OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR · ACADEMIC POLICY
Grading Scale & GPA Policy
How letter grades convert to quality points, how the GPA is calculated, and the standing, honors, and progression rules that follow from it.
Purpose. This policy defines the University's grading scale and the exact method used to compute term and cumulative GPA. It exists so that every advisor, registrar, and degree-audit reviewer applies the same rules the same way. The distinctive feature of the scale is that C− (1.7) is the credit floor — every grade below it earns zero credit and zero quality points — and that single decision drives most of the rules that follow.
1Grade-to-Quality-Point Scale
Each letter grade carries a fixed quality-point value used in every GPA calculation.
| Letter | Quality Points | Suggested % Range | Earns Credit? | Counts in GPA? |
|---|
| A+ | 4.0 | 98–100 | Yes | Yes |
| A | 4.0 | 93–97 | Yes | Yes |
| A− | 3.7 | 90–92 | Yes | Yes |
| B+ | 3.3 | 87–89 | Yes | Yes |
| B | 3.0 | 83–86 | Yes | Yes |
| B− | 2.7 | 80–82 | Yes | Yes |
| C+ | 2.3 | 77–79 | Yes | Yes |
| C | 2.0 | 73–76 | Yes | Yes |
| C− | 1.7 | 70–72 | Yes | Yes |
| D / F | 0.0 | Below 70 | No | Yes (as attempted) |
Credit floor: C− is the lowest grade that earns credit. Everything below 70% collapses to 0.0 quality points and 0 credit — but the attempted credits still count in the GPA denominator.
⚠ A+ = 4.0, not 4.33If A+ is assigned 4.33, students can post above a 4.0 — which breaks honors thresholds, confuses transfer articulation, and looks non-standard to graduate schools and accreditors. A+ is transcript recognition of exceptional work with the same GPA weight as A.
⚠ D is functionally identical to FUnder this scale both are zero points and zero credit — the only difference is the character printed on the transcript. Either collapse D into F entirely (cleaner, fewer registrar questions) or keep D but document explicitly that it is a non-credit-earning grade. Never leave it ambiguous — a student who sees "D" will assume they passed.
2How the GPA Is Calculated
Quality points (per course) = grade points × credit hours
Term GPA = Σ quality points ÷ Σ GPA-applicable credits attempted
Cumulative GPA = Σ all quality points ÷ Σ all GPA-applicable credits attempted
The critical ruleD and F earn zero in the numerator but still count in the denominator. If failing grades are excluded from attempted credits, they become invisible and the GPA inflates. Attempted ≠ earned whenever a D or F is present.
3Worked Example
A B-range student with one 3-credit D:
| Course | Credits | Grade | Points | Quality Points |
|---|
| Cyber Fundamentals | 3 | A− | 3.7 | 11.1 |
| Business Strategy | 3 | B | 3.0 | 9.0 |
| Programming I | 4 | C+ | 2.3 | 9.2 |
| Ethics | 3 | D | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Total | 13 | | | 29.3 |
29.3 ÷ 13 = 2.25 GPA — but only 10 credits earnedOne 3-credit D pulls a B-range student down to a 2.25. That is a steep cliff, and it should be modeled before publishing — especially where 2.0 is the good-standing threshold.
4Non-GPA Grades
These codes must exist, or the registrar will improvise:
| Code | Meaning | Earns Credit | GPA Treatment |
|---|
| W | Withdrawal | No | Excluded |
| I | Incomplete | No (until resolved) | Excluded until final grade posts |
| P / NP | Pass / No Pass | P yes, NP no | Excluded |
| AU | Audit | No | Excluded |
| TR | Transfer credit | Yes | Excluded |
| IP | In progress | No | Excluded |
⚠ Auto-lapse IncompletesSet a fixed rule that I → F (or I → 0.0) at a defined deadline — typically the end of the following term. Otherwise incompletes sit open indefinitely and corrupt cohort reporting.
5Policy Decisions
Each of these must be decided and documented; they are the questions auditors and advisors ask.
Repeat policy
Replacement (highest attempt counts) vs. averaging (all attempts count). Replacement is more common and more student-friendly — cap it at two retakes per course, and note that federal aid funds only one repeat of a previously passed course.
Rounding
Calculate to three decimals, display two, and truncate rather than round for honors thresholds. A 2.996 is not a 3.0.
Academic standing
Good standing ≥ 2.0 undergraduate / ≥ 3.0 graduate; probation below; dismissal after two consecutive probationary terms. Because the credit floor is 1.7, a student can pass every course and still land on probation — state this explicitly.
Honors thresholds
Cum laude 3.50, magna cum laude 3.70, summa cum laude 3.90, with a minimum-credits-in-residence requirement.
Progression minimum
The scale sets C− for credit; decide separately whether prerequisites require C or better.
SAP (Title IV)
If federal aid is in play, add pace-of-completion (67% of attempted credits) and maximum-timeframe (150%) rules alongside the GPA standard. These are separate from academic standing and auditors check them.
6Implementing in CampusOS
Configure the scale at the institution level, not per-course, so it cannot drift between programs. Define the grading scale once, with these as separate fields:
- Letter grade
- Minimum percentage
- Quality points
- Earns-credit flag (boolean)
- GPA-inclusion flag (boolean)
Where SIS configurations go wrong"Earns credit" and "counts toward GPA" are independent booleans — and D/F is exactly the case that proves it (no credit, but counts in GPA). Configure them as two separate fields.
Before loading real enrollments, verify with a test student carrying one D that:
- The transcript shows attempted ≠ earned credits
- The computed GPA matches the hand calculation in Section 3