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Grading

Parkland College uses the following grades to indicate the level of student achievement of the educational objectives of a course:

Quality Grades

AH	A with honors	4 quality points per credit hour
A	High degree of excellence	4 quality points per credit hour
B	Better than average	3 quality points per credit hour
C	Average achievement	2 quality points per credit hour
D	Minimum achievement	1 quality point per credit hour
F	Failure	0 quality points per credit hour

To qualify for a grade of AH “A with honors,” a student must:

• be earning the grade of A in the course at the time the honors project is proposed,
• submit an honors project proposal that must be approved by the course faculty member,
• complete satisfactorily a significant honors project as determined by the faculty member, and
• finish the course earning the grade of A.

Note: The amount of additional work required is approximately that of a one-hour-credit project of IND 288. The honors project has no bearing on the class grade.

A student receiving an F grade may not continue in a sequential course.

Under state and federal family privacy rights and due process, the college will not deny students the right to see and discuss their work product, including grades on tests, unless there is some prevailing and rational institutional reason. However, requests for grade changes and grade appeals must be made by midterm of the following semester.

Students in health career programs must earn a grade of C or higher in all program courses in order to continue in the program.

Other Grades

0 quality points per credit hour:		Adult Continuing Education courses only:
I	Incomplete	S	Satisfactory achievement
W	Withdrawal	U	Unsatisfactory achievement
CR	Credit
NC	No Credit
P	Institutional Proficiency/CLEP
T	Audit
MW	Military Withdrawal
IM	Military Incomplete
Y	See Instructor

An I (Incomplete) grade may be awarded by a faculty member when a student has completed at least 80 percent of the requirements of a course and has the consent of the faculty member to complete the additional requirements for a quality grade. The required work must be completed by the end date of the next term. If the I grade is awarded for the spring semester, the required work must be completed on or before the end date of the fall semester. A student receiving an I grade may not continue in a sequential course without faculty/department chair approval. Failure to resolve an I grade within the allotted time will result in a failing grade.

A withdrawal grade of W indicates the student officially withdrew or was withdrawn from a course following the established procedures.

Most courses may be taken on a credit/no-credit (CR/NC) basis, but only one such course may count toward each degree (A.A., A.S., A.E.S., A.F.A., A.A.S., A.G.S.) or certificate earned at Parkland College. The decision for this option must be made no later than the first week of class. Once the credit/no-credit option is chosen, the student may not return to the conventional grading system (A, B, C, D, F) for the completion of that course. If a student chooses a credit/no-credit option for more than one course and later wishes to have those hours in more than one course applied to a degree, that student may retake any previous credit/no-credit opted course for a quality grade.

Each department determines what proficiency level constitutes credit/no credit for the courses in that department. Departments may require certain courses in a particular program be taken for a quality grade; the catalog reflects those requirements. Each student must sign a standard contract with the faculty member confirming the use of the credit/no-credit option. A copy of this contract must be in the student’s file in the Office of Admissions and Records. Contract forms are available in all department offices.

An institutional proficiency/CLEP grade of P indicates a student has passed a proficiency examination for a course, receiving the credit for the course toward graduation. No quality points are awarded.

An audit is indicated by the grade of T. No credit is granted nor quality points awarded for an audit. Students may audit a course but must wait to register until the late registration period. To audit a course, students must meet the admission requirements of the college and the course prerequisites and pay the same tuition and fees as students enrolled for credit; however, the late fee is waived. Once registered, a student may not change from audit to credit status or vice versa. Students who are Monetary Award Program recipients must check with the Office of Financial Aid before signing up to audit a course.

Active or reserve military or national guard personnel who are currently enrolled may qualify for a grade of military withdrawal (MW) or military incomplete (IM) if they are called to active duty. The following procedures apply:

• Prior to any action, the student should consult with his/her instructors. Each faculty member may choose to award a quality grade or credit/no grade if the student has satisfied the primary objectives of the course.
• If the student has completed 80 percent or more of the material, but does not qualify for a quality grade, a grade of IM may be given, and the faculty member should complete an Incomplete Grade Contract. In the event that the IM grade is not completed during the prescribed time limit, such grade will automatically be changed to MW.
• If the student has not completed 80 percent of the course material, the student may request from Admissions a grade of MW. A grade of MW will entitle the student to a complete refund of tuition and fees.
• Students with concerns during this process should contact the department chair, then the dean of academic services.

A grade of MW will entitle the student to a complete refund of tuition and fees. Students with concerns during this process should contact the department chair, then the dean of academic services.