The following regulations govern expectations for all graduate students. By virtue of their being published here, Trinity College presumes that students are familiar with and agree to be bound by them.
Grades and Credits (Revised)
Effective Spring 2012, the Trinity College Graduate Studies grading scale officially changed. We made this change in order to bring our grading scale into closer conformity with the undergraduate grading scale and with grading scales typical of other graduate programs. In addition, it is necessary to conform to Federal reporting requirements for student aid and other purposes.
This change is effective going forward; it is
not retroactive. This means that students enrolled in courses through the Fall Term 2011 and who complete additional courses after that date will have “mixed” transcripts. That is, their transcripts will continue to reflect the former grading scale for all courses completed through Fall 2011; courses completed thereafter will reflect the new grading scale. Since no numerical value was assigned under the former grading scale, no grade point average (GPA), cumulative or otherwise, can be generated for those courses. Cumulative GPAs will be generated for the new grades only. An explanation of both grading scales and the change will appear on the key of all official transcripts.
Students who begin graduate study with the Spring Term 2012 will receive grades under the new grading scale only.
The new grading scale is as follows:
| 4.333 |
A+
Most distinguished academic performance at the graduate level |
|---|
4.000
3.667 |
A
A-
Outstanding academic performance at the graduate level |
|---|
3.333
3.000
2.667 |
B+
B
B-
Normally expected performance at the graduate level |
|---|
2.333
2.000
1.667 |
C+
C
C-
Substandard performance at the graduate level; not awarded for master's theses or final projects; two grades of C+, C, or C- will result in mandatory withdrawal from graduate study |
|---|
| 0.000 |
F
Failure; one grade of F will result in mandatory withdrawal from graduate study |
|---|
| |
Note: At the graduate level, no grade of D through D- is awarded, and no Pass/Fail option is available |
|---|
The graduate faculty of Trinity College expects a higher level of achievement by graduate students than undergraduates. Accordingly, satisfactory performance at a graduate level will be awarded a grade of B- or higher.
In special cases, an instructor may submit a grade of “Incomplete” along with a specified completion deadline, normally no later than the subsequent semester. If an “Incomplete” is not replaced by a regular grade by the instructor-specified deadline, the Registrar will convert the “Incomplete” to an F.
If an instructor fails to submit a grade, a grade of NGR (no grade received) will be recorded. If an NGR is not replaced by a regular letter grade within 15 calendar days after the last day of the final examination period, the NGR will automatically convert to an F. The Registrar will notify the instructor and the student that this conversion will occur.
Lecture or seminar courses, normally 800-level, usually carry one course credit. Master’s theses, numbered 954-955, normally carry two course credits. Final research projects, normally 900-level, can carry one or two course credits. (One Trinity course credit = 3 semester hours as frequently designated by other institutions.)
Honors in Graduate Scholarship
To be eligible for Honors in Graduate Scholarship, a Master’s candidate must have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.750 or higher. In addition, the master’s thesis or final project must earn a grade of A- or higher. For students whose transcripts contain both letter grades and the previous grades of Distinction, High Pass, Pass, etc., honors will be determined on an ad hoc basis with a view to weighting the calculation according to the grading scale by which a student has earned the majority of grades. In these cases, any grade lower than High Pass will disqualify the student for honors, regardless of the cumulative grade point average.
Honors are awarded at the Commencement ceremony and are noted on the student’s official transcript, in the Commencement program, and in the subsequent issue of the Trinity College Bulletin.
Academic Standing
Matriculated and non-matriculated students who receive two grades lower than B- or one failing grade will be withdrawn from Graduate Studies. No more than one grade lower than B- will be credited toward a master’s degree.
Non-matriculated students who receive two grades lower than B- will become ineligible for matriculation.
Satisfactory academic progress will be determined as follows: maintaining a minimum GPA of 2.667; attempting a maximum of 15 credits; successful completion of 80% of credits attempted; completion of a minimum of 3 credits per calendar year. All grades of C- or higher, of F, W, NGR, and all transfer credits must be counted as credits attempted.
Attendance, Withdrawal, and Refunds
Students are expected to attend all meetings of courses in which they are enrolled. Excessive absences, as determined by the instructor, will be sufficient cause for compulsory withdrawal from a course.
Students wishing to withdraw from a course must notify the Office of Graduate Studies in writing. Failure to attend class or merely notifying the instructor does not constitute official withdrawal from the course and will result in a grade of F.
A grade of W will appear on the transcript for a course dropped after the second class meeting. The last day to withdraw and receive a grade of W is the final day of graduate classes as posted in the
Registrar’s Academic Calendar.
Refunds will be granted for students who withdraw from a course according to the following scheme:
- Withdrawal before the first class meeting = full tuition refund
- Withdrawal after the first class meeting but before the third class meeting = tuition refund minus $300 withdrawal fee ($100 for auditors)
- Withdrawal after the third class meeting = no refund
- An abbreviated withdrawal schedule applies to the Summer Term
Non-Academic Regulations
ID Cards must be obtained by all students in order to access or use campus facilities such as the Library and Information Technology Center, classroom buildings, and the Athletic Center. ID cards are obtained from the Help Desk, located on Level B of the Library, M-F 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Students should report loss or theft of ID cards to
Campus Safety (860-297-2222).
Parking on Trinity’s campus is limited. Students wishing to park on campus must register their vehicles with the
Campus Safety Office (fee = $75 for one year).
Inclement Weather rarely causes cancellation of classes at Trinity College. When all classes are canceled because of emergencies or hazardous weather, information will be announced on radio stations WTIC-AM 1080, WTIC-FM 96.5, and WRCH-FM 100.5 and on TV channels 3, 8, and 30. To see if an individual class is canceled, students may contact their instructor directly. Students should not call the College switchboard for cancellation information.