The Grading System
Letter Grades and Quality Points
The College faculty assess student academic performance by assigning the following grades and associated quality points:
| Letter Grade | Quality Points | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 | |
| A | 4.0 | Excellent |
| A- | 3.7 | |
| B+ | 3.3 | |
| B | 3.0 | Good |
| B- | 2.7 | |
| C+ | 2.3 | |
| C | 2.0 | Satisfactory |
| C- | 1.7 | |
| D+ | 1.3 | |
| D | 1.0 | Poor |
| D- | 0.7 | |
| F1 | 0 | Fail |
| P2 | 2.0 | Pass |
| S2 | 1.0 | Satisfactory (Short Term Only) |
| U2 | 0 | Unsatisfactory (Short Term Only) |
| W2 | 0 | Withdrawn |
- 1
Grade is not calculated in the GPA only when the Pass/Fail Option is elected.
- 2
Grade is not calculated in the Grade Point Average (GPA).
Pass/Fail Option
All courses offered in the fall or winter semesters have the default grading mode of letter grades, with the option for students to elect Pass/Fail. Throughout their Bates College career, students may elect to take a total of two courses offered by the College in the fall or winter semesters on a Pass/Fail basis, with a maximum of one course per semester. Students may not elect to take a Short Term course Pass/Fail. Students may declare or change a Pass/Fail option until the last day to add a course. Students may revert from Pass/Fail to letter grades until the last day to drop a course.
Students taking a course Pass/Fail are not identified as such on class rosters. Once the faculty member has submitted a final letter grade, the grade will be converted to a Pass or Fail for students who have elected this option. A grade of D- or above is considered a passing grade. Unless the student chooses to inform the instructor, only the student, the student’s advisor, and the Office of the Registrar and Academic Systems know the grading mode the student has elected for the course.
Departments and programs decide whether a course taken Pass/Fail can be used to satisfy major and/or minor requirements. Unless stated otherwise within the curricular policies of the program, it is assumed that courses completed Pass/Fail count towards major and/or minor requirements. Courses graded Pass/Fail may not be used to satisfy General Education requirements
Short Term Grading System
Short Term courses are offered with the standard letter grade mode or with the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grade mode. The course instructor determines the grade mode for Short Term courses, and the same grade mode must be used for all students enrolled in the same course. S/U grading is similar to Pass/Fail grading in that there is no impact on GPA, but unlike Pass/Fail grading, courses graded S/U may count toward general education requirements. Students may not elect Pass/Fail grading for Short Term courses, regardless of whether the course’s grade mode is letter grading or S/U.
Grade Deferrals
A temporary grade of DEF indicates that a student has secured a formal deferral for incomplete coursework through the course instructor and the Office of Accessible Education and Student Support. Incomplete work for which deferred grades are given must be completed in a specific period of time as determined on the deferral form. The deferred grade becomes an administrative F (F#) grade if the work is not completed on time or when the course instructor does not submit a grade. The F# grade is computed in the GPA. If previously deferred, the final grade includes an asterisk (*) when posted on the transcript. In cases where the due date for coursework is extended beyond the end of the semester as part of a pre-approved accommodation granted by the Office of Accessible Education and Student Support, the final grade is not differentiated on the transcript from the grades for courses completed in the standard time frame.
Course Withdrawal
Students who wish to withdraw from a course after the official drop date must petition the Committee on Academic Standing. Students whose petition is approved receive a grade of W for the course on their transcript.
Repeating Courses
Except for courses deemed repeatable as outlined in the course description, students may repeat a course only if they receive a grade of F or have withdrawn and received a grade of W. The original grade will continue to be considered in the student’s GPA even if the course is repeated.