OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

70 Sip Ave., 4th Floor, Jersey City, New Jersey 07306 | 201-360-4010 | academicaffairs@hccc.edu

Office of Academic Affairs Webpage

All student progress is evaluated by instructors at the mid-semester and end-of-semester points. Mid-semester grades are advisory and are not recorded on the student’s permanent record. Counseling and tutoring are available to assist students in academic difficulty.

Grade Reports

Grade reports are available by accessing Liberty Link. If students have outstanding balances, grade reports will not be accessible until the balance is paid in full.

Grade Point Average

To determine the grade point average (GPA), multiply the number of grade point equivalents for each grade received by the number of credits for the course, then divide the total number of grade points by the total number of credits attempted.  

Grading System                                                                                  Grade Points/

        Grade                                 Interpretation                                        Credit Hour

     A                             Outstanding                             4.0

     A-                            Excellent                                  3.7

     B+                           Very Good                               3.3

     B                             Good                                      3.0

     B-                            Above Average                         2.7

     C+                           Average                                  2.3

     C                             Satisfactory                              2.0

     D*                           Passing, minimally acceptable      1.0

     F**                          Failing                                     0.0

*D        Minimally acceptable academic performance for general education courses, but unacceptable academic performance for prerequisite courses and major courses. (Note: Students should be aware that courses in which they receive a “D” grade generally are not accepted as transfer credits at other institutions.)

** F       This grade is also assigned in cases of academic misconduct, such as cheating or plagiarism, and excessive absence.

I - Incomplete (No Credit)

The grade “I” is temporarily given only when students sign a contract with an instructor. Any course for which the grade of I has been awarded must be completed within the three-week period following the end of the semester or the I will automatically turn into an “F”. Determination of academic progress will be made at the end of that three-week period. Students are responsible for the elimination of an I grade.  Request for a change of I to a letter grade must be signed by the Instructor, Academic Program Director or Division Dean, and submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

W - Withdraw (No Credit)

Students who wish to withdraw must complete and submit a withdrawal form to the Advisement Office.  Except for selected programs (e.g., Nursing), students may withdraw from a course without academic penalty until a specified point of the semester. Withdraw dates and deadlines can be found on the Academic and Refund Calendar. Beyond the withdraw deadline, students may only withdraw from a course by submitting a Special Circumstance for Withdraw (SCW) form, which will be reviewed by the Division Dean. If approved, students will receive a grade of “W”.

Note: While a “W” is not used in computation of the student’s grade point averages, it is calculated against the number of credits attempted. Therefore, course withdrawals may have Financial Aid or Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) implications.

AU- Audit (No Credit)

Students who wish their record to show that they have attended a course regularly, but who do not wish to earn credit for that course, must obtain the permission of the Division Dean and Instructor prior to enrollment in the course. This determination must be made at the time of initial registration and cannot be changed. No grade is given for an audited course, nor are any credits attempted or earned. No grade points are calculated. Students who wish to withdraw from an audited course must follow the established course withdrawal procedures.

P/F- Pass/Fail 

For degree-credit courses, a Pass/Fail determination must be made at the time of registration and cannot be changed. If a student passes the course, the grade point average is not affected; however, if a student fails, an “F” grade is given (for an “F” grade, see above).  Students who wish to withdraw from a Pass/Fail course must follow the established course withdrawal procedures.

 Students are advised that some institutions, honor societies, and scholarship committees do not accept “P” grades and may convert “P”  to  ”C” when computing the related grade point averages or penalize them in other ways.

CX – Credit by Examination

Used for credit awarded for prior learning (AP, CLEP, Work/life portfolio)