Breakdown of Academic Scoring
Grades
Grades are awarded in all college, vocational, and developmental courses, as well as in certain non-credit courses. NWF State College maintains permanent records for all students enrolled in a course. The student’s official transcript is a cumulative record of the student’s grades in each course in which the student was awarded a final grade. The table below shows the current letter grades that may appear on a student’s official transcript. Some grades are no longer awarded, but may still appear on a student’s record if he or she previously attended NWF State College during a time in which the letter grade was actively used. If a student has a grade on his or her permanent record that does not appear in the table below, please refer to the archived College Catalog in effect when the grade was received or contact the Office of Academic Records & Enrollment for information regarding how that grade was previously used and/or how it is calculated on the student’s permanent record.
Grades Table
| Academic Grade | General Meaning | Quality Points toward GPA Calculations |
| A | Excellent | 4.0 |
| B | Good | 3.0 |
| C | Average | 2.0 |
| D | Poor/Passing | 1.0 |
| F | Failure | 0.0 |
| I | Incomplete | – |
| IP | In Progress | – |
| NG | No Grade | – |
| P | Passing | – |
| S | Satisfactory | – |
| W | Student Withdrew (non-punitive and counts as an attempt) | – |
| WN | Withdrawn for Never Attending (non-punitive and counts as an attempt) | – |
| X | Audit (does not count as a course attempt) | – |
| XC | Changed to Audit After Schedule Adjustment Period (counts as an attempt) | – |
Grade Point Average
In addition to the letter grade earned in each attempted course, the student’s permanent record also contains grade point average (GPA) calculations. The student’s GPA is used in determining academic standing, graduation readiness, eligibility for the President’s and Dean’s Lists, and in other academic-related decisions. The semester GPA represents the average of all grades earned during a given semester. The cumulative GPA represents the average of all grades earned during the student’s entire attendance history at NWF State College. College preparatory courses are not included in any GPA calculations. Only grades for courses at the 1000 level or above are used to compute GPA for graduation.
To determine the GPA, multiply the number of quality points for each grade received by the number of credit hours for that course. Then divide the total number of quality points by the total number of GPA hours attempted (excluding courses with W, I, and Audit grades). GPAs for Vocational and Undergraduate Level courses are calculated separately.
As of Fall 2015, the College no longer includes course grades transferred from other institutions in the calculation of a student’s GPA.
Credit hours used in GPA calculations are those credits in which a grade of A-F has been awarded. The current grades of I, IP, NG, P, S, W, WN, X, and XC do not carry grade quality points. However, in certain other circumstances, such as determination of repeat enrollments, and in the computation of certain specialized GPA’s, credits which carry these grades may be included in the GPA computation.
| Example Course | Grade | Grade Points | (Multiply by) | Credit Hours | = Quality Points |
| Speech | C | 2.00 | x | 3 | 6.00 |
| American Literature | B | 3.00 | x | 3 | 9.00 |
| Biology | A | 4.00 | x | 4 | 16.00 |
| Health Science | D | 1.00 | x | 2 | 2.00 |
| Accounting | F | 0.00 | x | 3 | 0.00 |
| TOTALS | 15 | 33.00 | |||
| GPA CALCULATION | 33/15 = 2.20 |
Dean’s and President’s Lists
When the quality of a student’s work is superior, the College is pleased to honor such work for students enrolled in all programs at the undergraduate (college credit) level.
Academic Honor Lists
Any student with nine (9) or more earned college credit hours in the term and a term grade point average of 3.50 – 3.79 in college-level courses is placed on the Dean’s List.
Any student with nine (9) or more earned college credit hours in the term and a term grade point average of 3.80 – 4.00 in college-level courses is placed on the President’s List.
Incomplete Grades
At the instructor’s discretion, a grade of “I” may be given when a student is unable to complete the required work because of clearly documented extenuating circumstances and if the student has demonstrated successful completion of a significant portion of the course requirement that he or she has a reasonable chance of successfully completing the course. The instructor will provide the respective department chair/divisional director and the student concerned an outline of the work that must be completed, including an estimate of the student’s grade as it stands for work already completed during the semester. Work for the removal of the “I” must be completed prior to the LAST CLASS DAY in the next 16-week term immediately following the current term, except where course requirements mandate otherwise. Students completing course work to remove the “I” must do so outside the regular classroom setting. Once the student has completed the remaining course requirements, the instructor will submit a grade change indicating the final letter grade to the Office of Academic Records and Enrollment. If the student does not complete the course requirements by the deadline, the “I” grade will automatically revert to an “F” on the official transcript. A student will not be permitted to re-enroll in a course in which he or she has an outstanding grade of “I” or for a class that has that course as a pre-requisite.
