Final Grade Assignment Policy

Effective 9/2/2025

To whom this policy applies

University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) Medical Students

Purpose/Background

This policy establishes the framework for assigning grades to students for all graded components of the M.D. Program and ensures compliance with accreditation requirements, including LCME Standard 9.8 on timely grade reporting.

Definitions

• Course: Any graded component of the curriculum, including but not limited to Blocks, Clerkships, Electives, and required clinical rotations such as the Rural Rotation.
• Course Director: Faculty responsible for course management, including Block Directors, Clerkship Directors, Elective Directors, and Directors of required clinical rotations.
• Grade: The rating scale used for summative assessment of student performance.

Policy

The Course Director is responsible for assigning a final grade to each student enrolled in their course. The M.D. Program of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine uses both the Honors / High-Pass / Pass / Fail grading scale and the Pass / Fail grading scale. These are recorded on the official transcript as "H", "HP", "P", and "F" respectively. A temporary grade of "Incomplete" may be assigned at the end of a course if a student has not yet completed the requirements.

The Medical Education Steering Committee (MESC) determines the grading scheme used in each course. Upon MESC approval, a course may use only a subset of the full grading scale (e.g., "P" and "F" only). The approval of new courses by the MESC shall include the approval of the specific grading procedures.

Responsibilities & procedures

1. Course Planning and Assessment
   • Course Directors, in collaboration with the Office of Curricular Affairs, shall develop and implement activities, assignments, and assessments which are approved by the MESC and used to derive the final course grade.
   • Course Directors shall also provide a syllabus and related learning materials to students and teaching faculty that clearly state the criteria used for grade determination.
2. Final Grade Submission
   • Course Directors are responsible for submitting final grades through the Learning Management System within six (6) weeks of the end of the course.
   • The UNR Med Registrar will post final grades once received, in accordance with the established timeline.
3. Monitoring Escalation Process (LCME Standard 9.8 Compliance)
   • To ensure compliance with the LCME requirement that all final grades be reported within six weeks:
     • By Week 4: If final grades have not been submitted, the Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs will contact the Course Director and their Department Chair, if applicable.
     • By Week 5: If final grades are still outstanding, the Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs will contact the Department Chair with a reminder that LCME Standard 9.8 compliance is at risk, and will request a plan to ensure grades are submitted by the six-week deadline.
     • By Week 6: If final grades are not submitted:
       • The Dean of the School of Medicine, Vice Dean, Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs, Assistant Dean for Institutional Assessment and Accreditation, and the Faculty Accreditation Lead will be notified of the noncompliance.
       • The Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs will continue engaging with the Department Chair to ensure grades are submitted as soon as possible.

Note: For students completing makeup requirements (e.g., shelf exam retakes, rescheduled clerkship activities), the six-week grade submission timeline begins from the completion date of the makeup activity, not the original course end date.

Review

Approved by Medical Education Steering Committee, 8/28/2025