It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the specific dates, which may affect the academic record. The “Academic Schedule – Critical Dates and Deadlines” provides critical dates and deadlines, such as the dates to add, drop or withdraw from a course. “Academic Schedule – Critical Dates and Deadlines” is posted on the College’s website, on myCambrian and is available in the Enrolment Centre.
Unless otherwise stated, a final grade in a given course is based on continuous assessment of course objectives, and students are provided feedback in a timely manner. The means by which the objectives are evaluated and the manner in which the final grade is determined is declared in a written course outline at the beginning of the course. It includes the following:
- the minimum grade required to pass the course;
- the elements that will contribute to the final grade (tests, assignments, presentations, lab work, attendance);
- the weighted value of each element;
- an approximate schedule of tests and due dates.
Determination of Grade Point Average (GPA): A letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F is assigned and for the purposes of calculating a student’s average, these are assigned a numeric point value of 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0 respectively.
Grade Point Description
| Grade | Point Description |
|---|---|
| A 80% to 100% | Course objectives are met in a consistently outstanding manner (4 pts.) |
| B 70% to 79% | Course objectives are met in a consistently thorough manner (3 pts.) |
| C 60% to 69% | Required course objectives have been met (2 pts.) |
| D 50% to 59% | Limited fulfillment of course objectives with weakness in some or all areas (1 pt.) |
| F Less than 50% | Course objectives have not been met, credit is not granted (0 pts.) |
| AU | Course has been audited, credit is not granted (0 pts.) |
ENG 1500 – 3 credits, grade of A = 3 credits x 4 points = 12 grade points
PSY 1100 – 3 credits, grade of C = 3 credits x 2 points = 6 grade points
BIO 1200 – 4 credits, grade of B = 4 credits x 3 points = 12 grade points
LAW 1100 – 3 credits, grade of F = 3 credits x 0 points = 0 grade points
Total: 13 credits = 30 grade points
The grade point average (GPA) is calculated by dividing the total grade points by the total credits. In the case illustrated above, the GPA is 2.31.
The following designations are not calculated into the grade point average (GPA):
Incomplete (I)
The “I” designation is used when the student has not completed the course requirements due to extenuating circumstances, such as illness or bereavement, and has been granted an extension of time in which to do so. An “I” is not intended to give an extension to students who have failed to satisfactorily complete the course elements within the prescribed time. The “I” grade is not used in the GPA calculation.
Add, Drop and Withdrawl (W)
Students can add a course up to five (5) days from the start of the semester. Adding a course requires the permission of the Program Coordinator. Students can drop a course up to ten (10) days from the start of a semester. It is highly recommended that students speak to their academic advisor before dropping a course. Students who drop a course up to the tenth day from the start of the semester will not have that dropped course appear on their academic record. A course dropped after the tenth day from the start of the semester but before the deadline for withdrawal will obtain a ‘W’ notation (grade) on the academic record. Credits are not granted to ‘W’ grades nor are ‘W’ grades used in the grade point average (GPA) calculation. Students who drop a course after the deadline for withdrawal will obtain a grade of ‘F’ on their academic record, which will be calculated into the student grade point average (GPA). Students who do not formally withdraw from a course or the college will be assigned ‘F’ grades.
The appropriate forms are available in the Enrolment Centre or from the departmental Dean/Director.
Transfer Credit (TC)
A transfer credit is granted when a student is deemed to have met the Cambrian College course requirement through formal education. The transfer credit shown on a transcript is the Cambrian College course for which the student received a transfer credit. Transfer credits are not calculated into the grade point average (GPA). It is the student’s responsibility to initiate the process, either through the Academic Department or the Enrolment Centre.
Pass/Fail (P/F)
These designations for certain courses, such as placements in some programs, carry no grade points and are not calculated into a grade point average (GPA).
Pass (P) – The requirements of the course were achieved – satisfactory achievement.
Fail (F) – The course requirements were not achieved – unsatisfactory achievement. The student must repeat the course.
Audit (AU)
Students may want to register in a credit course for general knowledge and/or other personal reasons without the obligation of completing the evaluations, which culminates in the awarding of a final grade. As such, Cambrian College provides students the opportunity to register in credit courses as audit, eliminating the grading requirements. Students registering in credit courses as audit will not be required to undertake course examinations or assignments nor will they receive a credit. The course will be recorded on the transcript and a grade of “AU” (audit) will be assigned. The course will not apply toward any Cambrian College diploma or certificate, no credit is granted and an “AU” is not used in the calculation of a grade point average (GPA).
A student who is auditing a course may convert his/her audit status to “registered” before the deadline for registration. For full-time programs, the deadline is the tenth day of the beginning of the semester and for continuing education courses, the deadline is prior to the start of the second scheduled class. A student may not challenge a course through the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) process after he/she has audited it.
Courses taken as audit are not considered in determining a student’s full-time or part-time enrolment status nor are they used in determining a course load for the purpose of financial aid.
Audit fees will be set through the College’s tuition fee protocol and will be consistent with the Tuition Fee Policy as established by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
A student must declare his/her audit status through the Enrolment Centre at the time of registration and pay the appropriate course fees. This policy applies only to credit courses delivered in a classroom setting. Because of the nature of certain courses, class size restrictions, space constraints, possible legal restrictions, and/or safety factors, permission of the appropriate program coordinator/officer is required for registration with audit status.
A copy of the Auditing a Credit Course Policy may be obtained from the Enrolment Centre.
