Academic Renewal
Baccalaureate degree-seeking students may file a written petition to the Provost, or designee requesting Academic Renewal. Students whose academic performance in one specific semester or term has been severely affected are eligible to petition. The petition is to include a brief explanation of factors that may have caused poor academic performance, how conditions have changed, a plan of action that will result in satisfactory academic performance, and a recommendation from the department chairperson or an academic advisor of the declared/intended major. If granted by the Provost, or designee, all failing grades for a particular semester/term will be eliminated from calculations of the semester term and the cumulative grade point average. The official transcript will report such action while retaining a record of all courses taken. Academic renewal will be granted only once. It is the student’s responsibility to contact any agency providing financial assistance to determine the effects of the academic renewal on past or future benefits.
A student permitted to continue a degree program as a result of this action will be required to meet the degree and major requirements in effect the date that academic renewal is granted; however, the student will be ineligible for graduation honors: summa cum laude, magna cum laude or cum laude.
Fresh Start
Fresh Start is intended to assist a student who was unsuccessful in his or her previous academic attempt at Mount St. Joseph University. Fresh Start is not available for students who have earned Academic Dismissal. A degree seeking student returning to the Mount after an absence of at least two calendar years, who earned poor (D), or failing (F) or (FA) grades, may file a written petition to the Provost, or designee requesting a fresh start. The petition is to include a brief explanation of factors that caused unsatisfactory academic performance during the previous tenure at the University. If Fresh Start is granted after reinstatement from Academic Dismissal, the student not earn Academic Condition, or they will be academically dismissed with no further appeal at any time.
Only grades of “D”, “F”, or “FA” may be excluded from the student’s GPA. The grades to be excluded must have been earned prior to the minimum two calendar year non-attendance. Removal of the grade of “D” from the transcript will also result in the deletion of the credit earned for the course. Courses with the grades removed must be retaken if needed to meet graduation requirements.
Upon approval, the action taken is non-reversible, and may only be used one time. The courses approved under the fresh start policy will be disregarded in computing the student’s cumulative GPA; however all courses and grades remain on the students’ transcript. A “Z” grade will mark that the grade has been removed from the GPA calculation as a result of the Fresh Start program.
Once Fresh Start is in effect for a student and the updated GPA is calculated, a student is eligible for any honors, awards, or recognitions related to the specific GPA standards.