2024-2025 Catalog > Enrollment Services > Grades

Grades

College hours (credits)

A credit, sometimes referred to as semester credit or semester hour, is related to time spent in class, study, preparation, laboratory, or field experience.

One semester credit hour normally requires 45 hours of student work, or:

50 minutes in class each week for one semester (which assumes twice this amount of time in study and preparation outside the classroom), or

Two to three hours in laboratory each week for a semester, or

The equivalent combinations of 1 and 2.

Credit for workshops and short courses is granted on the basis of one semester credit for 45 hours of scholarly activity.

Credit Enrollment Limits

Every student has a unique set of circumstances: academic preparation, skills and abilities, drive and self-motivation, family and work responsibilities, etc. The number of credits students should enroll in depends on many of these factors, as well as on the type and level of difficulty of classes in which they intend to enroll. For some students 15 credits could be considered a full load, while others may be able to successfully complete more credits a semester. Registering in too many credits may result in lower performance.

Degree-seeking students who want to register in more than 20 credits during a fall or spring semester, or more than 10 credits in the summer semester will need the approval of the Dean of Enrollment Services and an Instructional Dean. Non-degree seeking students will need the approval of an Instructional Dean in the Office of Instruction and Academic Affairs. Dual Credit students will need the approval of the Dean of Student Access and an Instructional Dean. 

Students receiving financial aid should also keep in mind financial aid regulations when deciding on the number of credits in which they should enroll.

Grade Code Categories

Grades are earned upon completion of a course in the following categories:

Incompletes

Instructors may enter a grade of Incomplete (I) if both of the following conditions are present:

• Your work has been satisfactory through the first half of the semester (or course).

• Extenuating circumstances make it impossible for you to complete the course before the end of the semester.

In order to receive a grade of incomplete (I), you and your instructor must agree to a contract stipulating the work you must do and the time in which it must be completed for you to receive a grade in the class. The contract is available on the CSI website: http://www.csi.edu/facultyAndStaff/#forms. The contract time varies as set by the instructor but may not exceed one year. If no grade other than incomplete has been assigned at the end of the contract, the grade of F will automatically be assigned. The grade of "F" may not be changed without approval of the Appeals Committee. You may not remove the grade of incomplete (I) from your transcript by re-enrolling in the class during another semester. A grade of incomplete is excluded from GPA calculations until you receive a final grade in the course.

Grade Point Averages (GPA)

Cumulative GPA - Includes all coursework receiving a letter grade (including developmental coursework) a student has taken. This GPA appears on the CSI transcript as “Career Totals.” Cumulative GPA is used to calculate academic standing and to determine honors received at graduation. 

Note: Audited courses, Pass/Fail courses, and courses in which students receive an Incomplete are not used to calculate GPA.

Number of quality points = Number of credits * Number of quality points per credit.

Total Quality Points Earned

-------------------------------------- = GPA

GPA Credits Attempted

Quality Points:

A – 4 quality points per credit

B – 3 quality points per credit

C – 2 quality points per credit

D – 1 quality point per credit

F – 0 quality point per credit

Audit Status

A student auditing a course receives no credit or grade for the course. The student’s transcript will show an “AU” for the course which communicates the student enrolled in the class but may or may not have completed assignments or participated in class activities. Students who audit a course are expected to attend classes. Regular tuition and fees apply. Students can select Audit grade type on the paper registration form when registering or adding a class, or by emailing the Office of the Registrar at records@csi.edu from their CSI email account. Students may change their registration status to/from audit only during the specified add period through the end of the first week for full term courses. Not all courses are available to audit.

Academic Excellence

As part of its mission, the College of Southern Idaho seeks to provide a quality educational experience to students with diverse backgrounds and academic gifts, including high-ability, high-achieving students. In doing this, there are several options for gifted students to capitalize upon and be recognized for outstanding academic achievement.

President's List and Dean's List

The President’s List and Dean’s List are fall and spring semester-based distinctions available to full-time students (students who completed 12 or more credits from graded courses). 

President’s List – 4.00 semester GPA

Dean’s List – 3.5 to 3.99 semester GPA

President’s List and Dean’s List designations are recognized on the student’s transcript.

Grades of ‘I’ or missing grades will prevent a student from receiving honors.

Community Engaged Learning

A teaching and learning strategy that integrates instruction with meaningful and timely service to the communities around them. These classes utilize the service-learning pedagogy for the basis of papers, discussion, and other assignments. Instructors deliberately link the course content with community needs and reflect on the cognitive and developmental aspects of the experience. Service hours are expected and is at the discretion of the faculty member. 

CSI Honors Program and Honors Coursework Recognition

The Honors Program is open to full-time students just beginning at CSI or to those already in the process of completing a degree who hold and maintain a GPA of 3.5 or above. Admission to the Honors Program is a competitive process granted by application in the fall and the spring. Students in the Honors Program take Honors Seminar and Honors Reading classes in addition to general education honors coursework. Honors courses are represented by an “H” on a student’s transcript. Students who complete at least 15 credits of honors coursework (either through designated sections or contract) will be awarded special distinction on their transcript. They can also be identified by purple cords at commencement ceremonies.

Graduation

Students must apply for graduation prior to the end of the term in which the degree/certificate is being conferred.  Applications received after the end of the term will be reviewed during the next conferment period.  Students apply online at https://www.csi.edu/registrar/graduation.aspx. Students must apply for graduation whether or not they are planning to participate in the commencement ceremony in May. Although applications for graduation are accepted throughout the year, in order to be included in the commencement program, students must apply for graduation prior to the deadline published each year. The degree will only be conferred and the diploma will only be issued if all graduation requirements have been met. All documentation related to completion of graduation requirements such as completed transfer work, Alternative Credit requests, and completion of Incomplete Contracts must be received by the CSI Office of the Registrar within two weeks of the end of the term in which the student has applied for graduation.  Documentation received after the two-week grace period will be reviewed during the next conferment period.

Transfer students must complete a total of 20% of credits at CSI in order to graduate from the College of Southern Idaho.

Commencement Honors

CSI also recognizes academic distinction at graduation based on a graduate's cumulative GPA:

Summa Cum Laude – with highest praise; students who graduate with a 3.9-4.0 GPA

Magna Cum Laude – with great praise; students who graduate with 3.7-3.89 GPA

Cum Laude – with praise; students who graduate with 3.5-3.69 GPA

These distinctions are recognized on the transcript and diploma. Graduates may wear gold cords during the commencement ceremony.

Grades of “I” or missing grades may prevent a student from receiving these honors until the grades are posted. These graduation honors apply only to associate or bachelor degrees (AA, AS, AAS, BAS). Academic Certificates (AC), Basic Technical Certificates (BTC), and Intermediate Technical Certificates (ITC) are not eligible.