Grading

The formal statement of grading standards adopted by the Faculty is as follows:

  1. Each faculty member shall state his/her criteria for evaluation in the course syllabus.
  2. The general guidelines for written work shall be as follows (in order of importance):
  • method of approach, e.g., goals of paper, types of questions asked, clarity about method.
  • thoroughness, e.g., addressing the important issues, knowledge of data and scholarly literature.
  • clarity and penetration, e.g., definition of issue/problem, style of argumentation, literary style.
  • topic picked, e.g., appropriate, properly defined, original.
  • originality, e.g., thesis, argumentation, expression.
  • style of paper, e.g., appearance, spelling, grammar, mechanics, compliance with Slade (see pg 11).

<li>The general guidelines for oral presentations shall be as follows (in order of importance):

  1. method of approach, e.g., goals of presentation, types of questions asked, clarity about method, introduction and conclusion, organization.
  2. thoroughness, e.g., addressing the important issues, knowledge of subject matter and scholarly literature.
  3. style of delivery, e.g., clarity of expression, confidence before an audience, use of voice, eye contact, use of language, use of illustrations.
  4. originality, e.g., topic, thesis or proposition, development of argument or sermon, expression.

<li>All student work will be evaluated by two standards:

  • by what is considered the appropriate level of graduate performance
  • by comparison with other work submitted in a given class.

<li>Course grades measure the student’s competence in relation to three areas:

  • The student’s ability to comprehend theoretical material appropriate to the course.
  • The student’s ability to subjectively engage the course material through critical evaluation and reflection on a particular field of study.
  • The student’s ability to appropriate material for understanding their own existence and life experiences.

<li>A “B” is the baseline grade. A “B” grade means the student is doing satisfactory work. The “B+” or higher grade indicates that the student has exceeded the baseline performance standard. The “C” grade indicates that the student has not achieved the baseline level. The minimum required for Credit grade is a “C". <li>The "C” grade signifies that the student will receive credit, but the student has not achieved the baseline level. “C” grades do not generally transfer to other institutions. Some licensing bodies do not recognize “C” grades. Students are advised to be familiar with the requirements for their profession. If a student receives a “C” and wishes to raise the grade, there are two possibilities.

  • Remediate the grade
  • Take the course again or take another course in its place to fulfill the number of units required.

<li>You will only accumulate units for courses completed with passing grades. This grading system does not affect grades prior to Fall 1993. Grades are assigned the following numerical values for the purpose of computing Grade Point Average.

  • 4.00: A (100-94%)
  • 3.67: A- (93-90%)
  • 3.33: B+ (89-87%)
  • 3.00: B (86-83%)
  • 2.67: B- (82-80%)
  • 2.33: C+ (79-77%)
  • 2.00: C (76-73%)
  • 1.67: C- (72-70%)
  • 0.00: F (69-0%)

There will be no “D” grade given. The lowest passing grade that will receive credit for the course is a C-. Grades not calculated into a GPA are:

  • P (Pass)
  • NC (No-Credit)
  • CR (Credit)
  • IP (In-Progress)
  • W (Withdraw)

‘P’ and ‘Cr’ will receive credit for the course taken. <li>Faculty must report a grade for students. Therefore, if work is not turned in, the student will be given a low or failing grade. If a grade is not reported to the Registrar, an ‘F’ grade will be given to the student, who then has the option to raise the grade. <li>If the student wishes to raise a ‘C’ or a 'F’, this may be done by submitting a completed Application to Raise a Grade form to the registrar. <li>A student may request 1 extension per semester, to be filed prior to the last class session, and to be complete within one month from the last day of the semester. <li>Students taking “Thesis” have two semesters to complete the work. Any extension of that time will incur an extension fee of the equivalent of 1 tuition unit. <li>In Progress (IP) is given only for Supervised Ministry Experience, MFCC Practicum, and Thesis. In cases of illness, a student may petition the Academic Dean for an In Progress. All work must be completed during the subsequent semester/summer. <li>Class Attendance and Participation: Class participation is one of the most significant parts of the shared learning experience at MBBS. Many classes use the seminar learning method. For this reason faculty may indicate on their syllabus that a specified level of attendance and participation in their class is required to receive a passing grade, or they may indicate that marks will be deducted for unsatisfactory attendance or participation. <li>Completion of all Assignments: Faculty often require a variety of assignments in a course so that students deal with the course material from several perspectives. Even though some of the assignments may constitute only a small percentage of the final grade, they may be significant in the total learning experience. Faculty may state in their syllabi that all the assignments must be completed to receive a passing (or other specified) grade.