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Academic Progress

Guidelines

All RRCC students are expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress. Recognizing the value of measuring academic progress for all students, RRCC has established the following practice and procedures for measuring academic standing. This procedure is intended to be informational and helpful, but also establishes clear standards of academic progress that must be met and maintained in order to be a successful student at RRCC.

Process

For students who have attempted fewer than 9 credit hours, RRCC will monitor satisfactory progress through an Academic Alert process. These students are not subject to Academic Standing.

Academic Standing applies to all students who have attempted 9 or more credits at Red Rocks Community College, regardless of the number of term credits they attempt from that point forward. Academic Standing is applied consistently and uniformly within each CCCS institution. RRCC will determine Academic Standing following the posting of the majority of term grades for each semester. Students placed on probation or suspended will be notified of their status. Suspended students will not be allowed to attend RRCC  in the subsequent semester unless an appeal is approved. Academic Standing status will be noted on the official and unofficial transcripts.

Definitions

  • Only college level classes will be used to calculate term and cumulative GPAs (grade point averages).
  • This includes summer term courses.
  • Only courses taken "in residence" will be used for this procedure; "In residence" means courses taken at RRCC. Courses taken elsewhere and transferred in do not apply. The GPA calculations for this procedure may not match those used for financial aid purposes.

Standards

Initial Standing: Student has attempted fewer than 9 cumulative credit hours with a cumulative GPA that is greater than or equal to 2.00 for all classes attempted.

Academic Alert: Student has attempted fewer than 9 cumulative credits with a cumulative GPA less than 2.00 for all classes attempted.

Good Standing: Student has attempted at least 9 cumulative credit hours and has a cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 2.00 for all classes attempted.

Performance Support: Student has completed at least 9 cumulative credit hours and has a cumulative GPA less than 2.00 for all classes completed. This value was previously referred to as “Academic Probation.” 

  • By the conclusion of the Performance Support term, the student must raise their cumulative GPA to at least 2.00. If this condition is met, the student returns to Good Standing. Otherwise, the student will be Performance Improving or on Academic Suspension as outlined below.

Returning Support: Student is returning from Academic Suspension

  • By the conclusion of the Returning Support term, the student must raise their cumulative GPA to at least 2.00. If this condition is met, the student returns to Good Standing. Otherwise, the student will be Performance Improving or on Academic Suspension as outlined below.

Performance Improving: If a student on Performance Support or Returning Support earns a term GPA of at least 2.00 for all classes completed during the term but fails to raise their cumulative GPA to at least 2.00 for all classes completed, the student will be allowed to attend the next term as Performance Improving. This value was previously referred to as “Probation Continuing.”

  • As long as the student continues earning a term GPA of at least 2.00 during each term, they will be permitted to continue attending. The student will remain on Performance Improving until the cumulative GPA is at least 2.00, at which time they will return to Good Standing.
  • If the student does not earn a term GPA of at least 2.00 while on Performance Improving, they will be placed on Academic Suspension.

Academic Suspension: If a student on Performance Support, Returning Support or Performance Improving earns a term GPA of less than 2.00 for all classes completed during the term, the student will be suspended and will not be allowed to enroll at the College issuing the suspension for the next term unless an appeal is approved. The student may be dropped from all registered courses for an upcoming term at the College based on the College’s procedures.

Academic Suspension

All academic suspensions are for one term only. If a student who has served a suspension wishes to return, the student will be allowed to re-enroll only after meeting with an academic advisor. The student will be placed on Returning Support for their return semester. Students suspended from one College are not suspended from other Colleges within the System.

If a student, who has served the suspension time wishes to return, the student will be allowed to re-enroll after completing a Petition for Re-Entry which is reviewed by an academic advisor. The Petition for Re-Entry can be found at https://rrcc.formstack.com/forms/petition_for_reentry_form.

Appeals Process

  • A student may appeal their suspension by completing an Academic Suspension Appeal form and scheduling an appointment with an advisor via Navigate. The appeal form can be found at https://rrcc.formstack.com/forms/academic_suspension.
  • If the student’s suspension appeal is approved, the student will be allowed to register and placed on Performance Support. 
  • Students put on Suspension will be dropped from all courses for any future terms. Students will not be able to register for courses until they meet the requirements outlined in the Academic Suspension appeal process above. Students are ultimately responsible for their enrollment and need to check their enrollment schedule for accuracy.