Grading | NorthWest Arkansas Community College

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Grading


View the grading resources below. 

Once faculty have submitted grades by the deadline, you can access the "View My Grades" report in your Workday student account.

NWACC uses the letter system of grading the quality of work done by students.  The interpretation of each grade, with its value in grade points per semester unit, is described below:

Grade Value

A - Excellent (4 quality points)
B - Good (3 quality points)
C - Average (2 quality points)
D - Lowest Possible Passing Grade (1 quality point)
F - Failing
FP - Failure to Participate - will be issued to those students failing to participate in class activities and failing to officially withdraw from their course(s). Students will be assigned a grade of “FP” if they do not officially withdraw from the course and failed to participate in course activities through the end of the period. FP is used when, in the opinion of the instructor, completed assignments or course activities or both were insufficient to make normal evaluation of academic performance possible. Students who complete the course but fail to achieve the course objectives will be awarded the grade of F (failing).

Items below are not included in computation of the grade point average
 
I – incomplete
IP – in progress (for courses that extend beyond the normal semester dates)
W – withdrawal
WA – withdrawal – appeal
AU – Audit, No credit
CR - Credit
TA (transfer work)
TB (transfer work)
TC (transfer work)
S - Satisfactory
U - Unsatisfactory
V - Verified Prior Learning Credit
WN - Instructor initiated withdrawal
 

The grade point average (GPA) at NWACC is calculated as outlined below:
1. To determine the grade points earned in each course, multiply the number of quality points for the assigned letter grade by the number of credit hours for the course.
A= 4 quality points
B= 3 quality points
C= 2 quality points
D= 1 quality point
F= 0 quality points
FP = 0 quality points
(W, WA, WN, S U, I, IP, and AU are not considered in determining GPA).
2. Add these grade points to arrive at the total grade points earned during a term.
3. Divide this grade point total by the total number of credit hours pursued that term. The cumulative grade point average is calculated the same way as the GPA for each term except that all of the student’s college work is taken into account.

At the instructor’s discretion, a grade of “I” may be assigned to a student who has not completed all course requirements but who has met the following
conditions:
a. The student (or his/her authorized representative) initiated the request.
b. The student was carrying at least a “C” in the course before the situation arose that prompted the request for the incomplete.
c. The student was in compliance with all course requirements, including attendance and percentage of material covered.
d. The student was unable because of a documented medical reason or other
documented circumstance beyond his/her control to finish assigned classwork/papers or to take the final examination.

If the student and the instructor agree that the student is unable to make up missed classwork then they will fill out an Incomplete Contract which will:

a. Stipulate the specific course requirements to be completed.
b. Stipulate the specific date by which the requirements must be completed.
c. Be signed by the student, the instructor and the appropriate division or department head with copies given to the registrar.

If the student does not complete the course work by the date stipulated on the contract, then the “I” becomes an “F.” Students who need to attend class
to make up incomplete work will need to re-register for the class. It is against college policy for a student to sit in on a class section without being specifically
registered for that section.

An IP (In Progress) grade may be assigned for course work unable to be completed in a normal semester or term.

For questions about grades, please contact your instructor and/or the Academic Division Dean's office.