F-Grade Reporting

Faculty must report academic participation when assigning a failing (F) grade. Faculty will select from three failure options that show how a student participated in class(es). Students receiving a failing grade will see one of the following on their academic record:

• F1: Failure, participated after the 60% point of the session.
• F2: Failure, started participating but stopped before the 60% point of the session.
• F3: Failure, no participation.

Academic Participation in Classes

When faculty determine which F grade to assign, they will consider when students participated in any academically related class activities. These activities are defined by federal policy and include any of the following:

• Submitting an academic assignment.
• Taking an exam.
• Completing an interactive tutorial.
• Participating in computer-assisted instruction.
• Attending a study group that is assigned by the instructor.
• Participating in an online discussion about academic matters.
• Physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students.
• Contacting a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in class.

Academically related class activities do not include activities where a student may be present but not academically engaged. Examples include:

• Logging in to an online class without active participation.
• Emailing an instructor about the logistics of a course (but not the course content).
• Participating in academic counseling or advisement.
• Living in institutional housing.
• Participating in the school’s meal plan.

FAQ

Why is academic participation being reported?

Your level of participation in a class may impact your federal or state financial aid. A higher level of reported participation in your classes gives you a better opportunity to keep any financial aid you’ve been awarded. Questions regarding financial aid should be directed to a financial aid advisor.

The U.S. Department of Education requires institutions to confirm that financial aid recipients meet the following criteria: (1) began participation in all courses for which they received federal financial aid, and (2) for those who fail to earn a passing grade, confirmation that the student completed the semester or the last date of participation if they did not complete the semester.

Because a student could be a financial aid applicant at any point during the academic year, we must collect this information for all students so that financial aid eligibility can be accurately determined. Participation information provided by faculty is critical to this process.

What if I disagree with the participation reported by my faculty member?

If you believe there has been an error in the grade assigned by your faculty member, you should contact them directly to discuss your concerns.

How do I know the 60% point of the semester?

Standard 60% dates will be available on the Office of the Registrar website with other important dates for the semester.

I take remote classes. How do I show I participated?

In a remote learning setting, logging in to a class is not enough to show you participated in academically related class activities. You need to have engaged with the course content in some way, such as submitted an assignment, contributed academic content to an online discussion, or contacted your faculty member to ask a course-related question in order for them to be able to report your participation in class(es).