Admissions, Records and Recruitment

Phone: (901) 333-5924
Fax: (901) 333-4473-M / (901) 333-5920-U

STUDENT RECORDS - GRADES & G.P.A.

Southwest Tennessee Community College uses a 4.0 quality point grading system. The academic performance level of each student is designated on the permanent record by a letter grade which has an assigned quality point value. Grading occurs at the end of each semester.

Grades Used In Calculating The Quality Point Average 

Grade Per Credit Hour Quality Points Designated Performance Level
A 4  Excellent
B 3 Good
C 2 Average
D 1 Poor
F 0 Failing

Grades Not Used In Calculating The Quality Point Average

Grade Definition/Use :

P Passing - Used for special courses or to indicate student completed coursework by an alternative method.

U Failing - Used for special courses or to indicate that the student does not meet sufficient standards for credit to be earned through an alternative method.

ES Credit-By-Examination Satisfactory

EU Credit-By-Examination Unsatisfactory

E Credit given for experiential learning, portfolio satisfactory 

W Withdrawal - Used to indicate that the student officially withdrew from the course.

WD Withdrawal - Used to indicate that a student enrolled in a Developmental studies course has been approved for withdrawal.

I Incomplete - Used to indicate that the student has not completed the coursework due to extenuating circumstances and he/she is being allowed an opportunity to complete the work because of previous satisfactory performance. The student has until the end of the next regular semester (Fall/Spring) to complete the work or the "I" grade will change to an "F" grade.

AU Audit - Used to indicate that no grade or credit is assigned because the student was not required to turn in assignments or take exams.

N No credit, no grade - assigned for developmental studies courses. This grade indicates that the student has made progress but has not fully mastered course materials. The "N" grade is non-punitive.

X No grade submitted 

Calculating the Quality Point Averag

Southwest Tennessee Community College, at the end of each semester, calculates each student’s term and cumulative Quality Point Average (QPA). The QPA is calculated by dividing the total quality points earned by the total quality hours attempted. 

Quality points are calculated by multiplying the course credit hours times the quality point value of the letter grade assigned for the course (Example - History is a 3 credit hour course. If the student earns a "B" grade, the total quality points earned for the course is
3 X 3 = 9).

The transcript will include the following: (1) a quality point average for college level courses only, and (2) a quality point average with a combination of college level, remedial and developmental courses.

Only college level QPA will be used for graduation and for determining term and graduation honors. The combined QPA will be used for determining suspension and probation, financial aid eligibility and athletic eligibility.

Repeated Course

A student may automatically repeat any course for which an "A" or "B" grade was not earned. If the grade of "A" or "B" was earned in a course, permission from the chief academic officer is needed to repeat the course; or repeating the course must be required for entry into one of the college’s academic programs. 

The QPA will be calculated using the last grade assigned to the repeated course (even if the last grade is lower than the previous grade) and the attempted credit hours will be counted only once for the course with one exception. If the course is repeated three times, the third grade and each subsequent grade and credit hours for the third and each subsequent attempt will be used in calculating the Quality Point Average. 

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