Washington College

The last eight courses taken by a senior must be at Washington College or in a Washington College-administered program.

Grading System

Washington College uses the following letter grades which, except for the F, may be modified by a minus or a plus:

• A Excellent
• B Good
• C Fair
• D Passed
• F Failure

The following system is used to determine a student's grade point average:

• A/A+ = 4.00 C = 2.00
• A- = 3.67 C- = 1.67
• B+ = 3.33 D+ = 1.33
• B = 3.00 D = 1.00
• B- = 2.67 D- = 0.67
• C+ = 2.33 F = 0.00

Other notations used on student records include:

• W Withdrawal from course
• P Pass, in courses where the student uses the pass/fail option
• I Incomplete
• Au Audit
• R Replaced

Interim Grades

Instructors report letter grades for all first-year students, students on academic probation, and transfer students near mid-term. Interim grades are issued several weeks into the semester only to enable students to assess their progress; they are not made a part of the permanent record. Although letter grades at interim are not required for other students, it is College policy that students are entitled to information about their progress as fully and as frequently as a particular course structure permits.

Parents of dependent students may submit written requests for grade information to the Registrar. The communication of all grades to parents is governed by procedure in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (Buckley Amendment).

Failed Courses

In case of failure in any graded course (except a GRW seminar), the student may correct the deficiency using one of the following methods:

• Proposing for graduation a suitable course taken on another campus (see the Registrar for appropriate form). Before enrolling for a course at another college, the student must obtain approval from the chair of the Washington College department. The student will receive credit earned in the course taken at another institution, as long as a grade of C- or better is earned. However, only the original grade will remain on the transcript and will be part of the GPA calculation.
• Repeating a failed course: See the following section on Repeating Courses below.

Students who fail a GRW seminar must take a GRW seminar in the following semester and receive a passing grade. Please refer to the section on GRW seminar requirements.

Repeating Courses

Courses taken at Washington College, in which a student earns a grade of C- or better, may not be repeated for academic credit. Courses taken at Washington College in which a student earns a grade of D+ or lower may be repeated for academic credit if the student repeats the course at Washington College or in a Washington College-administered program and in compliance with the following guidelines.

• The student will repeat the same course.
• Substitution of another course is not permitted.
• Special Topics courses may not be offered as substitutes.
• Independent Studies may not be substituted for courses.
• Courses may be repeated only once.
• Courses being repeated may not be taken on a Pass/Fail basis.
• Under special circumstances, a student may petition the Committee on Academic Standing and Advising to repeat a course in which a grade of C- was received.
• Not all courses may be repeated (e.g., special topic courses and courses not taught on an annual basis).

The student receives the credit and the grade earned in the second course. The original grade remains on the transcript but will no longer be a part of the cumulative GPA calculation, and no credit for the first course will be given.

ENG 101 must be repeated by any student earning below a C-.

Auditing Courses

Students may audit one or more courses without fee, with the permission of the instructors involved. If students wish the courses to appear on their transcripts, they must formally register for them. The advisor will list such courses on the drop/add form, followed by the notation: AUDIT.

If the student wishes to change a course to audit, then the student must make this request before the end of the Drop/Add period. Instructors will enter audit notations on the student's record only if attendance is frequent enough to warrant it.

The Incomplete

If a student is prevented from completing required coursework by illness (as shown by a physician's certificate) or some other valid circumstance, the instructor may assign the temporary grade of "I" (Incomplete). Notice of necessary absence from an examination must be given by the student, or one of the Deans, to the Registrar and to the instructor of the course before the scheduled time of the examination if at all possible.

Under no circumstances should a student be given an Incomplete as a substitute for failure. When a student, through negligence or procrastination, fails to complete this semester's work in any course on time, and where there are no extenuating circumstances, the student will receive an "F."

Students must finish the work of all courses for which they have an Incomplete by the Friday of the third week of classes in the semester immediately following the semester in which the grade of Incomplete was recorded. If students do not finish the work of the course, the Incomplete grade is changed to an "F." Extenuating circumstances (long illness, for example) may make it necessary to grant an extension. The student should consult with the instructor and the Associate Provost, who notifies the Registrar if an extension should be granted.

Pass/Fail Option

Of the 128 credits required for graduation, upperclass students (juniors or seniors) may designate up to four courses for Pass/Fail grading. Not more than one course may be so designated in any one semester. The following rules govern the Pass/Fail option:

• Pass/fail courses may not be used for distribution requirements, the major field of study, major-related requirements, or the minor field of study.
• No student is obliged to take any course pass/fail.
• Any junior or senior who is not currently on probation may preregister for a pass/fail course.
• Students must indicate to the Registrar, on forms provided, which course is to be taken as pass/fail. At the end of the third week of classes, this status becomes permanent. Students may not shift from a pass/fail basis to a letter grade basis either during or upon completion of the course except as outlined below. New pass/fail forms must be filed each semester even if the student is continuing a two-semester course sequence. Students are urged to keep their copy of pass/fail slips until grades are released.
• Professors grade according to the normal procedures for their own records. The final grade is then translated by the Registrar to a Pass ("D-" or above) or Fail ("F") and recorded as such on the student's permanent record. A failed course is computed into the grade average as would be any other grade of "F." A passed course has no effect on the grade point average.
• To change a major or minor to a field in which the student has previously taken a course for pass/fail credit, these options exist:
• The letter grade the student would otherwise have received in the course may be recorded; in the case of a minor, this conversion takes place only after all minor requirements are met.
• The student may select another course in the major department.
• Courses that were failed previously may not be retaken pass/fail.

Changing Grades

An instructor wishing to change a student's grade for valid reason, following the recording of the grade in the Registrar's Office, may do so by requesting the change in writing through the Associate Provost for Academic Services, who must approve all such changes.

The instructor's records are authoritative in all matters of course requirements, grades, and class attendance. The College, however, recognizes the right of the student to appeal a grade. Appeals should first be made to the instructor involved, then the Department Chair, and finally, to the Provost of the College. The decision of the Provost, in consultation with the Chair and instructor involved, shall be final.

Students have the prerogative of knowing and having explained to them the reasons for the grade on all examinations and term papers. Even though the instructor may wish to retain the examination or paper, the educational value of the exercise cannot be achieved unless the student has the opportunity to discuss in specific detail the reasons for his or her grade.

Final examinations are retained by the faculty at least until the middle of the semester following their administration in order to permit students to review them if they are interested in doing so.

Readmission after Suspension

Students who have been suspended for academic reasons and wish to be readmitted must write a letter to the Committee on Academic Standing and Advising requesting readmission. In order to be considered for readmission a student must:

• Present evidence of further academic progress, which includes completing at least two courses with a grade of "C" or better and having a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better at the institution where the courses were taken.
• Submit to the Office of the Registrar an official transcript of all coursework taken during the period of suspension. Students are not readmitted for the semester following their suspension. Students should contact the Associate Provost for Academic Services before selecting courses at another institution.

Policy To Request College Transcripts

Students wishing a transcript for admission to graduate school or for transfer to another college must file the appropriate form with the Registrar's Office. Information is provided at http://registrar.washcoll.edu/. Students who are in financial arrears with an office of the College (Business Office, Library, Bookstore) will be unable to have transcripts sent out until payment or until satisfactory arrangements have been made to clear debts.

Dean's List

Students who achieve outstanding academic records during the semester may be named to the Dean's List. To be eligible for the Dean's List, a student must complete a minimum of three courses (12 credits) in a given semester and have no D's. The minimum grade point average for Dean's List is 3.4.