Academic Regulations

Grading

Procedural Guidelines

1. Time Frame for Assignment of Possible Grades - Fall, Winter, Spring

2. Time Frame for Assignment of Summer Quarter Grades

Enrollment & Financial Aid Services will publish the time frame for summer quarter. (See also Academic Calendar .)

3. Grading System ¹

Shoreline Community College uses the numeric grading system and grade-point values, outlined in the Grading System table, for reporting and recording academic achievement in most courses. A grade of 0.7 or above earns credits. Grades of 1.0 and above qualify for transfer credits in the state of Washington. However, a minimum grade is required for some programs for a number of purposes including technical courses, general education requirements, progression in a sequence of classes, and to satisfy a prerequisite. Students should consult the applicable course descriptions and program requirements if they have questions.

H: Hold Grade

Indicates a course has not yet officially ended and the student is actively involved in finishing the required work. With the approval of the Vice President for Student Learning, Equity and Success, this grade is used in courses that have an official ending date scheduled after the end of the regular quarter. Upon the completion of the course, the instructor will award the final grades that will replace the H grade on each student’s transcript.

I: Incomplete

At a student’s request, a grade of Incomplete may be given when the instructor agrees that the student, for an unavoidable reason, has been unable to complete a specific course requirement during the eleven-week quarter, but can successfully complete the course work with no additional instruction. The instructor must specify what requirements the student must fulfill in order to convert the Incomplete grade to an appropriate grade on a standard Incomplete Contract form. To obtain credit for the course, the student must convert an Incomplete into an appropriate grade by completing the requirements specified in the standard contract within the time limits specified therein, not to exceed one calendar year from the date of the contract.

N: Audit

If a student chooses audit status (N) for a course, they participate in the coursework, but no credit is earned for the course and a grade is not received. A student must register for the course and pay the regular tuition and fees. A student may change their status to and from Audit with instructor permission by completing the appropriate form in Enrollment & Financial Aid Services no later than the first day of the seventh week of the quarter (or the equivalent in summer quarter). An N will appear on the transcript.

P/NP: Pass/Not Pass

This grade is given when a student successfully completes a course offering a Pass/Not Pass (P/NP) option. By assigning a P, the instructor certifies a performance level of at least 2.0. P allows credit for the course, but the grade will not be considered in GPA calculations. In college-level courses (numbered 100 and higher) designated as having a P/NP option, students who wish to be graded on the P/NP option must submit a Student Option Grading Form signed by their instructor to Enrollment & Financial Aid Services no later than the end of the day which constitutes the mid-point of the course. Students in pre-college level courses must request the P/NP grade no later than the last day of instruction.

Some degrees and programs require all credits be in decimal-graded classes. For those degrees and programs which do allow P credits, no more than 30 credits can be in non-decimal graded classes. Unless a 2.0 performance level is achieved, the student selecting the P/NP credit will receive a NP grade. The NP grade will not be considered in the GPA calculation.

W: Official Withdrawal

A W grade will be granted at a student’s request only from the first day of the third week through the first class day of the seventh week (or the equivalent for the summer quarter) provided the student follows the early exit procedure. No Ws will be given after the cut off date. Ws remain on the transcript but are not counted in GPA computations. A student may not withdraw to avoid consequences of cheating, plagiarism or other intellectual dishonesty.

Z: Hardship Withdrawal

This grade may be given at a student’s written request and the instructor’s agreement that an unforeseen crisis and/or unusual, extreme circumstance has occurred after the official withdrawal period is over which has interfered with or interrupted the student’s ability to attend class and continue performing passing course work. Prior to the end of the official withdrawal period, the W grade should be used. This grade will not be considered in GPA calculations.

Repeat-Excluded or Repeat-Included

When a student repeats a class to improve a grade, “Repeat - Excluded” will appear on the transcript next to the lowest grade(s) for the course. The designation “Repeat - Included” will appear on the transcript next to the highest grade for the course.

