Grading System

Per UWF REG 3.031, grades will be reported in the following manner:

**

Grade not included when computing the GPA.

Student teaching, practica, and special courses are graded as satisfactory or unsatisfactory ("S" or "U"). "S" grades are equivalent to a “C” average or better. Other courses at the undergraduate level only may be taken under a pass or fail ("P" or "F") option. Pass or Fail (P/F) grades are not utilized for graduate courses.

In computation of the required grade point average (GPA) for academic standing and conferral of a degree, the total number of quality points (grade points multiplied by course semester hour credits) is divided by the total number of semester hours for which letter grades are received (see the Grading System for grade points table above). All academic requirements tied to a specific grade average should be interpreted to mean the numerical average associated with that specific grade. Hence, the required “C average or better” is interpreted as a “2.0 average or better.”

Coursework completed in any student classification (including non-degree) will be included in the undergraduate or graduate GPA as determined by the level of the course.

Pass/Fail Grading Option

Per UWF REG 3.031 with the approval of the student’s assigned Academic Advisor, undergraduate students may take selected courses on a Pass/Fail (P/F) basis. The Pass/Fail option may not be used for any University or departmentally required courses.

To utilize the Pass/Fail option the Grade Mode Change form must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the end of the drop/add period for the course part of term. It is the responsibility of the student to understand the restrictions and implications surrounding the usage of Pass/Fail grades.

Students should see their advisors for advice on courses to be taken on a pass/fail basis. Courses taken with the pass/fail option may not be used to fulfill General Education requirements, other University requirements, or to fulfill the student’s intended major requirements. However, the foreign language admission requirement may be taken on the pass/fail option.

No more than six semester hours or two courses (whichever is greater in credit) per degree may be taken on a pass/fail basis. A failed course taken on the pass/fail basis counts as part of the maximum six semester hours and is computed in the GPA. Courses graded only on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis are not considered part of the allowable six semester hours of pass/fail.

Students may change from the pass/fail grading system to the conventional letter grade system in any course before the end of the tenth week of the fall or spring semester, or the eighth week of the summer semester for full-term courses. Courses changed from the pass/fail grading system to the conventional letter grade system before the deadline do not count as part of the six semester hours or two courses permitted to be taken on the pass/fail basis.

For all Part of Term (POT) deadlines, please refer to the list below.

Audit Grading

With the approval of the student’s assigned Academic Advisor, students may choose to audit a course using the Grade Mode Change form.  

Instructors are not required to grade the work of students auditing a course. No credit is earned for an audit course. Students may choose to audit a course at the time of registration and through the end of the drop/add period. Provided the instructor of the course gives a signed approval, students may change from the audit to the conventional letter grade system on or before the end of the fourth week of the fall, spring, or summer semester for full-term courses.

For all Part of Term (POT) deadlines, please refer to the list below.

Out-of-State fees are not assessed for audit courses. Out-of-State students changing from audit to the conventional letter grade system will be assessed Out-of-State fees.

**Passed by UWF Faculty Senate: 07/01/1999, 5/12/2006

Grade Point Average (GPA) Types

All three GPA types listed below are reflected on the unofficial and official UWF transcripts.

Institutional/University Cumulative (UWF) GPA

The institutional cumulative (UWF) GPA is the sum of all UWF quality points earned divided by the number of all UWF hours attempted (except for those hours with grades of CR, G, I, I*, NC, P, S, TR, AW, W, WR, X, XX or *, and UWF hours repeated for which the grade forgiveness or term forgiveness policy was subsequently invoked). The resulting quotient is the total institutional cumulative (UWF) GPA.

The UWF cumulative GPA is the determining GPA used for degree completion and conferral of degrees.

Total Transfer GPA

The total transfer GPA is calculated using those courses UWF considers transferable. The sum of quality points earned in transferable courses from other institutions is divided by the number of semester hours transferable from other institutions. The resulting quotient is the total transfer GPA.

Overall Cumulative GPA

The overall cumulative GPA is the sum of all quality points earned at UWF and in transferable courses from other institutions is divided by the number of all UWF hours attempted (except those hours with grades of CR, G, I, I*, NC, P, S, TR, AW, W, WR, X, XX or *, and UWF hours repeated for which the grade forgiveness or term forgiveness policy was subsequently invoked) plus the number of semester hours transferable from other institutions. The resulting quotient is the overall cumulative GPA.

Grade Point Averaging and Deficits

The term average refers to the grade point average (GPA) for work completed in the current or most recent academic program attended at the University of West Florida. Grades received at other institutions are NOT averaged with grades received at the University of West Florida for the purpose of meeting the university/institutional cumulative GPA requirements. Other agencies and honorary societies will compute averages in accordance with their own standards and policies.

Averages are determined by computing the ratio of grade points to semester credits attempted. For the grade point average computation formula, please refer to the example below.

