Good news! You will now have more time to decide whether or not you want to take a class with the Satisfactory/D/Fail (S/D/F) option. Under the revised policy, students may now elect or rescind the option until the end of the 10th week of classes.
For the Fall 2024 Semester, the S/D/F deadlines are as follows:
- Full Semester classes: Request/Revoke by Friday Nov 1
- Block I classes: Request/Revoke by Friday Sept 27
- Block II classes: Request/Revoke by Friday Nov 22
Important: Many students mistakenly refer to the S/D/F option as “Pass/Fail,” but there are important distinctions. It’s called “S/D/F” because there are three possible grades: an “S”, a “D”, or an “F.”
There is nothing to indicate to your instructor that you have elected the S/D/F option for your class; they still submit a letter grade at the end of the term. Grades of “A” through “C-” are automatically converted to an “S” and are not counted towards your GPA, while grades of “D” through “F” remain as such and are calculated into your GPA.
The S/D/F request form is available in WorkFlow, or via the Registrar's Office web page under Student Forms. Below is the entire S/D/F policy, which is also listed on the form.
Satisfactory/D/Fail (S/D/F) Option
- The intent of the satisfactory/D/fail (S/D/F) option is to encourage exploration and experimentation in curricular areas in which the student may have had little or no previous experience. Students may rescind the S/D/F election and opt for a regular letter grade until the end of the 10th week of classes.
- Each undergraduate may elect S/D/F grading in no more than four courses in their bachelor’s degree program.
- A student may elect only one S/D/F course per semester.
- Any course for the major or minor must be taken for a letter grade unless the course is offered only on a pass/fail basis. In this context, required courses are those that are specified as such by number and title, or are selected to fulfill a specified number of department credits. Departments may set additional limits but cannot grant exceptions to the above stipulations.
- To exercise the S/D/F option, a student must complete an S/D/F option form on IC Workflow. This form must be submitted to the registrar by the end of the 10th week of classes in the semester in which the S/D/F credit is being taken.
- A student may rescind the S/D/F election and opt for a regular letter grade in a course until the end of the 10th week of classes (the same deadline for withdrawing from a course).
- Any S/D/F election that is rescinded before the end of the 10th week of classes does not count toward the total of four courses.
- Students who are registered for S/D/F and earn a grade below C- will have that grade (D+, D, D-, or F) calculated into their GPA. Grades of S are not calculated into their cumulative GPA.
- Students planning to transfer to another school or department, or to enter a graduate or professional school, are reminded that their admission may be affected by S/D/F coursework.
- The S/D/F option does not apply to pass/fail courses.