Probation/Warning, Dismissal and Readmission

Academic Probation / Academic Warning

A student who has attempted at least 12 semester units as shown by the official academic record shall be placed on academic probation/academic warning if the student has earned a GPA below 2.000 in all units which were attempted.

Although a student on probation/warning is limited to a maximum load of 12 units per semester, such students should consider limiting their enrollment to fewer units. Academic probation/warning may be removed and regular status attained by achieving a cumulative grade-point average of 2.000 or higher. Probationary/warning status is based upon grades received during or after Spring 1982.

Academic Dismissal

A student who is on academic probation/warning shall be subject to dismissal if the student earned a cumulative GPA of less than 2.000 in all units attempted in each of 3 consecutive semesters.  Dismissal calculations are based upon classes taken from Spring 1982 to the present. If a student has a semester grade-point average of 2.000 or higher in the semester in which the student would be dismissed, the student will not be dismissed but instead will continue on probation. Students are notified of their dismissal by email and LancerPoint. Dismissed students who are enrolled for the following semester are withdrawn from a primary term (Fall or Spring).

Students may petition to delay their first term of dismissal due to extenuating circumstances that affected their performance in the immediate prior term by submitting a Special Circumstances petition through the link under Petition Due to Special Circumstances. They must attach verifying documentation to the petition to support the extenuating circumstance. Upon approval the student will be allowed to enroll in a prescribed number of units in the next primary term (Fall or Spring), and is required to complete all classes with a grade of C or better. Extenuating circumstances are defined as accident, illness or other circumstances beyond the student’s control.

A dismissed student who waits the required number of terms may petition for readmission. The student must present positive evidence of a serious intent to succeed and have a realistic academic goal identified. If the petition is granted, the student will be admitted on a second stage academic probation and may have enrollment limitations. If the student is subsequently dismissed a second time due to continued substandard academic performance, a petition for readmission will not be considered until two or more semesters have lapsed. If readmitted following a second dismissal, the student will be placed on a second stage academic probation. If the student is subsequently dismissed a third time, a petition for readmission will not be considered until five years have lapsed.

Progress Probation / Progress Warning

A student who has enrolled in a total of at least 12 semester units as shown by the official academic record shall be placed on progress probation/warning when the percentage of all units in which a student has enrolled and for which entries of “W,” “I,” “NP” and “NC” are recorded reaches or exceeds fifty percent (50 percent).

Although a student on progress probation/warning is limited to a maximum load of 12 units per semester, such students should consider limiting their enrollment to fewer units. A student on progress probation/warning because of an excess of units for which entries of “W,” “I,” “NP” and “NC” are recorded shall be removed from probation/warning when the percentage of units in this category drops below fifty percent (50%). Probation/warning calculations are based upon courses taken from Spring 1982 to the present.   

Progress Dismissal

A student who has been placed on progress probation/warning shall be subject to dismissal if the percentage of units in which the student has been enrolled for which entries of “W,” “I,” “NP” and “NC” are recorded in at least 3 consecutive semesters reaches or exceeds fifty percent (50%).

Dismissal calculations are based upon classes taken from Spring 1982 to the present. Students will be notified of the progress dismissal by email and LancerPoint. Students enrolled for the following semester will be withdrawn from the College.

Students may petition to delay their first term of dismissal due to extenuating circumstances that affected their performance in the immediate prior term by submitting a Special Circumstances petition through the link under Petition for Exception Due to Special Circumstances. They must attach verifying documentation to the petition to support the extenuating circumstance. Upon approval the student will be allowed to enroll in a prescribed number of units in the next primary term (Fall or Spring), and is required to all classes with a grade of C or better. Extenuating circumstances are defined as accident, illness or other circumstances beyond the student’s control.

A dismissed student who sits out the required number of terms may petition for readmission. The student must present positive evidence of a serious intent to succeed and have a realistic academic goal identified. If the petition is granted, the student will be admitted on progress probation/warning and may have enrollment limitations (maximum number of units). If the student is subsequently dismissed a second time, a petition for readmission will not be considered until two or more semesters have lapsed. If readmitted, following a second dismissal, the student will be placed on a second stage progress probation/warning. If the student gets dismissed a third time, a petition for readmission will not be considered until five years have lapsed.

