Academic Forgiveness Policy
The intent of this policy is to allow students who previously accrued a SUNY Canton academic record with a substantial number of grades below the 2.00 level of C to be “forgiven” for their earlier performance, if they meet certain criteria.
Academic Forgiveness, in this context, means that the student’s previous college work will be treated as if it had been transferred to SUNY Canton from another college: none of the grades received would be counted in the current GPA, but the student would receive credit for any courses in which he/she earned a C or above. All General Education requirements completed during prior attendance would continue to count as requirements met, but only courses with a C or higher grade would be included in credits earned toward the degree, at the discretion of the School Dean.
Students wishing to apply for the privilege of Academic Forgiveness must meet the following criteria:
- The student must not have taken any coursework at SUNY Canton for a minimum of two calendar years at the time of proposed readmission.
- The student must complete the Academic Forgiveness Application Form at the time of application for readmission. The application will include a reflective summary of why he/she should be considered for the privilege.
- The student will not have attempted more than two semesters of coursework at SUNY Canton prior to readmission if enrolled in an associate degree program or more than four semesters of coursework if enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program. Students must complete at least one half of their degree requirement at SUNY Canton after forgiveness is granted.
- The student is not eligible to receive Academic Forgiveness until he/she has completed a full-time semester of at least 12 credit hours as a readmitted student. In this semester, the student must receive at least a C in every course and is not permitted to withdraw from any courses during this semester.
- The student will be placed on academic probation for this first semester after readmission.
- Upon completion of the probationary semester, if all requirements for Academic Forgiveness have been met, the Dean of the School will notify the Registrar so that the student’s academic record may be modified.
- If approved for Academic Forgiveness, a notation to this effect will be made on the student’s SUNY Canton transcript, and a new cumulative GPA will be calculated for all work beginning with the semester of readmission. This new GPA will be printed on the official transcript and used for computing the student’s academic standing and for meeting the minimum GPA requirement for graduation. All previous SUNY Canton work will continue to be listed on the transcript with the original grades received.
- Academic Forgiveness may be granted only once in a student’s college career at SUNY Canton.
- Academic Forgiveness does not override state and federal financial aid regulations and satisfactory academic progress standards. Also, repeating courses previously passed may not count toward full-time enrollment for financial aid purposes. Students should contact the Student Service Center for information on their eligibility if considering applying for Academic Forgiveness.