University Academic Regulations

Academic Forgiveness Policies

Office: Office of the Registrar
Location: Ellington, Room 316
Phone: 931-221-7121
Email: registrar@apsu.edu
 

Once a forgiveness policy has been enacted, no changes will be permitted.

CARE Policy

A. The CARE (Credentials Analysis and Re-Evaluation) Policy is a plan of academic forgiveness, which allows undergraduate students who have experienced academic difficulty to make a clean start upon returning to college after an extended absence.

B.The CARE allows eligible students to resume study without being penalized for his/her past unsatisfactory scholarship and signals the initiation of a new QPA/GPA to be used for determining academic standing.


C. Readmitted students who were formally enrolled in the institution as well as transfer students who meet institutional requirements for admission and who have been separated from all institutions of higher education for a minimum of two (2) years are eligible for CARE. CARE is not available for students who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree.


D. CARE will only be applied after student has successfully completed a class at APSU upon their return.

E. CARE criteria:

1. Once the student has satisfied the above requirements, the institution may grant CARE.  The student may be granted CARE only once.

2. The student’s permanent record will retain a record of all work, however, up to 18 credit hours taken which earned grade of D or F during all terms beginning within a continuous 365 day window will be excluded from   the calculation of the QPA/GPA. QPA, GPA and credit hours will reflect courses for which passing grades were earned and retained.

3. The student’s transcript will note that CARE was applied and the date on which it was applied.

4. By applying for CARE, the student signifies understanding that institutions other than APSU may not accept the QPA as it is calculated with CARE.

F. This policy is independent of financial aid regulations. Financial aid requirements at the time of application will apply. Therefore, a CARE applicant should check with his/her financial aid counselor for guidance.

G.  Other institutions may not accept the APSU CARE policy.  It is at the discretion of each individual institution to accept it or not.

FRESH START

Minimum Criteria for Institutional Academic Fresh Start Policies

1. “Academic Fresh Start” is a plan of academic forgiveness which allows undergraduate students who have experienced academic difficulty to make a clean start upon returning to college after an extended absence.

2. The Academic Fresh Start allows eligible students to resume study without being penalized for his/her past unsatisfactory scholarship and signals the initiation of a new QPA/GPA to be used for determining academic standing. Students must identify any courses with a grade of ‘D’ that they wish to retain.

3. Readmitted students who were formally enrolled in the institution as well as transfer students who meet institutional requirements for admission and who have been separated from all institutions of higher education for a minimum of four (4) years are eligible for the Fresh Start.  Academic Fresh Start is not available for students who have earned a bachelor’s degree.

4. Academic Fresh Start criteria:
   

   1. Student Requirements
      

      1. Separation from all collegiate institutions for at least four (4) years.

      2. Students must enroll at Austin Peay State University and complete one semester before Fresh Start can be applied.

   2. Terms of the Academic Fresh Start
      

      1. Once the student has satisfied the above requirements, the institution may grant the Academic Fresh Start. The student may be granted a Fresh Start only once.

      2. The student’s permanent record will retain a record of all work; however, courses taken and previously failed will be excluded from the calculation of the QPA/GPA. QPA, GPA and credit hours will reflect courses for which passing grades were earned and retained.
         

         1. Retained grades will be calculated in the Fresh Start QPA/GPA.

         2. Courses with D or F grades must be repeated at the institution when they are required in the student’s current major. All remaining courses for the current degree objectives must be completed at the institution. No transient credit will be accepted after invoking Academic Fresh Start.
            

            1. The application of retained credit toward degree requirements will be determined by the requirements currently in effect at the time the academic renewal status is conferred on the student. Specific program requirements must also be met.

         3. Previously satisfied assessment placement requirements will not be forfeited.

      3. The student’s transcript will note that the Fresh Start was applied and when the Fresh Start policy was applied to the transcript.

      4. The student will apply for the Fresh Start with the understanding that other institutions may not accept the QPA as it is calculated with the Fresh Start.

      5. This policy is independent of financial aid regulations. Financial aid requirements at the time of application will apply. Therefore, a Fresh Start applicant should check with his/her financial aid counselor for guidance.

Academic Standards and Regulations

Three levels of academic status exist: good standing, academic probation, and academic suspension. Students placed on academic probation or academic suspension receive notification from the Office of the Registrar at the end of the semester or term the status was earned.  Please check your APSU email for official notification.

Good Standing

This status means that the student is meeting the minimum standard for retention. Satisfactory Academic Progress means that the student is not on academic probation or suspension and meets the following overall GPA requirements:

 

Graduation requirements require that the student earn an overall GPA of 2.00, a minimum APSU GPA of 2.00, a minimum GPA of 2.00 in the major, and a minimum GPA of 2.00 in the minor if applicable. Programs may require a higher GPA for retention in the program.  Effective Summer 2015 and after, any coursework transferred to APSU, regardless of when it was earned, will not be included in the overall GPA calculation.  It will also not be included in the major or minor calculation, unless transferred in prior to Summer 2015.

