Grades
Grades, Quality Points and Averages
Candidates for a degree must attain not only a required number of credits but also a certain standard of excellence, which is determined according to quality points.
The number of quality points each grade is worth appears below. The quality points earned in a course are the product of its credit hours times the quality points for the grade received in it. A grade of A earns quality points equal to 4.0 times the credit hours in the course; a grade of A-, quality points equal to 3.7 times the credit hours, and so on.
An average of at least 2.0 (C) in all courses taken for credit and at least 2.0 in the major is required for graduation. Boler students also must maintain a Boler GPA of a 2.0. As a general rule, therefore, students must minimally accumulate quality points equal to twice the credit hours attempted at John Carroll. Quality points are computed to two decimal places. They are truncated, not rounded.
Academic standing at the end of any semester is determined by the ratio of the total number of quality points received to the total number of credit hours attempted in that semester. For example, students who earn 32 quality points while attempting 16 hours have a scholastic average of 2.00 (32÷16); students who earn 51.1 quality points while attempting 16 hours have an average of 3.19 (51.1÷16). Similarly, the cumulative average at John Carroll is determined by dividing all quality points earned by all credit hours attempted. A student who over four semesters has earned 192 quality points and attempted 67 hours has a cumulative average of 2.86 (192÷67). The quality of work and the point system are indicated by the following grades:
A | Outstanding scholarship. 4 quality points per credit hour. |
A- | 3.7 quality points per credit hour. |
B+ | 3.3 quality points per credit hour. |
B | Good work. 3 quality points per credit hour. |
B- | 2.7 quality points per credit hour. |
C+ | 2.3 quality points per credit hour. |
C | Average. 2 quality points per credit hour. |
C- | 1.7 quality points per credit hour. |
D+ | 1.3 quality points per credit hour. |
D | 1 quality point per credit hour. |
D- | Work of the lowest passing quality; .7 quality points per credit hour. |
F | Failure. If the subject is required, the course must be repeated. No credit hours, no quality points. |
W | Withdrawal through proper procedure. |
WF | Withdrawal without following proper procedure. |
AD | |
AW | Auditor who fails to fulfill attendance requirements. |
SA | Satisfactory. This grade is used in noncredit courses. |
PR | In progress, until removed. |
I | Incomplete. Work incomplete. |
CR | Credit granted for master’s thesis upon approval, student teaching, and other designated courses. Also indicates achievement of a grade of C or better in courses taken on the Pass/Fail basis. |
EX |
Courses in which the grades of F or WF have been assigned are counted among attempted courses in the computation of the overall average.
Grading System
Students are evaluated by their retention of substantial information, insight regarding the significance of this information, ability to apply it to new situations, and ability to communicate the knowledge assimilated.