Academic Status and Expectations

A traditional grade scale, consisting of letter grades from A+ through F, is used across the College. The grade symbols 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. Students must receive at least a grade of B in each course to be considered in good academic standing. A grade of B- in one or more courses may result in academic warning or probation and may require the course(s) to be repeated. Any earned grade of C+ or below requires the student to repeat the course and generally results in at least two semesters of academic probation.

Faculty submit a report to the dean of graduate and professional studies and the specific program director about any student whose attendance is irregular or whose work reflects academic difficulty. This permits the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies to connect students with resources to support them. The office may request mid-semester progress reports on any student who is on probation or who seems to be experiencing academic difficulty.

Students receive written narrative evaluations in most classes from their instructors at the end of each semester, with the exception of the Human Genetics program. Thesis and fieldwork courses also do not generally include narrative evaluations. Evaluations are a detailed written assessment of student work in each course, which provide students with 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 may also be viewed by the dean of graduate and professional studies, the associate dean of graduate students, and the student’s program director. Grades and evaluations are used to assess a student’s academic progress.

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

Students who are having difficulty meeting their academic commitments are monitored by the associate dean of graduate students and the dean of graduate and professional studies in conjunction with the student’s program director and, in the case of students in five-year programs, the undergraduate dean of studies and the student’s don. The College assists students in identifying the underlying reasons for their academic challenges and finding appropriate sources of assistance. These resources include the Writing Center, Health & Wellness Center, and Disability Services.

At the end of each semester, the associate dean of graduate students, the dean of graduate and professional studies, and individual program directors read student evaluations and review students’ grades. Students who have a persistent pattern of poor evaluations, more than one grade lower than a B or at least one C+ grade in a given semester, may be placed on academic probation. Students who consistently receive poor evaluations and multiple grades lower than a B over the course of more than one semester may be suspended. See the relevant sections in this handbook.

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, whereas 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 reason for granting an incomplete is valid (e.g., illness, serious personal crisis, accident, extenuating academic circumstances). Faculty members are under no obligation to grant incompletes unless they feel the incomplete is warranted. Students on academic probation must receive approval from the dean of graduate and professional 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 that allows the evaluation to be submitted by the required deadline. Coursework for fall semester incompletes is due by January 15. Coursework for spring semester and yearlong incompletes is due by June 30. If exceptional circumstances warrant an extension of these deadlines, the instructor must gain approval from the dean of graduate and professional 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 to the Registrar’s Office, from instructors, by January 30 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 form is posted on the student’s official transcript.

Students who wish to contest a final grade must notify the course instructor, the relevant graduate program director, and the dean of graduate and professional studies within the calendar year following the semester in which the grade was earned. The dean of graduate and professional studies will then follow up with all relevant parties, as needed. The student will be asked to provide an explanation for the grade reevaluation request. The faculty member will be asked to provide a response to the student’s request once the faculty member has reevaluated the grade.

Additional or revised work may not be submitted after a course has ended in order to pass a course or 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 if 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 member decides to amend the grade, the faculty member must notify the Registrar’s Office; the change must be approved by the dean of graduate and professional studies before it can be posted.

In the event a student believes that a teacher’s evaluation includes inaccurate information, the student should address the concern directly with the teacher. The teacher may submit an amendment to the evaluation to the registrar. Additionally, a student may write an amendment to an evaluation and submit it to the dean of graduate and professional studies to be placed in the student‘s permanent file.

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