Satisfactory Academic Progress Guidelines Standards for All Students
Students bear primary responsibility for their own academic progress and for seeking assistance when experiencing academic difficulty. Students are encouraged to keep a file of their grades and transcripts.
Saint Paul College has a Satisfactory Academic Progress policy which requires degree-seeking students upon registering for 6 or more credits to maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 and a completion rate of at least 67% of the cumulative credits attempted with earned grades of A, B, C, D, P or AU. If these requirements are not met, students will be put on academic probation (warning) or in some cases suspended. If the cumulative GPA or completion rate falls below minimum standards for a second term, the student may be suspended from the College. A 2.0 GPA in program required courses is a requisite for graduation.
Exception: A letter grade of “D” is considered to be a failure in the following programs: Practical Nursing, Medical Laboratory Technician, Respiratory Care Practitioner and Sign Language Interpreter/Transliterator AAS (language and interpreting skill classes), and all ESOL classes.
Students seeking admission to Saint Paul College who have attended another college or university and do not meet Saint Paul College’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards must appeal for admission.
First term students earning grades of all F’s, FN’s and/or FW’s may be suspended for at least two major terms (Fall and Spring) following the unsuccessful term.
Understanding Your Grade Point Average
Your Grade Point Average (GPA) is a mathematical calculation that is used to determine your academic standing.
To determine what your GPA is or what grade you will need to earn to maintain or improve your GPA, use the GPA Calculator below.
GPA Calculator
Use the GPA Calculator below by entering credits and grades for all classes taken in one semester to determine your GPA for that semester. Use the "More Courses" and "Fewer Courses" links to change the number of rows for the number of courses you'd like to enter. (Note: Blank rows will not affect the calculated GPA.) Also, you can enter your previous credits and GPA to determine your cumulative GPA.
Note:
- The GPA Calculator below is for informational purposes only and is not to be used to determine your official GPA. In addition, due to rounding, numbers will not be exact. To view your official GPA, check your transcript.
- To use the GPA Calculator below, your browser must support JavaScript.
Academic Warning
Students placed on academic warning will have a registration hold
placed on their academic record which will prevent them from registering in
future terms. Students must contact a Retention Specialist to develop an
academic plan and to have the hold released. The Retention Specialists are
located in the Office of Enrollment Services. Students placed on probation for a
deficient GPA are required to enroll in CSCR 1406. Students who do
not register for, withdraw from, or do not successfully complete CSCR 1406 may be suspended indefinitely.
While on probation, a student is required to achieve a term grade point
average of 2.5 or higher and maintain a term completion rate of 100%. The
student will remain on probation until a cumulative grade point average of 2.0
or higher and a cumulative completion rate of 67% or higher is achieved.
Academic Suspension
Students who fail to meet satisfactory academic progress standards in their
probationary period by not earning a term GPA of at least 2.5 and a term
completion rate of 100% will be suspended for at least two major terms (fall and
spring). All students placed on suspension must appeal to be reinstated.
Appealing Academic Suspension
Appealing Academic Suspension Packet
Appealing due to catastrophic extenuating circumstances
Students who believe they failed to achieve satisfactory academic progress due
to catastrophic extenuating circumstances may file an appeal prior to taking the
required two major terms off. However, students must be able to provide
documentation supporting their claim of catastrophic extenuating circumstances
interfering with their ability to be successful in school.
Appealing for reinstatement after serving the required two terms
Students who have served their suspension period must appeal for reinstatement
by writing a letter stating the changes that have occurred to allow them to be
successful in school along with submitting the required suspension appeal
paperwork. The Suspension Appeal packet can be obtained in the Office of
Enrollment Services or download:
Appealing Academic Suspension
Readmission after a Suspension Period
Students who are approved to take classes must develop an academic plan with a
Retention Specialist. They must enroll for the classes approved on their
academic reinstatement course plan, which includes CSCR 1406.
Changes to the schedule must be approved by the Dean of Student Development and
Services. Students who do not register for, withdraw from, or do not
successfully complete CSCR 1406 may be suspended indefinitely.
Students with approved petitions will remain on probation. However, students
failing to meet satisfactory academic progress standards during the term the
petition is granted will be suspended indefinitely.
Appeal Deadlines for Academic Suspension
- For students suspended following Spring Semester 2013
Appeal deadline is Wednesday, May 29, 2013.
Students suspended following Spring Semester 2013 must provide documentation of catastrophic extenuating circumstances in order to be considered for readmission Summer Term 2013.
- For students suspended prior to Summer Term 2013
Appeal deadline is Friday, August 9, 2013
Students suspended prior to Summer Term 2013 must have served the mandatory two major terms (Fall and Spring) on academic suspension or must provide documentation of catastrophic extenuating circumstances in order to be considered for readmission Fall Semester 2013.
