Standards of Academic Progress

The following academic standards of progress apply to all students except students taking developmental courses. In addition to these standards of academic progress, the nursing programs have departmental requirements.

1. A student must maintain the following cumulative grade-point average (GPA), contingent on the number of hours attempted at the College, to have clear academic status:

   Hrs. Attempted	GPA
   12-21	1.50
   22-32	1.75
   33 or more	2.00

2. When a student's cumulative GPA is below the GPA required for the number of credit hours attempted at the College, the student is placed on Academic Probation.
3. When a student on Academic Probation's cumulative GPA remains below the GPA required for the total number of credit hours attempted at the College and the semester GPA is below 2.0, the student is suspended for one semester. The transcript will read Suspended-One Semester.
4. A student who is suspended for one semester may appeal. If the student is readmitted without serving the one-semester suspension, the transcript will read Suspended-One Semester/Readmitted Upon Appeal.
5. A student who is on Academic Probation after being suspended for one semester (whether the student has served the suspension or been readmitted on appeal) and whose cumulative GPA falls below the level required for the total number of hours attempted at the College with a semester GPA of 2.0 or above will remain on Academic Probation. If the student does not earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above for the required hours, the student is Suspended for One Academic Year. 
6. A student returning from a One-Term or One-Year Suspension while on Academic Probation who fails to obtain the required GPA for the number of hours attempted and fails to maintain a term GPA of 2.0 will be suspended for another calendar year.
7. A student may appeal a one-term or one-year suspension.
8. The student must attain a clear status before beginning the standards of the academic progress cycle again.

Standards of Academic Progress for Developmental Courses

1. An advising hold will be placed on the account of any student who fails a developmental course the first time he/she is enrolled. The student will be required to meet with an academic advisor before being allowed to add the course back to his/her schedule.
2. A student must complete an official appeal to be considered for re-enrollment in a developmental course he/she has not passed or two previous attempts.
3. Students are allowed three (3) attempts to complete a developmental course successfully.
4. A student who has unsuccessfully attempted a developmental course three times has the option of participating in an Adult Education “Academic Bridge” if he/she wishes to continue his/her education at CVCC. This program allows the student to increase his/her skill level to successfully test out of the developmental course or pass a challenge exam.

Exception

Programs within the institution subject to external licensure, certification, and/or accreditation or fewer than four semesters in length may have higher standards of progress than the institutional standards of progress.

Appeal Process for Readmission

If a student does not contest the facts leading to suspension and desires to request consideration for readmission, the student may submit a request in writing for an “Appeal for Readmission” to the Admissions Committee no later than two working days before the beginning of regular registration. During the meeting of the Admissions Committee (which is not considered a “due process” hearing but rather a petition for readmission), the student may present a rationale and/ or statement of mitigating circumstances in support of immediate readmission. The decision of the Admissions Committee and the materials presented by the student are placed in the student’s official record. A copy of the written decision is also provided to the student.

Intervention for Student Success

Students placed on Academic Warning, Academic Probation, One-Semester Suspension, or One-Calendar-Year Academic Suspension may be required to meet with a Success Coach/ Retention Specialist to create an academic success plan with specific courses and limited credit hours and/or to take other steps as designated by the Dean of Instruction, Financial Aid, the student’s advisor, and/or the Admissions Committee.

Intervention activities may include monthly success coaching, academic workshops, and subject-specific tutoring. Students are also tracked for success through faculty alerts, which allows success coaches to provide early intervention in recognizing personal and academic barriers to success.

Course Forgiveness

1. If a student repeats a course, the higher/highest grade awarded (excluding the grades of W and WP) replaces all previous grades for that course in the computation of the cumulative grade point average. The official transcript will list the course and grade each time it is attempted.
2. When a student completes a course more than once, the highest grade will be counted in the GPA, and all other grades will be excluded from the GPA. Official transcripts will list each course in which a student was enrolled.
3. The course forgiveness process will occur automatically after the course has been repeated and a new grade has been posted. The student may repeat a course more than once, but that course may be counted only once toward fulfilling credit hours for graduation.

NOTE: STUDENTS SHOULD CHECK FINANCIAL AID REGULATIONS REGARDING THE REPETITION OF COURSES.

NOTE: Students enrolled in the Nursing programs must adhere to the policies set forth by the program.

