Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Undergraduate Programs

ECPI University's Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy for Undergraduate Programs measures whether eligible undergraduate students are progressing at a responsible rate towards the completion of their educational objectives. Students must be in compliance with this Policy in order to maintain their continued federal financial aid program eligibility. This Policy applies to all undergraduate students, however, regardless of participation in federal financial aid programs.

The evaluation points contained in the Policy are designed to help identify students who would benefit from early intervention and/or remediation. Most critical to this Policy is a student's ability to enroll in and complete courses on a consistent and successful manner. Failure to complete courses successfully for any reason may negatively affect satisfactory academic progress. Failing courses or withdrawing from courses could also result in the loss of financial aid and academic dismissal. It is very important that students attend all registered courses and complete them successfully.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

ECPI calculates Satisfactory Academic Progress using both qualitative (cumulative grade point average and quantitative measurements (incremental completion rate and maximum time frame) at specified evaluation periods.

Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)

A student's CGPA is calculated by:

  • Multiplying credits for each course by grade points associated with the grade earned;
  • Totaling the grade points earned for all the courses (See the Grading Policy for grade points assigned to each letter grade); and
  • Dividing total grade points earned by the total number of quality credits.

Example: Cumulative Grade Point Average calculation

Course

Grade

Credits assigned to the course

Grade Points

Total quality point for the course

IST120

B

3

3

3 x 3 = 9.0

ENG110

A

3

4

3 x 4 = 12.0

CIS102

B

3

3

3 x 3 = 9.0

CIS107L

C

1

2

1 x 2 = 2.0

CIS107

C

3

2

3 x 2 = 6.0

FOR112

A

3

4

3 x 4 = 12.0

TOTAL

16

18

Total quality points = 50.0

CGPA = 50 (total quality points) divided by 16 credits = 3.125 or 3.1 (rounded)

The CGPA is rounded up to the nearest hundredth if the last digit is 5 or greater. It is rounded down to the nearest hundredth if the last digit is less than 5 (For example: 1.947 = 1.95, 1.94 = 1.94). Undergraduate students must achieve and thereafter maintain at least a 2.0 (or "C" average) CGPA by the end of the fourth semester and thereafter.

Incremental Completion Rate (ICR)

A student's ICR is calculated by:

  • Totaling the number of credit hours attempted;
  • Totaling the number of credit hours successfully completed; and
  • Dividing the total number of credit hours successfully completed by the total number of credit hours attempted.

Courses for which a student receives a letter grades of “A” through “F,” an incomplete grade of “I,” and withdrawal grade of “WF” are included in ICR. Withdrawal grades of "W" and "WP" are not included in ICR. In addition, all credit hours transferred to ECPI for the current enrollment are included and counted as credits attempted.

For the calculation of the ICR, there is no rounding of the percentage; therefore, if a student receives a 66.665% and the requirement is 66.67%, then the student would not satisfy this evaluation point.

Example 1

After four semesters, a student has attempted 66 credits and successfully completes 40. The ICR is calculated by dividing 40 by 66, which equals 60.60%. The ICR requirement at the end of four semesters is 66.67% and the student therefore would not meet the ICR requirement at this evaluation point.

Example 2

After two semesters, a student has attempted 30 credits and successfully completes 15. The ICR is calculated by dividing 15 by 30, which equals 50.00%. The ICR requirement at the end of two semesters is 50%; therefore the student meets the ICR requirement at this evaluation point.

Undergraduate students must successfully achieve and maintain a 66.67 % incremental completion rate of courses attempted credits by the end of the fourth semester and thereafter.

Example 1

In a graduate program consisting of 36 semester credit hours, the student must complete the program within a maximum of 54 attempted semester credit hours.

Example 2

In a graduate program consisting of 49 semester credit hours, the student must complete the program within a maximum of 73.5 semester credit hours.

The maximum timeframe always applies to the program of study in which the student is enrolled.

Graduate students who exceed 150% of the program credits will be dismissed from the University.

