Staff Policy D-104.02
Institutional Effectiveness Criterion: Scholarship

Grading System

1. Standard Grades
   

   The following are standard grades at Northwestern Michigan College.

   4.0 - outstanding 3.5 - excellent 3.0 - good 2.5 - above average 2.0 - average 1.5 - below average 1.0 - deficient 0.0 - failed

   S - satisfactory U - unsatisfactory I - incomplete W - withdrawn FA - failed to attend AU - audit

   "I" (incomplete) may be given in unusual cases and at the discretion of the instructor if a student who is engaged in a course has a valid reason for not completing the course work. An incomplete not made up by the end of the next semester automatically becomes a 0.0. Incompletes may be extended the discretion of the instructor.
   
   

   "W" (withdrawn) will be given to students who are officially withdraw from their class after the add period and prior to the Friday before finals week for all classes that end on the last day of the semester. Classes that do not end the last day of the semester must be withdrawn before the last twenty-five percent of the session. All pertinent dates are listed in the class schedule.
   
   "FA" (failed to attend) must be given by an instructor if a student registered for a course but never attended, submitted assignments, nor engaged in any course content-related discussion prior to the early attendance grading deadline, and did not officially drop. In an online course, merely logging in does not constitute attendance; an assignment must be submitted.
   
   "AU" (audit) may be issued at the time of registration upon full payment of tuition and fees if a student wishes to attend a class without college academic credit or a grade. Changing from audit to credit may take place during the period allowed for adding a class at the beginning of the semester. Changing from credit to audit may take place after the add period and prior to the Friday before finals week for all classes that end the last day of the semester. Classes that do not end on the last day of the semester must be changed to an audit before the last twenty-five percent of the session. All pertinent dates are listed in the class schedule.

   
   
   
2. Grade Point Average
   Grade point average (GPA) is a weighted average of academic grades. A grade for a course is multiplied by the credit hours for that course to obtain honor points. Total honor points are then divided by total credit hours to determine the grade point average. The semester GPA is the weighted grade point average for the most recent semester. The accumulated GPA is the total of all honor points earned at NMC divided by the total credit hours earned at NMC.
   
   

   Example:

   	Credits		Grade		Honor Points
   	3	x	4.0	=	12
   +	5	x	2.0	=	10
   	8				22
   	GPA	=	22÷8	=	2.75

   
   For questions, contact the Records and Registration Office at 995-1048.
   
   When a course is repeated, both the last grade and the previous grade for the course will appear on the transcript (official academic record). However, only the last grade will be counted in the cumulative grade point average.
   
   Grades of I, W, S, U, FA, and AU are not used in the computation of grade point averages.

The Vice President for Educational Services, in conjunction with the appropriate faculty and staff, is responsible for the development and publication of any procedures or guidelines that may be necessary to administer this policy effectively.

If any provision(s) of this policy or set of bylaws conflicts with laws applicable to Northwestern Michigan College, including the Community College Act of 1966, the Freedom of Information Act, or the Open Meetings Act, as each may be amended from time to time, such laws shall control and supersede such provision(s).