Part 1: Procedure

All required coursework as defined by the instructor must be complete before any grade will be recorded on the student’s permanent transcript. Students who complete credit courses shall be assigned grades according to the following:

Part 2: Definitions:

Grade: Achievement: Grade Points Per Credit:
A Superior 4
B Above Average 3
C Average 2
D Below Average 1
F Failure 0
FN Failure for Non-Attendance 0
P Passed Not Computed
NC No Credit Not Computed
I Incomplete Not Computed
V Visitor or Audit (Not Earning Credit) Not Computed
W Withdrawal Not Computed
IP Course is in progress and not completed. Applies only to selective courses with irregular dates.
Z Grades have not yet been submitted by instructor.
PE Pass under extraordinary circumstances.

Audit (V): A student must declare that he/she is auditing a course at the time of registration. Full tuition is charged and financial aid is not available for audited courses. No credit is earned for audited courses and they do not count towards graduation.

Completion Rate: The percentage of credits successfully earned compared to the number of credits attempted. Grades of F, FN, NC, I, and W, are treated as credits attempted but not successfully earned. “Z” indicates a grade has not been entered and is treated as attempted but not successfully earned. A grade of IP indicates the course has not yet ended and will not calculate against the student’s completion for that semester. Grades of IP as well as ungraded courses convert to F or NC, depending on the course grade method, at the end of the fall or spring semester immediately following the semester the IP was earned. The same applies to ungraded courses.

Failure for non-attendance (FN): A grade of FN is system generated when an instructor reports that a student has not attended or has stopped attending a course. It is not a grade that an instructor can assign at the end of a semester.

Grade Point Average (GPA): A student’s grade point average is determined by adding all grade points and dividing by the sum of all credits attempted. Grade of A, B, C, D, F, and FN are calculated into a students’ GPA.

Incompletes (I): A grade of “I” is to be assigned only in exceptional circumstances and is a temporary grade. A student who wishes a grade of “Incomplete” must complete the Incomplete Request form with the instructor concerned.  A student must have completed the majority of the course to be considered. An “Incomplete” grade will change to an “F” or NC (dependent on the course grade method) at the end of the spring or fall semester immediately following the semester the Incomplete was earned if requirements have not been satisfactorily met. Instructors have the option of setting an earlier completion date.

Pass/No Credit (P/NC): Some courses are graded on a “Pass/No Credit” basis. P/NC grades do not impact GPA. A grade of “P” indicates that the student did at least “C” level work in the course.

PE (Pass under extraordinary circumstances): This grade may be issued by an instructor in response to a natural or other type of disaster resulting in long-term emergency closure after completion of two thirds of the semester or of the course for short term courses. Determination of closure is made by the College President.

Withdrawal (W): A “W” is initiated by the student when he/she withdraws from a course after the drop/add period and prior to the end of the withdrawal deadline. Faculty cannot assign grades of “W”. Students who are reported to be in non-attendance (see Policy 3.17.4) and assigned an “FN” grade can change the “FN” to a “W” in the student registration system before the withdrawal deadline of the course. Student who are assigned an “F” grade due to academic misconduct (see Policy 3.6) forfeit their right to withdraw from their course(s).

Policy History

Date Implemented: February 3, 2005

Date Reviewed/Revised: October 12, 2011, April 27, 2021

President’s Signature Date: August 1, 2021

Lake Superior College's President's Signature