Grading

Grading System

Definitions:

Attempted Hours – Attempted hours are those hours for which a student registers and does not drop during the drop/add period when registered courses that are dropped do not become part of the academic record. After the drop/add period, all courses become part of the academic record whether the course is withdrawn with a grade of “W” or graded at the end of the semester/term. In addition, all transfer credit articulated will be included in attempted hours and also in earned hours and/or GPA hours based on the grade received. Attempted hours are used in determining financial aid eligibility and is determined by the Financial Aid Office personnel.

Passed/Earned Hours – Earned hours are those hours on the academic record that have a grade of A, B, C, D, S, P, or CR. Earned hours determines a student’s classification as a freshman or sophomore. Earned hours are used to determine eligibility to receive a degree or award. Academic areas determine which courses can be used to satisfy requirements toward a specific degree or award.

Quality Points – Quality points are awarded based on the letter grade that you earn in a class. These points are then directly used to calculate your GPA which is used to determine academic standing for future enrollment.

The breakdown of points earned for each letter grade is as follows:

A	=	4 points per credit hour
B	=	3 points per credit hour
C	=	2 points per credit hour
D	=	1 point per credit hour
F	=	0 points per credit hour

GPA Hours – GPA hours are those credit hours for which a student registers and receives a grade of A – F or I. Credit courses for which a student receives a grade of “P,” “CR,” and “S” are included in earned hours, but not GPA hours. Semester hours for which a student registers, but later withdraws with a grade of “W” are included in attempted hours, but not GPA hours.

GPA - The GPA whether it be the semester GPA or the cumulative GPA are indicators of a student’s success in a specific course, in a term or for the overall record for completion of an award or certificate. GPA is calculated for a specific course, term or cumulative in the same manner. To calculate GPA, divide the quality points by the GPA hours. For instance if you have pursued 12 semester GPA hours and earned 24 quality points for a specific semester/term, your GPA for that term would be a 2.0. (24 QP/12 GPA HRS = 2.0 GPA)

Cumulative GPA Hours - Cumulative GPA hours are all hours for which a student has registered and received a final grade of A – F or I at the college as well as all courses articulated in transfer credit.

Adjusted GPA Hours - Adjusted GPA hours are those credit hours for which a student registers and receives a grade of A - F or I at the home institution, excluding those credit hours removed from the calculation of the student’s grade point average through a repeat/delete policy and/or those credit hours removed through Academic Amnesty.

Adjusted Cumulative Grade Point Average - This GPA is adjusted to exclude those quality hours and grades which have been removed from the calculation of a student’s grade point average through a repeat/delete policy and/or Academic Amnesty. This adjusted cumulative grade point average is used to determine a student’s academic status.

A	Excellent (90-100)
B	Good (80-89)
C	Average (70-79)
D	Below Average (60-69)
F	Failure (0-59)
I	Incomplete (Computes as an F until resolved)
P	Passing (No advantage to grade point average)
N	No Credit (No penalty to grade point average)
R	Letter grades (i.e. RA, RB…) preceded with R indicate repeated courses, carry only attempted hours and are not counted in the GPA or earned hours.
W	Withdrawal (Shows as attempted hour, but does not impact on grade point average.)
Z	Letter grades (i.e. AZ, BZ…) with a Z suffix indicate courses marked for academic renewal, carry only attempted hours, and are not counted in the GPA or earned hours.
AU	Audit (Does not compute in GPA)
CR	Credit

Grade Reports

Grade reports reflecting the result of a student’s course work will be generated by the Registrar Office within five (5) business days following the end of each semester/session. Grade reports are available on LoLA Self-Service. Questions about the information on the grade report should be directed to Enrollment Services.

Incomplete Grades

A student enrolled in a course in which they are in good academic standing (“C” or higher) and are making satisfactory progress, but because of circumstances beyond the student’s control, cannot complete the course may request an “I” grade. The student must have been attending classes on a regular basis. The student must initiate the request and both the instructor and student must sign the Incomplete Grade Contract Form. These forms are available from on the College website. The contract will contain the reason for requesting the “I” grade, an outline of the work that is to be completed and the deadline by which the work is to be completed. Unless otherwise stated, work must be completed and the “I” grade converted to a letter grade no later than the last day to withdraw from a class with the grade of “W” (as stated on the Academic Calendar) the semester following the semester the “I” grade was earned. If the “I” grade is not removed, it automatically becomes an “F”. Exceptions to this deadline must be approved by the appropriate Division Chair/Program Director.