Grading System

The quality of your work is measured by a system of grades and by computed grade-point averages. All assigned courses, regardless of curriculum, are included when determining a cumulative grade-point average while attending BMCC.

The grading system consists of the following:

Grade		Points
A	Superior	4
B	Above Average	3
C	Average	2
D	Inferior	1
F	Failing	0
INC	Incomplete	0
P	Pass	0
NP	No Pass	0
R	Course Repeated	0

Only grades of  A, B, C, D, and F are considered in the computation of grade point averages. All other grades will be  disregarded in the calculation of your GPA; however, other grade marks will affect financial aid and athletic eligibility.

GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA)
Your grade point average (GPA) is calculated as follows: take the number of points from the table above for each grade that you received and multiply it by the number of credits for that course; then repeat the process for each course in which you received a grade of A, B, C, D, or F. Add all of the results together and then divide by the total credit hours in which grades A, B, C, D, or F were received. Note: If a course is repeated, only the most recent grade is used in computing the GPA unless the course is designated as repeatable in the Course Descriptions section of this catalog.

INC (Incomplete)
Your instructor(s) may assign an incomplete grade when the quality of your completed work is satisfactory but the course has not been completed for reasons acceptable to the instructor. At least sixty percent (60%) of your course work must be completed for an incomplete grade to be given. An incomplete grade must be made up within a maximum of one calendar year from the date that the incomplete appears on the grade report; however, the student and instructor may choose a shorter time in which to complete the course work. Incomplete Grade Contracts are submitted at the time grades are submitted and do not require the student’s signature. The Registrar’s Office will maintain and monitor INC contracts for the college. If the instructor does not return your completed INC contact to the Registrar’s Office providing your final grade earned by the contract deadline date, the alternative grade indicated on the contract will automatically be entered into your permanent record. It is your responsibility to complete the work agreed upon and the instructor’s responsibility to submit the final grade earned in a timely manner to the Registrar’s Office.

P/NP (Pass/No Pass)
If you wish to use the P/NP option you must:

• Elect to do so by the end of the fourth week of the term. Once you declare the P/NP grading option, no changes in grading can be made.
• Submit an application for the P/NP grading option to the Registrar’s Office. Before submitting this form to the Registrar's Office, you must first collect the signature of the instructor of the course for which you are exercising this option.

You may apply a maximum of 12 program or elective credits with a grade of P toward a degree at BMCC. This number would include pass grades earned in regular BMCC classes and those earned from another college or university. This number does not include pass grades earned in course work with obligatory pass grades or advanced placement credits transcribed as pass.

The P/NP option is not available in courses being repeated by the student, in courses required for a degree, or in courses in the core area required for an Associate of Arts degree (pass grades would be accepted in advanced placement test credit.).

The P grade denotes a level of accomplishment of C or better.
 
Pass grades from other institutions will be examined on an individual basis. If the registrar determines that the course meets or exceeds BMCC requirements, then credit may be granted.

If you are planning to transfer to a four-year institution, you should determine the policy of that school before electing the P/NP option at BMCC.

When computing credits earned and GPA, the Registrar’s Office treats the P/NP credits as follows:
The pass credits will be transcribed as credits earned and will not be computed in the grade point average.
The no pass credits will show on the transcript as credits attempted and will not be computed in the grade point average.

R (Course Repeated)
Assigned when you have repeated a course. If you repeat a course, the college will count the grade received for your most recent attempt. All other attempts at the course where a grade of A, B, C, D, or F was given will be changed to a grade of “R” on your transcript.

Enrollment Status

In addition to the above grades, other enrollment-status indicators may be entered on your grade report or transcript. These include AU (audit), CIP (course in progress), MSG (missing grade), and W (withdrawal).

AU (Audit)
This is NOT a grade. It is an enrollment status and must be declared at the time of registration for the course. See http://www.bluecc.edu/cat_auditing_classes for more information.

