The School of Business Administration is a learning community committed to the Catholic Marianist tradition to educating the whole person and to connecting learning and scholarship with leadership and service in an innovative business curriculum designed to prepare ethical leaders for successful careers in a global business environment.

Expectations & Evaluation

Grading 
A GPA of 3.0 or higher must be maintained and is the minimum required for graduation. Grading is based on a point system in which corresponding letter and quality points are the following:

A    Excellent (4.000 quality points)  93.00 - 100
A-   (3.667 quality points)  90.00 - 92.99
B+   (3.333 quality points)  87.00 - 89.99
B    Average (3.000 quality points)  83.00 - 86.99
B-   (2.667 quality points)  80.00 - 82.99
C    Poor (2.000quality points)  70.00 - 79.99
F    Failing (0 quality points)  00.00 - 69.99

Graduate Retake Policy

University policy does not limit the number of courses that may be retaken by graduate students, nor does it limit the number of times any particular course may be attempted. Academic units are nevertheless free to impose specific restrictions according to their needs. All retaken courses, including the original attempt, will be shown on the student’s transcript. With permission, however, graduate students may retake a single course, one time, and have the lowest grade excluded from the calculation of their cumulative quality-point average.

If an "F" grade is received in a required class, the student must repeat the class and earn a passing grade. To exclude a grade of C or F from their cumulative quality-point average, matriculated graduate students may retake at most one graduate level course of no more than three semester credit hours. For students who pursue more than one graduate degree at the University of Dayton (e.g., a master’s degree followed by a doctoral degree, or multiple masters degrees), at most one graduate level course per graduate degree program may be retaken for purposes of grade exclusion according to this policy. In all cases, the course(s) in question must have been taken at the University of Dayton and must be retaken at the University of Dayton.

Courses may be retaken for the purpose of grade exclusion only once and only with the prior written permission of the student’s Program Manager for the relevant MBA offering or the Graduate Programs Coordinator for other SBA graduate programs. In the event that the Program Manager for the relevant MBA offering or the Graduate Programs Coordinator for other SBA graduate programs was the student's original instructor, permission to retake a course for the purpose of grade exclusion may be sought from the student’s academic Dean, or Dean’s designee.

When permission to retake a course is granted according to this policy, the lowest grade for that course will be excluded from cumulative quality point average calculations. Note that, in the event that the grade received on the approved retake attempt is not better than the original grade(s), the grade for the approved retake attempt shall be excluded from the cumulative quality-point average calculation. While all attempts at the course, including corresponding grades, will be shown on the student’s graduate transcript, the excluded grade will be annotated with an “E” (i.e., Grade Excluded). For all other retaken courses, the grades for all attempts will be shown and included in the calculation of the cumulative quality-point average.

Students must demonstrate that a course retaken for the purpose of grade exclusion contains essentially the same material as the original course in which a grade of C or F was earned. In all cases, retake requests must be approved prior to enrollment in order for the grade exclusion policy to apply. Moreover, within 30 days of completing the retaken course, the student’s Program Manager for the relevant MBA offering or the Graduate Programs Coordinator for other SBA graduate programs must communicate with the Registrar’s office to initiate the grade exclusion designation and subsequent recalculation of the student’s cumulative quality-point average.

Special Provisions

1. One course taken in pursuit of the Master in the Study of Law (M.S.L.) degree may be retaken according to this policy. All courses leading to the Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M) degrees are, however, excluded from this policy.

2. Also excluded from this policy are all graduate courses taken by undergraduate students for undergraduate credit (i.e., graduate courses taken to satisfy one or more undergraduate program requirements which are also included in the calculation of undergraduate term and cumulative quality-point averages). This exclusion applies to, but is not limited to, students enrolled in approved Bachelor’s Plus Master’s (BPM) degree programs.

Other Possible Grades Assigned

I (Incomplete) - A student in good standing in a course may, after the official withdrawal deadline, petition to the professor for an "I" grade. This grade is appropriate only if extraordinary conditions beyond the control of the student have led to an inability to complete course requirements. This must be documented and approved by an instructor who may then assign an "I" grade if  a) the reasons presented by the student are deemed acceptable, b) the student has completed a sufficient amount of coursework to justify this grade in anticipation of completion of the work, and c) the professor and student agree to a one-term plan of action for completing the coursework.

An "I" in a graduate course must be removed within one calendar year from the date listed on the grade report or it will be changed to an "F" on the student's permanent record and the quality-point average adjusted accordingly.  The time limit may be extended under exceptional circumstances, with the approval of the dean, if application for the extension is made within the one year period noted above.

X (Audit) - The "X" grade indicates that the student has registered to audit the course. No credit hours or quality points are awarded. Any course taken for audit may not be retaken at a later date for credit. Therefore, a course required for graduation may not be audited.

N (No grade) - The "N" grade indicates that no grade was reported by the instructor. Questions should be directed to the instructor.

Academic Probation

A student will be placed on probationary academic status if his or her cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0 (see University Academic Standards Policy). While on probation, a  student may not transfer any coursework from another university or college and may not receive financial assistance administered by the School of Business Administration.  That student must complete a written academic recovery contract, approved by his/her Program Manager for the relevant MBA offering or the Graduate Programs Coordinator for other SBA graduate programs. This plan will specify goals and expectations for achieving good academic standing. The probationary period will be one academic semester and may be no more than nine (9) semester hours.

