of

Courses are offered on a 100 through 400 numerical basis.
Freshmen courses: 100 – 199
Sophomore courses: 200 – 299
Junior courses: 300 – 399
Senior courses: 400 – 499
Developmental courses that do not carry academic credit are numbered 099 - 100D.
Students may take courses one year higher than their class standing, for example, sophomores may take junior (300) level
courses with appropriate preparation.
Students who do not accumulate academic credits toward graduation at an appropriate rate will receive an advisory letter from
the Academic Affairs Office and may be subject to dismissal.
Grades
Students receive a letter grade in each course taken. Courses numbered 099 and 100D receive letter grades ("A"- "F") but are
not counted as credits toward the degree. However, 100D course grades are included in the student’s term and cumulative grade
point average.
All courses graded Pass on a Pass/Fail basis are certified to be a "C" grade or better. In all other courses, grades of "A"
(outstanding), "B" (superior), "C" (satisfactory), "D" (deficient) or "F" (failing) are given. An instructor may add a plus or minus to
indicate a student’s relative position. (There are no "A+" or "D-" grades.) An "I" indicates that the student will not receive a grade
until the work is completed within a specified time period. "W" indicates withdrawal from a course; "WP" indicates withdrawal with
a passing grade, "WF" withdrawal with a failing grade, and "WV" indicates a course waiver. Grades of "W", "WP/WF", and "WV"
are not calculated into grade point averages.
Letter grades are assigned numerical quality points for the purpose of determining a student’s grade point average.
A 4.0 C+ 2.3 F 0.0
A- 3.7 C 2.0 I 0.0
B+ 3.3 C- 1.7 W 0.0
B 3.0 D+ 1.3 WP/WF 0.0
B- 2.7 D 1.0 WV 0.0
These quality points are multiplied by the number of credits a course carries to determine the student’s total quality points.
A three-credit course, for example, in which a student earns a grade of “C+”, earns 6.9 quality points. The grade point average is
then determined by dividing the total number of quality points earned in all the courses by the total number of credits attempted.
The following illustrates the process:
Course Grade Equivalent Credits Attempted/Earned Quality Points
English A 4.0 3/3 12.0
History A- 3.7 3/3 11.1
Biology C- 1.7 4/4 6.8
Art D 1.0 3/3 3.0
Psychology F 0 3/0 0.0
Total 16/13 32.9
When the total number of quality points (32.9) is divided by the total number of credits attempted (16), the grade point average
is found to be 2.06.
Some academic programs, and developmental and general education courses require students to achieve a minimum grade in
order to successfully complete the course. The minimum grade requirements are listed on the course syllabus and in the course
description section of this catalog.
*Credits for courses graded Pass/Fail or credit equivalent courses are not included. When an Incomplete is awarded, the grade point average will be
calculated with the incomplete included. GPA will be recalculated when all course requirements have been satisfied.
Grading Standards
Faculty has primary responsibility for assigning grades, but they do not give them; rather students must earn them. Grades
represent an instructor’s impartial, professional evaluation of a student’s work on a given assignment or in a given course.
Misunderstanding arises occasionally when students confuse effort and efficacy. Some faculty place a high premium on
effort; others look almost exclusively at results; most consider both.
At the outset of any course, the students taking it should receive, in writing, a clear statement of the course requirements
and grading standards. Students who do not receive such a statement should promptly ask their instructor to provide it. In the
Academic Catalog | Cazenovia College | www.cazenovia.edu 36