- For students suspended following Summer Term 2013
Appeal deadline is Friday, August 16, 2013
Students suspended following Summer Term 2013 must provide documentation of catastrophic extenuating circumstances in order to be considered for readmission Fall Semester 2013.
All appeals received after these deadlines will be considered for Spring Semester 2014.
Incomplete Grades
Students may request an Incomplete grade if:
- The Withdraw Deadline has passed
- The student is successfully completing the course
- Can provide documentable extenuating circumstances (ex: illness or emergency) that prevents you from completing the course
If a student receives an extension period to complete work for a course, the student will be temporarily assigned the grade of incomplete “I.” If the student does not complete the course requirements within the extension period, the incomplete status will be turned into a grade of “F.” Fall Semester is considered the next term for incomplete grades approved for Spring Semester or Summer Term. The extension period starts at the end of the current semester and may not exceed eight weeks.
If the course in which the student receives an Incomplete is a prerequisite course, they will not be able to be registered for the course.
If the student receives financial aid, extension periods are limited to eight weeks. A grade must be assigned within that time so that their grade point average can be calculated to determine future eligibility for aid.
Course Audits
Students may audit a course on a space available basis as determined at the start of the class. To audit a course, students must:
- Register for the course and pay the required tuition and fees.
- Obtain instructor approval during the first class session.
- Submit to the Records Office by the 5th business day of the term, a statement signed by the student and the instructor granting permission to take the course in Audit status.
Courses taken on audit status do not count toward requirements for student’s degree, diploma, or certificate. In addition, audited courses do not qualify for financial aid or veterans’ benefits.
Repeated Courses
You may repeat a course for the purpose of achieving a higher grade or to review course material. Credits will be counted only once as “earned credits.” Transfer credits will be removed for any repeated course at Saint Paul College. If both the original and the repeated grade are taken at Saint Paul College, both will appear on the student’s transcript and only one grade will count towards the GPA. The highest grade will be used to compute the grade point average (GPA).
If you request to repeat a course a third time, permission from the appropriate academic dean is required by submitting the Request for Third Attempt form available from the Office of Enrollment Services. If permission is not acquired prior to registering, you may be deregistered from the class you are repeating with a grade of “W” if it is after the drop date.
Credit by Exam and independent studies are not acceptable means of earning credits for a failed course.
Veterans’ benefits are not payable for repeating courses which, based upon school standards, have previously been successfully completed. Courses which have not been successfully completed include those for which a grade (“F” or the equivalent) was assigned and those for which a grade below the required minimum was assigned (“D” assigned when academic regulations pertaining to the course or program require at least “C”).
Exception: A letter grade of “D” is considered to be a failure in the following major programs: Practical Nursing, Medical Laboratory Technician, Respiratory Care Practitioner, Sign Language Interpreter/Transliterator AAS (language and interpreting skill classes) and courses in College Readiness Program and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).
Maximum Credit Load
To register for 24 or more credits in a semester or more than 9 credits in summer session, students must obtain authorization from Enrollment Services.
Guidelines to exceed the limit are: If a student has compiled at least a 2.75 GPA at the College and has accumulated 20 credits; if a student transfers in with a 3.0 GPA and an accumulation of 20 credits; or if there are other documented circumstances that justify the exception.
Credit by Examination/Test-Outs for Technical Credit
If you are a registered student and able to demonstrate achievement in the content of a college-level course, you may be eligible to receive credit toward the course. Saint Paul College offers Credit by Examination for students in technical (non-general education) programs for a course provided that no CLEP exam exists. For testing out of general education courses and selected business courses, you may take the CLEP exam. Refer to the College Catalog for further details.
Credit by Exam is determined on a case-by-case basis in selected areas and is at the discretion of the faculty member of the course. The fee for Credit by Exam is one-half of that course’s tuition charge. A maximum of 12 credits may be earned at the College through Credit by Exam. Credit is given only for courses included in Saint Paul College curriculum. Note: Successful Credit by Exam will apply to the Saint Paul College program in which you are enrolled. Other colleges have their own policies for Credit by Exam and may not accept Saint Paul College Credit by Exam in transfer.
If you pass the exam, an entry will be made on the transcript with CBE (Credit by Exam) listed with the course title. You may test only once for each course. No credit by examination will be granted if you have earned a grade in a more advanced course in the discipline.
If you do not pass the exam, a grade of NP is posted on your record. The exam fee is non-refundable and you will need to register and complete the course to receive credit. You will be responsible to pay the full tuition and fees for the course. Credits received through Credit by Exam or CLEP are not eligible for financial aid or veteran’s benefits.
Applicants for Credit by Exam credit must contact the Student Records Office to start the process. Credit by Exam must be completed prior to the 5th business day of a term in which you are currently enrolled.
Conversion
The conversion of quarter hours to semester hours is 0.67 for each quarter hour.
© 2013 Saint Paul College