GRADING
The following section pertaining to academics is taken from the 2005-200c LSUHSC-S Catalog for the School of Medicine (includes rules on Attendance, Examinations, Grading System, Grade Point Average, Appeal of Final Grades, Promotions, Repeating First and Second Year, Remediation, Academic Actions for Failing Grades, Statement of Satisfactory Academic Progress, Dismissals, Behavior Dismissals, Academic and Technical Standards Dismissals, Disciplinary Dismissals, Appeal of Dismissal, Leave of Absence(LOA), and Requirements for Graduation). Other, more specific and stringent rules may be imposed by various courses; such rules will be spelled out in the respective Course Syllabus. More stringent curricular class attendance rules are found elsewhere in this Medical School Handbook.

Attendance
Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes except in case of illness or other causes of absence beyond the student’s control. Excessive absence, regardless of cause, may, at the discretion of departments, necessitate repetition of courses or parts thereof, or fulfillment of other assignments. A student who is repeatedly absent from scheduled examinations, requiring repeated makeup examination, may be required to appear before the respective Promotions Committee. The Promotions Committee will recommend action to the Dean, which in some instances may be dismissal. A student who has essentially abandoned his/her role as a student through non-attendance will be subject to dismissal, after a hearing on the matter by the respective Promotions Committee, which will recommend action to the Dean.
Examinations
Examinations may be written, oral, practical, or a combination of all three, depending upon the department concerned. A student may be excluded from any examination for excessive absence, regardless of the cause, at the discretion of the department head. Any department has the option to re-examine any student at any time during a course under its jurisdiction, or to give additional tests for the purpose of arriving at a more accurate evaluation of achievement.
The student body has established an Honor Code concerning examinations. This Code is applicable to all students enrolled in the School.
Grading System
Student performance is evaluated by the course director and teaching faculty of each course on the basis of written, oral, and practical examinations. In graded courses, the grades are recorded as A (Excellent), B (Good), C (Satisfactory), or F (Fail). In other courses, the grades are P (Pass) and F (Fail).
The grade of I (Incomplete) is recorded for a student whose academic work is incomplete at the time grades are recorded. Failure to complete academic work by the specified time will result in the grade of F.
The grade of W (Withdraw) is recorded for a student who officially withdraws from a course in progress.
Grade Point Average
At the end of each academic year, a grade point average is computed to the nearest hundredth of a point on the basis of 4 points for A, 3 for B, 2 for C, and 0 for F. Grades of P, I, and W are not included in the computation of the grade point average. A student cannot be promoted until all comprehensive examinations have been passed and all grades of W and I have been removed.

Appeal of Final Grades

Faculty are best qualified to judge the performance and capabilities
of students in the courses here at LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport. The departments, or teaching units if the course is interdepartmental, under the administrative guidance of the departmental chair(s), or teaching unit head, and under the specific supervision of the designated course director, have the responsibility for their respective educational programs. (Hereafter in this section, teaching unit head and departmental chair may be used interchangeably). They are responsible for the evaluation of students within their respective courses, according to the published guidelines for their respective courses. Each department or teaching unit establishes its mechanisms for the ongoing evaluation of students within its course within the framework of evaluation policies for the School of Medicine. A student who is of the conviction that his or her final course grade or evaluation is unjust or inaccurate may appeal that decision formally. There are two levels of appeal, one to the teaching unit head, and the second to the school’s administration. The initial appeal must be submitted, in writing, within ten working days of receiving the grade or evaluation, to the teaching unit head for the course. The appeal written by the student must clearly state the specific basis for the student’s dissatisfaction (why the grade is unjust or unfair because it is capricious or different from the process used to figure other students’ grades), and the specific relief sought. Failure of the student to appeal within the ten working days indicates acceptance of the grade or evaluation.
At the first level, after receiving a written appeal stating the basis for the dissatisfaction and the relief sought, the head of the teaching unit shall, within a period of ten working days, review the appeal, meet with the student and, if he/she deems appropriate with faculty, and formulate a written response which shall be given to the student. If the student remains dissatisfied with the grade or evaluation after receiving the response to his/her appeal from the teaching unit head, the student has five working days from the receipt of the response to make a final appeal, in writing, to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, who will compile the data and present it to the Dean. The written appeal must include the basis for the dissatisfaction (clear deviation from the grading procedure used for other students or the distinct unfair nature of the grade received) and the relief sought. The Dean will then render a decision. Addressed will be (1) whether or not the evaluation or grading procedure used in that case was essentially the same as used for all other students in that course and (2) whether or not there is evidence of capricious, unjust or erroneous evaluation sufficient to warrant referral of the case back to the department for reassessing the students’ competence. Using these criteria, the Dean will either accept the original grade or evaluation
as valid or refer the case back to the department or teaching unit for reevaluation and/or grading of the student. If the decision reached requires changes in an official university record, the faculty of the department or teaching unit must comply with all university regulations and procedures necessary to accomplish the change. The decision of the appeal reached by the Dean, represents the final level of due process for appeal of a final course grade in the School of Medicine.