Academic Progress

Students are required to meet the academic standards of both their program of study and the College to remain in good standing. Students who experience academic difficulty may be placed on warning/probation.

Warning/Probation

Minimum grade point average of 2.0 is required to remain in good academic standing with the College and financial aid. Students whose grade point average drops below 2.0 GPA will be notified by letter from the College that they have been placed on academic/financial aid warning.

Students who are placed on academic/Financial Aid warning will be counseled and may be encouraged to consider enrolling in a program more commensurate with their academic abilities.

If students fail to raise their grade point average to 2.0 at the end of the first semester of warning, they will be placed on probation for the following semester and will be required to take a reduced course load not to exceed 9 credit hours. The course load will be developed with the approval of the academic advisor as part of a formal academic improvement plan. All Title IV aid will be withheld until GPA standards are met. State, college, foundation, and other financial aid awards may also be withheld, depending on the requirements of the specific award program. Once students have raised their grade point average above 2.0, they will be permitted to register for a full course load. Students meeting the conditions of their academic improvement plan may be allowed to take more than nine credits if called for by the plan. In the summer, a reduced course load for probation is six semester hours.

Dismissal from Program

Certain programs enroll students as a “class” and require them to take all courses in a sequential pattern. The courses are offered only once each year, and there is no opportunity for repeating a course or offering a substitution. Accordingly, a student who fails to achieve a satisfactory level of academic performance is dismissed from the program at the end of the semester providing standards are not met. Students enrolled in Medical Assisting, and Physical Therapist programs must make a “C” or better in all courses including General Education to be eligible to remain in the program.

Students should refer to their respective handbook (PTA or Medical Assisting) for specific guidelines on Academic Standing and Grading.

Students dismissed under this policy may petition the director of the program for enrollment in a later class.

Grade Forgiveness

The College offers students an opportunity for any grades from one semester to be eliminated from the GPA calculations. To qualify for academic forgiveness, students must meet the following criteria:

• Be currently enrolled in curriculum courses
• Have successfully completed a minimum of 12 semester hours of credit coursework with grades of “C’s” or better subsequent to the semester for which they are requesting forgiveness

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If a financial aid student and/or veteran, check with the Financial Aid Office and Veteran’s Affairs counselor to discuss possible impacts of funding.

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In addition:

• Grades earned at other colleges cannot be forgiven.
• A student may receive grade forgiveness one time only during his/her academic career at MCC.
• Forgiveness grades remain on the transcript but are not calculated in the GPA.
• Grades cannot be forgiven from a term which was part of a graduated program.

To request grade forgiveness, students must complete an Application for Grade Forgiveness, discuss with their advisor, have it signed by their Advisor, Division Chair, then submit it to the Registrar’s office. Students will be notified by email that the request has been processed.

Grade Replacement / Repeat of Courses

Martin Community College (MCC) offers students an opportunity to retake a course to replace a grade in the same course. A student may only attempt replacement one (1) time per course. Courses with an original grade of “A” or “P” cannot be replaced. Students wishing to avail themselves of the grade replacement policy should understand the following:

• It is the student’s responsibility to check with Financial Aid and/or Veteran’s Affairs to see how this could affect their award.
• The student’s first grade in the course will be averaged with the second grade regardless of whether it is higher or lower. However, if the student withdraws during the withdrawal period, the first grade will be retained.
• The first grade will no longer be calculated in the GPA if it is replaced.
• There is no special form or procedure to apply for grade replacement. The student registers for the course and the replacement will occur automatically at the end of the semester.
• Students cannot use grade replacement for a course that was used in a program from which they have graduated and is also required in the new program in which they are currently enrolled.
• Students cannot utilize grade replacement for any course which is no longer offered.
• The previous course grade will remain on the transcript: however, it will not be used in the GPA calculation.