Lakeland
Grading System
One measure of the quality of a student’s academic achievement at Lakeland is the letter grade earned for courses attempted. Each letter grade has a “grade point” value which is considered in calculating the “grade point average,” commonly referred to as the student’s GPA. Lakeland uses a “four-point” system in calculating the student’s GPA, and this calculation occurs at the end of each semester through the use of the following simple formula:
Grade Point Average = Total number of grade points earned divided by the GPA hours
Lakeland’s letter grade system includes 19 grades, only 6 of which affect the GPA:
| A | 4 grade points per credit hour |
| B | 3 grade points per credit hour |
| C | 2 grade points per credit hour |
| D | 1 grade point per credit hour |
| F | 0 grade points per credit hour |
| FNA | 0 grade points per credit hour |
| S/U | Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (not calculated in GPA) S = “C” grade or better |
| SA | Satisfactory earned “A” if grades were issued (not calculated in GPA) |
| SB | Satisfactory earned “B” if grades were issued (not calculated in GPA) |
| SC | Satisfactory earned “C” if grades were issued (not calculated in GPA) |
| UD | Unsatisfactory earned “D” if grades were issued (not calculated in GPA) |
| UF | Unsatisfactory earned “F” if grades were issued (not calculated in GPA) |
| UFNA | Unsatisfactory because of nonattendance (not calculated in GPA) |
| V | Audit (not calculated in GPA) |
| I | Incomplete (not calculated in GPA) |
| W | Withdrawal (not calculated in GPA) |
| AW | Administrative withdrawal (not calculated in GPA) |
| NA | No grade available (not calculated in GPA) |
| UNA | No grade available (not calculated in GPA) in a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory course |
The following example will illustrate how to calculate a GPA. Assume a student attempted five courses and earned the grades indicated below:
| Course | Course Credit Hour Value | Grade Earned | Points Earned |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 4 x | A (4 grade points)= | 16 |
| #2 | 3 x | B (3 grade points)= | 9 |
| #3 | 5 x | C (2 grade points)= | 10 |
| #4 | 2 x | F (0 grade points)= | 0 |
Total: 14 course credit hour value and 35 points earned
35/14 = 2.5 GPA
A description of each letter grade used in the Lakeland grading system is noted below:
| A | Indicates excellent academic performance, including consistent mastery of facts and concepts and a thorough understanding of course content. |
| B | Indicates good academic performance, including high-level mastery of course content. |
| C | Indicates average academic performance, including average mastery of course content. |
| D | Indicates marginal academic performance, with poor mastery of course content. |
| F | Indicates very poor performance in demonstrating even minimal mastery of course content. No course credit is given for this grade. |
| FNA | FNA indicates failure for nonattendance. No course credit is given for this grade. FNA grades will not be petitionable for refund purposes. |
| UFNA | UFNA indicates failure for nonattendance in a course taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) basis. No course credit is given for this grade. UFNA grades will not be petitionable for refund purposes. |
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U)
Students may choose to take some courses on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) basis. A maximum of ten satisfactory/unsatisfactory semester credit hours may be applied toward an associate degree, and only one course per semester may be taken as satisfactory/unsatisfactory. Credit(s) will be granted (recorded as an “S” on the student’s transcript) for courses taken with this option if a “C” grade or better was earned.
The request to take a course on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) basis must be submitted to Lakeland's Student Service Center by the end of the fourth week of the semester. This option may not be changed to a letter grade.
Audit (V)
Auditing a course means that the student registers for the course, pays the instructional and general fees, but receives no grades or credit. The student is expected to attend class and participate in class discussion or lab activities, but does not take any examinations. A symbol of “V” will appear on the student’s transcript, indicating the course was taken as audit.
The request to take a course as an audit (V) basis must be submitted to Lakeland's Student Service Center by the end of the first week of the semester. This option may not be changed to a letter grade.
Incomplete Grade (I)
An incomplete grade may be requested by a student who is progressing satisfactorily in a course, but for reasons beyond his/her control (e.g., illness, employment, death in the family), has not completed all requirements for the course when final grades are submitted by the instructor. An incomplete grade may not be used to allow a student extra time to avoid failing a course.
During the fall and spring semesters, the student may request an incomplete grade to their instructor by the end of the sixteenth week of the semester, but no earlier than the thirteenth week.
During the summer term, alternative schedules govern the incomplete grade request process. In the five-week summer terms, the student may request an incomplete grade in the fourth or fifth week; in the eight-week summer terms, the student may request an incomplete grade in the sixth, seventh, or eighth week.
The student must complete all conditions established by the instructor by the end of the following academic semester. (A student receiving an incomplete grade at the end of spring or summer terms must complete all conditions by the end of the following fall semester.) Upon the student’s completion of these conditions, the instructor will change the incomplete grade to the earned final grade. If the student fails to complete the necessary conditions within the prescribed time limit, the incomplete grade will automatically be changed to an “F” grade on the student’s record.
Deans are authorized to convert an incomplete grade into a final grade in cases where instructors have severed connections with the college.
Withdrawal (W)
The notation of “W” will be made on the transcript for students who withdraw from any class.
Administrative Withdrawal (AW)
Students will be administratively withdrawn from any class in which they are enrolled and have not attended during the first two weeks of the semester. Administrative withdrawals will occur at the beginning of the 3rd week of classes at 50 percent refund (or during the first 20 percent of a flexibly scheduled class). A grade of an "AW" will be issued.
Not Available (NA)
The notation of “NA” will be made to indicate that no grade is available from the instructor. When the instructor submits the grade, the “NA” grade will be changed to the appropriate letter grade.
Repeating Coursework
When a course is repeated, the best/highest grade earned will be used for the purpose of calculating the student's cumulative point average. All grade attempts will remain on the transcript. Repeated courses are treated in different ways by colleges to which a student might transfer. Students should check with these colleges to understand fully how repeated courses will be treated on the transcript.
Students receiving financial aid should check with Lakeland's Financial Aid Office to determine if a repeated course is aid eligible.
Grade Reports
Grade reports will be available online through student myLakeland accounts or can be mailed upon student request.
Grade Appeals
Grade appeals must be submitted to the course instructor. Requests for grade changes will be considered only during the term immediately following the one in which the grade was assigned with the exception of grades assigned during the spring semester which may be changed during the following summer or fall term.