Stuart Weitzman School of Design
102 Meyerson Hall
210 South 34th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
The Weitzman School reserves the right to withdraw students from courses for failure to attend the first meeting of the class.
Policies regarding absence from classes are determined by the instructor(s) responsible for the course. A course instructor may choose to base part of the course grade on attendance and participation or may present material in class that cannot be found in the readings. If it is necessary to miss a class, the student should seek permission from the course instructor in advance. Upon request of the instructor, written documentation must be submitted for an excused absence. Attendance policies do not apply to recognized religious holidays.
Weitzman School instructors, with the exception of the Department of Fine Arts, apply a grading system of letter grades, which carry the following weight towards GPA:
| A+ | 4.0 |
| A | 4.0 |
| A- | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B- | 2.7 |
| C+ | 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 |
| C- | 1.7 |
| D+ | 1.3 |
| D | 1.0 |
| F (Failure) | 0.0 |
| I (Incomplete) | 0.0 |
Students enrolled in Architecture, City Planning, Historic Preservation, and Landscape Architecture degree programs are issued letter grades. Students enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts program are graded on a Pass/Fail system. When a course is taken as Pass/Fail, the grade of P (pass) is NOT calculated into the grade point average (GPA). However, if an F (fail) is received in a Pass/Fail course, it is calculated into the GPA.
Weitzman School students who receive a grade of F (fail) in a required course must repeat the course for credit. If a student receives a grade of F (fail) in an elective course, the course must be repeated or a course of equivalent course units (CUs) meeting the degree requirements must be taken. However, the F (fail) remains on the student’s official transcript even if the student has repeated the course and obtained a satisfactory grade. The F (fail) is still calculated in the cumulative GPA. Any courses for which the failed course is a prerequisite may not be taken until a satisfactory grade in the prerequisite course has been achieved.
The Grade Point Average (GPA) is tabulated at the end of each semester. The GPA is calculated by multiplying the course unit for each course (usually 1 CU) by the numerical equivalent for the grade received in the course, adding the total number and dividing by the total number of credits taken. Averages are tabulated for each semester on a cumulative basis.
The notations of NR and GR indicate that the grade has not been received by the Registrar. All NRs (instructor did not submit grades for the course) and GRs (instructor did not enter a grade for the student in question) must be cleared from the student’s transcript before graduation. The notation “W” indicates an approved withdrawal from a course.
At the end of each term, students can access their grades through the unofficial transcript available through Path@Penn. Official transcripts are maintained by the Office of the University Registrar and not by the Weitzman School. The University’s definition of an official transcript is completed (graded) coursework. In-progress coursework will not appear on a student’s official transcript. Students can request an official transcript electronically, by US mail, or in person.
A grade of “I” (incomplete) shall be given only in cases of illness or family emergencies and when the Incomplete Request Form is approved by the faculty member and the department. No faculty member is required to give a grade of incomplete. If a permanent grade is not submitted by the end of the second semester, a permanent “F” (fail) grade will be issued. It is the student’s responsibility to find out how much time the faculty member requires to review course work and submit a grade. Students must give the faculty member a minimum of three weeks to read late assignments and submit a grade. More time may be required by individual faculty members, particularly at the end of the semester. Faculty are not required to review student work during the summer unless a prior agreement has been reached between the student and the faculty member.
"S" (Satisfactory) grades are used for administrative purposes for courses that continue work after the semester ends, and for which there is a prior administrative arrangement with the Weitzman Registrar's Office. "S" grades should not be used in cases described above that require an Incomplete "I" grade.
Evaluation of a student’s performance is the responsibility of the instructor. Should a final grade in a course be disputed, the student must submit a written appeal to the instructor within the first two weeks of the semester immediately following the semester in which the grade was received. The instructor must respond in writing to the student within two weeks of receiving the written appeal from the student. If, after receiving the written response to the appeal from the instructor, the student still believes that the grade has been unfairly assigned, the student must submit a written appeal to the Chair of the student’s Department. If the Chair believes the appeal demonstrates evidence of negligence or discriminatory behavior, an advisory committee will be formed to review the student’s appeal and make a recommendation to the Chair. The decision of the Chair is final.
To remain in good academic standing, graduate students are required to maintain a minimum 3.00 GPA throughout their graduate program and make satisfactory progress toward their program of study. Students not making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) may receive a warning or be placed on probation. The decision to place a student on academic probation is the responsibility of the department chair and is issued based on the student’s overall performance in a given semester. At the end of a semester of probation, the student’s record will be reviewed to evaluate whether satisfactory academic performance has been achieved. In the absence of improvement in the subsequent semester, students on probation may be withdrawn from the Weitzman School of Design.
A student will be placed on academic probation if they have:
*This applies to situations in which one course carries a weight of 2 CUs or in which multiple courses add up to the equivalent of 2 CUs
The decision to place a dual-degree student on probation is made separately for each degree program in which the student is enrolled. Should a department chair decide to place a dual-degree student on academic probation in their department’s degree program, they will consult with the department chair of the second degree program in which the student is enrolled, so that the student can clearly understand their status and what is required to achieve satisfactory academic performance in both programs.
A student on academic probation is expected to meet with their academic advisor, often in conjunction with the Associate Director for Student Support, to design a performance improvement plan. If the student achieves a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above at the end of the subsequent semester, the student will be removed from academic probation. If a dual-degree student receives a 3.00 or above at the end of the subsequent semester in the program in which they were placed on probation, the decision whether to remove the student from academic probation will be made by the department chair in that program in consultation with the department chair of the other degree program.
If the student does not achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher, the student is subject to withdrawal from the program.
Additionally, the Weitzman School reserves the right to withdraw any student whose GPA is below 2.00 in any term.
Students who are withdrawn for unsatisfactory academic performance are not eligible for readmission. Withdrawal decisions are made by the Dean in consultation with the department chair, student services, and the registrar.
In order to be eligible for assistance from any Federal Title IV student aid program, a student must be making satisfactory academic progress. The Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy on the SRFS website explains the criteria and processes for federal aid eligibility. Federal SAP is separate from the Weitzman probation policy; although a student may be placed on probation and receive a warning about not making satisfactory academic progress for aid purposes, one may be possible without the other.
A Weitzman School student who wishes to register a grievance regarding a matter related to their academic program should discuss the matter with the appropriate Department chair. If the grievance is not resolved by the Department chair, the student may bring the issue to the Weitzman School Vice Dean for Administration, Leslie Hurtig, lhurtig@design.upenn.edu, for review and consideration. For grievances and appeals regarding the final grade in a course, follow the Grade Appeals procedure.