4. Dropping or Withdrawing from a Class

1. Dropping a Class
   1. Drop procedures are initiated by the student. When a student drops a class, no grade will be assigned and no record of registration will appear on the transcript
   2. Through the tenth class day (or summer equivalent), the student may drop a class without instructor permission.
   3. A student may not drop a class to avoid consequences of cheating, plagiarism, or other intellectual dishonesty.
2. Withdrawal from a Class
   1. Withdrawal procedures are initiated by the student. When a student withdraws from a class, a grade of W will be assigned and registration is recorded on the transcript.
   2. From the eleventh instructional day and through the first class day of the seventh week of a regular quarter (or the summer quarter equivalent), the student may officially withdraw from a class by obtaining the instructor’s signature or emailed permission.
   3. The student will follow procedures by notifying Enrollment & Financial Aid Services in order to officially withdraw immediately after obtaining instructor permission.
   4. A student may not withdraw to avoid consequences of cheating, plagiarism or other intellectual dishonesty.
3. Early Withdraw Procedure if Extreme or Unusual Circumstances Apply
   This may be invoked when early withdrawal procedures in 4.b. cannot be followed.
   1. If circumstances do not permit completion of the normal withdrawal procedure, the instructor, appropriate division dean, or the Vice President for Students, Equity & Success, if necessary, may sign a Schedule Change form to withdraw the student.
   2. In such cases, if the person signing the withdrawal form is not the instructor, the person signing the form shall notify the student’s instructor(s) of the circumstances in order that the instructor may award the appropriate grade.
4. Hardship Withdrawal
   1. The student completes a Student Written Request to Instructor for Hardship Grade Form and submits it, along with appropriate documentation of the hardship, to the instructor.
   2. If, at the instructor’s discretion, the request for hardship withdrawal is granted, a grade of Z will be assigned and registration will be recorded on the transcript. This grade will not be considered in GPA calculations.

5. Repeating a Course

Courses may be repeated to improve a grade, 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. This limit may not apply to all pre-college level courses (numbered less than 100).

To repeat a course for the purpose of improving a grade, the student must register for the course, submit a Course Repeat form to Enrollment & Financial Aid Services during the quarter in which the student is repeating the course, and pay all necessary fees. The lower grade remains on the transcript and is designated with an “Repeat - Excluded”, and only the highest grade awarded in a repeated course will be used in calculating GPA at the College. 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.

6. Computation of Grade Point Average (GPA)

The number of credits for each course is multiplied by the numerical grade awarded resulting in the grade points for that course. The GPA is computed by dividing the sum of the grade points earned in courses awarding numerical grades and V grades by the total number of credits attempted in those courses. H, I, N, NP, P, W, and Z grades are not assigned weights and are not used in computing GPA. When a student transfers from Shoreline Community College to another institution, the grading policy of the receiving institution will be applied to the transcript and the computation of the GPA.

7. Grading Systems

1. BEdA (Basic Education for Adults)
   Most courses designated as BEdA (Basic Education for Adults) are mandatory Pass/Not Pass courses. For most courses designated as BEdA, instructors may issue letter grades of P or NP, or approve course statuses of H, I, N, W, or Z, as defined above. Some BEdA courses may be designated “Student option grading” in the course description (see 7.c. below). For these courses, instructors may issue decimal grades from 4.0 to 0.7 in 0.1 increments and 0.0, enter letter grades of P or NP, or approve course statuses of H, I, N, W, or Z, as defined in section 3 above.
2. Graded:
   Students will be awarded grades from 4.0 to 0.7 in 0.1 increments, 0.0, H, I, N, W, or Z.
3. Mandatory and Optional Pass/Not Pass Systems:
   Divisional faculty, acting in appropriate disciplinary subunits, may designate certain courses as Mandatory or Optional Pass/Not Pass. Faculty will report any change in designation through divisional planning committees and the Curriculum Committee, as well as insure that the correct designation then appears in the quarter class schedule.
   1. Grading in Mandatory Pass/Not Pass Courses.
      The instructor will give only an H, I, N, NP, P, W, or Z grade as defined in section 3.
   2. Grading in Optional Pass/Not Pass Courses.
      Students wishing to be graded on the Pass/Not Pass system must submit a pass option form signed by their instructor to the registration desk no later than the end of the day which constitutes the midpoint of the course. Students selecting this option will receive a H, I, N, NP, P, W, or Z grade as defined in section 3. Students not qualifying for this optional grading system will receive a numerical grade. Students in pre-college level courses must request the P/NP grade no later than the last day of instruction. Courses assigned by faculty to mandatory or optional pass/not pass will be marked on each quarter’s class schedule. All unmarked courses will use only the numerical grading system.

Grade Reports

Grade reports are not mailed to students. Students may view or print an unofficial transcript of their final grades from the College’s web site.

Grade Changes

Instructors must submit a signed grade change form to the Records Desk in Enrollment & Financial Aid Services to change a grade. Grade changes are allowed only within one year of the date the original grade was issued.

High Scholarship

President’s List

Full-time students (enrolled for at least 12 credits) who have earned at least 30 hours of credit, all of which are used in the computation of the grade-point average*, and who earn a cumulative grade-point average of 3.9 or higher are named to the President’s List. In addition, students who attain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.9 to 4.0 shall be designated President’s Scholars at graduation.

