Grades

Course Repetition

A course may be repeated in order to alleviate substandard academic work (D, F or NP) or if a “W” (withdrawal) was recorded. Students will be allowed to enroll in a course three times under this policy. Military withdrawals do not count in terms of repetition restrictions. If the course is offered at both colleges in the district, the student may repeat the course at either college. Only the last grade will be included in determining GPA and only those units will count towards graduation.

Students with extenuating circumstances may seek approval to enroll in a course a fourth time by submitting a general petition to the Admissions and Records Office. Extenuating circumstances are verified cases of accidents, illness, or other circumstances beyond the control of the student. The student must provide appropriate documentation of the extenuating circumstance occurring during the semester of the third attempt. If approved, only the last grade will be included in determining GPA.

Withdrawal

Withdrawal (issued to students who withdraw before the final drop deadline). Students who are enrolled after the final drop date must receive a letter grade (A-F).

Incomplete Grades

Incomplete - Incomplete academic work for unforeseeable, emergency and justifiable reasons at the end of the term, may result in an “I” symbol being entered in the student’s record. An incomplete grade may be given only after the student has contacted the instructor; awarding of an “I” is at the discretion of the instructor.

The “I” may be made up no later than one semester following the end of the term in which it was assigned. The “I” symbol shall not be used in calculating units attempted nor for grade points. A student may petition for extension of the time limit for removal of the incomplete. The petition must include evidence of approval from the instructor.

Both the instructor and the student must complete and sign the Incomplete Grade Contract form. Procedural details are printed on the back of that form.

Pass/No Pass

Pass formerly CR (Credit), (C or higher) units are not calculated in GPA.

No Pass formerly NC (No Credit), (less than a C) units are not calculated in GPA. Pass or No Pass may be assigned only if the course is indicated as pass/no pass or if the student has elected this option.

In any course offered at Cuyamaca College, a student may elect to be graded on a “P/NP” basis providing the course is not part of a Degree or Certificate of Achievement. In all cases, a student enrolled in a course must have met course prerequisites.

A maximum of 12 credit units earned at Cuyamaca College with “P” grades may be counted toward satisfaction of General Education and elective curriculum requirements for graduation.

Some courses in the curriculum are offered exclusively on a “P/NP” basis. Credit units earned in these courses are exempt from the 12 unit restrictions. In all other courses that are not part of a Degree or Certificate of Achievement, the election to be graded on a “P/NP” basis is at the option of the student. Students electing to be graded on a “P/NP” basis shall establish that option in writing by the end of the fifth week of the semester. (Short-term classes will be allowed a proportionate amount of time.) Once the “P/NP” deadline has passed, the decision is irrevocable.

A “P” grade shall represent at least a satisfactory (“C” grade) level of performance but shall not be counted as units attempted in computing GPA.

A “NP” grade indicates unsatisfactory completion of course requirements but will not be counted as units attempted in computing GPA. “NP” grades will be taken into consideration in the determination of lack‑of‑progress probation and disqualification status.

Students intending to transfer to four‑year colleges or universities should check the specific policies of those institutions pertaining to transferability of “P” grades.

Academic Renewal

When previously recorded Cuyamaca College work is substandard and not reflective of a student’s present level of demonstrated ability, and when a student would be required to take additional units simply to raise the grade point average (GPA) to meet an educational goal, this policy will allow alleviation of substandard work. If a student is otherwise eligible for graduation, academic renewal may not be used to raise the GPA in order to qualify for graduation with honors. Academic renewal cannot be used to set aside course work which has been used to meet degree, certificate or certification requirements.

When courses are alleviated, grades in courses remain on the student’s record but are not used in the computation of the GPA. Academic renewal does not provide an exception to the course repetition policy.

Criteria

Substandard coursework completed in the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District may be alleviated subject to all of the following criteria:

1. The student has requested the action formally and has presented evidence that coursework is substandard and not representative of present scholastic ability and level of performance.

2. At least one year has elapsed and the student has completed, at any accredited post-secondary institution, at least 15 units of coursework with at least a 2.0 GPA. All courses taken during the semester/session in which the student reaches or exceeds the 15 unit minimum will be used in computing the 2.0 GPA.

3. The student may select Option I or Option II. The student may not apply for both.

Option I: A maximum of any 24 units of substandard coursework (grades D or F only) may be alleviated. This option may be approved twice subject to a total of 24 units.

Option II: Two complete semesters in which the semester GPA is below 2.0 may be alleviated. Courses taken at Cuyamaca College and Grossmont College during the same semester shall be combined and counted as one semester.

Procedure

1. The student must formally request a review of substandard work to be alleviated.

2. All transcripts from previously attended colleges must be on file in the Admissions & Records Office.

3. The Petitions Committee shall review all requests for academic renewal. The committee will determine if all criteria have been met. Determination by the committee shall be final.

4. In the event of admission to Cuyamaca College as a transfer student from other colleges where course work has been alleviated, such alleviated course work will be counted toward the maximum of alleviated work allowed.

5. When such action is taken, the student’s permanent academic record shall be annotated so that it is readily evident to all users of the record that no work taken during the alleviated semester(s), even if satisfactory, apply toward degree requirements. However, all work will remain legible on the record insuring a true and complete academic history.