2020-2021 Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2021 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Grading System


Return to: Rules, Regulations, & Policies  

Aims Community College assigns the following alphabetical grades:

Grade
Symbol
Quality of Work Indicated by Symbol   Grade
Points
A Indicates that the student has demonstrated superior achievement of the course objectives.    4
B Indicates that the student has demonstrated above-average achievement of the course objectives.    3
C Indicates that the student has demonstrated acceptable achievement of the course objectives.   2
D Indicates that the student has demonstrated a below-average level of achievement in the course that does not warrant a failing grade yet represents the minimum passing grade. A course in which a final grade of ‘D’ is earned generally will not satisfy a course prerequisite, and may not be accepted if transferring to another school. The ‘D’ grade also carries with it a Grade Point Average below the minimum 2.0 required to graduate. For these reasons, students may want to consider repeating a course in which a ‘D’ is earned.   1
F Indicates that the student has failed to achieve the objectives of the course.   0
S Satisfactory:
For designated courses, indicates achievement of the course objectives at a ‘C’ level or above.
  none
U Unsatisfactory:
For designated courses, indicates failure to achieve course objectives.
  none
AU Audit:
No credit is granted. Regular tuition rates apply. The audit (AU) grade does not affect the grade point average. Any course for which an AU grade is assigned: does not count toward any certificate or degree program; cannot be used to satisfy a course prerequisite; cannot be used to satisfy “in residence” requirements; and cannot be used to satisfy requirements for financial aid or veterans’ benefits. Each academic department will set guidelines for the approval or disapproval of a student’s auditing a course. The student must obtain instructor approval on an Audit Request Form and submit the form to the Student Enrollment and Records Department by the add/drop deadline for the course. Once approved and submitted, the final grade of AU will be assigned. The grade of AU is final and cannot be changed. The student may receive credit for a course that was originally audited only by enrolling in and satisfactorily completing another section of the course in a subsequent semester.
  none
W Withdrawal:
Indicates a student’s withdrawal after the point marking 15% of the course (the drop/refund deadline) and before the point marking 75% of the course. After the 75% point, students may no longer choose to withdraw from a course, and faculty will either assign the grade earned or complete an “Incomplete” Agreement with the student.
  none
I

Incomplete:

A temporary grade of “incomplete” may be assigned if a student is progressing satisfactorily and due to extenuating circumstances, cannot complete the work of a course within the term.  The desire to do additional coursework to raise a grade is not considered an extenuating circumstance.

In the event that an incomplete grade is warranted, the instructor and student must complete an Incomplete Agreement, and the completed agreement will be kept on file in the academic division office.  When completing an incomplete grade, students do not re-register for the course.

When the student meets the terms of the agreement, or the time period agreed upon for completion has ended, the instructor shall submit a Grade Change Request to assign the appropriate letter grade.  If the instructor does not submit a grade change request after a maximum of one year, the student’s grade will be automatically converted to “failing” for the course.  There are no opportunities for extending an incomplete grade beyond one year.  Degrees and/or certificates will not be conferred upon students with an outstanding incomplete grade.

  none

Grade Point Average

A student’s grade point average (GPA) is computed according to the following formula:

Number of credits of ”A” multiplied by 4; plus
Number of credits of “B” multiplied by 3; plus
Number of credits of “C” multiplied by 2; plus
Number of credits of “D” multiplied by 1;
Number of credits of “F” multiplied by 0; then divided by total number of credits accumulated.

Only the credits accumulated and grade points earned in college level courses at Aims Community College are used in computation of semester and cumulative GPAs which appear on grade reports and transcripts. Courses numbered below 100 do not count for college credit or in the grade point average. Courses graded “S” count for credit, but are not used in the grade point average.

Fresh Start Policy

“Fresh Start” is an option for students who had a poor start academically and returns to Aims after at least a two-year absence, counted from the end of the student’s last term at Aims.

Under the program, the student may petition to have all of his or her previous grades eliminated from the cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA). The grades would remain on the transcript, but would no longer be calculated in the GPA.

The student may obtain a Fresh Start Petition through the Student Enrollment and Records department or online.

Grade Replacement Policy

“Grade Replacement” is an option for students who may choose to repeat a limited number of courses for the purpose of replacing a poor grade with a better grade.

Under the program, both the previous and the new grades would remain on the transcript, but only the last grade received will be counted toward the GPA. The student may attempt to improve his or her overall GPA by repeating a maximum of 4 courses in which he or she had received a final grade of “D” or “F”.

The student may obtain a Grade Replacement Petition in the Student Enrollment and Records department or online.