Grades

All grades are determined by the instructor in charge of the course. Grades are reported as follows:

Grading Scale

A         high honor (reserved for very distinguished work)

B         very good work of much more than average quality

C         work of good average quality

D        work of the lowest quality that will enable the student to meet the standards of McPherson College

I          work is incomplete. This mark will be given only when the reason for the incomplete has been unavoidable, as determined by the instructor and the vice president for academic affairs

F         work that does not meet the standards of McPherson College

PS      a passing grade on the pass/fail system

FL      a failing grade on the pass/fail system

CR      credit granted

NC     no credit granted

W       withdrawal from a course

IP       in progress

AU     auditing (class attendance with no credit given)

NR     not reported

Incompletes

The grade of I should be given only when there are unavoidable reasons the student has been unable to complete the work by the end of the term. When instructors give a grade of Incomplete, they must also submit an Incomplete Grade Form with an alternate grade. If a Change of Grade Form is not submitted by midterm of the following semester, the alternate grade becomes the student’s final grade for the course.

Pass/Fail Option

A student may take only one course per semester on a pass/fail basis. Students must declare this intention by the end of the second week of class. General education courses and courses required for the major may not be audited or taken pass/fail.

Grade Points

Grade points are earned as follows:

A         4 grade points for each hour of credit
B         3 grade points for each hour of credit
C         2 grade points for each hour of credit
D        1 grade point for each hour of credit
F         0 grade points earned

Grading Periods

Faculty report grades at three points in the fall and spring semesters:

• Faculty report D and F grades only at the end of the first five weeks. This is a preliminary grade intended to alert students and advisors to poor academic performance while there is time to address issues and get the student the help needed to be successful. Students making all C’s or better do not receive a five-week grade report.
• All grades are reported at midterm, or half way through the semester. Midterm grades are preliminary and in no way indicate or guarantee similar grade at the end of the semester.
• Final grades are reported at the end of each term. These grades become a permanent part of a student’s transcript unless a course is retaken to replace the previously earned grade. Unless the instructor miscalculates the grade or submits the wrong grade by mistake, final grades cannot be changed except through the Grade Appeal Process located in the catalog.

Because they are condensed into an intensive three-week period, Interterm courses do not report five-week or midterm grades.