Grading System

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission has approved and adopted the following uniform grading system for all state colleges and for certification purposes for all teacher preparation institutions:

A

B

C

D

F

P

-

-

-

-

-

-

Superior

Good

Average

Below average; lowest

Failure

Pass

I

AUD

W

Q

K

-

-

-

-

-

Incomplete

Audit

Withdrew

No grade submitted

Credit by “CLEP”, test-out etc.

The student is responsible for securing a withdrawal form at the Registrar’s Office and completing and filing the form at the Registrar’s Office.

“W” is a grade given when a student has properly withdrawn by the end of the tenth week of the semester.

Guidelines for Request of Incomplete Grade

Request for Incomplete “I” must be initiated by the student.  Forms are to be completed by the instructor and approved by the division dean.

The incomplete grade request form indicates that valid reasons such as serious illness or other circumstances beyond the normal control of the student prevented the completion of all course requirements.  The form also indicates the grade that will automatically be entered if the work is not completed by a specified date.  Incompletes are not automatically granted.  Determination will be based on significant work having been completed and on a valid reason.  The deadline for completion of work to remove an “I” grade is set by the instructor and should not extend beyond the end of the following semester.

Final Examinations

In addition to examinations given during the semester, final examinations in all subjects are to be given in the final examination period at the end of each semester.

Grade Reports

At the end of the seventh week of each semester, students are notified by mail of mid-term grades lower than a “C.”  Grades of “C” or higher are not reported to the Registrar’s Office at mid-term.  Final grades are reported by faculty to the Office of the Registrar, and mailed by that office to the student as soon as possible after the conclusion of the semester.

Quality Points and Grade Point Average

The grade point average is computed on all work for which the student has registered except for the courses with grades of “P,” ”AUD,” “Q,” “W,” “WP,” or “K,” and is based on the following quality point values for each semester hour of credit.

To calculate the Grade Point Average (GPA) for the current semester, multiply the quality point value for each grade received times the number of credits for that course.  Determine the GPA by dividing the total credits attempted into the total quality points.

To calculate the cumulative GPA, multiply the quality points for the grade in every course taken by the number of credits in each course.  Determine the GPA by dividing total credits attempted into total quality points.

Students having a GPA of less than 2.0 will have a quality point deficiency.  To calculate the extent of the deficiency, multiply the total number of credits attempted by 2.  That total is the number of quality points required to have a “C” average.  Then subtract the quality points actually earned from the total required to have “C” average. The difference is the quality point deficiency.

Repeating “D” and “F” Grades

Students who receive “D” or “F” grades early in their college careers may have such grades disregarded in calculating their Grade Point Averages (GPA) when repeated under the following conditions:

·         “D” or “F” must have been earned no later than the semester or summer term when the student attempts his/her 60th credit hour.

·         The course may be repeated any time prior to graduation.  A D/F Course Repeat Form is to be filed at the time the student takes the course the second time.

·         The grade received on the second attempt will be used in calculating the student’s GPA.  While the first grade will continue to appear on the transcript, it will not be used in calculating the GPA.

Challenges of Final Grades

Students are encouraged to discuss questions about final grades with their instructors, especially with regard to possible errors in calculation or transcription.  These discussions are not considered to be appeals.  Challenges of final grades are made to the programs/departments in which the grade was given.  It is the student’s responsibility to follow the appeal process at all stages.

Discretionary Academic Forgiveness

Consistent with the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission's Title 133 Procedural Rule, Series 22 Sections 4 and 5, West Virginia State University (WVSU) will extend to students academic forgiveness related to grade-point averages required for graduation under the following listed conditions. (This policy pertains only to graduation requirements and not to such requirements for professional certification which may be within the province of licensing boards, external agencies, or the West Virginia Board of Education). A student who has grades of "F" and/or "D" may petition the Registrar to disregard the grades for the purpose of computation of the cumulative grade-point average under the following conditions:

1.         Only "F" and/or "D" grades from courses taken at least five years prior to the request may be disregarded for grade-point computation. (Student must choose to keep all "D" grades or have all eligible "D" grades forgiven.)

2.         When "F" and/or "D" grades are disregarded for grade-point average computation, these grades will not be deleted from the student's permanent record (transcript).

3.          Once a "D" grade is disregarded for purposes of grade-point average computation, the credit earned is also disregarded.

4.         The student requesting academic forgiveness must not have been enrolled in any college or university on a full-time (12 or more credit hours) during any semester or term in the previous five years. If the student has enrolled on a part-time basis (less than 12 credit hours) during the specified five years, the student must have earned at least a "C" grade-point average (2.00) in all course work attempted.

5.         Only enrolled students may apply for academic forgiveness through a signed, written form obtained from the Registration and Records Office. The student must certify that he/she has not been enrolled as a full-time student in any college or university for five consecutive years prior to the request.

6.         Once the student applicant has completed 12 credit hours of required courses at WVSU/WVSCTC, with no grade lower than a "C," the Registrar will calculate the grade point average and grant the academic forgiveness for the "F' and/or "D" grades the student earned at least five years earlier.

Note:              Students who receive "forgiveness" may be eligible for graduation with honors; however, all grades on the academic record will be used to make the determination of honors for graduation including those grades that have been "forgiven." Additionally, all other requisites for graduating with honors must be met.