Grading System and Grading Policies

At the end of each course, students are assigned grades by the instructor. The following grading symbols are used.

Quality Points Per Credit

A brief explanation of the grades receiving no quality points follows:

P&F - Pass & Fail Grades

The Pass and Fail grading system is used when the course content or format does not provide an appropriate basis for the alphabetic system of student evaluation. Grades “P” and “F” may be assigned to any individual student enrolled in a class in consultation with the instructor. The Pass/Fail option is not available for Core courses nor courses in a student’s degree major. A student must obtain approval from the instructor after enrollment in the course. A student may not complete more than six (6) credits with a “P” within the total associate program and no more than twelve (12) credits with a “P” within the total baccalaureate program. The Pass/Fail option must be selected for approval within the first five (5) weeks of class. Once this option is selected, it is irreversible. Grades of “P” do not carry quality points and are not calculated in the GPA; however, the number of credits earned is counted toward the number of credits required for the degree.

NC - No Credit Grades for ENGL 112 & 150

Students who complete ENGL 112 and ENGL 150 with a grade below “C” may receive a grade of “NC” (No Credit) provided that they have made significant documented progress, even if they do not meet minimum passing standards to earn a “C” grade. In addition, the “NC” grade may be given only once for each of the two courses, after which the permission of the Chairperson of the Department of English will be required. Students who receive the “NC” grade are expected to repeat the course in the following semester. The “NC” grade will not be calculated in the GPA.

INC - Incomplete Grade for Missing Final Exam

An “INC” grade is given only when the student misses a final exam and is doing passing work in the course. A make-up exam is permitted. If a grade of “INC” is given, the instructor shall be expected to submit, in writing, to the Departmental Chairperson the details of all the work to be completed by the student before a final grade is given. The student must finish all the assignments as defined by the instructor, or in his absence, by the Departmental Chairperson prior to the end of the subsequent semester, the summer being excluded. For a grade of “INC” given during the summer session, the subsequent semester shall be the following fall semester. If the necessary assignment is not completed during this period, the student shall receive a “FIN” automatically. “FIN” is converted from an “INC” grade when the final exam is not taken by the end of the subsequent semester. Credits are counted towards the GPA Index.

INC - Incomplete Grade for Missing Work

An “INC” is a temporary grade for a student who is doing passing work during a semester and who, for some justifiable reason, has not been able to complete a particular assignment. The student must finish all the assignments as defined by the instructor, or in his absence, by the Departmental Chairperson prior to the end of the subsequent semester, the summer being excluded. For a grade of “INC” given during the summer session, the subsequent semester shall be the following fall semester. If the necessary assignment is not completed during this period, the student shall receive a “FIN” automatically. To change the grade of “INC,” the lower portion of the Grade Change Form shall be used by the instructor or by the Departmental Chairperson, as the case may be. “FIN” is converted from an “INC” grade when the student does not complete assignments by the end of the subsequent semester. Credits are counted towards GPA Index.

AUD

A student may register and pay the full tuition for a course as an auditor. The audit option must be taken during the College’s registration period. At the completion of the course, the student will receive an “AUD” grade. No credit is received for an audited course. The “Z” Grade is assigned by the Registrar when the instructor does not submit a student’s grade.

*WN

Students who register for classes but fail to attend will receive a ‘WN’ grade. The ‘WN’ grade is assigned by the instructor during the first five weeks of the semester. The “*WN’ grade will not be calculated in the GPA.

WU

Students who cease to attend courses without officially withdrawing are given a grade of “WU.” Grades of “WU” are counted as “F” grades.

Grades for Remedial Skills Courses

The Remedial Skills courses carry zero (0) credit and are designed to develop skills beyond the minimal competence set by CUNY. The following grades will be assigned to Remedial Skills courses:

Grades:
P = Passing/Satisfactory
All course requirements have been met.

R = Repeat
Progress has been made, but not sufficient to pass all course requirements (Usually the CUNY Assessment Exams).

W = Withdrew Officially
*WN = Withdrew, never attended
WU = Withdrew Unofficially (attended at least once)

The courses to which these grades apply include the following: ENGR 005, ENGR 006, ENGW 005, ENGW 006, ESLR 005, ESLR 006, ESLW 005, ESLW 006, MTHP 009, and MTHP 010.

Scholastic Index

The Scholastic Index is a student’s overall GPA. To compute the Index, the number of credits taken is multiplied by the corresponding Index value of the grade received:

The totals are added, and the sum is divided by the total number of credits taken, including courses failed. For example, the Scholastic Index of a student who has completed sixty-two (62) credits with the letter grades indicated below is calculated as follows:

In the example, the Scholastic Index is: 30 ÷ 15 = 2.00 GPA

The unresolved grade of “INC” is not computed in a Scholastic Index. Upon resolution, the final letter grades that replace them are counted in the Index. Final grades of “W” and “*WN” are not computed in a Scholastic Index. The effect on the Scholastic Index of a student’s repeating a course is noted below under the sub-heading “Repeating a Course.” The minimum cumulative GPA needed for graduation is 2.0. Students applying for the AS/PN in Nursing are required to have a 2.70 GPA.

Repeating Courses/Recalculation of GPA

Students can repeat a course according to the criteria specified below:

1. Students must repeat any College-wide Core course in sequence if the final grade received in the lower-level course is below a “C.”

2. Students do not have to repeat a course in which an Incomplete (INC) grade was awarded until that grade is changed to a “FIN.” Students have until the end of the subsequent semester to complete the requirements for a course in which an “INC” grade is awarded. The deadline dates for completion of course requirements are in the Academic Calendar. The Academic Calendar can be found online at www.mec.cuny.edu/registrar. Failure to complete course requirements will result in a “FIN” grade. It is only at this point that a student may repeat the course from a subsequent semester.

University Policy Regarding Computing of “D” or “F” in the GPA. (F Grade Policy)

The City University of New York has mandated (September 1990) that undergraduate students receiving an earned academic grade of “D” or “F” who subsequently retake that course and receive a grade of “C” or better will no longer have the initial grade computed into their cumulative GPA. However, the grade will remain on the transcript. The number of failing credits that are not calculated in the cumulative GPA shall be limited to sixteen (16) credits.