans of the college, the deans of studies, and the student’s don. They are used along with evaluations by the Committee on Student Work in assessing a student’s academic progress.

Evaluations for fall and yearlong courses are submitted in January. Evaluations and grades for spring and yearlong courses are submitted in June.

Incompletes

Coursework is due by the last day of classes unless the student has requested and been granted an official incomplete by the instructor. Upon approval, students must submit a Request for Incomplete form available on MySLC. Students are responsible for requesting an incomplete where the instructor determines whether the student is eligible. An incomplete may be awarded only if the student has already done substantial passing work in the course and the reasons for granting an incomplete valid (e.g., illness, serious personal crisis, accident, extenuating academic circumstances). Faculty members are under no obligation to grant incompletes unless they feel they are warranted. Students on academic probation must receive approval by the Office of the Dean of Studies prior to making a request for an incomplete.

An incomplete is not necessary in the fall of a yearlong class or if a teacher agrees to an extension which allows the evaluation to be submitted by the required deadline. Coursework for fall semester incompletes is due by January 15, and due by June 30 for yearlong or spring semester courses. If there are exceptional circumstances that warrant an extension of these deadlines, the instructor must gain approval from the Office of the Dean of Studies. Faculty are expected to notify the Registrar’s Office if the work is not submitted by the due date.

Evaluations and grades for fall semester incompletes are due from instructors to the Registrar’s Office by February 15, and by August 1 for spring incompletes. If the faculty member does not submit a final grade, the grade listed on the Request for Incomplete is posted on the student’s official transcript.

Grade Changes

Students who wish to contest a final grade must notify the course instructor and the Office of the Dean of Studies within the calendar year following the semester in which the grade was earned. Additional or revised work cannot be submitted after a course has ended to pass a course or to improve the grade, but the teacher may be asked to reevaluate the work that was submitted during the semester if the student believes the work was undervalued or there is a demonstrable discrepancy in the final grade calculation relative to the rubric stated on the course syllabus. Only a faculty member can change a grade. If the faculty decides to amend the grade, they must notify the Registrar’s Office, and the change must be approved by the Office of the Dean of Studies before it can be posted.

Evaluation Queries

In the event a student believes that a teacher’s evaluation includes inaccurate information, they should address their concern directly with the teacher. The teacher can submit an amendment to the evaluation to the registrar. Additionally, a student may write an amendment to an evaluation and submit it to the Office of the Dean of Studies to be placed in their permanent file.

Student Worksheets

At the end of each semester, some faculty require students to submit a worksheet for their course, available on MySLC. The worksheet is a synthesis of the work accomplished for class and conference, and should include readings, fieldwork, field trips, concerts, plays, movies, and lectures attended that are relevant to the course material. Careful preparation of the worksheet serves to pull together, organize, and review the semester’s work. Worksheets can be important for transfer and graduate school purposes, and copies should be kept for personal reference.

Course Appraisals

Students are expected to write a course appraisal for each of their courses at the completion of each semester. These evaluate the contribution of the instructor to the student’s education and to Sarah Lawrence. The appraisals are read by the Provost’s Office and are available to the Advisory Committee. Faculty do not have access to read their appraisals until all grades and evaluations are submitted to the Registrar’s Office.