The intended purpose of academic amnesty is to provide a student with a one-time opportunity to remove prior academic failures (defined as grades of C- or below) from inclusion in their Cumulative GPA.
The process will depend in part upon the student’s willingness and ability to demonstrate how they have addressed the root cause of the academic difficulty through submission of a thoughtful educational plan and evidence of changes made since the failures occurred.
Procedures:
1. Students seeking amnesty must have been away from the College (i.e., not enrolled in credit-bearing courses) for a period of at least 1 year (12 months or two full successive semesters, not including summer) before amnesty will be granted. Students may apply for amnesty prior to the end of the 1 year period; amnesty will not be granted / applied until the 1 year requirement has been met. In the case of extenuating circumstances, the 1 year waiting period may be waived at the discretion of the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs.
2. Amnesty will only apply to courses in which the student received a grade of C- or lower. Courses in which a student received a grade of C or higher will remain on the student’s transcript and will be calculated into their GPA. Only courses taken previously at Trocaire are eligible for amnesty. The student will be asked to select the specific courses for which amnesty is being requested.
3. The student must submit a completed Academic Amnesty Application directly to the Office of the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs (SVPAA). To be considered, the application must include: a) An explanation for the cause of the academic difficulty; b) A formal written statement of the changed student circumstance. This written statement can either include evidence of a changed situation or an academic action plan. The formal written statement must be developed in collaboration with and signed off by the Director of Advisement; c) An indication of the academic program the student is interested in if Amnesty is applied; and d) A listing of the courses for which amnesty is being requested. Note: Students may indicate their interest in re-entering programs from which they were previously academically dismissed.
4. Upon receipt of the completed application, the SVPAA will make a decision regarding Amnesty. The SVPAA may, as needed, confer with the Director of Advisement, the Program Director and/or the Dean as needed when making this decision. Granting Academic Amnesty only pertains to removing prior academic failures from the student’s record and, if granted, does not guarantee that the student will be allowed to enter any particular academic program as extant program admission and/or program transfer requirements will still apply.
5. If amnesty is approved, the student must complete at least six credit hours with a minimum of a 2.0 GPA before amnesty will be applied to former grades. Course work for which the student receives a passing grade and which is completed during the semester in which the student has returned and is under the amnesty process may be applied toward completion of certificate or degree requirements. When enrolling in these 6 credits, the courses for which the student has requested amnesty will be treated as though they have never been taken previously. That is, even if a student has previously failed the same course twice, the student will be allowed to re-take that course as part of the 6 credits requirement. At the same time, the courses taken to meet the 6 credits requirement must match the student’s major at the time they return.
6. When amnesty is applied to prior course grades, a grade of “Z” will be indicated on the transcript for that course. Coursework for which amnesty has been applied will no longer be computed in the student’s GPA and such courses will not be counted as repeated courses or as attempts. Note: Although the College always maintains a record of courses taken, course work for which amnesty is applied will be treated for academic decisions as though the courses were never taken at the college.
7. If the student successfully completes the 6 credits, then “Z” grades will be applied to prior failures. Courses with grades of “Z” are not included in the calculation of the Cumulative GPA. The student’s Cumulative GPA will be re-calculated with the new information, including the assignment of “Z” grades as well as the grades on the courses within the 6 credit requirement. This is the point at which amnesty is “applied”
8. Assuming they meet program admission requirements, the student will then be able to apply for Program Admission or Program Transfer into the program of their choice. All program requirements, such as the minimum GPA required for entry, will then be evaluated based upon the credentials the student now presents. Courses with grades of “Z” will be ignored – and will count as neither repeats nor as attempts.
Guidelines:
· Academic amnesty cannot be used for federal aid SAP purposes. Students need to visit the Financial Aid Office to complete an appeal form if financial aid eligibility is affected.
· There is no guarantee, expressed or implied, that academic amnesty will be recognized by any other college or university.
· Students seeking amnesty but who are denied may seek amnesty at a later date. Students who are denied amnesty have the right to request a meeting with the SVPAA to discuss the decision. The decision of the SVPAA is final.