Grade Guidelines

TBCC Policy No. 431

The traditional grading system uses “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” “F,” “P”, “NP,” and “I” as defined under Grade Definitions. A change to the student’s enrollment option is available at any time before the published deadlines for the quarter by completing the approved process. The Faculty Curriculum Committee specifies grading options for courses, degrees and certificates. Transfer students should be aware that four-year institutions limit the number of pass/no pass credits that may be applied to a degree and frequently recalculate the student’s grade point average by weighing each “P” as if it were a “C” or “D,” and each “NP” as if it were an “F” from the traditional enrollment option.  

Grade definitions; 

A Superior.   Honor grade indicating excellence. Earned as a result of a combination of some or all of the following as outlined by the Faculty in the course syllabus: superior examination scores, consistently accurate and prompt completion of assignments, ability to deal resourcefully with abstract ideas, and/or superior mastery of pertinent skills. Additional considerations include probable success in a field relating to the subject and/or probable continued success in subsequent courses. 

B Above average.   Honor grade indicating competence. Earned as a result of a combination of some or all of the following as outlined by the Faculty in the course syllabus: high examination scores, accurate and prompt completion of assignments, ability to deal well with abstract ideas, commendable mastery of pertinent skills. Additional considerations include probable continued success in subsequent courses. 

C Average.   Standard college grade indicating successful performance earned as a result of a combination of some or all of the following as outlined by the Faculty in the course syllabus: satisfactory examination scores, generally accurate and prompt completion of assignments, ability to deal with abstract ideas, fair mastery of pertinent skills.  Additional considerations include sufficient evidence of ability to succeed in subsequent courses. 

D Substandard but receiving credit.   Substandard grade indicating the Student has met only minimum requirements as outlined by the Faculty in the course syllabus. Earned as a result of some or all of the following: low examination scores, generally inaccurate, incomplete or late assignments, inadequate grasp of abstract ideas, barely acceptable mastery of pertinent skills, insufficient evidence of ability to succeed in subsequent courses. Does not satisfy requirements for entry into courses where prerequisites are specified. 

F Failure.   Non-passing grade indicating failure to meet minimum requirements as defined by the Faculty in the course syllabus. Earned as a result of some or all of the following: non-passing examination scores, inaccurate, incomplete or late assignments, failure to cope with abstract ideas, inadequate mastery of pertinent skills. Does not satisfy requirements for entry into courses where prerequisites are specified. Faculty must record the last date attended for students who earn an “F.”  

P Pass.   Acceptable performance. A grade of “P” represents satisfactory achievement which would have been graded “C” or better on the traditional grading scale. The “P” grade is disregarded in the computation of Tillamook Bay Community College grade point average. This grade is available only when a student has selected the pass/no pass option prior to the published drop or withdrawal deadlines for the quarter.  

NP No Pass.   Unacceptable performance. A grade of “NP” represents unsatisfactory achievement which would have been graded “D” or lower under the traditional grading system. The “NP” grade is disregarded in the computation of the grade point average. Faculty must record the last date attended for students who earn an “NP.” This grade is available only when a student has selected the pass/no pass option prior to the published drop or withdrawal deadlines for the quarter.  

SC Satisfactory completion.   Mark used when a student satisfactorily completes continuing education units (CEUs). 

NSC Not satisfactory completion.   Mark used when a student does not satisfactorily complete continuing education units (CEUs). 

I Incomplete.   At the time the final course grades are recorded, the Faculty may, with the consent of the student, record an “I” mark and grant additional time for the completion of a minor but essential requirement for the student who is otherwise making satisfactory progress. If no replacement grade for an “I” mark is provided within one calendar year, the “I” mark will automatically be changed to an “F” or “NP” (depending on the grade option chosen by the student).  This mark does not entitle a student to repeat a course without paying tuition.  

W Withdrawal.   This mark is to be used only by Student Services when the student has completed the official withdraw process prior to the published drop or withdrawal deadlines for the quarter. 

CIPR Course in Progress, Re-Register.   A mark used only for designated classes. This may include courses in modular or self-paced programs. This mark may also be used in a skills based course to indicate that the student has not attained the skills required to advance to the next level. If the course is not completed within a year, the “CIPR” changes to an “AUD” (Audit) on the transcript unless the course was repeated and a grade earned.  

CIP Course in Progress.   A mark used only for designated classes in modular or self-paced programs that do not conform to the normal academic calendar. If the course is not completed within a year, the “CIP” changes to an “F” or “NP” (based on the student’s prior enrollment option choice) on the transcript unless the course was repeated and a grade earned. A student does not need to re-register for the course.  

AUD Audit. This mark may be used only by Student Services. The “AUD” mark, when allowed, permits a student to attend a course without receiving a grade or credit for the course even though tuition and fees must be paid. To be assigned an “AUD” mark, a student must obtain permission from the Faculty and notify Student Services prior to the published drop deadlines. The Faculty Curriculum Committee may specify whether this mark is available for each course. The “AUD” mark does not satisfy requirements for entry into courses where prerequisites are specified.   

NS No Show.  This mark may be assigned by Faculty during the first week of the quarter to indicate that a student has never attended class. These students will be dropped by Student Services.  If Faculty fail to assign an NS mark to students who never attend class, and if those students fail to drop or withdraw before the published deadlines, a grade of F or NP will be assigned according to the enrollment option they selected at registration.  

R Repeated. This mark may only be used by Student Services. See “Repeated Courses.” All grades earned will appear on the transcript. The highest grade earned for a course will be calculated into the GPA; all other grades earned for that course will be excluded from the GPA. If a course can be taken more than once for credit, the oldest grade for that course will be excluded only when the repeat limit is exceeded. 

A student’s grade point average is calculated in the following way: 

The point value for a grade is multiplied by the number of credit hours earned for that course. Total grade point values are divided by the total number of credit hours taken by the student. 

Grades of “P” and “NP” and marks of “SC,” “NSC,” “I,” “W,” “X” (no longer available for use), “CIP,” “CIPR,” “R,” “NS,” and “AUD” are disregarded in the computation of the grade point average.