It is essential that all faculty follow the published process for grade reporting by the appropriate deadline each semester. Grade processing cannot be completed until all grades are recorded.
Satisfactory grades are “A,” “B,” and “C.” Senior colleges and universities may not grant credit for a course in which the student has made a grade of “D.” A grade of “W” is assigned to a student who officially withdraws from any class on or prior to the published mid-term deadline date for withdrawal without grade penalty. The abbreviation “AU,” which is actually not a grade, is used to indicate the status of a student enrolled in a course for which he/she will receive no academic credit. An "audit" student should attend all class meetings of the course, but is not required to participate in discussions, undertake assignments, and take tests. Audit requirements in programs that lead to board licensing, such as nursing and cosmetology, may differ from the policy above. A student may change to “AU” status in a given course if the change is made before the end of the schedule change period.
A grade of “I” (Incomplete) is assigned when the quality of work has been passing but the student has been prevented by illness or other justifiable cause from completing the required work or from taking the final examination. A student who misses a final examination has the responsibility of notifying the instructor prior to the examination, or as soon thereafter as possible, and to furnish acceptable evidence concerning the cause of his/her absence upon return. A grade of “I” must be cleared by the end of the next semester. Those not cleared will be automatically recorded as an “F.” A grade of “W” is assigned without academic penalty when the student withdraws from class. A grade of “WP” is assigned without academic penalty when the student withdraws from class after midterm of a semester or mini-term and has maintained a passing grade in a course. A grade of “WF” is assigned with academic penalty when the student withdraws after midterm of a semester or mini-term and has not earned a passing grade in a course.
Instructors must retain records, such as final examination papers as well as grade and attendance records, for one year. Faculty should follow the published process for grade reporting by the appropriate deadline each semester. Grade books with an explanation of grade calculations should be turned in to the Campus Division Chair at the end of each semester.
To evaluate the academic standing of students, quality points are assigned to grades according to the following system:
| A | 4 quality points per hour |
| B | 3 quality points per hour |
| C | 2 quality points per hour |
| D | 1 quality point per hour |
| F | 0 quality points per hour |
For academic honors and continued enrollment, a student's grade point average (GPA) is determined by dividing the total quality points earned by the total hours attempted. For graduation purposes, all hours attempted at the institution are used to calculate eligibility for a diploma.
*Letter grades for certain health science courses may differ from the policy above. For specific information, see the College Catalog.