Office of the President

Repeat Policy; Supercedes EM 05-004

Executive Memorandum 08-013 May 12, 2008

From: Paul J. Zingg, President

Subject: Repeat Policy; Supercedes EM 05-004.

REPEAT POLICY

On the recommendation of the Academic Senate, I approve the following on Repeat Policy for immediate implementing. This Executive Memorandum supercedes EM 05-004.

General Repeat Policy

Students may repeat courses originally taken for a letter grade if the earlier attempt resulted in a grade of C- or lower. Graduate students may repeat courses in which they earned a grade of B- or lower. The repeated course grade will be averaged with all other grades in determining the grade point average. There is no limit to the number of units which may be repeated when grades are averaged together under this policy. Except for specially designated courses, units earned for a course count only once toward degree requirements. In instances where a student repeats a course for which a grade of C or better (B or better for graduate students) was earned, neither units nor grade points will be counted toward degree requirements. An exception to this policy point may be made for students who have successfully re-applied to graduate school to begin a graduate program anew after 9 years because an extension of their original program is no longer feasible.

Courses originally taken in which the student earned a grade of No Credit may be repeated. If a student enrolls in a course for which the grade of record is I, the I will revert to an IC grade and be counted as an F in the grade point average calculation.

Undergraduate Repeat with Forgiveness

No more than two courses may be repeated with forgiveness at CSU, Chico. Undergraduate students who wish to repeat courses at CSU, Chico and have the earlier letter grades deleted in the computation of their cumulative grade point averages may do so under the following stipulations:

  • If the earlier attempt resulted in a grade of C- or lower.
  • The student must have re-enrolled in the course.
  • There is no regression* involved. Department or equivalent units will determine whether regression is involved.
  • A petition stating that the course is being repeated with grade forgiveness is submitted by the student to the Student Records and Registration Office.
  • The student has not exceeded the two course limit.
  • Students may not petition to repeat at another institution a course which was originally taken at CSU, Chico.
  • If the student's grade in the original course was not a result of academic misconduct, documented through the Office of Student Judicial Affairs as a violation of the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities (EM 96-038) and Policy on Academic Integrity (EM 04-036).

*Regression occurs when a student takes an elementary course after having completed a higher level course. In cases where the course involved is in a sequence of courses, regression occurs when a student repeats a course after successfully completing a more advanced course. The Student Records and Registration Office will determine whether the petition meets these seven criteria. If the course was originally taken at another institution, the CSU, Chico department that offers a comparable course will be responsible for determining whether there is reasonable equivalency. Under this policy, only the last grade earned will be calculated in the grade point average. All grades will remain on the student's permanent record, but the record of a previous grade in the course will be marked to indicate that the course has been repeated. This forgiveness policy may not be invoked to remove an incomplete, nor does it apply to a course first taken Credit/No Credit.

Students may receive approval for only two repeat-with-forgiveness petitions. If a petition to repeat with forgiveness does not meet the seven criteria and the course is completed, then the repeated course grade will be governed by the General Repeat Policy (see above).

Other schools outside the California State University system, including professional and graduate schools, may not honor this policy on repetition of courses with forgiveness. Veterans should consult the Office of Veterans' Affairs to determine the impact of course repetition on their eligibility for benefits.

Graduate Repeat with Forgiveness

Postbaccalaureate students pursuing either a second bachelor's degree, a second major, a credential, or a minor are subject to the undergraduate repeat policy but must file their petition with the Graduate School.

Once students have a bachelor's degree, they may not raise their undergraduate grade point average by repeating a course taken as an undergraduate. If they wish to repeat a course they have taken as a postbaccalaureate, not noted in the above categories, they must file a petition in the Graduate School. This petition must be approved by the appropriate program adviser. Approval may be granted according to the following stipulations.

  • The earlier attempt resulted in a grade of B- or lower.
  • A maximum of one course may be repeated with petition.
  • No regression is permissible.
  • A course which may be taken more than once for credit may not be repeated with forgiveness.
  • Equivalency must be clearly established for courses originally completed at another institution.
  • Students may not petition to repeat at another institution a course which was originally taken at CSU, Chico.
  • The student must have re-enrolled in the course.
  • The student's grade in the original course was not a result of academic misconduct, documented through the Office of Student Judicial Affairs as a violation of the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities (EM 96-038) and Policy on Academic Integrity (EM 04-036).

If the petition is approved, only the last grade entered in the course will be calculated in the grade point average.