Academic Progress Table

The Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy evaluation points, required quantitative and qualitative measurements, and the corresponding actions required for failure to achieve and maintain the required academic achievements are summarized in the following Academic Progress Table:

Evaluation Period Semester

Required Minimum CGPA*

Required Incremental Completion Rate Completion % of Credits Attempted

Required action Academic Status These statuses apply to both academics and financial aid

1

1.50

40% of credits attempted

Warning

2

1.50

50% of credits attempted

Probation (if on Warning)

3

1.75

60% of credits attempted

Probation or Dismissal (if on Probation)

4 and each semester thereafter

2.0

66.67% of credits attempted

Probation or Dismissal (if on Probation)

Change of Program

Students will be allowed one change of program and the student may change his or her program at any point of his or her enrollment. The following changes are NOT considered a change of program:

  • Change from a day program to an evening program of the same program
  • Change from an associate's program to a bachelor's program in the same program
  • Change from one concentration within a program to another concentration within the same program

Courses that apply to the second program will be recorded and will affect the student's CGPA, Incremental Completion Rate and Maximum Time Frame. Students who change programs must sign a new program enrollment agreement.

Course Withdrawals

Students are charged tuition and fees and receive grades for the credits attempted. Student enrollment status for purposes of academic achievement and financial aid determination is based upon course attendance. A pattern of course withdrawals could cause a student to exceed the maximum time frame allowed for program completion and therefore fall below the standard for satisfactory academic progress. Additional charges may also result.

Credits Attempted

The credits attempted total includes any time a student receives a grade for a course. This includes the letter grades of "A" through "F," a passing grade of "P," (for non-foundational courses), an incomplete grade of "I," and a withdrawal with no grade penalty of "W." Courses for which a student enrolls but then drops during the add/drop period at the beginning of a session is not counted as credits attempted for the Satisfactory Academic Progress calculation. In addition, all credit hours transferred to ECPI for the current enrollment are included and counted as credits attempted.

For students who have been assigned a grade of incomplete for externship courses in the College of Health Sciences, all externship requirements must be completed within three weeks after the end of the term, or a grade of F will result. For all other programs, all externship requirements must be completed by the end of the following term, or a grade of F will result.

Evaluation Period

An evaluation period is used to determine academic progress. ECPI uniquely defines the evaluation period for each student, as the University employs a student-based semester system. At ECPI, each student's semester is uniquely defined as three (3) consecutive terms, which is 15 weeks.

All terms and semesters of a student's continuous enrollment, whether or not the student received financial aid, are also included in the SAP review. In addition, all credit hours transferred to ECPI for the current enrollment for program changes are included and counted towards a student's maximum time frame.

Term end dates certified for Veteran’s educational benefits will be the student’s actual last scheduled class date for that term.

Foundational Courses

Foundational courses are remedial courses required as a result of the admissions assessment; these courses are graded Pass/Fail. Students who are required to take foundational courses (i.e., ENG099, MTH099, and MTH090) are required to complete each course successfully on the first attempt in order to progress in the program. A failure (WF or NP) on the first attempt will result in dismissal from the student’s program. These courses are exempt from the calculations included in this Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy, including Cumulative Grade Point Average, Incremental Completion Rate, and Maximum Time Frame. However, any student who is required to complete foundational courses will receive a Foundational Course GPA, as determined by the following:

Pass grade = 4.0 Foundational GPA
Fail grade = 0.0 Foundational GPA

Grade Report

Grade reports are posted in the ECPI Student Portal following the completion of each term. Students receiving a failing grade will be required to meet with a Program Director or designee to develop an Academic Success Plan (ideally prior to registering but at the latest prior to the last day to drop/add for the next term) that details a specific plan for academic recovery. This plan may include actions such as mandatory tutoring, periodic advising as well as taking a reduced number of courses.

Interruption of Enrollment

When a student withdraws prior to graduation, the student may re-enter ECPI within five years (two years for nursing, physical therapist assistant, and medical radiography students) and retain full academic credit, provided the courses are still applicable to the program. Returning students who have completed clinical courses may be required to pass clinical competency evaluations. Students will maintain the original cost per semester with an absence of less than six months during their program. Students with an absence of more than six months are subject to tuition rates in effect at the time of readmission. They may be required to undergo skill proficiency examination, particularly if significant curriculum changes are involved. In addition, these students will also be required to return into the program/ curriculum taught at the time of readmission.

While returning students are not required to reapply for admission, they must schedule an appointment to discuss their return to the University and go through the formal readmission process. The student’s records are reviewed by the following departments:

  • Student Records will review satisfactory academic progress;
  • Student Accounts will review for outstanding balances;
  • Financial Aid will review unresolved financial issues; and
  • Academic Affairs will review attendance and academic preparedness to resume studies at ECPI

Students must have approval by all departments in order to complete the readmission process.

Minimum Academic Requirements to Graduate

The minimum academic requirements for a student to graduate are: CGPA of 2.0, 66.67% ICR, and completion of the program in no more than 150% of total program credits. Please see Graduation Requirements in this catalog for the complete list of graduation requirements.

