Academic Information and Requirements – Student Grades

(For more information, see Web Resources for Edmonds Community College Students.)

After each quarter, student grades are available online. Students may usually access their grades by the first Thursday after the last day of the final exam week. Grades are not mailed.

Student transcripts record all courses and grades.

Grade Point Average

The grade point average is a weighted average of the grades received by students, calculated by dividing the number of grade points earned by the number of credit hours attempted. For example:

Course	Credits	Grade	Grade Pts
Management 118	3	2.0	(3x2) = 6
History 105	5	3.0	(5x3) = 15
Psychology 100	5	4.0	(5x4) = 20
Total	13		41

Dividing 41 by 13 (total number of points by the total number of credits) gives a grade point average of 3.15.

Grading

Edmonds Community College uses a numerical grading system. Numerical grades may be considered equivalent to letter grades as follows:

Numerical Grade		Letter Grade
4.0 - 3.9		A
3.8 - 3.5		A-
3.4 - 3.2		B+
3.1 - 2.9		B
2.8 - 2.5		B-
2.4 - 2.2		C+
2.1 - 1.9		C
1.8 - 1.5		C-
1.4 - 1.2		D+
1.1 - 1.0		D
0.0		F

Other schools may interpret the following grades differently than Edmonds Community College:

G		Credits earned through the course challenge process.
H		Credit earned in a course through an articulation agreement between the college and another school.
I		The incomplete is given at the discretion of the instructor only when the student has done satisfactory work but could not, for some unavoidable reason, complete some part of the coursework or take the final examination. The student and instructor prepare and sign an “Incomplete Grade Contract” (located in division offices) specifying the work to be completed. The contract will include the date by which all work must be submitted and the grade that will be submitted if the work is not completed. Incompletes given prior to Fall Quarter of 1990 will be assigned letter grades.
K		Credit earned through the experiential learning process.
L		Credits awarded for advanced placement courses.
N		A grade for auditing a class without earning credit. Students must register as auditors or complete the change from credit to audit or audit to credit no later than the seventh week of the quarter (sixth week for summer quarter). To make a change, the student must return a program change form to the Enrollment Services Office. Forms are available from Enrollment Services. An auditor’s participation in class is at the discretion of the instructor. The cost of auditing a class or taking the class for credit is the same.
S		Satisfactory (performance level of at least 2.0). Students may choose the satisfactory or unsatisfactory grading mode at the beginning of each quarter for courses numbered 100 or below, for physical education courses, or for specified courses.
U		Unsatisfactory.
V		An instructor-initiated withdrawal. The final grade issued if an instructor initiates a class withdrawal before the end of the quarter, often in consultation with the student, or if a student enrolls in a class but never attends or stops attending class. A faculty member is under no obligation to grant an instructor-initiated withdrawal.
W		Withdrawal – A student must formally request a withdrawal by the end of the seventh week of class (sixth week for summer quarter).
*		Assigned when grades are not submitted by the instructor in time to be processed. When the grades are processed, the earned grade will be recorded.

General Grade Information:

Grade point values are the same as the grade (for example, a grade of 3.8 has a grade point value of 3.8). Grades less than 1.0 have an 0.0 grade point value. Grades of I, W, V, N, and U do not carry credit or grade point value. The grades of S, G, H, L, and * carry credit, but the credit is not included in the calculation of the grade point average.
Courses numbered below 100 are not included in college-level credit or grade point calculations.
Grades are not assigned in community education classes.
Letter grades from other colleges convert as follows:

	Other Colleges	Edmonds CC
	A+, A	4.0
	A-	3.7
	B+	3.3
	B	3.0
	B-	2.7
	C+	2.3
	C	2.0
	C-	1.7
	D+	1.3
	D	1.0

Any E, F, or any other grading symbol used by another college indicating that no credit was earned, will not be transferred. Any grade of D (1.0) or above may transfer.

Elimination of 0.7 to 0.9 Grades

Edmonds Community College changed its grading scale effective summer quarter 2012 to comply with the Washington State Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA), which stipulates that community colleges cannot award Associate of Arts transfer degrees that include courses with passing grades below 1.0. For complete details on this policy change, view the Change in Grading Scale information.

Honors Recognition

Honor Roll

If you have completed 12 or more credits in decimal-graded, college-level courses numbered 100 or above, with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher will be placed on the Honor Roll, issued each quarter by the chief academic officer.

Phi Theta Kappa

If you have the required number of associate degree credits and a 3.5 cumulative college-level grade point average (GPA), you are eligible to join Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society.

Commencement Honors

If you have earned a grade point average (GPA) of 3.8 in college-level courses (numbered 100 or above) through winter quarter at Edmonds Community College. You are eligible to graduate with honors and wear an honor cord at commencement.

Academic Honors

If you have earned a grade point average (GPA) of 3.8 in all college-level courses (numbered 100 or above), upon graduation, the achievement will be noted on your college transcript.

Honors Program

Edmonds CC has an Honors Program in which students can take Honors seminars and classes, work closely with a faculty mentor in guided research opportunities, and receive Honors recognition. Earn a 3.2 grade point average (GPA) in Honors classes and the achievement will be noted on your college transcript

Repeating a Course

To Improve Your Grade Point Average (GPA)

Students, who need or want to improve their GPA may repeat courses whenever the college offers them as indicated in the quarterly class schedule. Once a student successfully repeats a course with an improved grade, the student may ask that previous grades earned for that same course be removed from the transcript GPA (grade point average) calculation by submitting a Course Repeat form (available in Enrollment Services). Please note the following:

Course criteria:

The most recent grade earned must be higher than any previous time the course was taken;
Courses with letter grades of W, V, I, N, U, X, or S, are excluded, because these grades do not affect the GPA (grade point average) calculation; and
Courses must have the exact name and course number as previously listed on the transcript (except courses designated with the “&” symbol, or other courses, which were changed to accommodate Washington state’s Common Course Numbering system).

Course Repeat form submission information:

Course Repeat forms may be submitted to the Enrollment Services Office at any time, but not before the student has registered for the class that is being repeated;
There are no deadlines connected with the submission of Course Repeat forms; and
Instructor permission is not required to repeat a course.

Note: The grade(s) originally earned will remain visible on the transcript, but will be excluded in the GPA calculation. A notation of “R” will be placed next to the previous course(s) on the transcript.

To meet the Health and Physical Education Requirement

The AA and AS transfer degrees have a three-credit Health and Physical Education Requirement. This requirement can be met by taking one three-credit PE course or HLTH 100 , 105 , or 150 . It can also be met by taking any combination of PE courses to total three or more credits. A PE course can be repeated in order to meet the 3-credit minimum. However, the repeated course may not be eligible for financial aid and the credits from the repeated course may not transfer; please check with an adviser.