Grades of "D" do not count toward fulfillment of departmental requirements for the major or the minor, nor are "D" grades acceptable for cognate courses in the student's major or minor. Fisk does not accept "D" or equivalent grades from other institutions in transfer toward a Fisk degree.

The grade of “E” is a failing grade, indicating failure to meet the minimum requirements of the course. Under some circumstances, the "E" grade is given when the student's work is incomplete or when the student has withdrawn from the course. A course for which the grade of "E" is given must be repeated and a higher grade earned, if credit is desired.

Plus and minus grades may be awarded in conjunction with “B” and “C” grades, and an “A-” grade can be awarded. Grades awarded with a minus (“-”) indicate achievement at the lower limit for that grade; grades awarded with a plus (“+”) indicate achievement at the upper limit for that grade. The grade of “C-” is not acceptable toward fulfillment of departmental requirements for the major or minor nor for cognate courses in the student’s major or minor.

Pass/Fail grades are given in some laboratory sections. Selective pass/fail grading is also available, at the student's option, in order to provide wider opportunities for students to pursue courses outside the major field, without competition from students specializing in the discipline in which the course is offered. Students may take no more than twelve hours of coursework under the pass/fail option, and the coursework may be for general elective credit only.

A grade of "P" (passing) is awarded for work at the "D" level or better. Work below the "D" level is assigned a grade of "F" (failure). Pass/fail grades are available only to students of junior or senior classification, who are in good academic standing and enrolled for fourteen credit hours or more in the semester. No more than one course per semester may be taken on a pass/fail basis in the junior year, and no more than two per semester in the senior year. Students must indicate on their registration cards those courses they wish to take on a pass/fail basis. Students enrolling on a pass/fail basis must meet the same standards of achievement as other students, including the same attendance and other course requirements such as class recitations, tests, papers, and examinations. The Registrar will provide for each instructor, at the beginning of the semester, a list of students registered on a pass/fail basis for that instructor's classes. Students are not permitted to change their status from letter grade to pass/fail, or vice versa, after the close of normal registration.

Credits earned by examination are also shown on the student's transcript with the grade of "P," and are not counted among the twelve hours of coursework permitted on the pass/fail basis. The requirement of junior or senior standing for pass/fail grading does not apply when "P" grades are assigned for credit by examination; nor are "P" graded credits, when earned by examination, subject to the usual pass/fail restriction specifying use of credit for general elective purposes only.

The grade of "I" (incomplete) is given when the student has substantially and satisfactorily completed the work in a class but due to unavoidable circumstances (illness or other valid reasons) lacks no more than two distinct course completion requirements. The student must have achieved an average of "C" or better in work completed for the course, and will be responsible for having a clear understanding of the requirements for the completion of the course and removal of the "I".

Work done must be submitted by the last day of classes during the next semester in which the student is enrolled, and the "I" grade must be removed by the end of the next semester during which the student is enrolled; otherwise it is automatically replaced with a failing grade.

Credit by examination is available to students whose experience or independent study has led to mastery of the content of Fisk courses they would otherwise have to take. To be eligible for participation in this program, students must be enrolled at Fisk and must be carrying a full load of class work. Since the purpose of the program is to allow for the demonstration of achievement outside of the normal academic process, no student may use this option to receive credit for a course in which he or she has previously received a failing grade. The examinations are normally scheduled with the approval of the Chief Academic Officer. Students may be permitted to take two examinations on each examination day. A list of the courses for which the credit-by-examination option is available is maintained in the Provost’s Office, in each division office and with the Office of the Registrar.

Students seeking credit by examination must petition the Division Director or Core Committee Chair in writing, giving the course number, title, and hours of credit, together with a brief statement of justification, mentioning such matters as high school courses taken in the field, any special work experience, or independent study background in the content field. For continuing students, the deadline for petitions is the end of the pre-registration period. A nonrefundable fee is assessed before each examination. A student will be assessed tuition charges for all credit hours earned by this method.

The division director or Core committee chairperson will report to the Chief Academic Officer on the acceptability of the student's justifications within one week from the receipt of the petition. The division may exclude certain courses from the credit-by-examination process.

The student must take a written examination and/or additional measures to demonstrate mastery. The examination will come from the discipline or division in which the course is taught. It must be reviewed and approved by the discipline faculty or by the discipline faculties, if more than one discipline is involved.

The division will promptly notify students of the exam results. Students who fail to pass the examination may petition for one additional chance and must pay the fee again. If the student passes, the course will appear on the student's transcript for that semester with a grade of "P." Records of failure do not appear on the transcript.

The grade of "WD" (withdrawn) is given by the Registrar when a student has been enrolled for a course during the first two weeks of the semester, but has filed a properly approved withdrawal form with the Registrar before the beginning of the mid-semester examination period. Consent of the instructor must be indicated on the withdrawal form.

The grade of "WP" (withdrawn passing) is given by the Registrar when a student files a properly approved withdrawal form with the Registrar between the beginning of the mid-semester examination period and the beginning of the final examination period, but only if the instructor certifies on the official grade report that the student's standing in the course was at a "C" grade level or better at the time of withdrawal.

The grade of "WF" (withdrawn failing) is given by the Registrar when a student files a properly approved withdrawal form with the Registrar between the beginning of the mid-semester examination period and a date four weeks before the beginning of the final examination period, except when the instructor has indicated on the final grade sheet that the student's standing in the course was at a "C" grade level or better at the time of withdrawal.

Mid-semester reports are required from each instructor for all students who are doing unsatisfactory work ("D" level or below) in that instructor's courses at midterm. Students are notified of any such reports by the Registrar and are required to meet with their advisors to discuss the possible reasons for the deficient performance and to make plans for improvement. The absence of a mid-semester deficiency report, however, does not constitute It is therefore the student's responsibility to remain in contact with instructors in case of any question about the student's performance level.

Midterm and final examinations are important evaluative instruments in most Fisk courses. The midterm examination often provides much of the basis for the instructor's mid-semester report. A written final examination, or equivalent, is required by University policy in all courses yielding academic credit at the undergraduate level. Final examinations are given during a specially scheduled examination period following the end of classes. Students are responsible for arranging any end-of-term work or travel plans in such a way as to avoid conflict with the final examination schedule, since work and travel plans do not constitute reason to be excused from final examinations.