Grading Policy

GRADING POLICIES

Quality Points

Quality points are awarded according to the following chart:

To encourage students to excel to the next level, we endorse a +/- grading system. The top point of each grade scale receives a + and adds 0.3 quality points (B+ = 3.3). The bottom point of each grade scale receives a – and subtracts 0.3 quality points (B- = 2.7). The purpose is to encourage students to work to improve their grade to the next level, even within the same letter grade.

Students must complete their work with a cumulative average of 2.0 in order to receive their degree. If a student repeats a course, the higher grade will be used to calculate GPA, though both marks will be listed in the degree audit.

Grading

Each instructor is responsible for setting the requirements for courses and for informing students of the grading scale that is used (usually on the course syllabus). The symbols defined below are used for all degree programs and coordinate with Populi.

Grades Not Calculated in GPA

Incompletes

A course’s work is designed to be completed within the assigned term. An incomplete (“I”) may be granted for some assignments when the student is prevented from finishing coursework on time by extenuating circumstances, such as military service, hospitalization, or death in the immediate family. The student should demonstrate that the majority of work has already been accomplished. Some work, such as participatory activities, team exercises, and online discussions, cannot be made up.

It is the student’s responsibility to request an “I” grade by emailing the request and rationale to the instructor. The request must be made no later than the last week of the course. If the emergency occurs in the last week of the course, the request must be made no later than 14 days after the end date of the course as noted in Populi.

Students approved for a temporary grade of incomplete will be required to turn in completed work to the instructor who taught the course. The deadline for submitting work is a maximum of 30 days from the end date of the course as noted in Populi.

Failure to submit the incomplete work by this deadline will result in earning zero points for the incomplete work, and the final grade will be awarded accordingly.

Repeated Course

Students may repeat a course for which they received a grade of “F.” Students are permitted to re-enroll one time in a course for which they previously earned a grade of “D” or higher.

If a student repeats a course, the higher grade will be used to calculate GPA, though both marks will be listed in the degree audit.

Rubrics

Rubrics are valuable tools used in the grading and assessment process to promote consistency and fairness. They provide a clear and structured framework for evaluating student work and determining their level of achievement in a particular task or assignment. CCBS instructors are encouraged to use the standardized rubrics when possible or create course-specific ones as necessary.

The main purposes of using rubrics for grading are as follows:

1. Clarity and Communication: Rubrics establish clear expectations and criteria for success. By outlining specific criteria and performance levels, they communicate to students what is expected of them. Students can use rubrics as guidelines to understand the quality and scope of their work, which helps them focus their efforts accordingly.
2. Consistency: Rubrics promote consistency in grading across different evaluators or multiple instances of grading for a particular assignment. When multiple teachers or graders are involved, using a rubric ensures that everyone assesses student work based on the same standards and criteria. This consistency reduces the potential for subjective biases and ensures fairness in the evaluation process.
3. Fairness and Transparency: Rubrics help establish fairness in grading by providing transparency. They make the evaluation process more objective and minimize the influence of personal biases or arbitrary judgment. Students can see the specific criteria on which their work will be assessed, enabling them to understand how their performance will be evaluated. This transparency fosters a sense of fairness and allows students to self-assess their work before submission.
4. Feedback and Improvement: Rubrics provide a structured format for offering feedback to students. By breaking down the assignment into specific criteria, rubrics allow teachers to provide targeted feedback on areas of strength and areas that need improvement. This detailed feedback helps students understand their strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to enhance their skills and performance in future assignments.
5. Learning and Growth: Rubrics can be used as teaching tools to guide instruction and promote student learning. When students are familiar with the grading criteria outlined in the rubric, they can align their efforts with the desired learning outcomes. Rubrics also provide a clear roadmap for students to develop their skills incrementally, as they can see how their performance progresses across different levels of achievement.

Overall, rubrics enhance consistency, fairness, clarity, and transparency in the grading process. They benefit both students and teachers by providing a shared understanding of expectations, facilitating constructive feedback, and promoting continuous improvement.

Extra Credit Policy

Grades are one way the institution measures student learning of course objectives. Assigning extra credit tends to inflate a course grade unless it is directly related to a course objective. Therefore, CCBS discourages faculty from offering extra credit assignments for the sake of simply improving student grades.

Instead, faculty are encouraged to limit extra credit assignments to serve only as replacement assignments for a similar assessment of a course objective. For example, a listed course objective might be: “Produce written material in Turabian format.” If the student fails the originally assigned assessment for this objective, then the professor may offer a substitute assignment allowing the student to show they can produce written material in Turabian format. This approach is acceptable and encouraged because the final grade still reflects overall student learning of course objectives.

Grade Reports

Grade reports are posted to each student’s file using Populi at the end of each semester if financial obligations are met. It is expected that work done will represent faithfulness and conscientious application on the part of every student. Although grades are not regarded as an end in themselves, they usually represent not only the student’s knowledge on the subject, but also the student’s diligence in studying it.

At the end of each academic year, the Registrar will conduct a Satisfactory Academic Progress Report audit on each student receiving financial aid to determine continued eligibility for financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education.

Grade Changes

End-of-course grades are final upon submission to the Registrar’s Office and not subject to change as a result of the instructor’s judgment or on the basis of a second trial (e.g., new examination or additional work undertaken or completed).

Grade changes may only be made to correct:

• An error in the computation or transcribing, or
• A mistake where part of the student’s work has been unintentionally overlooked.

Grade changes must be made without one calendar year after the date final grades were submitted. A written request requires the instructor’s signed statement as the reason for the change, the approval of the Program Director, and the approval of the Provost.

Grade Appeal Process

A Grade Appeal involves only those situations in which a student believes that an instructor: (a) has not followed fair grading practice, or (b) has not followed published grading policy.

A student who wishes to appeal a final grade based on one or both reasons must follow these procedures:

1. The student must first contact the instructor for a full explanation of the grade given and the basis for assigning the grade.
2. If there is no resolution, then the student may file a grade appeal request in writing and include any supporting documents to the Provost. If a grade appeal request is not received by the college within 6 weeks of the end date of the course, then the student will forfeit any further right to appeal.
3. After the college receives the grade appeal request, it will be forwarded to the instructor for response.

The Academic Appeals Committee will meet to review the form and submitted documents. The decision of the committee will be final and binding upon all parties.

Last Updated: July 2023