Grades
- Definitions
- Uniformity of Grading
- Changing a Grade
- Junior Grades
- Senior Grades
- Pass/Fail Option
- Final Plan Grades on the Transcript
- GPA
- Reporting of Grades and Academic Status
- Evaluations of Student Work
- Auditing Courses
- Deadline for Accepting Student Work
The College defines its grades as follows:
| A = | superb performance; unqualified recommendation for continued work in a particular field |
| B = | average to good work; a qualified encouragement for continued work in a particular field |
| C = | acceptable work |
| D = | unsatisfactory work; credit given toward graduation requirements, but not toward the minimum of 12 credits needed for good standing at the end of each term; |
| F = | failure, no credit |
| P = | Pass: equivalent to a C- or better |
| S = | Satisfactory progress (midterm or progress grade) |
| S- = | Less than satisfactory progress (midterm or progress grade). S and S- are equivalent to C- or better. |
| U = | Unsatisfactory (midterm or progress grade) |
| WD= | Did not complete work after medical leave |
| WP= | Withdrew from course passing |
| WF= | Withdrew from course failing |
| AU = | Audit |
| I = | Incomplete; temporary grade granted by Dean of Faculty for extenuating circumstances or Dean of Students for medical reasons |
| NC = | No credit; given in Brattleboro Music Center courses when the student fails to pay fees for lessons |
| * = | see Senior Grades, below |
Thus, an A in an introductory course is an unqualified recommendation that a student go on to intermediate or advanced courses in that field. An A on a Plan should indicate a teacher's willingness to write a letter of unqualified recommendation to a graduate school in that field. A student doing C work may do a Plan in that field if the Sponsor agrees, but he or she should be aware that his or her work will likely be undistinguished.
Uniformity of Grading
No faculty member may use a grading system different from that used by the rest of his or her colleagues, unless it has first won approval by means of faculty vote.
Changing a Grade
Grades may not be changed after the final faculty meeting of a term without written permission from the Dean of Faculty.
Junior Grades
During the first year on Plan standard grades (A-F) are given in courses and tutorials (see also Plan of Concentration).
Senior Grades
Seniors normally receive progress grades (S, S-, U) for Plan classes and tutorials taken in the two semesters of their senior year. These grades appear on a student's transcript until after the oral evaluation, at which point the Registrar replaces progress grades with asterisks (*) on the transcript. The "*" leads to a statement under the Final Plan Grade: "Applies to all senior year Plan courses and tutorials." U grades remain on the transcript and the student receives no credit for that course or tutorial, unless the student completes the relevant work before graduation. In that case, the faculty member responsible for that course or tutorial may change the U to an S or S- by submitting the appropriate form, by the final Faculty Meeting of the semester in which the student graduates. The progress grades of seniors who do not complete their Plans remain as S, S-, or U. For the purpose of transferring Marlboro credits for classes and tutorials with progress grades, S and S- are considered equivalent to C- or better.
Faculty sponsors, in consultation with teacher(s) of individual courses (if these are different people), may permit seniors to receive letter grades for courses on Plan taken either semester of the senior year. Courses that continue for more than one semester must receive the same treatment both semesters. The standard letter grade option is not available for Plan tutorials: senior Plan tutorials always receive progress grades. The deadline for submitting the signed form permitting a senior grade for a class coincides with the deadline for dropping a course. Standard grades remain on the transcript after the oral evaluation (i.e., they are not replaced with asterisks as with progress grades).
Seniors under the cumulative grading system who do not complete their Plan, will (for transfer purposes) receive an S or S- in courses they have completed at a satisfactory level.
Pass/Fail Option
After the first semester of the freshman year, a student may register on a pass/fail basis for up to two courses. These courses may not be taken in the same semester. The deadline for registering for a course on a Pass/Fail basis is two weeks after final registration.
This option is designed to encourage diversity and is available with the permission of the advisor. Advisors should grant such permission only in cases where the proposed course serves to introduce the student to new areas of study.
Final Plan Grades on the Transcript
Under the heading "Plan of Concentration Description and Evaluation" there will appear on the transcript: (1) a description of the Plan; (2) a listing of the individual parts of the Plan, along with the associated percentages and the individual grades assigned by the examining committee; and (3) the final or composite grade. (See also Grades under Plan of Concentration).
GPA
The College does not use grade-point averages, nor does it assign class rankings. Students required to compute the GPA for transfer or graduate school applications should use the following method:
Use assigned letter grades for freshman, sophomore, and junior years and for senior year non-Plan courses; use final Plan grade for Plan credits in the senior year, regardless of whether those courses/tutorials have letter grades or asterisks.
A detailed guide for computing your GPA ("how to Compute Your Grade Point Average") may be obtained from the Registrar's Office.
Reporting of Grades and Academic Status
Grades will be reported to the student. Upon the request of the student, grades will also be sent to parents and/or guardian. It is the student's responsibility to inform his or her parents of academic progress. However, parents or guardians of dependent students will be notified at midterm when a student is in danger of academic dismissal or English discontinuance and at the end of the semester whenever a student has been placed on academic probation, has been dismissed, discontinued, or is no longer on academic probation.
Evaluations of Student Work
Each instructor is responsible for seeing each of his or her students individually at least once a term, toward the end of the term, in order to evaluate the student's work. At the student's request, a summary of this evaluation may be placed in the student's folder.
Written evaluations of a student's work, in whole or in part, shall be made available to the Dean of Faculty's Office upon request of the Dean, student, or student's advisor. This evaluation may remain in the student file but will not be part of his or her transcript.
Auditing Courses
Students may register to audit a course only until two weeks after the final registration deadline. In order for an audit course to appear on the student's permanent record (grade of AU), the faculty member must indicate on the class roster that the student has attended throughout the term.
Deadline for Accepting Student Work
The deadline for the submission of grades will be 48 hours before the final faculty meeting. No faculty member may accept work for the determination of term grades after the final deadline. Work submitted after the final deadline may be considered in faculty discussions concerning action on student performance but may not be used as a basis for changing student grades. The establishment of a final deadline for the submission of work shall in no way abridge the right of faculty members to set deadlines prior to the final deadline or to impose penalties for late submission.