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Academic Grading

Grading System

Final Grades are given at the end of the semester for each course. Grades assigned at the completion of a course are as follows:

Quality Points

Grade Definition Index

A 93–100%.....................................................4.0

A- 90–92% .....................................................3.7

B+ 87–89%.....................................................3.3

B 83–86%........................................................3.0

B- 80–82%.......................................................2.7

C+ 77–79%.....................................................2.3

C 73–76%........................................................2.0

C- 70–72%.......................................................1.7

D+ 67–69%.....................................................1.3

D 63–66%........................................................1.0

D- 60–62%.......................................................0.7

F Failure ...........................................................0.0

S Satisfactory..................................................0.0

U Unsatisfactory (counts as Failure).....0.0

W Withdrew (withdrawal from class between 4th and 10th weeks; non Failure)

WA Administrative Withdrawal (assigned by the Registrar’s Office for administrative reasons, e.g. lack of immunization) ................ —

WD Drop Withdrawal (drop from class during second and third weeks)......... —

WU Withdrew Unofficially (counts in GPA computation; same as Failure. If a student completely stopped participating at any time during the term prior to the culminating experience for the course without officially withdrawing then he/she should receive a “WU” grade)..........0.0

WN Never participated (instructor initiates this grade during verification of enrollment for not participating at all during the first week of classes).......—

R The “R” grade means a course may be repeated. .................................—

NC No credit granted (restricted to credit bearing courses)..................... —

INC Semester’s work incomplete. “INC” is issued at the instructor‘s discretion. The “INC” grade reverts to an “FIN” if a change is not made by the following deadlines: Spring and summer semesters, November 1; fall semester, March 15. ........................ —

AUD Course not taken for credit or grade: “AUD” appears on transcript............. —

PEN Grade pending disciplinary action...... —

FIN “F” from Incomplete .......................0.0

CR Transfer credit from another institution........................................ —

Grade-Point Average (GPA)

After completion of a course, you are issued a letter grade. Most letter grades have a numerical point value (see Grading System Chart on this page). To compute your GradePoint Average, multiply the number of points shown for the letter grade by the number of credits for that course. Divide the total number of points earned in all courses by the total number of credits. For example:

2

Only courses taken at Borough of Manhattan Community College, or on permit to another CUNY college, are computed in the cumulative Grade Point Average.

Grading Policy

Class Participation

Participation in the academic activity of each course is a significant component of the learning process and plays a major role in determining overall student academic achievement. Academic activities may include, but are not limited to, attending class, submitting assignments, engaging in in-class or online activities, taking exams, and/or participating in group work. Each instructor has the right to establish their own class participation policy, and it is each student’s responsibility to be familiar with and follow the participation policies for each course.

Lateness

Classes begin promptly at the times indicated in the Schedule of Classes. Arrival in classes after the scheduled starting time constitutes a lateness. Latecomers may, at the discretion of the instructor, incur an official absence.

“F”/“C-” and Lower Grade Policy

The following is the current college policy regarding the retaking of courses for which a student has already received a grade of “C-” or below. Effective September 1, 1995, the College has adopted the following variant on the City University’s policy on computing grades:

  1. When an undergraduate student receives an earned academic grade of “F” or an administrative failing grade and the student subsequently retakes the course and receives a higher grade, the initial grade of “F” will no longer be computed into the grade point average. The “F” grade, however, will remain on the transcript.

  2. In addition to the “F” Grade Policy, BMCC’s policy provides students with the option of retaking any course with a grade which carries less than 2.0 quality points; this includes “C-”, “D+”, “D” and “D-”. This policy allows any later higher grade for the retaken course to forgive the earlier grade. For example: If a student receives a “D-“ in a course and retakes the course and receives a “D+”, the “D+” will replace the “D-” in the student’s GPA. However, the “D-” will remain on the student’s transcript. If the grade for the retaken course is the same or lower than the previous grade, then the credits will not count toward the student’s degree but will count in the GPA.

While BMCC and other colleges have initiated a variety of changes to CUNY’s original policy, the number of retaken credits that can be deleted from the grade point average shall be limited to 16 for the duration of the student’s undergraduate enrollment in any institution in The City University of New York. This policy is applicable to grades earned after September 1, 1984.

