Registrar Policies and Procedures

Academic Standing

Academic standing is determined by the student’s grade point average (GPA). To complete degree and certificate programs, students are required to earn a minimum GPA on a 4.0 scale. Students with a cumulative GPA lower than a 2.0 are no longer considered in Good Academic Standing. State College of Florida, Manatee – Sarasota (SCF) acknowledges five (5) academic categories that apply to all students: Good Academic Standing, Academic Warning, Academic Probation, Academic Suspension, and Academic Dismissal.

Good Academic Standing

A student is considered in Good Academic Standing when the student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) is 2.0 or above.

Academic Warning*

A student is considered on Academic Warning when the student has an overall cumulative GPA that is below 2.0. A student is informed of the Academic Warning standing at the end of the applicable semester through their SCF student email and their mailing address of record. The student’s academic record will reflect the Academic Warning status. A student on Academic Warning must immediately seek assistance from the Office of College and Career Success to develop a plan to increase their GPA and meet their individualized educational goals. A student who is placed on Academic Warning is strongly encouraged to seek counseling from the Financial Aid Office, if they are utilizing federal, state, or institutional aid. *Note: Earning a semester GPA below 1.0 will immediately place a student on Academic Probation.

A student is removed from Academic Warning, and their academic status is designated as Good Academic Standing, if the student’s cumulative GPA after the following semester reaches 2.0, or greater. If the student’ s cumulative GPA is less than 2.0, but the student’ s semester GPA is 2.0 or greater, the student will remain on Academic Warning. If the student fails to reach a semester GPA of 2.0 or greater, the student will be placed on Academic Probation.

Academic Probation

A student is considered on Academic Probation when one or more of the following conditions apply:

1. Their Academic Warning semester GPA is less than 2.0.
2. At the end of any semester, the student has a semester GPA of less than 1.0

A student is informed of the Academic Probation standing at the end of the applicable semester through their SCF student email and their mailing address of record. The student’s academic record will reflect the Academic Probation status.

A student is removed from Academic Probation, and their academic status is designated as Good Academic Standing, if the student’s cumulative GPA after the following semester reaches 2.0, or greater. If the student’s cumulative GPA is less than 2.0, but the student’s semester GPA is 2.0 or greater, the student will remain on Academic Probation. If the student fails to reach a semester GPA of 2.0 or greater, the student will be placed on Academic Suspension.

Academic Suspension

A student is considered on Academic Suspension when the Academic Probation status has not improved to a Good Academic Standing classification. A student is informed of the Academic Suspension standing at the end of the applicable semester through their SCF student email and their mailing address of record. Academic Suspension prevents a student from registering for classes. The student’s academic record will also reflect the Academic Suspension status. The Academic Suspension will be for one semester unless successfully appealed.

After the semester, the student may re-enroll in the College, but will be placed on Academic Probation.

Academic Dismissal

A student who has not earned a 2.0 semester GPA following an Academic Suspension will be Academically Dismissed. A student is informed of the Academic Dismissal standing at the end of the applicable semester through their SCF student email and their mailing address of record. Academic Dismissal impacts the registration status of a student and does not permit registration. The sh1dent academic record will also reflect the Academic Dismissal status.

The Academic Dismissal will be for one calendar year (three consecutive semesters= one calendar year) unless successfully appealed. After the year, the student may re-apply to the College for possible readmission. Students desiring to return from Academic Dismissal must meet with the Academic Reinstatement Committee.

Academic Suspension or Academic Dismissal* Appeal Process

Students will have an opportunity to appeal dismissal status. Appeals should be sent to the Director of College and Career Success within five business days of notification of the dismissal status. The appeal documentation will be forwarded to the admissions committee for a final decision. Students may appeal an Academic Suspension or an Academic Dismissal by completing an Academic Standing Appeals Form found on the Office of the Registrar Forms page of the SCF website. An appeal from Academic Suspension or Academic Dismissal will be reviewed by the Academic Reinstatement Committee. 

All documentation for an Academic Suspension or Academic Dismissal Appeal must adhere to the following deadlines:

• June 1 to return for the Fall Semester
• January 2 to return for the Spring Semester

Appeals received after the posted deadlines will not be accepted.

The decision of the committee will be documented and sent to the student, and an electronic copy will be placed in the student’s record. Students with approved appeals will be placed on Academic Probation for the next semester.