CIP (Course in Progress)
CIP is an enrollment status to be used when a course is scheduled to continue from one academic term into the next. The CIP is not a terminal grade but is, rather, a state of progress to be used until the ending date of the class. At the time a course is scheduled to conclude, the CIP status will be replaced by a grade.

MSG (Missing Grade)
A grade designation of MSG, or a blank, indicates that the course grade is missing for some reason. Please contact your instructor to ensure that the grade was submitted to the Registrar’s Office.

W (Withdrawal)
A grade of W indicates that you followed the formal withdrawal procedure and withdrew from the course during the term. This grade is not used in computing GPA. A W grade is not punitive. It simply indicates that you withdrew from the course and therefore received no grade. 

Grade Changes

College procedures allow for grade changes up to one year after the end of the term in which the course or courses were taken.  Once a grade has been assigned other than an INC, the only acceptable reason for a grade change is instructor or college error.  The instructor/student relationship in a given class concludes at the end of the term with the assignment of a grade unless the student receives a grade of INC to allow for the submission of late course work. If you cannot complete all of the course work before the end of the term, you should work with the instructor before the term ends to request a grade of INC. Otherwise, the only way that an instructor can agree to change your grade is for you to submit a grade appeal (see the section on grade appeals).  All grade appeals are reviewed by the Office of Instruction and, if approved, sent to the Registrar’s Office for final processing.

Grade Appeal Process

The responsibility for assigning grades rests with the individual instructor, who uses his or her best judgment in accordance with what is deemed fair, given the requirements of the course and the work performed by the student.

If you believe that you have been awarded an inappropriate grade by an instructor, you may fill out a grade appeal form and submit it to the Office of Instruction. This will initiate the grade appeal process as outlined in Student’s Rights and Responsibilities.

Grade Point Average (GPA) Renewal Policy

Students who have previously attended BMCC and have earned poor grades often feel discouraged about trying again. In order to encourage these students, Blue Mountain Community College has established a GPA renewal policy.

If you have returned to BMCC after an absence of at least two years and have subsequently passed two academic quarters of work of at least 12 credit hours each quarter with a 2.00 GPA or better, you may petition the registrar to implement the GPA renewal policy. If the petition is accepted, grades for the term chosen, and for all prior terms, will be changed to no credit (NC). All courses previously taken will remain on the transcript, but the grade point average will be adjusted. A notation will appear on your transcript indicating that the GPA renewal policy was implemented. All courses included in the GPA renewal policy will still be counted as attempted for the purposes of federal financial aid eligibility.

This policy may be used only once. You must be enrolled in at least one credit hour at the time that the policy is implemented. Any courses taken at another college and transferred to BMCC are not subject to the provisions of this policy and are not included in this policy.

Final Examinations

Final examinations are given at the close of each term. You are required to take final examinations at the regularly scheduled time. Final examination schedules are available online or on the academic calendar found in this catalog. If circumstances warrant taking final examinations at another time, you must make prior arrangements with your instructor.

Academic Achievement Recognition

Blue Mountain Community College recognizes exceptional academic achievement of students at the end of each term and at graduation.

Honor Roll, Dean’s List, and President’s List
You may attain honor status each term by qualifying for the Honor Roll, the Dean’s List, or the President’s List. In all cases, you must have completed 12 or more BMCC credits during the term with grades of A, B, C, or D.

Only courses taken at BMCC count towards academic achievement. Only term GPAs, not cumulative GPAs, are counted for these recognitions.

Honor status includes:

• Honor Roll: term GPA of 3.00 to 3.39
• Dean’s List: term GPA of 3.40 to 3.84
• President’s List: term GPA of 3.85 or higher

Grades of P, NP, INC, and W do not count toward recognition of academic achievement. 

Institutional Academic Progress (IAP)

BMCC considers a degree-seeking student to be in good academic standing and making satisfactory academic progress if the student maintains at least a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) each term, maintains a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 each term, and successfully passes 66.67% of attempted credits for each term.

