Retaking a course

Students who wish to retake a course must submit a petition to the Academic Petitions Committee, along with a completed add/drop form (including approval from the course instructor and the student's academic advisor). The petition must provide a more in-depth explanation of the student’s reason(s) for retaking the course than merely stating “to raise my GPA.” Upon the Committee’s approval, the student may register to retake the course, but only through the add/drop process, not in APR2.

When a student retakes a course, the higher grade will be computed in the student's cumulative GPA, though the grades from both attempts will remain on the student's transcript. A repeated course does not earn additional credit toward graduation unless the first attempt received a failing grade.

Academic dishonesty and retaking a course

• If a student fails a course due to academic dishonesty and the course is not required for the student's major, the student may not retake the course.
• If a student’s grade is lowered due to academic dishonesty and the course is not required with a higher grade for the student's major, the student may not retake the course.
• If a student’s grade is lowered below the level required by the major due to academic dishonesty, the student may retake the course, but only with the agreement of the department chair and only on a pass/fail basis, even if the major has already been declared. The original grade remains on the student’s transcript. 

Students should be aware that financial aid or veterans’ benefits may be affected by retaking a course and should consult the Student Financial Services office (315-229-5581) to determine this before petitioning to retake a course. No financial aid is available for a third attempt of a course.