Memorandum #8 — Policy on Academic Standards and Progress
Original Date of Issue: February 14, 1978
Revised: April 18, 2017
September 1, 2021
January 31, 2022
Policy Owner: Vice President of Academic and Student Success
Approved by: President
I. Grading Systems, Academic Standards and Progress Policy
(Note: Students receiving financial aid are held to additional satisfactory academic progress regulations found in Memo #8A.)
A. Grading System of Community College of Philadelphia
The grading system at Community College of Philadelphia is a letter system with associated quality points, which are used to compute cumulative grade point averages.
| Grade | Q.P.* | Note |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4 | Outstanding |
| B | 3 | Good |
| C | 2 | Satisfactory |
| D | 1 | Pass |
| F | 0 | Fail |
| FS | 0 | Fail – stopped attending |
*Number of quality points earned
Other Grades
As a result of testing and placement, students may be required to register for certain courses which do not carry credit towards graduation. These courses are numbered below 100. They are graded "Pass," "Making Progress" and "Fail."
| Grade | Note |
|---|---|
| P | Pass |
| MP | Making Progress |
| F | Fail |
| FS | Fail – stopped attending |
Other Designations
| Grade | Note |
|---|---|
| W | Withdrawal (On or After 0% No Refund Date) |
| WD | Withdrawal During Refund Period (Before 0% No Refund Date) |
| M | Military Leave of Absence |
| AU | Audit |
| NR | No report from instructor at the time grades were processed |
| I | Incomplete |
B. Grade Point Average (GPA) Policy: Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average for all college-credited courses according to the following College schedule. GPA will be assessed after a student has attempted 1 college credit hours. (Note: Developmental courses will not count toward GPA calculation.)
Minimum Required | GPA Credit Hours |
|---|---|
1.40 | 1-17 Credit Hours |
1.50 | 18-24 Credit Hours |
1.60 | 25-36 Credit Hours |
1.75 | 37-48 Credit Hours |
1.85 | 49-59 Credit Hours |
2.00 | 60 Credit Hours and Over (Until Graduation) |
C. Academic Progress Policy:For the purposes of calculating satisfactory progress, withdrawals made within the refund period will not count toward the calculation of progress when the student has not begun attendance in the course. A grade of "A," "B," "C," "D," "P" or "MP" will be considered a successful completion. However, a grade of "MP" cannot be given in the same course more than two times. On the third attempt, a grade of "MP" will be converted to a grade "F."
| Minimum Required Completion Percentage | GPA Credit Hours Cumulative Attempted |
|---|---|
| 50% | 1-12 Credit Hours |
| 60% | 13-18 Credit Hours |
| 67% | 19 Credit Hours and Over (Until Graduation) |
D. Academic Probation Policy:Students who do not maintain satisfactory course completion and/or GPA will:
- Be put on full-time (13 credits maximum) academic probation. Students on academic probation of any kind must meet with a counselor before registering for any term.
- At the end of any full-time academic probation term, a student will be evaluated as follows:
a. If the student has met the minimum cumulative completion rate and the GPA requirements, he/she will be removed from academic probation.
b. If the student is either below the minimum cumulative completion rate or the GPA standard, he/she will continue on full-time academic probation. When the student achieves the minimum cumulative completion rate and GPA requirements, he/she will be removed from academic probation. Students may not register until they have met with a counselor.
c. If the student fails to earn a grade of "A," "B," "C," "P" or "MP" in 67% of the credits attempted for the term, he/she will be placed on part-time (7 credits maximum) academic probation. Students on part-time academic probation during any summer term will be limited to 3 credits or 6 credits for offerings spanning 14 weeks. Students may not register until they have met with a counselor. Students wishing to appeal their part-time academic probation status may do so through the Counseling Center.
3. At the end of the first part-time academic probation term, a student will be evaluated as follows:
a. If the student has met the minimum cumulative completion rate and the GPA requirements (according to the College’s tiered schedules), he/she will be removed from academic probation.
b. If the student is either below the minimum cumulative completion rate or the GPA standard but has earned grades of "A," "B," "C," "P" or "MP" in all credits attempted for that term, he/she will be permitted to continue on part-time (7 credits) academic probation until such time that the student achieves the minimum cumulative completion rate and GPA requirements (according to the College’s tiered schedules), and is removed from academic probation. Students may not register until they have met with a counselor.
c. If the student fails to earn a grade of "A," "B," "C," "P" or "MP" in all credits attempted for the term, he/she will be dropped from the College for poor scholarship and/or insufficient progress.
4. After a student is dropped for poor scholarship and/or insufficient progress for the first time, he/she will be required to sit out for one term, with summer counting as one term, before applying for reinstatement. Students wishing to appeal the requirement to sit out for one term may do so through the Counseling Center.
5. After a student has sat out the minimum of one term, he/she may return to the college on part-time (7 credits) academic probation but cannot be registered until he/she has met with a counselor. Students who return to the College after being dropped will be assessed at the end of each term in accordance with the part-time academic probation sequence described above.
6. Students who are dropped for either insufficient progress or poor scholarship two or more times must complete an Application for Reinstatement. Students are not officially reinstated until they are notified in writing of their status. All students who are reinstated based on appeals must see a counselor to register for courses and will be placed on part-time (7 credits) academic probation. Academic performance will be assessed at the end of each term in accordance with the part-time academic probation sequence described above.
