COLLEGE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
MEMORANDUM NO. 8

ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND PROGRESS


Revised: September 1, 2005

Original Number: 104
Original Date of Issue:
February 14, 1978

Reissued:

104A - June 8, 1979

104E - September 1, 1997

 

104B - December 12, 1983

104F - September 1, 1998

 

104C - February 26, 1985

104G – September 1, 2005

 

104D - June 1, 1995

  1. Normal Progress, Academic Probation, Provisional Status, and Dropped for Poor Scholarship
    1. Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average as follows:

After attempting 12 semester hours: 1.60
24 - 1.70
36 - 1.80
48 - 1.90
graduation - 2.00

Developmental courses and withdrawals made during the refund period for any term as stipulated in the academic calendar are not included in semester hours attempted.

If students are receiving federal financial aid, additional criteria must be met: At the end of the second academic year (the equivalent of four semesters with combined summer sessions counting as one semester), students receiving federal financial aid must have a 2.0 cumulative grade point average, consistent with graduation requirements.

2.      Students must maintain a satisfactory course completion rate (cumulative and based on credit hours, including all credit and developmental courses) of two-thirds (67%) of the courses for which they have registered. Assessment of completion rate shall begin when students have registered for a minimum of 12 credit hours. Satisfactory completion is indicated by grades of A, B, C, D, P or MP; however, for purposes of academic progress, the grade of MP is an indication of satisfactory course completion only when received in a course being taken for the first time. (A W after the full refund period shall be considered unsatisfactory course completion.)

Fall, Spring, and combined Summer Sessions (I & II) shall each be counted as one semester. Academic progress (completion rate of courses) will be monitored each semester for all students.

3.      Students who do not maintain a grade point average and satisfactory course completion rate according to the above schedule will be placed on probation for the next semester for which they register.

Students who are on probation will be allowed to register for no more than 13 credit hours.  (Exceptions may be made by Department Heads and Curriculum Supervisors in programs for which the minimum load is greater than 13 credit hours.)

4.      At the end of the probation semester, either:

      1. Students achieve the minimum cumulative grade point average and satisfactory course completion rate (See A1 and A2), and are removed from probation, or

b.      Students do not achieve the minimum cumulative grade point average and satisfactory course completion rate but do complete a minimum of 75% of the credit hours for which they are registered during that semester, with grades of A, B, C, P or MP; however, for purposes of academic progress, the grade of MP is an indication of satisfactory course completion only when received in a course being taken for the first time. These students are placed on provisional status (PL). They are allowed to continue with the maximum of 13 credit hours.

c.       Students who do neither of the above are dropped for poor scholarship (DS) or dropped for insufficient progress (DP).

5.   Students dropped for poor scholarship or insufficient progress must sit out and will not be permitted to register for one full academic semester. (Combined Summer Sessions I and II will not count as one full academic semester for this purpose.) Letters notifying students that they are being dropped for poor scholarship or dropped for insufficient progress will also inform them of action required to return to the College In their return semester, students will be placed After reinstatement on provisional part-time status (PP), students and may register for no more than 7 credit hours. At the end of the return semester, either:

a.  Students achieve the minimum cumulative grade point average  and satisfactory course completion rate and are removed from provisional part-time status, or

b.  Students may request reinstatement as full-time students on provisional status (PL) if they have earned A, B, C, P or MP in each course; however, for purposes of academic progress, the grade of MP is an indication of satisfactory course completion only when received in a course being taken for the first time, or

c.  Students may re-register part-time on provisional status provided that they earn A, B, C, P or MP in each course for which they are registered; however, for purposes of academic progress, the grade of MP is an indication of satisfactory course completion only when received in a course being taken for the first time.

d.  Students who do not meet any of the above conditions or have been dropped more than once from the College may not be reinstated until they either appeal successfully to the Academic Appeals Committee (see F. Academic Appeals) or meet criteria for time amnesty. All students who are reinstated based on appeals or amnesty will normally be placed on part-time provisional status.

Note:  Financial Aid

Students must continue to make progress as stipulated under section 4b (PL) to remain eligible for receiving financial aid.

Students enrolled for class after sitting out for one full academic semester (Section 5) and who return on provisional part-time status (PP) are not eligible to receive financial aid for the return semester and not until the minimum grade point average (GPA) associated with the appropriate attempted semester hours, as outlined in Section A, has been attained.

