Advising, Enrollment & Grades

In this section:

• Advisory System/Academic Advisers
• Academic Success Center
• Degree Works

Advisory System/Academic Advisers

The Dean of Academic Affairs exercises general oversight of the academic work of the students. Each student will be assigned an adviser whose duty is to assist students in preparing schedules and to be available for consultation throughout the semester. Students are required to meet with their academic advisers prior to registering for classes each semester. Students are responsible for their own academic well-being, including knowing their scholastic standing as it relates to the published regulations and standards of WVU Potomac State College. Students are responsible for their college plan, especially preparation for transfer or preparation for migration to the Morgantown campus. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic adviser when questions arise. Students are expected to become familiar with the College Catalog and DegreeWorks.

Academic Success Center

The Academic Success Center is located on the ground floor of the Mary F. Shipper Library. Professional tutoring and peer tutoring services are available. The center also includes a computer lab and study areas.

Degree Works

Degree Works is the online advising and degree auditing tool at WVU. All students are required to have a completed audit for graduation. Students can access Degree Works through the WVU Portal accessible at https://portal.wvu.edu. More information is available in the Degree Works section of the Academic Records tab on the Office of the University Registrar website.  

All degree requirements must be verified by a student's college prior to graduation. Students are responsible for complying with all academic policies published in the University catalog and relevant program documents. If students have any questions about the information presented in the Degree Works audit, they are encouraged to contact their advisor.

In this section:

• Attendance Policy
• Emergency Leave Policy
• Military Leave Policy
• Auditors
• Registration
• Course Withdrawal and University Withdrawal Policy

Attendance Policy

Instructors or programs set attendance requirements and policies that are appropriate for the goals and instructional strategies of their courses. Instructors are responsible for keeping accurate attendance records when attendance is used in grading. Students who are absent from class for any reason are expected to take full responsibility for their own academic work and progress and are required to complete missed work or equivalent work, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

University Sanctioned Absences

University sanctioned absences are absences in which instructors provide opportunities to make up missed substantial class work or activities (e.g., assignments, exams) and will not penalize students for those absences. University sanctioned absences include mandatory military obligation, mandatory court appearances, and participation in university activities at the request of university authorities. Instructors are expected to be flexible in allowing students to make up work missed due to university sanctioned absences. Instructors and students may consult with their Dean’s Office on events that constitute official university sanctioned events.

WVU supports its students who are also members of the United States armed forces, reserve units, and National Guard. Absences of less than three weeks of course work for military obligation (i.e., drill or training) are university sanctioned absences. WVU’s Center for Veteran, Military, and Family Programs website has additional information on the drill schedule for the West Virginia National Guard and can provide official verification of a student’s military orders upon request.

For university sanctioned absences totaling more than three weeks of course work resulting from military obligation, see WVU’s Military Leave section of the undergraduate catalog.

Students who will miss more than a week of course work due to health condition or personal trauma should refer to WVU’s Emergency Leave Policy.

Students wishing to appeal an instructor decision regarding an absence for a university sanctioned event may appeal to the Dean of the college/school for the relevant course.

Final course grades affected by attendance in an individual course may be appealed using the normal course grade appeal process located on the Appeals tab of the Academic Standards section of this catalog.

Excused Absences

Other events may justify an excused absence at the discretion of the instructor or program, school, or college. Instructors appropriately notified regarding anticipated absences that are not university sanctioned may use their judgment as to whether to allow make-up work. 

Examples of events that may justify an excused absence include religious observances, illness of the student including Covid-19 related absence, illness of an immediate family member, death of an immediate family member, or extreme weather. Quarantined students are expected to complete class work and activities as assigned. 

Students may miss class or assignments due to a variety of medical and health-related issues.  There are two broad categories for such absences: those resulting from unexpected injuries and illnesses, and those related to a disability(ies) and/or chronic condition. When a student must be absent from class due to an unexpected and medical illness they should contact their instructors directly.  For an extended illness the WVU Division of Student Life can assist the student in notifying his or her instructors. Students missing class due to a disability should contact the Office of Accessibility Services for assistance.

