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Home ― Academic Amnesty (Grade Deletion)

Academic Amnesty (Grade Deletion)

Policy 1.3
Approved by: President
Responsible Officer: Vice President for academic affairs
Responsible Office: Registrar
Originally Issued: 02/05/1998
Last Revision: 12/21/2020
Category: academics
Related Policy
SDBOR Policy 2:10 Grades and Use of Grade Point Averages

I. REASON FOR THIS POLICY

This policy implements DSU procedures for SDBOR Policy 2:10 (C.7) regarding academic amnesty. Academic amnesty is intended to respond to the academic needs of individuals as they develop newly identified potential. Through the application of academic amnesty, the student’s prior academic record can be excluded from current work under certain conditions.

II. DEFINITIONS

  1. Academic Amnesty. A one-time opportunity that allows students to remove prior grades in order to establish a new undergraduate grade point average (GPA).
  2. Permanent Record. Transcript (history) of a student’s academic record that generally contains courses attempted, grades received, grade point averages, honors earned, etc.

III. STATEMENT OF POLICY

  1. Student Eligibility. To be eligible for academic amnesty, a student shall . . .
    1. Be a degree-seeking undergraduate, full-time or part-time, at DSU.
    2. Not have been enrolled in any postsecondary institution for a minimum of three consecutive terms (including only fall and/or spring terms) prior to the most recent admission at DSU.
    3. Have completed a minimum of twelve (12) graded credit hours taken at any Regental university with a minimum grade point average of 2.0 for the twelve (12) credit hours after the most recent admission to DSU.
    4. Not have earned a baccalaureate degree from any university.
    5. Not have been granted any prior academic amnesty at any South Dakota Regental institution.
    6. Submit a formal Academic Amnesty Petition to the Registrar’s Office following the procedures outlined in this policy.
  2. Conditions of Academic Amnesty.
    1. Academic amnesty does not apply to individual courses.
    2. A student may request academic amnesty for the following:
      1. All previous postsecondary courses, or
      2. All previous postsecondary courses at a specific postsecondary institution, or
      3. A specified time period not to exceed one (1) academic year (fall/spring) completed at any postsecondary institution(s).
    3. Academic amnesty, if granted, shall not be rescinded.
    4. Courses for which academic amnesty is granted will . . .
      1. Remain on the student’s permanent record.
      2. Be recorded on the student’s undergraduate transcript with the original grade followed by an asterisk (*).
      3. Not be included in the calculation of the student’s grade point average because no credit was given.
      4. Not be used to satisfy any of the graduation requirements of the current degree program.
    5. DSU shall make academic amnesty decisions, shall be honored by all undergraduate programs at DSU, and shall be honored by all undergraduate programs at other institutions within the South Dakota Regental system.
    6. Universities outside of the South Dakota Regental system shall not be bound by DSU’s academic amnesty decisions.
    7. South Dakota Regental graduate schools and graduate professional schools may consider all previous undergraduate course work when making admission decisions.

Exclusions
None

Exceptions
Exceptions may only be granted to Section III.A(b) in rare cases by the SDBOR Vice President of Academic Affairs. If the Registrar’s Office denies an academic amnesty petition because the student has not been enrolled in any postsecondary institution for a minimum of three consecutive terms (including only fall or spring terms) prior to the most recent admission to the home institution, DSU may consider an exception.  

  • The student shall submit the completed petition and any supporting documentation to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs.
  • The Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs shall notify the student of the decision.

IV. PROCEDURES (MAJOR)

  1. Petitioner Responsibilities. A student petitioning for academic amnesty shall . . .
    1. Complete the Academic Amnesty Petition Form.
    2. Submit the completed petition to the Registrar’s Office.
  2. Petitioner Who Meets Requirements
    1. If the Registrar’s Office approves the Academic Amnesty Petition, the grades in the student’s permanent record are deleted as per the petition request and so designated as outlined in this policy.
    2. The Registrar’s Office notifies the students, the student’s advisor, the student’s Veteran Affair’s advisor (if appropriate), and financial aid.
  3. Petitioner Who Does Not Meet Requirements. If the Registrar’s Office does not approve the petition, it shall notify the student and his/her advisor of the requirements not met.

V. RELATED DOCUMENTS, FORMS AND TOOLS

Contact the Registrar’s Office for the Academic Amnesty Petition Form.

VI. POLICY HISTORY

ORIGINALLY ISSUED: 02/05/1998
REVISED: 12/16/2019
LAST REVISION: 12/21/2020

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