Background Justification for newly Proposed SF Divisional Regulation 781

Beginning with the entering class in summer quarter of 2018, the School of Pharmacy (SOP) will implement the new curriculum, using a pass/no pass grading system that follows grading systems adopted by the UCSF School of Medicine and peer institutions, including the Skaggs School of Pharmacy at UC San Diego. Students registered in the SOP prior to the summer quarter of 2018 will continue to be assessed under the SOP’s existing letter grade system.

The proposed regulation provides clarification on the differences between the School of Pharmacy’s grading system and the SF Regulation 775 which governs Grades. There are included minor changes (in red) to SF Regulation 775 and a newly-developed SF Regulation 781 which details how the School of Pharmacy will grade in particular situations. This new regulation was also created to provide clarity to the Registrar’s Office.

SFR 775. Grades

The work of all professional students in the Schools of Dentistry (for exception see SFR 779), Medicine (for exception, see SFR 785), Nursing, and Pharmacy (for exception see SFR 781) in the San Francisco Division shall be reported in terms of the following grades:
1. Passing: A (excellent), B (good), C (fair), D (poor), P (passed);
2. Not passing: F (failure), NP (not passed), and Y (provisional) [see paragraph (G)];
3. Undetermined: Incomplete [see paragraphs (E), (G)], In Progress [see paragraph (J)]
1. Grade points per unit shall be assigned by the Registrar as follows: A 4, B 3, C 2, D 1, F & Y zero. The grades I, IP, and NP shall be disregarded in computing the grade point average.
2. The grade P and those grades for which at least 2 grade points per unit are assigned denote satisfactory progress towards a degree. The grade D denotes progress towards a degree, but must be offset by grades for which proportionately more than 2 grade points per unit are assigned.
The grade Y is a non-passing provisional grade which may be raised to a D if the student satisfactorily meets requirements designated by the appropriate Faculty. The grade Y automatically is changed to F if these requirements are not met.
1. In the Health Professional Schools courses may be offered on a P/NP basis as authorized in the regulations of each Faculty.
2. The grade of P shall be awarded only for work which would otherwise receive a grade of C or better.
3. The regulations of each school must specify the maximum number of P/NP courses or units which may be applied by any student towards satisfying degree requirements. If the total number of P/NP units which can be credited towards degree requirements for a given student exceeds 40% of the total number of units required for graduation, it will be deemed a major departure from the grade point system determination of graduation requirements.
4. A school wishing to undertake a major departure from the grade point system shall submit its proposed system for approval by the Division and report to the Assembly in accordance with SR 778.
The grade I may be assigned when a student's work is of passing quality, but is incomplete for good cause. The student may replace the Incomplete grade by a final grade and receive appropriate credit provided he or she completes the work of the course in a way authorized by the appropriate Faculty. See paragraph (G) below. Each Faculty must adopt appropriate procedures specified in its regulations for the administration of this grade.
If a student believes that a grade in a course has been assigned on any basis other than academic grounds, he or she should follow the Procedure for Student Grievances in Academic Affairs. In the event that the ad hoc committee formed to investigate the grievance recommends a change of grade, they will report to the Division Chair, who shall report the change of grade to the Registrar. In order to protect the student, the grade shall be changed, if warranted, within four weeks following the formation of the ad hoc committee. [am 16 June 77]
Correction of grades: All grades, except I, IP, NP, and Y are final when filed by an instructor in the end-of-term course report. However, the Registrar is authorized to change a final grade.
1. Upon written request of an instructor, provided that a clerical or procedural error is the reason for the change, or
2. Upon written request of the Chairman of the Division in cases where it has been determined by the Procedure for Student Grievances in Academic Affairs that an instructor has assigned a grade on other than academic grounds. No term grade except I, Y, or NP may be revised by reexamination. Any grade change request made more than one year after the original filing must be validated for authenticity of the instructor's signature by the department chair. Any grade change request made by an instructor who has left the University must be countersigned by the department chair. [am 16 June 77]
3. For the reasons described in SFR 785 Section C. [am 11 July 16]
Except as provided in paragraph (G) a student may repeat only those courses in which the student has received a grade of D or F. An exception to this rule may be authorized by a Faculty for a student who receives the grade I, Y, or NP. Except as authorized by the appropriate Dean, no student may repeat more than once a course in which he or she has received a D or F. When a course is repeated, the units shall be credited toward a degree only once, but the student's grade point average shall be computed in terms of the total number of units attempted, except as provided in (I). At each repetition the student shall receive the grade assigned by the instructor and the corresponding grade points. [am 16 June 77] [app., Assembly, 30 Nov 77]
When a student is required by a Faculty or its designated agent to repeat a year, or a term, or specifically named courses, the units will be counted only once and the most recent grade will be used in computation of the grade point average.
For courses extended over more than one quarter where evaluation of the student's performance is deferred until the end of the final quarter, provisional grades of In Progress shall be assigned in the intervening quarters in courses so authorized according to the regulations of each Faculty in the San Francisco Division. The provisional grades shall be replaced by the final grades if the student completes the full sequence. The Faculty of each school is authorized to regulate the award of credit in cases where the full sequence is not completed. For exception see SFR 785, 795. [en 7 June 72]