Students who will miss more than a week of course work due to health condition or personal trauma should refer to WVU’s Emergency Leave Policy.

Several high holy days have been added to the academic calendar for instructors to reference in their academic planning. Instructors may consult the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion website for support regarding religious observances.

The Office of Accessibility Services can serve as a resource to discuss student absences related to accommodations. Contact Information can be found on the About Us tab of the Office of Accessibility Services website.

Absences stemming from work duties other than military obligation (e.g., unexpected changes in shift assignments) and traffic/transit problems are not university sanctioned and should not typically qualify for excused absences.

If an instructor chooses to allow excused absences for these other events, the stated attendance policy for the course should specify the number of days that may be missed and instructions for contacting the instructor for the excused absence.

Instructors may request third party documentation.

Procedures

All attendance polices must be made available to students in writing (typically within the course syllabus) within the first week of class. 

Students are responsible for notifying their instructors of expected university sanctioned absences within two weeks of the event or as soon as possible. Instructors may require written documentation in advance of the university sanctioned absence from the academic or athletic unit sponsoring the activity for students participating in official activities. Instructors may request additional verification from the Center for Veteran, Military, and Family Programs website for students serving military obligation.

Students who are absent from class for any reason are responsible for contacting their instructors promptly, unless the instructors' policies require otherwise.

Students wishing to appeal an instructor decision regarding an absence for a university sanctioned event may appeal using the final grade appeal process for the relevant course.

Final course grades affected by attendance in an individual course may be appealed using the normal course grade appeal process located on the Appeals tab of the Academic Standards section of this catalog.

Emergency Leave Policy

During any semester, students may experience serious emergencies that will prevent them to be present in class or participate in a course for more than a week. 

Short Term Leave

Upon presentation of documentation, students who will miss between one and three weeks of classes will work with their instructor to develop a plan to catch up on the work that they have missed.   

1. Up to the 13^th week of instruction, students have the ability to withdraw from one or several classes. 
    
2. If the event and its subsequent related absences takes place after the 13^th week of instruction, students may petition the Dean of the College, found on the Office of the Provost website under the Level 2 Reviewers webpage, where the course is housed to obtain a late withdrawal from a single class.  Students who wish to withdraw from all their classes can petition the Dean of the College where their major is housed for a full, retroactive withdrawal. Students unable to attend or participate after the 13^th week for a relatively short duration (which may include exam week) may arrange for an Incomplete with provision to make up the final exam.

Long Term Leave

Students who will miss more than three weeks of course work due to a health condition or personal trauma should notify the appropriate Dean of the College, found on the Office of the Provost website under the Level 2 Reviewers webpage, where their major is housed.  The student should explain the circumstances of their absence and, with the assistance of the Dean, work with each of faculty members to agree upon a plan of action. In most cases, students will be asked to provide documentation or other evidence.

If necessary, these students may withdraw from the university and will go through one of the two following processes depending upon when the student withdraws.

1. Withdraw from the University up to and including the 13^th week of instruction. Students who withdraw before the end of the 13^th week of instruction may need to return portions of their financial aid award.  A W will be placed on all courses.
    
2. Withdraw from the University after the 13^th week of instruction.  Students who leave the University after the 13th week of instruction should work with their home college/school’s Dean’s Office.

The relevant Dean’s Office will assist the student in reviewing the student's eligibility for credit for their courses on a course-by course basis with the instructors.

• If the course is substantially complete and the student has done passing work, the student should receive the grade earned at that time.
• If the instructor establishes that the course is not quite substantially complete and the student requests it, the instructor can follow the procedure for an Incomplete, with the agreement of the department chair and the Dean of the College where the course is housed.
• When it is deemed that no credit can be awarded, the student can be administratively withdrawn from the course.

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Military Leave Policy

WVU supports its students who are also members of the United States armed forces, reserve units, and National Guard. The Military Leave Policy applies specifically to students who have begun attending classes but are called away after the beginning of the semester. For unavoidable absences at the beginning of the term, students may be better served by delaying attendance until the next academic term. All students considering taking military leave are urged to contact WVU's Center for Veteran, Military, and Family Programs to discuss their best academic options.

