Policy 3.08

Part 1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define acceptable grades for students attending credit classes at Minneapolis College.

Part 2. Definitions

The definitions contained in this section are applicable throughout Minneapolis College's policy and procedures.

College-Level Courses: "College-level courses" are courses with a course number of 1000 or higher.

Departmental Dean: "Departmental dean" means the dean of academic affairs assigned as administrator for that department.

Developmental Education Courses: As defined in Policy 3.06, Part 2.

Grade Method: The grading schema used by the faculty member to grade a student in a course.

Instructor: "Instructor" means the faculty member assigned to teach a given course and evaluate a student's performance.

Letter Grade: "Letter grade" means a grade of A, B, C, D, or F.

Student: "Student" means an individual who is enrolled in a class or program at Minneapolis College.

The College: "The College" means Minneapolis Community and Technical College or Minneapolis College.

Part 3. Grade Determination

Subpart A. Evaluation of Performance

Evaluation of a student's performance is determined by the instructor of the course and cannot be appealed except as allowed in Part 8 of this policy. When the request is submitted in writing with reasonable advance notice of five business days, a student has a right to receive an assessment of their progress in the course from their instructor.

Subpart B. Grading Criteria

The instructor shall establish the criteria used to evaluate a student's performance and communicate the criteria to the student in a written syllabus.

Subpart C. Amendments to Grading Criteria

The instructor has the right to alter the written grading criteria if the alteration:

• Is more generous;
• Does not disadvantage a student; and
• Is communicated in writing to all students.

Subpart D. Grade Submission

The instructor of a course shall submit a grade as provided in parts 3, 4, or 5 of this policy for each student who is not auditing and who has not withdrawn from the course. The grades must be submitted by the deadline and in the manner designated by the Registrar's Office each semester.

Subpart E. Grade Changes

After final grades are posted, an instructor may change a grade only if there has been an error in the computation, transcription, or reporting of the grade. Changes also may be made based on additional work completed by a student in the incomplete process outlined in Part 6.

Part 4. Grades

Subpart A. Grade Option

The instructor of a student shall evaluate the student relative to the established expectations for the course using one of the following letter grades.

• Grade A. Indicates superior performance by the student and is equal to 4.0 grade points per credit. Included in GPA calculations and counts as completed for the purpose of measuring both academic and financial aid satisfactory progress.
• Grade B. Indicates above average performance by the student and is equal to 3.0 grade points per credit. Included in GPA calculations and counts as completed for the purpose of measuring both academic and financial aid satisfactory progress.
• Grade C. Indicates average performance by the student and is equal to 2.0 grade points per credit. Included in GPA calculations and counts as completed for the purpose of measuring both academic and financial aid satisfactory progress.
• Grade D. Indicates below average performance by the student and is equal to 1.0 grade point per credit. Included in GPA calculations and counts as completed for the purpose of measuring both academic and financial aid satisfactory progress.
• Grade F. Indicates inadequate performance by the student and is equal to 0.0 grade points per credit. Included in GPA calculations and counts as attempted/not completed for the purpose of measuring both academic and financial aid satisfactory progress.
• Grade P. A grade of "P" (Passing) indicates that a student's performance was adequate relative to the established expectations for the course and equivalent to the standard for a “C” grade or higher. Excluded from GPA calculations but counts as completed for the purpose of measuring both academic and financial aid satisfactory progress.
• Grade NC. A grade of "NC" (No Credit) indicates that a student's performance was inadequate relative to the established expectations for the course and is equivalent to less than the standard for a C grade. Excluded from GPA calculations but counts as attempted/not completed for the purpose of measuring both academic and financial aid satisfactory progress.
• Grade I. A temporary of grade of “I” (Incomplete) may be issued by the instructor in accordance with Part 6 of this policy. Excluded from GPA calculations but counts as attempted/not completed for the purpose of measuring both academic and financial aid satisfactory progress.
• Grade NA. Assigned when an instructor reports through the Last Day of Attendance procedure that an enrolled student never attended the course. Excluded from GPA calculations and counts as attempted/not completed for the purpose of measuring both academic and financial aid satisfactory progress.
• Grade NW. Assigned when an instructor reports through the Last Date of Attendance procedure that an enrolled student began participating in the course but later discontinued participating without withdrawing from the course. Excluded from GPA calculations and counts as attempted/not completed for the purpose of measuring both academic and financial aid satisfactory progress.
• Grade H. Accompanies a letter grade to signify that the course was completed as an Honors Option course. Does not influence GPA calculations or measures of academic and financial aid satisfactory academic progress.

