Grading Policy

Attendance

Students are expected to be punctual and attend all courses in which they are enrolled. Students may be dropped by the instructor for failure to attend class in the following circumstances:

1) Failure to attend first class meeting.
2) Absence from two consecutive weeks of instruction.
3) At any point when it is concluded that absences have irretrievably affected the student’s progress in their coursework.

Grades should not be used as punishment for absences. However, academic grades may be lowered to the degree that instructors can estimate the loss of cognitive, affective, or skills learning due to student absences.

Equally, students can expect the instructors also to be punctual in their attendance. Instructors have a professional obligation to enforce this institutional policy within the dictates of their particular courses and within the bounds of professional discretion.

If a cancellation notice for that meeting has not been posted and the instructor has not arrived, students are automatically dismissed without penalty 15 minutes after the scheduled course starting time. If a course session started late, the instructor should still dismiss as scheduled.

To protect student rights against instructor error and opportunity and to explain mitigating circumstances, the due process of appeal will follow this order:

1) To the instructor;
2) If necessary, to the instructor and appropriate Dean;
3) In unusual cases, to the instructor, appropriate Dean and the President.

All courses have a final examination appropriate to the type of course.

Grading

The evaluation in college-level courses is a prime responsibility of the instructor. Such evaluation involves the measurements of achievement against the objectives of the course and the assignment of a grade to denote the student’s degree of success.

The grade, as submitted by the instructor, shall be considered final and permanent. Grades cannot be changed by submitting additional course work or taking examinations after the semester (or term) is completed. Under state law, the instructor’s determination is final unless the grade given was the result of 1) mistake, 2) fraud, 3) bad faith, or 4) incompetency. (Ed Code Section 76224.)

No grade may be challenged more than one year after the end of the session in which the grade was assigned. For information on the Policy regarding grade challenges, contact the Student Affairs Center, Room 800A, Ext. 199.

Final Grades

Final grades can be accessed at the end of a term, immediately following instructor grade-entry online.
Students can learn their final grades by visiting the college web site, www.losmedanos.edu. Go into the student menu on InSite and click on “Grades”.

Honors Status

Honors Status & Dean's List
Notation of the academic achievement of honors status is printed on the student's record.

Full-time students who achieve a term grade point average of 3.0 or better in 12 or more units of graded courses in the fall or spring term are also recognized on the Dean’s List for that term. The Dean’s List is not available during the summer term.

Students who have been approved for Reduced Course Load of 6 or more units of graded courses who achieve a term grade point average of 3.0 or better and complete their approved number of units are also recognized on the Dean’s List for that term.

Graduation with Honors
Students who achieve an overall grade point average of 3.5 or better for all coursework applied to the degree at the time of graduation are recognized with honors status. Notation of this academic achievement is printed on the student’s permanent record, on the diploma and in the graduation program.

Alpha Gamma Sigma (AGS) is the academic honor society and service organization of the California Community Colleges. Initial membership is attained by completing 12 units with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0.

All life members of the California Scholastic Federation and those who graduated high school with a 3.5 gpa are also eligible for temporary membership during their first semester at LMC.

Permanent AGS status is achieved by maintaining active involvement in our chapter and a high GPA. Permanent membership is noted on the student’s official college transcript.

For further information, contact the AGS Advisor.

Evaluative Symbols/Grading Scale

Symbol	Definition	Grade Points
A	Excellent	4
B	Good	3
C	Satisfactory	2
D	Passing, less than satisfactory	1
F	Failing	0
P	Pass (at least satisfactory -- C or better )	Units awarded not counted in GPA
NP	No Pass (less than satisfactory or failing)	Units not counted in GPA
SP	Satisfactory Progress (Non-Credit)	Not counted in GPA

Pass/No Pass Grade Option

The purpose of the pass/no pass (P/NP) option is to allow students to take challenging courses while avoiding undue concern for their grade point averages. Students who select this option are, however, expected to complete the course, comply with attendance requirements, and comply with all other requirements of the course.

Selected courses have been labeled with “SC” to indicate student choice for the P/NP option. If students do not choose the P/NP option before the deadline, they will be issued a letter grade for the course. It is often best to discuss this choice with a counselor.

