I. Grading System

A.

Students are graded according to the following system.

Grade	Grade Point Value	Description
A	4	Excellent
B	3	Very Good
C	2	Satisfactory
D	1	Poor
F	0	Failing
I	-	Incomplete
W	-	Withdrew
S	-	Satisfactory
U	-	Unsatisfactory
P	-	Pass
R	-	Repeat
AU	-	Audit
WN	-	Withdrew/Never Attended
X	-	Credit by Examination
IE	-	Incomplete/Emergency
WE	-	Withdrew/Emergency
PE	-	Pass/Emergency
ND	-	Forgiven D Grade
NF	-	Forgiven F Grade
NW	-	Forgiven W Grade

Effective January 1, 2012, Pass (P) and Repeat (R) grades are to be used in special situations only (e.g. Math Modules, Developmental Reading and English courses).

Effective April 24, 2020, Incomplete/Emergency (IE) and Withdrew/Emergency (WE) grades are to be used only in special situations authorized by the Provost.

Effective March 1, 2021, a Pass/Emergency (PE) grade is equated to a grade of C or better and may only be used in special situations authorized by the Provost.

B.

When a student determines that he/she will be unable to complete courses in which he/she is currently enrolled, it is the student's responsibility to initiate procedures leading to a formal withdrawal (W) in order to avoid a failing (F) grade. To receive a W grade, a student must withdraw prior to the 35% date of the class. Final dates for withdrawing from a course will be announced in the instructor's syllabus. The instructor may also assign a W at other times when circumstances warrant such action, or a ‘WE’ when authorized by the Provost. A ‘W’ or WE will remain on the transcript and will not count as credit hours attempted. To receive credit, a student who received a ‘W’ must re-register and pay for the course in a subsequent term. Financial aid recipients need to refer to the financial aid satisfactory progress policy to determine if schedule adjustments will affect financial aid.

C. Incomplete Grades

1. An ‘I’ (Incomplete) may be assigned when a student has persisted through the course and has completed at least 90% of the requirements for passing the course or when the instructor has determined extenuating circumstances exist. In order to resolve a grade of Incomplete, the instructor must submit an online Grade Change Request form. A student must resolve an I (Incomplete) grade within the time frame specified by the instructor or the division, but no later than 6 months from the end of the term for which the grade was assigned. When an ‘I’ grade has been resolved, the final grade will be recorded as the letter grade (e.g., B) and the GPA will be re-computed. An ‘I’ which is unresolved will be changed to the grade of ‘I/F’ after the specified expiration date.
2. An ‘IE’ (Incomplete/Emergency) may be assigned when extraordinary circumstances have prevented a course from being completed as scheduled. This grade may only be authorized by the Provost. When an ‘IE’ is assigned, the instructor must submit an online Grade Change Request form. A student must resolve an ‘IE’ (Incomplete/Emergency) grade within the timeframe specified by the instructor or the division, but no longer than 12 months from the end of the term for which the grade was assigned. When an ‘IE’ grade has been resolved, the final grade will be recorded as the letter grade (e.g., B) and the GPA recalculated. An ‘IE’ which is unresolved will be changed to the grade of ‘I’/’F’ after the specified expiration date. ("IE" grades assigned for the spring 2020 term are expected to be resolved by July 31, 2020. "IE" grades assigned for the spring 2021 term are expected to be resolved by July 31, 2021.)

D. Excessive Is, Fs, and Ws

A student will not be allowed to register for a course in which the student has received three ‘I’s, ‘F’s, and/or ‘W’s until receiving permission from the division that offers the course.

II. Grade Point Average

A. The following grades only will be used in computing the grade point average:

Grade	Grade Point Value
A	4
B	3
C	2
D	1
F	0

B. Three GPAs will appear on the student's academic record:

1. cumulative GPA
2. term GPA
3. cumulative program GPA.

C. When a course has been repeated, the higher grade will be used to recalculate the student's cumulative GPA and cumulative program GPA. However, all grades will be recorded on the student's academic transcript.

III. Standards of Academic Progress

For a student seeking a degree, diploma, or certificate, certain standards of academic progress apply.

A. Graduation

A student must have a cumulative 2.0 program GPA to receive a degree, diploma, or certificate. Also, for students enrolled in certain programs, grades of C or better in certain courses may be required to receive degrees, diplomas, or certificates.

IV. Grading Requirement for Faculty

Submitting grades in a timely fashion is important. Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress is a Department of Education-mandated process completed each semester to determine if a student maintained minimum standards during the semester to continue receiving financial assistance. Instructors are required to submit final grade rosters electronically no later than 72 hours after the official end of the class as reported on the COD.

V. Academic Forgiveness

Students can apply to have certain prior unsuccessful grades forgiven. These unsuccessful grades (D, F, I, R) must have been earned at least three college terms prior to applying for forgiveness. Forgiven grades can represent a maximum of 16 credits attempted over three consecutive terms. To qualify, students must meet all of the following conditions:

• Students must be currently registered for credit classes; 
• Students must have earned a term GPA of 2.0 or greater while attempting at least 6 credit hours, within the 12 months prior to applying for academic forgiveness.

Academic forgiveness is a one-time decision, and is irreversible except in the case of a college error. Forgiven grades will remain on the student’s transcript, marked as forgiven grades designated by the letter N: typically ND, NF, or NR. Forgiven grades will no longer calculate into a student’s Cumulative or Program GPA, and will not count toward minimum graduation requirements. Forgiven grades will still calculate into a student’s Standards of Academic Progress as represented in their SAP GPA and 67% course completion rate. Therefore, academic forgiveness will not improve or affect eligibility for financial aid such as Pell Grants or veterans benefits. Some transfer colleges and universities may use all grades earned in computing grade-point averages for admissions and other purposes.

 

 

 

Changes

Changes approved by memo from President dated March 1, 2021 during College state of emergency.

Changes approved by the Board of Trustees on May 6, 2020; changes made during state of emergency December 16, 2020, to be shared with full board in 2021; September 14, 2022

Changes approved by Cabinet on February 24, 2005; February 15, 2007; August 27, 2007; May 19, 2008; November 11, 2008; July 25, 2011; October 31, 2011; August 28, 2017; October 29, 2019