Grades and Grade Points

Grades

Final grades are determined by the instructor in each course and may be based on class recitation, class participation, written work, midterms, and final examinations.

Grading System

The College uses the 12-point grading system under which grade points for full courses are assigned as follows:

Grade points for one-half (0.5) credit courses with a grade are adjusted in accordance with the credit granted for the course.

Grade Point Average

A student’s CMC cumulative grade point average (GPA) is computed by dividing the sum of the grade points earned by the total number of courses attempted (with grade points) while enrolled at CMC. Grade points are only assigned to courses taken by students while enrolled at CMC during the regular academic year, as well as for some courses taken at the other undergraduate Claremont Colleges during the summer.

If the total grade points are less than the number required for a C (6.00) average, the shortage is called the grade point deficiency. For example, a student who has taken 7 courses needs to have earned at least 42 (7 x 6 = 42) grade points for a C (6.00) average. A student who has only earned 38 grade points has a deficiency of 4 grade points.

In addition to the numerical grades, the College uses a number of grades that do not carry grade points and are not included in the calculation of the grade point average.

Credit-No Credit (CR-NC) Grades

The CR-NC option is limited to 4 courses per student, and 1 per semester (except for courses which are graded only CR-NC). Courses taken on a CR-NC basis cannot count toward general education requirements, major requirements, or sequence requirements.

Grade points are not awarded for courses taken on a CR-NC basis and courses taken on such a basis are not included in the computation of the GPA. Courses completed with credit are counted toward the total number of course units required for graduation.

The CR-NC option is also used for challenge examinations and internships, except for the semester internships in Washington, D.C., and Silicon Valley.

CR-NC petition forms are available from the Registrar. Petitions must be completed and returned to the Registrar no later than the voluntary withdrawal deadline.

Courses taken on a CR-NC basis are graded as follows:

Continuing (P) Grades

This grade may be assigned at the end of the first semester for a 2-semester sequence course. It does not indicate whether or not progress is satisfactory. No grade or credit will be assigned until the sequence has been completed. At the end of the second semester, the grade earned for the year-long course will be entered for both semesters.

Incomplete (I) Grades

Students may petition the Academic Standards Committee  to grant them a grade of I (incomplete) when illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond a student’s control prevents the completion of required work by the due date at the end of the semester. Petitions for incompletes are appropriate when students have actively participated in a course during the semester, but due to illness or other circumstances beyond their control, are not able to complete assignments or exams at the very end of the semester. Incomplete petitions are not appropriate for students who have missed a substantial number of classes or assignments, or who have completed all major requirements in a given course. Petitions for incompletes should be submitted before the last day of classes.

In cases of serious illness or emergency, the student’s petition may be filed after the end of the semester. Incomplete grades are not given simply for failure by students to complete work on time, nor as a means of permitting students to raise grades by doing additional work after the due date for course work or for final grades.

Students are responsible for the completion of the incomplete petition form and for obtaining all required signatures, including those of the instructor and the Dean of Students. All petitions must be submitted with supporting documentation. Incomplete petition forms are available from the Registrar’s Office and the Dean of Students, and should be returned to the Registrar’s Office for review by the Academic Standards Committee. If the circumstance beyond the student’s control is a documented disability, incomplete petitions are reviewed and processed through Disabilities Support Services at the Dean of Students Office, rather than by the Academic Standards Committee.

On the petition forms, the instructors must indicate whether or not they support the petition. They also must give an evaluation of the student’s performance in the course up to the time of the petition. In addition, instructors must give a detailed description of the work that needs to be completed and they must specify the grade that will be assigned if the petition is not approved.

Incomplete grades will be removed and replaced with appropriate grades if all work is completed by the deadline specified in the student’s decision letter. It is the student’s responsibility to make appropriate arrangements with the instructor(s) so they can complete all assignments on time. If no grade is given to the Registrar’s Office by the due date, incomplete grades are automatically changed to F’s unless otherwise specified in the decision letter; they are not changed to the grade the student would have received if the requests were denied. Students are required to comply with the terms specified in their incomplete decision letters in order to return to CMC for the subsequent semester.

If a student has missed a substantial amount of work, the option of a late withdrawal from the course may be more appropriate.

Withdrawal and Late Withdrawal (W) Grades

Each semester there is a deadline for dropping courses without record published in the academic calendar, typically the 8^th Thursday of the regular term. Students may drop courses via the online registration system prior to the published deadline. Courses dropped by the deadline will not appear on official transcripts. After the drop deadline, students may request to withdraw voluntarily from courses through noon on the 12^th Friday of the regular semester.  This date may vary depending on holidays or other school breaks. Students must complete voluntary withdrawal forms in full, including all required signatures, and file them with the Registrar’s office by the published voluntary withdrawal deadline. Withdrawn courses appear on students’ transcripts with a grade of “W.”  Students may not drop or withdraw from required courses, like FHS or FWS, or go below a full-time course load (3.0 course units) without permission from the Academic Standards Committee. Similarly, students on academic probation may not drop below four full courses for a given semester without permission from the Academic Standards Committee.

After the deadline to withdraw voluntarily from courses, students may petition for a late withdrawal if documented circumstances beyond their control prevent completing a course. The student must submit completed petitions to the Registrar’s Office prior to the last day of classes.  Petitions must include a thorough explanation of the student’s circumstances and supporting documentation, in addition to information from the instructor, advisor, and Dean of Students.