Repeated Courses

Students who are required to take foundational courses (i.e., ENG099, MTH099, MTH090) are required to successfully complete each course on the first attempt, in order to progress in the program. A failure (WF or NP) on the first attempt will result in dismissal from the student’s program. A student who is dismissed for failure to successfully pass a foundational course may reapply for readmission to the University through the Academic Review Board. If accepted for readmission, students must pass the foundational course on their second attempt. No additional attempts will be allowed for foundational courses.

Repeated courses due to course withdraw or failure

A course may not be repeated more than once without approval of the Campus Director of Academic Affairs or designated academic official. Grades achieved in courses that are repeated due to course withdrawal (W, WP) or failure (F, WF) will replace previous withdrawal or failing grades in the CGPA calculation. A pattern of course repetitions could cause a student to fall below the minimum standard for satisfactory academic progress. A student who is approved to repeat a course due to a failing grade (F, WF) must successfully pass the course by the third attempt. After three failed attempts the student will be academically dismissed. When a course is repeated due to a failure, credits accrue only when the student attains a passing grade for that course. Additional tuition charges apply when a student repeats courses. Students who withdraw or earn a failing grade in a course should register for the same course in the subsequent term to improve his/her academic performance.

Repeated Course to Improve a Grade

A student may repeat a course to improve the grade and subsequently, his/her CGPA. In the case of repeated courses to improve a grade, only the highest grade earned will be calculated in the CGPA while all the credits attempted will be calculated in the ICR and Maximum Time Frame. Students are eligible for Financial Aid for only one repetition of a previously passed course.

Residency Requirement

ECPI University requires that a student complete a minimum of 25% of their program of study at the University in order to receive a degree or diploma. Courses taken on campus, via remote synchronous/distance learning, or online with ECPI all apply toward the 25% residency requirement. Any credit awarded from Prior Learning does not count toward the 25% residency requirement.

Warning, Probation or Dismissal

The Academic Progress Table demonstrates the evaluation points for CGPA and ICR; failure to achieve these milestones will result in a status change that provides the student with an additional semester to improve his/her academic standing. A student who completes his/her first semester and fails to meet the minimum requirements will be placed on warning; a student on warning remains eligible for financial aid. If a student who is on warning fails to achieve the required progress at the end any subsequent evaluation point of a warning period, she/he will be placed on probation or dismissed from the University.

Probation may only be granted with a student's successful appeal with an Academic Review Board (ARB). A student who is on probation remains eligible for financial aid, however, a student may remain on probation for only one semester. If a student on probation fails to achieve satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation point, the student will be dismissed from the University.

A student who fails to meet the required SAP benchmarks will receive a notification in writing within 14 days from the end of the evaluation period.

A student will be removed from academic warning or probation when she/he meets the requirements for satisfactory academic progress. Please note that a student may be dismissed for academic reasons without previous academic action. In addition, at any given evaluation point, if it is determined to be mathematically impossible for the student to meet the academic requirements for graduation, the student will be dismissed.

Appealing an Academic Dismissal

A student must appeal an academic dismissal by requesting an Academic Review Board (ARB). The written appeal must state the mitigating circumstances that contributed to the academic determination or dismissal. The written appeal may be supported with appropriate documentation of the mitigating circumstances with explanation on how the circumstances have been remedied or changed. Mitigating circumstances are events that are outside the students control and are unavoidable.

Examples of events that may be considered a mitigating circumstance and which has negatively impacted academic progress include but are not limited to: death of an immediate family member, student illness requiring hospitalization, divorce proceedings, previously undocumented disability, work-related transfer or change in work schedule during the term, natural disaster, financial hardship such as foreclosure or eviction, and others.

The student may be asked to appear in person during the review process when deemed necessary by the Campus Director of Academic Affairs or request an ARB. The appeal process ends with the Campus President on each campus. Appeals may result in any one of the following actions:

  • Reinstatement on SAP Probation with an academic plan where the student will be held to specific requirements which must be met by the end of the next semester. Reinstatement after dismissal will be granted only if mitigating circumstances exist.
  • Denial of reinstatement.
  • A student may appeal an academic determination or dismissal one time.
  • A student who is granted an appeal may be reinstated and, if otherwise eligible, receive financial aid. Students who complete the review board process are required to meet with the Financial Services office to review what impact, if any, the outcome will have on their financial status. The above minimum standards for satisfactory academic progress will continue to be applied to assess the student’s academic performance.

