Grading and Academic Standing

Graduate Grading System

Columbia College records letter grades for course work. Grades for graduate courses include:

Other Grades Include:

Graduate credit is awarded only for courses designated as graduate courses and the graduate grade point average is computed based on those courses. Undergraduate credit is given only for courses designated as undergraduate courses. A grade of B or higher is expected in all graduate and undergraduate course work.

Change of Grade

A change in grade may be made when either a computational error by the instructor or processing error have occurred. A request for a grade change must be made within 60 calendar days of the grade being issued. Requests are honored only when approved by the Dean of the student’s school (Day Campus), or Associate Vice President for Columbia College Global or designee; or Associate Provost, Academic Operations or designee.

Repeating a Course

Courses may be repeated at Columbia College in an attempt to improve grades. The grade earned the second time the course is taken is used to determine the grade-point average (GPA), and the first grade is identified as R (Repeat) on the transcript. The first grade does not figure in the total hours or the GPA. In all cases, the second grade is the one that is recorded. No duplicate credit is given. Additionally, students who use federal financial aid assistance must check with the Enrollment Service Center to determine financial liability when repeating a course.

Withdrawal from Courses

Students may withdraw from a course(s) with a grade of “W” between the end of the drop period and prior to the end of the 12th week of the semester (16-week classes) or sixth week of the session (8-week classes). Provided a Withdrawal form is received no later than Friday of the 12th week of the semester or sixth week of a session, no punitive grade will be issued. Students do not receive grade points for Withdraw (W) grades, but a notation appears on the transcript. Financial liability is not reduced when a student withdraws from a course.

Once enrolled in a class, a student is considered a member of that class until the student officially drops or withdraws in accordance with institutional policy. A failure to attend class, or advising a fellow student, staff, or adjunct faculty member of an intent to withdraw from class does not constitute official drop or withdrawal. Withdrawals become effective the date the appropriate form is received by the College.

Students must complete the withdrawal process by submitting the completed Withdrawal form to the Enrollment Service Center or submitting a Course Withdrawal Form through Self-Service in CougarTrack (all locations except Day). Requests to withdraw from a course will not be accepted by telephone. Students are required to personally complete, sign and date all withdrawal paperwork. Confirmation of receipt is the responsibility of the student.

Should circumstances prevent a student from physically completing the withdrawal information, the student should contact their location Director immediately (CCG), or Academic Advisor (Online) or course instructor (Day Campus). Directors or other college personnel reserve the right to request substantiating documentation to support the student’s inability to complete the withdrawal process in person.

The withdrawal period begins after the drop period ends. This is typically Tuesday of the second week of classes. Discontinuing class attendance does not constitute a withdrawal and students remain academically and financially liable. Those who do not complete the withdrawal process as outlined above are in danger of receiving an F in the course or being administratively withdrawn.

Students who receive any form of Federal Title IV assistance and who withdraw may be required by federal regulations to return some or all of the federal aid received. This includes the Federal Pell and SEOG grants, and the Stafford and PLUS loans. See the Financial Aid and Scholarships section of the College catalog for additional information.

Administrative Withdrawal for Non-Attendance

Students may be administratively withdrawn from all courses for non-attendance. Non-attendance is considered 14 consecutive calendar days of non-attendance in a course. An early alert notification will be made to the student after the first week of non-attendance. If, in fact, the student did attend during the week referenced in the alert, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor immediately to change the attendance record. Once a student has been absent two weeks, they will be administratively withdrawn with no further warning.

Tuition, room and board will be prorated according to the Total Withdrawal Time Frame Schedule, if applicable. No credit will be given for nonrefundable deposits, laboratory or course fees, etc. Tuition refunds will be assessed according to each venue’s standard refund policy.

An administrative withdrawal will result in a non-punitive grade of “W”, if classes are withdrawn in the time between the end of the drop period and prior to the end of the 12th week of the semester or sixth week of the session. Students do not receive grade points for Withdraw (W) grades, but a notation appears on the transcript.

If an Administrative Withdrawal for Non-Attendance is not the result of an error in attendance records, students may appeal the withdrawal if extraordinary circumstances prevented them from attending all courses in which they were enrolled. Extraordinary circumstances are narrowly interpreted to mean the development of unforeseen, unexpected circumstances beyond a student’s control. Examples of extraordinary circumstances include serious illness, death in the immediate family, significant change in the location and/or conditions of employment, or an unexpected call to active military duty or extended periods of TDY. Mere inconvenience and/or discomfort with the academic workload, minor schedule changes in employment, connectivity issues, etc. do not meet the definition of extraordinary circumstances.

An appeal of an Administrative Withdrawal for Non-Attendance should be submitted by the student to the Dean of the appropriate School. The Dean will review submitted appeals, and has the final authority to approve an appeal. The likelihood of passing the course(s) if re-enrolled in the course(s) will be considered in the review of the appeal.

