Academic Status And Retention Standards

The Office of Records and Registration of Volunteer State Community College is responsible for monitoring the academic performance of students to determine whether or not they are meeting the retention standards of the institution. The academic retention standards of Vol State are uniformly applied to all students and are enforced at the close of each semester of enrollment. Successful completion of an academic program depends upon a well planned system of orientation and careful monitoring of each student’s academic progress. Identification and referral of a student with learning problems should occur as soon as possible.

A student who does not meet the criteria for academic progress will be placed on Academic Probation for the next fifteen-week term of attendance including the summer semester. A notice of Academic Probation will be mailed to the student. Academic Probation status may be removed by maintaining a 2.00 QPA or by meeting the cumulative QPA as stated below during the term of Probation.

If a student does not meet the criteria for academic progress at the conclusion of the term the student is on Academic Probation, the student will be suspended. A Notice of Suspension will be mailed to the suspended student. After the student has completed his term of suspension, the student may apply for readmission to the College. Upon being readmitted, the student will be designated as having Academic Probation status. If a student is notified of suspension status at the end of the Spring Semester, the summer term may not be counted as the term of suspension. The student will not be allowed to re-enroll until after the Fall Semester. If there are extenuating circumstances and/or hardship, a student may appeal suspension to the Vice President/Dean of Academic Affairs. To initiate the suspension appeal procedure, the student MUST (1) submit the appeal in writing to the V.P./Dean of Academic Affairs prior to Official Registration day, and (2) follow-up by making an appointment to meet with the V.P./Dean of Academic Affairs prior to the first day of class.

A student transferring from another college or university may be permitted to attend Vol State for one semester regardless of academic standing at the last institution attended. During the initial term of enrollment at Vol State, the student’s transcript will be evaluated and the Academic Status and Retention Standards of the College will be applied to determine academic status. A student who does not meet the requirements of the standards will be placed on Academic Probation and will be notified by the Office of Records and Registration. Upon completion of the initial term of enrollment, the student's eligibility for continued enrollment will be determined by the Academic Status and Retention Standards of Vol State.

The uniform application of the retention standards requires that students make academic progress according to the following criteria:

Technical Certificate students must maintain the following cumulative GPA:

Quality Point System

The following quality point system is used in determining averages:

For each credit hour of A - 4 quality points
For each credit hour of B - 3 quality points
For each credit hour of C - 2 quality points
For each credit hour of D - 1 quality point
For each credit hour of F - 0 quality points

The quality point average (QPA) is determined by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of credit hours which the student attempted. In the event that a student repeats a course more than twice, the grade and the hours attempted in the third and subsequent attempts will be used in determining the quality point average.

Dismissal and Suspension

A student may be dismissed, subject to due process, from Volunteer State Community College for any of the following reasons:
1. Failure to meet the minimum academic standards, or to obtain Academic Clearance as stated in the section, Academic Status and Retention Standards, of this catalog.
2. Conduct of an unacceptable nature.
3. Failure to attend classes regularly.
4. Giving false information on the application for admission form, including failure to indicate previous college attendance.