Grades and Credits

Grading System

Everett Community College uses a letter symbol grading system to assess academic achievement. For traditional grades (A through F) the grade point values are:

Grade	Grade Point Value
A	4.0
A-	3.7
B+	3.3
B	3.0
B-	2.7
C+	2.3
C	2.0
C-	1.7
D+	1.3
D	1.0
F	0.0

Interpretation of Grade Symbols

A (4.0) High Degree of Excellence of Achievement

In relation to the standards set for the class, the student has done an exceptionally high level of work.

B (3.0) Better than Average Achievement

In relation to the standards set for the class, the student has significantly exceeded the average.

C (2.0) Average Achievement

In relation to the standards set for the class, the student accomplished an average level of work and met more than the minimum requirements.

D (1.0) Low Standard of Achievement

In relation to the standards set for the class, the student did not do average work and met only the minimum requirements. Grade of D- does not meet the requirements for a degree or certificate.

F (0.0) Failure to Complete Minimum Requirements

In relation to the standards set for the class, the student failed to achieve the minimum requirements.

+ and - Symbols

The symbols + and - may be used with traditional letter grades A through C to differentiate levels of achievement within a grade range. The + is not used with the letter grades A, or F. The - is not used with the letter grade D as of January 2014.

Non-Traditional Grades

The following non-traditional grades are also used when appropriate:

Symbol	Meaning
I	Incomplete
R	Repeat (HP Legacy Transcripts)
S	Satisfactory
U	Unsatisfactory
V	Instructor's Withdrawal
W	Withdrawal
Y	In-Progress

Non-traditional grades (I, N, S, U, V, W and Y) have no grade point value and, except for the S grade, no credit is awarded. Courses in which these grades are received are excluded from the grade point average calculation by Everett Community College.

Students receiving financial assistance should inquire at the Financial Aid office regarding the effect of receiving a non-traditional grade on eligibility for assistance.

Grades of I, S, U, V, W, and Y may be evaluated differently by other colleges and universities.

Incomplete

Given when a student has satisfactorily completed most of the requirements for a course but, for an unavoidable reason, has been unable to complete a specific course requirement or take the final examination.

The grade is given only if previous arrangements have been made with the instructor to complete the course requirements. A written copy of these arrangements will be placed in the appropriate division dean’s office. The course requirements must be completed within one year of the date the I grade is received. Incomplete grades not made up within one year will revert to an F grade on the student transcript, and no credit will be earned.

Audit

Means class attendance and participation without evaluation. Courses taken on this basis carry no credit and do not count toward graduation, and cost the same as credit-bearing classes.

Students can register for classes as an audit with assistance from Enrollment Services in-person or via email at registration@everettcc.edu. Once the quarter begins, written instructor permission is needed to change the class from grade eligible to audit. It is the student’s responsibility to check their student schedule in the event a class is registered as an unintended audit.

Repeat

Transcripts that are located only in our HP Legacy student management system will show the notation of “R” is made next to the grade of a course which has been repeated, if the student has submitted a course repeat card.

Transcripts that are found in ctcLink have a notation next to the original grade on the transcript. The original grade remains on the transcript, but is not included in the GPA calculation.

Satisfactory

Indicates C or higher level of achievement in a course taken on an satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) basis. The S grade has no grade point value and is not used in the calculation of grade point average, but credit is awarded for the course. Instructor’s permission is required to take a course on a S/U basis.

Unsatisfactory

Indicates less than C level of achievement in a course taken on an S/U basis. The U grade has no grade point value and is not used in the calculation of grade point average. No credit is awarded for courses in which a U grade is received.

Instructor Withdrawal

Given at the option of the instructor at the end of the term when a student has stopped attending class and has failed to officially withdraw. This grade may not be given after a Y or an I has been given.

Withdrawal

Indicates that registration in a course has been officially canceled by the student. It is granted to all students who officially drop a class on or before the published deadline. Failure on the part of the student to withdraw officially from a class by the published deadline may result in an F grade if the student has not completed the minimum course requirements. An excessive number of withdrawals may be cause for review of the student’s academic record.

In-Progress

Indicates a course has not yet officially ended, and the student is still actively involved in finishing the required work. This grade is used in courses that have an official ending date scheduled after the end of the regular quarter.

The course requirements must be completed within one year of the date the Y is given; otherwise, it will revert to an F grade. An instructor may specify a completion date earlier than one year in the course syllabus.

BEdA Grading Basis and Transcripts

Per the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges coding policy, classes coded with a BEdA grading basis will exclude basic skills credits from the student’s transcript report. The class will be shown with a grade, but no credits. Credits included on the transcript are included in quarterly and cumulative credit totals.

Final Grade Reports

Final grades are available shortly after the end of each quarter. Students may see their grades by viewing their unofficial transcript online.

For information on how to access an unofficial transcript, please visit EverettCC.edu/Transcripts.

Grade Errors and Changes

The deadline for requesting and submitting a grade change is the end of the quarter following the quarter in which the grade was given.

In the case of a conversion of an “I” or “Y” to a final grade given by the instructor, the deadline to request a change to the final grade is the end of the quarter following the quarter in which that final grade was given. In the case of spring class grades, the deadline is the end of the following fall quarter.

In most circumstances, the student should direct their initial concern about a grade to the instructor. Questions also may be directed to the dean for the instructor’s division.

