Grades and Attendance

Attendance

Students are expected to attend every class and laboratory period for which they have registered. Regular class attendance is necessary for students to receive maximum benefit from their classes. Excused absences for participation in authorized campus activities will in no way lessen your responsibility for meeting the requirements of the class. As regular attendance is expected of each student in each course, instructors may impose appropriate penalties on students who enroll but fail to attend a class regularly.

For each grade received at Southwestern Michigan College a certain number of grade-points are earned – the better the grade, the more grade-points earned. The grading system and the method of computing a Grade Point Average (GPA) are explained below.

Note: The grading system and standards for acceptable academic performance for nursing courses are published in the School of Nursing Student Handbook and are mandatory for all nursing students.

Passing grades include A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, and D-. Non-passing grades include: W- Withdrawal, I-Incomplete, X-Audit and CP-Continuing Progress (in Developmental courses only). All students will be awarded a final letter grade for coursework taken.

Academic Honors

Students who achieve extraordinary success in their studies during a given term will be recognized according to the following categories:

• To be eligible for Academic Honors, the student must be enrolled as a full-time student (12 or more credit hours).
• To achieve the “President’s List” of honor, a student must attain a Grade Point Average (GP) of 4.0 “Dean’s List” honorees must earn a minimum GPA of 3.5.

If invited, the student may also join the Sigma Psi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for students in colleges that offer the Associate degree. To be eligible, you must be enrolled in a certificate or degree program and earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Schedule Adjustment Period

During the registration period and before the last day to drop deadlines for semester-length, early end and mid-semester classes, students may drop classes through SMC Self-Service in SMC Wired. Grades for classes dropped during the Scheduled Adjustment period are not recorded. The time periods are reduced proportionately for special sessions and shorter length courses.

However, should the student believe that circumstances merit special consideration in regard to their record, students at both the Dowagiac campus and Niles Area Campus, can submit a written petition to any of the following college officials:

• The instructor of the class or classes for which a drop is desired
• The appropriate academic dean or advisors in Academic Support
• Niles Area Campus Administrative Office

Normally, from the beginning of the eighth week of classes through the end of the semester, withdrawals are not authorized and a letter grade, or Incomplete and Audit, will be recorded.

However, from the end of the Late Registration Period to the end of the seventh week of classes, a grade of W may be entered for courses dropped. A Withdrawal grade will be recorded for authorized withdrawals. The W grade is not averaged in the computation of the student’s cumulative grade point average.

Grade Changes

If a student believes an error has been made in the assignment of a grade, the student must initiate contact with the faculty member involved within 90 days of the end of the semester of which the grade was assigned.

If the student is unable to contact the faculty member, contact the department chair person or the office of the dean of the division in which the course is offered.

If the student fails to act within the 90-day period, the student will no longer be eligible for further consideration of the matter.

Grade Reports

Grade reports are issued at the end of each regular term and are mailed to your permanent home address. Grade reports are included in the student’s permanent transcripts at the conclusion of each academic semester.