Article 3 – Academic Policies & Regulations

§ 3-104 Other Grade Symbols in Use

Other symbols in use, which are not included in computation of averages, are:

AUAudit; indicates attendance as a visitor only.
NRNot reported.
NVNot valid.
FFUsed only in courses taken under the pass/fail grading option from Spring 1968 through Fall 1974. A minimum of D was required for passing.
WApproved late course drop or term withdrawal without credit.
I

Incomplete. Approved extension of time to complete the final examination or other requirements of the course. Applies to both undergraduate and graduate students. (Students who are assigned incomplete grades will be allowed to finish remaining course requirements without any additional fees. The final grade will be reported via the Online Grade Change system.)

Undergraduate Students
Only the dean of the student’s college, or, for nondegree students not admitted through a college, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost may authorize such extension of time in individual cases. A grade of “incomplete” that is not removed by the end of the first eight weeks of instruction in the next Fall or Spring semester becomes the grade of F (or U) by rule, depending on grading mode of the course. The exact date can be found on the Office of the Registrar Academic Calendars. With the approval of the dean of the student's college, the student who has not made up an “incomplete” examination may be withdrawn from the course retroactively, provided such withdrawal is completed before the grade of “incomplete” automatically becomes a grade of F (or U) by rule. In exceptional cases, a student who, because of absence for active military service, physical disability, or other sufficient cause, is unable to comply with the rule by removing the I grade within the specified time may be granted a limited extension by the dean of the student's college. A student whose status cannot be determined because of “incomplete” grades may register again only with the approval of the dean of the student's college. (See §§ 3‑313 and 3‑201.)

Graduate Students
A grade of “incomplete” may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor of the course to allow an extension of time to satisfy final exam requirements or other final course requirements. The period of time allowed to finish remaining course requirements will be set by the instructor and communicated to the student upon assignment of the I grade. The instructor may authorize such extension of time for a graduate student regardless of the level of the course. If no final grade is assigned by the deadlines described below, the grade becomes an F (or U) by rule, depending on grading mode of the course. Reasonable extensions of time are granted by the Graduate College for justifiable reasons. A student will not be certified for a degree with an Incomplete grade in the academic record.

  • I grades assigned in Fall will become an F (or U) by rule after Reading Day in the Spring.
  • I grades assigned in Spring will become an F (or U) by rule after the 10th day of Instruction in the following Fall semester.
  • I grades assigned in the Summer will become an F (or U) by rule after Reading Day in the Fall.
CRCredit earned. To be used only in courses taken under the credit-no credit grading option. Instructors report the usual letter grades. As of Fall 2022, any grade of D- or better will automatically be converted to CR. Prior to Fall 2022, a minimum grade of C- was required for credit. Prior to spring semester 1975, CR was assigned for course work taken through the Study Abroad Program with a grade of D or better.
NCNo credit earned. To be used only in courses taken under the credit-no credit grading option. Instructors report the usual letter grades. As of Fall 2022, a letter grade of F will automatically be converted to NC (Between Fall 2022 and Summer 2025, ABS grades will also convert to NC). Prior to Fall 2022, a grade of D+ or lower was converted to NC.
DFRGrade temporarily deferred. To be used only in those special problems, or capstone courses extending over more than one semester that are taken by graduate students (excluding 599 thesis research hours) and by undergraduate students in satisfaction of the requirements for graduation with honors, and in other approved courses that extend over more than one semester.

Requests for approval to use the DFR grade in courses that extend over more than one semester, which therefore require postponement of the final grade report, must be submitted in writing by the executive officer of the department offering the courses to the dean of the college for concurrence. A copy of the approval will be sent to the Office of the Registrar, which maintains a list of all courses approved for the DFR grade.

Graduate students: The symbol DFR must be converted to a permanent grade no later than the end of the next semester in which the student is registered. If no grade change is submitted within that period, the DFR will be converted as follows: for letter graded courses to an F, for courses graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory to a U, and for courses taken on Credit/No Credit basis to an NC.
HONHonors. Used only for Carle Illinois College of Medicine core clerkship courses indicating completion with honors.
S

U		Satisfactory.

Unsatisfactory

Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory are to be used only as final grades in graduate thesis research courses, in graduate and undergraduate courses given for zero credit, and in other courses that have been specifically approved by the head or chairperson of the department concerned, with concurrence of the college dean. A current list of courses that have received such approval is maintained in the Office of the Registrar. The fact that a particular course or a section of a course will be offered on the S/U basis must be clearly announced in the Course Explorer along with other pertinent course or section information.
SRSatisfactory after Remediation. Used only for Carle Illinois College of Medicine.
PSUsed for test-based credit (proficiency or special exam). A minimum grade of C is required.