Calculating the Grade Point Average

Grade Point Averages (GPA) are calculated by dividing the total number of Grade Points by the number of Credit Hours enrolled. Each grade has a specific number of points assigned to it:

A: 4.00
A-: 3.70
B+: 3.30
B: 3.00
B-: 2.70
C+: 2.30
C: 2.00
C-: 1.70
D+: 1.30
D: 1.00
F: 0.00

To determine the grade points earned per class, first multiply the points by the number of credit hours.

Example: if you earned a “C” in ENC 1101 (a 3 credit hour course), then you multiply 2 points times 3 credit hours to get 6 grade points.

To determine the total grade points earned per semester, determine the points for each class and add them together for the total grade points that semester.

Example: If you enrolled in 13 credit hours (three 3-hour courses and one 4-hour course) and earned a “B”, a “C”, an “A” in the 3 hour courses, and a “C-” in the 4 hour course this is how you would calculate your total grade points:

A = 4 points * 3 credit hours = 12 grade points

B = 3 points * 3 credit hours = 9 grade points

C = 2 points * 3 credit hours = 6 grade points

C- = 1.70 points * 4 credit hours = 6.8 grade points

Total: 13 credit hours = 33.8 grade points

To determine your grade point average, divide the total grade points by the total credit hours under consideration. From the example above: Divide 33.8 grade points by the 13 credit hours to equal a 2.60 GPA.

Special Notes

Grades of CR (Credit Awarded - Accelerated), G (Deferred - Thesis/Dissertation only), I (Incomplete), I* (Grade Not Reported), NC (No Credit), P (Pass), S (Satisfactory), TR (Withdrawal with full refund), AW (Administrative Withdrawal), W (Withdrawn), WR (Withdrawal and partial refund of fees), X (Audit), XX (No Grade) or * (Withdrawn (W or WF not yet reported) do not impact your GPA. Do not include the credit hours for these courses in your credit hour total for calculating GPA.

A grade of F, NF, or U is equal to 0.00 points.

*Unresolved Incomplete grades automatically will be changed to “F” by the Office of the Registrar.

Final Examinations

Exams are scheduled during the Final Examination week of the fall and spring semesters and may be scheduled on a Saturday. Final exams for summer are scheduled by the instructor. It is the student's responsibility to review the final exam schedule and know when/where the exam may occur (see the Academic Calendar).

Review the Final Exam schedule for more information. 

Access to Grades

Enrolled students may access their final grades via the Student Records menu in MyUWF after grades are due (see Academic Calendar).

Grade Changes

Grade changes will only be allowed up to the end of the following semester (defined as the last day of finals) that a student has completed a course. Once a student has graduated from UWF, a grade change will not be allowed for courses taken before degree conferral. Exceptions may be considered for extenuating circumstances with the required approvals.

Grades of Incomplete

An incomplete (“I”) grade signifies that all course requirements have not been met. If circumstances exist beyond the control of the student, as determined by the instructor, the following applies:

• The instructor may assign a grade of “I,” provided the student has satisfactorily completed at least 70 percent of the course requirements and the student has a grade of at least "C–" or "S" (satisfactory) in coursework up to that point in time. Students who receive an involuntary call to active military duty should consult with their instructors.
• The “I” becomes an “F” at the end of the next regular semester (summer excluded) unless the grade is changed by the instructor to a letter grade “A-F.” The student is responsible for contacting the department for a grade change or extension prior to the end of the last instructional day of that semester. Instructors may approve extensions only for extenuating circumstances and only for a maximum of 12 months.
• Students receiving grades of incomplete should not re-register for courses in which an “I” has been assigned.
• When assigning an incomplete grade “I,” instructors should complete a “Report on Assignment of Incomplete Grade.” This will assist students in understanding the requirements for completing a course, and it will provide necessary information in the event the instructor is not available to monitor the completion of the requirements.
• An “I” grade will be converted to an “F” grade upon graduation if no other grade is submitted. Students may not graduate with an outstanding “I” grade. Graduated students having an “I,” which was converted to an automatic “F” or other incomplete grade for a course, may have the grade changed to a letter grade within one year after receiving a degree. To change the grade, the student must complete the required work, and the course instructor must submit the appropriate grade change form through the chairperson and the dean. For the purposes of honors designation*, the grade change that replaces an incomplete grade subsequent to a student’s receiving a degree will not change the student’s baccalaureate honors associated with the degree. The student’s transcript will be annotated to show that the course requirements were completed after graduation.

*Honors designation only applies to undergraduate students.

Repeated Courses

Undergraduate Students

A student may receive credit for a course only once regardless of how many times it is taken in transfer or at UWF. All attempts at UWF count in the GPA unless grade forgiveness is used (see Grade Forgiveness). Per AC-34.04, the Undergraduate Student Progress to Degree policy, the highest grade will be counted for credit. Students may not repeat a course for which they earned a grade of "C" or above.