Absences of less than three weeks of course work for military obligation (e.g., drill or training) are university sanctioned absences. WVU’s Center for Veteran, Military, and Family Programs has additional information on the drill schedule for the West Virginia National Guard and can provide official verification of student’s military orders upon request.

Students who will miss more than three weeks of course work due to military obligation should notify faculty members of the circumstances of their absence as far in advance as possible and work with faculty members to agree upon a plan of action. If necessary, these students may withdraw from the university and will go through one of the following processes depending upon when the student withdraws.

1. Withdraw from the University up to and including the 13^th week of instruction.
   1. Students who withdraw before the end of the 13^th week of instruction will be processed for a full refund of their tuition and fees and be administratively removed from their classes. No course grades or credit will be awarded.
2. Withdraw from the University after the 13^th week of instruction.
   1. Students who leave the University for military service after the 13th week of instruction should work with their home college/school’s Dean’s Office and the Center for Veteran, Military and Family Programs. The student may also contact the Office of the University Registrar. The Dean’s Office will assist the student in reviewing the student's eligibility for credit for their courses on a course-by course basis with the instructors. If the course is substantially complete and the student has done passing work, the student should receive the grade earned at that time. It is anticipated that this would be the outcome in the majority of the courses.

• When it is deemed that no credit can be awarded, the student can be administratively withdrawn from the course or, when possible, given a grade of Incomplete.

3. Students called to service after the 13^th week but for a relatively short duration (which may include exam week) may arrange for an Incomplete with provision to make up the final exam after completing the period of service.

Students who expect to be separated from the institution for more than three weeks during a particular semester may apply for a Military Leave of Absence. Students granted a Military Leave of Absence will not need to apply for readmission nor pay any readmission fees.

Procedures

• Students who receive orders with sufficient advance notice are expected to notify their professors of their upcoming deployment date and meet with their professors to come to an agreement on what regular course assignments they can reasonably complete prior to the deployment date. The details of this arrangement should be included in a contract initialed by both the instructor and the student and kept on file in the Dean’s Office. Students should not be penalized for not completing assignments, quizzes, tests, or exams due after their deployment date.
• No advance notice is required if the giving of such notice is precluded by military necessity (as per regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense). Instructors may contact the Center for Veteran, Military, and Family Programs if they have questions about determining advance notice.

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Auditors

A student who audits a course must register and pay full fees for the course but does not receive credit for the course. A student who audits a course must let one semester pass before enrolling in the same course for credit. A student may only change their status from audit to grade or grade to audit through their advisor, during the registration period. Advisors will notify the Office of the University Registrar or Enrollment Services at the Keyser location of the student's intention prior to the end of the drop/add period.  Attendance requirements for auditors are determined by the instructor of the course. The instructor may direct the Office of the University Registrar or Enrollment Services at the Keyser location to remove an auditor from a class list or grade report if attendance requirements are not met.

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Registration

Students must use STAR to register for each course they attend in person or online.

West Virginia University offers priority registration to veterans as part of the Forever GI Bill - Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act. Registration dates for other students are posted on the Office of the University Registrar's website. 

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Course Withdrawal and University Withdrawal Policy

There are three time periods during which students may withdraw from courses. The tuition refund policy can be reviewed on the Refunds tab on the Student Accounts website. The specific term deadlines can be found on the Withdrawal section of the Refunds tab on the Student Accounts website.

Withdrawal during the Drop/Add period

Students may withdraw from an individual course or all courses during the drop/add period, which runs until the end of the first week of a standard fall or spring 16-week term. Withdrawals from courses beginning on different parts of term or in the summer must be within the deadline as indicated on the Add and Drop Dates section of the Calendars tab on the Office of the University Registrar website. Courses dropped during the appropriate drop/add period will not be recorded on the student’s transcript.