Probation for Unsatisfactory Citizenship

Each student should be thoroughly familiar with the Standards of Student Conduct and with regulations of the College. Students attending the College are expected to maintain satisfactory standards of citizenship at all times on the campus and in the community. Satisfactory citizenship includes conduct which respects the rights of all individuals, which avoids actions disruptive to the on-going educational program and which does not violate specific prohibitions outlined in the Education Code.

When it is indicated that citizenship is unsatisfactory, the student may be subject to the following: reprimand, disciplinary probation, administrative class withdrawal, suspension or expulsion, as conditions warrant. Unsatisfactory citizenship includes, among other things, cheating, plagiarism, hazing and conduct disruptive to the teaching-learning process. In addition, falsification of information provided to the Admissions and Records Office is basis for dismissal from a class or from the College. Individuals engaged in destructive activities involving any kind of physical or psychological mistreatment of students are subject to prosecution under the California State Law banning hazing and to dismissal from the College. Penalties for individuals, organizations and institutions can be severe.

Repetition of Courses

Repetition of courses (other than those noted below in Courses Repeatable for Credit below) is subject to the following conditions:

  1. A student may not repeat a class in which he or she earned a grade of C, CR, P, or better. Exceptions can be made for students who have met all of the provisions stated in the appropriate section below under “Exceptions to Course Repetition.”
  2. A student is allowed up to three enrollments to earn a successful passing grade (A, B, C, or P) for a class. (For course repetition purposes, the defining characteristic of an enrollment is that it results in an entry on the student’s permanent record, of a letter grade(A, B, C, D, F, W, I, NP), whether or not credit is received. Students may petition for a fourth attempt if they are able to provide verifiable documentation of extenuating circumstances of accident, illness or other circumstances beyond the student’s control preventing the student from successfully completing the course. Consult the Admissions and Records Office in L113 for more information.
  3. No student may enroll in two sections of the same course in the same or overlapping part of term in any one semester, regardless of whether or not the course is repeatable for credit.
  4. For courses in which D, F, W, or NP grades were earned, a C or better must be earned to have the substandard grade disregarded from calculating in the GPA. Although the original substandard grades will not be calculated in the student’s GPA, they will appear on the student’s transcript and will not be removed. The student’s transcript is considered a true history of coursework completed at PCC.

Exceptions to Course Repetition

Students may petition to repeat a class they have passed with a grade of C/P/Cr or higher if they meet all of the conditions under one of the following criteria and are able to provide the required verifiable documentation applicable to that criteria:

Repeating a Course Due to Significant Lapse of Time

Students may petition only one (1) time to repeat a course in which a grade of C, P, CR or higher was earned by meeting the following conditions:

  1. The course was successfully completed more than thirty-six (36) months prior, and
  2. One of the following is true:
    1. the District has established a recency prerequisite for the course or;
    2. another institution of higher education to which the student seeks to transfer has established a recency requirement which the student will not be able to satisfy without repeating the course in question.  
      1. A student may petition to repeat a course where less than 3 years has elapsed if documents show that repetition is necessary for the student’s transfer to the institution of higher education.

Repetition Due to Legally Mandated Training Requirement

Students may repeat a course any number of times where repetition is required to meet a legally mandated training requirement as a condition of continued paid or volunteer employment, regardless of the grade recorded each time.

Students will be required to verify the legally mandated training requirement for becoming employed or to maintain their volunteer or paid employment status by providing both of the following:

  1. Written evidence that the course is legally mandated for the student’s current paid or volunteer employment. (e.g., a copy of building code statutes that require certain courses to be current for licensing purposes.) and
  2. Written evidence from the student’s employer or prospective employer stating that repetition of the course is required for the student to get or keep a paid or volunteer job, or evidence that the student is licensed to perform in a certain field (e.g., an EMT license, CPR certificate).
  3. Other types of documentation may be considered by the designated approving administrator.

The term “legally mandated” is interpreted to mean “required by statute or regulation as a condition of paid or volunteer employment” and excludes administrative policy or practice.  All grades and units received pursuant to this section will be included in calculation of the grade point average.

