Grades

Students view grades via Self-Service.  Grades used at Washington are listed below. Letter grades are converted into grade points according to the chart below. Other notations used on student records include: R= Repeated course; H=Honors course.

Letter grades are converted into grade points according to this scale:

Grading System

Letter	Grade Point
A or A+	4.00
A-	3.67
B+	3.33
B	3.00
B-	2.67
C+	2.33
C	2.00
C-	1.67
D+	1.33
D	1.00
D-	0.67
F	0.00

Other notations used on student records include:

Grade Meaning

Letter Grade	Description
W	Withdrawal from course
P	Pass, in courses graded by this method or where the student uses the Pass/Fail option
I	Incomplete
AU	Audit
R	Replaced course
H	Honors Course

Audit Grades

Students intending to audit a course should consult with the instructor regarding requirements.

1. Degree-seeking students may audit one or more courses without a fee, but the Business Office must be notified.
2. Non-degree seeking students (including alumni) may audit courses for $444 per course.
3. Audited courses do not earn a credit. Instructors assign an AU grade.  Students who Audit are not expected to participate in individual and group projects or other assessments.

To audit a course, the student, instructor, or advisor must list the course on a Drop/Add form, followed by the notation “AUDIT,” and submit it to the Registrar’s Office. Non-degree seeking students submit the Non-Degree Student Registration Form.

To change a course to Audit or vice versa after it has begun, the student must make this request using the Drop/Add form, which must include the instructor’s signature. At the end of the second week of classes, this status becomes permanent. Students may not shift from an Audit to credit option or vice versa after this deadline.

COVID-19 Grades

Due to the disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic, students who earned transferred credits worth three credits at another institution during the nationwide emergency as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (Spring 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023) are eligible to graduate with a 126 minimum credits; however, students must submit an Academic Petition to the Committee on Academic Standing & Advising (CASA) to request to graduate with fewer than 128 credits.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Spring 2020 semester courses were graded Pass/Fail. If the letter grade earned was a D- or higher, students earned a CP (COVID Pass) grade. If the letter grade was lower than a D- an F grade was assigned. 

The academic transcript has no letter grades for Spring 2020. The cumulative GPA does not include Spring 2020 unless “F” grades were earned. 

Students may contact the Registrar’s Office for an official letter verifying Spring 2020 letter grades earned including the term GPA, but not the cumulative GPA. For external purposes, students may need to report their letter grades for Spring 2020 (graduate or professional school applications, employment, teacher certification or to maintain student discount eligibility

D Grades

No more than six courses with D grades (D+, D or D-) count toward the degree, and no more than two courses with D grades count toward the major. D grades earned in Spring 2020 courses do not count toward these limits.

Failing Grades

F grades remain on the transcript and count toward the cum GPA but may be repeated.  Students may repeat failed courses at another institution and transfer the credits back to WC. Transfer repeated grades do not count toward the cumulative GPA.  Credits, not grades, transfer. Students must obtain Department Chair and Faculty Advisor pre-approval for transfer courses via the Transfer Credit Request Form.

Only transfer grades of C- or higher count toward graduation requirements. Students who fail FYS 101 must repeat the First-Year Seminar the following semester and earn a passing grade. 

Incomplete Grades (I)

If a student is prevented from completing any required coursework throughout the semester for medical reasons (as confirmed by the College’s Health Services) or some other valid and compelling circumstance, the instructor may assign the temporary grade of “I” (Incomplete) to the assignment or examination. For medical or other valid circumstances that occur at the end of a semester or near the final grading period, and which prevent the student from completing work, submission of a final course grade of “I” by the instructor should denote an agreed-upon extension of time period (no later than the two weeks prior to the start of classes in the subsequent semester), in which the student may still complete and submit the work of the course to substantiate a final grade in the course. The terms of the agreement between student and faculty shall be recorded using the Incomplete Form available on the Registrar’s website. Notice of necessary absence from a final examination must be given by the student to the Dean for Student Achievement and Success, the Registrar and to the instructor of the course before the scheduled time of the examination if possible.

