JGSB Program Policies 

Refer to the Jones Graduate School of Business MBA Program Student Handbook for details on all program policies.

Students must meet both academic and professional standards to continue academic work and to graduate. In accepting admission to the MBA degree program, all students agree to be governed by the standards and procedures for dismissal or disciplinary action stated below.

Academic Standards​
A minimum overall grade point average of 3.000 (B) is required for graduation. All courses taken for the MBA degree (including approved courses taken at the university, but outside the Jones Graduate School of Business ) are counted in the cumulative grade point average calculation.

Students with a cumulative grade point average lower than 3.000 at the end of any semester will be notified of standing. Students not meeting the 3.000 requirement will be provided specific instruction and guidance on next steps specific to their academic situation. In some cases, students may submit an appeal to the Jones Graduate School of Business Academic Standards Committee requesting to be placed on probation. The committee reviews all academic cases, and may consult the dean’s office for counsel and/or suggestions on proposed handling of the case. The committee will decide, based on circumstances of the appeal, whether the student may resume studies on academic probation; is to be academically suspended for one semester or an academic year; or is to be dismissed from the MBA Program.

Students proposing to return after a period of academic suspension must apply to the Academic Standards Committee and receive permission to be readmitted. If permitted to return, the student will pay the current rate of tuition, based upon the class of students he/she is joining.

Only grades of C and above are counted for credit toward graduation. If students receive a grade below C in a course required for graduation, they must repeat the course. If students receive a grade lower than C in an elective course, they need not repeat the specific course, but they must make up the credit hours. If the required course is not offered again prior to graduation, the student will be permitted to take the course the following academic year, but will be charged the current pro-rated tuition for the program in which the additional course work is completed.

Jones Graduate School of Business students may not take courses pass/fail to count toward their degree requirements. Jones Graduate School of Business students may audit courses with departmental and professor approval. The courses will not count toward the MBA, but will appear on the transcript.

Professional Standards​

MBA students are held to the highest standards of professional conduct expected of managers—standards substantially exceeding those expected of them simply as students. Students may be dismissed or suspended for failure to meet professional standards, as defined in the University Code of Conduct (ga.rice.edu/graduate-students/rights-responsibilities/code-student-conduct). The dean may place a student on disciplinary probation for unacceptable conduct, giving oral and written notice that future misconduct will lead to the filing of specific charges. This probationary notice, however, is not required as a precondition for filing specific charges.

Students are required to enroll in a minimum of 6 credits and a maximum of 7.5 credits each quadmester.

With approval—and in alignment with your program track and estimated graduation date—you may be eligible to:

• Request part-time status (3 credit minimum)

• Exceed 7.5 credits if enrolling in Rice Residential Courses

LIVE SESSIONS 

For each course, students are required to attend weekly synchronous (live) class sessions via Zoom. These sessions, led by section professors, are held at a designated day and time each week and run 90-minutes in length. Students are required to attend all live sessions and should speak directly with their section instructor if they are unable to attend a live session.

WEEKLY PREPARATION
Students complete both synchronous and asynchronous materials each week. They are required to complete readings, watch recorded lecture material, and complete assignments prior to the live session each week. Students are expected to come to class having completed all asynchronous material before attending each live session.

Please note: Faculty have access to Digital Campus and are able to see who has viewed the asynchronous material and downloaded files each week. Failure to prepare for class may negatively impact class participation and final grade.

LIVE SESSION/ZOOM CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE POLICY
Students will be attending live sessions via Zoom with 10-20 others each week and need to follow these guidelines to ensure a proper educational environment is shared by all. 

• Be Prepared

  • Complete assigned asynchronous work prior to class start.

  • Ensure that computer is connected to dedicated internet and webcam and microphone are enabled and in working order. Students are expected to be visible, in-focus via camera, and to verbally participate each class.

  • Allow time prior to class time to connect to Zoom session and work through any troubleshooting.

• Be Present

  • Attend from a quiet place with no distractions. People movement, background noises, and eating on-camera are a distraction to all. 

  • Leave professional and personal commitments and tend to them once class is over.

• Be Engaged 

  • Remove distractions like social media, texting, multitasking during live sessions.

  • Use professional Zoom backdrops while in attendance. Rice Business backdrops are available below.

RESCHEDULED/CANCELLATION OF CLASS
It is the goal of Rice to hold live class sessions as scheduled each term. However, if conditions warrant the cancellation of a class, section instructors will notify students via Digital Campus/email regarding cancellation and rescheduling. Refer to the "Calendar" section above regarding Holidays and course schedules.

RICE UNIVERSITY ZOOM BACKGROUNDS
To help with creating a more cohesive and professional classroom environment, students can create their own Rice University Zoom background. Created by the JGSB Office of Academic Programs & Student Experience, use these backgrounds in class and represent MBA pride at work.

Students are allowed two (2) excused absences for ten (10) week courses and one excused absence for five (5) week courses. If a student needs to miss class for any reason, they must contact their section instructor. Additional absences may affect the final grade for the course.

Textbooks: Students are responsible for acquiring required textbooks. Textbooks can be found via the Rice University Campus Store or other various 3rd party websites selling/renting textbooks. 

Study.Net:  Students access their course packs and reading materials by clicking on the Study.Net materials link located within the course site in the left-hand navigation panel.   

Exams and policies may vary per course but unless stated, midterm and/or final exams open on the Friday of the designated week stated in the syllabus. They are set to remain open for 10 days until 11:59 pm CT the following Sunday night. There is a time limit to complete exams, typically 3 to 5 hours. The time limit begins when you open the exam. Most exams will be take-home and open book.