In order to exercise this option, a petition must be filed using the LMC Student Forms tile at the time of registration or no later than the published deadline. Petitions for summer session and short-term courses must be filed by the deadline published. After the deadline has passed, the grading choice may not be reversed.

Important Information related to the P/NP option

A "P" grade represents a letter grade of A, B, or C.
A "NP" grade represents a D or F letter grade.
Units earned on a" P/NP" basis will not be used to calculate grade point averages.
Units attempted for which "NP" is recorded will be considered in factoring probation and dismissal status.
Units earned on a "P/NP" basis will apply to the 60 units required for an associate degree.
Students should be aware that other colleges and universities may or may not limit the number of "P" units that will be accepted from transfer students.

Los Medanos College offers:

1) Some courses solely for a pass/no pass (P/NP) grade.
2) Some courses solely for a standard letter grade.
3) Some courses in which the student may choose to complete the course for either a pass/no pass (P/NP) grade OR a standard letter grade (SC).

Courses offered as “P/NP” or “SC” are identified in the course description section of the catalog.

Non-Evaluative Symbols

Incomplete: Incompletes will be given only in the event of an unforeseeable emergency and justifiable reasons at the end of a term; student must be passing course to be eligible for incomplete; student cannot re-enroll in the course to complete pending assignments, projects or exams. A final grade is assigned when the work has been completed or after one year, unless a petition for time extension has been approved by the Director of Admissions & Records.

IP In Progress: The course extends beyond the end of the academic term. The grade and credit is assigned on the student’s record for the term in which the course is completed.

RD Report Delayed: A temporary notation to be replaced by a permanent symbol.

W Withdrawal: A withdrawal reported to the Admissions Office during the first four weeks of instruction (or 30 per cent of instruction in summer intersession and short-term classes) is recorded as a “W”’ but is not printed on the student’s official academic record.

Between the end of the fourth week of instruction and the end of the fourteenth week of instruction (or 31-75 per cent of instruction in summer intersession and short-term classes) a drop is noted on the student’s printed academic record as a “W.”

The printed academic record of a student who has not officially withdrawn from a class within the time described above must reflect an authorized symbol other than a “W.” A student with extenuating circumstances may petition for a “W” after the deadline for withdrawal. Extenuating circumstances are verified cases of accident, illness, or other circumstances beyond the control of the student.

Withdrawal and Drop Policy

Upon entering Los Medanos College students assume the responsibility of completing each course in which they are enrolled. Students are advised that adding or withdrawing from a course is their responsibility to process by dropping on InSite.

Withdrawal is not an automatic process. Students who do not attend classes should not assume the instructor has dropped them from a class. Students who do not drop, or are not dropped by the instructor within the first 75% of the course are subject to an ‘F’ grade.

Probation and Dismissal

Definition of Terms
Units Attempted: A, B, C, D, and F (for calculation of GPA).
Units Enrolled: A, B, C, D, F, W, I, P/CR, and NP/NC (for calculation of progress).
Consecutive Semester: The order shown on academic record including summer session.

Academic
Academic Probation: Cumulative GPA under 2.0 with 12 cumulative units attempted.
Removal from Academic Probation: Cumulative GPA 2.0 or better.
Academic Dismissal: Three consecutive semesters of Academic Probation unless most recent semester GPA is 2.0 or higher.

Progress
Progress Probation: With 12 cumulative “units enrolled,” 50 percent or more are W, I, and/or NP/NC.
Removal from Progress Probation: W, I, and/or NP/NC units are less than 50 percent of cumulative “units enrolled.”
Progress Dismissal: Three consecutive semesters of Progress Probation unless most recent semester W’s, I’s, and/or NP/NC’s are under 50 percent of “units enrolled.”

Notification of Probation and Dismissal
Students on probation or dismissal are notified as soon as possible but not later than the end of the following term.

All students receiving a probationary notice will be required to appear for special counseling and advisement before being allowed to register for the semester after receipt of the probationary notice.

Reinstatement for Academic or Progress Dismissal
A student may appeal his/her dismissal status by making an appointment to see a counselor prior to the deadline date that is stated in the letter of notification. The Dean of Student Development will review all appeals for possible reinstatement. If reinstated, a student is subject to continued probation or dismissal policies.