Under no circumstances should a student be given an Incomplete as a substitute for failure, whether for an assignment, examination, or final grade. When a student fails to complete the work of a course on time without documented medical or other valid circumstances, the instructor should award a final grade consistent with their grading policies.

Students who receive a temporary Incomplete grade in a course should remain in contact with the instructor(s) of the course(s) for which they have an Incomplete and must submit the work of the course by the deadline established by the instructor, but no later than two weeks prior to the beginning of the subsequent semester from when the grade of Incomplete was recorded. If students do not finish the work of the course, the Incomplete grade is automatically changed to the pre-determined grade recorded on the Incomplete Contract after this deadline. Extenuating circumstances (long illness, for example) may make it necessary to grant an extension of the Incomplete. The student should consult with the instructor and the Dean for Student Achievement and Success, who notifies the Registrar if an extension should be granted.

Faculty may assign a grade of Incomplete to a student taking an SCE, subject to the same policy outlined above. As with all Incomplete grades, if the student has not completed the SCE coursework by the deadline established by the SCE advisor, the student’s Incomplete grade will become a failing grade. When a student’s Incomplete SCE grade converts to an “F” in this manner, the Registrar’s Office will make an exception to the normal Drop/Add deadline for that student to register in a repeat attempt at the SCE course no later than Friday of the fourth week of classes. The fee for that SCE is listed in the Fees and Expenses chapter of the Catalog.

Midterm Grades

Instructors assign midterm letter grades for all first-year students, students on academic probation, and transfer students prior to the halfway point of the semester. Midterm grades are for students to assess their progress; they are not recorded on the transcript. Students who do not receive midterm grades should consult their professors regarding their performance through mid-term. Students view mid-term grades via Self-Service

Pass/Fail Grades

A maximum of one non-required course graded Pass/Fail basis is allowed each semester after attaining junior status (60-91 earned credits). A Pass (P) grade equates to a D or above letter grade.  The maximum number of Pass/Fail courses allowed is four. However, students who have earned 128 credits may choose additional courses as Pass/Fail, provided they do not exceed one per semester.  

1. Courses for which only a Pass/Fail grade is assigned do not count toward the maximum.  
2. Students on academic probation may not enroll in courses graded Pass/Fail.
3. Pass/Fail courses may not be used for General Education Requirements.
   1. Pass/Fail graded courses may not be used toward major and major related requirements.  Students who change majors, after requesting Pass/Fail grading may request the Pass/Fail grade be reversed to a letter grade.
   2. Pass/Fail courses may not be used toward the minor.  Students who change a minor, after requesting a Pass/Fail grade, may request the Pass/Fail grade be reversed to a letter grade AFTER minor requirements have been met.
4. Students must submit a Pass/Fail Option form stating which course is to be taken on a Pass/Fail.
5. At the end of the third week of classes, the Pass/Fail option is permanent; students may not shift from a Pass/Fail to a letter grade or vice versa after the third week of a term.  
6. A continuing two-semester course sequence, requires a Pass/Fail form each semester.
7. Courses failed previously may not be repeated as Pass/Fail.

Withdraw Grades

Withdraw (W) grades may be assigned for many circumstances.

