Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Central Lakes College and Minnesota State Board Policy 2.9 require that all students make satisfactory academic progress toward a degree, diploma or certificate to remain in good academic standing. The college believes that students are responsible for their own academic progress and for seeking assistance when experiencing academic difficulty. Central Lakes College’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP) impacts students’ financial aid and registration statuses. Students are notified through their CLC email if they have not met the standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

In summary, the SAP policy requires that students maintain a cumulative/overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 and a cumulative/overall completion percentage of all courses (including transfer credits) of 66.67%. Students who do not meet both of these cumulative measures are placed on academic warning after one semester and suspended after the next semester if unable to meet the two cumulative measures. Review your transcript in E-Services to see your cumulative grade point average (GPA) and to calculate your completion rate. You can also use the GPA and Academic Progress Calculator. There are other elements to the policy, so please see the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP) for the complete policy.

Appeals Process
Central Lakes College has developed an appeal process for students who are unable to maintain satisfactory academic progress due to extenuating circumstances. Students are notified through their CLC email if they have not met the standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). If suspended, students are given the option to appeal for reinstatement. The appeal deadline is listed on the CLC calendar. Students are strongly encouraged to appeal early.

Mitigating Circumstances
Indicate in your appeal the mitigating circumstances that contributed to your inability to maintain satisfactory academic progress. Examples include:

  • Serious illness or injury to student or immediate family member (parent, spouse, sibling, or child) that required extended recovery time. Attach a statement from the physician and explain the nature and dates of the illness or injury in the appeal. If confined to bed rest or limited mobility by your physician, please make sure that your physician includes the beginning and ending dates in the statement.
  • Death of an immediate family member (parents, spouse, sibling, or child). Attach a copy of the obituary or death certificate and include the name of the deceased and relationship to you in step three of the appeal.
  • Significant trauma in student’s life that impaired the student’s emotional and/or physical health. Provide a detailed explanation in step three of the appeal regarding the specific circumstances of your condition. Please be sure to include dates and what you have done to overcome this condition. Supporting documentation from a third party (physician, social worker, psychiatrist, police, etc.) is highly recommended and may be attached to the appeal.
  • Other unexpected documented circumstances beyond the control of the student. Provide a detailed explanation in step three of the appeal explaining the nature and dates of the unexpected circumstances. Supporting documentation is highly recommended and may be attached to the appeal.

Appeal Information
The appeal will also ask you to provide the following information:

  1. A brief explanation of the circumstances that led to the Satisfactory Academic Progress violation and why those circumstances are no longer affecting your academic performance
  2. What you have done to address the problems that have prevented you from maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress and the resources you have in place to assist with your success

Appeal Submission
All appeals and documentation must be submitted electronically. If you have questions related to your appeal or need help completing it, contact an advisor.

Appeal Evaluation
Appeals must meet the standards in all areas to be approved:

  • Reason for Suspension: The student has a clear understanding of what policy requirements were not met and why. There were extenuating circumstances that contributed to the student’s inability to maintain satisfactory academic progress and the student explained and documented these extenuating circumstances.
  • Documentation: The student included adequate documentation supporting the extenuating circumstances with the appeal.
  • Plan for Success: The student provided a clear plan for success and outlined resources in place to assist with success. The student addressed why the extenuating circumstances will no longer affect the student’s academic performance.
  • Appeal Deadline and Completeness: The student’s appeal was submitted by the deadline noted on the CLC calendar and the student has made the necessary preparations to return to school. The appeal is thorough, complete, and supported by documentation.

Appeal Results
Students will be notified via email of their appeal results. If an appeal is approved, the student will be placed on probation. At the end of the probationary semester, students will again be reviewed to determine if they meet the 2.0 cumulative GPA and 66.67% cumulative completion percentage to return to good standing. If the student is unable to meet the two cumulative measurements after the probationary semester, the SAP process will look at the probationary semester measurements. If the student earned a 2.5 grade point average and 100% completion rate during the probationary semester, the student will continue in probationary status. It often takes a student multiple semesters to get back into good standing (i.e. by meeting the two cumulative measurements of 2.0 cumulative GPA and 66.67% cumulative completion percentage). Therefore, students in probationary status can remain on probation (even if they don’t meet the two cumulative measurements) as long as they meet the semester measurements of 2.5 GPA and 100% completion.

If a student’s appeal is denied, the student may use the secondary appeals process to appeal the outcome of the original appeal. Details, deadlines, and the link to the secondary appeal are provided to students in the denial email. If the student decides to sit out a semester, the student will need to complete an appeal for a future semester by the deadline on the CLC calendar.

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