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Forgiveness Policies

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Overview of Academic Renewal

  • Any former undergraduate Appalachian State University student who has not attempted any courses at App State for a minimum of one (1) calendar year (including summer terms) and who has a cumulative GPA below 2.50 may apply for readmission to the University and use the Academic Renewal Procedure. Academic Renewal allows a student to retain all earned credit as well as exclude all course grade values below a C/2.00 from their cumulative, major and minor GPA calculations. Students wishing to return to App State using the Academic Renewal Procedure must apply for readmission and send official college transcripts from all accredited institutions attended after leaving App State. Students considering readmission under the Academic Renewal Procedure are required to speak with an advisor prior to completion of their readmission application to determine if pursuit of Academic Renewal is in their best interest. Students who have used either the One- or Two-Year Forgiveness policies in a prior term are not eligible to seek Academic Renewal.

 

Primary Differences Between Academic Forgiveness Policies and Academic Renewal

  • Historically:

    • The two previous academic forgiveness policies had limited revisions since they first appeared in the University academic bulletin in 1997.

    • They are potentially challenging for students returning in their junior/senior years due to the total hours required upon return (60 total for the one-year policy and 30 total for the two-year policy).

    • The previous policies allowed students to negate past performance from their GPA in its entirety.

    • The previous policies did not specify that a major GPA needed to be reestablished.

  • The new policy updates the language from ‘Academic Forgiveness’ to ‘Academic Renewal’ to provide a more positive representation of policy.

  • Academic Renewal is a single ‘one year’ policy that replaces both of the previous policies.

    • Previously, most students chose the 2-year policy to avoid the 30 hours of transferable credit required by the 1-year policy.

    • Students often prefer to stay away for one year rather than two.

    • Reducing the number of residency hours needed upon return removes a large financial barrier for some students.

  • Academic Renewal will not be granted or alter a student's GPA until all conditions for renewal are met.

    • The previous Forgiveness Policies allowed a student’s GPAs to be reset immediately in the semester they return and did not require a GPA benchmark. 

    • The new policy requires completion of all academic renewal requirements to show a clear dedication to their return prior to recalculating their GPA. 

  • Academic Renewal requires a minimum semester GPA of 2.50 for each semester of the academic renewal period. The academic renewal period may be a single 12-hour semester or span multiple semesters if the student attends part time.

    • If 2.50 semester GPA is not met, (the) student has not met the terms of the agreement and Academic Renewal will not be granted, nor can it be attempted again in a future semester. Their academic status will be assessed under current academic standing guidelines. 

    • Should a student withdraw from the university during their attempt at Academic Renewal, they are permitted to seek Academic Renewal in a future semester.

  • Academic Renewal requires a returning student to reestablish their major GPA, if their major was formally declared before leaving App State. They do this by completing a minimum of 6 hours in their major discipline as part of their renewal period coursework. 

  • Academic Renewal does not completely reset a student’s GPA. After a student completes all requirements for academic renewal to be granted, any grade below a “C” (2.00) will be excluded from all institutional GPA calculations used for academic standing and graduation eligibility. 

  • Academic Renewal Permits College Dean’s to use discretionary measures, in rare cases, to allow students to return to App State using the policy. (i.e. Student left App State in poor academic standing. Student has since completed a degree elsewhere. Dean’s Office may approve reentry under Academic Renewal based upon their performance in the previous degree.)

  • If it is deemed that one of the previous policies (1 or 2 year forgiveness policy) is more beneficial to a student, the Dean’s Office may have the student grandfathered in under the former policy that benefits the student most. The student must have attended App State during a term in which the previous policy existed for this to be allowed.

    • One Year Forgiveness Policy:

      • Any former App State student that has not attempted any courses at App State for a minimum of one (1) calendar year (including summer terms) and has earned at least thirty (30) new semester hours of transferable credit from other collegiate institutions since last attending App State may apply for readmission under the One Year Forgiveness Policy. Eligibility for readmission under the One Year Forgiveness Policy is determined by averaging all grades earned in transferable coursework at another accredited institution with all grades earned previously at App State. This combined average, as determined by App State, must be at least a 2.00 on a 4.00 scale.

    • Two Year Forgiveness Policy:

      • Any former App State student that has not attempted any courses at App State for a minimum of two (2) calendar years (including summer terms) may apply for readmission under the Two Year Forgiveness Policy. Eligibility for readmission under the Two Year Forgiveness Policy is determined by averaging all grades earned in transferable coursework since leaving App State. This combined average, as determined by App State, must be at least a C/2.0 on a 4.0 scale.

    • For more information on the prior Forgiveness Policies, please see:

    • Students who have stopped out prior to Fall 2023 may be grandfathered into the Two Year Forgiveness policy (as defined in the 2022-2023 bulletin) if deemed more beneficial and approved by their college advisor. The student must have been in attendance at Appalachian State prior to Fall 2023 during an active catalog year (not older than ten years).

Defining Academic Renewal

  • Getting started and completion of Academic Renewal

    • Prior to and during the Academic Renewal period, students will be required to work closely with an academic advisor to:

      • Determine if Academic Renewal is an appropriate method of reentry into App State. Programmatic policies must be reviewed to ensure that all degree/department/college requirements would be feasible (e.g. Admission to Teacher Education, Admission to the Walker College of Business, etc.) 