* Mandatory P/NP courses are excluded from this requirement.

Vice President’s List

Full-time students (enrolled for at least 12 credits) who have earned at least 30 hours of credit, all of which are used in the computation of the grade-point average*, and who achieve a quarterly grade-point average of 3.9 or higher have their name placed on the Vice President’s List and shall be designated V.P. Scholar.

* Mandatory P/NP courses are excluded from this requirement.

Honors List

Full-time students (enrolled for at least 12 credits) who have earned at least 30 hours of credit, all of which are used in the computation of the grade-point average*, and who earn a quarterly grade-point average of 3.6 to 3.89 are named to the Honors List.

Students who attain a grade-point average of 3.6 to 3.89 shall be designated Honors Graduates at graduation. Eligibility for these lists is determined by the Faculty Senate and the college governance structure. As such, the standards governing eligibility are subject to periodic review and possible change.

* Mandatory P/NP are excluded from this requirement.

Phi Theta Kappa

Phi Theta Kappa is the national honors scholastic fraternity for American community and junior colleges. Its primary goal is to recognize outstanding community college scholars. To be eligible, a student (either full- or part-time) must have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5 and a minimum of 12 transferable credit hours at Shoreline Community College. Once accepted, the student must maintain a cumulative 3.3 GPA while at the college.

Academic Standards

Students are expected to maintain a quarterly GPA of 2.0 or higher and earn at least half of the credits attempted each quarter. The College will notify students via email that they have not met academic standards and they will be provided appropriate support at each level.

There are three (3) stages of Academic Standards. The first time a student earns a quarterly grade point average of less than 2.0 or does not pass at least half of their attempted credits will be placed on Academic Alert. A list of College resources may be included in their notification. If a student earns a quarterly grade point average of less than 2.0 or does not pass at least half of their attempted credits for a second consecutive quarter they will be placed on Academic Intervention. A registration hold will be placed on their account and they will be required to meet with a designated faculty advisor (general advisor, International Education advisor, program advisor, etc.) to develop specific steps to improve their academic performance and determine appropriate support services. If a student earns a quarterly grade point average of less than 2.0 or does not pass at least half of their attempted credits for a third consecutive quarter they will be placed on Academic Restriction. Students shall be notified by the College via email that they have not met academic standards, a registration hold will remain on their account, and the Vice President of Student Learning, Equity, and Success (VP-SLES) or their designee may reduce credit load, suspend, and/or continue previously required steps or services.

Students will remain on Academic Restriction until improvements are made. Once academic standards have been met for one quarter, all holds and restrictions will be removed and the student will no longer be on Academic Alert. Students who are suspended may complete and submit a Petition for Reinstatement to the VP-SLES or designee. Readmitted students will remain at Stage 3, Academic Restriction until they meet academic standards.

EXCEPTIONS: Students enrolled exclusively in classes categorized as basic skills (Classification of Instructional Program Code family 32) may be exempted from this policy and the associated procedures. The definition of Academic Standards and the need for appropriate support will be determined by faculty within those courses.

Also, selected academic programs may stipulate additional requirements for academic standards and implement additional procedures for students in those programs.

Fresh Start

Students who have not been in attendance at Shoreline Community College or any institution of higher learning for a period of 18 months may request the elimination of their previous Shoreline credits and GPA. The student’s academic record and transcript will continue to show the previous courses taken and grades received, but the grades for previous courses will not be used in the calculation of the student’s Shoreline GPA, and credits earned may not be used to satisfy graduation requirements. If a student transfers to another college or university, the receiving institution may accept credits and recalculate the GPA according to its own policies. Quarters that include courses used toward the awarding of previous degrees or certificates cannot be expunged.

Credit Information

Credit and Credit Loads

The academic year at Shoreline Community College is three quarters of 11 weeks each. In addition, Shoreline holds an eight-week summer session. In general, a class that meets one hour a week yields 1 hour of credit per quarter; one that meets five hours a week yields 5 credit hours. Laboratory and some other classes may vary from this pattern.

Awarding Academic Credit by Prior Learning Assessment

See Policies for Students  for more information.

Placement Reciprocity

Based on placement into English and math pre-college and college level courses at other Washington State community and technical colleges, students can request equivalent placement at Shoreline Community College. The placement recommendation must be in the last 2 years. Please see the College website for Shoreline’s current “Placement from another College” practices at shoreline.edu/placement.

Common Course Numbering

Common course numbering (CCN) makes it easier for students to transfer courses between community and technical colleges in Washington because equivalent courses are labeled the same across all colleges. An ampersand (“&”) following a course department name, (e.g. ACCT& 201) indicates that the course has a common course number. For more information see: https://ccn.sbctc.edu.