Withdrawal by the Withdrawal Deadline

Generally, students can withdraw from one or more courses after the Drop/Add period but prior to the withdrawal deadline published in the University Calendar (during the 13th week of instruction for 16-week courses during the spring and fall terms). A grade of W will be recorded on the transcript, indicating the student withdrew from the course. The grade point average is not affected, but student progress within an identified major may be impacted, as well as the ability to retain financial aid. Additional information can be found about Withdrawing from Courses in the Maintaining Your Aid section of the Home tab on the Student Financial Services website.  “Attempted Hours” on the transcript include all courses for which a W is recorded. If a student does not follow the university’s withdrawal procedures, the final grades earned by the student will be recorded on the transcript.

NOTE: No longer attending a course does not constitute withdrawal. Students who do not formally drop or withdrawal from a course they are no longer attending will receive a failing grade for the course.

Withdrawal from all courses after the Withdrawal Deadline (Retroactive Withdrawal)

Withdrawing from all courses after the withdrawal deadline is considered a retroactive withdrawal from the University for the approved term.  A retroactive withdrawal must be requested within 12 months after grades have posted for the term in question. If the withdrawal is granted, a grade of W will be recorded on the transcript for each course. Retroactive withdrawals may not be requested for coursework in a degree that has already been awarded. Students may not request a withdrawal from a specific course or courses after the deadline for withdrawing from that term.

A retroactive withdrawal may be approved in one of two ways: contractual or non-contractual. The student’s current college or school determines if a student qualifies for a retroactive withdrawal and then determines the type of withdrawal.

• Contractual retroactive withdrawal: students may request a contractual withdrawal for one semester only. Students will be approved by their current college or school and will receive a contract.  If they fulfill all the terms of the contract, the withdrawal will be granted.
  • To qualify for a request for a contractual withdrawal, students must be able to demonstrate the following:
    • Unusually poor academic performance
    • An identifiable event or circumstances that explains the academic performance
    • Demonstrated evidence that corrective steps have been undertaken
• Non-contractual retroactive withdrawal: students may request a non-contractual withdrawal for up to one academic year.  Non-contractual withdrawals are granted for extreme circumstances and require the approval of the student’s current academic college or school.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: A retroactive withdrawal does not carry a tuition refund and may result in the recalculation of aid or other educational benefits received.  Granted retroactive withdrawals may change a student’s probation or suspension status.  Financial aid recipients who withdraw from all courses before sixty percent of the term is completed may be required to return a portion of any financial aid disbursed for the term. Grades of W are counted in Attempted Hours and affect student completion rate, one of the standards for determining financial aid satisfactory academic progress. Students who do not receive at least one passing grade in a term may be required to return a portion of any financial aid disbursed for that term according to their last date of attendance or participation on record. If a student, whose financial aid has been impacted, believes this date is incorrect, they may provide documentation that supports attendance or participation beyond the last date of attendance or participation on record.

MILITARY NOTE: Students who are called to active military service during a term must submit a copy of their deployment orders to the appropriate institutional officer. For additional information relative to military withdrawals, or if students are being deployed after the 13th week of instruction of the fall or spring terms and want to keep their grades earned at the time of deployment, please refer to the  Military Leave section of the undergraduate catalog.

Procedures

Withdrawal during Drop/Add period or by the Withdrawal Deadline

To withdraw from one or more courses by the withdrawal deadline, students should log on to the WVU Portal accessible at https://portal.wvu.edu and drop their courses through STAR.

Retroactive Withdrawal

To withdraw from the term after the withdrawal deadline, a student must request the retroactive withdrawal in writing from the dean (or designee) of the college of the student’s current major. A successful petition should demonstrate that the student’s performance was uncharacteristic and that the atypical circumstances interfered with the student’s ability to withdraw. Students who are considered for a contractual retroactive withdrawal will need to demonstrate that they can now make satisfactory degree progress.  Students may be required to present third party documentation of the qualifying event and/or evidence of corrective steps.  If the petition is granted, the dean or designee will request the withdrawal from all courses for the approved term at the appropriate time directly to the designated institutional officer.