Degree- and certificate-seeking students will be placed on academic progress notification for any of the following reasons:  

• Single term GPA below 2.0
• Cumulative GPA below 2.0
• Failure to successfully complete at least 66.67% of attempted credits for the term

In this procedure, consecutive means two back-to-back terms of attendance separated by no more than one term.  Examples:

• Spring and Fall (non-attendance during summer term)
• Fall and Winter
• Fall and Spring (non-attendance during winter term)

Guidelines:
At the end of each academic term the student success advisor (SSA) will evaluate the academic progress of degree- and certificate-seeking students to determine their academic status applying the criteria listed above.  The SSA will send electronic notification, prior to the start of the next term, to each student placed on Academic Alert, Academic Warning, or Academic Suspension.

Good Academic Standing:
Criteria: Students are considered in good academic standing if they earn a minimum term GPA of 2.0, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, and pass at least 66.67% of attempted credits for each term.

Action:  Students will receive electronic notification of good academic standing.

Academic Alert:
Criteria: Students are considered on academic alert after the first term in which their term GPA falls below 2.0 or they do not successfully complete at least 66.67% of attempted credits for each term.

Action: Students will be provided with a list of academic resources and referred to the SSA for guidance on those resources. The SSA will recommend that they utilize 10 hours of tutoring to assist them in subject matters in which they are deficient.

Students will be reinstated to good academic standing upon achieving a minimum term GPA of 2.0, and having completed at least 66.67% of attempted credits for each term.

Academic Warning:
Criteria: Students are considered on academic warning if their term GPA is below 2.0 and they do not successfully complete at least 66.67% of attempted credit for each term, and/or if they have a cumulative GPA below 2.0 for two consecutive terms.

Action:  Students will be required to enroll in a student success module or other accepted BMCC course and successfully complete it with a C or better grade for the next consecutive term. The SSA will recommend that they utilize 10 hours of tutoring to assist them in subject matters in which they are deficient.

Students will be reinstated to good academic standing upon successful completion of the student success module or other accepted BMCC course, achievement of a minimum term GPA of 2.0, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, and completion of at least 66.67% of attempted credits for each term.

Academic Suspension:
Criteria: Students are placed on academic suspension when their term GPA falls below 2.0, and they do not successfully complete at least 66.67% of attempted credits for a third consecutive term, if they do not meet the requirements of the action taken for academic warning status, or if they have a cumulative GPA below 2.0 for three consecutive terms.

Action: The SSA will update a student’s suspension status with the notation of “Academic Suspension.”  While suspended, that student may not register for classes.

Students have the right to appeal their academic suspension by submitting a packet including an Academic Suspension Appeal form, Written Plan for Academic Success, and Weekly Schedule Worksheet to the Pendleton Service Center. The Institutional Academic Progress Review Committee (IAP Review Committee), consisting of the SSA, registrar/director of admissions and advising, assistant director advising, testing and student disability services, and director student financial assistance, will review appeal packets on the third day of classes.  If a student fails to submit the complete packet prior to the third  day of classes, the student will be administratively dropped from all courses.

The IAP Review Committee may require that the student complete one or more of the following:

• Participate in 10 hours of documented tutoring through the Student Learning Center
• Limit enrollment with the requirement that the student take no more than 10 credits during his/her consecutive term of attendance
  
• Submit three-week progress reports from instructors
  
• Participate in any BMCC course or student success module recommended by the IAP Review Committee

In the event the IAP Review Committee rules the suspension valid, the student will have the right to appeal the decision to the associate vice president of enrollment management.

The IAP Review Committee has discretionary power to work within these guidelines to implement any step if warranted or to extend any step, as they deem appropriate.

A student will be reinstated to good academic standing upon successful completion of requirements set forth by the IAP Review Committee, attainment of a minimum term GPA of 2.0, and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 for two consecutive terms of attendance, and completion of at least 66.67% of attempted credits for each term.

