Academic Unit of Credit
A semester hour is the amount of credit usually earned by attending a non-laboratory class for fifty minutes a week for 16 weeks. In laboratory courses, one semester hour of credit is granted for every two or three hours of laboratory work.
College Transfer Credit
Credit will be granted for bringing in courses at the 100 level or above taken at other accredited institutions where a student has earned a grade of “C” or better. A student must have a current application on file and complete a Request for Transcript Evaluation form before the transcript will be evaluated and credits accepted.
Cumulative grade point averages will be computed both on credits earned at Spoon River College and those accepted by transfer. The combined cumulative grade point average of “C” or higher will be required for graduation from Spoon River College. Lower division credits from accredited colleges or universities will be accepted in transfer, regardless of whether a similar class is offered by Spoon River College. Upper division credits are accepted in transfer only if a comparable course is offered by Spoon River College at the lower division level or only as elective credit.
Credit for College Level Examination Program
Spoon River College recognizes undergraduate achievement as measured by both the general and subject examinations of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Scores may be submitted to Admissions and Records for evaluation, and if the level of achievement is at or above the minimum standards and score levels established by the college, credit may be granted. Regardless of the number of hours earned through CLEP, the student must meet the college’s residency requirement for graduation.
Academic Credit for Military Service
Certain experiences in military service may be submitted to the Director of Enrollment Services for evaluation. Coursework applicable to a Spoon River College curriculum that was taken through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) or under the United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI) may be given credit provided the course is recommended by the American Council on Education. An official Joint Services Transcript (JST) and a request for evaluation are required. Submit official transcripts of satisfactory completion of the work to Admissions and Records.
Credit for four semester hours of physical education will be awarded to members or former members of the U.S. Armed Forces who have completed six months or more of active duty and have been honorably discharged. The student must provide the Financial Aid Office with a request for this credit and a copy of their separation papers (Form DD214).
Credit Transfer Guarantee
Students planning to transfer to a college or university after completing their work at Spoon River College may discuss the Credit Transfer Guarantee with their advisor. Provided the student knows the college or university to which he/she hopes to transfer, the major in which he/she will enroll, performs at “C” level or better, and is accepted into the college of his/her choice, Spoon River College will guarantee the transferability of credits taken or will return tuition paid for those articulated courses which do not transfer.
Career and Technical Program Guarantee
In meeting the needs of the workplace with highly skilled graduates, Spoon River College will warrant the technical competence needed for entry-level employment in the career and technical field in which a student completes an Associate in Applied Science degree or career and technical certificate. Under this guarantee, a program graduate who is determined deficient in the technical skills specified in the course syllabi for the program will be provided up to nine semester credit hours of tuition-free retraining. For more information, contact the Dean of Instruction.
Advanced Placement Program
This program and associated tests are offered only in high schools. Students who have participated in the AP program may be eligible to receive credit and advanced placement at Spoon River College on the basis of subject area examinations. Students must submit official AP scores to the Director of Enrollment Services for evaluation.
Course Proficiency Examinations
Proficiency exams are available for some career and transfer courses.
- A proficiency exam application form must be submitted to the Dean of Student Services to obtain approval for the exam. Applications are available in Student Services on the Canton and Macomb campuses and Havana and Rushville center locations.
- An applicant must be an SRC student and a high school graduate or hold a GED certificate.
- Students are not permitted to repeat unsuccessful attempts on exams within a period of one calendar year.
- Credit by examination will not be permitted for a course where the student has enrolled in the course and remains in the course past the add/drop dates for that course, has taken a higher-level course, or is currently taking a higher-level course.
- A student may initiate an application for proficiency examination no later than before the close of business at the end of schedule adjustment period as stated in the schedule for that class. The proficiency exam should be completed within two days after the add/drop period.
- Fees charged by SRC for departmental proficiency examinations are specified on the proficiency test application form.
- Fees are payable before the examination is completed and are charged whether the exams are passed or failed.
- Credits earned by proficiency exam are not used in calculating GPA.
- Contact the Office of Student Services or designee for more information.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
A student’s semester grade point average represents the average grades for only one semester. The cumulative grade point average represents the average of the grades of all courses taken at Spoon River College. Only grades for courses at 100 level or above are used to compute GPA for graduation.
How to determine GPA:
| Speech | C | 2 | 3 | 6 |
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| Algebra | C | 2 | 3 | 6 |
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| American Literature | B | 3 | 3 | 9 |
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| Chemistry | D | 1 | 4 | 4 |
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| Health Science | A | 4 | 2 | 8 |
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| Total Points | | | | 33 |
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| Total Semester Credit Hours | | | 15 | 33/15 |
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| GPA | | | | 2.2 |
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To determine the grade point average, the number of quality points for each grade received is multiplied by the number of credit hours for that course. The total number of quality points is then divided by the total number of credit hours attempted excluding courses with W, I, and audit grades.
Grading Systems
Spoon River College uses the following schedule of letter grades, definitions, and grade-point equivalents as its official marking system. Students’ grades are available on the web at My SRC after the completion of the semester.
| A | Superior | 4.00 |
| B | Above Average | 3.00 |
| C | Average | 2.00 |
| D | Passing | 1.00 |
| F | Failure | 0.00 |
| FA | Failure Due to Attendance | 0.00 |
| W | Official Withdrawal | |
| I | Incomplete | |
| AUDIT | No Credit | |
| Courses utilizing the pass-fail grading system will be designated as follows: |
| S | Satisfactory Completion (Pass) | |
| U | Unsatisfactory Completion (Fail) | |
Incomplete Grades
A student can request an incomplete grade for completion of the course. Required course work must be completed within a maximum of nine weeks after the scheduled completion date of the course or sooner as determined by the instructor. If the work is not completed and the proper grade recorded by the instructor within nine calendar weeks, Admissions and Records will automatically record a grade of “F.” No withdrawal is permitted after an incomplete has been given.
Repeating Courses
A student who earns a grade of “D” or “F” in a course will be permitted to repeat the course for credit. In such cases, all credit hours and grade points will appear on the transcript. Only the most recent grade and credit hours earned will be included in computing cumulative grade point averages except when the repeated course has been counted previously in the completion of a degree or certificate program. No changes will be made to the graduation grade point average after the student has graduated. Variable credit courses may be repeated as required in specific curricula.
Good Academic Standing
A student must maintain a cumulative 2.00 GPA or better on a 4.00 scale in order to achieve “Good Academic Standing.”
Academic Honors
President’s Academic Honors list: Recognition of academic achievement of those full-time students with a semester grade point average of 3.6 or higher. Courses must be 100-level or higher to be considered for this recognition.
Dean’s Honor Roll: Recognition of academic achievement of those full-time students with a semester grade point average of 3.0 – 3.5. Courses must be 100-level or higher to be considered for this recognition.
Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society: Full-time students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or better are permitted to apply for membership in Phi Theta Kappa. A 3.0 average must be maintained for a student to remain a member in good standing. Part-time students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 following the completion of fifteen hours of transfer credit are eligible for membership in Phi Theta Kappa.