General considerations when withdrawing from courses

• Students who wish to withdraw from one or more courses are encouraged to meet with their academic adviser.
• Students should determine if their course load would be reduced below the minimum requirement set by their program.
• Students should contact the appropriate office to contact to determine if their course load might be reduced below the minimum hours required to qualify for financial aid, scholarships, international full-time student status, or a graduate assistantship or fellowship..
• If a student is enrolled in two co-requisite courses (courses that must be taken and completed simultaneously) and withdraws from one of those courses, the student will be automatically withdrawn from the other co-requisite course as well.
• If withdrawal from the University for a semester would jeopardize the student’s standing in a particular program or major.
• Students who receive financial aid, veteran benefits, or scholarships should consult with the appropriate unit to see if the withdrawal will affect their status for the current or subsequent terms.
• It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all outstanding financial obligations to the University are satisfied and all required forms are received and processed. The withdrawal becomes official only after the request is received and processed by the appropriate institutional officer.
• Students withdrawing from all of their courses in a term who are living in university residential housing should vacate housing and turn in keys via the proper procedure. Check with the main desk at the residential hall for procedural details.

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In this section:

• Grading System
• Emergency Grading Policy
• Pass/Fail Grading
• Incomplete Grade Policy
• Grade Point Average
• Repeat Policy
• Grade Reports
• Honors
• Transcripts

Grading System

Note: Grades that are not reported by faculty at the end of a term will be designated with an NR on the official transcript.  All grades of NR must be resolved in order to graduate from West Virginia University. 

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Emergency Grading Policy

The primary instructor of record assigns final grades; however, under extraordinary circumstances, the dean in consultation with the program chair or director may select a designee to determine and assign grades in a course.

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Pass/Fail Grading

Non-degree seeking students can take any course P/F. Any full-time, degree-seeking student who has completed fifteen credits or more and has a 2.0 grade point average may take a maximum of four hours each semester or summer term on a pass/fail basis, to a maximum of 18 credits. Any course taken on a pass/fail basis must be a free elective. Courses in the major, courses in other subjects required by the major, courses to be applied to a minor or undergraduate certificate, and courses taken to satisfy University, college, school, or departmental requirements are excluded from pass/fail. For example, courses taken to satisfy general education or foreign language requirements may not be taken for pass/fail grading.

In most cases, experiential education courses (e.g. standalone service learning courses, internships, teaching practicum) are offered Pass/Fail. However, departments and programs may request normal grading for experiential courses or add P/F courses to major requirements by following the appropriate approval process. Such courses are identified in the student program of study, and are excluded from the maximum of 18 P/F credits allowed as free electives.

Advisory Note: Students who plan to apply for admission to a professional program are advised that courses taken on the Pass/Fail option may hinder admission when GPA is a consideration. Consult the admissions office of the professional school to which they intend to apply.

Students should be aware that some schools, scholarship committees, and honorary societies do not find work taken on a non-graded basis (Pass/Fail) acceptable. Employers may view non-graded (Pass/Fail) course work unfavorably. All students, especially those without a declared major, should be very cautious in using the P/F option.

Procedures

• Before being allowed to register P/F for a course offered for regular grading, students will need to meet with their academic advisor to discuss possible effect on graduation. If the adviser agrees, the student will contact the Office of the University Registrar and will have to provide an email from the adviser. Once the registration period has ended, he or she may not revert to a regularly graded course.
• The grade of P does not affect the student's grade point average. However, a grade of F will lower the student's grade point average.
• A course taken P/F may be repeated later for a grade.

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Incomplete Grade Policy

A grade of I (Incomplete) is a temporary grade assignment used when unforeseen, non-academic circumstances arise that prohibit students from completing the last course assignments or examinations at the end of the semester. The grade of Incomplete is typically assigned because of an excused absence from the final examination, or because assignments are unavoidably incomplete, as determined by the instructor. Generally, the student will have been active in the course up until the last day of the 13th week of classes and earned at least a D- to be eligible to request an incomplete.

