Grading and GPA

Grading System

Martin Community College allows the use of a 7-point or a 10-point scale in its grading system. Letter grades are awarded as follows:

* A letter following an “I” (IA, IB, IC, ID, IF) indicates the resolution of the “I” grade and the appropriate quality points have been awarded.

Developmental courses have the following grading scale: P, P1, P2, P3, R. Supplemental courses have the following grading scale: P, F

I (INCOMPLETE) – A temporary grade of “I” is entered on students’ records at the discretion of the instructor if at least 85% of the course work has been completed. A grade of “I” is calculated into the overall grade point average in the same manner as an “F.” Once the “I” grade is satisfactorily removed, the quality points for the grade earned are added to the previous total and the grade point average is recalculated. Students receiving an “I” must make up work required for passing the course by the last day to withdraw without receiving an “F” of the following semester (whether student is enrolled or not), or the “I” will automatically revert to an “F.” Students should not re-register for a course in which they have received an “I” until the “I” has officially been changed to an “F” or a passing grade. (See policy on Repeat Courses.) Incomplete course forms are sent to students who receive “I’s” at the end of the semester, and it is the student’s responsibil-ity to contact the appropriate instructor(s) and make the necessary arrangements to remove an “I.”

AU (AUDIT) – A grade of “AU” is entered on students’ records when they audit a course. Auditors do not receive credit. Auditors must satisfy pre & corequisite requirements. Even though it is not required, they are encouraged to attend classes regularly, participate in class discussions, and take all examinations. Tuition for auditors is the same as that for credit students. The decision to change from credit to audit must be made by the “Last Day to Add a Course” as published in the Academic Calendar. Audited hours cannot be used in calculating the amount of financial aid (Pell Grants, DVA, etc.) students receive. Students may not audit a course more than two times.

NA (NEVER ATTENDED) – An “NA” is entered on students’ records when students never attended a class.

W (WITHDRAWAL) – A “W” is entered on students’ records when they officially withdraw between the 10 percent point and the end of the eleventh week of the sixteen-week semester or its equivalent during an abbreviated semester. (See Academic Calendar for specific dates.) Withdrawals beyond the end of the eleventh week may be allowed if extenuating circumstances are approved through the Chief Academic Officer. Withdrawals must be initiated by students who complete the necessary withdrawal forms. A grade of “W” does not count as hours attempted when computing the GPA for that semester.

WF (ADMINISTRATIVE WITHDRAWAL) – A “WF” is entered on students’ records as an administrative withdrawal when students have exceeded the allowable absence rate for the course. This action is initiated by the instructor of the course. The “WF” is treated as an “F” in quality point calculation and will affect financial aid as hours attempted.

T (TRANSFERRED COURSES) – A “T” is entered on students’ records when credit is given for course work transferred from another institution or CLEP exams.

X (CREDIT BY EXAM) – The grade preceded by an “X” (example: XA) is entered on students’ records if they complete a course through proficiency examination with a grade of “C” or better. No more than one-half of the required credits for a degree, diploma, or certificate may be earned through credit by exam.

AP (ADVANCED PLACEMENT) – A grade of “AP” is entered on students’ records when they are granted credit for selected courses taken in high school and proof of satisfactory scores on AP test is provided. Hours will be counted toward graduation but not in calculating the grade point average.

AR – (ARTICULATION AGREEMENT) – A grade of “AR” is entered on students’ records when they are granted credit for courses taken in high school as outlined in the NC High School to Community College Articulation Agreement. To obtain credit taken for identified courses a grade of “B” or higher must be earned in the high school course, and a raw score of 93 or higher must be made on the standardized VoCats post-assessment. In order to receive articulated credit, students must enroll at the community college within two years of their high school graduation date.

Computing the Grade Point Average (GPA)

Academic quality must be achieved in order to graduate from any program at Martin Community College. The standard for a student’s work is determined by the grade point average (GPA). For the purpose of determining grade point averages, final grades have the following quality points (QP’s): A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, I=0, F=0, and WF=0. Grades of T, AU, NA, W, AR, and AP are not included in the GPA. Total quality points are computed by multiplying the number of credit hours per course by the quality points of the grade earned.

Example of Computing Grade Point Average:

Divide the total quality points earned (30) by the total credit hours attempted (14) 30 ÷ 14 = 2.14 grade point average (GPA).

Grade Point Average for Program Change

The Major GPA will be recalculated on the basis of the following guidelines when a program is changed:

• If students made a grade of “F” in a course which is normally considered to be part of the new program, the students will receive no credit for that course; but the “F” will be included in the new major GPA calculation.

• Courses which are not applicable to the new program will not be included in recalculating the major GPA.

• The responsibility for deciding which courses are transferable rests upon the Registrar. The advisor may be consulted in making this decision. (Special Note to Veterans: Because of specific Veterans Administration policies regulating benefits, questions concerning program changes and the academic probation policy should be referred to the VA Certifying Official.)