Principles for incorporating grades from non-Middlebury programs abroad into GPA
(Adopted by Educational Affairs Committee, April 2003)
When students' applications to study abroad are approved by the Programs Abroad Committee, the approval will indicate the number of units of credit that the student will receive upon successful completion of the program: 9 units (full academic year), 5 units (one semester and Winter Term), or 4 units (one semester).
Assuming enrollment in a normal full load of coursework as outlined in the student's approval letter, the number of courses will be divided into the number of credits the student will receive to determine the weight to be assigned each course in the calculation of GPA. For example, if a student is enrolled in 5 courses in a 4-unit program, each course would be assigned a weight of .80. If a student is enrolled in 4 courses in a 5-unit program, each course would be assigned a weight of 1.25. These calculations will be carried out to the second decimal place. If truncating a weight after the second decimal point does not produce a sum that is equal to 4.00, 5.00, or 9.00, weights will be rounded up as necessary. The higher weights will be assigned to the courses in which the student received higher grades.
Normally, as is the case with courses taught on the Middlebury campus, all courses in which a student is enrolled will be assigned an equal weight in the computation of the GPA, regardless of the number of contact hours. However, if the transcript issued by the program abroad clearly indicated that a course was a double course or a half-course, the calculation of course weights will be adjusted to reflect this.
Only grades that are reported on an A-F scale, or that can be converted to an A-F scale, will be used in the calculation of the GPA, including grades of D and F. As has always been the case, courses graded on a pass/fail or audit basis will not be transferred.
Since the weight to be assigned to each grade is a matter of calculation, not assessment, students may not appeal the determinations of OCS or the Registrar's Office regarding the weight to be assigned to a course. Students who wish to appeal their grade in a course may do so using the grade appeal procedures established by the program or by the International Office of the institution at which they were enrolled.