UPDATE SEPT. 18, 2026
An administrative error in communication studies course outlines has been corrected and the grading scale for the program has not undergone any changes.
The wrong grading grid was in the Fall 2026 course outline and was not flagged because it is essentially permanent and unchanged every year, says chair of the department, Iain Macpherson. “I didn’t notice it, and ‘the buck stops with me,’” he says.
The department is now correcting affected course outlines and informing students and instructors about the error. The cause of the error will be investigated more thoroughly next week.
Here is the correct grading scale:
MacEwan University communications students now need a higher percentage to achieve a 4.0 GPA status after changes to the program’s grading scale.
Beginning in the 2026 fall semester, students must earn at least 90 per cent to receive an A and a 4.0 GPA status. Previously, students could earn an A with grades of 87 per cent or higher, according to course syllabi from the 2024-2025 academic year.
Currently, the change raises the minimum required grades by three per cent.
Many students said they lacked awareness surrounding the change, with some saying they had no experience with the new system. Others declined to comment, saying it was too early in the term to assess how the new scale could affect their grades.
The Griff reached out to MacEwan University for more information about why the grading scale was changed and what the university hopes the change will accomplish, but received no response at the time of publication.
