IN 1.01pr - Grades : Grading Practices

Changes made to the grading policy and procedures are reviewed by the Academic Standards Committee who then forward a recommendation to the Instructional Leadership Committee. The Instructional Leadership Committee will review and forward the recommendation(s) to the President’s Leadership Team for approval. 

PROCEDURE DETAILS

GRADES

Edmonds College uses a numerical grading system. Based on the student’s academic performance and meeting the criteria listed below, the faculty will assign one of the following decimal grades in the range shown or the appropriate letter grade. 

4.0-3.5  Highest achievement

3.4-2.5  High achievement

2.4-2.0  Acceptable achievement

1.9-1.0  Minimum achievement

0.0        Less than acceptable achievement

G         Please note: As of July 1, 2011, this letter grade is no longer used.

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, within no more than one year, and the grade that will be submitted if the work is not completed.

L        Credits awarded for advanced placement courses. Credits are not included in the calculation of the grade-point average.

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 a Course Challenge, a Special Project course, or other specified courses.

U     Unsatisfactory (performance level below a 2.0). The student must have chosen the Satisfactory-Unsatisfactory option at the beginning of the course.

V     An instructor-initiated withdrawal of a student. 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 from class when dropping a class or classes after the quarter has started. Withdrawals after the 10th day of the quarter (8th day in summer quarter) result in a “W” grade on the transcript. A student is officially withdrawn only after completing and processing the registration form available from Enrollment Services.

X    Expunged from Record. The student has been approved for the exclusion of these grades from their academic record according to the Academic Renewal regulation. Courses with a grade of “X” are not counted in the student’s GPA.

*     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 a 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, 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:
• DECIMAL LETTER GRADE EQUIVALENCY
  • 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.

GRADE CHANGES

• The instructor of the course may make a grade change within 1 (one) year after a grade has been given. In cases of extenuating circumstances, the chief academic officer may make a grade change after consultation with the President.
• Withdrawing from class is the process of a student formally dropping a class or classes after the quarter has started. Withdrawals after the 10th day of the quarter (8th day in summer quarter) result in a “W” grade on the transcript. Students may drop classes through the tenth day of the quarter (eighth day for summer), without a transcript entry. Generally, you may drop classes through the seventh week of the quarter (sixth week for summer). 
• It is the student’s responsibility to initiate the withdrawal process in accordance with published campus deadlines.
• Students are officially withdrawn only after completing the withdrawal process. If a student leaves the college without completing the process, the student may receive an unofficial withdrawal, or “V” grade, or a grade based solely on work accomplished, subject to the instructor’s approval.
• If a student is unable to complete the school term due to extreme or unusual circumstances beyond their control, the student may be eligible for a Medical or Exception to Policy Withdrawal. Withdrawals of this nature will allow the removal, or prevent the entry, of failing grades on the transcript. A full or partial refund of tuition and fees is also approved and a “W” grade will appear on the student’s transcript. The procedures information and form may be obtained from Enrollment Services. 
• In instances where grades were not submitted by the instructor in time to be processed, an “*” will be assigned. The “*” will be changed to the grade earned when grades are received and processed.

GRADING PRACTICES

• All courses and grades will be recorded on the student’s transcript.
• Grades will not be assigned in community education courses.
• Prior to fall 1990, grade-point values were assigned to grades for each quarter hour or credit as follows: A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, E =0. Beginning fall 1990, the decimal grades equals the grade point average (GPA) value. Grades “I”, “W”, “V”, “N”, and “U” do not carry credit or grade-point value. The grades of “S”, “L”, and “*” carry credit, but the credit is not included in the calculation of the GPA. 
• Courses numbered below 100 are included in cumulative credit or grade-point calculations, but are not included in the calculation of college-level GPA.
• In order to stay in compliance with the college’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy, degree and certificate students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA and complete 75% of attempted credits each quarter.

GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA)

• The GPA 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: divide 41 by 13 (total number of points by the total number of credits) for a GPA of 3.15.

HONORS RECOGNITION for GPA

Honor Roll: If the student has completed 10 or more credits in all decimal-graded courses, with a GPA of 3.5 or higher the student will be placed on the Honor Roll, issued each quarter by the chief academic officer.

Phi Theta Kappa: If the student has the required number of associate degree credits and a 3.5 cumulative college-level GPA, the student is eligible to join Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society.

Commencement Honors: If the student has earned a GPA of 3.8 in college-level courses (numbered 100 or above) through winter quarter at Edmonds College, the student is eligible to graduate with honors and wear an honor cord at commencement.

Academic Honors: If the student has earned a GPA of 3.8 in all college-level courses (numbered 100 or above), upon graduation, the achievement will be noted on the student’s college transcript.

Honors Program: Edmonds College 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 GPA in Honors classes and the achievement will be noted on your college transcript.

“S” GRADE CREDIT LIMITS on the application toward a degree or certificate

REPEATING A CLASS

• A student may not be recorded for a course in which credit has already been granted unless the student must repeat a course to satisfy an academic progress (grades or GPA) or skills requirement.
• Under no circumstance may a student be recorded more than three times (original enrollment, plus two repeats) for the same course.
• This rule applies to enrollment in credit-bearing or English Language Acquisition (ELA) courses, including transferred-in courses.
• This rule does not apply to community education courses.
• The highest grade earned of the original or repeated courses will be used to calculate the student’s cumulative GPA.
• Credit will be given only once, though previous courses and grades will remain on the transcript.

Course Repeat Forms

Once a student successfully repeats a course with an improved grade, the student may request that previous grades earned for that same course be removed from the GPA calculation by submitting a Course Repeat form, available from Enrollment Services. 

Please note the following requirements for removing the original course grade from the GPA calculation with use of the Course Repeat form:

• Courses with letter grades of W, V, I, N, U, X, or S, are excluded because these grades do not affect the GPA calculation; and
• Courses must have the exact name and course number as previously listed on the transcript (except courses renumbered by EC or designated with the “&” symbol, or to accommodate Washington state’s Common Course Numbering system). 
• There is no deadline for submitting a Course Repeat request if other conditions and requirements are met;
• Instructor permission is not required to request a Course Repeat.
• This process is used to remove the original grade from the GPA calculation. It does not remove the original grade from the transcript.

Academic Renewal

Assessment  

Advanced Placement

Articulation

Audit

Certificate  

Cumulative 

Degree

Expunged

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Grade Point Value

RELATED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
IN 1.0 Grades

SOURCE INFORMATION
(was) C 1.9.100 R101 Grading Practices

CONTENT OWNER. The primary responsibility for this policy belongs to:
Vice President for Instruction

PRIMARY CONTENT CONTRIBUTOR (Director/Dean)
Vice President for Instruction

REVIEW PERIOD
Three years.

REVIEW HISTORY
2021-Oct 20  Amended to update content owner and contributor

2020-Jun 08  Updated and Approved by President’s Leadership Team

2015-Dec 16  Updated and Approved by President’s Cabinet 

2012-Jul 03  Amended

2009-Mar 30  Amended

2008-Oct 06  Amended 

2007-Aug 13  Amended 

2007-Mar 26  Amended 

2006-Jan 09  Amended

1993-Oct 08  Amended 

1993-May 03  Amended