NC State University Academic Policies  

First Year Course Repeat Policy

(For courses first attempted Fall 1995 and afterwards)

(Approved by Phillip J. Stiles, Provost and Vice Chancellor, July 1, 1995; amended January 10, 1996. Click here for text of memorandum announcing the change.)

(Change history)
(Course Repeat without Penalty history)

The first-year course repeat policy is a policy of forgiveness that helps new NCSU undergraduate students maintain good academic standing. The policy is necessary because new students lack familiarity with the University, and as a result, they are more likely to make errors in their choice of courses and total course load.

Effects

  1. The eligible student who repeats a course while electing that the first-year course repeat policy apply will have the grade points and the credit hours attempted and earned on the first completion of the course removed from the calculation of the cumulative grade point average and from the calculation of the total hours attempted regardless of the grade earned on the second attempt. The modification of the cumulative grade point average which will result from the removal of the grade points and credit hours attempted and earned on the first completion of the course will be calculated and recorded on the student's record after the second completion of the course.
  2. The course title and grade for the first completion will be shown on the official record with a code (R) to indicate that it was repeated and that the first grade was removed from the computation of the cumulative grade point average.
  3. The recorded grade point average of the student for the semester in which the course was originally taken will not be changed.
  4. Repeating a course and exercising the first-year course repeat policy does not retroactively change the status of the student as to semester academic honors, academic warning, probation, or suspension in prior semesters.
  5. Many graduate and professional schools recompute grade point averages in the process of considering an applicant for admission to such programs. This recomputation of grade point averages may include restoring the cumulative grade point average effects of initial attempts at courses repeated under this policy.

Eligibility

  1. the initial attempt and the repeat under this policy must be an NCSU course;
  2. the course being repeated was completed for the first time after the 1995 Fall Semester;
  3. the course being repeated must be at the 100- or 200-level;
  4. the student received a grade below C- in the course that is repeated;
  5. both attempts of the course were for letter grades; no unsuccessful audits or credit-only attempts may be repeated nor may repeats under the policy be made for audit or credit-only;
  6. the student has not received credit for an advanced course dealing with the same subject matter as the course being repeated; and,
  7. the first attempt of the course must have occurred within 12 months of the student's initial enrollment in any classification at NCSU; this period is not lengthened by voluntary or involuntary failure to enroll in subsequent semesters or summer sessions, nor by enrolling at less than a minimum full-time load, following the initial date of enrollment;
  8. the second attempt is for the same course or for an approved substitute course (see "Listing of Approved Substitute Courses for the Course Repeat Without Penalty and the First Year Course Repeat Policies");
  9. the second attempt occurs in a regular semester or summer session which ends within 12 months of the completion of the first attempt of the course; if the course is not available during that period or if the student is not enrolled when it is available, then the second attempt must occur in the next regular semester during which the student is enrolled at NCSU and the course is available;
  10. the total number of courses repeated by the student under this policy will not exceed two (2) courses nor will the total of the hours of such courses exceed eight (8) hours, nor will the total number of courses repeated under this policy combined with those repeated under the Course Repeat Without Penalty Policy exceed three (3) courses nor will the total hours of such courses exceed twelve (12) hours;
  11. the Notice of Exercise of First Year Course Repeat Policy is filed by the student with the Department of Registration and Records on or before the "last day to drop a course without a grade for courses at the 400 level and below" of the semester or summer session in which the course is repeated.

Procedures

  1. Students are advised to consult with their academic advisers in making the decision to elect a course repeat under this policy.
  2. The student must submit a Notice of Exercise of First Year Course Repeat Policy to the Department of Registration and Records on or before the last day to drop a course without a grade at the 400 level or below of the semester or summer session in which the course is repeated. Forms may be obtained from faculty advisers, departmental coordinators of advising, associate deans for academic programs, and the Department of Registration and Records

Warning Regarding Timing of Filing Necessary Forms

This policy requires the election of the repeat under the policy to be made early in the semester during which the repeat of the course is being attempted. Thus, requests to either apply the course repeat policy to a course repeated in a prior semester, or to reverse a prior application of the repeat policy are inconsistent with the policy.

Expected Duration of this Policy

The First Year Course Repeat Policy will cease to be in effect at the beginning of Fall 1998. Unless specific academic policy revisions occur to the contrary, no courses taken in that session or thereafter will be eligible for being repeated and having only the grade for the second attempt count in the student's grade point average. However, eligible courses first attempted before Fall 1998 may be repeated under this policy within 12 months of the end of the term in which first attempted with provisions consistent with Eligibility Item 9 above.

Click here for the "Listing of Approved Substitute Courses for the Course Repeat Without Penalty and the First Year Course Repeat Policies."

For additional information, contact the Department of Registration and Records, 1000 Harris Hall, 515-2572.

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