A student academically suspended more than once will not be allowed to register for credit classes for one full academic year beginning the term after the second academic suspension.  A student may ask to return in the corresponding term in the next academic year by submitting to the Pendleton Service Center an Academic Appeal packet consisting of the forms listed above.

Non-Traditional College Credit

The purpose of awarding credit for prior learning is to acknowledge and validate knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired by students through experience. With the exception of cooperative work experience (CWE) credits (see page 32), students receiving alternate credits are not eligible for state or federal aid for those credits.

The maximum credits that may be earned through a combination of credit by examination, advanced placement (AP), and military credit are no more than 25 percent of the credits needed for a certificate or degree.

Credit by Examination (CBE): To obtain credit for certain courses, you must be enrolled as a BMCC student taking at least one course for credit and satisfactorily pass a comprehensive examination or series of examinations. You may not obtain credit by examination (CBE) for a course at a lower level than one in which you have already demonstrated competency. Some courses are not eligible for this program. If you wish to obtain credit in this manner, you must pay a fee in addition to any other tuition and fees that you may have paid in that term. Contact the Office of Instruction, at 541-278-5969, for more information.  Students are limited to 15 CBE credits. CBE credits are reflected on BMCC’s transcripts with the exam identifier of (CH) next to the course title. Example: ART204 (CH)

Advanced Placement (AP) Test: You may earn credit for certain courses by taking tests administered by the Advanced Placement (AP) program sponsored by the College Board. Below is a list of approved AP courses, AP minimum scores, and advanced placement action. AP credits are reflected on BMCC’s transcripts with a grade of P and with the exam identifier of (AP) next to the course title.  Example:  ART204 (AP)
 
To receive AP credit you must:

• Request your AP scores be sent from the College Board to BMCC. Scores are accepted for up to three years after the exam date.
• Be enrolled at BMCC in at least one credit course.
• Pay the AP course transcription fee of $10 per course.
• Complete and return an advanced placement credit form to BMCC. 

Please contact the Registrar’s Office at 541-278-5757 or email getinfo@bluecc.edu for additional information.

Subject	AP Score	Advanced Placement Action
Art --Art History --Art Studio	4, 5 4, 5	ART 204, 205: 9 credits ART 101: 4 credits
Biology	4, 5	BIO 101, 102, 103: 12 credits
Chemistry	3, 4, 5	CH 104, 105, 106: 15 credits
Computer Science A	4, 5	CS 161: 4 credits
Computer Science AB	3 4, 5	CS 161: 4 credits CS 162, 162: 8 credits
Economics --Macro Economics --Micro Economics	3, 4, 5 3, 4, 5	EC 202: 4 credits EC 201: 4 credits
English --English Composition --English Literature	3, 4, 5 3, 4, 5	WR 121: 4 credits ENG 104: 4 credits
Environmental Science	3, 4, 5	GS 142: 4 credits
Geography --Human Geography	3	GEOG 103: 4 credits
Government - U.S.	4, 5	PS 201: 4 credits
History --History - U.S. --History - World	3, 4, 5 3, 4, 5	HST 201, 202: 8 credits HST 104, 105: 6 credits
Math --Calculus AB	3 4, 5	MTH 251: 4 credits MTH 251, 252: 8 credits
--Calculus BC	3 4, 5	MTH 251, 252: 8 credits MTH 251, 252, 253: 12 credits
--Statistics	4, 5	MTH 243: 4 credits
Music --Music Theory	4, 5	MUS 111, 112: 8 credits
Physics --Physics B --Physics C - Electricity & Magnetism --Physics C - Mechanics	4, 5 4, 5 4, 5	PHY 201, 202, 203: 15 credits PHY 201: 5 credits PHY 201 5 credits
Spanish Language	3, 4, 5	SPAN 101, 102, 103: 12 credits

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP): You may earn credit for certain courses by taking the CLEP exams sponsored by the College Board. Below is a list of BMCC’s approved CLEP exams, minimum scores, number of possible credits granted and corresponding BMCC course equivalencies. CLEP credits are reflected on BMCC’s transcripts with a grade of P and with the exam identifier of (CL) next to the course title. Example: ART204 (CL)
 
To receive CLEP credit you must:

• Request your CLEP scores be sent from the College Board to BMCC. Scores are accepted for up to three years after the exam date.
• Be enrolled at BMCC in at least one credit course
• Pay the CLEP course transcription fee of $10 per course
• Complete and return a CLEP credit form to BMCC.