• An instructor may not assign a grade of I without the student’s agreement and an Incomplete Contract. If a student has not requested an Incomplete, or the request for an Incomplete grade has been denied, the instructor should assign the grade earned in the course.
• Within the Incomplete Contract, the instructor is required to indicate a grade earned for the course assuming no additional work will be completed. Should the signed contract not be fulfilled, the instructor must either submit a grade of F or the grade indicated in the contract.
• If the student is unable to complete the work during the following term for non-academic reasons, the term of the contract may be extended with permission of the Dean. Additionally, the term of the contract can be extended if the instructor is not available for a portion of the course, for some legitimate reason, cannot be completed within the original time frame.
• An Incomplete grade not changed by the end of the next regular term, (fall and spring semesters) will be replaced with a grade of IF, and the class must be retaken to satisfy degree requirements as necessary. Under legitimate, extraordinary circumstances, with supporting documentation and the approval of the Dean, an instructor can submit a grade change for an IF within five years of when the course was taken.
• All grades of I must either be resolved or replaced with an IF in order to graduate from West Virginia University.

Procedures

• Students who wish to be considered for an Incomplete must request the incomplete grade prior to the end of the term. If  instructors agree, they will set the contractual conditions under which the grade of I will be changed to a letter grade, and students will sign their online contracts. The grade of incomplete is not granted until the Incomplete Contract has been approved by the department and college.
• The instructor should establish the date by which all work must be completed. Ideally, the date will be prior to the mid-semester point of the following regular term but may not be later than the last day of class of that term.
• If the student does not complete the terms of the contract, the instructor will assign the earned grade recorded on the contract at the time the Incomplete was assigned.
• The student is not permitted to re-register for the course to complete the missing work and remove the grade of I.
• Students may appeal any final grade imposed by a course instructor/coordinator, institution, or its constituent academic units through the procedures described in the Academic Standards section of the catalog.

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Grade Point Average (GPA)

Grade Points

Each letter grade has a numeric value. Grade points are based on this number value and the credit hour value of the course.

• A = 4
• B = 3
• C = 2
• D = 1
• F/FNA/FSA/IF/UF- 0

The GPA is computed on all work for which a student registers, with the following exceptions:

• Courses with a grade of CR, H, PR, P, S, W, I, U, and X carry no grade value.
• When a student receives the grade of "I" and the incomplete grade is replaced, the grade point average is calculated on the basis of the replacement grade. If the "I" grade is not changed within the next semester, the grade is replaced with a grade of IF, which is included in the grade point average.

Grade Point Average

• The institutional GPA is computed based on all work taken in the West Virginia University system for which a student received a letter grade (A-F) except for grades excluded under the provisions of the D/F Repeat Policy.

• The transfer GPA is computed for all domestic and international transfer work from properly accredited institutions.
• The overall GPA is calculated from the combined institutional and transfer GPA.

GPA policies

• The overall GPA is used for graduation status, programmatic standards, academic awards, Latin honors, probation and suspension, and state and federal financial aid eligibility.  Please review information on the Student Financial Support and Services page for detailed information regarding financial aid eligibility.
• The transfer GPA is used to decide eligibility for admission to the WVU system and individual majors. Please review Rules Governing Transfer Work in the Coursework Done Out of Residence Policy.
• To be eligible to receive an undergraduate degree, a student must have an overall GPA of at least 2.0 at the time of graduation.  Some degree or certificate programs require an overall GPA higher than a 2.0. 
• Certificate or degree programs may require higher and/or specifically defined grade point averages.  Please refer to the specific program for more information. 

GPA Calculation

The example below illustrates how to calculate a GPA.

Assume a student registered for the following courses and earned the following grades:

• MATH 126 (3 credits) - A
• ENGL 101 (3 credits) - B
• POLS 102 (3 credits) - D
• SPAN 101 (3 credits) - F
• CHEM 111 (4 credits) - C

Multiple the credit by the grade value to get the grade points earned for each course using the values for letter grades as described in the Grade Points section.