     

Procedures for Reentry/Readmission after Academic Dismissal

A student who is denied an appeal is not eligible for reentry to the university for a period of one year. A student dismissed for violating satisfactory academic progress must appeal in writing to the Campus Director of Academic Affairs or the ARB for reentry (if within 3 months of dismissal) or readmission (if one year or longer). If applying for readmission, the student must meet with the Campus Director of Academic Affairs at least two weeks prior to the start of the term in which the student wishes to return. Also, any student who ceased attendance and whose grades in the last term of attendance caused him or her to not meet the standards for satisfactory academic progress must go through the same appeal process. The appeal procedure described in the preceding section applies. The student must demonstrate resolution to any mitigating circumstances.

A reentry/readmission student who is granted an appeal may be reinstated and, if otherwise eligible, may receive financial aid. The student will be placed on probation at the start of the next academic term or upon re-entry and may be required to meet certain additional academic conditions as specified by the Campus Director of Academic Affairs or the Academic Review Board in their decision to grant the appeal. The above minimum standards for satisfactory academic progress will continue to be applied to assess the student's academic performance.

 

Second Degree and Minimum Residency Requirements

The University will permit students to acquire a second undergraduate degree, provided that they:

  1. Pursue a different degree program;  
  2. Meet all University admissions and departmental requirements;
  3. Complete a minimum of 25% of the new degree requirements beyond, beyond the requirements of the first degree; and
  4. Meet all degree requirements for the second degree.

Credits earned during the first degree may be applied, if deemed transferable to the second degree. A minimum of 150 credit hours is required for students earning two baccalaureate degrees.

Prior to undertaking the second degree, an academic official will conduct an evaluation of all previous university-level coursework the student has completed. Those who meet the admissions standards of the University will be admitted; however, this does not guarantee admission into specific degree programs where requirements may differ. The University, as a general rule, will not permit a student to pursue more than two associate and/or baccalaureate degrees. 

Students wishing to earn a second major or concentration, rather than a second degree, should refer to the Dual Major or Concentration policy.

Graduate Program Satisfactory Academic Progress

To be in good academic standing with the college and to be eligible to receive Title IV financial aid, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress.

At the end of each semester, each student is evaluated on three components to determine if he/she is maintaining satisfactory academic progress.

Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)

Students enrolled in graduate-level programs must maintain a minimum CGPA of 3.0.

Incremental Completion Rate (ICR)

Students enrolled in graduate-level programs must complete a minimum of 66.67% of the cumulative credits attempted at the end of each semester to be making satisfactory academic progress.

Maximum Time Frame

A student may not attempt more than 150 percent of the credits in his/her program. The requirements for Incremental Completion Rate are to assure that students are progressing at a rate to complete their program within the Maximum Time Frame. Students in graduate programs are only permitted to repeat one failed course. Withdrawal grades of "W" are not included in the Maximum Time Frame calculation.

The minimum number of credit hours required for a graduate degree at ECPI varies; therefore the maximum number of credit hours that a student may attempt will vary.

SAP Warning

A student will be placed on SAP Warning if he/she fails to meet any one of the criteria listed above. The student will have one semester to meet the requirements for satisfactory academic progress and return to good academic standing or they will be dismissed from the University. If at any evaluation point it is determined that it is mathematically impossible for the student to meet the minimum requirements, the student will be dismissed.

Probation

Graduate students on probation will have one semester to raise their CGPA to 3.00 and return to good standing. If at any evaluation point it is determined that it is mathematically impossible for the student to meet the minimum requirements, the student will be dismissed from the University.

Veterans Administration – Requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress

Academic Dismissal/Reinstatement and Veterans' Benefits in South Carolina

Veterans who are reinstated for benefits after academic dismissal who fail to attain a GPA of at least 2.0 during that term will be placed on academic dismissal for one semester (three terms).

Non-degree seeking students

Students taking a University course in a Non-Degree status and receiving Veterans educational benefits must maintain a 70% or a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) in each course to be considered making satisfactory academic progress. If a student does not make a 70% or a 2.0 GPA in any course, the student will be dismissed from enrollment and will be reported to the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) for unsatisfactory progress.

If a student is absent for three consecutive days in any course, the student will be dismissed from the University, assigned a failing grade, and will be reported to the Department of Veterans Affairs for Unsatisfactory Progress. If a student is dismissed due to Unsatisfactory Progress, the student must wait a period of 30 days to be eligible to re-enroll in a course.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy - BS to BSN program Florida