Academic Standing Policy
Criteria for Good Academic Standing and Satisfactory Progress
To be considered in good academic standing and to be making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or certificate, a matriculated student must:
1. Maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.0 OR above, and
2. Successfully earn 67% of cumulative credits attempted. (Credits attempted are defined as credits enrolled at the end of the Add-Drop period.)
Credit Hours Earned
The term “credit hours earned” means the total number of credits received from any or all of the following: Courses completed at the College with a grade of ‘A,’ ‘B,’ ‘C,’ ‘D,’ ‘P’, or ‘PC’; acceptable transfer credits from other institutions; credit by examination (including CLEP and Departmental Exams). The total credit hours earned figure is used to determine whether a student has met the total number of credits required for a degree.
Credit Hours Completed
Credit received from courses completed at the College with a grade of ‘A,’ ‘B,’ ‘C,’ ‘D,’ or ‘F’ is noted as credits completed on the transcript. The credits completed figure is used to compute the Grade Point Average (GPA) and to determine whether a student has met the CGPA requirement of 2.0 for a degree.
Academic Probation
Following the first semester after a student does not achieve the above standards of a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.0 or above, or does not successfully earn 67% of cumulative credits attempted the student will be placed on academic probation and will receive an email letter of notification. Academic Probation directs a student to meet with an advisor to review the student’s academic progress and to discuss use of the College’s student support and advising services in order to improve academic performance.
Request to Waive an ‘F’ Grade
An ‘F’ grade earned during the first 30 credits attempted at North Shore Community College may be waived any time before graduation upon written application to the Enrollment Center. A maximum of three ‘F’ grades may be waived. It is required that you discuss fully the option to waive an ‘F’ grade with your faculty advisor or an Academic Counselor in the Student Support and Advising Center. When an ‘F’ grade is waived, the record of taking the course will remain on the transcript and the grade will be noted as “FN.” No credit will be received and the grade will not be calculated into the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). For the purpose of determining honors eligibility, ‘FN’ grades will be calculated into the honors CGPA as 0 quality points. After graduation an ‘F’ grade may not be waived.
Academic Suspension
Following the second consecutive semester a student does not achieve the above requirements of a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.0 or above, or successfully earn 67 percent of cumulative credits attempted the student will be placed on academic suspension. Suspension means that a student is prohibited from enrolling in the College until he/she has appealed their suspension to the Academic Review Board to discuss academic progress and to receive conditional permission to re-enroll. The Academic Review Board may make re-enrollment contingent on a student taking specific steps to help ensure future academic success. A student must fulfill all requirements set by the Board.
Academic Suspension Process
At the end of each semester, grades are entered by faculty and saved to the student’s record. A list of suspended students is run by Academic Affairs. A suspension letter is emailed to each student alerting them of their suspended status and next steps to follow to appeal their suspension. This letter outlines the steps a student should take if they wish to appeal their suspension and return the following semester. To help suspended students reset and position themselves for success, a suspension hold (SU) is put on the student's account preventing them from registering and alerting them that they are suspended and an advisor hold (AC) is placed on the student's record preventing them from registering without meeting with an advisor. Students who are denied are emailed a formal letter from the College with specific conditions needed in order to re-appeal at a later date.