Grading and Academic Standards

Grading

Grades Used in GPA Computation

Grades at Moraine Park Technical College are assigned to individual students on the basis of the student’s achievement. Grade point averages (GPA) are computed on the following scale with points computed for each hour of credit attempted:

Symbols Not Used in GPA Computation

The following symbols may also appear on the student’s transcript. These grades do not bear grade points and are not used in computing the grade point average (GPA):

Continuing and Community Education

Incomplete Procedure

An incomplete “I” is a temporary grade that may be assigned to a student who is unable to complete all course requirements as scheduled in a class section. The request for an incomplete grade must be initiated by the student prior to the end date of the class. The student must be current on assignments and passing with a grade of C or better at the time an unforeseen, extenuating event occurs that prevents completion of the course requirements as scheduled.

Students initiate the incomplete request by submitting a written explanation of the extenuating circumstance(s) prompting the request with supporting documentation to their instructor. Based on the student’s current status in the class (must be passing and current on assignments) and rationale for requesting the incomplete the instructor can deny the request or recommend that an incomplete be issued. The recommendation to issue an incomplete is sent to the appropriate Associate Dean along with the incomplete request documentation and completed Incomplete Grade Plan (IGP) form. The IGP form is completed by the instructor and provides the outstanding course requirements and deadlines to complete each.

Students who have a pending incomplete grade in a course cannot register for another section of the same course until the incomplete grade is resolved. If outstanding course requirements for an incomplete aren’t submitted within the assigned deadlines the incomplete grade will change to a failing “F” grade. The deadline to resolve an incomplete grade is contingent upon the amount of outstanding requirements; however, may not exceed 30 calendar days past the class end date.

It is important to note that incomplete grades can impact financial aid, Dean’s List eligibility, and similar. Students should contact their academic advisor for additional information or assistance in completing the incomplete grade request process.

Auditing a Course

A student may audit a course to gain a general understanding of a subject matter. The college administration reserves the right to restrict the auditing of any course. Audit options are provided on a space-available basis. Students auditing a course may be administratively withdrawn (with a full refund) in the event that the course fills and students seek to enroll for credit.

Registration

The student must submit a completed Audit Course Intent Form at the time of registration. A student may not change his/her registration status from audit to credit or vice versa once the course has started. All course prerequisites must be met at the time of registration. Only undergraduate (UG) level courses can be audited.

Payment

A student auditing a course must pay the same tuition and fees as a student enrolled for credit. Per the 1999 Wisconsin Act 154, individuals who are 60 years of age or older are exempt from paying tuition when auditing a course. Any age 60+ auditor must be a resident of Wisconsin and will be required to pay course material fees and all other applicable student fees.

Class Requirements

Auditing a course requires a student to meet attendance requirements, participate in classroom activities and complete all assignments required for the course; however, they do not complete examinations. Students who complete these course requirements are assigned a grade of “AU” (audit). Students who fail to complete these course requirements receive a grade of “W” (withdrawn).

A student does not earn course credit for auditing a course. Audited courses may not be used to satisfy the prerequisites or requirements for other courses. Courses taken on an audit basis are not part of the student’s credit load for financial aid, veterans’ benefits, or for any other purpose for which the college is asked to certify a student’s enrollment status.

Repeat Courses

Students are allowed to repeat courses at Moraine Park. Health and nursing-related courses can be repeated once – all other courses can be repeated twice. Students requesting an exception to this procedure must work with the Associate Dean who oversees the instructional area of the course.

All attempts remain on the student’s official transcript; however, only the most recent attempt will be used in GPA calculations and to determine credits earned and attempted. Note: All attempts are considered when determining eligibility for financial aid.

Official Transcript of Grades

The Moraine Park Technical College transcript is the complete record of students’ enrollment at the college and is maintained by the Registrar’s Office.  Transcripts are confidential and cannot be released without student authorization.

The College will withhold all student record services to students who have outstanding financial obligations. Services to be withheld include: issuance of an official and unofficial transcript, certification of enrollment, verification of degrees, release of educational records, copying of educational records and registration for future terms/semesters. Services will be withheld until all encumbrances are satisfied.

However, students may review and inspect their educational record at any time. 

