Academic Standards Policy

Goal of the Policy

The main goal of the academic standards policy is to provide assistance to students who are experiencing academic difficulty. An early warning to students experiencing academic problems often results in their seeking academic support to improve academic performance, and attain their academic and career goals. Students may be required to limit the number of credits they take in a semester and to select certain courses or other student support options, which provide special academic assistance. 

The Standards

The following chart details the measures that will be used to determine a student's academic standing. Academic progress will be monitored at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Students are able to view their academic standing on MyCCRI. The standards have a quality component (GPA) measured against a quantitative component (number of credits attempted).

Academic Standing

Attempted Credits	Cumulative GPA Required	Warning	Probation	Program Dismissal1
0-15	1.25	Below 1.25
16-30	1.50	Below 1.50	Previous warning, GPA Below 1.50
31-45	1.75	Below 1.75	Previous warning, GPA below 1.75	Previous warning, GPA below 1.75
46-90	2.00	Below 2.00	Previous warning, GPA below 2.00	Previous warning, GPA below 2.00

 

Students receiving financial aid must remain in good academic standing and are required to successfully complete a minimum of 67 percent of all courses attempted.

What the Categories Mean

If a student fails to successfully complete enough courses in a semester and/or does not meet a required grade point average, the student may be placed under one of the following academic restrictions:

Academic Warning: Students are restricted to 15 semester credits. Students are required to see an academic advisor.

Academic Probation: Students are restricted to 15 semester credits. Students are required to see an academic advisor.

Academic Dismissal: Students may be dismissed from the College for up to one semester, subject to review of the Academic Review Board.  Students must meet with an academic advisor to review options and discuss strategies for success. The academic advisor will determine the number of credits allowed. 

Student Appeal Options

Students may appeal academic dismissal status to the Academic Review Board.  

Appeals Process: If a student feels there are extenuating circumstances that contributed to poor academic performance, the student has an opportunity to appeal the sanction of “Academic Dismissal.” 

1. Students must submit their appeal of Academic Dismissal via email to the Dean of Students and include the specific circumstances which merit consideration of an appeal.
2. The Academic Review Board will review the request for appeal and will render the decision of the Board. The student will be notified in writing of the Board's decision.

Other Options

The Academic Renewal (Forgiveness) Policy

CCRI students may request academic renewal (forgiveness) to allow removal of poor grades from the calculation of their overall GPA based upon two options:

Option 1: Academic renewal based upon past academic performance

Option 2: Academic renewal based upon change of curriculum

General Provisions that Apply to Both Option 1 and Option 2

1. A student may request academic renewal once under the academic performance option and once under the change of curriculum option.
2. If a student requests forgiveness for a course or courses in which he or she has earned a grade of D or F, the credits earned in any such course or courses will be removed from the total credits earned and the student will receive no credit for the course. However, courses including grades will remain on the student’s official transcript designated with a special code for academic renewal.
3. All requests should be submitted using the Academic Appeal Form and forwarded to the Academic Appeals Committee. Waiver forms are available from any advisor in the Advising Center on any campus.

Specific Provisions for Option 1 – Academic renewal based upon past academic performance

1. After three consecutive years of nonattendance at CCRI, a student may request academic renewal based upon past academic performance.
2. After the student completes 12 credits with a GPA of 2.5, the request will be reviewed by the Academic Appeals Committee.
3. If the student’s request is approved by the Academic Appeals Committee, grades of D or F for the courses from the prior attendance period will be excluded from the calculation of the student’s grade point average. However, the courses and grades will remain on the student’s official transcript designated with a special code for academic renewal.

Specific Provisions for Option 2 – Academic renewal based upon change of curriculum

1. A student may request academic renewal based upon a change of program of study/major any time after matriculation and after completion of 12 or more credits with a GPA of 2.5 in his or her new program of study.
2. If a student’s request is approved by the Academic Appeals Committee, grades of D or F in courses that were required by the previous program but are not required by the new program will be excluded from the calculation of the student’s grade point average. However, courses, including grades, will remain on the student’s official transcript designated with a special code for academic renewal.

The Academic Renewal Policy applies to matriculated CCRI students who have completed 12 credits with a GPA of 2.5 or better.

Note: For financial aid purposes, all attempted credits and grades from all courses (GPA), including those that were forgiven, must be included when determining financial aid eligibility. For details on the standards required for financial aid, visit this page.

All past academic work will remain part of the official transcript but will not be averaged into the cumulative grade point average.

Students enrolled in any of the Health and Rehabilitative Sciences programs must be aware of the following:

Academic standards specified by the Health and Rehabilitative Sciences programs supersede the college-wide academic standards. Students in these programs must follow the established academic standards policies for the specific department/program. Please refer to the specific program pages of this catalog or the respective department web pages for specific policies and standards.

Dean's List

A Dean’s List is published at the end of fall and spring semesters. A student is eligible for Dean’s List honors when he or she:

• is enrolled in a degree program;
• has earned 12 or more credits in one semester (not including any in-house credits or developmental classes);
• has achieved a grade point average of 3.25 or higher with no grade lower than C for the current semester.

Note: Students who earn a grade of I, IC, WP, WF are not eligible for the Dean’s List.

Dismissal from College

Students dismissed from the college or a program for academic, social or other reasons are notified in writing at the time of dismissal. Some departments and programs have specific dismissal policies and students should acquaint themselves with them.

Graduation Awards

Academic achievement will be recognized at graduation for students who have met the following criteria:

• Graduation Honors: 3.25 cumulative grade point index
• Graduation High Honors: 3.50 cumulative grade point index
• Graduation Highest Honors: 3.75 cumulative grade point index

Note: To be eligible for honors, students must earn at least one-half of the credits for their program at CCRI.

Awarding Multiple Degrees

A student may earn a second Associate Degree under the following circumstances: 

• All program requirements are met for both degrees 
• The residency requirement of one-quarter (25%) of the complete degree is met for any degree earned at CCRI 

Confirmed Graduates

Students will be confirmed as a graduate of the Community College of Rhode Island if completion of degree requirements for the program of study in which they are enrolled have been satisfied. Degrees will be awarded on the following schedule:

• Spring graduates will be confirmed in June.
• Fall graduates will be confirmed in January.
• Summer graduates will be confirmed in August.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is one form of academic dishonesty addressed by CCRI's Policy on Academic Integrity. The term “plagiarism” includes, but is not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials.

Any student found to have committed plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct is subject to the disciplinary sanctions outlined in the Student Handbook available on the Dean of Students website.

Program Changes/Change of Major

Students may change from one CCRI program or curriculum to another through the “Change My Major” link found on the “For Students tab” in their MyCCRI account. In some cases, this requires approval from the academic department. For more information about the Health Sciences admission process, please visit Admission Guidelines for Health & Rehabilitative Sciences

Returning to CCRI

Students who stopped attending for at least two academic years and would like to register for classes should complete an admissions application as a readmit student. Returning students must adhere to the degree requirements published in the catalog for the year they return.