1. Withdrawal from individual class: Students may voluntarily withdraw, for any reason, from a full-term class (or complete withdraw) before the end of the eleventh week of Fall or Spring semesters.  Half-term classes withdraw deadline is the end of fifth week. Students may not withdraw from an FYS seminar without the approval of the Dean of Student Achievement and Success. Students approved to withdraw from an FYS seminar must enroll in an FYS seminar in the next possible semester. A student must be registered for 12 credits to maintain full-time student status. Athletes, international students and any student who receives financial aid cannot drop below 12 credits. A student should discuss withdrawing from a class with their advisor, their coach and the Financial Aid office as withdrawing could have serious consequences. 
2. A medical withdrawal requires students to meet with Health Services or Counseling Services and show written evidence of a documented medical diagnosis that prevents the student from completing course requirements.
   1. Health or Counseling Services advises the Dean of Student Achievement and Success and the Office of Student Affairs whether the student qualifies for a medical withdrawal.
   2. Students may be required to withdraw if their medical condition presents a risk themselves or others. Health or Counseling Services advises the student, the Dean of Student Achievement and Success, and the Office of Student Affairs, in writing, regarding requirements for the student to return to WC.
   3. Students withdrawn for medical reasons are not allowed to reside on campus, attend classes, participate in student social life or other campus activities, or use WC facilities. Withdrawn student who wish to be on campus for a short visit must submit a written request to the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs two weeks prior to the visit date.
3. Students may voluntarily withdraw, for any reason, from full-term classes (or complete withdraw) before the end of the eleventh week of Fall or Spring semesters.  Half-term classes withdraw deadline is the end of fifth week.  Students must contact the Dean of Student Achievement and Success and complete the requirements for the withdrawal process.
   1. Students must present to the Dean of Student Achievement and Success evidence of an emergency.
   2. The Dean of Student Achievement and Success informs the student’s faculty advisor and instructors the student has withdrawn. All active courses are immediately and permanently graded with a “W” grade
   3. Students choosing a complete withdraw from WC, before the withdrawal deadline, but not on campus, follow the same process as above.
   4. If the withdrawal is completed prior to the end of the Drop/Add deadline, it is considered a Drop, meaning nothing appears on the transcript.
4. After a semester has ended, students choosing to not attend the following semester must contact the Dean of Student Achievement and Success after final grades have been entered. 
5. Students who wish to reverse the withdraw request (prior to the deadline), must contact the Dean of Student Achievement and Success to rescind their withdrawal request.
6. The Dean of Student Achievement and Success assists students with completing the Withdrawal/Leave of Absence form as well as contacting the Office of Financial Aid, the Business Office, the Office of Student Affairs and the Registrar’s Office.  and informs faculty the student has withdrawn.
7. Students who participate in a study abroad or academic program that is not a WC-partner, a semester at another college or university (including Semester at Sea), a semester in a non-academic program (including National Outdoor Leadership School), or those who wish to take a break, must complete the withdrawal process as described above.
8. Students who do not register for courses in a subsequent semester and do not complete the withdrawal process, are given a one-semester grace period, during which time their academic program remains active.
9. WC automatically withdraws students if they do not return after a second semester. The student’s email account and access to Self Service is inactivated.

Half Semester Class Deadlines for Grading

1st Half Semester Classes

Grade Changes

Faculty can enter grade changes later than one semester, but must be approved by the Dean of Student Achievement and Success.  The instructor’s records are authoritative in all matters of course requirements, grades, and class attendance.

Students may appeal a grade prior to the Drop/Add period of the next semester via a written appeal to the instructor. If the student is not satisfied with the instructor’s decision the student has two weeks after the instructor’s decision to submit a written appeal to the Department Chair. If the student is not satisfied with the written decision of the Department Chair, the student has two weeks to submit a written appeal to the Provost. If the instructor and the Department Chair are the same individual, the student may appeal directly to the Provost (after the instructor’s decision).  The Provost’s decision is final.
 

Grade Appeals

Students who believe they were assigned a grade in error may appeal the grade by first speaking with the instructor of the course; if the instructor is not willing to change the grade, the student speaks with the Department Chair.  If the Department Chair is not willing to change the grade, the student meets with the Provost.  The Provost’s decision is final.

Senior Capstone Experience Grades & Fees

SCE (Student Capstone Experience) Incomplete SCE grades are changed to the grade listed on the Incomplete contract, if the student does not complete the SCE coursework prior to the third Friday of classes in the subsequent semester), the s Incomplete grade converts to a failing grade.  If a student’s Incomplete SCE grade converts to an F “Registrar’s Office makes an exception to the Drop/Add deadline for the student to register for a repeat attempt no later than Friday of the third week of classes. The fee for this is $1,500.