Students on Academic Probation, as a result of an approved appeal, who earn a 2.0 cumulative GPA will be considered in Good Academic Standing. Students on Academic Probation, as a result of an approved appeal, who do not earn a 2.0 cumulative GPA or 2.0 semester GPA will be on Academic Suspension for the following semester, with no option to appeal. The student will be unable to attend SCF for one semester. 

Decisions of the Academic Reinstatement Committee are final. Additional consideration may be allowed only if you are able to present new documentation not previously available for consideration in your initial appeal. This does not imply a guarantee of a positive outcome. Consideration of the new evidence will be made by the Associate Provost, or designee, and will only be granted under exceptional circumstances. If denied, the decision of the Associate Provost is final and cannot be further appealed. 

*Note: This is not a Financial Aid appeal.

Grading System

Grading of Courses that Carry Degree Credit

Each faculty member will explain the grading system employed in each course. Each student is asked to be responsible for obtaining a clear understanding of this process.

The scholastic grade point averages (GPAs) are computed by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the number of term hours for which grades were received, excluding:

Three GPAs are computed on each student:

1. Term Average – GPA on work attempted during any given term
2. Institutional Average – cumulative GPA on all work attempted while in attendance at SCF
3. Overall Average – cumulative GPA on all work attempted since entering college, including work from all previously attended institutions

Class Attendance and Grading

State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) students will be graded on academic achievement. Punctual and regular class attendance is expected of all students. Any class session missed, regardless of cause, reduces the opportunity for learning and often adversely affects the grade a student achieves in a course.

Specific attendance and grading requirements for each course are stated in the respective course syllabus. These requirements may vary from course to course, and it is the student’s responsibility to seek any needed clarification from the instructor.

Pursuant to F.S. 1002.21; 1006.53; 1001.64, SCF shall attempt to reasonably accommodate the religious observance, practice, and belief of individual students in regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work assignments. Students must provide the instructor(s) with advance notification of the purpose and anticipated length of any absence. At that time, the instructor and the student will agree upon a reasonable time and method to make up any work or tests missed.

Dean’s List and President’s List

The Dean’s List and the President’s List are honors that may be earned each term. Students who complete six or more degree credits in a term (excluding developmental credits) with a GPA of 3.5 or above are named to the Dean’s List, and students who complete 12 or more degree credits in a term (excluding developmental credits) and achieve a term GPA of 3.8 or above are named to the President’s List. Both honors are denoted on the student’s transcript for the term.

Grading of Developmental Courses

Remedial courses that carry developmental credit do not meet degree requirements, and the grades are not calculated into students’ GPAs. These credits do count toward a student’s time status (full time, part time, etc.) and are billed at the same rate as degree credits. Each faculty member will explain the grading system for each course. Developmental grades (indicated by a period following the letter grade) of “A.,” “B.,” and “C.” signify successful completion and allow students to advance to the next course. Grades of “F,” and “W,” signify that successful completion was not achieved, and the course needs to be repeated.

Grading of Institutional Credit Courses (Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) Subject Classes)

Institutional credit (EPI) courses do not meet degree requirements, and grades are not calculated in the GPA. A grade of “C:” signifies successful completion of a course, and students are allowed to advance to the next sequential course. Grades of “D:,” “F:,”and  “W:,” signify that successful completion was not achieved, and the course needs to be repeated.

Incompletes

At the instructor’s discretion, a grade of “I” (Incomplete) may be given due to unforeseen or extenuating circumstances, such as a death in the family, serious illness, etc. The student must clearly document the circumstances and show that he or she has satisfactorily completed a significant portion of the course requirements and has a reasonable chance of earning a passing grade.

It is the student’s responsibility to make the necessary arrangements with an instructor for removal of an “I.” If the instructor is not available, arrangements must be made with the dean or department chairperson.

If, within six weeks from the first day of classes during the next term (exclusive of Summer), the instructor has not informed the Office of the Registrar of a grade change, the “I” will be changed to an “F” on the student’s permanent record.

“W” Grade

A grade of “W” (withdrawn) is not calculated into the GPA, but the course does count as an attempt for fee assessment. “W” grades are recorded only for the first two attempts of a course when the course withdrawal is completed before the withdrawal deadline. The stated withdrawal policy is described in the withdrawal policies section of the College Catalog.

Time Limit for Grade Change

Requests for corrections of course records are to be made within one calendar year of when the grade was assigned to the course. It is the responsibility of the student to bring any errors to the attention of the faculty member as soon as the errors are detected within this one-year period.

