Grading System
Grades are established by course instructors according to their course syllabi, and permanent grades are recorded only at the end of each semester or term.
Beyond the standard letter grades, Northwest Vista College uses several administrative grade codes: I (Incomplete) converts automatically to an F within 120 calendar days unless the remaining coursework is completed with a grade of D or higher; IM (Incomplete Military) follows the same policy for students called to active service; IP (In-Progress) applies to developmental coursework and is resolved only by re-registering for the course and earning a C or better; NR (Not Recorded) is assigned when no final grade has been posted by the instructor.
Source: official document — verified Sep 2026
GPA Calculation and Repeat Policy
GPA is calculated by multiplying each course's semester credit hours by its quality points, summing the results, and dividing by the total semester credit hours attempted.
Students maintain two GPAs: an institution GPA based on courses taken at their home college, and an overall GPA based on courses completed across all colleges in the Alamo Colleges District.
When a course is repeated at the institution where the original grade was earned, only the highest grade earned is used in the institution GPA. Other colleges and universities may not follow this same repeat policy.
Source: official document — verified Sep 2026
Academic Standing
Good Standing requires a minimum cumulative institutional GPA of 2.0 (a "C" average), including developmental coursework. A student whose cumulative institutional GPA falls below 2.0 is placed on Academic Probation, then on Continued Academic Probation if a later semester's institutional GPA reaches 2.0 without the cumulative GPA doing so.
A student who fails to earn a 2.0 semester institutional GPA while on probation is placed on Academic Dismissal. Required sit-out periods escalate with repeated dismissals: one 16-week fall or spring semester for the first and second dismissals, and one full academic year (fall, spring, and summer) for a third or subsequent dismissal.
Source: official document — verified Sep 2026
Honors
Honors are awarded each fall and spring semester to students enrolled in twelve or more semester credit hours at the institution who earn a cumulative institutional GPA of at least 2.0 and a semester institutional GPA between 3.5 and 3.99.
President's Honors require the same cumulative-GPA and enrollment thresholds with a semester institutional GPA of 4.0.
Source: official document — verified Sep 2026