Grading

The following grades were implemented winter quarter 2012 and revised fall quarter 2018. The college uses both numerical and certain letter grades. 

Numerical
Instructors may report decimal grades from 1.0 to 4.0 in 0.1 increments. The following is a recommended decimal grade/letter grade conversion chart:

A grade point average (GPA) is determined by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of credit hours that were attempted for a decimal grade. At the end of each quarter, a students can confidentially access their grades and credits earned online and can order transcripts through National Student Clearinghouse. 
 
Letter
The following symbols may be used to designate a grade for coursework, but are not assigned grade points and do not affect the GPA: 

See detailed descriptions of grading symbols on the College website at pencol.edu. 

Incomplete Grades
The grade of I, designating incomplete, must be initiated by the student. The I grade is at the instructor's discretion and requires the agreement of the instructor that you have completed a sufficient amount and quality of work to complete the course without significant further instruction, and that you cannot complete course requirements during the quarter due to circumstances beyond your control.

The instructor must fill out an electronic contract form that contains the specific requirements to be completed, the time allowed for completion, and the grade to be assigned if the contract is not completed. Copies of the contract are retained by the instructor and the student. The contract goes to Pirate Central at the time grades are recorded at the end of a term. 

If the requirements are completed in the allowed time for completion (which is a maximum of one year), the instructor will assign the student the grade earned in the class. If the work requirements are not completed in the allowed time for completion, the grade to be assigned if the contract is not completed will be put on your transcript by Pirate Central. 

An individual receiving veteran’s benefits or federal or state financial aid who fails to make up an I grade within a designated time may risk partial loss or termination of benefits or funding. All students who are receiving funding of any sort should consult with their funding source before taking an I grade, since doing so may affect funding eligibility.

Passing and Unsatisfactory Grades
You may request to enroll in certain courses on a pass or no-pass basis. If you select the option of having a Pass (P), Satisfactory (S), or Unsatisfactory (U) grade for specific course work, you should request this from your instructor at the beginning of the quarter. Remember that U grades do not earn credit.

The P grade is defined as 2.0 quality work or better, while an S grade is defined as 1.0 quality work, or equivalent to the decimal range of 1.0 - 1.9. 

While the number of passing and satisfactory (P and S) grades is not limited at Peninsula College, transfer students are cautioned that baccalaureate institutions may impose limits or restrictions on the acceptance of P and S graded credit. If you plan to transfer to a baccalaureate institution, you should determine that school’s policy regarding the acceptance of P and S courses before electing the P option. 

Repeated Courses, Grade Forgiveness Petition
Repeats
A course may be repeated two times for a total of three enrollments. The lower grade(s) will remain on the transcript. However, only the highest grade earned in the repeated course will be used in computing grade point averages. Credit is granted only once for a repeated course.

Pirate Central will detect repeated courses and code your transcript accordingly. A letter "R" will appear after a course that has been repeated. If you repeated a course but it was not coded as a repeat on your transcript, contact Pirate Central at SServices@pencol.edu or call (360) 417-6340.

A “repeatable course” is designed to allow students to enroll in the course multiple times for credit, up to a designated credit limit or number of repetitions. The course description for such a course indicates that the course is repeatable for credit. Within stated limits, credits and grades for these repeatable courses will count toward graduation requirements and GPA. 

Grade Forgiveness 
A returning student who has not been enrolled for a period of two or more years at Peninsula College may petition to have previously earned Peninsula College grades of less than 1.4 disregarded in computing grade point averages. However, if such a request is approved, all grades will still remain on the transcript and academic credit will be removed. The form and process for this request may be obtained through Pirate Central by calling (360) 417-6340, emailing SServices@pencol.edu or obtaining the form on the College website at pencol.edu.

If you plan to transfer to a baccalaureate university or to another two-year college, the destination school may or may not honor Peninsula College's grade forgiveness. Check with the destination school for its policy.