Accessing Grades Online

SCF does not send grades in the mail to students. Students who have no holds on their records may view their grades online beginning on the grade-posting date published on the academic calendar, located in the College Catalog and on the SCF website.

To view grades and unofficial transcripts, students can log into their MySCF account.

Audit Policy

A student may change from credit to audit status in any course before the posted deadline or the end of the add/drop period for short-term/flex-start courses. The student initiates this option by selecting audit in the self-service Registration system. Class tests or examinations are not required of the student auditing the course. However, class attendance is expected. Students must meet the same prerequisite requirements as degree-seeking students for specific courses. Students will receive a grade of “X” for any courses they audit. Audit courses will not affect the grade point average, academic standing, or previously earned credits.

Courses taken on an audit basis may not be counted when calculating eligibility for veterans benefits, financial assistance, or certification of enrollment by outside agencies. Audited courses do not count in the total attempts for grade forgiveness but do count as an attempt of a course.

No student may audit more than six hours of credit courses in a term except by special permission of the vice president, student services and enrollment management (or designee). Fees for audit courses are the same as courses for credit.

Grade Forgiveness (Repeat) Policy

A student may repeat a course, up to a maximum of two repeats per course (for courses that count toward the GPA), in which the student earned a grade of D or F, provided a degree has not yet been awarded or as otherwise noted in the course description. Courses with earned grades of A, A., A:, B, B., B:, C, C., or C: cannot be repeated. The GPA will be adjusted so that only the last attempt at the repeated course will be included in the overall calculation. The original grade will be marked with an E (excluded in the GPA) to indicate that the course was repeated, an I (included in the GPA), or an A (course calculated in GPA but no earned credits) on the student’s transcript. All grades will remain on the student’s official transcript. If a student withdraws from a third-attempt course this will be considered the final grade and will be included in the overall GPA.

If a student transfers to another institution, public or private, it is the responsibility of the student to learn what the receiving institution’s policy is regarding acceptance of “forgiven” courses in the computation of the student’s grade point average.

Per Florida Statute 1009.285 and Florida Administrative Code 6A-14.0301 repeat enrollment in courses in which a grade of C or above has been earned is prohibited. However, exemptions may be granted under very special circumstances. Examples are: a need for teacher re-certification, specifications of a regulatory agency, licensure, program requirement, or credit earned through examination, (e.g. AP scores.)

Both the initial and subsequent grades will appear on the student’s academic transcript and both grades will be included in the overall grade point average. No credit hours will be earned for the subsequent attempted course. Registration for a course without prior approval will be reversed, the course dropped, and fees refunded. Some stipulations may apply to older coursework. Approval for the Request to Retake Course with a C or Better Grade does not guarantee program acceptance.

Note for students intending to make an application to any health professions program:

1. Approval and grade improvement does not guarantee admission to a program.
2. No more than two program required or prerequisite courses can be repeated.
3. No more than one retake will be allowed per course.
4. The most recent grade will be used for program admission requirements.

The Request to Retake Course with a “C” or Better Grade form is available in the Dean’s Office on each campus and the Office of the Registrar. The form must be completed by the student, including the reason for request and any additional documentation in support of the request for a retake. The form must be signed by the dean of the student’s primary campus. Once completed, the form and documentation are to be sent to the Office of the Registrar to be added to the student record.

Third Attempt

The Florida Legislature passed House Bill 1545, effective July 1, 1997, and amended effective July 1, 1999.  This bill requires that students enrolled in the same undergraduate college-credit course or college-preparatory course more than two times shall pay fees at 100 percent of the full cost of instruction. (For purposes of this assessment, the Florida Legislature considers 100 percent of the full cost of instruction to be equal to the non-Florida resident fee, which is not subsidized by state monies). 

In order to administer this requirement, colleges in Florida began “counting” student attempts beginning with the Fall 1997 term, regardless of the number of previous attempts.

Note: Upon the third attempt of a credit course, a withdrawal will be recorded as a “WF” and calculated as an “F” in the student’s GPA.

Fourth Attempt

Students may attempt a course only three times (including original grades, repeat grades, audits, and withdrawals) unless noted differently in the course description. Students with extenuating circumstances may petition for a fourth attempt through an advisor. All grades from the third attempt and any subsequent attempts will be included when the student’s GPA is calculated.

