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Students are considered to be “in good academic standing” if they maintain semester minimum GPAs of 2.00, are eligible to re-enroll at the college and are not on academic suspension or dismissal status.
Academic Warning
Students who fail to attain minimum GPAs of 2.00 for any semester shall be placed on academic warning. Students on academic warning should consult with counselors or academic advisors and take advantage of academic support services provided by the college.
Academic Probation
Students who fail to maintain cumulative GPAs of 1.50 after attempting 12 or more semester credits shall be on academic probation until their cumulative averages are 1.75 or better.
The statement “Academic Probation” will appear on the students’ permanent records. Students on academic probation are ineligible for appointive or elective offices in student organizations unless special permission is granted by the Chief Student Affairs Officer. Students must consult counselors or academic advisors before registering and usually are required to carry reduced course loads the next semester.
Note: Although cumulative GPAs between 1.5 and 1.99 may not result in formal academic probation, students must earn a minimum of 2.0 in their curricula to receive associate degrees or certificates.
Academic Suspension
Students on academic probation who fail to earn minimum semester GPAs of 1.50 shall be placed on suspension only after they have attempted 24 or more semester credits.
The statement “Academic Suspension” will appear on the students’ permanent records. Academic suspension shall be for one semester. Suspended students may appeal and be reinstated at the conclusion of the suspension period by the Chief Student Affairs Officer. Readmission applications should be submitted to Student Services for review.
Following reinstatement after academic suspension, students must earn minimum 2.0 GPAs for the semester in which they return, and minimum GPAs of 1.75 in all subsequent semesters for which they are enrolled. The statement “Subject to Dismissal” shall be placed on students’ permanent records. Students who have been reinstated from academic suspension will remain subject to dismissal until their cumulative GPAs are raised to a minimum of 1.75. Reinstated students may be required to carry reduced course loads the following semester and are required to consult with counselors or advisors.
Academic Dismissal
Students who do not attain at least 2.00 GPAs for the semester of reinstatement following academic suspension shall be academically dismissed. Students who achieve at least 2.00 GPAs for the semester of their reinstatement following academic suspension must earn at least 1.75 GPAs in all subsequent semesters of enrollment. Failure to attain 1.75 GPAs in each subsequent semester until the cumulative GPAs reach 1.75 shall result in academic dismissal.
The statement “Academic Dismissal” will appear on the permanent records of students. Academic dismissal is normally permanent. In exceptional circumstances, students may appeal and be reinstated by submitting Applications for Readmission available from Student Services. Readmission applications should be submitted to Student Services for review. Students who have been reinstated after academic dismissal will remain subject to dismissal until their cumulative GPAs are raised to a minimum of 1.75. Reinstated students may be required to carry reduced course loads the following semester and are required to consult with counselors or advisors.
Academic Renewal Policy
Students who return to the college after a separation of five years or more (i.e., 60 months or greater) may petition for academic renewal by submitting Academic Renewal Petition Forms to the College Registrar.
If students meet eligibility requirements for academic renewal, D and F grades earned prior to re-enrollment are not calculated into the cumulative and curricula GPAs, subject to the following conditions:
- Prior to petitioning for academic renewal, students must demonstrate renewed academic interest and effort by earning at least 2.5 GPAs in the first 12 semester hours completed after re-enrollment.
- All grades received at the college will remain a part of the students’ permanent records.
- Students will receive degree credits only for courses in which grades of C or better were earned prior to academic renewal, providing that such courses meet current curricula requirements.
- Total hours for graduation will be based on all course work taken at the college after readmission, as well as former course work for which grades of C or better were earned and credits transferred from other colleges or universities.
- Students may use the academic renewal policy only once, and it cannot be revoked once approved. The notice “Academic Renewal has been granted” and the effective dates will appear on official transcripts.
Students may initiate the academic renewal process by completing an Academic Renewal Petition form, which is available in the Registrar’s office.
Repeated Course Policy
When students repeat a course, only the most recent attempt of a repeated course is used to calculate the cumulative GPA, and only credits earned in the most recent attempt are counted toward meeting curriculum requirements. Grades earned during previous attempts remain on the permanent records of students.
Some courses are exempt from consideration as repeats and an adjustment to GPA is not made. Exempted courses are those numbered in the 90s, 93s, 95s, 96s, 97s, 98s, and 99s; courses identified by the phrase “may be repeated for credit”; and selected other courses. Periodically, the VCCS will rename or renumber courses, but they remain equivalent to the courses as previously named or numbered. In such cases, completion of a renumbered/renamed course may be determined to be a repeat of a course completed previously under a different discipline and/or course number. These determinations are made by the college, and exceptions cannot be made for individual students.
Implementation of this policy does not affect GPA calculations for prior terms or academic, financial, or administrative events that have occurred in the past. Direct any questions to the college’s Registrar.
Limit on Repeating a Course
Students are limited to two attempts in the same credit or developmental course for the purpose of improving their grades. (Grades of A, B, C, D, F, I, P, R, S, U, X and W count as attempts.) The Chief Academic Officer must approve exceptions to this policy. This limitation does not apply to certain courses identified as repeatable for credit.
Final Course Grade Appeal Policy
Faculty members at Eastern Shore Community College are responsible for assigning course grades and for advising students of the objective criteria on which those grades are assigned. As such, most student disagreements regarding course grades are best resolved informally between the student and faculty member.
The Final Course Grade Appeal Policy provides a fair and orderly process for students who wish to pursue a formal appeal of their final course grade. In taking such action, students shall assume the burden of proof concerning any perceived error in the grade assigned. Further, they shall follow the sequence of steps outlined with the presumption that, as a matter of rule, instructors do not assign arbitrary and capricious course grades.
Step 1:
Students are encouraged to resolve final course grade disagreements with their instructors on an informal basis. Grounds for the disagreement are typically limited to the following:
- a computational error in the grade.
- grade computation in a manner other than that listed in the syllabus or as amended with advance notice; or
- computation of grade in a manner other than that used for other students in the class.
Should the dispute not be resolved at this level, the student may proceed to Step Two.
Step 2:
Students shall submit a written appeal to the Chief Academic Officer (“CAO”) no later than ten (10) business days after the first day of classes for the next academic term. Within five (5) business days of receiving the written appeal, the CAO shall hold a CAO shall provide a written report of his/her findings to both parties within five (5) business days of the conference. For the record, a copy of the report shall be kept on file in the Registrar’s office.
Should the student wish to advance an appeal to the next level, the student may submit a written appeal to the College President within five (5) business days of receipt of the CAO’s report.
Step 3:
Within five (5) business days of receiving the student’s written appeal of the Step Two findings, the College President shall appoint a Grade Appeal Committee to consider the appeal. The committee shall consist of one (1) student and two (2) teaching faculty members who are not directly involved in the case. The College President shall notify the student, instructor, and CAO of this action.
Within five (5) business days of its appointment, the Grade Appeal Committee shall hold at least one face-to-face meeting with the student and instructor. The committee shall conclude its deliberations within a reasonable time period, submitting a written report of its findings to the College President within five (5) business days of the conclusion of its review. Based on this report, and within five (5) business days of receiving the committee’s report, the College President shall render a written decision on the student’s appeal. The decision shall be shared with the student, faculty member, the CAO, and the Grade Appeal Committee. The ruling shall be considered final.
If the student’s appeal is successful, the CAO will notify the Registrar who will change the grade in the Student Information System (SIS). For the record, a copy of the report shall be kept on file in the Registrar’s office.
The time limitations specified for the Final Course Grade Appeal Procedure are binding on all parties involved, unless they are extended by written mutual agreement.
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