When this requirement has been attained, students may request financial aid reinstatement through the financial aid appeals process.  Forms are available at the Financial Aid counter.


B.     Policy on Repeated Course*

1.  

Repeat to Improve Grade of B, C, D or F.

 

Students may repeat courses to improve an initial grade of B, C, D or F. The following conditions apply:

 

a.       When a student repeats a course for the first time (second attempt), the higher grade earned (either initial grade or grade of second attempt) will be the grade counted in the calculation of the GPA.

 

      1. When a student repeats a course for the second time (third attempt), the highest grade earned (either initial grade or grades of second or third attempt) will be the final grade counted in the calculation of the GPA.

 

      1. Courses repeated three or more times (fourth attempt or greater) are not calculated in the GPA.

 

    1. A grade of MP will not be given for a third time in the same course. The MP grade may be awarded no more than twice. 

 

3.      Credit for a course is given only once.  Each attempted grade will appear on transcript.  Note:  Some colleges to which students may wish to transfer do not accept this method of calculating grade point averages.

 

Note:  Financial Aid

Students who repeat a course for which they previously received a grade of A, B, C, or P will not receive financial aid for that course.

Financial aid can only be awarded up to three times for the same course in which an MP, D,F, or W was earned.


C. 

Incomplete Work

1.   The letter I on a student's grade report or transcript indicates that a student has not completed all the requirements for a grade in a course.

 

2.   The instructor will inform the student of the work to be completed and the date that it is due. Notification of the incomplete grade will be forwarded to the department head through the use of the incomplete grade card.

 

3.   An incomplete grade becomes a failing grade (F) if the work is not completed within six weeks from the end of the final exam period in which the I grade was assigned.

 

4.   An I will not be counted in the student's grade point average and academic progress in determining academic standing.

 

5.   Since only completed work can be counted as making progress towards the degree, the student needs to understand that an incomplete grade may have implications for qualifying for financial aid. In addition, incomplete grades will not satisfy requirements for prerequisites.

D.  Withdrawals from Course

Students have the privilege of withdrawing from a course(s) through the eleventh week of a regular semester and through the fourth week of a summer session. (Note: Excessive withdrawals will affect academic progress.)

Students dropping a class or completely withdrawing from a semester must obtain the appropriate forms and submit them to the Office of Student Records and Registration. They should see a counselor before submitting these forms.

The date when the Office of Student Records and Registration accepts the appropriate drop or withdrawal form is the official date of withdrawal. A student who cannot appear in person to fill out a withdrawal form must send a letter stating the date and reason for the withdrawal. Absence from class or merely notifying the professor does not constitute withdrawal. In the event of an emergency where the student cannot submit the form in person or by mail, a telephone call will be accepted but a written request should follow. A teacher may initiate a withdrawal (according to Policies and Procedures 5). (Note: Students should not assume that the instructor will initiate such withdrawals.)

Students who are unable to complete a course(s) because of serious illness or other emergency may apply for an excused withdrawal within 2 years of the occurrence to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.  Excused withdrawals are not counted in determining academic progress; however, excused withdrawals are counted as an attempt when awarding financial aid. Satisfactory documentation of the illness or emergency will be required.

E.         Maximum Credits

After registering for 150% of the credits needed for a degree program or for a certificate program, students will no longer be eligible for federal financial aid.  Developmental courses, English as a second language courses and excused withdrawals are not counted as part of the maximum credit limit. However, current federal financial aid regulations limit students to 30 developmental credits for receiving financial aid.  Exceptions to the maximum credit limit may be requested through the financial aid appeals process, by those who claim extenuating circumstances.  Forms are available at the Financial Aid counter.

F.         Academic Appeals

Students applying for reinstatement to the College must submit an “Application for Reinstatement Form” to the Academic Appeals Committee.  Applications may be obtained in the Division of Educational Support Services Office.  Forms must be submitted no later than the deadline dates stated in the calendar in the College catalog.  Applications received after the deadline dates will be rolled over and considered for the following academic semester.  Students will be notified in writing of the Committee’s decision.  (Reinstatements are not granted for summer sessions.) 

 



* The Academic Progress Policy for CAP A-Level students supercedes this policy.