3.36.3 Grading Policy
Established Grading Procedures for Credit based courses
Part 1. Purpose. In accordance with CLC Procedure 2.9.1, CLC awards grades for credit-based courses. Certain credit-based course categories have defined grading methods depending on the outcomes of the course and the academic nature of the content.
Part 2. Classifications of grading methods. CLC shall utilize the following grading methods available from the Minnesota State student grading system which are defined as follows:
Normal (01): Traditional credit-based courses which include a lecture and/or lab component of course content. May include an internship or internship like experience.
Pass/Fail (02): Courses containing an internship, or internship-like experience for students consisting of hands-on learning, service learning, application of learning, or work experience. In addition, Developmental Reading courses numbered below 1000 that are used to prepare students for college level work.
Audit (03): Any credit-based course may be audited, at the student’s request. The auditing grade method shall not be the primary grade method for any credit-based course.
Pass/No Credit (04): Developmental MATH courses numbered below 1000 that are used to prepare students for college level work.
Part 3. Defined Grading Methods. The previously defined grading methods shall consist of the following grades available for use among faculty. At the discretion of Central Lakes College, additional grades may be assigned in these grading methods that are not present if there is sufficient reason to do so.
Normal (01): A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F, I, FN, FW
Pass/Fail (02): I, IP, S, U, FN, FW
Audit (03): AU
Pass/No Credit (04): A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, I, P, NC, FN, FW
Part 4. Special Grade Definitions:
I grades: The “I” grade is an agreement between the faculty member and a student. Students who are doing satisfactory work in a course, but cannot complete all requirements, may receive an incomplete (I) grade. An incomplete grade is given for significant personal circumstances such as serious illness, family emergency, or call to active military duty. Documentation may be required. Incomplete grades are assigned at the discretion of the course instructor only after the midpoint of the course as indicated by the grading submission deadline for the semester. The student and the instructor must complete an “Application for an Incomplete Grade” for an “I” grade to be assigned. A completed copy of this contract will be kept on file by the Records and Registration Department and by the instructor. Students must complete all course requirements by the end of the following semester, unless called to active military duty as defined by Minnesota State system procedure. Unfinished spring semester coursework must be completed by the end of the following fall semester. Incomplete grades that go unchanged by the end of the following semester will automatically be changed to “F” for failure or “NC” for developmental courses. Students should be aware that college instructors are not obligated to give a grade of “I” nor is there an obligation on the part of the instructor to allow a full semester for completion of required work except for military active duty.
If it is determined by the instructor that the student needs more than one semester to complete the work, a letter of support from a campus dean is required to be attached to the application. If the required work is not completed within the allotted time, the instructor may change the grade from an “I” to an “F” the day following the deadline established by the instructor. When the student has completed the necessary work to earn a grade, the instructor may submit a grade change form to the Records and Registration Department.
AU grades: The “AU” grade means the student has audited the class. At the time of registration, the student must indicate the choice to audit a class. The audit permits attendance and participation in course activities. No credit is earned for an audited course, and financial aid does not cover the course. However, tuition and fees remain the same. Regular attendance without registration is not permitted.
S and U Grades: “S” and “U” grades are to be used for internships and internship-like experiences and developmental Reading courses. “S” (Satisfactory) grades indicate the student met the standards for and completed the internship or internship-like experience. “S” grades do not affect grade point average calculations. “U” (Unsatisfactory) grades indicate that the student did not meet the standards for and/or complete the internship or internship-like experience. Unlike the “F” grade, “U” grades do not affect grade point average calculations but do affect completion percentage. “U” grades indicate the student did not complete the internship or internship-like experience.
IP Grades: “IP” (In Progress) grades are to be used for internships and internship-like experiences. “IP” grades indicate that the student was not able to complete the internship or internship-like experience prior to the end of the semester or that the required time or time frame for an internship or internship-like experience extended beyond the normal end date of the semester. “IP” grades that have not been changed by the instructor to “S” within one calendar year shall be converted to “U” grades.
P and F Grades: “P” (Pass) and “F” (Failure) grades may also be used for internship and internship-like experiences. A “P” grade signifies the student completed work in the course with a “C” or better grade. A “P” grade counts as a completed course credit but does not affect GPA. An “F” grade signifies that the student did not demonstrate successfully mastery of the course content and should not receive college credit. The “F” grade does not count towards a completed credit and is worth zero (0) GPA points.
FN Grades: “FN” (Never Attended) denotes that a student never attended a course but never officially dropped the course from their schedule. This grade is assigned as a result of faculty last date of attendance (LDA) reporting. “FN” grades are not included in the grade point average (GPA) calculation and do not count as completed credits.
FW Grades: “FW” (Stopped attending/Unofficial Withdrawal) denotes that a student began attending the course, never completed it, and never officially withdrew from the course. This grade is assigned as a result of faculty last date of attendance (LDA) reporting. “FW” grades are not included in the grade point average (GPA) calculation and do not count as completed credits.
W Grades: “W” (Withdrawal) denotes a student-generated withdrawal from a course during the withdrawal period through the withdrawal function in E-Services. The withdrawal period starts after the first five days of the semester up to the 80th percent point of the semester for full semester courses. For courses not on a standard academic semester schedule, the final date for official course withdrawal is the date on which eighty percent (80%) of the instructional days for the course have elapsed. See Minnesota State Procedure 3.34.1 for more information. “W” grades are not included in the grade point average (GPA) calculation and do not count as completed credits.
Part 6. Grade Appeal Deadline: CLC will only consider requests for grade changes within one (1) semester from the end date of the semester (excluding summer session) in which the student is requesting consideration for a grade change. The decision for a grade change will be the responsibility of the course instructor, unless the course instructor is no longer employed by CLC. If the course instructor is no longer employed at CLC, the grade cannot be changed.
Date of implementation/Presidential Approval: 5/8/2019
Date of last review: 03/31/2021