Withdrawal Policies

A withdrawal is a change in the student’s course schedule where one or more courses are withdrawn before the end of the term. Withdrawn courses appear on the student’s transcript as a “W” and are classified as attempts. No refunds are permitted for withdrawn courses.

Withdrawal from a Course or
Complete Withdrawal from the College (No Refund)

Withdrawing from the College – Withdrawal is defined as a complete separation from State College of Florida for a particular semester. A student can withdraw from courses online, but may not withdraw from the last registered course online. Students withdrawing from all courses must complete a withdrawal form, meet with a representative from Financial Aid and Academic Advising, then submit the completed form to the Office of the Registrar by the withdrawal deadline as published in the Academic Calendar, Catalog, or on the SCF website. Failure to follow this procedure may result in a grade of “F” being assigned for each course for which the student is registered. No fee is charged for withdrawals.

Financial Aid Impact:

Federal financial aid Title IV policy requires colleges to calculate how much aid a student has earned if they withdraw or stop attending prior to the completion of a semester. If the withdrawal date is less than 60.1% of the semester, the student may have to return a portion of the aid received, as well as owe the State College of Florida (SCF) a portion of the tuition and fees. A student who remains enrolled beyond the 60% point, has earned all aid for the semester for which the aid was awarded.

If a student unofficially withdraws (stops attending) or a student’s academic transcript reflects unsuccessful completion of all courses in a term, SCF will calculate aid based on the latter date from one of the following academic related activities: 50% completion date of the term or official documented last date of attendance/activity.

Withdrawing from a course(s) – Course withdrawal is defined as withdrawal from one or more classes for a term but not complete withdrawal from the college. Failure to completely process a drop form or drop a class online may result in the student being assigned a grade of “F”.

Financial Aid Impact:

Withdrawing from a one or more courses during the semester, without complete withdrawal from the college, may have an impact on both the amount of aid received for the semester and a student’s academic eligibility to continue receiving financial aid for future enrollment.

Withdrawal Grading -SCF encourages the student to discuss a withdrawal with the instructor, Financial Aid, and academic advisor before withdrawing from a course. If the student withdraws from the college, they are required to meet with Financial Aid and Academic Advising prior to submitting the completed Withdrawal Form to the Office of the Registrar. A student enrolled in an accelerated and/or short-term course may withdraw without academic penalty at any time prior to the withdrawal deadline specific to the course.

Late withdrawal -A student may appeal for a late withdrawal by completing a Late Withdrawal Appeal Form, accompanied by an explanation why the deadline was missed and include any documentation that would aid in the appeal review should be directed to the Academic Dean on the student’s primary campus. The Academic Dean has final authority for this appeal. If the appeal is granted, the academic grade would be changed to a ‘W’ without GPA consequences. Students may obtain a Late Withdrawal Appeal Form from the Advising Center.

Effective Fall 1997, the state mandated a student will be permitted a maximum of three attempts per course. An “attempt” is defined as registration in a class after the end of the registration period. All withdrawal policy statements apply to part-time as well as full-time degree-credit and developmental students.

Faculty Withdrawal

Prior to the withdrawal deadline, a faculty member has the prerogative to withdraw a student for failure to meet the standards of student behavior as stated in BOT rule 6HX14-4.10 and procedure 4.10.01: Disciplinary Proceedings for Violations of Standards of Student Behavior. Faculty-initiated withdrawals prior to the deadline will be recorded as a “W.”

Before the course withdrawal deadline (60 percent of the term) a faculty member may withdraw a student when the student has stopped attending class and has not formally withdrawn from the course by the withdrawal deadline. A faculty member can withdraw a student for excessive absences, excessive tardiness, academic misconduct, or another similar reason, as noted in the faculty member’s respective syllabi. A grade of W will be recorded. The grade is recorded on the student’s permanent academic record. Fees are applied for all courses accordingly and are counted as attempted courses. 

Faculty No Show Reports

Following the last day to add/drop courses for the term, faculty are required to report attendance for one class within the first week of the term and/or has not contacted the professor/instructor to make arrangements to attend class or to make up missed work/assignments (also termed as a “no show” student). Students not verified as attending will be listed as a no show for the class. Fees are applied for all courses accordingly.

Return of Federal Financial Aid Upon Withdrawal from the College

Effective with the Fall 2000 term, students who receive federal financial aid funds and who withdraw from all classes may be required to return all or a portion of these funds to the federal government. Students should consult with the Financial Aid Services office before completely withdrawing from the College.

Credit Definitions