Plus-Minus Grading - Frequently Asked Questions

Q:   When will the new policy take effect?

A:  The new policy will apply to all courses in the fall 2016 semester.

Q:  I began as a student before the fall 2016 semester.  Will the grades that I have earned be affected by this policy?

A:   No.  The policy applies only to courses offered in the fall 2016 and later.  For example, if you earned a “B” in a spring 2015 course, it will not change to a “B-“ or a “B+”.

Q:  I am a graduate student.  How will this affect me?

A:   The new policy applies to graduate students the same way it applies to undergraduate and professional pharmacy students.

Q:  I am a student in the Law School.  How will this affect me?

A:   The Law School follows its own grading scheme.  Contact the Law School for more information.

Q:  Will all courses at Drake use the +/- system?

A:   All instructors will have the option to incorporate + and – grades into their grading scales beginning with fall 2016 courses.

Q:  Are all instructors required to offer + and – grades?

A:   No.  Instructors control the grading scheme of their courses, and some schemes may not include + or – grades.

Q:  Will transfer credits be affected?

A:   No.  The minimum grade that must be earned for Drake to accept transfer credit is a “C-“.

Q:  What about repeating courses?

A:   The policy regarding repeating courses still applies.  For example, if you earned a “B” in a spring 2015 course and then earned a “B-“ when you repeated that same course in fall 2016, the “B” would remain expressed on your transcript while the “B-“ would be changed to “XX”.

Q:  If I earned an ‘incomplete’ for a course taken before fall 2016, but I complete my coursework during the fall 2016 semester, can I earn a + or – grade for that course?

A:   No, because the course was offered in a semester prior to the fall 2016 semester.

Q:  How will this affect my grade point average?

A:   Grades will be assigned a corresponding quality point value according to the table below.