Page 57 - Self-Study Report for Institutional Accreditation

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Three failing bands, F1, F2, and F3, have been introduced to ensure that the existing rules on academic progression at UWI can be applied fairly under the new grading policy. Students who have marginal failures on their transcripts, but who are otherwise progressing well, will have an opportunity to recover from those failures and attain the minimum Grade Point (2.00) to continue, because quality points will be awarded for marginal failures (between 40% and 49%).
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● Conclusion
The UWI: General Updates
Change in The UWI Undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) System
The UWI changed its Grade Point Average (GPA) system with effect from the academic year 2014/2015. The new GPA classification is shown below:
1. First Class Honours
2. Upper Second Class Honours
3. Lower Second Class Honours
4. Pass
GPA of 3.6 and above GPA of 3 – 3.59
GPA of 2.5 – 2.99 GPA of 2 – 2.49
The new GPA is supported by a new grading scale (see new grading scale and old scale below). An important component of the new grading scale is that it acknowledges three (3) different levels of failure and awards quality points for marginal failures. This is described by the Board for Undergraduate Studies as
To facilitate ease of transition, the Board for Undergraduate Studies, through its Chair, held a number of meetings with key stakeholders, including students, to discuss the transition arrangements. It also developed a website (http://www.uwi.edu/gradingpolicy/index.html) which outlined all the key areas and included a conversion table between the updated and the earlier GPA system for use of students and other interested parties. Additionally, it mandated that in the first year of the new GPA that all increases in failure be analysed and brought to its