Grading Procedures
You will receive final grades for each course in which you are enrolled and these will appear on your transcript, also referred to as your student record. During the Program Change period at the beginning of the semester, you can drop a course, change a course section, or add a course if the course section is not filled, and dropped courses will not appear on your transcript. All courses or credits for which you are officially registered after the Program Change period ends are considered attempted credits and will show up on your transcript during that current semester.
Midterm Grades
Midterm grades are provided to students by their instructors during the eighth week of classes as a guide to their ongoing progress. Midterm grades do not appear on the transcript.
The City Tech Grading Scale
At the end of each semester, you will be able to access your final semester grades, your Grade Point Average (GPA) for the semester, and your cumulative GPA (total GPA for all semesters) on your CUNYfirst account. Your final grade for each class will be indicated by a letter grade, while your GPA will be provided using a 4-point scale.
The following chart indicates the letter grades you might receive, the numerical grade range they represent, and the 4-point scale that will be used to calculate your GPA.
| LETTER GRADE | NUMERICAL GRADE RANGE | GRADE POINTS |
| A | 93 – 100 | 4.0 |
| A- | 90 – 92.9 | 3.7 |
| B+ | 87 – 89.9 | 3.3 |
| B | 83 – 86.9 | 3.0 |
| B- | 80 – 82.9 | 2.7 |
| C+ | 77 – 79.9 | 2.3 |
| C | 70 – 76.9 | 2.0 |
| D | 60 – 69.9 | 1.0 |
| F | 59.9 – Below | 0.0 |
Withdrawal Grades
If you register for a course but stop attending or do not complete class requirements, you will receive a withdrawal grade. There are several different types of withdrawal grades (described on the chart below), but all withdrawals have some important consequences:
| 1 | When you withdraw from a class, you will not earn academic credit for that class. As a result, you will need to take the same course again if it is a requirement, and it will take longer for you to earn enough total credits to graduate. If the course is a prerequisite, you will not be able to take the next course in the sequence until you have retaken and completed this one successfully. Withdrawing may also make you ineligible for honors like the Dean’s List. |
| 2 | Your financial aid award or scholarship money may be reduced. Many types of financial aid are based on the number of credits in which you are currently enrolled, so if withdrawing drops your credits below a certain threshold you may receive less aid or even have to pay back money already advanced to you. |
| 3 | Unless you officially withdraw before the end of the Program Change period (roughly the first two weeks of classes; the exact date for each semester is on the Academic Calendar), you will be responsible for paying full tuition for the class. |
Because of these factors, withdrawing from a class is not a decision to be undertaken lightly. If you’re considering withdrawal, talk with your professor first to discuss whether it might be possible to stay in the class and complete it successfully. It would also be wise to speak with a Financial Aid counselor to determine what financial impact withdrawal would have. Finally, talk with your academic advisor about how withdrawing could affect your academic plans.
That said, there are circumstances when withdrawing from a class is the right choice. If a life emergency makes it impossible for you to attend or complete work for the class, it may be wise to withdraw immediately. If you’re struggling academically, you’ve spoken with the professor, and it doesn’t appear that you can complete a class successfully, it may make sense for you to stay in the class up until the withdrawal deadline in order to learn as much as possible before withdrawing.
If you decide that withdrawing from a class is the best option, complete the process of official withdrawal! Doing so demonstrates that you are taking responsibility for your choices and properly informing the college of your decision. The withdrawal process is as follows:
| 1 | Log into CUNYfirst at https://www.cuny.edu/cuny-login/ |
| 2 | Select Student Center, then Course Planning and Enrollment |
| 3 | Select the DROP tab, and follow the instructions to Withdraw |
The type of Withdrawal grade you receive will depend on the circumstances of your withdrawal:
Incomplete Grades
An “I” or Incomplete, may be given at the end of the semester when there is a reasonable expectation that a student can successfully complete the requirements after the conclusion of the course. This “I” grade is a privilege and should not be considered an expectation or a student right. Faculty have the right to deny an “I” grade.
If you receive an “I”, you must complete the coursework by the date specified on the Academic Calendar, generally around a month after the start of the next semester. If the instructor does not change your “I” grade by the required date, the grade of “F” will be recorded. So … if you ask for an Incomplete, make sure that you can commit to completing the remaining coursework within the required time period! And check back with the professor to make sure that the grade change has been filed with the Registrar’s Office.
Warnings: Academic Alert and Academic Probation
There are at least two reasons why you don’t want your GPA to fall below a 2.0, which is a C average. The first reason is that low grades may cause you to be dismissed from City Tech and you will have wasted the time and money you have already invested in your academic career. The second reason is that you know you can do better.
If your cumulative GPA does fall below the college’s minimum standard, you will be placed on Academic Alert (if you’ve attempted fewer than 18 credits at City Tech) or Academic Probation (if you’ve attempted 18 or more credits). These statuses are official warnings that you must raise your grades or risk academic dismissal from the college. For more details on these serious matters please read the college’s Academic Standards Policy.
Repeating Courses and the CUNY Policy on “F” or “D” Grades
According to CUNY policy, if you receive a “D” or “F” and subsequently retake the same course at the same college and receive a grade of “C” or better, the initial grade will not be computed into your GPA although the initial grade will remain on your transcript. Under this policy, the maximum number of credits that can be deleted from your cumulative GPA is limited to 16.
The bottom line is: Do well the first time you take a course!
The Benefits of a GPA Above 3.0
A 3.0 GPA is a “B” average. Good…and maybe you can do even better? There are institutional rewards for better grades, including many opportunities that require good academic standing. For example, if your GPA is 3.6 or above, you will automatically be placed on the Dean’s List, which appears on your transcript for each semester that you attain that GPA. Students who do well in their classes may be eligible to participate in special opportunities and events. These opportunities include:
- Honors Scholars Program: https://www.citytech.cuny.edu/academics/honors-scholarships.aspx
- Scholarships: http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/scholarships/scholarships.aspx and http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/scholarships/links.aspx
- Undergraduate Research: https://www.citytech.cuny.edu/research/
An official record of all courses and credits a student attempted and the grades earned while attending college.
Units earned for successfully completing a course. Most courses have a value between 2-4 credits. The number of credits that appear on a transcript may be different from the number of hours spent in class.
This status occurs as a warning to new students during their first 18 college credits. A student will be placed on Academic Alert if their grade point average (GPA) is below 1.5 while attempting up to their first 12 credits and 1.75 while attempting between 13 and 18 credits. This signifies that a student must raise their GPA to avoid being placed on Academic Probation once they have exceeded the 18 credit warning period. It is time to work harder and to get help.
This status indicates that a student is not meeting the college's minimum GPA standard and has one semester to improve their grades. If a student on probation earns less than a 2.25 GPA (approximately a C+ average) for the semester, that student will be dismissed from the college. Students placed on Academic Probation may not be eligible for financial aid. Students on Academic Probation are urged to seek help from an academic advisor, the Counseling Center, and/or the Student Success Center.
If a student fails to meet the college's academic standards following a semester on Academic Probation, they are dismissed and can no longer attend the college in a degree-granting program. Dismissed students may appeal to the Committee on Course and Standards for readmission. The appeal process allows students to explain why they could not meet the college's academic standards and why those circumstances would no longer be obstacles to progress.
An academic honor awarded to matriculating students who have a grade point average of 3.6 or higher with no failures, incompletes, R’s, WU’s, or WN’s. Also called the Dean's Honor List.
