Someone please help! I am having a freak out over here :(

[WarAGle]

So I have a performance plan.  On it is obviously "Get a B in coursework".  Further down under "To help you achieve these goals" it says to register in a Technical Writing course which is an undergraduate 3000 level course. However, I messed something up (and my advisory committee knows this) and I am likely to get a C in that class.  I found this "A graduate student may register for undergraduate courses (1000-4000-level). For students enrolled in Graduate School, grades earned in undergraduate courses will not be used in calculation of the GPA for either retention or graduation, but will appear on the graduate transcript. This policy took effect with the posting of grades fall 1998. For courses taken before fall 1998, grades earned in undergraduate courses may be used in calculation of the GPA for retention, but not for graduation. A graduate student may elect any course to be graded under the Satisfactory (S)-Unsatisfactory (U) option, if the major professor so recommends. Students are not allowed to select this option after the 15th class day. Courses listed on the Plan of Study must be graded A, B, C, D or F except for those designated as S/U. Similarly a graduate student may elect to audit any course not on the Plan of Study. The student may not change from audit to credit after classes begin, but may change from credit to audit before the 15th class day. All uses of the S/U and audit option require approval of the Graduate School."  This tells me that I should be in the clear.  However it says it is "GR" under what level it is on my transcript. This also tells me that they can not use this course against me.  FTR my GPA now is 3.5

Edited April 16, 2013 by WarAGle

[ak48]

This post is unreadable, with huge block texts and an unclear question/main point.

 

what is the problem you're having?

[zabius]

I'm also not sure if I understand the question. But here are some miscellaneous thoughts that might be helpful:

 

If this course is needed as a requirement for your program and you get a C in it, you might have to retake it. Most schools consider anything below a B to be a failing grade for graduate students. However, you should talk to your advisor and the director of graduate studies about this... they might decide that you don't have to retake it even if you get a bad grade. In that case, you might need to get written permission from them or fill out some kind of paperwork.

 

Based on the quote that you've posted here, it sounds like undergraduate courses don't count towards graduation requirements (e.g. if you need to take a minimum number of credits to graduate, you can't count credits from undergraduate courses towards that total). It also sounds like the grade you earn from this course will not be factored into your GPA to determine if you can stay in the program. Many programs require that their graduate students maintain a minimum GPA, and students who fall below that threshhold may be at risk of losing funding or being kicked out of the program. Your grade in this course will not be taken into account for this purpose, because you didn't take this course before 1998. Only your grades in graduate-level courses will be factored into your GPA.

 

Your current GPA of 3.5 seems okay to me. Check with your advisor/DGS again and see what the minimum GPA is for grad students in your program. At many schools, the minimum GPA is 3.0, but it might be higher at your school so it's definitely worth asking. I can't imagine that a 3.5 would get you in trouble anywhere, though. So, you probably don't have much to worry about. In a worst case scenario, you'd probably just have to retake the technical writing course.

 

I don't know what "GR" means on your transcript, but most transcripts come with a key that explains what the abbreviations mean. It might stand for "graded option," which means that you took it for a letter grade as opposed to the S/U option? Or it might stand for "graduation requirement" if this course is required for your degree. It might also stand for "graduate level," in which case it is a mistake that you should talk to someone about. There's no way for us to know what it means, because each school's transcripts are different. If you can't find the key on your transcript, search on the registrar's website or the grad school website, or ask someone who might know (like the DGS).

 

I hope this helps. Again, I'm not sure what your specific question is. But whatever it is, I'd bet that your advisor and/or DGS can answer it better than we can. You should talk to them about it... they are the ones who are in charge of helping you create and stick to your degree plan.

[Eigen]

It also may be that since it's a graduation requirement, that it's a graduate/undergraduate course, and you're enrolled as a graduate student, (GR on the transcript), which would set it apart from undergraduate courses that you voluntarily take. 

 

If an undergraduate class is required for everyone, it's usual to get a section of it set up for those students to take so the hours count for the graduate degree. 

 

But really, no one can answer this other than your program/DGS. 

[WarAGle]

Thanks! I was told it counted towards the total number of hours that I can have under waiver, but not for my plan of study. That tells me I'm fine