Students should remember that repeating a course may limit their ability to meet the satisfactory academic performance requirements for receipt of Federal and State financial aid. Also, repeated courses for which students have already received an acceptable passing grade will not be included as part of the student’s minimum full-time or part-time course load for State financial aid purposes

“NC” Grade

Effective Spring 2018, an “NC” grade can be assigned to a freshman student who has completed a course with a grade “C-“ or below. NC grade can also be assigned to a Nursing course one time only during the 2nd –4th clinical semesters, when a student has earned a grade lower than “C”. Students who transfer to another institution should note that “NC” grades may be treated as “F” grades.

All students must meet the following requirements:

  1. Students must opt-in by the withdrawal deadline.

  2. Students must continue attending the class, complete all assignments, and take the final exam to qualify for the forgiveness grade.

  3. A freshman is defined as a student who has earned 30 credits or less, including transfer credits.

  4. A freshman may apply to take a maximum of 8 credits, or 2 classes, as NC.

  5. The NC grade will only apply to earned letter grades C- or below. A student who requests the NC option and earns a grade C or above will receive their earned grade.

Appeal of Grades

You may make a request to change a final earned grade issued by an instructor. Grades “A” through “U” are earned grades. Only the instructor who issued the grade can change it; however, the following steps are available for further review:

  • The chairperson of the department

  • The Dean of Academic Affairs

Note: The deadline for appealing past grades is one year after the end of the semester in which the grades were issued.

Repeating of “C” or Better Courses

Students should not repeat a course if a passing grade has been received or if transfer credit has been accepted for a course completed at another institution. However, if you repeat a course for which you have received an earned grade of “C” or better, the repeated course will not count towards your cumulative GPA or cumulative credits but will appear on the transcript.

Academic Standing

While enrolled at BMCC, your academic performance is continually evaluated in order that you and the College can determine how you are progressing in your studies. Your evaluation is based upon your cumulative Grade-Point Average (GPA). The following minimum retention standards must be met:

3

Based on Summer/Winter grade(s) if a student’s GPA is above the retention standard, the student is reinstated in Good Standing and an appeal with the Committee on Academic Standing will not be required for dismissed students.

Transcripts of Academic Record

Students can access their unofficial transcript, course history and grades via CUNYfirst as long as student has their CUNYfirst username and password.

Please visit the Registrar’s website (www.bmcc.cuny.edu/registrar) for information.

Note: Official transcripts of work taken at other institutions (including high school) which were presented to BMCC become the property of the college and cannot be copied or reissued.

Graduation Requirements*

To be eligible for graduation from BMCC, you must:

  1. successfully complete all the required courses and credits in your program of study;

  2. earn at least a 2.0 GPA;

  3. complete at least 30 credits in residence, if you are an advanced standing student;

  4. submit an application for graduation online through CUNYfirst by the deadline in your graduating semester;

  5. effective Spring 2008, entering students will be required to pass a writing intensive course beyond ENG 201 in order to graduate. Effective Spring 2018, any student possessing a bachelor degree or higher will be exempt from this policy.

*Your graduation semester will be the end of the semester in which you finish all of your coursework or file for graduation, whichever is later. Graduation requirements are subject to change without notice any time at the discretion of the administration and the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York.

Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy for the Spring 2020 Semester

As part of The City University of New York’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, during the Spring 2020 semester, all students shall have the option to convert any or all of the (A–F) letter grades they earn in their classes, to Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) grading.

  1. During the Spring 2020 semester, all students shall have the option to convert any or all of the (A–F) letter grades, including plus or minus variations, they earn in their classes, to Credit/No Credit grading.

  2. Students shall be able to make this decision up to 20 business days after the University’s final grade submission deadline. Once selected, the Credit/No Credit option cannot be cannot be reversed.

  3. If a student chooses to exercise this option, a passing letter grade (A, B, C, or D including +/-) will convert to “CR” with credit for the class being awarded, while a failing grade (F) will convert to “NC,” with no credit awarded. Credit/No Credit grades will not impact the student’s GPA.

  4. Courses taken for a letter grade will continue to be included in the semester and general GPA, while courses taken for a Credit/Non-credit grade will be excluded, just as is the case with such courses taken at a student’s home institution.