(Number of Credit Hours) multiplied by the (Letter Grade Value) = Grade Points

• MATH 126 with a grade of A  (3 credits) * (Letter Grade Value for an A) (4 points) = 12 Quality Points
• ENGL 101 with a grade of B (3 credits) * (Letter Grade Value for a B) (3 points) = 9 Quality Points
• POLS 102 with a grade of D (3 credits) * (Letter Grade Value for a D) = (1 point) = 3 Quality Points
• SPAN 101 with a grade of F  (3 credits) * (Letter Grade Value for an F) = (0 points) = 0 Quality Points
• CHEM 111 with a grade of C   (4 credits) * (Letter Grade Value for a C) = (2 points) = 8 Quality Points

Add the total quality points earned: 12 + 9 + 3 + 0 + 8 = 32

Add the total number of credit hours attempted: 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 4 = 16

Divide the total number of quality points earned divided by the total number of credit hours attempted

GPA calculation = 32 (total number of quality points earned) / 16 (total number of credit hours attempted) = 2.0 semester GPA

Students may also login to Degree Works to utilize the GPA Calculator. 

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Repeat Policy

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Grade Reports

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Honors

Sigma Phi Omega Honor Society

The Sigma Phi Omega Honor Society was established in 1923. Membership in the society is considered to be a high distinction. It is restricted to students who earn a GPA of 3.0 or better with no failing grades during the grading periods and be actively involved in two campus organizations.

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

Phi Theta Kappa is a national honor society that recognizes the academic achievement of college students and provides opportunities for its members to grow as scholars and leaders using the society's robust resources including scholarship opportunities. Phi Theta Kappa has been recognized as the official honor society for two-year colleges since 1929. Membership in the Beta Psi Chi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa is by invitation after a student has completed a minimum of 12 credit hours of college credit with a minimum GPA of 3.5.

Potomac State College Honors Program

The WVU-Potomac State Honors Program provides a program of honors courses that will apply toward specific degree requirements, including degree specific courses and general education foundation courses (GEF). The Honors Program includes two separate programs: Honors Foundations program and Experiential and Community Engagement (EXCEL) program. Enrollment in the Honors Program is by invitation only, and requirements are available on the college website.

Successful Completion of AA/AAS Honors Foundation

Upon graduation, to be declared an Honor Scholar obtaining an Associate Degree, students must complete a minimum of five honor courses (at least 13 honors credit hours), including an Honors Orientation course, and obtain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and 3.5 honors credit GPA

Successful Completion of Honors Experiential and Community Engaged Learning (EXCEL

Upon graduation, to be declared an Honor Scholar obtaining a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree or Bachelor of Science (BIS or BSN) degree, students must meet the following requirements:

• Complete two contracted courses for a minimum total of 6 credits in their major at the 300 or 400 level or NSG 495; Independent Study (BSN),
• Complete HONR 450: EXCEL Project Development,
• Complete HONR 451: EXCEL Summative Experience,
• Perform a minimum of 15 hours of documented community experience,
• Create an Honors Portfolio,
• Participate in an Honors Exit Interview and
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and an Honors GPA of 3.5

Students in the WVU-Potomac State College Honors program may transfer to the Morgantown campus into either the Honors Foundations or EXCEL Honors Programs if they meet the requirements.

President's and Dean's Lists

Full-time students whose academic accomplishments are of significant quality to merit special recognition are placed on either the President's List or Dean's List. To be placed on the President's List, a student must be enrolled for at least 12 credit hours of graded courses, excluding courses in which any grade of Audit, Pass or Incomplete is recorded, and must earn a grade-point average of 3.700 or higher. To be placed on the Dean's List, a student must be enrolled for at least 12 credit hours of graded courses, and must maintain a grade-point average of 3.000 to 3.699 for the semester which the student is enrolled. A student is not eligible for either list if the grade recorded for a course is D, F, I, or NR. Courses completed with a grade of P, S, or X are excluded from the calculation of credit hours for President's List and Dean's List.

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Official Transcripts