The grades A, B, C, D, F are given for each course at the end of the semester and are used to compute the grade point average (GPA). Several other administrative notations may appear on a student’s grade report or transcript. These include: AU (Audit), I (Incomplete), M (Maintaining Progress–used for developmental courses only), N (No Grade), P (Pass), TR (Transfer), or W (Withdrawal).
| Grade Points | Grade Points |
|---|---|
| A = 4.0 | C = 2.0 |
| A- = 3.7 | C‑ = 1.7 |
| B+ = 3.3 | D+ = 1.3 |
| B = 3.0 | D = 1.0 |
| B- = 2.7 | D- = 0.7 |
| C+ = 2.3 | F = 0.0 |
The letter grades shown above, with an additional designator of the # sign, shall also be used for grades awarded to students in developmental courses.
Before the fifth week of classes (as published in the catalog) and after the refund date:
A student who wishes to withdraw from any course must obtain a withdrawal form from the Records Office, fill in and sign the form, obtain the signature of the course instructor, and return the completed form to the Records Office. Grades for courses from which a student withdraws during this time period will be recorded as “W” at the end of the semester.
After the fifth week of classes:
A student who wishes to withdraw from any course must obtain a withdrawal form from the Records Office, fill in and sign the form, obtain the signature of the course instructor, and return the completed form to the Records Office. Grades for courses from which a student withdraws during this time period will be recorded as either “W” or “F”, in accordance with said instructor’s grading policies.
Before the fifth week of classes (as published in the catalog) and after the refund date:
A student who wishes to completely withdraw from Middlesex must notify the Records Office of that intention. The College prefers the student to come in personally and obtain signatures as described above. However, notification may be made in writing. Grades for all courses will be recorded as “W” at the end of the semester.
After the fifth week of classes:
A student who wishes to completely withdraw from Middlesex must obtain a withdrawal form from the Records Office, fill in and sign the form, obtain the signatures of course instructors, and return the completed form to the Records Office. Grades for courses from which a student withdraws during this time period will be recorded as either "W" or "F", in accordance with said instructor's grading policies.
An “incomplete” is a temporary grade assigned by a faculty member when coursework is missing and the student agrees to complete the requirements. Although a student may request an incomplete, the faculty member is not required to honor the request. The faculty member should assign an incomplete when there are extenuating circumstances such as illness that prevent a student from completing the assigned work on time and, in the judgement of the faculty member, the student can complete the remaining work within the time limit established by this policy.
If an incomplete is assigned, the faculty member will set forth in writing a description of the work to be completed, the date by which the work must be submitted (i.e. the end of the tenth week of the next standard semester), and a statement that the Incomplete will change to a specified letter grade if the work is not completed by the due date. An Incomplete will convert to an “F” grade if no make-up grade has been specified.
Students with an Incomplete are temporarily ineligible for semester or graduation honors. Upon conversion of the Incomplete to a letter grade, students may retroactively receive semester or graduation honors and such recognition shall appear on the transcript, provided that the student has earned the required grade point average.Individuals who do not wish to register for credit may register as auditors under the following conditions: regular fees must be paid, the consent of instructor must be obtained, only courses for which there are adequate classroom and laboratory facilities may be audited, and, in the case of full-time students, advisor consent must be obtained. Students enrolled for audit cannot change to credit. All permissions and registrations for auditing courses must be filed in the Records Office.
The privileges of an auditor in a course are specifically limited to attendance and classroom participation. The auditor assumes no obligation to complete any of the coursework and is not expected to involve any of the instructor’s time. In addition, the auditor does not submit any work, is not eligible to take any tests or examinations, and will receive a course grade of “AU,” which signifies no credit.
No course may be repeated more than twice. The highest grade received will be used in calculating the student’s academic average. This does not apply to those courses that are designed to be repeated for additional credit.
Students may elect to be graded on a satisfactory-unsatisfactory basis in any unrestricted elective (appears in the program designs simply as "elective"). The Records Office must be notified of this intention at the time of registration. Grades received in these courses will be entered on the transcript as "P" or "F". Credit towards graduation will be given for no more than four courses taken under this option. Because course transferability may be affected by this option, a student should consult with an advisor prior to choosing this method.
When the instructor of a developmental course, (e.g., ENG*003, ENG*013, MAT*075), wishes to indicate that a student has made progress but has not completed all the needed developmental work, the instructor may issue an “M” (Maintaining Progress) for the course. Please note that remedial/developmental courses do not count towards degree requirements.
Official transcripts of grades will be mailed to students or directly to educational institutions or prospective employers by arrangement with the Records Office. There is a $3.00 fee for each official transcript.
Satisfactory completion of fifty percent of the courses attempted will be the minimum standard for good standing.
Students who have completed 11 or fewer credits whose Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) falls below 1.5 will be given a written warning. Students who have completed between 12 and 30 credits inclusive whose CGPA falls below 1.7, and those who have completed 31 or more credits whose CGPA falls below 1.9, will be given a written notice that they are placed on academic probation.
Students placed on academic probation will be required to take a reduced course load for one semester.
Students who, after being placed on academic probation for one semester and after taking a reduced course load, fail to attain the required CGPA as shown above will be notified in writing that they are suspended for one semester.
After the period of suspension, students may be reinstated, either as regular or probationary students, upon application to the College.
Students are permitted 50 minutes of absence per term for each credit of a course without penalty of any kind. For a course meeting twice a week, two absences are allowed; for a course meeting once a week, one absence is allowed. Absences are meant to assist students through illnesses and accidents; they are not meant to function as free days. The consequences of exceeding these limits are determined by instructors as part of their individual policies. These policies are distributed in all classes at the beginning of each term.