The chart below shows sample calculations of necessary course completion rates based on the minimum cumulative completion rate and minimum GPA requirements.
| Attempted Credits | Minimum GPA | Calculation Applied | Required Completion Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1.40 | 6 x 50% = | 3 credits completed |
| 12 | 1.40 | 12 x 50% = | 6 credits completed |
| 18 | 1.50 | 18 x 60% = | 11 credits completed |
| 25 | 1.60 | 25 x 67% = | 17 credits completed |
| 37 | 1.75 | 37 x 67% = | 25 credits completed |
| 49 | 1.85 | 49 x 67% = | 33 credits completed |
| 60 | 2.00 | 60 x 67% = | 40 credits completed |
| 72 | 2.00 | 72 x 67% = | 48 credits completed |
| 84 | 2.00 | 84 x 67% = | 56 credits completed |
| 90 | 2.00 | 90 x 67% = | 60 credits completed |
II. Policy on Repeated Courses
A. Students may repeat courses to improve an initial grade of "B," "C," "D," "F" or “FS.”
The following conditions apply:
- When a course is repeated the highest grade will be included in the GPA calculations, although all prior grades will appear on the academic transcript.
B. A grade of “MP” will not be given for a third time in the same course. The “MP” grade may be awarded no more than twice. Any "MP" for a third subsequent attempt will be converted to an "F."
C. Credit for a course is given only once. Each attempted grade will appear on a transcript. Note: Some colleges to which students may wish to transfer do not accept this method of calculating grade point averages.
III. Incomplete Work
A. The letter “I” on a student’s grade report or transcript indicates that a student has not completed all the requirements for a grade in a course.
B. The instructor will inform the student of the work to be completed and the date that it is due. Notification of the incomplete grade will be forwarded to the department head through the use of the incomplete grade form.
C. An incomplete grade becomes a failing grade (“F”) if the work is not completed within six weeks from the end of the final exam period in which the “I” grade was assigned.
D. An “I” will not be counted in the student’s grade point average and academic progress in determining academic standing.
E. Since only completed work can be counted as making progress toward the degree, students must be aware that an incomplete grade may have implications for qualifying for financial aid as well as Satisfactory Academic Progress. In addition, incomplete grades will not satisfy requirements for prerequisites.
IV. Withdrawals from Courses
A.Students may withdraw from a course(s) but must do so by the published deadline for each term. Students who begin attendance in a course and withdraw from that course before the date posted to receive 0% Refund* for each term in which the student is enrolled have a “WD” designation on their transcript. Please note “WD” is used for financial aid eligibility purposes only, and be reminded that Financial Aid regulations are stricter than the College's Academic Standard Progress Policy. Students who begin attendance in a course and withdraw from that course after the date posted to receive 0% Refund* for each term in which the student is enrolled will receive a grade of “W” on their transcript. After this date, students will be assigned the grades they have earned. Note that withdrawals may affect academic progress and financial aid eligibility. *Refund dates.
B.Students may drop a class viaMyCCPor by completing the necessary form, available from the Office of Student Records and Registration, and submitting the form to this same office. Students are strongly encouraged to consult a counselor, if on academic probation, or an academic advisor prior to dropping courses.
C. Students completely withdrawing from a term must complete the necessary form, available from the Office of Student Records and Registration, and submit the form to this same office. Students must consult a counselor prior to withdrawing from an entire roster of classes for any term.
D. The date when the Office of Student Records and Registration is in receipt of the appropriate drop or withdrawal form is the official date of withdrawal. A student who cannot appear in person to fill out a withdrawal form must send a letter or email stating the date and reason for the withdrawal. Absence from class or merely notifying the professor does not constitute withdrawal.
E. Students who are unable to complete a course(s) because of serious illness or other emergency may apply for an excused withdrawal within two years of the occurrence to the Office of Student Records and Registration.Excused withdrawalsare not counted in determining academic progress; however, excused withdrawals are counted as an attempt but not earned when evaluating Satisfactory Academic Progress for purposes of awarding financial aid. Students receiving an Excused withdrawal are subject to a Return of Title IV funds calculation for any aid that was received for the term in question. Satisfactory documentation of the illness or emergency will be required.
F. Students who are unable to complete a course because they or their spouse are a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard or other reserve component of the armed forces of the United States and are called or ordered to active duty (other than active duty for training) shall receive an “M” for military leave of absence. Courses earning an "M" shall not be counted in determining academic progress.
G. Students who stop attending class or, in the case of online courses, stop participating (failure to submit or participate in coursework) will receive a grade of "FS," failure – stopped attending. Instructors who issue an "FS" grade must also report the student’s last date of attendance or, in the case of an online course, last date of participation.
V. Reinstatement
Students applying for reinstatement to the College must submit an “Application for Reinstatement Form” which may be obtained in the Educational Support Services Office or at the Counseling Center. Once completed, forms can be dropped off at the Educational Support Services Office. Forms must be submitted no later than the deadline dates stated in the calendar in the College catalog. Applications received after the deadline dates will be rolled over and considered for the following academic term. Once a decision has been made about reinstatement, students will be notified in writing.
