Grading/Forgiveness Policy

I. Grading System

Final Grades are given at the end of the semester for each course. Grades assigned at the completion of a course are as follows:

Current Grading System

Grade Description Points
A 93-100% 4.00
A- 90-92% 3.70
B+ 87-89% 3.30
B 83-86% 3.00
B- 80-82% 2.70
C+ 77-79% 2.30
C 73-76% 2.00
C- 70-72% 1.70
D+ 67-69% 1.30
D 63-66% 1.00
D- 60-62% 0.70
F Failure 0.00
R Course must be repeated; minimum level of proficiency not attained.
S Satisfactory
U Unsatisfactory (counts as a Failure) 0.00
W Student withdrew from class between 4th and final week of classes; non Failure.
CR Transfer credit from another Institution or course taken on permit.
NC No credit granted. Restricted to credit bearing courses, first time freshmen and Nursing students.
WA Administrative Withdrawal (assigned by the Registrar’s Office for administrative reasons, e.g. lack of immunization)
WD Drop Withdrawal (assigned by the Registrar’s Office for drops during 2nd and 3rd week of classes)
WN Never attended/participated (instructor initiates this grade during verification of enrollment for not attending/participating at all during the first week of classes)
WU Withdrew Unofficially. Student stopped attending/participating in the course after attending/participating at least once during the term. Student did not complete all required course requirements. This is not an earned grade. Logging in to Blackboard alone or communicating with the instructor without any academic work submitted does not count as participation. Prior to Fall 2021, WU was a punitive grade (0.00 points-same as “F” grade).

AUD Audit. Course not taken for credit or grade.
INC Term’s work incomplete. Instructor has reasonable expectation that the student can receive a passing grade after completing the missing assignment(s) and agrees to work with the student to make up the missing work. Student must also agree with the faculty to make the missing work before the INC deadline which is published on BMCC Academic Calendar on the web.
The “INC” grade reverts to an “FIN” if a change is not made by deadline.
FIN “F” from Incomplete. 0.00
PEN Grade Pending disciplinary action.

Discontinued Grading System/Symbols

Grade Description Points
= Course does not count in the GPA or credits completed.
*WN Never Attended (effective Fall 2009-Winter 2013).
ABS Absent from final.
FAB Failed due to Absent. 0.00
FPN Failed due to Pending. 0.00
REP Course already taken and successfully completed with a grade of “C” or better.
TR Transfer credit from another Institution or course taken on permit.
WF Withdrew Failing. 0.00
WN Never Attended (counts in GPA computation; same as Failure; effective Fall 2008-Summer 2009). 0.00
WP Withdrew Passing.
X Non-Punitive Failure.

II. Forgiveness Policy

The following is the current college policy regarding the retaking of courses at BMCC for which a student has already received a grade of C- or below.

  • When an undergraduate student receives an earned academic grade of “F” or an administrative failing grade and the student subsequently retakes the course and receives a higher grade, the initial grade of “F” will no longer be computed into the grade-point average (GPA). The “F” grade, however, will remain on the transcript.
  • When an undergraduate student receives an earned academic grade of C- or below and the student subsequently retakes the course and receives a higher grade, the previous grade will no longer be computed into the GPA. The original grade however, will remain on the transcript.

For example: If a student receives a D- in a course and retakes the course and receives a D+, the D+ will replace the D- in the student’s GPA. However, the D- will remain on the student’s transcript. (If the grades for the retaken course are the same or lower than the previous grade, then the credits will not count toward the student’s degree but will count in the GPA). While BMCC and other colleges have initiated a variety of changes to CUNY’s original policy, the number of “retaken” credits that can be deleted from the grade-point average shall be limited to 16 for the duration of the student’s undergraduate enrollment in any institution in the City University of New York. This policy is applicable to grades earned after September 1, 1984.

Note: Students should remember that repeating a course may limit their ability to meet the satisfactory academic performance requirements for receipt of Federal financial aid. Also, repeating courses for which students have already received an acceptable passing grade may not be included as part of student’s minimum full-time or part-time course load for Federal and State financial aid purposes.

III. Repeating Courses

Students should not repeat a course if a passing grade (C or better) has been received or if transfer credit has been accepted for a course completed at another institution. However, if you repeat a course for which you have received an earned grade of C or better, repeated grade will not be computed into the grade-point average (GPA) and credit will not be awarded for the repeated course.

IV. No Credit (NC) Grade Policy

The NC grade will only apply to earned F grade. A freshman (a student who has earned 30 credits or less) may apply to take a maximum of 8 credits, or 2 classes.  Nursing students may apply for a NC grade to be assigned once during their 2nd – 4th clinical semesters.  All students requesting NC grade must meet the following requirements: (1) Students must opt-in by the withdrawal deadline, and (2) Students must continue attending the class, complete all assignments, and take the final exam to qualify.

Note: Students who transfer to another institution should take into account that “NC” grade may be treated as “F” grade.  

V. Grade Appeals

Student Appeal: Students are strongly encouraged to first communicate with the professor of the course. If that conversation does not remedy the situation, or if students choose not to follow that route, then students who think that a final grade was issued erroneously may file a grade appeal. Appeals must be filed within 30 calendar days of grade assignment in CUNYfirst. Note, grades cannot be appealed once a student has graduated and their academic record is closed.

Faculty Appeal: An appeal instituted by a member of the faculty to change an administrative FIN grade must indicate that the work required to resolve the INC grade was in the instructor’s possession prior to the INC deadline date. Appeals must be filed within 30 calendar days of FIN grade assignment in CUNYfirst.

Note: Punitive grades (F, FIN, U) can also be appealed with the Committee on Academic Standing for a W grade.