Please contact the Registrar’s Office at 541-278-5757 or email getinfo@bluecc.edu for additional information.

Exam Subject	Min. Score	Credit	BMCC Course Equivalency
Business
Infomation System & Computer Applications	-	-	No credit awarded
Principles of Management	50	4	BA 206
Principles of Accounting	50	12	BA 211, 212, 213
Introductory Business Law	50	4	BA 226
Principles of Marketing	50	4	BA 223
Composition and Literature
Composition and Literature	50	12	ENG 253, 254, 255
English Literature (with essay)	50	12	ENG 204, 205, 206
History and Social Sciences
American Government	50	4	PS 201
History of the U.S. I	50	4	HST 201
American History II	50	4 OR 12	HST 203 OR w/Part 1 test HST 201, 202, 203
General Psychology	50	8	PSY 201, 202
Human Growth and Development	50	4	PSY 237
Principles of Microeconomics	50	4	EC 201
Principles of Macroeconomics	50	4	EC 202
Introduction to Sociology	50	4	SOC 204
Science and Mathematics
Calculus	50	4	MTH 251
College Algebra	50	5	MTH 111
Trigonometry	50	4	MTH 112
College Algebra-Trigonometry	50	5	MTH 111
College Mathematics	50	4	MTH 105
General Chemistry	50	15	CH 221, 222, 223
General Biology	50	15	BI 211, 212, 213

Military Credit: Military credit will be evaluated according to American Council of Education guidelines. Typically, credit is considered only when it is equivalent to regular course offerings.

(Information based on the 2011-12 BMCC Academic Catalog)

Transfer Credits

Transferring Credits to BMCC
To have credits earned from other colleges evaluated towards your certificate/degree intent at BMCC, you will need to complete BMCC’s Transcript Evaluation Request form. You will also need to request official transcripts from be sent to BMCC’s Registrar’s Office.  Official transcripts must include a signature from the issuing institution and its authorized seal and be delivered to BMCC in a sealed envelope.

In general, BMCC accepts college-level credits earned at  regionally-accredited colleges or universities.

Your accepted credits will become a part of your permanent academic record at BMCC and will be noted and posted on your official grade transcript at the time a certificate or degree is earned.  Grades earned from BMCC and other colleges that are applied towards a specific certificate or degree will be used to compute your grade point average for that specific program only. In all other cases, only grades earned at BMCC are used to compute your cumulative GPA.

If you have taken the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or the Advanced Placement (AP) test, request that your scores be forwarded to the Registrar’s Office.  Exams must have been taken within 3 years of the date you are requesting credit.  Credits received for AP and CLEP at other colleges and universities will not be accepted.  You must have your exam scores sent directly to BMCC from ACT.  Go to the Nontraditional College Credit Webpage for more information.

Transferring Credits from BMCC
Up to 120 lower division transfer credit hours earned at a community college may transfer and be accepted toward graduation requirements by colleges and universities of the Oregon University System (OUS): University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Portland State University, Eastern Oregon University, Western Oregon University, Southern Oregon University, and Oregon Institute of Technology.

Discuss transferability of courses with both your academic advisor and the school to which you wish to transfer in order to facilitate a smooth transition from BMCC.

Appeal of Graduation Requirements

If you are pursuing an associate of applied science degree and would like to request a course substitution to meet program requirements, you must discuss this request with your advisor. If the advisor considers the request appropriate, he/she will complete the necessary paperwork, and then obtain the approval and signature of the vice president of instruction. The Registrar’s Office will process the information, once approved, and it will become a part of your permanent record.