Leave of Absence

Students who for personal or professional reasons must stop taking graduate courses for an extended period of time may request a leave of absence from their program from the Dean in the School in which their program is housed, for a maximum of 24 months from the end of their last session of attendance. If a leave of absence is granted, the seven-year period for completion is paused for the approved amount of time. Contact the Dean’s Office for the appropriate School for information on how to apply for a leave of absence.

Probation

Students whose cumulative GPA falls below the 3.0 minimum for courses within their degree program will be placed on probation. Students placed on probation must earn sufficient grade points, within their degree program, during their probationary term, to raise their cumulative GPA to 3.0 within the next 9 semester hours. Failure to raise the cumulative GPA will result in dismissal.

Dismissal

Students will be dismissed from the graduate program and are not considered as having met graduation requirements for any of the following:

1. Receipt of a grade of C in two or more graduate courses (also applies to undergraduate courses for MAT and M.Ed. Post-Baccalaureate students). Note: Although students may repeat a course in order to replace a C with a higher grade, receiving a second C prior to repeating the first C with a grade of B or higher will cause the student to be dismissed.
2. Receipt of a grade of F in any one graduate course (or a grade of D or F in undergraduate courses for MAT and M.Ed. Post Baccalaureate students).
3. Failure to remove themselves from probation as described above.
4. Recommendation of the academic department, based on proven academic dishonesty, or ethical or professional misconduct.
5. Students not completing the graduate degree program within a seven-year period will be dismissed. The seven-year period begins with the student’s first graduate-level course.

A successful grade appeal (details in the Grade Appeal section below) could result in a dismissal being reversed if the student no longer meets the criteria for dismissal based on that new grade.

Students may appeal an academic dismissal by written request to the Dean of the School in which their program is housed. This request should directly address reasons for past lack of success and include a plan for success upon returning to Columbia College. Students will receive notification of the outcome by email to their CougarMail account within 14 days. The Dean’s decision regarding such appeals is final.

Grade Appeal

Main Campus Day

Grade appeals should be filed only when it is possible to demonstrate with substantial objective evidence that an incorrect or an unfair grade has been assigned. If a student believes that the final grade received in any course is incorrect or unfair, the student follows the grade appeal procedure outlined below:

1. Discuss the problem with the faculty member involved.
2. If not satisfied with that faculty member’s explanation, seek mediation from the Academic Department Chair.
3. Failing resolution of the problem at the Academic Department Chair level, the student makes an appeal to the appropriate School Dean. This request must be filed in writing within 60 calendar days after grades have been posted by the Registrar. The decision of the School Dean is final and will be communicated to the student within 10 business days of receipt of the appeal by the Dean.
4. If a change in grade or academic standing results, the Dean notifies the Registrar of the new grade or change in standing.
5. In the event that new evidence becomes available, a request may be made in writing to the School Dean, who determines if the appeal is to be reconsidered.
6. If a question arises regarding procedural correctness or impartiality, the issue may be brought to the School Dean, who has the final authority in passing judgment on these matters.

Main Campus Evening, Online, and Columbia College Global

Grade appeals should be filed only when it is possible to demonstrate with substantial objective evidence that an incorrect or an unfair grade has been assigned. If a student believes that the final grade received in any course is incorrect or unfair, the student follows the grade appeal procedure outlined below:

1. Discuss the problem with the faculty member involved.
2. If not satisfied with that faculty member’s explanation, seek mediation from the location Director for in-seat or virtual courses or the Senior Coordinator, Academic Student Support for online courses.
3. Failing resolution of the problem at the Director /Senior Coordinator level, the student makes an appeal to appropriate School Dean. This request must be filed in writing to the Senior Coordinator, Academic Student Support within 60 calendar days after grades have been posted by the Registrar.  The Senior Coordinator, Academic Student Support will then coordinate with the appropriate School Dean. The School Dean’s decision is final and will be communicated to the student within 10 business days of receipt of the appeal by the Dean.
4. If a change in grade or academic standing results, the Dean notifies the Registrar of the new grade or change in standing.
5. In the event that new evidence becomes available, a request may be made in writing to the School Dean, who determines if the appeal is to be reconsidered.
6. If a question arises regarding procedural correctness or impartiality, the issue may be brought to the School Dean, who has the final authority in passing judgment on these matters.

Withdrawal Excused Appeal

Students disagreeing with the decision regarding their excused withdrawal (WE) request should first discuss those concerns with the original reviewer. Students who remain unsatisfied with that decision may appeal the outcome of an excused withdrawal request by submitting a formal appeal to their School Dean. That appeal should directly address why the initial decision was in error and the student’s desired outcome. 

Academic Suspension or Dismissal Appeal

Students may appeal the academic suspension or dismissal decision. Main Campus Day students must file a formal appeal with their School Dean. Main Campus Evening, Online, and CCG students must file a formal appeal by email with their location Director.