Academic Second Opportunity Policy
for Transfer Students
This policy does not alter, change or amend any other existing policies at Pierpont and is formulated to be consistent with WV Title 135 Procedural Rule, Series 22, Sections 4 and 5 of the West Virginia Council for Community & Technical College Education and supersedes all previous policies.
Purpose: One of the missions of the community college is to help students who have previously attended college and done poorly be able to recover and successfully complete a degree plan and enter the workforce. The Academic Second Opportunity Policy is for transfer students who have never attended Pierpont Community & Technical College, are degree seeking and are transferring in with a GPA and attempted credit hours that will make it difficult to earn a degree.
Policy: A student who has a GPA lower than 2.00 and has been separated from a Higher Education Institution other than Pierpont Community & Technical College for at least four academic years, and has never been enrolled at Pierpont, may request an application for Academic Second Opportunity. The student must meet with an approved Academic Affairs or Student Services Administrative official before filing a request. The request must be received prior to the last day of class for the semester in which the student is admitted to the College. This request will be reviewed upon completion of twelve graded semester credit hours.
If the application for Academic Second Opportunity is accepted, all previous academic work remains on the student's permanent record, but the grades for previous work are not used in computing the grade point average. Grades of C minus or higher earned during previous college attendance are computed as "passing hours" (P) and may be applied to major program and graduation requirements. Grades of D or lower earned during previous college attendance may not be applied to the major program or graduation requirements. The student pursues his or her academic program with no initial Pierpont Community & Technical College or higher education grade point average, and thereafter is subject to the conditions of warning, probation and suspension that govern all students.
Once invoked, Academic Second Opportunity cannot be revoked and it may be awarded only once and may not be awarded retroactively. This policy pertains only to the GPA calculation for graduation and does not pertain to honors, financial aid standards of progression, or admission requirements for certain programs of study. Students who are awarded Academic Second Opportunity are excluded from candidacy for the Honors designation upon graduation.
A student who has a degree from another institution is not eligible for consideration.
The Board of Governors AAS Degree program and readmitted Pierpont students are governed by different forgiveness policies.
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Date Approved by Admissions and Credits Committee: May 5, 2016
Date Approved by Faculty Senate: May 13, 2016