Grading Policy:
General & Comparative Physiology
Biology 321

There will be three hour exams and a cumulative final examination. Approximately one half of the final will count as the fourth hour exam and the remainder will cover the entire course. Since the final exam covers material representing the breadth of the course, an excellent performance on the final can boost a student's grade higher than the raw score would dictate. On the other hand, an excessively poor performance on the final exam could cause a student's final grade to be lower than the raw score would dictate. The grades will be weighted as follows.

Hour Exams
	Lowest Grade	9
	Middle Grade	14
	Highest Grade	20
Final Exam (Cumulative)		22
Class Presentation		10
Laboratory		25
TOTAL		100%

The grading scale will be approximately as follows:

A = 85 - 100 %
B = 75 - 84%
C = 65 - 74%
D = 60 - 64%
F = <60%

Make-up Exams

• Students who miss an examination for a valid and documented reason must report to Dr. Burnett as soon as possible.
• All medical or family emergencies must be documented in writing and approved by the Dean of Undergraduate Studies.
• Make-up exams must be taken as soon as possible and will be scheduled by Dr. Burnett.
• The possession of a ticket for airfare that is nonrefundable or unchangeable on or before an exam date is not a valid reason for missing an examination – no matter who purchased the ticket. It is suggested that you notify your parents of this policy as soon as possible.
• Students who do not comply with this policy will receive a grade of zero percent on the missed exam.

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An example of how to calculate your grade

	Your grade based on a weighted average as given above (see example below)	Weight	Total
Hour Exams	68.9%	0.60	41.3
Class Assignment	90%	0.10	9.0
Final Exam	85%	0.30	25.5
Total			75.8%

A 75.8% based on the grading scale above is a B.

How to calculate your test score average

Lowest Score (15%)	Middle Score (20%)	Highest Score (25%)	Total = 60% of final grade
55	63	82
55 x 15 = 8.25	63 x 20 = 12.6	82 x 255 = 20.5	8.25 + 12.6 + 20.5 = 41.35
			41.35 out of 60 possible = 68.9%