Repeating Courses
Academic Policies: Repeating a Course
Certain courses, such as those in the fine and performing arts areas, physical education, and communications areas, may be repeated for credit toward graduation. The specific courses and the number of allowable repeat enrollments are provided in the course description section of this catalog. Only those courses designated as repeatable for credit fall into this category.
When a course is repeated under these circumstances, the full cost of instruction rule is not applicable until the maximum number of creditable repeats has been reached. All grades and credits associated with the allowable number of repeats will be considered in the student’s GPA and will be considered in determining the credits for program completion. Once the maximum number of enrollments has been reached, additional enrollments will be treated as specified in the previous section on course repeats and may be subject to the full cost rule.
State Rule 6A-14.0301 addresses repeated courses and grade forgiveness and states that you may not repeat a course for credit if you have earned an A, B or C in the course, or if you have had three attempts in the course at Northwest Florida State College. If a student receives a grade of F or W (or a grade of D for a course that requires a grade of C or higher) in any college-credit, vocational, or developmental course, he or she may repeat the course to improve the grade. Students are permitted a maximum of two enrollment attempts in such courses. A third and fourth attempt may be allowed only through an academic appeal process based on major extenuating circumstances. Students can request a third or fourth attempt via the Request for Exception: Records form which can be accessed in RaiderNet.
On the third attempt and any subsequent attempts, the student will be awarded the letter grade earned and will not be allowed to withdraw from the course. If a course is dropped prior to the close of the schedule adjustment period, or if audit status is declared prior to the end of the schedule adjustment period, the enrollment will not count as one of the attempts. However, if the student withdraws from the course after the schedule adjustment period has ended, that “W” grade will revert to a final grade of “F” when grades are calculated at the end of the semester and will appear on the student’s official transcript.
Once a student has successfully completed a course he or she will not be permitted to repeat the course. In certain special or compelling circumstances, it may be possible to re-enroll after successful completion, but the student will have to seek approval by submitting a Repeat a Previously Completed Class For A Grade Request form. Such approved circumstances include, for example, NWF State College program requirements, teacher re-certification, license renewal, and mandated professional development. Grades earned in this manner will not replace grades earned in prior enrollments but will appear on the transcript.
For any course repeated, whether at NWF State College or elsewhere, only credit from the last attempt will be used in the computation of the student’s grade point average and for meeting program requirements. Repeating a course results in an adjusted grade point average; however, if a course is repeated after the student has been awarded an NWF State College degree or certificate, the student’s cumulative GPA may change, but will not affect the credential(s) previously awarded to the student. Students should be aware that some private colleges and universities, as well as out-of-state institutions, and some Florida public universities (depending on the student’s major) may not accept the revised GPA or treat the repeated course in the same manner.
Courses that are taken through the Costa Leadership Institute, Kids on Campus, or Adult Education courses, including ABE, GED, and ESOL, are not subject to repeat rules.
Grade Changes/Errors
If a student believes that an administrative error has occurred in the recording or the computation of his or her final course grade, the student should contact the instructor or the appropriate department office immediately. If an error has occurred, an adjustment to the student’s permanent record (transcript) will be made within approximately ten (10) College business days after the instructor’s signed grade change request has been received by the Office of Academic Records and Enrollment. The student is responsible for reporting such concerns within thirty (30) days of the close of the term in which the grade was awarded.
If a student has documentation of extraordinary or emergency circumstances which warrant recording a course withdrawal (“W”) after the published deadline, he or she must submit a Request for Exception: Records form. If an adjustment is warranted, the change will be made within approximately ten (10) College business days of receiving all supporting documentation related to the request. The student is responsible for requesting such changes within thirty (30) days of the term in which the original grade was awarded.
Grade Grievances
If a student believes that he or she has not been graded fairly in a course, instructions for filing an appeal can be found on the Disputes page.
