Grades
The level of success achieved by a student in his or her course work is designated by letter grades based upon attendance, class work and examinations.
| Letter | Definition | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| A | Excellent | 90-100 |
| B | Good | 80-89 |
| C | Fair | 70-79 |
| D | Poor (passing) | 60-69 |
| I | Incomplete | |
| W | Withdrew (instructor or student initiated drop) |
Grades will be posted and available for students for access on the MyCardinalConnect portal within three days after the end of the semester. Grades will not be mailed to students.
An I (Incomplete) is given when illness, or other emergency, prevents the student from completing the course. The grade of I is typically given only after the official college drop deadline. The incomplete grade should be removed during the next long semester by contacting the professor and satisfactorily completing the incomplete assignments. In some circumstances, special arrangements for an extension of time with the professor may be made. (The grade of I is calculated into the grade point average as 0 grade points.)
The grade of D will not transfer to most senior colleges. The policy on the transfer of Ds varies with each senior college. Please check with the senior college you may attend for transferability.
A student who officially withdraws or drops from one or more courses will receive the grade of W if such withdrawal is completed by the deadline specified in the college calendar. Please be aware there may be financial aid and scholarship ramifications when dropping a class.
Selected health occupations courses in surgical technology, associate degree nursing, vocational nursing, RN-to-BSN, medical/nursing assistant, patient care technology, pharmacy technology and emergency medical technology programs, which are required for graduation or certification, use the following grading scale for theory courses. Grading for clinical courses is explained in each course syllabus.
| Letter | Definition | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| A | 90-100 | |
| B | 80-89 | |
| C | 75-79 | |
| D | not passing | 65-74 |
| F | not passing | below 65 |
A grade of D and F in the music field of study is not considered passing. Please see the music course descriptions that use this grading criterion. Courses in the music field of study use the following grading rubric:
| Letter | Definition | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| A | 90-100 | |
| B | 80-89 | |
| C | 70-79 | |
| D | not passing | 60-69 |
| F | not passing | below 60 |
The cosmetology program requires students to pass each course with a minimum grade of 70. A grade of D is considered not passing.
| Letter | Definition | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| A | Excellent | 90-100 |
| B | Good | 80-89 |
| C | Fair | 70-79 |
| D | not passing | 60-69 |
| F | not passing | below 60 |
Grade Points
For convenience in averaging grades for various purposes, and in order to encourage students to improve the quality of their work, grade points are assigned each letter grade as follows:
Grade A — 4 grade points for each semester hour
Grade B — 3 grade points for each semester hour
Grade C — 2 grade points for each semester hour
Grade D — 1 grade point for each semester hour
Other grades — No grade point
The students’ average grade is computed by dividing the total number of semester hour grade points, as calculated above, by the total number of semester hours for which grades have been received. When a course has been repeated, the highest grade of record will be utilized to determine grade point average for graduation.