SFR 781. Grades – Candidates for the Pharm.D. Degree

The work of all students pursuing a PharmD degree admitted for coursework commencing in Summer 2018 or after will be reported in terms of the following grades: H (honors), P (pass), NP (no pass), I (incomplete passing provisional grade), Y (provisionally unsatisfactory), and IP (in progress).
Grades of successful coursework completion, meriting the awarding of coursework credit:
1. H (honors)
  1. Faculty may assign a grade of H when the student’s overall performance is considered to be outstanding.
  2. A grade of H is limited to required didactic courses and may not be assigned to electives or experiential courses.
2. P (pass)
  1. Faculty will assign a grade of P when the student’s performance is of passing quality and the student has met all requirements for an established course.
Grades indicating incomplete coursework and not meriting the awarding of coursework credit:
1. I (incomplete passing provisional grade)
  1. Faculty may assign an I grade under the following circumstances:
    1. When a student’s participation in an educational experience is interrupted prior to the conclusion of that experience and the performance at that point is of passing quality.
    2. At the conclusion of the educational experience, a student’s overall performance is of passing quality but the student has not satisfactorily completed final assessment requirements.
  2. Faculty will determine the requirements for conversion of the I grade to a final grade of P, or H when such grade is available in a course. Requirements will include the nature and quality of work expected and the timeframe in which the work must be completed.
  3. The time period for satisfactory completion of the course requirements should not extend beyond four consecutive quarters in which the student is enrolled subsequent to the assignment of the I grade, unless a petition, filed prior to the beginning of the term in which the course is next regularly offered, has been approved by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs allowing for a further specified period.
  4. If the student fails to meet any requirement for conversion of the I grade to a P or H grade, the I grade will convert to a grade of NP.
2. Y (Initial non-passing provisional grade)
  1. Faculty will assign a Y grade in the following circumstance:
    1. When, at the completion of a course, a student has not performed to passing quality, but the faculty wishes to provide for an additional finite period of time for the student to demonstrate competency.
  2. Faculty will determine the requirements for conversion of the Y grade to a final grade of P. Requirements will include the nature and quality of work expected and the timeframe in which the work must be completed.
  3. The time period for satisfactory completion of the course requirements should not extend beyond four consecutive quarters in which the student is enrolled subsequent to the assignment of the Y grade, unless a petition, filed prior to the beginning of the term in which the course is next regularly offered, has been approved by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs allowing for a further specified period.
  4. If the student fails to meet any requirement for conversion of the Y grade to a P grade, the Y grade will convert to a grade of NP.
3. IP (in progress grade)
  1. Faculty will assign an IP grade for courses extending over more than one academic quarter and in which evaluation of a student’s performance is deferred.
  2. The IP grade shall be replaced by a final grade when the student completes the course.
Grades indicating unsuccessful coursework completion:
1. NP (non-passing, permanent grade)
  1. Faculty will assign a NP grade when a student’s performance is not of passing quality.
  2. Faculty may assign a NP grade when a student displays behavior which constitutes a violation of University of California 100.00 Policy on Student Conduct and Discipline that is grounds for discipline, as described in section 102 of the policy.
  3. A student who receives a grade of NP and is eligible for continuation in the curriculum must complete an educational experience comparable to the coursework in which the NP grade was received and demonstrate performance of passing quality.