The University was originally chartered in 1888 as the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. In 1909, the name of the college was changed to Rhode Island State College. In 1951, the college became the University of Rhode Island. Academic programs are offered on the main campus in Kingston and through the College of Continuing Education (formerly the Division of University Extension) in Providence. The University is accredited by the New England Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The colleges and schools of the University are recognized by the various professional accrediting agencies in their respective fields. Visit the accreditation page for more details.
BASIS FOR CREDIT
Semester hours of credit are awarded for successful completion of coursework. Currently, the fall semester begins in early September and concludes before Christmas, the spring semester begins in mid-January and ends before Memorial Day. Visit University Manual – Basis for Credit 8.31.10 for more details.
COURSE NUMBERS
Since 1970, the numbering system described below has been in effect:
| 001-099 | Pre-freshman and special undergraduate courses, not applicable for degree credit. |
| 100-299 | Lower division undergraduate courses, primarily for freshmen and sophomores and as electives for juniors and seniors. |
| 300-350 | Upper division undergraduate courses, primarily for juniors and seniors majoring in the field or for advanced students in other disciplines. |
| 400-499 | Courses generally limited to juniors and seniors majoring in the field and to other advanced undergraduates. May be taken by graduate students for graduate credit with permission. |
| 500-599 | Graduate level courses which comprise the majority of the coursework between the baccalaureate and the masters degree. |
| 600-699 | Advanced graduate courses which comprise the majority of coursework between the masters degree and doctorate, courses are not, however, limited to doctoral students. |
| 900-999 | Special types of graduate courses for which no program credit is allowed. |
GRADES AND MARKS
| Symbol | Description | Quality Pts |
| A | Superior | 4.00 |
| A- | Superior | 3.70 |
| B+ | Good | 3.30 |
| B | Good | 3.00 |
| B- | Good | 2.70 |
| C+ | Fair | 2.30 |
| C | Fair | 2.00 |
| C- | Fair | 1.70 |
| D+ | Low grade, passing | 1.30 |
| D | Low grade, passing | 1.00 |
| F | Failure | 0.00 |
| U | Unsatisfactory | 0.00 |
Other Grades and Marks
| I | Incomplete |
| NC | No Credit (Starting Fall 2023) |
| NR | No grade reported |
| NW | No work submitted |
| P | Pass |
| S | Satisfactory |
| W | Withdrawn with out discredit (pre 1983) |
| W | Course Dropped after third week of semester (Since Fall 2012) |
| S* | Course Taken under the Pass-Fail grading option (pre 1983) |
Enrollment Messages
| Symbol | Description |
| MSG2 | Repeated: Not included in earned credits or GPA |
| MSG4 | Repeated: Not in earned credits; Used in GPA |
| MSG6 | Not included in earned credits |
| RAD | Repeat Allowed by Academic Dean |
| RAS | Repeat Allowed Second Attempt C- first attempt |
| ILGL | Illegal Repeat: Not in earned credits or GPA |
Alternative Grade Option – Spring 2020
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, for any or all Spring 2020 courses, students may receive the usual letter grades of A through F, or may opt for the new, temporary grading option of Satisfactory (S), Marginal Satisfactory (S-) or Unsatisfactory (U*), which do not impact GPA. The alternative grade option is noted on the transcript.
| A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C- convert to an “S” and earns credit, not in GPA. |
| D+, D convert to an “S-”and earns credit, not in GPA. |
| F converts to a “U*”does not earn credit, not calculated in GPA. |
TRANSCRIPT NOTATIONS
The withdrawal action will be recorded on the transcript for any student who withdraws from the University during a semester or session. Leaves of absences are also noted. Academic dismissal is identified on the transcript when such action is reported by the academic dean.
For further explanation of the above grades and all transcript notations and policies please visit: http://web.uri.edu/catalog/general-requirements-opportunities-and-policies/
INSTITUTIONAL POLICY
All courses for which a student was enrolled at the conclusion of a semester or session are included on the transcript. A report of “Incomplete” may be given for a course in which the coursework was passing but was not completed because of illness or another reason which, in the opinion of the instructor, justifies the report. The mark of’ “NW” may be used when a student enrolls in a course through the registration process and (I) never attends the course, or (2) stops attending early in the semester, but remains officially registered. The grade will not affect the student’s attempted or earned credits and will have no effect on a student’s QPA. The mark of “NR” indicates that no grade was reported by the instructor.
Ordinarily, courses which are repeated are included in the calculation of the quality point average (QPA) and the number of credits required for graduation is increased by the number of credits of the repeated course(s). However, a student may, with the approval of the academic dean, repeat a course for which a grade of C- or lower was previously earned, and only the grade earned in the repeated course is used in calculating the QPA. Marks for courses that are not used in calculating the QPA are so indicated on the transcript.
The withdrawal action will be recorded on the transcript for any student who withdraws from the University during a semester or session. Leaves of absences are also noted. Academic dismissal is identified on the transcript when such action is reported by the academic dean.
Students who have been dismissed for academic reasons may be readmitted on conditional basis. Such students must earn at least a 2.0 average in each of two conditional semesters. If the minimum QPA is achieved during the conditional semesters, the academic dean may authorize the Registrar to designate pass credits for those courses completed prior to the conditional semesters for which a grade of “c” or better was earned, and to remove credit for those courses in which a grade of “D+”, “D”, “F”, or “U” was given. None of the coursework completed prior to the conditional semesters is used to calculate the QPA; the marks earned in these courses do, however, remain on the transcript. All marks for courses that are not used in calculating the QPA are designated on the transcript.
AUTHENTICATION
Paper official transcripts may be prepared by the University or by our authorized third party processor, Parchment. Parchment is the only agent of the University authorized to issue an official transcript of a student’s record outside of Enrollment Services. To prevent unauthorized duplication, Parchment security paper includes hidden seals and anti-copy coin rub features. The Parchment security paper also includes Anti-copy watermark and anti-photocopy technology that causes the words Unofficial Copy to appear when scanned/copied
Official transcripts are also sent electronically as PDF’s, see cover page that accompanies the electronic transcript for authentication information and details.
The Office of Enrollment Services will re-validate any transcript for which the authenticity is questioned.
RELEASE OF INFORMATION
The enclosed transcript has been forwarded to you with the implied understanding that you will respect the confidential nature of the information in accordance with The Family and Education Rights Act of 1974 and that you will not permit any other party to have access to the information without the prior written consent of the student whose record is hereby disclosed. If you are unable to comply with this request, please return the transcript to:
Office of Enrollment Services
University of Rhode Island
6 Rhody Ram Way, Kingston, RI 02881