Subpart B. Administratively Assigned Grades and Transcript Notations

The following grades and grade notations are assigned administratively.

• Grade W. Assigned when a student withdraws from the course at any point between the deadline to drop the course and before the deadline to withdraw from the course. Excluded from GPA calculations but counts as attempted/not completed for the purpose of measuring both academic and financial aid satisfactory progress. Effective Fall Semester 2024, grades assigned to faculty-initiated withdrawals will change from “W” to “NA” for students who never attended and “NW” for students who partially attended.
• AU. Assigned administratively if a student selects a grade of “Audit” during the registration process. Audited courses are not given college credit, are excluded from instructor assessment, are not eligible for financial aid or Veterans Administration benefits, and cannot be used to satisfy graduation requirements. Excluded from GPA calculations and the evaluation of academic and financial aid satisfactory progress.
• Z. Denotes the grade is in progress or ungraded. May be administratively assigned when a class is still in progress or when a faculty member fails to report a grade, until such grade is received. Excluded from GPA calculations but counts as attempted/not completed for the purpose of measuring both academic and financial aid satisfactory progress.

Part 5. Grade Method Options

Subpart A. Default Grade Methods.

The default grade method for courses numbered below 1000 will be determined through the Academic Affairs and Standards Council process.

The default grade method for college-level courses (numbered 1000 and above) at Minneapolis College is “A”-“F”, except for certain internship courses.

Subpart B. Alternate Grade Methods

For courses with a default grade method of “A”-“F”, it is the prerogative of department faculty to seek, through the Academic Affairs and Standards Council, the addition of Pass/No Credit as an alternate grade method for the course. 

When there is an alternate grade method available for a course, students enrolled in the course may change their grade method until the withdrawal deadline for the course. The instructor of a student who is taking a course for a Pass/No Credit grade shall submit a grade using a “P” or an “NC” for each student who has not withdrawn from the course.

Effective at the start of Spring Semester 2025, Minneapolis College will no longer use the Pass/Fail grading option.

Subpart C. Limits on Pass/No Credit Grading

A student may complete no more than one-third of the total credits in an award with a “P” grade rather than a grade based on the A-F grading method. It is the prerogative of department faculty to determine, through the Academic Affairs and Standards Council process, that this limit will be below one-third for awards offered by the department, but the limit may not exceed one-third.

Students are responsible for monitoring the number of courses they take using the P/NC method to avoid exceeding these limits. Additionally, some transfer institutions and graduate institutions limit the number of “P” grades they will accept. It is therefore recommended that students consult with their academic advisor and transfer institutions before electing the P/NC grade method option for a course.

Part 6. Assignment of an Incomplete

Subpart A. Instructor Discretion

At the discretion of the instructor and in accordance with the criteria in Part 6. Subpart C, below, a student may be granted an “I” (Incomplete) grade when the instructor believes there is a reasonable expectation that the student can complete the work for a course.

Subpart B. Completion of Coursework

The instructor and student should identify in writing expectations for completing the work. The deadline to complete coursework is determined by the instructor but may be no later than eight weeks into the next semester, not including the summer session. If the instructor has not submitted a letter grade by the end of the eighth week of the semester following the Incomplete, a grade of "F" or "NC," as applicable, will be entered by the Registrar's Office. 

If the student is enrolled in coursework during the semester following the grade of Incomplete and the conversion of the incomplete to a grade of "F" or "NC" results in the student not meeting the minimum requirements of Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy 4.13, the student will be allowed to complete the enrolled coursework and will not be placed on academic probation or suspension until the end of the current term.

Subpart C. Criteria

Internships, standalone in-person labs, and clinicals are not eligible for incompletes. All work and all hours for these courses must be completed by the end of the semester in which the student is registered. If the student is unable to complete the course, the student should withdraw and register for the course in a subsequent semester.

