Academic Progress Guidelines

About This Procedure

As a CCD student, you are expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress. Recognizing the value of measuring academic progress for all students, CCD has established the following practice and procedure for measuring academic standing. This procedure is intended to be informational and helpful, but also establishes clear standards of academic progress that must be met and maintained in order to be a successful student at CCD. Your academic standing at one Colorado Community College System (CCCS) college will impact academic standing at other CCCS colleges.

Process

For students who have attempted fewer than 9 credit hours, CCD will monitor satisfactory progress through an academic alert process. These students are not subject to academic standing.

Academic standing applies to all students who have attempted 9 or more credits at a CCCS college, regardless of the number of term credits they attempt from that point forward. Academic standing is applied consistently and uniformly within each CCCS institution. CCD will determine academic standing following the posting of the majority of term grades for each semester. Students placed on probation or suspension will be notified of their status. Suspended students will not be allowed to attend any CCCS college in the subsequent semester/s unless an appeal is approved. The academic standing status will be noted on the advising, official and unofficial transcripts. The academic standing of a student is not specific or limited to CCD, as it will impact a student’s enrollment at other CCCS colleges.

Definitions

  • Only college-level classes will be used to calculate term and cumulative grade point averages (GPA). This includes summer-term courses.
  • Only courses taken at CCD will be used for this procedure. Courses taken elsewhere and transferred in do not apply. The GPA calculations for this procedure may not match those used for financial aid purposes.

Standards

Initial Standing

Student has completed fewer than 9 cumulative credit hours with a cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 2.00 for all classes completed.

Academic Alert

Student has completed fewer than 9 cumulative credits with a cumulative GPA less than 2.00 for all classes completed.

Good Standing

Student has completed at least 9 cumulative credit hours and has a cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 2.00 for all classes completed.

Performance support

Student has completed at least 9 cumulative credit hours and has a cumulative GPA less than 2.00 for all classes completed. This value was previously referred to as “Academic Probation.” By the conclusion of the Performance Support term, the student must raise their cumulative GPA to at least 2.00. If this condition is met, the student returns to Good Standing. Otherwise, the student will be Performance Improving or on Academic Suspension as outlined below.

Returning Support

Student is returning from Academic Suspension. By the conclusion of the Returning Support term, the student must raise their cumulative GPA to at least 2.00. If this condition is met, the student returns to Good Standing. Otherwise, the student will be Performance Improving or on Academic Suspension as outlined below.

Performance Improving

If a student on Performance Support or Returning Support earns a term GPA of at least 2.00 for all classes completed during the term but fails to raise their cumulative GPA to at least 2.00 for all classes completed, the student will be allowed to attend the next term as Performance Improving. This value was previously referred to as “Probation Continuing.”

- As long as the student continues earning a term GPA of at least 2.00 during each term, they will be permitted to continue attending. The student will remain on Performance Improving until the cumulative GPA is at least 2.00, at which time they will return to Good Standing.
- If the student does not earn a term GPA of at least 2.00 while on Performance Improving, they will be placed on Academic Suspension.

Academic Suspension

If a student on Performance Support, Returning Support or Performance Improving earns a term GPA of less than 2.00 for all classes completed during the term, the student will be suspended and will not be allowed to enroll at the College issuing the suspension for the next term unless an appeal is approved. The student may be dropped from all registered courses for an upcoming term at the College based on the College’s procedures.

Academic Suspension

All academic suspensions are for one term only. If a student who has served a suspension wishes to return, the student will be allowed to re-enroll only after meeting with an academic advisor. The student will be placed on Returning Support for their return semester. Students suspended from one College are not suspended from other Colleges within the System.

Appeals Process

  • Students placed on Academic Suspension will be notified of their status and given the opportunity to appeal. Students must appeal their suspension based on procedures developed by the College issuing the suspension in order to continue enrolling at that College. Each College’s appeal process should incorporate an element where the student demonstrates what has changed and why they will perform better in the future. Appeal consideration will be based on statements and documentation as submitted by the student. College processes for approving or denying appeals must be based upon objective factors.
  • If the College approves an appeal, appeals for subsequent Academic Suspensions should address why the student was unsuccessful on the prior appeal, and what additional measures have been taken to ensure success.
  • If the student’s suspension appeal is approved, the student will be placed on Performance Support.
  • If the student’s suspension appeal is not approved, the student may be dropped from all courses registered for in upcoming terms at the College, based on the College’s procedures.

Academic Renewal

In order to help CCCS students achieve success, returning students may request a one-time academic renewal from a CCCS College where up to 30 credit hours of poor academic performance may be excluded from their GPA calculation. The following procedures apply to applications for academic renewal:
• Students must wait a minimum of two academic years from the last term being considered for academic renewal.
• Students must be enrolled and have completed at least 6 hours with a 2.00 term GPA to be awarded academic renewal. For a Reverse Transfer Degree only, the student may fulfill this requirement by demonstrating enrollment in at least 6 credit hours with a 2.00 term GPA during the last semester of attendance at the four-year institution.
• A maximum of 30 credit hours can be excluded from the GPA.
• Grades approved for academic renewal remain on the transcript but are excluded from the GPA calculations.
• Academic renewal applies to D and F grades only.
• Students can only apply for academic renewal once, and if awarded, it is not reversible.

Notwithstanding the above procedures, a CCCS College may automatically grant academic renewal for students through the statewide Colorado Reverse Transfer Program if the student’s four-year institution data shows they have been successfully progressing, and granting academic renewal will result in the awarding of an Associate’s degree.