Parchment Services

1. MPTC has partnered with Parchment Transcript Services to provide students with fast and secure online transcript ordering and delivery.
2. Students create an account with Parchment Services website to complete transcript orders.
3. Students have the option to request electronic delivery, in-person pick-up on Fond du Lac campus, or mailed.
4. Official transcripts ordered should be sent directly to third party to remain official.

In-person Immediate Transcript Request

1. Students may come to Moraine Park’s Fond du Lac campus for in-person immediate paper transcript requests.
2. Students must complete and sign transcript request form and submit payment for immediate transcript processing.
3. Official MPTC transcripts are printed on security paper, which includes tests for authenticity. Official transcripts issued directly to the students will come in a sealed envelope with the words “Issued to student in a sealed envelope. Transcript is not official if seal is broken” written across the envelope flap, in an individually sealed college envelope.
4. The official transcript should remain in the unopened, sealed envelope until it is presented to the employer, institution, ​​ or scholarship provider.

Unofficial Transcripts

An unofficial transcript can be accessed online through myMPTC Student and printed for use by the student.

Grade Reports

Grades can be viewed on myMPTC. If official grades are needed, please request an official transcript from the Registrar’s Office. MPTC does not mail grade reports.

Academic Standards

• A “C” grade (or equivalent for pass/fail courses) must be attained in all courses required for program graduation.
• Failure to maintain standards will place students on academic probation or suspension (See Academic Standing).

Academic/Attendance Requirements

The following criteria are used to evaluate a student’s academic progress:

1. Good attendance
2. Completing assignments to make satisfactory progress toward course completion
3. Completing all program requirements
4. Meeting set standards in assigned projects and reports
5. Where applicable, demonstrating practical hands-on skills

If the instructor feels a student is not making satisfactory progress or is not regularly attending the class, he or she will work with advisors and/or Student Services. Recommendations may include a plan to improve study habits and/or attendance, to reduce class credit load, and/or to reduce the hours of employment. If recommendations are not followed, a student may be dropped from the class.

Academic Standing

Students who have attempted six or more undergraduate level courses at MPTC will establish an academic standing status based on a combination of semester and cumulative GPA calculations.

• Students with a semester and cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher are in good standing.
• Students who earn a semester GPA of less than 2.0 will be placed on academic probation. While in a probationary status students are allowed to enroll in 15 or fewer credits in a semester. Students who are on probation will return to good standing once their cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher.
• Students who earn a semester GPA of at least 2.0 but have a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 will have a status of probation continued.
• Students will be placed on academic suspension if they fail to earn a semester GPA of at least 2.0 while in a probationary status. Students on suspension must sit out one full semester (fall or spring)

Appeal of Academic Suspension

A student on academic suspension is eligible to file an appeal if they have extenuating circumstances that can be documented.

Students seeking to appeal their suspension must submit the following:

1. Academic Suspension Appeal Form and upload the following:
   • Letter of Appeal describing the extenuating circumstances that affect the student’s academic performance, steps taken to address/resolve the circumstances and a plan to improve academic success moving forward (including use of MPTC resources). Letter must be signed and dated. For assistance, contacting your college academic advisor is highly recommended.
   • Supporting documentation to evidence extenuating circumstances described in the letter of appeal. Documentation for extenuating circumstances is the same as referenced under Appeal for Financial Aid Suspension.
2. The appeal will be reviewed by the College appeals committee.
3. The student will be notified of the decision in writing.
4. If an appeal is denied, the student will remain academically suspended.
5. If an appeal is granted, the student will be placed in a continued probation status. Successful appeal of an academic suspension does not guarantee reinstatement of financial aid, if applicable.
6. The appeals committee decision is final. 

Internal Referral

The Internal Referral system is designed to identify and provide feedback for students who are at risk of not completing a course. The referral system supports communication among instructors, support services, and students. A referral is submitted if an instructor is concerned that a student is in academic jeopardy or if there is concern about the student’s emotional and/or physical well-being. Early intervention from Advising or Counseling staff is initiated to create a support system for the student, helping the students’ success in the course.

Dean’s List

MPTC will publish a Dean’s List each semester. To qualify for the Dean’s List distinction, students must meet all of the following requirements:

• Earn a minimum semester grade point average (GPA) of 3.5
• Be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits) in undergraduate-level courses
• Cannot have a failing (F) or incomplete (I) grade in the semester and
• Must otherwise by in good academic standing.

In accordance with the Family Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, students who have elected to restrict the release of directory information are not presented in this list. Students may request to have the confidentiality indicator removed from their record by signing and submitting the Request to Withhold Directory Information form where it states “I wish to revoke my previous request to withhold directory information.” Students may submit an email from their student email account (@student.morainepark.edu) requesting the removal of the confidentiality indicator. These requests can be submitted to MPTC Records email at records@morainepark.edu.

Process:

The Dean’s List is generated for each academic semester (summer, fall, spring) by the Registrar’s Office upon completion of the end-of-term processing at the end of each academic semester.

Dean’s List is only calculated once. Repeating a course, completing an incomplete course, grade changes, or other academic events do not result in recalculating a Dean’s List for prior semesters, including the most-recent semester, once the official Dean’s List is published.

The Dean’s List will be published approximately 4 weeks after the end of the semester. Upon Dean’s List calculation, the Registrar’s Office will publish to Moraine Park’s website and an announcement made on myMPTC Student. The Dean’s List of will be sent to Marketing for external publication to newspapers and announcements on social media.

An email notification will be sent to all students on the Dean’s List.

Academic Amnesty

Moraine Park acknowledges that not all students are equally prepared for a successful academic career. Academic Amnesty is intended to provide an opportunity to remove a period of poor academic performance at Moraine Park from the GPA calculation. Moraine Park recommends students attempt to improve their academic record by repeating a course(s) first and utilizing Academic Amnesty as a last step. If the course is repeated, a repeat indicator of “E” will reside next to the previously earned failing grade. The last attempt of a course will be included in the GPA calculation. Students are encouraged to discuss ramifications and alternatives for Academic Amnesty with their academic advisor.

Due to federal regulations, the Office of Financial Aid does not acknowledge Academic Amnesty when calculating eligibility for aid. Therefore, for the purpose of Financial Aid, all credit attempts are counted and will continue to affect Satisfactory Academic Progress. Academic Amnesty does not supersede Financial Aid. Transfer institutions may or may not acknowledge Academic Amnesty and may recalculate the Moraine Park GPA for their purposes. It is at the discretion of other institutions to determine how they will interpret Academic Amnesty. Moraine Park is not responsible for the application of Academic Amnesty at other institutions or by employers.

Criteria

• Academic performance can be forgiven after three (3) calendar years of absence from the end of the last semester of attendance to the beginning of the first semester enrolled (three years in which program coursework or coursework affecting the cumulative GPA was not attempted or completed).
• Students can apply for Academic Amnesty upon completion of 12 credit hours of undergraduate coursework with a “C” or better grade in each course upon their return to Moraine Park, after the absence.
• A maximum of two semesters may be requested for Academic Amnesty; semesters do not have to be consecutive. The semester(s) being requested must have a GPA under 2.0.
• Academic Amnesty will be granted for program coursework only. A course with a passing grade (“D” or better) will not be considered for amnesty.
• “W” = Withdrawal and “I” = Incomplete grades do not affect overall GPA but count as attempted courses. Only failing grades will be considered for Academic Amnesty.
• Academic Amnesty will be granted only once; even if the student does not take advantage of the full-limit (two semesters) of Academic Amnesty during their initial application.
• Academic Amnesty will be granted if all required criteria are met.

Stipulations

• Academic Amnesty is not reversible.
• Can be used only once in a lifetime.
• The coursework is forgiven only for the purposes of improving the Moraine Park GPA.
• Academic Amnesty status is not recognized by the federal government when calculating Financial Aid or Veterans’ benefits: all previous conditions for aid remain.
• Classes removed from the GPA under Academic Amnesty will count toward attempted classes for Financial Aid purposes.
• Forgiven classes and grades remain on the transcript with Academic Amnesty grade noted.
• Forgiven classes cannot be applied toward graduation from Moraine Park. Only the improved GPA will be considered.
• Honors designations will not be granted retroactively for any prior degrees or coursework earned.
• Academic Amnesty does not affect Phi Theta Kappa eligibility for prior terms.
• Tuition will not be refunded for any coursework that is approved for Academic Amnesty.

Academic Amnesty Procedure

1. Students must apply for Academic Amnesty by submitting an application to the Registrar.

The form is available at the Student Service Centers on the Beaver Dam, Fond du Lac or West Bend campuses. It is also available at myMPTC Student.

• The student will indicate their understanding and full agreement with the Academic Amnesty policy and procedure by signing the application.
• An application must be received no later than the fall term prior to a spring graduation or a decision will not be guaranteed in time for degree conferment. Fall graduates should submit this application no later than the end of the summer term.
• The Registrar will review the application to determine if the identified criteria are met. If Academic Amnesty is granted, the Registrar will amend the academic record.
• The Registrar will communicate the decision in writing to the applicant whether the request is approved or denied.
• All decisions are final.

Final Grade Appeal

The purpose of the final grade appeal process is to provide a vehicle and structure for students to appeal final course grades. The grade appeal procedure only applies to final grades and not individual graded assignments.

Faculty members have the authority to establish course requirements and standards of performance within the college’s established curriculum process. It is the responsibility of the faculty to articulate and communicate course requirements and grading standards to students at the beginning of each course via the syllabus. Instructors must apply all grading criteria uniformly and in a timely manner. Final grades submitted to the Registrar’s Office are presumed to be accurate and final.

All final grade appeals must be initiated by the student within thirty (30) calendar days of the grade being available via myMPTC.

Grounds for Final Grade Appeal

• The assigned final grade was issued in error. This includes situations where there was a miscalculation of grade points that resulted in a lower grade for the appealing student. The student must clearly demonstrate the miscalculation. It also includes situations such as missing records, missing grade entries, or grade entry errors.
• The assigned final grade was based on reasons other than announced or established criteria and standards for the course.
• The assignment of the grade was based on factors other than student’s achievement/performance (i.e. prejudice or discrimination).
• Inconsistently applied standards for evaluation of student’s academic performance.
• The instructor failed to notify students clearly and promptly of the criteria for grade determination.

Grades given as the result of academic dishonesty cannot be appealed under the grade appeal process. If a student believes that the grade is based on unlawful discrimination or sexual harassment, as defined in the College’s procedures, the student should proceed under the procedure for Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Policy.

Process:

1) The student discusses their concern with the instructor within thirty (30) calendar days of the grade being available via myMPTC Student.

• If the instructor agrees with student that final grade was in error, the instructor will submit a Grade Change Form to the Registrar’s Office to correct.
• If the instructor does not agree with student that final grade was in error, the instructor will email the student via college email account reasons for grade within five (5) business days.

2) If the situation is not resolved and the student feels the final grade was unjustified, the student may submit a formal Final Grade Appeal to the Registrar’s Office within five (5) business days of receiving email notification from the instructor. A student submitting a formal Final Grade Appeal must submit the following:

• Final Grade Appeal form found on myMPTC Student
• Written documentation detailing relevant evidence that supports the student belief the final grade assigned was based on the criteria for Grounds for Final

Grade Appeal (see above). This should include dates, meeting times and/or emails with instructor.

3) The Registrar’s Office will review all documentation and supporting evidence and may contact the instructor and/or Associate Dean and student to determine if student has met the grounds for Final Grade Appeal.

• If the grounds for Final Grade Appeal have not been met, the student will be notified in writing via student college email and US Postal Service to their home address. Process ends. The appeal will not move forward. A notification letter will be sent to the student within five (5) business days.
• If grounds for appeal have been met, all documentation submitted by student will be submitted to the Final Grade Appeals Committee. The Final Grade Appeals Committee will consist of but not limited to Academic Dean, Director of Student Development, impartial faculty member, and Registrar.

4) The Final Grade Appeals Committee will review all documentation and provide student notification of the decision in writing within seven (7) business days.

• Final Grade Appeals Committee’s decision is final.

5) If applicable, a grade change will be recorded within seven (7) business days of the decision.

Assignment of Credits

WTCS Course Types and Instruction