Academic Bankruptcy

Academic bankruptcy is the removal of one to three semesters of grades from calculating a student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA). The following applies to any request for academic bankruptcy:

1. Academic bankruptcy is initiated by a written request from the student to the Director of Admissions/Registrar.
2. Upon receipt of the student’s request, the College will inform the student that an award of academic bankruptcy may impact his/her financial aid status.
3. Academic bankruptcy may only be declared once and may be applied to no more than three (3) semesters, which do not have to be consecutive.
4. The bankruptcy courses and grades will remain on the transcript but will not be calculated in the student’s cumulative GPA.
5. None of the coursework taken during a semester for which academic bankruptcy is declared, including hours completed satisfactorily, will be used to fulfill degree requirements.
6. Developmental courses successfully completed during a period of academic bankruptcy can be used to fulfill prerequisites.
7. To be eligible for academic bankruptcy, the student must have completed 12 semester credit hours of coursework at CVCC since the most recent semester for which the academic bankruptcy is requested. A grade of “C” or higher is required in each course in 12 semester credit hours in the post-bankruptcy period.
8. When a student receives a declaration of academic bankruptcy, a permanent notation of “ACADEMIC BANKRUPTCY” will be reflected on the transcript for each semester affected.
9. Approval of a college's academic bankruptcy status does not guarantee that other institutions will honor that status. The respective transfer institution(s) will make this determination.

NOTE: Students enrolled in the Nursing programs must adhere to the policies set forth by the program.

Change of Curriculum or Program of Study

Students accepted and enrolled in a particular program of study who seek to pursue another program of study must meet the requirements for admission to the new program and complete the necessary change of information form, which is available at the Admissions Office. An updated plan of study may be obtained from the CVCC website. Students who change their program of study will follow the program requirements of the Catalog current at the time of the program of study change.

Standards of Academic Progress for Transfer Students

1. A transfer student admitted on clear academic status is subject to the same academic progress standards as a “native” student. Grades accrued at other regionally accredited postsecondary institutions are not included in the GPA calculation.
2. A transfer student admitted on Academic Probation retains that status until the student has attempted at least 12 semester credit hours at CVCC. If, after the semester in which the student has attempted 12 or more semester credit hours at CVCC, the cumulative GPA is below 1.5, the student is suspended for one semester. The transcript will read Suspended-One Semester.
3. If at the conclusion of the semester in which the transfer student admitted on Academic Probation has attempted 12 semester credit hours at the institution, the cumulative GPA at the institution is 1.5 or above, the student’s status is Clear.

Transfer of Credits

Transfer students must furnish the official transcript(s) of all work attempted at all other institutions.

Transferability of credits will be determined in the following manner:

1. If a student has a 2.0 cumulative grade point average in all previous college work attempted, all passing grades will be accepted if comparable to CVCC courses.
2. If the student’s cumulative grade point average is below 2.0 (C), only credits with a grade of “C” or better earned will be accepted.
3. Of the credits accepted, only those that apply to the student’s chosen curriculum may be used for purposes of meeting program and graduation requirements.
4. Students who have satisfactorily completed required English and mathematics courses will not be required to take the Accuplacer Placement Test at CVCC.

Evaluation of Transfer Credits

The Admissions Office will evaluate official transcripts submitted by transfer students who enroll at the College. Transfer students will be informed of the amount of acceptable credit in two ways:

1. The amount of transfer credit and the transferable courses will be provided on the College website at www.cv.edu after the evaluation.
2. The courses and the number of credits allowed through transfer are recorded on the student’s official and unofficial CVCC transcript.

Students with questions about the amount of credit accepted or specific courses accepted may address those questions to the Director of Admissions/Registrar. In some cases, students may be required to furnish catalogs containing course descriptions to determine course transferability. Students must be currently enrolled at the time transfer credit is awarded.

Nontraditional Credit

CVCC may award limited credit for advanced placement, challenge examinations, CLEP and DANTES examinations, armed forces, and service school training. Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) may be awarded for professional certifications, statewide articulation agreements, or programs. Course credit earned shall be noted on the student’s transcript. Any student interested in obtaining PLA credit should contact the appropriate college faculty member or the Admissions Director/Registrar to obtain the appropriate paperwork and advisement of the PLA process.

Credit by Examination	Available credit hours for degrees available	e credit hours for certificates
Advanced Placement	15	9
CLEP and/or DANTES	15	9
Military training and education	20	9
Professional certification *Criminal Justice and Fire Science	18	3
Credit by examination (challenge)	15	9

Not more than 25 percent of the total credit required for any program may be awarded through nontraditional means. Credit awarded through nontraditional means is not applicable toward the minimum of 25 percent of semester credit hours that must be completed at CVCC.

Credit for subject examinations will be granted provided the student has not been previously enrolled in the course for which credit is to be earned. CLEP/DANTES credit will not be granted for college-level courses previously failed, for disciplines in which credit for higher-level courses has already been earned, or for both subject examination and its course equivalent.

Credit through CLEP/DANTES examinations will not be recorded on the student’s permanent record until the student has completed a minimum of twelve semester hours at CVCC. Notation will be made on the student’s permanent record indicating the area in which credit was awarded, with the statement “Credit by Examination,” followed by the number of semester hours granted.

