Grades

Letter grades are assigned according to the following system for all courses for which students have registered:

Satisfactory grades are “A,” “B,” “C,” and “D.” However, a grade of “D” is NOT considered a passing grade in a developmental course or in some programs of study. A student must earn a minimum final course average of 70, a grade of “C,” to pass a developmental course. Some programs may have a more stringent grading system due to external agencies/accreditation requirements.

If a student withdraws from courses by the published withdrawal date identified in the Academic Calendar, a grade of "W" will be assigned. If a student earns an “F” grade in a course or courses, the instructor will provide the student’s last date of attendance. If a student never attended or the class is canceled, the class will be deleted, and no grade will be assigned.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

To obtain a numerical measure of the quality of a student’s work, quality points are assigned to grades as indicated below:

A - 4 Quality Points
3 semester hours of “A” = 3 x 4 = 12 quality points
B - 3 Quality Points
3 semester hours of “B” = 3 x 3 = 9 quality points
C - 2 Quality Points
3 semester hours of “C” = 3 x 2 = 6 quality points
D - 1 Quality Points
3 semester hours of “D” = 3 x 1 = 3 quality points
F - 0 Quality Points
3 semester hours of “F” = 3 x 0 = 0 quality points

A student's grade point average (GPA) is determined by multiplying the number of quality points for each grade received by the number of credit hours for that course. The total number of quality points is divided by the total number of credit hours attempted, excluding courses with W, I, and AU designations. Example: 30 quality points divided by 12 semester hours attempted = 2.5 GPA.

Incomplete (I) Grade

With the permission of the instructor and appropriate Dean, an “I” may be assigned when a student’s work in a course is incomplete because of circumstances beyond the student’s control but is otherwise of passing quality. Unless the deficiency is made up within the following term, the “I” automatically becomes an “F.” If circumstances prevent the deficiency from being made up within the following term, the College reserves the right to extend the make-up period for up to two semesters after the “I” is awarded. An “Incomplete Grade Contract” form must be signed by the student, instructor, program coordinator, and the appropriate Dean. The instructor is responsible for securing all signatures required on this form before submitting it to the Office of Records. Students are not allowed to secure these signatures.

An incomplete grade (“I”) does not count toward coursework completed but is counted as coursework attempted. However, the grade that replaces the “I” is counted in hours attempted and hours earned once the “I” grade is removed. An “I” grade is intended to be only an interim course grade. Unless the deficiency is made up within the following term, the “I” automatically becomes an “F.”

Earned “F” Verification Procedure

If a student receives the final grade of “F,” the instructor is required to enter the last date of attendance on the course roster.

Grade Changes

If a student has reason to believe that the letter grade earned in a course is incorrect, the student must make the student must make an informal effort to correct the error with the instructor who issued the grade. If the informal efforts of the student and faculty member have not produced a satisfactory resolution, a formal appeal is in order. See the Formal Grade Appeal Process below. The grade change must be made within one semester after the grade was initially earned. Grade changes after one semester must be done through the Formal Grade Appeal Process.

Grade Report

Students may access their grade reports and view their academic status via “My Trenholm” on the College website, https://trenholmstate.edu, at the end of each term. The grade report becomes a part of the student’s official transcript. The grade report will be withheld if there is an outstanding financial obligation to the College. If any student suspects that a grade may have been recorded in error, the student should schedule a conference with the instructor of that course. This must be done by the last day of the next term. If an error has been made, it will be corrected and reflected on the student’s transcript. If resolution is not attained, a formal appeal is in order. See the Formal Grade Appeal Process below.