Graduation

You are responsible for fulfilling the requirements for graduation and should work with your advisor to ensure that you complete the degree and/or certificate requirements.

As a candidate for graduation, you are encouraged to complete an Application for Graduation at least two terms before the term in which you expect to complete your program requirements (refer to the academic calendar in the catalog for specific deadline dates). This allows your academic advisor to assist you in selecting coursework necessary to meet your graduation requirements. Completed applications may be submitted to any BMCC location.

Upon the college’s receipt and processing of your graduation application form, the Office of the Registrar will notify you by email that your degree audit has been completed along with directions for viewing your completed degree audit online. Should there be any discrepancy, you and your advisor will be asked to notify the Office of the Registrar. A graduation file will be established for you at that time. Your degree audit becomes your official degree check-off for degree completion purposes.

Degrees and certificates become official when recorded on your transcript. Certificates and diplomas will be mailed to the address listed on your application for graduation within two months after final grades have been posted and reviewed.

If you do not graduate in the term identified on your application for graduation, the Office of the Registrar will identify your final graduation requirements and will send an email notification regarding your official degree audit to you and your advisor. Your graduation file will be retained with the active files for a period of one (1) year from your intended date of graduation.

If you have not graduated after one year, your application will be returned to your student file and you will be required to reapply for graduation and pay any fees in effect at the time of reapplication.

If you graduate with more than one degree, you must complete a separate application for graduation form for each degree you plan to complete.

Additional Guidelines:
BMCC reviews and updates degree requirements annually. Please note that some of the requirements for graduation may change if your studies are interrupted by two or more years and/or if a course of study extends beyond five years. Depending upon the college certificate or degree, you may be asked to complete updated requirements.
 

Situation	Catalog of year started	Catalog of year re-started	Catalog of year Graduating
Attend for fewer than five years with no break of over two years	X		X
Re-attend with more than a two year break		X	X
Attend for longer than five years with no break of more than two years			X or work with your advisor
Attend for longer than five years with more than a two-year break		X	X

The previous table outlines which catalog you may use in determining degree requirements for graduation.

Honors at Graduation
Students with exceptional academic qualifications may graduate from BMCC with honors or high honors designation. This designation appears on the graduate’s transcript and diploma and applies to all of BMCC’s degrees and certificates for academic, career, and technical programs. To qualify, you must have attended at least two terms and have earned at least 24 credit hours at BMCC. Honors designations are:

• Honors: cumulative GPA of 3.40 to 3.84
• High Honors: cumulative GPA of 3.85 or higher

Only the courses used to meet your certificate or degree requirements will be counted in the cumulative GPA calculation which may include courses accepted for transfer from other colleges. The calculation is performed on all courses completed the term prior to your stated term of degree completion.

Example 1:  If the anticipated term of graduation is spring term 2012, your GPA will be calculated at the end of winter term 2012.  If you meet one of the above referenced GPA requirements, you qualify to walk in the spring commencement ceremony with an honors designation.

Example 2: If the anticipated term of graduation is summer term 2012, your spring-term 2012 grades will be used to calculate your GPA.  Since the commencement ceremony occurs before spring-term grades are posted, you will not qualify to walk in the 2012 commencement ceremony with an honors designation.

Example 3: If you plan to complete your requirements no later than fall 2012, you may walk in the spring 2012 commencement ceremony but will not qualify to walk with either honors designation.  If, however, you believe that you may qualify for honors designation by the end of summer 2012, you could consider walking in the 2012 commencement ceremony.

Suspended Programs of Study
If BMCC suspends your program of study and if you are eligible for “teach-out” assistance as determined by the college, BMCC will work with you to help you complete the program within three years. Methods and types of assistance will vary by individual circumstance and will be available only to eligible students. Following the three-year period, if you have not satisfied your degree requirements for that certificate/degree but still wish to obtain a certificate/degree, you must either apply your earned credits to a different BMCC program or transfer them to another institution. Contact the Office of the Registrar to determine eligibility.