  5. If a student exercises the option of Credit/ No Credit, the Credit (CR) grade will not negatively impact the student’s satisfactory progress toward degree completion.

  6. 6. Students with Credit/No Credit grades will be able to transfer those courses across colleges within CUNY, per current CUNY policy.

  7. The Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy shall apply to coursework completed on Permit and will not affect Board of Trustees Policy 1.14 – Policy on Coursework Completed on Permit.

  8. Students placed on academic probation by their institution at the start of the Spring 2020 semester shall not be penalized with academic dismissal based upon their grades earned this semester.

  9. The Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy shall not affect the University standards of student retention and progress in accordance with Board of Trustees Policy 1.26.

  10. Before choosing this grading option for one or more of their classes, students shall consult with their academic and financial aid advisors regarding potential impact to their financial aid, licensure requirements, and graduate school admissions.

  11. The Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy shall supersede and override all undergraduate and graduate program-level grading policies currently in effect at CUNY colleges and schools, including those related to required and elective courses within the major, minor, general education (Pathways), pre-requisite courses, honors courses, courses taken on permit and maximum number of credits that a student can earn with Credit/No Credit grades.

  12. The grade glossary, attached to each transcript, will be updated to include a notation denoting that all Spring 2020 grades, including “CR” or “NC,” were earned during a major disruption to instruction as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  13. The Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy shall apply to all CUNY colleges and schools, except the School of Law and the School of Medicine, which may develop their own Pass/Fail policies, subject to approval of the Board of Trustees, to conform to norms in legal and medical education.

  14. The Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy, which shall be effective April 1, 2020, applies to the Spring 2020 semester only and that the Chancellor, may, in his discretion, to meet public health emergency policies and practices, extend this policy to future semesters, if necessary and report such extension to the Board of Trustees immediately.

  15. The Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy shall be codified in the Manual of General Policy as Policy 1.4. and cannot be overwritten by any individual units of the University, including presidents, provosts, or college councils.

  16. The policy will remain in effect for the Spring 2020 semester and will be reviewed by the Chancellor and extended as necessary to meet public health emergency policies and practices.

Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy for the Fall 2020 Semester

As part of The City University of New York’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, during the Fall 2020 semester, students shall have the option to convert some or all of the (B+ through F) letter grades they earn in their classes, to Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) grading, per the provisions below:

  1. During the Fall 2020 semester, all students shall have the option to convert any or all of their B+ through F grades they earn in their classes, to Credit/No Credit grading except NUR, EMC, HIT and RTT-designated courses.

  2. Students will be able to make this decision for eligible courses between December 24, 2020 and January 12, 2021. Once selected, the CR/NC option cannot be reversed.

  3. If a student chooses to exercise this option for an eligible course, a passing letter grade (B+ through D-) will convert to “CR” with credit for the class being awarded, while a failing grade (F) will convert to “NC,” with no credit awarded. Credit/No Credit grades will not impact the student’s GPA.

  4. Courses taken for a letter grade will continue to be included in the semester and general GPA, while courses taken for a Credit/No Credit grade will be excluded, just as is the case with such courses taken at a student’s home institution.

  5. If a student exercises the option of Credit/No Credit, the Credit (CR) grade will not negatively impact the student’s progress toward degree completion.

  6. Students with Credit/No Credit grades will be able to transfer those courses across colleges within CUNY, per current CUNY policy.

  7. The Fall 2020 CR/NC Policy shall apply to coursework completed on Permit and will not affect Board of Trustees Policy 1.14 – Policy on Coursework Completed on Permit.

  8. Students placed on academic probation by their institution at the start of the Fall 2020 semester who choose Credit/No Credit grades shall not be penalized with academic dismissal based upon their grades earned this semester.

  9. The Fall 2020 CR/NC Policy shall not affect the University standards of student retention and progress in accordance with Board of Trustees Policy 1.26.

  10. Before choosing this grading option for one or more of their classes, students shall consult with their academic and financial aid advisors regarding potential impact to their financial aid, licensure requirements,

    and graduate school admissions.

  11. The grade glossary, attached to each transcript, will be updated to include a notation denoting that all Fall 2020 grades, including CR or NC, were earned during a

    major disruption to instruction as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.