This policy establishes the standards for evaluating student performance in courses at Richmindale College. It defines the grading scale, grade point calculations, and criteria for assessing student achievement in coursework.

This policy applies to all students of Richmindale College

All student work is submitted in the virtual classroom of Richmindale’s learning management system. Faculty members assign individual assignment grades as well as course grades directly through the learning management system in the virtual classroom and/or the student portal.

Term GPA is the Grade Point Average calculated based on the courses completed during a semester.

Cumulative GPA is the Grade Point Average calculated based on all completed courses counted towards the completion of a degree requirement at the school. It does not include grades assigned on transferred credits from other institutions.

The final course grade is submitted by faculty within 5 business days from the scheduled end date of each semester.

The following grading scale is adopted for use in all courses, except those that are transferred from other institutions.

A = Excellent

The student demonstrates an advanced knowledge of all the content and skills presented in the course and uses professional or personal experience to contribute to class knowledge in a unique and insightful manner. The student has excellent writing skills and participates actively in all aspects of the learning process.

B = Good

The student demonstrates knowledge of most of the content and skills presented in the course and often uses relevant professional or personal experience to contribute to class knowledge. The student has very good writing skills and participates frequently in the online classroom.

C = Fair

The student demonstrates enough knowledge of the content and skills presented in the course and applies relevant professional or personal experience to class topics. The quality and quantity of work presented by the student on course assignments in participation forums are acceptable.

F = Fail

The quality and quantity of work presented by the student are unacceptable.

W = Withdrawal

Students receive a grade of “W” if they officially withdraw from the course prior to completing the course, regardless of whether they were determined to be passing or failing the course by the faculty member, at the time of withdrawal. The grade is not calculated in the GPA and the course credits are not assigned for course work ending in a withdrawal. Course withdrawals are included in the student academic record and transcripts.

AW = Administrative Withdrawal

Administrative Withdrawal refers to a student course withdrawal which is initiated by the school for reasons such as: failure to participate, not meeting a course prerequisite, academic conduct issues, etc. Administrative Withdrawal, which occurs after a course has already started, leads to a grade of AW entered on the student’s academic record. The AW grade has no effect on the student’s academic GPA.

I = Incomplete

Students may request an Incomplete status (grade of I) by submitting an Incomplete form on RIMS > Dashboard > Classes > Request Incomplete Grade, or copy and paste the link www.richmindale.com/rims/classes/incomplete in a web browser. Select the appropriate course in the list and click the Request Incomplete Grade button. A notification email is sent to the student and instructor confirming receipt of the request. The instructor must approve the request through the system. Approval of Incomplete status is at the discretion of the instructor. Students have 4 weeks to complete all course work after being assigned a grade of I. Failure to complete all course work results in the students earning the grade based on the coursework completed. A grade of “I” is not entered into the GPA calculation or the student academic record, but the grade earned after the completion of the extension period is entered into both GPA calculation and the student academic record.

T = Transfer Credit Accepted

Students’ completed courses from other institutions that are transferred to Richmindale College are indicated with the grade of “T”. The grade is not calculated in the GPA.

R = Repeated Course

Repeated courses are recorded with the grade of “R”. Only the highest grade of a repeated course appears in the student academic record and transcripts with an asterisk symbol “*” added after the grade that indicates the grade earned is in a repeated course, and is used in calculating the GPA.

A student may challenge a final course grade if there is clear and credible evidence of arbitrary or unprofessional grading. Individual assignment grades must be handled between the student and the faculty member for the course.

The following policies and procedures apply to all grade challenges: