How grading works at Eastern Washington University
EWU grades on a plus/minus letter scale running from A down to F, with intermediate steps at A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D and D- — twelve grade levels in all. EWU does not award an A+; A is the highest grade on the scale.
EWU moved to this letter-grade system effective Fall 2018. The university catalog’s “Grading System” section publishes the governing scale as the “Guide Table for Grades.”
Beyond the twelve graded letters, EWU also uses several non-grade-point symbols on a transcript: NC (No Credit), NR (Not Recorded, work in progress), P (Passing), W (Withdrawal), X (Incomplete), XF (academic-integrity violation, treated as an F for GPA purposes), and Y (ongoing thesis, research, or other multi-term work, graded on completion).
Source: EWU Catalog, University Policies — Grading System tab: Guide Table for Grades; Additional Letter Grade Symbols in Use at Eastern
How EWU calculates your cumulative GPA
EWU works your GPA out from quality points and quality hours:
- Multiply each course’s numerical grade equivalent by its number of credits to get that course’s quality points, then add them together.
- Add together the credits for every numerically graded course to get your quality hours.
- Divide total quality points by total quality hours for your cumulative GPA.
EWU’s own worked example: a 4-credit B (3.0) gives 12 quality points, a 5-credit C+ (2.3) gives 11.5, and a 2-credit A (4.0) gives 8 — 31.5 quality points over 11 quality hours (credits) is a 2.863 cumulative GPA.
Pass/No Credit grades are not computed in the GPA. Neither are NC, NR, W, X, or Y — EWU’s catalog states none of these carries a grade point or counts toward the average. XF (a violation of academic integrity) carries no separate value of its own in the grade table, but the catalog states it is assigned “a grade point equivalent to an F.”
Source: EWU Catalog, University Policies — Grading System tab: Numerical Grade Equivalent and Cumulative GPA (worked example); Additional Letter Grade Symbols
Academic standing, warning, and grade forgiveness at EWU
EWU ties academic standing directly to your GPA, using a >2.0 threshold throughout:
- Undergraduates in their first term who do not attain above a 2.0 GPA are placed on academic alert.
- Continuing undergraduates who do not attain a cumulative GPA above 2.0 are placed on academic warning for the next term.
- Students on academic warning who bring their cumulative GPA above 2.0 are automatically removed from that status.
- Students on academic warning whose cumulative and term GPA both remain at or below 2.0 are dismissed from the university.
A first-time dismissed undergraduate may petition for reinstatement after one term; a student dismissed a second time must wait one year. Reinstatement is coordinated through the Center for Academic Advising and Retention (CAAR).
EWU also offers a one-time Fresh Start Academic Forgiveness petition for returning students: up to two consecutive terms of coursework, completed at least five years before the petition, can be removed from your credit and GPA calculation. Forgiven courses cannot be used to satisfy any academic requirement, and forgiveness cannot be revoked once granted. To qualify, a returning student must complete 24 consecutive credits back at EWU with a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and be pre-major or declared in a major.
EWU's baccalaureate degree requirements
EWU's undergraduate graduation requirements, as listed by the university's Academic Appeals Board (the body that hears petitions for exceptions to them), include:
- General education requirements
- A 2.0 minimum cumulative EWU GPA
- 60 upper-division credits
- 45 credits earned in residence at EWU, including 15 upper-division residence credits in your major
- A world language requirement
The Academic Appeals Board can grant exceptions to these on petition, coordinated through the Records and Registration Office; it does not hear cases involving major, minor, or professional-certification requirements, which go to the relevant department chair or program director instead.
Source: EWU Catalog, Undergraduate Policies — Academic Appeals Board (Ch. 4-9)
Dean's Honor List and graduation honors at EWU
Undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students who complete at least 12 graded credits in a quarter with a GPA of 3.50 or higher are placed on the quarterly Deans’ Honor List, which is recorded on the student’s transcript.
Graduating seniors receive Latin honors based on their GPA:
- 4.00 – 3.9 = Summa Cum Laude
- 3.89 – 3.7 = Magna Cum Laude
- 3.69 – 3.5 = Cum Laude
Graduation honors are calculated only on college-level credits earned at EWU. Students completing a second baccalaureate are also eligible; their honors GPA is computed only on post-baccalaureate work at EWU (excluding credits from their first degree) and excludes credits earned with a passing (P) grade.
Frequently asked questions
What grading scheme does Eastern Washington University (EWU) use?
Where does this EWU grade scale come from?
Does Eastern Washington University award A+ grades?
No. EWU’s Guide Table for Grades tops out at a plain A (4.0) — there is no A+ on the scale. The full letter progression is A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F.
Source: EWU Catalog, University Policies — Grading System tab: Guide Table for Grades
What GPA do you need to stay in good academic standing at EWU?
You need a GPA above 2.0. First-term undergraduates who don’t reach above 2.0 are placed on academic alert; continuing students whose cumulative GPA falls to 2.0 or below are placed on academic warning, and students who remain at or below 2.0 on both their cumulative and term GPA while on warning are dismissed.
Source: EWU Catalog, Undergraduate Policies — Satisfactory Progress (Ch. 6-1)
Does EWU let you remove old grades from your GPA?
Yes, through Fresh Start Academic Forgiveness. Returning undergraduates may make a one-time petition to remove up to two consecutive terms of coursework from their credit and GPA calculation, as long as that coursework is at least five years old. Eligibility requires 24 consecutive credits completed back at EWU with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Forgiven courses can’t be used to satisfy academic requirements, and the forgiveness cannot be revoked once granted.
Source: EWU Catalog, Undergraduate Policies — Academic Forgiveness Policy / Fresh Start (Ch. 6-3)