    • As defined within this guide, continued contact with an assigned advisor is required to monitor progress towards Academic Renewal and to certify Academic Renewal eligibility once the renewal period is complete.

  • Stipulations:

    • Students may only use the Academic Renewal once in their undergraduate academic career.

    • Students must not attend Appalachian State University for at least one calendar  year prior to returning to complete Academic Renewal.

    • Only students who have a cumulative and/or major GPA  below 2.50 may use the Academic Renewal Procedure unless such permission is granted by the Dean or Associate Dean or designee of their college.

    • Students are not required to take any courses while away from App State. However, if a student attends any other institution while away, they must earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better on all coursework attempted.

    • Only courses 1) with an earned grade of C/2.0 or better, 2) can be used toward degree requirements, and 3) that do not repeat a course for which credit has been earned previously at App State will be eligible for transfer.

    • In instances where students do not meet the GPA qualifying criteria listed above (in residence or through transferable credit), the Dean of the their intended/declared major may provide an exception to allow the use of the Academic Renewal Procedure (e.g. student has since completed another degree - Associates or Bachelors).

    • Academic Renewal does not override specific grade requirements for specific courses, individual colleges/schools, or departments/programs.

    • Students returning within University College (UC) should discuss major declaration restrictions with their UC advisors.

    • After the designated time away, students must undertake an Academic Renewal Period.

    • Any grade forgiveness courses or career drops used during the Academic Renewal period will count toward the total allowed.

  • Defining the Academic Renewal Period 

    • Completion of at least 12 hours of coursework, with at least six hours in the major discipline (if their major is declared when they readmit under Academic Renewal) with a minimum 2.5 term GPA.

    • If attending part-time, a minimum 2.5 GPA is required each term until the minimum 12 hours of coursework (6 of which must be in the major discipline for declared majors) has been reached.

      • Part-time students are defined for these purposes as students who are registered for less than twelve hours for a fall or spring semester (six hours for a summer semester) at the end of the drop/add period.

    • To promote a successful return for students returning to App using the Academic Renewal Procedure, students will be required to participate in weekly sessions as mapped out with their college-level advisor. Options for weekly sessions include but are not limited to: appointments with their assigned college advising unit, appointments within the Student Learning Center's (SLC) array of resources, or other academic coaching/student success-centric activities as approved by their college-level advisor.

How to Process Academic Renewal

  • During the readmission process, students must meet with a designated University College advisor or College-level advisor. Faculty advisors must refer students seeking academic renewal to the College advising team. During the advising session, the advisor and student will discuss Academic Renewal to determine if this method of reentry to the University is in the best interest of the student. 

    • If deemed appropriate, the advisor will verify that Academic Renewal has been selected as the method of reentry and approve the advising requirement for readmission.

    • If the advisor and student decide that an older policy is more beneficial and the student qualifies to use an older policy, the advisor will alert the Registrar’s office via the readmission portal notes along with a follow up email to readmission@appstate.edu. The registrar’s office will then change the readmission to an older policy. 

  • Coding upon reentry

    • During readmission, students may select Academic Renewal for their return

    • This will be identified with an “RP” (Renewal Policy) code within the Readmission Advising Portal in AppalNet Self-Service

  • Students must sign an agreement (see below) to the terms stated above (under “Defining Academic Renewal) as created with assistance from their advisor during the readmission process.

  • Only after satisfying the above stated requirements will Academic Renewal be granted.

    • All course credits previously earned are kept. All grades below a C will be changed to “XG” meaning they will not be included in any GPA calculations. Any remaining grades and grades completed after return will be averaged to generate a new cumulative GPA. (Previously earned grades below C/2.0 show up in University databases as “XG” accompanied by the original grade earned and are visible on a student’s transcript.)

  • After the Academic Renewal Period, the student may graduate without earning additional credit if all degree requirements have been satisfied.

  • Failure to meet all terms outlined in the agreement will not permit Academic Renewal approval.
    • If Academic Renewal is denied the student’s academic standing will be assessed under current academic standing guidelines.
    • Students who have an Academic Suspension (AS) standing and who have not met the terms of the Academic Renewal Procedure may continue at App State to raise their GPA by taking summer courses at App State.
    • Any grade forgiveness courses or career drops used during the Academic Renewal period will count toward the total allowed.

Special Considerations for Students & Advisors

  • Students returning under Academic Renewal are considered for financial aid eligibility upon completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students not making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) towards the completion of a degree also need to complete a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form to be considered for financial aid eligibility. 
  • Students using the Academic Renewal Procedure will not be eligible for University Latin Honors at graduation.
  • Once the minimum GPA qualifiers are met for Academic Renewal and grades have been updated accordingly, a minimum C/2.0 cumulative GPA is required to remain in good academic standing and for graduation unless the student's chosen major has a higher GPA requirement.
  • Upon successful completion of the Academic Renewal process, the student will carry over any remaining terms of probation, grade forgiveness (repeat) allowances, and career drops.
  • Students who have stopped out (taken time away from App State - not including summer sessions) prior to Fall 2023 may be grandfathered into the One or Two Year Forgiveness policies if deemed more beneficial and approved by their college advisor. Student must have been in attendance at App State prior to Fall 2023 during an active catalog year that is not older than ten years.

Resources to Explore During Academic Renewal

 

Who to contact?

 

 Archived Forgiveness Policies