Requests will be considered in three situations:

1. If no graded work was received by the student prior to the voluntary withdrawal deadline. In this case, the student must submit a petition for late withdrawal within seven days of the time when graded work was first made available by the instructor.
2. If circumstances beyond a student’s control prevents completion of a course. In this case, the student must submit the petition for late withdrawal before the last day of classes. If the circumstance beyond the student’s control is a documented disability, late withdrawal petitions are reviewed and processed through Disabilities Support Services at the Dean of Students Office, rather than by the Academic Standards Committee.
3. If serious illness or emergency (a) prevents a student from filing a petition before the last day of classes or (b) occurs after classes have ended. In this case, the student must submit a petition for late withdrawal no later than one month into the next semester.

Students are responsible for completing all elements of the petition including forms, signatures, and documentation, and for returning completed petitions to the Registrar’s Office. Petitions will not be considered without appropriate supporting documentation. Forms are available from the Registrar’s Office and on the Registrar’s website.

If the petition for late withdrawal is approved, the grade of W will be recorded on the student’s transcript. A grade of W does not indicate whether or not a student was in good standing in the course at the time of the late withdrawal. Students are required to comply with the terms specified in their late withdrawal decision letters in order to return to CMC for the subsequent semester.

Pass-Fail (PA-FA) Grades

Pass-Fail (PA-FA) grades are assigned to Physical Education courses (non-credit).

No Grade Submitted (NGS) Grade

The NGS grade is a symbol used exclusively by the Registrar to indicate on official documents the failure of the instructor to submit grades for one or more students. This is a temporary grade that is replaced normally by the final grade assigned by the instructor. This grade may never be used for a graduating senior. It may only be used under extenuating circumstances experienced by an instructor which prevented the instructor from submitting grades in a timely manner.

Completion of Work

To be counted as work completed in a course and to be calculated in the final grade, all assignments, except for final examinations, must be turned in to the instructors by the last day of classes, unless the instructor requires otherwise in writing. Assignments may not be turned in after the scheduled time of the final examination, unless the student was granted an incomplete in the course.

Grade Corrections

Instructors may submit grade changes to correct calculation or recording errors. Grades may not be changed because a student completes or turns in work late, unless a petition for an Incomplete Grade was approved by the ASC. No grade recorded for a student at CMC shall be changed after a period of one year dating from the end of the semester in which the course was taken. A faculty request to correct a grade that affects any decision made by the ASC must be approved by that Committee. Instructors who wish to correct a student’s grade must inform the Registrar in writing and must include a brief explanation for the change in a signed and dated document.

Grade Challenges

The instructor is the person best qualified to determine the quality of work in a course and is responsible for submitting final grades for students at the end of each semester. Students who believe a recorded grade is incorrect may request that the instructor review the grade. If the instructor discovers an error, that instructor may request a correction as described above. Instructors must reply to student requests for review within 30 days, though they have up to one year to record a correction.

If the instructor does not agree that a correction is in order, a student may challenge an assigned grade. Students may initiate a grade challenge within one year of the grade’s recording only if the student can demonstrate that the final grade was based on a substantial, unreasonable, or unannounced departure from the instructor’s articulated grading standards. Students who believe a grade was unfairly assigned due to unlawful discrimination should request a review through CMC’s Civil Rights Grievance Procedures.

To initiate a grade challenge, students must issue a formal letter to the Dean of the Faculty requesting the challenge within one year of the grade’s posting. Requests must explain the student’s grounds for the challenge and include all relevant assignments, syllabi, and correspondence supporting the student’s position. The Dean of the Faculty will request a formal response to the student’s challenge from the faculty member involved and review the matter with the appropriate department chair. The Dean will then determine whether there are grounds to proceed with further investigation or whether the grade should stand as recorded.

If the Dean of the Faculty finds grounds to proceed with the challenge, the Dean will refer the dispute to the Academic Standards Committee. Depending on the content of the course, the ASC may convene a subcommittee to review the case and/or call upon additional faculty members with expertise in the subject, as needed. The ASC will review the student’s original written request for the challenge, all assignments submitted, the course syllabus, the response from the faculty member, and any other relevant documentation or correspondence it deems necessary. The ASC will render a final decision on the grade and report the outcome to The Registrar’s Office, which will in turn inform the relevant parties of the outcome. The ASC’s decision is final and binding on all parties.

Grade Disputes and Academic Dishonesty in Cross-Registration Situations

By actions of the Academic Deans Committee, the policies governing grade disputes in cross-registration situations are as follows:

1. Students charged with academic dishonesty in a course taken outside their home college shall be tried according to the procedures for handling such cases at the home institution of the student. Faculty members are obligated to accept the decision of the student’s college, and may not impose a penalty should the appropriate hearing panel fail to find guilt. Any student grievance concerning a grade given by an instructor as a result of such a hearing decision will also be handled according to the rules of the student’s home college (ADC, December 23, 1975).
2. All other disputes and grievances concerning grades are handled by the procedures of the college sponsoring the course (ADC, November 20, 1974).

Academic Advisory and Low Grade Notices

In order to provide an early indication of students’ performance in courses, instructors are encouraged, though not required, to submit an academic advisory or low grade notice to the Registrar. Faculty are asked to submit notices for any students whose cumulative work in a course is at a level of C- (5.0) or below, who are not attending regularly, or who are otherwise failing to meet the instructor’s expectations. Notices are normally sent out at the midpoint of the semester, prior to the deadline to drop a course without record; copies are sent to faculty advisors and the Dean of Students. Instructors are not required to submit notices, and in some courses students may not have submitted enough work by the middle of the semester for meaningful evaluation. Students receiving notices should consult with their academic advisors, the Dean of Students, and the instructors of the appropriate courses to discuss strategies for improvement.

Transcripts

All academic work for which students register for credit at Claremont McKenna College becomes part of a student’s academic record and is included on the CMC transcript, unless a student drops a course by the deadline to drop without record. Requests for transcripts must be made through the online transcript request system. Transcripts are issued only when obligations to the College have been paid in full or satisfactory arrangements have been made to do so.