Attendance

Students are expected to attend all sessions of classes in which they are enrolled, in accordance with instructor requirements.

Due to the observance of religious holidays, students who expect to be absent during certain days of the course must provide written notice to the faculty within the first two weeks of the quarter. The notice must include the specific dates the student requests accommodations regarding examinations or other activities. Faculty will coordinate with the student on scheduling examinations or other activities necessary for completion of the course which includes rescheduling examinations or activities or offering different times for examinations or activities. 

Student Classification

Students are considered freshmen until they have completed 45 credit hours, at which time they become sophomores.

Final Examinations

Final examinations are held at the end of each quarter. Students are required to take the final examination at the time and date specified on the Final Exams Schedule page (shoreline.edu/apply-and-aid/registration/final-exams.aspx) in order to receive credit for a course. *Students who have three (3) or more final exams in one day and cannot come to an agreement with their instructor(s) regarding final rescheduling may petition to the division dean. Such a petition must be received in writing at least two weeks before the beginning of the first day of examinations. Division deans will consult with the affected faculty members before approving or disapproving the petition. Finals for Summer Quarter are given during the last scheduled meeting of the class.

Official Transcripts

An official transcript is a record of the student’s academic grades. It shows courses taken, credits earned, grades received, transfer credits accepted, and degrees or certificates received at Shoreline. An official transcript carries the registrar’s signature and the college seal. As transcript fees are subject to change, please visit the transcript page of the college website at shoreline.edu/enrollment-services/registration/transcript-request.aspx for the latest fee information. Please allow three to five business days for processing of transcript requests.

Graduation Regulations

Students may elect to graduate under the official catalog published at the time they first begin their degree or certificate at Shoreline Community College, provided they remain continuously enrolled and the time lapsed does not exceed five years. Continuous enrollment is defined as attending a minimum of two quarters during each academic year. If students are not continuously enrolled, they must follow the graduation requirements in the catalog in effect when they re-enter the College. Any student may choose to graduate under the degree or certificate requirements in the current catalog at the time of graduation. (For exceptions in programs such as nursing, see below.) Some programs require a separate application to enter the program. For such programs, students must meet the graduation requirements in place at the time they entered the program or at the time they graduate. For more information, consult an advisor.

Students should ensure they have submitted all documentation of how requirements are met, including official transcripts from other colleges, as well as any documentation of prior learning, if applicable. Students are encouraged to have incoming credit evaluated and meet with an advisor as early as possible. After consultation with the faculty advisor, it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to choose and implement his or her program to see that all specific requirements for that program and all general requirements for graduation from the college have been met in an acceptable manner.

To receive a degree or certificate from Shoreline Community College, a student must:

1. Achieve an overall 2.0 cumulative grade point average for all college level courses (numbered 100 and higher) used to satisfy degree requirements, including both Shoreline Community College course work and courses accepted in transfer from other colleges.
2. Earn at least 25 credits or 25% (whichever is lower) of the credits being applied toward the degree or certificate from Shoreline.
3. Fulfill all financial obligations to the college.
4. Meet all requirements of the specific degree or certificate for which they are applying.
5. Satisfy all general and specific requirements of the College, described in the College rules and policies.

NOTE: Certain Shoreline Community College programs may have different grade and graduation requirements. Please consult with a representative of the particular program for details. Institutions to which students transfer after completing their Shoreline degree may calculate G.P.A. differently and may have higher G.P.A. requirements.

Students who are eligible for a degree or Certificate of Proficiency should complete an Application for Degree or Application for Certificate of Proficiency one quarter prior to completing their program of study. Certificates of less than 45 quarter credits are automatically conferred and will appear in students’ academic record. Degrees will be awarded on a quarterly basis.

Graduating students do not need to be in attendance to apply for graduation.

Students who enroll as degree-seeking at a four-year regionally accredited institution of higher education before attaining their associate degree, but after completing sixty (60) quarter credits or more of transferable coursework at Shoreline, may transfer credits back to Shoreline to use toward completion of a two-year academic transfer degree.

Graduation Ceremony (Commencement)

Students who have graduated during the previous fall and winter quarters will be invited to participate in the annual spring commencement ceremony, along with all applicants for spring and summer quarter graduation. Participation in the ceremony is not an indication of graduation. In order to be included in the ceremony, graduation applications for spring and summer must be received by the second week of April. For more information on how to apply for graduation and to participate in the annual spring graduation ceremony, call (206) 546-5841. Diplomas are mailed eight to twelve weeks after the end of the quarter degree is earned.