SP 16-05 - Policy on Academic Renewal

Approved By: Academic Senate
Approve Date: April 18, 2017
Effective Date: Fall 2017
Policy File:
SP 16-05 Policy on Academic Renewal

Drafted By: Student Academic Policies and Procedures: Sean Carswell, Colleen Forest, Ernesto Guerrero (advisory), Tiina Itkonen (Co-Chair), Paul Murphy (Co-Chair), Christina Smith, Brian Thoms.
Purpose: To establish a campus policy for Academic Renewal based on guidelines in CSU Executive Order 1037. CSU Channel Islands does not have an existing campus policy for Academic Renewal. In practice, students have been attempting to retroactively withdraw from past terms in order to improve grade point average. A policy for Academic Renewal is a more appropriate way for students to improve grade point average for purposes of graduation.

Accountability: All CSU Channel Islands undergraduate students seeking a baccalaureate degree. This policy does not apply to post-baccalaureate or graduate students.

Applicability: All CSU Channel Islands undergraduate students seeking a baccalaureate degree. This policy does not apply to post-baccalaureate or graduate students.

Definition(s):
Academic Renewal is a policy that allows students to request up to two semesters of coursework be excused for reasons specified in the policy text below.

Policy:
Under certain circumstances, CSU Channel Islands may disregard up to two semesters of previous undergraduate coursework taken at CSU Channel Islands.
These circunstances are:

The student has formally requested such action and presented evidence that substantiates that the work in question is substandard and not representative of her/his current scholastic ability and/or performance level, and
The previous level of performance was due to extenuating circumstances, and
All degree requirements except the earning of at least a “C” (2.0) grade point average have or will soon have been met.

Campus policy regarding academic forgiveness is not intended to permit the improvement of a student’s grade point average beyond what is required for graduation.
Final determination that one or two terms shall be disregarded shall be based on careful review by the Academic Appeals Committee.

Such final determination shall be made only when 1) five years have elapsed since the most recent work to be disregarded was completed and 2) the student has earned in residence at the campus since the most recent work being considered was completed:

15 semester units with at least a 3.0 GPA
30 semester units with at least a 2.5 GPA
45 semester units with at least a 2.0 GPA

When such action is taken, the student’s record shall be annotated so that it is readily evident to users of the record that no work taken during the disregarded term(s), even if satisfactory, has been applied towards the meeting of degree requirements. However, all work must remain legible on the record.

If another institution has acted to remove coursework from consideration, such action shall be honored in terms of that institution’s policy. However, elimination of any coursework’s consideration shall reduce by one term the two semester maximum on the application of academic renewal at CSU Channel Islands.