Grades & Grading Policies

Navigating Grading

• Undergraduate Grading System

  Students receive a grade or status indicator for every course in which they enroll, regardless of the location of the course or the mode of delivery.

  Each letter grade has a numerical "quality point value" as shown below. 

  Letter	Grade	Quality Points
  A	Superior	4.000
  A-		3.700
  B+	Very Good	3.300
  B	Good	3.000
  B-		2.700
  C+	Fair	2.300
  C	Acceptable	2.000
  C-		1.700
  D+		1.300
  D	Barely Acceptable, Passing	1.000
  D-		0.700
  F	Failure	0.000
  XXF	Failure Due to Academic Dishonesty	0.000
  A^-F^	Used for EDLS ONLY
  GA-GC	3 Year Option; include hours/exclude GPA*
  RA-RF	Repeat; include GPA/exclude hours*
  XC-XF	3 Year Option; exclude hours/exclude GPA*
  PS	Course passed with D- or better; Exclude GPA; Awards Earned Hours Only	0.000
  NS	Course not passed; Exclude GPA and Earned Hours	0.000

   

  Status Indicator
  AU	Audit
  CP	Completed Program
  I	Incomplete
  NR	No grade reported
  NG	No grade required
  NP	Not Passed
  P	Passed
  PT	Pending Transcript
  PR	Presently Registered
  S	Satisfactory
  TR	Transfer Credit Awarded
  VP	Visiting Permission
  U	Unsatisfactory
  W	Withdrawn

  An "AU" indicates that the student is auditing. Audited coursework carries attempted hours but no quality points, no quality hours, and no earned hours, and carries full fees and tuition (tuition does not apply to 60+ Tuition Exemption Program students). Please see the "Auditing Courses" section of the undergraduate catalog.

  A "CP" indicates that a student has completed a program such as international study or cross-registration. The grade status indicator of "CP" carries no quality points, quality hours or earned hours.

  A "PR" indicates that no grade has been reported because the student has just registered for a future semester or the coursework is actually in progress.

  The designation “I” indicates that only a small part of the semester’s work remains to be done, that the student is otherwise doing satisfactory work in the course, and that an extension of time is warranted to complete the course. The “I” also signifies that an agreement has been established between professor and student as to the quantity of work remaining to be done, the deadlines established for its completion, and a schedule of meeting times. It is recommended that this agreement be made in writing with both professor and student having a copy. The faculty determines the time allowable for completion of coursework, up to 60 days from the date of the last scheduled examination of the semester in which the “I” is received. If the student does not complete the work within 60 days, the “I” is automatically changed to an “F.”

  A "P" carries only earned hours. It does not carry quality hours or quality points.

  A "PR" indicates that no grade has been reported because the student has just registered for a future semester or the coursework is actually in progress.

  A "PT" may indicate that a student is enrolled in a program such as international study or cross registration with another institution for which the attempted hours may be applied toward those required for financial aid or insurance coverage. "PT" indicates Pending Transcript and serves as a placeholder until the official transcript arrives and transfer credit is applied for courses earning a grade of "C" (2.000 on a 4.000 scale) or better. The "PT" is then changed to a "CP." 

  A "PT" can also indicate a course in progress at another college/university or a transfer credit evaluation completed from an unofficial transcript. "PT" indicates Pending Transcript and serves as a placeholder until the official, final transcript arrives and transfer credit is evaluated for courses earning a grade of "C" (2.000 on a 4.000 scale) or better. Courses approved for transfer credit would then be changed to the grade status of "TR" which carries no quality points or quality hours, but may be awarded earned hours.

  An "S" or "U" may be assigned in certain courses that do not count toward earned hours for graduation.

  A “VP” indicates a course that a student plans to enroll in at another college/university. “VP” indicates Visiting Permission and serves as a status indicator until the official, final transcript arrives and transfer credit is evaluated for courses earning a grade of “C” (2.000 on a 4.000 scale) or better. Courses approved for transfer credit would then be changed to the grade status of “TR” which carries no quality points or quality hours, but may be awarded earned hours. This status indicator is only used within a student's degree audit.  It does not appear on a transcript.

  A “W” is not a grade. A “W” indicates that a course was started but not completed.

  The status indicator of "XX" added to a grade of "F" indicates that a student failed a course due to academic dishonesty. 

  Courses with missing grades remain in the "In Progress" section of the transcript and degree audit. They are converted to "F's" at the end of 60 days if the instructor does not turn in a grade change form indicating the correct earned grade.

  *RA-RF  Repeated course grades are displayed on a student’s transcript with an “R” preceding the letter grade (e.g. RA, RB+, RB, RC+, RC, RF).

