Grades
Understanding Your Grades
Final and midterm grades will not be mailed to students, but will be available on MyCharleston.
For information about releasing grade information to parents or other recipients, please consult the FERPA information site.
Grades and Grade Status Indicators
A new undergraduate grading system was implemented in Fall 2006, which introduced minus grades, as well as a new grade XF, Failure Due to Academic Dishonesty.
| Letter Grade | Quality Points | Quality Points |
| (effective Fall 2006) | (prior to Fall 2006) | |
| A, Superior | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.70 | N/A |
| B+ | 3.30 | 3.50 |
| B, Good | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.70 | N/A |
| C+ | 2.30 | 2.50 |
| C, Acceptable | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.70 | N/A |
| D+ | 1.30 | N/A |
| D, Barely Acceptable, Passing | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| D- | 0.70 | N/A |
| F, Failure | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| WA, Withdrawn Excessive Absences, equivalent to an F | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| XF, Failure Due to Academic Dishonesty | 0.00 | 0.00 |
If a student is absent from a final examination, the mark of “X” may be assigned. The “X” immediately converts to an “F”. This conveys that the student did not complete the course rather than an earned academic failure. The student must follow the procedure listed in the catalog under “Final Examinations” to request an excused absence.
Grade Status Indicator
-
I = Incomplete IP = In Progress
The grade “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. It is recommended that the professor and student draft and sign an agreement listing the work to be completed along with appropriate deadlines.
IP grades are assigned for courses (Bachelor's Essay, Independent Studies, Honors courses, theses, etc.) that overlap terms, meaning only courses by definition that transcend more than one semester are eligible for an IP (In Progress) grade at the end of the first semester of study.
| W | Withdrawn – Faculty cannot withdraw students from courses. This is a student-initiated process conducted via MyCharleston. |
| AU | Audit Course – Courses may be audited on a space-available basis. The fees are the same as for courses taken for credit. Course auditors receive no semester hours of credit. However, a record of their participation will appear on the college transcript. Prior to registration, a student must complete an audit request form (also available in the registrar's office) and obtain the instructor's signature for permission to audit. Those who wish to audit a course will need Adobe Reader software to download this form. Free download available here . |
| P/NP | Pass or Fail – To earn a Pass under the P/NP option, a student must perform at the “C” level or above. A grade of Pass (P) will count toward graduation, but will carry no grade points and will not be used in computing the GPA. If a student received a D or F grade, the student will receive a grade of Not Passing (NP). A grade of (NP) will not count toward graduation, will carry no grade points and will not be used in computing the GPA. |
| RX | Courses that have been repeated are excluded from GPA. |
| RI | Courses that have been repeated (grade included in overall GPA, no earned hours). |
A passed course may be repeated only once regardless of the outcome. A student will receive credit once for any course passed twice. All grades will be recorded on the transcript, and repeated courses will be so designated to distinguish them from other courses.
Grades for repeated, previously passed courses will be averaged in the cumulative GPA unless specifically requested otherwise by the student during registration. Any student who does not want the grade for a repeated, previously passed course averaged must complete the Request to Deny Grade for Repeated Course form (also available in the Office of the Registrar) during registration.
Check out the GPA Calculators available on the Office of Undergraduate Academic Services website.