Academic Probation
A student will be placed on academic probation at the completion of any semester/term or summer session when the student’s cumulative GPA falls below the following:

 

Quality hours attempted include all courses and  hours except for grades of “AU”, “I”, “IP”, “NR” and “W.”  Students on academic probation are limited to a credit load of 16 hours during the Fall and Spring semesters.  Freshmen and sophomores placed on academic probation will be required to participate in the academic strengthening program, Promoting Academic Student Success by enrolling in PASS 0900.  Students who do not complete the PASS course will be required to enroll in the course the next semester, if they are still on academic probation.  If a student enrolled in PASS 0900 is placed on Academic Suspension and has failed to earn a passing grade in PASS 0900 the student will not be allowed to appeal the academic suspension and students will be required to serve their academic suspension.  Students who are indefinitely suspended must wait one year before they are permitted to appeal to the Student Academic Standing Committee. Other students on probation or students returning from academic suspension are also encouraged to participate in the program. Please contact Office of New Student Programs & Initiatives at 931-221-7532 for information about the program.

Academic Suspension
Students on academic probation who, at the end of the semester/term of enrollment, fail to earn the grade-point average required for that semester (Column A below) or to raise their overall GPA to the required minimum (Column B below) will be suspended for the next semester as well as for any term that might be in session before the next semester begins (e.g., summer term).

Quality hours attempted includes all courses and hours except for grades of “AU”, “I”, “IP”, “W” and “NR.”

The student who is academically suspended for the second time (Second Suspension) including suspensions from all colleges and universities attended, will be suspended for one calendar year.  The student suspended for the third time or more (Indefinite Suspension) may be readmitted only by a petition for reinstatement approved by the Academic Suspension Appeals Committee.

Suspended students may file a written appeal of their suspension period with the Office of the Registrar no later than the deadline date indicated in the student’s suspension letter.  Only one appeal per suspension period may be made, with Indefinite Suspension limited to one appeal per calendar year.  The academic suspension on appeals committee will review paperwork for each appeal and render a decision.  The decision of the committee is final.  Students who successfully appeal an Academic Suspension will be required to participate in the academic strengthening program, Promoting Academic Student Success, and enroll in PASS 0900.  Students who do not complete the PASS course will be required to enroll in the course the next semester if they are still on academic probation.  If a student enrolled in PASS 0900 is placed on Academic Suspension and has failed to earn a passing grade in PASS 0900 the student will not be allowed to appeal the academic suspension and students will be required to serve their academic suspension.  Students who are indefinitely suspended must wait one year before they are permitted to appeal to the Student Academic Suspension Appeals Committee.

The University reserves the right to cancel a student’s registration with full fee adjustment should the student enroll prior to being officially notified of an academic suspension.

A student on academic suspension may not be admitted to, or continue in, any program at APSU for credit or for grade-point purposes. 

Appeal Process

Suspended students may file a written appeal of their suspension period with the Office of the Registrar no later than the deadline date indicated in the student’s suspension letter. Only one appeal per suspension period may be made, with Indefinite Suspension limited to one appeal per calendar year. The academic suspension on appeals committee will review paperwork for each appeal and render a decision. The decision of the committee is final. 

Committee should be a standing committee of specified professional positions and chairs of academic departments to be assigned by Deans of their respective colleges.

Students who successfully appeal an Academic Suspension will be required to participate in the academic strengthening program, Promoting Academic Student Success, and enroll in PASS 0900. Students who do not complete the PASS course will be required to enroll in the course the next semester if they are still on academic probation. If a student enrolled in PASS 0900 is placed on Academic Suspension and has failed to earn a passing grade in PASS 0900 the student will not be allowed to appeal the academic suspension and the student will be required to serve their academic suspension.

A student on academic suspension may not be admitted to, or continue in, any program at APSU for credit or for grade-point purposes. 

The University reserves the right to cancel a student’s registration with full fee adjustment should the student enroll prior to being officially notified of an academic suspension.

Drop and Withdrawal Standards

Office: Office of the Registrar
Location: Ellington, Room 316
Phone: 931-221-7150
Email: registrar@apsu.edu
 

After the official registration period is over, students may make adjustments in their schedule through the process of adding and/or dropping courses.

1. Courses that are dropped before census date will not be indicated on the student’s transcript. Students can review drop dates on the Academic Calendar here: https://www.apsu.edu/academic-calendar

2. Late add requests will be disabled 7 days after census date based on term/part of term. Official Dates can be viewed here: https://www.apsu.edu/academic-calendar

3. If for any reason a student stops attending classes but does not officially drop a course(s) or withdraw from the institution; the student will receive an “FA” for each course(s) involved and will not be allowed to drop the course.

4. Special Circumstance Drop or Withdrawal: https://www.apsu.edu/student-affairs/registrar/special-circumstance.php

Special Circumstance Drop and Withdrawal

The Office of the Registrar will consider a special circumstance withdrawal if the criteria for the withdrawal is met. The criteria set is subject to change at the discretion of the Office of the Registrar. All necessary paperwork related to the special circumstance withdrawal process should be submitted to the Office of the Registrar at otr@apsu.edu. All necessary paperwork related to a specific course drop because of special circumstance should be submitted to Enrollment and Student Achievement at otr@apsu.edu. 

More information on the special circumstance drop or withdrawal is available here: https://www.apsu.edu/registrar/special-circumstance.php

Graduating with Honors

Office: Office of the Registrar
Location: Ellington, Room 316
Phone: 931-221-7150
Email: registrar@apsu.edu
 

Only University-level courses will only apply to graduate with honors.  Students who earn an inclusive overall grade point average as follows will graduate with honors:

You may locate your inclusive GPA under the GPA link in AP OneStop or your Degree Works program evaluation.