Repetition Due to Significant Change in Industry or Licensure Standard

Students are permitted to repeat courses any number of times where it is determined that there has been a significant change in industry or licensure standards and that the student will not be able to get or keep employment without repeating the course. This exception does not permit students to repeat a class to gain a promotion, or to voluntarily improve their skills. All grades and units received pursuant to this section will be included in calculation of the grade point average.

Students are required to verify that they meet the criteria for course repetition under this provision by providing the following:

  1. Written evidence of the change in industry or licensure standards (e.g., updated requirements for renewal of a license or certification; a letter from an instructor verifying that software has changed substantially since the student completed the course) and
  2. Written evidence from the student’s employer or prospective employer stating that the student must take the course again to get or keep employment or a professional license.
  3. Other types of documentation may be considered by the designated approving administrator.

Courses Repeatable for Credit: Certain courses may be repeated for additional experience and credit, and are so identified in their course descriptions by a “maximum credit” notation. A student may enroll in one of these exception courses once per semester and as many times as allowable until the maximum credit is earned. A student who receives a substandard grade in such a course may repeat the course for purposes of removing the substandard grade from calculating in the GPA (see above), as long as he or she has not reached the maximum number of enrollments allowed; if the student has already reached the maximum number of enrollments allowed, he or she must petition through the Admissions and Records Office to repeat the course again.

Academic Renewal

The purpose of Academic Renewal, Title 5 (Sections 55764 and 55765 of the California Code of Regulations), is to disregard a student’s previously recorded substandard academic performance when such work does not reflect their current demonstrated ability. As a result, Academic Renewal allows students the benefits of their current level of ability and performance and does not permanently penalize them for poor performance in past semesters. Academic Renewal encourages students to continue their efforts toward their educational objectives when the weight of previously recorded substandard work would otherwise make the achievement of those objectives unlikely.

Academic Renewal is intended only to facilitate graduation from Pasadena City College (2.000 grade-point average) and/or enable qualified students to transfer to a four-year college or university. It is not applicable to students who wish to raise their grade-point averages beyond these stated goals.

Students may request academic renewal as a means to achieve the educational goals of graduation (2.000 grade point average) from Pasadena City College, completion of certificate programs, and/or enable transfer to a four-year college or university. It is not applicable to students who wish to raise their grade point average beyond these stated goals.

  • 30 Unit Limit: Students may petition to disregard previously recorded substandard coursework in no more than 30 units of work accomplished at Pasadena City College and when they meet the eligibility criteria.
  • For the purpose of Academic Renewal, substandard coursework is defined as grades of D and F.
  • Academic renewal may not be applied to any course that has been used to certify associate degree requirements or CSU-GE transfer general education breadth requirements.
  • Academic renewal will not remove courses from the transcript but, once approved, will not count the courses and grades as part of the GPA.

Eligibility:
To qualify for academic renewal, students must do all of the following:

  • Wait for twelve (12) months after the coursework to be disregarded is completed;
  • Submit official transcripts of all college coursework attempted if from a college or university other than Pasadena City College;
  • Demonstrate recent academic success based on the coursework they have completed at any regionally accredited college taken after the coursework that is being petitioned for exclusion through academic renewal. Recent academic success may be demonstrated by one of the following:
    • Completing at least 12 semester units with a minimum of 3.00 cumulative GPA, or
    • Completing at least 24 semester units with a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA, or
    • Completing at least 36 semester units with a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA

Pasadena City College will honor similar actions by other accredited colleges and universities in determining grade point averages and credits; however, academic renewal by Pasadena City College may not be honored by other colleges outside of PACCD. That determination will be made by each respective transfer institution.

Courses excluded through academic renewal still count as an enrollment attempt for purposes of course repetition and financial aid considerations.
 
Petition Process:
The petition form for this purpose, “Petition for Academic Renewal,” is available through the college Petitions website or from the Admissions & Records office, and is initiated by the student. It is recommended that students see an Academic Counselor before submitting a petition for Academic Renewal.
 
Recording of Academic Renewal:
Once a Petition for Academic Renewal is granted, the student’s permanent academic record shall be annotated by an Admissions and Records designee in such a manner that all work remains legible, insuring a true and complete academic history. Academic renewal actions are permanent and irreversible.

Petitions for Academic Renewal may be found and submitted through the link under Petition for Academic Renewal.