Grade Appeals

Students who have evidence of unfair treatment relating to their final grade may be said to have an academic grievance. Refer to WAC 132E-120-360 Academic Grievance Procedure in the Everett Community College Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook for the procedure to resolve the grievance.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

A grade point average (GPA) is a measure of the student’s overall academic performance. It is based upon those courses in which the student has received letter grades A through F. Non-traditional grades are excluded from GPA calculations. Everett Community College computes three separate student GPAs.

The quarterly grade point average is calculated by dividing the total quarterly number of grade points earned at EvCC by the total quarterly credit hours earned at EvCC. The quarterly GPA does not include credits transferred in from other institutions or EvCC credits earned during other quarters. The quarterly GPA is reported on the student’s transcript each quarter.
The cumulative grade point average is calculated by dividing the total cumulative number of grade points earned in all quarters at EvCC by the cumulative total credit hours earned in all quarters at EvCC. All credits earned at EvCC are included in this grade point computation, whether or not they apply to the student’s program of study. Credits transferred in from other institutions are not included in computation of this GPA. The cumulative EvCC grade point average is reported on the student’s quarterly transcript.
The college level grade point average is calculated using only those courses numbered 100 or higher. The graduation grade point average is calculated by dividing the total cumulative number of grade points earned in all courses taken at EvCC by the total cumulative number of credit hours earned in those same courses, at the end of the last quarter of completion. The commencement grade point average is computed as of the end of the quarter prior to the last quarter.

Petition for Grade Exclusion

A returning student may submit a petition with Enrollment Services for a review of their academic record with the intent of excluding grades earned at Everett Community College from computation of EvCC cumulative grade point averages. This policy is designed for students who had difficulties (generally characterized by grades below C or 2.0) in their early term(s), left the college, returned later and demonstrated improved academic achievement.

In order to be eligible for grade exclusion, the student must meet the following criteria:

At least one calendar year must have passed without the student’s enrollment at EvCC.
Grades to be excluded must have been awarded prior to the minimum year of absence.
Only exclusion of all grades in the terms prior to absence will be considered; petition to exclude singular courses within a term or singular terms will not be considered.
The student must demonstrate an ability to improve by completing at least 30 credits with a GPA of 2.5 or higher since returning to the college.

To initiate a petition for exclusion of grades, the student should contact Enrollment Services to obtain the appropriate form.

If the student’s petition is approved, the grades to be excluded will still appear on the student’s transcript but will not be used in calculating the grade point average.

This process cannot be used to circumvent either the EvCC repeat course policy or standards of academic progress; courses for which grades are excluded cannot be used to meet graduation requirements.

Students should be aware that other institutions might not honor such grade exclusions in computing grade point averages for admission or transfer.

Students who complete a course that is equivalent to an English or math course and earn a C (2.0) or higher may take the next course in either department. For example, a student who completes TS 098 with a C (2.0) or higher is eligible to take ENGL& 101.

Credit System

Credits measure the amount of academic work required for the class. In general, a class that meets one hour per week and requires about two hours of outside assignments per week for one quarter will earn one credit. That is, one credit represents about three hours of effort per week. Laboratory and certain other courses vary from this pattern. The quarter hours of credit for each course are shown after the course titles in the Course Descriptions section of this catalog.

Students earn credit only for those courses in which they are officially registered for credit. In certain instances, credit cannot be earned in two courses of similar content. See individual course descriptions.

Student Credit Load and Limitations

The total number of credits taken in any given quarter will vary depending on each student’s goal. Students should note the following limitations:

International students or students receiving financial aid, veterans’ benefits, or other agency funding will usually have a minimum number of credit hours required per quarter. It is the student’s responsibility to check with the appropriate advisor and know these requirements. Normally, 12 credits meet the requirement for full-time status. (During summer quarter, the Veteran Resource Center establishes the minimum credits needed for full-time status for veterans receiving benefits.)
Students wishing to take more than 20 credit hours per quarter need permission from a designated Enrollment Services staff member at the time of registration, except when a single course or a prescribed program requires more than 20 credit hours in a given quarter.

The college reserves the right to deny registration by a single student in two sections of the same course in order to maximize the availability of seats for all prospective and current students.

Auditing a Course

A student who desires to attend classes but does not wish to receive grades or credits may enroll as an auditor. Full tuition and fees are charged. Students who wish to change from audit to credit (or credit to audit) during a quarter must receive permission from the course instructor. Certain courses may not be available for audit. See individual course descriptions.

If a student who is enrolled for audit does not attend regularly and fails to withdraw officially, the instructor may issue a grade of V (unofficial withdrawal). Running Start students may audit a course only if they pay the tuition themselves, since school districts do not reimburse for non-credit enrollment.

Repeating a Course for Additional Credit

Some courses can be repeated for additional credit up to the maximum specified. A separate grade is issued for each completion. See individual course descriptions or your advisor for such courses.

Repeating a Course to Change a Grade

Courses may be repeated to improve the grade earned, but credit is applied only once. In no circumstance will any course be repeated more than twice in order to improve a grade; (this is defined as two repeats in addition to the original enrollment). Permission may be required to repeat a course, and/or requirements specific to an individual program of study may affect eligibility to repeat a course.

To repeat a course for the purpose of improving a grade, the student must register for the course, and pay all necessary fees. The highest grade earned of the original or repeated courses will be used to calculate the student’s cumulative grade point average.

A form is only needed if the first attempt was taken prior to Fall 2021. The form can be found in our Forms Library for Students online or in-person with Enrollment Services.

Other colleges and universities may not accept a grade earned in a repeated course. If accepted, the grade may be treated differently in the calculation of grade point average.