Grading Policy

ACAD-POL-002

I. Policy Statement

This policy establishes grading standards and procedures for non-credit courses offered by RIT Certified. It is designed to ensure clarity, consistency, and fairness in evaluating learner performance while supporting credentialing through digital badges and mastery certificates.

II. Definitions

  • Evaluative Grade: A letter-based grade (A through F) used to assess learner proficiency.
  • Audit Grade: A non-evaluative grade option for learners not seeking badge eligibility.
  • Badge: A digital credential issued to learners who meet proficiency thresholds.

III. Rationale

Grading in non-credit courses serves two primary purposes:

  • To provide timely, actionable feedback that supports learner improvement.
  • To communicate the extent to which a learner has met course learning objectives.

Instructors will provide grading information at the beginning of each course and offer progress updates as appropriate.

IV. Grading Scale

A. Evaluative Grade
The final course grade is calculated as a weighted numeric average of all submitted assessments and assignments during the course. Successful completion of a course is determined by a minimum grade of C.

  • Grade: A (90 - 100%)
    • Description: Exemplary Proficiency
  • Grade: B (80 - 89%)
    • Description: Proficient
  • Grade: C (70 - 79%)
    • Description: Minimum Proficiency
  • Grade: D (60 - 69%)
    • Description: Minimal Evidence of Proficiency
  • Grade: F (< 59%)
    • Description: No Evidence of Proficiency

Assignments and assessments that are not submitted by deadline or the course end date will receive a grade of 0, which will be factored into the final course grade. Assignments or assessments that are submitted late may have their grade reduced.

B. Audit Grade
An audit grade is a non-evaluative transcript option for learners who wish to complete a course without receiving a letter grade. Learners selecting this option will complete all assessments and be evaluated using the same criteria and standards as those pursuing a letter grade. However, the final transcript will reflect “Audit” instead of the assigned letter grade.

  • This option may be selected during the enrollment process.
  • Audited courses do not fulfill Mastery Certificate requirements and are not eligible for digital badging.
  • Instructors will assign final letter grades in Brightspace for all learners. The Registrar will convert these to “Audit” on the transcript for learners who elected the audit option, as instructors will not be notified of the audit designation.

There is no limit to the number of courses for which a learner may select this option.

V. Badging

Badges are issued for all RIT Certified courses and Mastery Certificates to learners who:

  • Receive an evaluative grade of C or higher.
  • Complete all course and certificate requirements.

Learners who audit or do not meet the minimum C grade requirement will not receive a badge.

VI. Changing Grades

Grade changes may be requested by instructors or learners via the Change of Grade (COG) Form, which is submitted to the Registrar.

Final course grades are issued by the instructor and recorded by the Registrar within seven calendar days of the course end date. For more information regarding appealing a final grade, please see the Final Grade Disputes Policy.

A. Instructor Initiated Change

  • May occur only in the case of error in recording or calculation.
  • Require approval from the Academic Director.

B. Learner Requested Change
Each learner may request the following changes once per course section:

  • Evaluative to Audit: Learners may request this change up to the end date of the course. Refer to the Withdrawal and Transfer Policy for more information.
  • Audit to Evaluative: Learners may request this change up to 12 months after the course end date. The final grade assigned in Brightspace during the course will be recorded as the transcript grade. No additional coursework or grade changes will be permitted after the course has concluded.

VII. Repeating Courses

Learners may enroll in and pay tuition for the same course as many times as they like. Each enrollment will be recorded separately in the learner’s RIT Certified academic history and learning record. These records are accessible to learners and may be shared with employers or credentialing bodies. Learners re-enrolling in a course should carefully read the Academic Integrity Policy to understand how previously completed assignments may or may not be resubmitted in subsequent course attempts.

VIII. Instructor Feedback

Instructors are responsible for providing timely, formative feedback and grading information to support learner success.

  • Feedback on submitted work will be provided within 14 calendar days of the assignment deadline or course end date.
  • Feedback and grades will be accessible via Brightspace.
  • Instructors must notify learners via email and Brightspace announcement proactively if timelines cannot be met.

IX. Learner Feedback Concerns

Learners with concerns about feedback or final grades should follow the procedures outlined in the Final Grade Disputes Policy.