GRADES

Lorraine Anderson, District Dean, Admissions and Records 951-222-8649

Attendance, Final Grade and Positive Attendance Rosters are official records; they may be subpoenaed by the courts and are subject to audit. Accepting an assignment to teach includes accepting the responsibility for accurate and timely grade and attendance records.  All records are subject to audit.

GRADING STANDARDS

Board Policy 5050 - Grading Standards – Title V state regulations and RCCD Board of Trustees Policy 5050 addresses grading standards, incomplete grades, credit/no credit classes, credit by examination, grade changes, and a number of other related issues.

To ensure that students transferring to four-year universities and colleges are properly prepared, the College discourages grade inflation. The grade "A" is reserved for excellence. The "good" student who is doing better than average work is a "B" student. Average students receive a "C" and below average a "D;" the "F" reflects a failing grade. A class distribution will most likely show more "Cs" than "Bs" and more "Bs" than "As." The "W" is assigned to a student who drops a course or who is dropped by the instructor from 30% of the class meetings up to 75% of the class meetings. After this time a letter grade must be assigned.

If reinstatement of a student who dropped or was dropped from the class occurs after final grades have been printed you must fill out a Request for Final Grade After Term Has Ended and turn it in with final grades and attendance records. Reinstatement after Final Grade Rosters have been printed is allowed but strongly discouraged. (Form is available from Admissions or the Dean of Instruction.

Final Grade, Positive Attendance Rosters, and any Incomplete Contracts must be submitted online at WebAdvisor no later than five (5) days after the course. Attendance rosters should be turned into the Instructional Department Specialist (IDS) who will forward the rosters to Admissions.  Attendance rosters on file provide the college with additional documentation in cases where students appeal grades.  Accepting an assignment to teach includes accepting the responsibility for accurate and timely records. Instructors should keep a photocopy of these records for reference. Instructors working online on WebAdvisor should print out a copy before clicking the “Submit” button.

Incomplete Grade Contract - The grading policy governing the Incomplete Contract is covered by Title V state regulations. It is also addressed in Board Policy 5050. The "I" is a non-evaluative symbol, and its use is highly restricted.

Title V state regulations define the symbol "I" as "Incomplete academic work for unforeseeable, emergency and justifiable reason at the end of the term." The "I" grade is given only in cases in which a student is doing passing work, but is unable to complete the requirements for the course during the semester due to an emergency in the last few weeks of school. It may be necessary for the instructor involved to indicate to an auditor the nature of the student emergency which prompted the incomplete grade.

Faculty choose either I/B, I/C,I/D, I/F,or I/NP on the WebAdvisor grade Rosters. If the student does not complete the work in a year the “I” will automatically change to the grade indicated.  
Faculty must also submit an Incomplete Contract online (see WebAdvisor menu).  This contract shall contain the conditions for removal of the "I" and the alternate grade to be assigned if the conditions are not met. If the instructor is adjunct or does not plan to be on campus for the year assignments, examinations and grading rubric must be submitted to the department.
An email will be sent to the student’s RCC email address informing him/her that the contract can be viewed on WebAdvisor.

Students have one year following the term end to make up the Incomplete.  Adjunct instructors and instructors who swill be on leave the next term must turn in assignments, exams, and attendance forms with a copy of the contract to the Instructional Department Specialist (IDS).  Students cannot be asked to repeat the course, to make up hours missed, or to complete major portions of the course requirements.

If the student has completed the requirements specified in the contract the instructor submits a Student Grade Change on WebAdvisor. This must be done no later than one year after the term ends.

Posting Grades - Grades must not be posted. Faculty may use a self-addressed stamped envelope provided by the student to inform students of their grades. Grades are available to students on WebAdvisor and Phone Reg as soon as they are scanned or submitted online.

Pass No/Pass Classes (formerly Credit No/Credit)
Discipline faculty are responsible for determining the appropriate Pass No/Pass option for each course. All sections of the course must be offered in the same manner. Courses may be offered for Pass No/Pass in any of the following categories and will be specified in the catalog. These are:

1. Courses in which all students are evaluated on a Pass No/Pass basis.
2. Courses in which each student has the option to individually elect grade evaluation or Pass No/Pass. Students electing this option must submit a Pass No/Pass form to the Admissions office no later than 30% of the class meetings.
3. All units earned on a Pass No/Pass basis in accredited California institutions of higher education or equivalent out-of-state institutions shall be counted in satisfaction of community college curriculum and graduation requirements.

Units earned on a Pass No/Pass basis shall not be used to calculate grade point averages. However, units attempted for which NP is recorded shall be considered in probation and subject to dismissal procedures.

Credit-by-Examination - The credit by exam process is delineated by Board Policy on Grading Standards (Board Policy 5050). Credit by examination is approved on a very limited basis. Only students who have completed 12 units at Riverside Community College with an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better and are actively enrolled in the term in which they wish to petition for crediting exam are eligible for credit by exam.

Students may request credit by examination by completing a Petition for Credit by Exam, available at the Admissions offices. This petition must be approved by the department chair and the campus Dean of Instruction prior to any examination arrangements. In general, the procedure involves multiple assessments of the student's knowledge and skill mastery. The credit by exam policy and procedure is included in the College catalog.

The Credit-By-Examination procedure is different for foreign languages.

Credit-By-Examination (Foreign Languages)

1. In order to apply for Credit-By-Examination in a foreign language, student must assess his/her level to determine the highest level class he/she can enroll in. For Spanish, student takes the assessment test offered at the Assessment Center to determine the highest level he/she can enroll in. [Call 222-8440 (Riverside), 571-6792 (MV), 372-7156 (Norco), 222-8832 (ASL) for dates and to sign up]. For other languages check with the foreign language department for testing procedures.
2. After enrolling in a higher level class, the student may apply for credit for a lower level course. Student must submit the Foreign Language Credit-By Examination form to the Student Services Specialist in Admissions who will check to be sure student meets criteria: (2.0 G.P.A., currently enrolled in a higher level course, 12 units completed).
3. If approved, student pays applicable fees and turns in the form. Fees are non-refundable and are good only for the current term.
4. Student Services Specialist retains the form until the end of the term.
5. After the student completes the class with a grade of “C” or better the Credit-By-Examination form is returned to the foreign language department along with an unofficial transcript to show proof of achievement.
6. The department completes the Credit-By-Examination form indicating that student may receive credit for the lower level course. Department returns form to Admissions.
7. Admissions and Records on the Riverside campus posts credit.
8. Admissions and Records sends a copy of the form to the student, the department and retains a copy of the form for the files.
9. Student must fill out a new request for each additional class in following semesters. Requests are limited to the three consecutive semesters following enrollment in the higher-level class.

 Grade Changes

1. In any course for which grades are awarded, the instructor of the course shall determine the grade to be awarded to each student. The determination of the student's grade by the instructor shall be final in the absence of mistake, fraud, bad faith, or incompetency. Procedures for the correction of grades given in error shall exclude expunging the incorrect grade from the record.

2. The student has one year following the term in which the grade was recorded to request a change of grade. After the one year time limit, the grade is no longer subject to change. The student must file an Extenuating Circumstance Petition (ECP) with appropriate documentation at the Admissions office.  Petitions that have grade appeals are sent to the instructor for approval or disapproval.

3. When grade changes are made in accordance with the District's policy on course repetition and academic renewal, appropriate annotations of any course repeated shall be entered on the student's permanent academic record in such a manner that it remains legible, ensuring a true and complete academic history.

4. Instructor submits a Student Grade Change on WebAdvisor.