Graduate Students

A student may receive credit for a course only once regardless of how many times it is taken in transfer or at UWF. All attempts at UWF count in the GPA. The most recent attempt (regardless of grade) of the course counts toward meeting degree requirements. 

Grade Forgiveness Option

Per UWF AC-34.04, Undergraduate Student Progress to Degree Policy, Grade Forgiveness and Repeat Courses Grade Forgiveness is allowed three times within the undergraduate career. Grade Forgiveness is only for students in their first baccalaureate degree and for the same UWF course for which a previous grade has been earned. Grade Forgiveness does not extend to courses taught at another institution transferred for credit at UWF. The highest grade will be counted for credit. Students may not repeat a course for which they earned a grade of "C" or above.

All grades will remain on the student's official transcript. The original course grade will be annotated to indicate that the course has subsequently been repeated, and the repeat course grade will be annotated on the transcript containing explanations the course was repeated. The original grade will not be computed in the GPA or included in hours earned except in a case in which the student withdraws from the repeated course or takes an incomplete grade.

The Office of the Registrar automatically applies the Grade Forgiveness to all eligible course repeats at the end of each semester, including the summer semester, after all grades are posted. Grade Forgiveness will not be processed after a student graduates.

To Opt Out of Grade Forgiveness

A student may petition to have a repeated course not be granted Grade Forgiveness by submitting a Grade Forgiveness Exception Request. Petitions must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar, two weeks prior to the end of the semester in which the course is repeated.

Course Substitutions for Grade Forgiveness

A different, but similar course may be used if the course for substitution is approved by the student’s advisor, department chair, and college dean. Requests must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by filling out the Grade Forgiveness Substitution Request.

Option to Rescind a Grade Forgiveness

A student may decide that an automatically applied grade forgiveness option is something they do not want utilized for a particular course. If that is the case a student should consider all effects of rescinding an applied grade forgiveness as it will affect their GPA. To request that an automatically applied grade forgiveness be rescinded the student should fill out the Grade Forgiveness Exception Request and submit it to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@uwf.edu for processing.

Grade Forgiveness Restrictions

Grade forgiveness is restricted to undergraduate degree-seeking students in their first baccalaureate degree. Grade forgiveness is limited to courses numbered 1000-4999, in which grades are recorded on an "A-F" scale, including an "NF."

As provided in UWF Reg 3.030 (Student Code of Academic Conduct), Grade Forgiveness will not be applied to a course in which a student has been found responsible for a violation of the Academic Misconduct Code resulting in a sanction of "F" in the course.

Students under the G.I. Bill®

G.I. Bill® students and others receiving Veterans Administration educational benefits are advised that the forgiveness of any grade other than an unsatisfactory grade must be reported to the V.A. and may result in the retroactive reduction of benefits for the semester for which the forgiven grade was originally assigned. An unsatisfactory grade may be forgiven without similar consequences. Notify the UWF Military and Veterans Resource Center (MVRC) when utilizing the forgiveness option.

No Credit (NC) Grades

For undergraduate FTIC students entering Fall 2022 or later, per UWF REG 3.031**, a No Credit (NC) grade will be applied to grades of “D” or “F” in any General Education course taken within one year of their first enrollment date subject to the following parameters:

• The NC grade may be applied a maximum of four (4) times. 

• NC grades count in the calculation of excess hours and credits attempted.

• NC grades are not calculated in the student’s GPA.

• Application of the NC grade does not exclude students from Academic Standing for Warning, Probation, Suspension, and Dismissal. Determinations of academic standing under UWF REG 3.008 are based upon the original letter grade (i.e., “D” or “F”) rather than the NC grade.

• NC grades are not applicable to repeated courses. 

• NC grades are not applicable in cases where students are found responsible for academic misconduct. 

• The Office of the Registrar will automatically apply NC grades at the end of the term. Students who desire to have their original grade reflected on their transcript must appeal to the Office of the Registrar. 

**Passed by Faculty Senate 05/13/2022

For students using VA Benefits

If you receive an NC grade you could receive a debt from the VA for tuition and fees and for housing funds received on any course that receives the NC grade paid for or to you by the VA.

If you would like to opt-out of the NC Policy, you can contact the Military & Veterans Resource Center (MVRC) at 850-474-2550 or by email at mvrc@uwf.edu and ask to be connected to the Mentor Coordinator. They will put a hold on your account and you will not have grades turned into NC. 

Know by opting out of the NC Policy you will receive the letter grade, and your GPA will calculate with that grade. If you opt out and would like to change your decision you can contact the Mentor Coordinator and ask for the hold to be removed.

From the VA SCO Handbook

Non-Punitive Grades - End Of Term (38 CFR 21.4203(c)): A non-punitive grade is a grade that does not count as earned credit and that does not affect progress standards for graduation.