GRADING SYSTEM

Instructors at the College evaluate student’s work using a system of letter grades. These letter grades are converted to point values to compute a student’s grade point average.

Policy included in Catalog
Adopted: April 26, 1984
Revised: May 26, 1988
Reformatted: May 3, 2011

Procedure 5240A

GRADING SYSTEM

The College uses a letter grading system.  Points are assigned to certain letter grades in order to compute a student’s grade point average.

The chart below lists the letter grade, its meaning, and its point value.

Letter Grade	Meaning	Points
A	Excellent	4
B	Very Good	3
C	Acceptable	2
D	Barely Passing	1
F	Failure	0
S	Satisfactory	0
U	Unsatisfactory	0
I	Incomplete	N/A
W	Withdrawal (no credit)	N/A
AU	Audit (no credit)	N/A
NA	Non-Graded (Courses that are required in conjunction with other graded courses)	N/A

 

An “I” or Incomplete
The grade of “I” (Incomplete) is given after the mid-point of the course when unexpected circumstances, such as illness or military service, make it impossible for a student who is passing the course with a “C” or better to complete the remaining work by the end of the semester.  The purpose of an Incomplete, therefore, is to allow a student to complete up to 50% of the work in a course without having to retake the entire course.

It is the student’s responsibility to initiate this process and file the necessary paperwork, but an Incomplete is assigned solely at the instructor’s discretion.

The student must be passing the course with a “C” or better at the mid-point of the course.

Incomplete coursework must be completed by the end of the following semester.  The instructor can renew an Incomplete for an additional semester at his/her discretion.  The student, however, must initiate the request for an extension before the deadline.

If the work is not satisfactorily completed by the designated deadline, the “I” will be replaced with the grade of “F.”

Incompletes must be completed with the instructor who issued the original grade.  With the following exceptions:

• When the instructor no longer teaches at the College, the division chair shall assign an instructor from the department area that the course was offered in to complete the incomplete process.
• The course is a self-paced, open-entry class.

An “S”, Satisfactory or “U”, Unsatisfactory
All College courses have been approved for “S/U” grading.  Students may opt to take any course for “S/U” by informing the instructor of their choice and submitting the necessary paperwork signed by the student and instructor of record and returned to Mustang Central.  The instructor will explain the requirements for satisfactory completion of the course.  A “satisfactory” grade is equal to a C or better in the course. 

“S/U” grades may not be applied toward graduation at Western except when prior approval has been obtained through the curriculum committee to use the course, except when extenuating circumstances are identified by the President’s Cabinet.  Students should also be aware the “S/U” grades generally do not transfer and when applying for some undergraduate or graduate programs. It is the responsibility of the student to verify with the transferring institution that a letter grade of "S" will be accepted in transfer. Some accrediting agencies may not accept an S/U letter grade.

When “S/U” grades are assigned for credit by exam, CLEP, extra-institutional credit, and military P.E. credit they may be used to meet graduation requirements. 

No Credit
Students may not receive credit for courses that are prerequisites for courses they have already completed.

Policy included in Catalog
Adopted: April 26, 1984
Approved: May 26, 1988
Revised: June 8, 2006
Reformatted: May 2, 2011
Revised: April 29, 2020