PURPOSE AND INTENT:

To provide for a student's grade point average that will include grades on all college level work attempted.  If a course is repeated more than once, only the grade on the last attempt will be used in computing the average. 

I.       Effective with college level courses taken beginning in Session I, 1997-98, a student may not repeat a course for which a grade of "C" or higher has been earned.  A student enrolled in the same college-level course more than twice will be assessed fees at 100 percent of the full cost of instruction equal to the rate charged non-Florida residents.  Students may have their fees reduced once for each class due to extenuating circumstances as determined by the campus provost or associate provost or designee.  However, the provost, associate provost or designee shall have the authority to review and reduce payment for increased fees due to continued enrollment in a class on an individual basis contingent upon the student’s financial hardship, pursuant to definitions and fee levels established by the State Board of Education.  An attempt shall be defined as each enrollment in a college/college preparatory course past the drop/add period regardless of the grade received.  A fourth attempt may be allowed only through an academic appeals process based on major extenuating circumstances as defined below.  In addition, at the third or any subsequent attempt, the student may not receive a grade of "W" or "X", but must receive the letter grade earned.  When a course is repeated or when credit cannot be received in both of two courses, credit will be allowed only in the more recent course taken, even if the later grade is lower than a previous grade.  Except where provided in the course description, multiple credit will not be granted for the same course.

         Extenuating circumstances are those circumstances determined by the College to be exceptional and beyond the control of the student, are accompanied by appropriate documentation and which may include but not be limited to one or more of the following:

         A.        serious illness;
         B.        documented medical condition preventing completion;
         C.        death of an immediate family member;
         D.        involuntary call to active military duty;
         E.        documented learning disability;
         F.         English as a second language background; or
         G.        other emergency circumstances or extraordinary situations such as natural disasters.

         The criteria for determining financial hardship shall include, but not be limited to, qualification for federal need-based financial assistance.  Students with other documented financial hardships may also be considered.  In either case, the exception for financial hardship should be granted only after the student has demonstrated reasonable effort to succeed in the course.

II.        Credit for previous attempts will not be taken away until the course has been repeated the maximum number of times allowable for credit.

III.       After the maximum has been reached, the loss of credit for earlier attempts will be applied first to the attempt with the lowest grade, then successively to the next highest grade, etc.

The symbols to be used for designating grades are standardized for all Florida community colleges in Appendix II (Common Transcript Standard Form) to the articulation agreement between the state universities and the public community colleges of Florida.  The appendix also specifies a 4-point grading system for determination of grade point averages.

Section 2C of the articulation agreement provides that only the final grade received in courses repeated by the student shall be used in computing the grade point average even if the final grade received is lower than the initial attempt(s).

The college uses the following letter grades (and grade points):

Grades used in                          Grades not used in
G.P.A. computation:                      G.P.A. computation:

A      4 grade points       Excellent          W           Withdrawal
B      3 grade points       Good                S            Satisfactory                                                                                    (Non-Credit)
C      2 grade points       Average           X            Audit
D      1 grade point         Poor                 I              Incomplete
F       0 grade points       Failure              N            No Credit
WF   0 grade points       Failure                                (College Prep)
      (Attendance Policy Violation)                P            Passing (College Level)

Grades are submitted by instructors electronically using a secure, password protected grade roster.

The computer program records the grade, assigns the grade points associated with the letter grade, and records the grade points earned for the course.  The program then summarizes the course totals for the session:

I.         Hours earned:  Actual hours earned (whether grade points are assigned or not; e.g., "S" grades).

II.        Hours attempted for G.P.A.:  Includes all courses in which the assigned grade has a grade point value of 0-4.

III.       Total grade points.

IV.      Grade point average:  The G.P.A. is the ratio obtained by dividing item III. by item II.

The program then searches the permanent record file to determine if any of the courses in the current session appear previously on the permanent record file.  When such a course is present, the previous hours earned, hours attempted, and the grade points are excluded from the summary and the last (latest) attempt is designated by an "R" (repeat), even if the grade in the last attempt is lower (earning fewer grade points).

To determine repeated courses, the data systems programs will  check transfer work as well as previous college work on the permanent record file.

The on-line permanent record file represents an accumulation dating back only to Session I, 1969-70.  When a student's record includes work which has not been accumulated on the file, the college registrar adds "pre 69" data to the on-line permanent record.

IV.      Requests to Exclude Coursework From Grade Point Average Calculations

A.    Coursework attempted more than 10 years ago may be excluded from grade point average calculations according to the following criteria:

1.    There must be a break in the student's continuous enrollment for a period of 5 or more years.

2.    Evidence of a material change of circumstances (i.e., change of career direction) must be present and documented in writing by the student.

B.    A written request to exclude coursework from grade point average shall be made by the student and submitted to the associate provost. The associate provost will consult with the director of admissions and records to determine if the student meets the criteria.

1.    Decisions to exclude coursework attempted must include the exclusion of all coursework attempted prior to the date requested by the student, but not before the 10-year limit specified in Paragraph IV. A.

2.    Coursework deemed to be eligible for grade point average exclusion shall remain on the student’s permanent record and will be reflected on the student’s transcript.

C.    Coursework attempted within the last 10 years shall be included in grade point average calculations and is not eligible to be excluded from the student’s grade point average.

D.    Exceptions to the above provisions may be considered in cases where the student is without opportunity to repeat a course(s) at St. Petersburg College as provided herein.

E.    Coursework used to award prior degrees, college certificates, or applied technology diplomas from St. Petersburg College is not eligible to be excluded from grade point average calculations.