If an instructor is late for class, students are required to wait at least ten minutes before leaving. However, if the instructor has indicated in advance that he or she will be late, students are required to wait until the instructor arrives.
Both plagiarism and cheating are grounds for a student's immediate dismissal from the college. At Middlesex Community College we expect the highest standards of academic honesty. Academic dishonesty is prohibited in accordance with the Board of Trustees' Proscribed Conduct Policy in Section 5.2.1 of the Board of Trustees' Policy Manual. This policy prohibits cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration on assignments, unauthorized access to examinations or course materials, plagiarism, and other proscribed activities. Plagiarism is defined as the use of another's idea(s) or phrase(s) and representing that/those idea(s) as your own, either intentionally or unintentionally." (Board of Trustees' Policy 5.2.1)
In the event of severe illness or other extenuating circumstances, students may appeal their academic standing to the Dean of Learning and Student Development.
Full-time students and part-time students enrolled in three credits or more are eligible for semester honors or Dean’s List. To achieve Dean’s List, a student must have a grade point average of 3.4, have no “W”, and have no Incompletes. In the case of Incompletes, once a grade is assigned upon completion of the coursework (see Incomplete Grade Policy) and a new grade point average calculated, any honors for which a student is eligible may be entered on the student’s record retroactively.
Students should indicate their intention to graduate by filling out the appropriate form in the Records Office no later than April 15 of the academic year in which they intend to graduate.
A student must earn a minimum of 15 semester hours at Middlesex to be eligible for graduation. Further, students entering under this and subsequent catalogs must meet the “L” course and “D” course requirements in order to graduate. (Please see page 60 for additional information on “L” and “D” courses.) Transfer students entering with 30 or more credits are exempt from “L” and “D” course requirements; however, those entering with less than 30 credits are obliged to take one “L” course and one “D” course in order to graduate from Middlesex.
Students may graduate when they have successfully completed an entire curriculum pattern, including the total credits for the pattern, and have earned a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.0 or better. All financial obligations to the college must have been satisfied.
Students who already hold academic degrees may earn second degrees in a different curriculum at a community college. Such students are treated as transfer students with respect to the minimum number of credits they must take for the second degree. Students who wish to earn a second degree from Middlesex Community College will be required to: (1) complete a minimum of 15 credits (25 percent of the minimum requirements for the second degree) beyond the number required for the initial degree, (2) fulfill all second degree requirements, and (3) pay a second graduation fee of if degrees are not received simultaneously.
Honors for exemplary academic achievement are awarded to Connecticut Community College students at the end of each semester and at graduation. On July 23, 2001, the Board of Trustees, in accord with recommendations from college administrators and faculty, adopted a common policy for all colleges in the system that governs the awarding of honors for exemplary academic achievement. This policy includes the following eligibility requirements:
- Semester Honors (Dean's List):
A 3.4 grade point average for the semester (Part-time students enrolled in three credits or more are eligible for semester honors.)
Please note: An official withdrawal or incomplete grade* for any class during the semester will make the student ineligible for semester honors. However, once a grade is assigned upon completion of the coursework in accord with the specific guidelines described below, and a new grade point average calculated, any honors for which the student is eligible may be entered on the student's academic record retroactively.
- Graduation Honors, designated in Latin or English:
3.9 to 4.0 grade point average - Summa Cum Laude or Highest Honors 3.7 to 3.89 grade point average - Magna Cum Laude or High Honors 3.4 to 3.69 grade point average - Cum Laude or Honors
Please note: An incomplete grade* for any class during the semester will make the student ineligible for honors at graduation. However, upon completion of the coursework, if the student has earned the required grade point average, the appropriate level of recognition will be noted on the student's official transcript.
- An incomplete (I) is a temporary grade assigned by a faculty member at the end of a semester when the student has agreed to complete missing coursework or assignments. Extenuating circumstances such as illness are required for such a postponement of a final grade, and the Board requires an official report form and a standard timeframe for a student to complete the work (the 10th week of the next regular semester) and for the faculty member to convert the incomplete to a letter grade (the end of that next regular semester).
Once a letter grade has been assigned by the faculty member, the Board’s policy allows the student to receive any honors (semester or graduation) for which the new grade point average, including the revised grade, makes the student eligible.
The following prizes are awarded at the Annual Awards Program in May:
Middlesex Community College Foundation Student Senator Prize*
Established to honor a member of the Student Senate who has demonstrated outstanding service to the College and its students.
Middlesex Community College Foundation Business Office Technology Prize*
Awarded to an outstanding student in a Business Office Technology program who has
demonstrated academic achievement and potential for success in the business world.
Jesse J. Salafia Prize
Established by Mr. Jesse J. Salafia, a member of the original College Advisory Council, and
awarded to a student planning a career in nursing awarded for excellence in biology.
Shapiro Prize*
Established by the Shapiro family of Middletown and awarded for excellence in marketing.
Wilbert and Jeanette Snow Prize*
Established to honor Governor Wilbert Snow, one of the founding fathers of the College, and
his wife Jeanette. Awarded for exemplary competence and high potential in business.
Thirteen additional prizes in various academic areas are also awarded by the Middlesex Community College Foundation, Inc.
* These prizes are administered through the Middlesex Community College Foundation, Inc.
The Board of Trustees Medallion for Academic Excellence is awarded in recognition of outstanding academic accomplishment of associate degree graduates of the community colleges and is presented at commencement. To be eligible, a recipient must be a graduating student who has earned a cumulative grade point average of 4.0 and must have completed at least 50% of the degree requirements in residence at the community college awarding the degree.