The policy of granting credit through CLEP/DANTES examinations may differ from policies at other colleges, and the student is cautioned to check with other colleges to obtain additional information.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

CVCC awards credit through selected CLEP examinations provided the student earns a minimum score as recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE).

CLEP Examination Subject Matter	Credit Awarded	CVCC Course Equivalents
Business
Information Systems and Computer Applications	3	CIS 146
Principles of Accounting I and II	6	BUS 241, 242
Introductory Business Law	3	BUS 261
Introduction to Management	3	MST 201
Introductory Macroeconomics I	3	ECO 231
Introductory Macroeconomics II	3	ECO 231
Language and Fine Arts
American Literature with essay	6	ENG 251, 252
English Literature with essay	6	ENG 261, 262
Spanish	3	SPA 101
Mathematics and Science
College Algebra	3	MTH 112
College Trigonometry	3	MTH 113
Calculus with Elementary Functions	4	MTH 125
Social Science & Public Service Technologies
Western Civilization I	3	HIS 121
Western Civilization II	3	HIS 122
American History I	3	HIS 201
American History II	3	HIS 202
General Psychology	3	PSY 200
Introductory Sociology	3	SOC 200

Other Areas for Credit by Examination

Credit-by-examination opportunities are available in some subject areas for which CLEP and DANTES examinations are not available or recognized by the College. Students should contact the Director of Admissions/Registrar for more information.

DANTES Standardized Examinations

CVCC awards credit through selected DANTES examinations provided the student earns a minimum score as recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE).

DANTES Examination Subject Matter Business	Credit Awarded	CVCC Course Equivalents
Business
Introduction to Business	3	BUS 100
Principles of Accounting I	3	BUS 241
Introduction to Management	3	MST 201
Basic Marketing	3	BUS 285
Principles of Economics II	3	ECO 232
Mathematics and Science
College Algebra	3	MTH 112
College Trigonometry	3	MTH 113
Calculus I	4	MTH 125
Calculus II	4	MTH 126
Linear Algebra	4	MTH 237
College Physics II	4	PHY 213
College Chemistry	4	CHM 111
Social Science & Public Service Technologies
Western Civilization I	3	HIS 121
Western Civilization II	3	HIS 122
General Anthropology	3	ANT 200
Introduction to Criminology	3	CRJ 208

Credit by examination is subject to the following regulations and guidelines:

1. An admitted student must apply to the Dean of Instruction to request credit by examination.
2. A student may not challenge a specific course more than once.
3. A maximum of fifteen hours of credit toward the degree or nine toward the certificate may be earned through challenge examinations.
4. Students must be enrolled in the College and must not have audited or previously enrolled in the course for credit at any postsecondary institution. The student must enroll as a regular student in the course to take a challenge examination. This provision includes payment of the respective tuition charges and applicable fees for the course.
5. The student who passes a challenge examination will receive credit for the course, with a notation on the transcript of the method by which the credit was earned (Credit by Examination).
6. No credit earned through challenge examinations will be extended to any student until the student has completed twelve semester hours of credit at CVCC.
7. Challenge examinations will not be administered if the student has already received credit for advanced work in the subject area beyond the course for which the examination is being requested.
8. Credit by examination procedures may not be used to remove or supersede any grade previously earned in a given course or equivalent, including courses that were failed.   9. An administrative fee of $40 will be charged for each credit-by-examination request.

Credit-by-Examination Refund Policy

To receive a grade for credit by examination, a student must pay tuition in addition to examination fees. Refunds will be given only in the same semester the student has applied. A refund will not be given if students do not complete the examination in the semester they apply.

Credit Through Advanced Placement

CVCC may grant college credit to students who score a “3,” “4,” or “5” on one or more of the Advanced Placement Program Examinations of the College Entrance Examination Board, not to exceed 15 hours of credit. To be eligible, the student must take the examination before enrolling in college and must be enrolled at the College when credit is awarded.

Credit for Military Training and Educational Experiences

CVCC will consider military experiences as a substitute for approved courses in the student’s training and education curriculum on an individual basis. The student is responsible for requesting military transcripts by contacting the JST Operations Center.

Credits extended by the College will be applied to the student’s graduation requirements. After the credit is extended, the student may not enroll in the course for which the credit was awarded.

Guidelines for extending credit are as follows:

United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI) -  Credit may be given for study or correspondence study applicable to the student’s curriculum taken through the United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI), provided the course is recommended by the American Council on Education. The student must submit official evidence of satisfactory completion of the work to the Admissions Office.

Military Service Schools -  Training courses completed in the armed forces that are applicable to the student’s curriculum and approved by the American Council on Education may be accepted for credit. The student must submit official evidence of satisfactory completion of the work to the Admissions Office.

DANTES -  The College will consider credit earned for college-level courses reported through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Services Support (DANTES). The credit awarded will be based on recommendations by the American Council on Education.