A student on academic probation will be returned to good academic standing if his/her cumulative grade point average reaches 3.0 or better at the end of the probationary period. If a student remains below a 3.0 upon completion of the academic probation period, he/she will be dismissed from the program. Finally, a student who has returned to good academic standing, but whose GPA again falls below 3.0, must complete a plan to return to good standing and have it approved by the program director if he/she wishes to continue in the program. Under no circumstances, however, will a student be permitted to take more than nine (9) credits beyond the initial degree requirements in order to return to good standing. Likewise, all must be eligible to graduate within the five-year limit for post-foundation credits. Failing this, a student will be dismissed. 

Grade Appeals

TIME LIMIT FOR APPEAL - Grade appeals submitted by students in the School of Business Administration will be objectively and promptly reviewed.  A grade appeal may be initiated, provided that it is done within 14 calendar days after the final, official grade is posted¹ and provided further that one of the following two criteria is met:

1. That the grade received appears to be inconsistent with the performance of the work required and recorded for that course;
2. The grade received was explicitly determined by criteria other than the stated criteria system for that course.

PROCEDURES FOR APPEAL- If a student wishes to appeal a grade and can provide evidence that one of the criteria above has been violated, the following appeals procedure is to be followed:

1. The first appeal is made directly to the course instructor awarding the contested grade. This appeal must be filed within 14 calendar days after the final, official grade is posted and must be done by using the SBA Graduate Programs Final Grade Appeal Statement form. No appeal will be further considered if this first step is not followed. The course instructor is requested to complete the first appeal process within 14 days of the first appeal. If this appeal is unsatisfactory to the student, he/she may then register a second appeal.
2. The second appeal is to be submitted in writing by the student to the Department Chairperson with fully supporting facts and documentation for review, including the Final Grade Appeal Statement form. The appeal to the Department Chairperson must be filed within 14 calendar days immediately following the conclusion of the first appeal.  The department chair may consult with the Program Director for the relevant Graduate Course offering or at a minimum make the Program Director aware of the appeal.  The department chair is requested to complete the second appeal process within 14 days of the second appeal. In the event that the instructor is also the department chair, a suitable substitute within that department will be found. 
   Note: If a grade appeal is based upon perceived bias, the department chair/program director will report this matter to the University of Dayton Equity Compliance Office. The department chair/program director’s decision will be delayed until a finding from the Equity Compliance Office is issued.
3. A third and final appeal may be made to the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, School of Business Administration, by either the student or the course instructor. This final appeal must be filed within 14 calendar days immediately following the conclusion of the second appeal. The Associate Dean may appoint and chair a Grade Appeal Review Committee to gather the facts and make a recommendation or do so without a committee. One of the committee members will be the relevant Graduate Program Director for the course where the grade is being appealed. In the event that the instructor is also the Graduate Program Director, a suitable substitute within that department will be found. The Committee or Associate Dean will decide based on the evidence presented. The Committee or Associate Dean is requested to complete the third appeal process within 14 days of the third appeal. The student, course instructor, Department Chair, and relevant Program Director will be advised of the Committee's finding.

CHANGE OF GRADE - If a grade change is warranted, either the Program Manager for the relevant MBA offering or the Graduate Programs Coordinator for other SBA graduate programs will execute a change of grade form.

Additional Note:  This policy does not apply to grade appeals related to academic honor code violations. Students requesting a grade appeal based on an academic honor code violation must follow the appeal procedure outlined in the Honor Code policy for graduate students (https://catalog.udayton.edu/graduate/generalinformation/academicinformation/academicdishonesty/).

Honor Code

All University of Dayton students are subject to the Academic Honor Code. As a School of Business Administration student, it is your obligation to read, know and understand the Honor Code in its entirety. Students who violate the Honor Code multiple times or commit serious violations are subject to dismissal from the University. 

Common Honor Code issues arise when:

In submitting group work, a group member commits plagiarism with or without telling the other group members. In the Honor Code, encouragement or toleration of academic dishonesty is a distinct and separate violation. Therefore, if your name is anywhere on the submitted work, it is your obligation to ensure that the entire work is free of honor code violations.

In writing papers, a student paraphrases prior work by merely changing one or two words. Plagiarism occurs whenever a student passes off someone else's work as their own, regardless of whether it is the exact same format as the original work. If in doubt, always cite the original source. Cited work is not plagiarism.

In taking tests, professors always announce test conditions prior to the test. Never violate these test conditions. Talking during tests at any time is always prohibited - if you need something, raise your hand and speak to the faculty member. If you are unsure about whether you are allowed to do something in a test, always ask.

In completing assignments, never assume that group work is permitted. If you don't know whether or not collaboration is allowed, ask.

When courses are finished, remember that the only intellectual property you own is that which you create by yourself. You are not permitted to distribute other group members' work or your faculty member's work (including PowerPoint, tests, etc), to anyone including websites such as Course Hero, without their permission.  Doing so is a violation of federal copyright law in addition to being an Honor Code violation.

If you are accused on an Honor Code violation, it is very important that you follow the processes outlined in the Academic Honor Code. Although there are multiple levels of appeal, you must adhere to strict timelines in order to preserve your appeal rights. If you ignore an Honor Code violation, you give up your right to appeal.

The Academic Honor Code exists to reflect our values as a Catholic Marianist institution, as well as our commitment to graduating dedicated business professionals with the highest levels of personal integrity. We expect all our students to uphold these values at all times, and egregious violators of the Academic Honor Code are not welcome at the School of Business Administration or the University of Dayton. If you ever have any questions about the Academic Honor Code, or what behavior constitutes violations, the time to ask for clarification is before you engage in that behavior, not after. By ensuring that all your work is original or cited, by reporting honor code violations when you witness it, and by asking questions when you are unsure, you will ensure that your academic reputation is kept intact. You will also lay the foundation for a life dedicated to the pursuit of professional behavior. 

_____________________
¹If there is a delay in the official posting of the final grade, the 14-day period begins when the final grade is officially posted.