  *GA-GC and XC- through XF Students readmitted to the College after an absence of three or more calendar years may choose to have their previous College of Charleston record treated as transfer credit if they achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.500 or better in the first 15 credit hours after their return. See Three Year Option for Readmits (Academic Forgiveness Policy) Under "Academic Regulations" in the Academic Catalog.

   

• Graduate Grading System
  Students receive letter grades for every course in which they enroll. Each letter grade and its equivalent numerical quality point value are listed below. This grading system is determined by the level of the student, not the course.

  Letter	Grade	Quality Points
  A	Superior	4.000
  B+	Very Good	3.500
  B	Good	3.000
  C+	Fair	2.500
  C	Acceptable	2.000
  F	Failure	0.000
  XXF	Failure Due to Academic Dishonesty	0.000
  RA-RF	Repeat; include GPA/exclude hours*

  Status Indicator
  CP	Completed Program
  PR	Presently Registered
  TR	Transfer Credit Awarded
  I	Incomplete
  W	Withdrawn
  AU	Audit
  P	Passed
  NP	Not Passed
  NG	No grade required
  NR	No grade reported
  S	Satisfactory
  U	Unsatisfactory

  A "CP" indicates that a student has completed a program such as international study or cross-registration. The grade status indicator of "CP" carries no quality points, quality hours or earned hours.

  A “PR” indicates that no grade has been reported because the student has just registered for a future semester or the coursework is actually in progress.

  The designation “I” indicates that only a small part of the semester’s work remains to be done, that the student is otherwise doing satisfactory work in the course, and that an extension of time is warranted to complete the course. The designation of “I” also signifies that an agreement has been established between professor and student as to the quantity of work remaining to be done, the deadlines established for its completion, and a schedule of meeting times.

  It is recommended that this agreement be made in writing with both professor and student having a copy. All work for completion of the course requirements must be submitted by the end of exams in the next major term (fall or spring).

  One additional extension may be granted to the student using the Course Completion Agreement form with signatures of approval by both the professor and the Dean of the Graduate School.

  If the student does not complete the work within the prescribed time period, the “I” is changed to an “F” and the student will be dismissed from the Graduate School and will not be allowed to reapply to his or her program or to enroll in any graduate coursework counting toward any graduate degree or graduate certificate at the College of Charleston for one calendar year.

  A “W” is not a grade. A “W” indicates that a course was started but not completed.

  A “P” carries only earned hours. It does not carry quality hours or quality points.

  An “AU” indicates that the student is auditing. Audited coursework carries attempted hours but no quality points, no quality hours, and no earned hours, and carries full fees and tuition. 

  The status indicator of "XX" added to a grade of "F" indicates that a student failed a course due to academic dishonesty.

  *RA-RF see the Graduate School Course Repetition Policy in the Graduate Academic Catalog.

• Midterm Grades

  While midterm grades are an important tool for monitoring academic progress, students and faculty should make use of a variety of metrics in continuously assessing academic performance in a course.

  Students are responsible for knowing their grades and for communicating regularly with each instructor about their performance.

  Faculty should assign early and varied assessments of academic performance sufficient in number to reasonably determine a midterm grade. 

  Midterm grades are submitted and visible to students one week prior to the deadline to withdraw from a course. Deadlines can be found on the academic calendar for each semester.

  Faculty must enter midterm grades for all students in all undergraduate sections enrolling more than one student. These grades are for advising purposes and not recorded on the student’s official transcript.

  Faculty should be aware that once the midterm grade entry deadline has passed, late submissions or changes to midterm grades are not possible.

• Grade Change Statute of Limitations

  The statute of limitations for grade changes is two calendar years from the original grade submission deadline.

  After this period of time has elapsed, no grade issued to a student may be changed.

  Requests for any change of grade should be initiated by the faculty member who assigned the grade.

  All requests must be adequately documented. Grades will not be changed for a student, once that student has graduated and the degree has been posted. 

  In cases of submitted grade dispute grievances that extend beyond the posting of the degree date, the Provost (or the Provost’s designee) may make exceptions to this policy. 

  The decision of the Provost is final.

• Course Repetition Policy

  Undergraduate students may repeat a course in which a D- or higher grade has been earned or for which credit has been awarded. Credit is awarded only once; a repeat of the same or an equivalent course does not earn additional credit. Consult catalog course descriptions for equivalent course information.

  All grades earned in repeated courses will be included in GPA calculations.
  
  Permission to enroll in a course being repeated is granted at the discretion of the department.

  IMPORTANT: In deciding whether to repeat a course, students should always consult with an academic advisor, reveiw the current plocy in the Academic Catalog, and consider the potential implications for Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress and NCAA eligibility if applicable.

  Graduate students see the Graduate Academic Catalog for information on the Graduate School Course Repetition policy.

   

  View the Academic Catalog
• GPA Calculators

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