16.11  FORGIVENESS POLICY

Effective: May 11, 1998

PURPOSE
To explain the University's forgiveness policy.

AUTHORITY/SOURCE
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

POLICY
A forgiveness policy is a way in which a student may repeat a limited number of courses to improve his or her grade point average (GPA) by having only the grade received on the last repeat used in its calculation. All courses taken with the grades earned will be recorded on the student's transcript. The repeated course form will not be processed if the first or repeated grade received is >DR= >DP=, >IF,= >WI=, >WP=, 'AU', >NR=, or >EM=. Repeated courses will be appropriately designated (T: attempted; R: last repeat). Once the degree is posted, the repeated course form will not be processed.

Undergraduate students may take advantage of the forgiveness policy only three times for the purpose of improving the GPA. The same course may be repeated up to three times or the student may use the three opportunities to apply to different courses. Only the final grade for the three courses repeated under the forgiveness policy will count in computing the student's GPA. The recalculation of the GPA is an internal University policy only, and one which may not be followed by other institutions and/or services. In order for a course to be considered as repeated and lead to the adjustment of the GPA, the course must be the same, the grade option must be the same, and it must be repeated at the University. Students who have used their three options under the forgiveness policy may still repeat courses. However, both the original grade and any additional grades received through repetitions of the course will be used in computing the GPA.

Graduate students may take advantage of the forgiveness policy only two times for the purpose of improving the GPA. The same course may be repeated up to two times or the student may use the two opportunities to apply to two different courses. Only the final grade for the two courses repeated under the forgiveness policy will count in computing the student's GPA. The recalculation of the GPA is an internal University policy only, and one which may not be followed by other institutions and/or services. In order for a course to be considered as repeated and lead to the adjustment of the GPA, the course must be the same, the grade option must be the same, and it must be repeated at the University. Students who have used their two options under the forgiveness policy may still repeat courses. However, both the original grade and any additional grades received through repetitions of the course will be used in computing the GPA.

PROCEDURE
Under the University's forgiveness policy, a student must file a Repeated Course Form with Registrar's Office. The form may be submitted any time prior to posting of the degree earned (bachelor's, master's, or doctoral). Once the degree is posted, the repeated course form will not be processed.

Page last updated: April 11, 2002
Page Content: Kenneth Johnson