Grading Policy
Assignment Grades
As faculty review student assignment submissions, they look for three broad quality areas to be appropriately evident:
- Demonstrated Comprehension: Evaluation is primarily focused on the demonstrated quality of thought and the comprehension of the subject matter.
- Synthesis and Analysis: Instructors evaluate critical thinking and synthesis of the core material, through an appearance that demonstrates thought provoking analysis of the core concepts, including original ideas presented as an extension of course material.
- Research and Quality of Resources: Research and quality of resources are an integral element of a student’s work and will constitute a large portion of assignment work. Textbooks are introduced as a single resource amongst many, with the expectation that students will conduct a substantial amount of additional research in order to present a cohesive, multi-faceted view of subject material.
To assist in the evaluation process, students are provided with an assignment rubric that is used by faculty to score their assignments. These rubrics are available in each D2L classroom and are specific to the assignment type. A signature assignment is a student artifact that represents scaffolded learning across a course. It is usually that final assignment of the course, generally in Module 8, e.g. a research paper or a capstone project. As such, the assignment is summative in nature only and directly measures course learning objectives, program learning goals, and university mission-based outcomes for both assignment grading and assessment of student learning purposes. In some cases, students who do not pass the signature assignment also do not pass the course. Signature assignment rubrics permit faculty evaluation of student performance along a task-specific set of assignment criteria aligned with 4 standardized expectation levels—Does Not Meet, Approaches, Meets, and Exceeds Expectations—and point values assigned to each rubric cell.
The balance of assignments in a course are graded with rubrics designed for specific deliverable types and are not used for university assessment data collection and analysis. Examples include rubrics for a PowerPoint, for an essay, for a journal entry, for discussion questions, for an article analysis, etc. These rubrics reflect the degree level—undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral—and use the same 4 standardized expectation levels described above and appropriate point ranges for each cell. Usually, assignments in Modules 1-7 are scored on these rubrics.
Both signature assignment and assignment type rubrics are scored by faculty and provide a numeric value for an assignment that is averaged in with all course assignment grades to calculate the final grade of the course. Students are encouraged to review all assignment rubrics prior to assignment submission as a means to assist them in assignment construction.
At Aspen University, grades are not rounded to a whole number. Grades are carried to the second decimal place.
Proctored Assessments
Proctored assessments at Aspen University have a two-fold purpose. First, they are designed to test a student’s overall knowledge of the learning goals and are administered at predetermined points during a program. Proctored assessments evaluate a student's mastery of course and program learning outcomes. These assessments include, but are not limited to, program-specific video assignments, signature assignments, and examinations. Proctored assessments are part of an integrated approach to evaluating students' overall knowledge of the program's learning goals and are administered at strategic points during a student's program.
Second, proctored assessments are used for identity verification; government-issued photo identification or other means are used to confirm student identity. Faculty check students’ government-issued photo IDs to ensure enrolled students are taking the assessments and report any incidents of academic dishonesty according to Aspen University policies. This helps ensure integrity and academic honesty. The number of proctored assessments and their placement in the curriculum is determined at the program level. Students must complete the proctored assessment in full within the assigned module of the course; failing to complete the assessment may stop the student from progressing in the course and may cause the course to be failed.
By taking a proctored assessment, students are agreeing to abide by both the Academic Integrity Student Commitments and the requirements outlined in the assessment assignment instructions. Any violation of academic integrity during proctored assessments is addressed, following Aspen University’s Code of Conduct policy.
Students are made aware of the proctored assessment requirements through course descriptions, syllabi, and course instructors. Aspen University is committed to providing equitable access to all students. Students with documented disabilities may request accommodations for proctored assessments, facilitated following the Office of Accessibility and applicable university policies.
Course Grades
Only classes attempted at Aspen University are included in the calculation of the student's GPA. GPA is calculated by multiplying credit hours by the letter grade GPA value, which produces a weighted grade value for each course. The weighted grade value total is then divided by the total course credit hours. Courses with grades of "W," "WA," "R," or "P" are not factored into the GPA calculation.
Undergraduate
| Numeric Grade Percentage |
Letter Grade |
GPA |
| 94% - 100% |
A |
4.000 |
| 90% - 93.99% |
A- |
3.667 |
| 87% - 89.99% |
B+ |
3.333 |
| 83% - 86.99% |
B |
3.000 |
| 80% - 82.99% |
B- |
2.667 |
| 77% - 79.99% |
C+ |
2.333 |
| 73% - 76.99% |
C |
2.000 |
| 70% - 72.99% |
C- |
1.667 |
| 67% - 69.99% |
D+ |
1.333 |
| 63% - 66.99% |
D |
1.000 |
| 60% - 62.99% |
D- |
0.667 |
| 59.99% or Under |
U |
0.000 |
Graduate
| Numeric Grade Percentage |
Letter Grade |
GPA Value |
| 94% - 100% |
A |
4.000 |
| 90% - 93.99% |
A- |
3.667 |
| 87% - 89.99% |
B+ |
3.333 |
| 83% - 86.99% |
B |
3.000 |
| 80% - 82.99% |
B- |
2.667 |
| 77% - 79.99% |
C+ |
2.333 |
| 73% - 76.99% |
C |
2.000 |
| 70% - 72.99% |
C- |
1.667 |
| 69.99% or Under |
U |
0.000 |
| Pass / Fail - P / U |
* |
* |
* Not counted toward the GPA calculation. P/U grades are only used for PAC799A.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Completion) program and RN-MSN Bridge program
- Field experience hours in N492, N493, and N496 must be documented and approved appropriately prior to course completion to successfully pass the course. The ability to complete the signature assignment is contingent on the approval documentation.
Dissertation Courses in Doctoral Programs
- Dissertation courses are graded on the graduate grading scale.
- Students who fail a dissertation course must retake the course before they can progress in their program. Students are only permitted to fail one dissertation course over the course of their program. Students who fail two dissertation courses will be automatically dismissed from their program.