Academic History Grade Relief Option
A student who has been unsuccessful academically (i.e. grades of “D’s” and “F’s”) and whose credits are five or more years old may seek relief from the effect of those credits on his or her grade point average at NWF State College by submitting a Academic Forgiveness (Grade Relief) Request form. If the request is granted, it will apply to all credits and grades earned prior to the date specified, and the student will not be permitted to count any of those credits toward graduation or program completion. The courses and grades will remain on the student’s permanent record (transcript), but will not be considered in grade point average computations at NWF State College. Financial Aid is required by federal regulation to include all credit hours attempted in calculating eligibility for federal financial aid. Grade relief cannot be granted to students who have already graduated.
A student requesting this option should be aware that the relief may not be honored by other colleges and universities; other institutions may continue to consider the older credits and grades in evaluating the student’s work. Relief through this process does not excuse the student from restrictions related to repeating courses or from compliance with other applicable college policies.
Academic Standing
The College has set academic standards ranging from recognition of excellence for superior progress to the discontinuance of enrollment for inadequate progress towards these standards. Students will receive an academic standing designation for each level of coursework attempted (college-credit and vocational respectively). The standards apply to both full-time and part-time students. They apply to those students who are seeking a degree or award and those who are not. Students enrolled in a Selective Admissions program should contact the appropriate department or division office for information on programmatic certification and/or professional accreditation standards as they pertain to demonstrating satisfactory academic progress as these may vary by program.
Academic Standing
Academic Standing is calculated at the end of each semester. A student who achieves a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 shall be classified as in Academic Good Standing with the College for the given semester. A student must maintain a GPA of 2.00 to remain in Good Standing in subsequent semesters.
Not in Academic Good Standing
When a student fails to achieve the 2.00 cumulative GPA, the College will place certain restrictions on future course registrations. Students “Not in Academic Good Standing” are encouraged to take advantage of the tutorial services offered in the Academic Success Center. There are three distinct designations while “Not in Academic Good Standing” and the following regulations apply:
Academic Warning
If a student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.00, he or she will be placed on Academic Warning.
When a student is placed on Academic Warning, it is strongly recommended that you talk with a Student Success Navigator to discuss your education plan and information regarding academic support services before the next registration.
To be removed from Academic Warning at the end of the next semester, the student must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00.
Academic Probation
If a student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.00 for two successive semesters (i.e., the student was placed on Academic Warning but was unable to achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 by the end of the subsequent semester of enrollment), he or she will be placed on academic probation.
When a student is placed on Academic Probation, he or she will be required to meet with a Student Success Navigator once before the semester begins and again immediately following midterm. It is incumbent upon the student to schedule and to attend these meetings. A Student Success Navigator may recommend or require various remedies to promote academic success, including but not limited to, tutoring, reduced course load, and/or change of major. Students who fail to satisfy the advising requirement, or who do not follow through on any conditions attached to their probationary status, may be prevented from making changes to their course schedule and/or registering for classes in the next semester.
To be removed from academic probation, a student must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00.
Academic Suspension
If a student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.00 for three successive semesters (i.e., the student was placed on Academic Warning, then Academic Probation, but was still unable to achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 by the end of the subsequent semester of enrollment), he or she will be placed on academic suspension.
A student placed on Academic Suspension will be prevented from further course registration and automatically dropped from any courses in which he or she may have already enrolled for any future term. The duration of the suspension will last for one semester (one Fall, Spring, or Summer semester).
A one-time appeal may be submitted by any student wishing to request an exception to this policy. The student will be required to submit an Academic Suspension Appeal Form and include appropriate supporting documentation prior to the beginning of the regular semester for which the student wishes to register. Should the appeal be granted, the student will be placed back on Academic Probation for no more than one semester and subject to any conditions noted in the appeal approval. Failure to satisfy any probationary conditions may result in the student being placed back on Academic Suspension. Should the appeal be denied, the student will be required to wait one semester before re-enrolling as stipulated in the initial suspension notice.
Please note that the College’s Academic Standing policy may differ from the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) calculated for Financial Aid Eligibility Federal regulations (34 CFR 668.34) that require a student to move toward the completion of a degree or certificate within an eligible program when receiving financial aid. Specific requirements for academic progress for financial aid recipients are applied differently than the College’s Academic Standards of Warning, Probation, and Suspension. Federal regulations state that Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards must include a review of all periods of enrollment, regardless of whether or not aid was received. The student must meet all the minimum standards in order to receive financial aid. Federal regulation requires the College to fully consider all credit hours attempted when determining aid eligibility and does not make an exception for any developmental courses or multiple attempts. For more information, please visit FAFSA’s website.