Probation workshops

Credit Accepted at Los Medanos College

Los Medanos College accepts credit from institutions accredited by one of the seven regional accrediting associations or follows the recommendation of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. Transcripts are evaluated when the student requests an evaluation from Admissions & Records.

Military Experience
1) Applicable lower-division credit for verified completion of special military schools, as recommended by Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services, published by American Council on Education.

2) Six elective semester units may be granted toward the associate degree for honorably discharged veterans, provided the elective credit applies toward the student's educational objective. The credit will be granted upon verification of completion of a basic or recruit training program with the United States Armed Forces.

Credit by Examination
Credit by examination may be granted to eligible students, as authorized by California Administrative Code, Title 5, Sections 55002 and 55023, and Board Policy 55050. The credit by examination process provides an alternate means of receiving credit for designated courses offered at Los Medanos College (LMC).

Currently there are no courses approved for credit by exam.

Credit Though High School Articulation
Los Medanos College will grant college credit for courses formally articulated with area high schools in occupation/career areas where articulation agreements have been signed between high schools and Los Medanos College. The students' high school instructors will provide agreed upon information for the college credit.

For a list of currently articulated high school courses, visit:

https://www.losmedanos.edu/highschool/articulation/

Credit by Advanced Placement (AP)
Los Medanos College grants credit toward undergraduate degrees for successful completion of examinations of the Advanced Placement Program of the College Board. The policy for granting credit for specific scores and exams is presented in the table.

Students who participate in this program should indicate at the time they take the Advanced Placement Examination that their scores be sent to Los Medanos College. To obtain credit for Advanced Placement Examinations, students should contact the Admissions & Records Office. Credit may not be earned at Los Medanos College for courses which duplicate credit already allowed for examinations as listed under course equivalents.

Note that credit granted at LMC based on AP scores will not necessarily be accepted at other institutions.

High School Credit
Students may use credit for courses completed at Los Medanos College toward completion of a high school diploma providing the high school agrees to accept the course for such purposes. Responsibility for making equivalency arrangements with the high school rests with the student.

Academic Renewal Without Course Repetition

Substandard grades may be disregarded if they are not reflective of a student’s demonstrated academic ability. In order to request Academic Renewal the student must make an appointment with a counselor to complete the electronic request and follow the directions below. If Academic Renewal is approved, the student’s permanent record will be noted with Academic Renewal comments and the units will be removed. The renewed course(s) will not be removed from the record, as the district is required to show the student’s complete and accurate academic record.

1. Only substandard grades will be renewed.

2. You must not have received any D, F or NC/NP grades since the substandard coursework (minimum 2.0 since substandard work).

3. Up to 30 units may be renewed; district courses can be combined up to the maximum of 30 units, however, each college will adjust their own work.

4. Courses that have already been removed from GPA by course repetition will not be renewed.

5. You must complete one of the following:

a. Nine units of work with a 3.5 cumulative grade point average;

b. 12 units of work with a 3.0 cumulative grade point average;

c. 15 units of work with a 2.5 cumulative grade point average; or

d. 20 units of work with a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.

The unit count begins the semester after the last substandard grade was received. The coursework upon which the application for alleviation is based may have been completed within the Contra Costa Community College District or any other regionally accredited college or university, including upper division coursework.

Procedure to petition for Academic Renewal:

Make an appointment with a counselor.
Students must meet with a counselor to review options to Academic Renewal and get approval as this procedure is irreversible.
If you are using non-district courses to qualify for the units (see item #5 above), official transcripts must be on file in Admissions & Records prior to submitting Academic Renewal.

Rights of Instructors

Los Medanos College instructors have the following rights:

1) The right to drop students who fail to attend the first meeting of any course.

2) The right to deny permission to use a tape recorder in class.

3) The right to send a withdrawal notice when students are absent during three consecutive weeks of instruction or when students are tardy to the degree that classes and learning opportunities are disrupted.

4) The right to send a withdrawal notice at any point that the instructor concludes that absences have irretrievably affected a student’s progress in a course.

5) The right to remove a student from a single course session and one following for conduct disturbing to the class or the instructor.

6) The right to recommend suspension of a student.