• The student must present the instructor with a documentable and legitimate reason for not being able to complete the course by the end of the semester in which the student is registered for the course.
• The student must have completed at least 75 percent of the course requirements up to the point where the request for an incomplete is made.
• The student must be earning a passing grade in the course at the time that the request for an incomplete is made.
• The student must be able to complete all remaining requirements of the course without direct instruction or supervision.
• Faculty shall notify their Academic Dean in writing of all approved incomplete agreements with students each term by the end of the term.

Part 7. Dean's List

Subpart A. Criteria

A student who completes 9 or more college-level credits in a semester with a semester GPA of 3.0 or greater will be included on the Dean’s List. A letter of acknowledgment will be sent to each student on the list.

Subpart B. Excluded Credits

The following credits will not be included to determine eligibility for academic honors:

• Courses numbered below 1000.
• Credits taken using the Pass/Fail or Pass/No Credit grade method;
• Credits taken for audit;
• Credits from which the student withdrew; and
• Credits that are currently in incomplete status.

Part 8. Appealing Grades

Subpart A. Conditions for Appeal to Departmental Dean

A student who disagrees with a final grade awarded for a class may appeal the final grade to the departmental dean within six weeks after the date that final grades are posted only if the student has first appealed to the instructor and one of the following two conditions applies:

• An error was made in calculating the grade; or
• The instructor deviated from the evaluation criteria established by the syllabus for the course.

Subpart B. Final Determination

A student may appeal the decision of the departmental dean to the Vice President for Academic Affairs within five (5) business days of receipt of the decision of the dean. The decision of the Vice President is final and cannot be appealed under any circumstances.

Part 9. Academic Forgiveness

Subpart A. Definition

Students may have their previous academic performance at Minneapolis College exempted from their final grade point average.

Subpart B. Conditions for Academic Forgiveness

• The option to request Academic Forgiveness is available only to students who have not registered for courses at the college for a minimum of five consecutive years.
• The student may submit a written statement requesting Academic Forgiveness to the Registrar upon successful completion of 12 college-level credits. Successful completion is defined as earning a minimum of 2.0 in all coursework attempted to meet the 12-credit threshold to allow a petition for Academic Forgiveness to be submitted.
• Students who have already earned any MCC, MVTI, MTI, or Minneapolis College certificate, diploma, or degree are not eligible to petition for Academic Forgiveness.
• Transfer institutions, and selective admissions programs, may choose not to honor the Academic Forgiveness granted by Minneapolis College. Academic Forgiveness applies only to Minneapolis College.

Subpart C. Terms and Criteria for Academic Forgiveness

• A student may submit a petition for Academic Forgiveness only once.
• All grades and credits for all courses attempted during the consecutive academic terms for which Academic Forgiveness has been approved will not be used in calculating the cumulative GPA that is printed on transcripts and in determining whether graduation requirements have been met.
• Academic Forgiveness does not extend to financial aid. All credits and all grades attempted will be included when determining satisfactory academic progress for academic and financial aid purposes.
• Students must meet the academic program graduation requirements in place at the time of their readmission.
• The student transcript will include a statement indicating Academic Forgiveness. All forgiven courses will remain on the academic record.

The student may only request forgiveness for grades received after 1995.

Owner(s) Title: Vice President of Academic Affairs

Date of Adoption: 7/1/1999 (Not verified)

Date of Implementation (if different from adoption date): Effective Fall Semester 2024, the grades assigned to faculty-initiated withdrawals will change from “W” to “NA” for never attended and “NW” for partially attended. Effective Spring Semester 2025, the College will stop using the Pass/Fail grading method.

Date Last Reviewed: 10/2/2024 (Focused Review)

History and Subject of Revisions: 10/2/2024 (Focused Review. Updated definition of the “F” grade to accurately represent its effects on academic and financial aid satisfactory progress.), 3/13/2024 (Comprehensive review, Discontinued the P/F grading option (effective Spring 2025), changed faculty-reported LDA grading from “W” to “NA” or “NW” (effective Fall 2024), added clearer guidance regarding grading methods, Added section on limits to Pass/No Credit grading, and other smaller clarifications), 7/29/2021 (Comprehensive), 1/23/2015

Regulatory Authority (e.g. Minnesota State policy, federal or state law): N/A