Grades
The grade point system at Kalamazoo College is:
| Final Grade | Quality Points |
|---|---|
| A | 4.00 (excellent) |
| A- | 3.67 |
| B+ | 3.33 |
| B | 3.00 (above average) |
| B- | 2.67 |
| C+ | 2.33 |
| C | 2.00 (average) |
| C- | 1.67 |
| D+ | 1.33 |
| D | 1.00 (below average) |
| F | 0.00 (failure) |
CR (credit), NC (no credit), H (honors), IP (in progress), W (withdraw), and I (incomplete) do not affect the grade point average (GPA).
Credit/No Credit
Students in good academic standing may elect to take up to one course per term on a Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) basis, for a maximum of four courses during their time at Kalamazoo College. Only one course per department may be taken CR/NC. Courses taken CR/NC may not be applied toward a major, minor, or concentration, including cognate requirements.
Students should carefully consider the implications of this grading option before making a selection:
- The CR/NC declaration form must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office no later than Friday of the eighth week of the quarter in which the option is selected.
- Once a course is designated as CR/NC, it cannot be changed back to a letter-graded option.
- Students who take a course CR/NC are not eligible for Dean’s List consideration for that quarter.
- Many graduate schools and professional institutions may not accept Credit\No Credit graded coursework in subjects related to an intended program of study.
- A course taken CR/NC may be repeated for a letter grade.
- A CR/NC grade will not satisfy prerequisites that require a grade of C- or higher.
- A CR/NC course may not be used to fulfill the final course in the language requirement (103 or 201) or any Shared Passages Seminar requirement.
- Students on probation may not designate a course as CR/NC
Grade Reports
Grade reports are made available online to students at the end of each quarter. Printed copies are available upon request. Copies of grade reports will be sent to parents only if students present a signed statement of request to the Registrar.
Course Attendance
Attendance is the responsibility of the student and is regulated within each course. Faculty members may report to the Early Alert Committee those students whose absences may be impairing their performances.
Final Examinations
Examinations are held at the end of each quarter for most courses. Students and faculty are required to follow the exam schedule as set by the Registrar. However, if a student has three final exams scheduled for the same date, one of these exams may be changed by making appropriate arrangements with one of the instructors.
Incomplete Grades
An “I” (Incomplete) is assigned when a student’s work is of acceptable quality but cannot be completed due to illness or other extraordinary circumstances beyond the student’s control.
Final grades for courses with an Incomplete must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the end of the sixth week of the following term. Faculty should establish appropriate deadlines for the submission of remaining work to allow sufficient time for evaluation and grade submission by this deadline. If the required work is not completed within the timeframe established by the instructor, the student will receive the grade earned based on completed work at the end of the quarter. This deadline applies regardless of whether the student remains enrolled, is off campus, or has separated from the College.
If a student is granted a Leave of Absence after the end of a quarter in which an Incomplete was assigned, the deadline for resolving the Incomplete will be extended by one additional quarter. In such cases, the final grade is due by the end of the sixth week of of the quarter following the student’s first quarter on leave. Exceptions to this extension require a petition and approval from the Academic Standards Committee.
Change of Grade
Students seeking a grade change should contact the course instructor responsible for the grade issued. Both students and faculty should understand that a change in an assigned grade should reflect only identifiable and distinct errors in the evaluation process. Students should initiate this process as soon as possible and no later than the end of the sixth week of the following quarter or within six weeks after graduation or withdrawal from the College. Faculty who identify an error in grading should submit a change of grade form to the Registrar within one year of the original recording. After one year, the transcript record is considered the permanent record.
Cumulative GPA
All courses taken at Kalamazoo College are included in the calculation of the cumulative Kalamazoo College grade point average (GPA), except the SIP, PE activities, other credit/no credit (CR/NC) courses, and repeated courses. When a student repeats a course (for which they received a C-, D, F, W, CR or NC), both attempts will appear on the student’s transcript but only the second attempt will be used to calculate the Kalamazoo College cumulative GPA, and only one course unit will be earned. (See the section on Registering to Repeat a Course for more information). Transfer courses and courses taken on study abroad/study away do not affect the cumulative GPA.