2007-08 Academic Catalog	home FAQs request

Academic Progress

Normal progress: Normal progress toward a degree is defined as earning 4.0 course credits and 8.0 or more grade points, on the average, per semester, and satisfactorily meeting the other fixed requirements of the college. A student earning 4.0 course credits for eight semesters will acquire slightly more than the 31.5 course credits required for graduation in a four-year period.

Acceptable progress and classification: Acceptable progress toward a degree is defined as completing the following number of courses and grade points at the end of the year indicated:
    First year: 6.0 course credits, 12 grade points earn sophomore standing
    Second year: 14.0 course credits, 28 grade points earn junior standing
    Third year: 22.0 course credits, 44 grade points earn senior standing

Minimum progress: The majority of Concordia students complete their degrees in four years. Occasionally because of a change in major or minor, or other factors, their progress is delayed. The following table shows minimum expectations:     

Exceptions to the academic progress standards based upon extenuating circumstances are considered by the Student Academic Performance and Procedures Committee. Visit the Student Affairs Office for further information. Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress for all federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs.

Course Examinations: In many classes, formal examinations at mid- semester and at the end of each semester are given on the dates indicated on the college calendar. In addition, individual professors give examinations in their courses at various times during the semester. The results of these exams, and other major assignments, give students the chance to gauge their progress in their courses. If you have any questions about your work in any of your courses, you should talk with your instructor. If you have concerns about your overall progress, you can make use of a variety of resources, including the Registrar’s Office, the Academic Enhancement Center, the Writing Center, the Student Affairs Office and others.

Failures, incompletes and conditions: A grade of F indicates that you must repeat the course in order to receive credit in that course. A grade of I is a temporary indicator that your work is satisfactory as far as completed and that credit may be earned upon completion of all course requirements. The grade of I is issued only when you have missed examinations or failed to complete course assignments because of serious and prolonged illness or other unavoidable emergencies. It is your responsibility to consult the teacher and initiate the grade of I and the makeup work. If justified, an I grade is accepted in the Office of the Registrar on an agreement form available to instructors on the Web. This form is completed by the instructor in agreement with the student and stipulates course requirements to be completed, date by which requirements will be completed and received by the instructor (no later than the eighth week of the following semester), and the course grade which will be recorded should the student fail to meet all conditions of the agreement. If three or more incompletes have accumulated, permission to enroll in any new courses the following semester will be withheld until you have met with a member of the Student Academic Performance and Procedures Committee to discuss and establish a plan for removing the incompletes and until substantial progress has been made in finishing the incompletes. The final dates for removal of incompletes and conditions are given in the college calendar; they are the dates after which the registrar cannot accept revisions of I grades given the preceding semester.

Repeating Courses: Students must notify the Registrar’s Office when repeating a course. Courses may be repeated if the student has earned a grade of C- or below, or a U, and if space permits. All courses attempted remain on the student’s transcript; only the last grade is computed into the GPA and credit is only earned once. Transfer courses subsequently repeated at Concordia will be deleted from the student’s record. Exceptions to these rules must be approved by the Student Academic Performance and Procedures Committee. Federal regulations prohibit Concordia College from awarding federal financial aid to a student for repeating a course, unless the student failed the course.

Dean’s List

Students who excel in their courses are named to an honor roll at the end of each semester. In order to receive this distinction, students must be attending full time, complete a minimum of 3.0 course credits and earn a GPA of 3.7 or above for the semester. Grade changes for the semester must be received in the Office of the Registrar no later than the last day of the first week of classes in the following semester or summer session to impact consideration for the dean’s list. Nominations to the dean’s list are made from each semester’s grades; they are not based on a cumulative GPA for the student’s college career. Students named to the dean’s list and their parents are notified by letter following each grading period.

Academic Probation and Dismissal

While the guidelines listed for Academic Progress represent acceptable progress, it is expected that students will exceed these standards. A student not meeting the standards for acceptable academic progress is placed on academic probation, which requires the student to work with an academic counselor to develop an academic improvement plan. A student’s cocurricular involvement and/or employment may be restricted during the period of probation. Students are encouraged to take advantage of summer school as a way to raise their academic standing to minimum standards. If students on probation do not meet the standards for acceptable academic progress but attain a 2.0 grade point average in a minimum of courses bearing 3.0 total credits, they be given permission to remain on probation for another semester. Failure to improve, however, may result in academic suspension. Students may be suspended from Concordia at any time if their academic performance in any given semester falls below a 1.0 GPA. The Student Academic Performance and Procedures Committee may consider appeals on suspension actions. An appeal for reinstatement must be submitted in writing to the committee. A student who has been suspended from the college may be reinstated on a probationary and contractual basis after one year.