The JGSB adheres to a grading policy for all core and elective course work across all program formats. For all courses:

GRADE CONVERSION

Grade Letter      GPA

A+  4.00

A   4.00

A-     3.67

B+     3.33

B      3.00

B-    2.67

C+  2.33

C   2.00

C-    1.67

D+   1.33

D     1.00

D-     0.67

F     0.00

• The individual instructor ordinarily determines grades. If a course is team-taught, the teaching team determines the grades collectively.

• Once a grade has been submitted to the Registrar’s Office, university policy states that the grade may be changed only by submitting an appeal to the Academic Standards Committee.

• The grade of A+ is given only as an exceptional grade reflecting extraordinary achievement by a student.

• Only grades of C and above are counted for credit toward graduation. If students receive a grade below C in a core course, they must repeat the course. If students receive a grade below C in an elective course, they need not repeat the specific course, but they must make up the credit hours.

• Grades are considered final and are rarely, if ever, changed for any reason other than calculation or clerical errors.

• JGSB students may audit courses with instructor and JGSB associate registrar approval. The course will not count towards the MBA; however, it will appear on the student’s transcript.

Grading Policy for Core Courses:

• No more than half of all grades assigned by an instructor may be an A- or above.

• A course GPA (combining multiple sections where necessary) between 3.30 and 3.50 should be used as a “target” for assigning grades.

• Instructors in multi-section courses should coordinate the assignment of final grades such that they reflect a consistent grading philosophy for the overall course.

Grading Policy for Elective Courses:

• Regardless of class size, instructors should target the course GPA (combining multiple sections where necessary) to fall between 3.50 and 3.80.

• Instructors in multi-section electives should coordinate the assignment of the final grade such that grades reflect a consistent grading philosophy for the overall course.

Grade of Incomplete

Faculty may only assign a grade of incomplete when a student fails to complete a course due to verified illness or other circumstances beyond the student’s control that occurred during the term. Students must make arrangements with the professor to complete all work within an agreed deadline, and faculty must submit a revised grade by the end of the fourth week of the next quadmester. Students with an “incomplete” must deliver all tests, papers, and other materials required to complete the course to the professor providing ample time for the professor to grade the documents and submit a grade to the JGSB associate registrar by the deadline.

Once a course grade has been assigned by an instructor, it is generally considered final and is rarely changed for any reason. Student appeals shall be limited to calculation errors or an alleged failure of the instructor to follow the grading norms set forth in the course syllabus. The procedure below outlines the process by which a student may appeal a course grade. Appeals to the Academic Standards Committee cannot be made until a course grade is assigned; grading questions concerning a particular assessment within the term should be addressed following whatever formal or informal process the instructor has outlined for the course (see step 1).

1. The student should first pursue any grading question with the instructor following whatever formal or informal process the instructor has outlined for the course.
   

2. If the matter is not resolved in step 1 above, the student must file (via email) a written appeal to the instructor, copying the senior associate dean of degree programs. This written appeal must be filed no later than 30 days after the last day of finals for the term (mini-term) in which the course was offered. If the instructor feels further discussion is warranted based on the written appeal, the instructor may discuss the appeal with the student directly. Within two weeks of receiving the written appeal, the instructor should notify (via email) both the student and the senior associate dean of their opinion regarding the appeal.
   

3. If the issue is not resolved to the satisfaction of both the student and the instructor within two weeks of the student’s written appeal in step 2, the student may appeal to the Academic Standards Committee by emailing a written notice to jgs-academic-standards@rice.edu describing the grounds for the appeal, copying the instructor and the senior associate dean. This appeal must be sent within four weeks of the student’s initial written appeal in step 2.
   

4. The Academic Standards Committee will consider the appeal based on information provided by the instructor and the student. At its discretion, the Committee may hold a hearing to further consider the matter. The decision of the Academic Standards Committee will be rendered within four weeks of receiving a written notice of appeal (step 3).
   

5. The decision rendered by the Academic Standards Committee is generally final, except for extraordinary cases in which there was a procedural error or major information omission in the steps above. Appeals beyond the Academic Standards Committee must go to the dean of the JGSB, who may seek guidance from other constituents of the school. All decisions rendered by the dean are final.
   

6. In the event that the protested grade is necessary for the student to graduate, an accelerated schedule will be followed.
   

7. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and amendments govern records of these actions.
    

A student who wishes to appeal a dismissal should address the following issues in a letter to the Academic Standards Committee. The student must send the letter to the Director, Student Success & Academic Advising. The following questions should be answered in the appeal letter.

1. What circumstances led to your academic performance last quadmester and to what degree were those circumstances beyond your control?

2. If your performance in a particular course(s) last quadmester was below par, describe any circumstances specific to that course that explain your performance.

3. Do you expect the circumstances that created the problems for you last quadmester to change next quadmester? If so, how?

You may include other relevant information in your appeal letter.

Timing​—Appeal letters should be sent to the Director, Student Success & Academic Advising by the deadline stated on the notification of academic standing. Students planning to appeal should continue to attend classes. It is important to remain current in registered courses during the appeal process.

Appeals​—Appeals beyond the Academic Standards Committee must go to the dean of the JGSB, who may seek guidance from others. All decisions rendered by the dean are final.

Confidentiality​—The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and amendments govern the records of actions related to appeals.