A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is not less than:

1. One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as approved by Snow College, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

Academic Renewal

For students challenged with a low GPA because they have experienced a period of low grades that does not reflect their academic potential, Snow College offers academic renewal. Academic renewal allows students the opportunity to recalculate their GPA by discounting grades of D+, D, D-, E, F, or UW which were earned five or more years prior to the date of petition. The following conditions apply:

1. The applicant must be currently registered at Snow College, attending, and have tuition paid in full.
2. Before applying for academic renewal and after readmission, the student must have completed at least 12 credits of graded coursework at Snow College and have earned at least a 2.5 GPA in all the courses taken after readmission.
3. Students who have completed a certificate or degree may not petition for renewal of grades earned before the certificate or degree was awarded.
4. Academic renewal may be applied only once during a student's academic career and is irreversible.
5. "Renewed" courses do not complete General Education requirements nor count toward credits for graduation.
6. "Renewed" courses remain on the student's transcript with a notation added to the transcript to indicate academic renewal. Grades are never removed from the transcript.
7. Academic renewal does not apply to credit that is transferred into Snow College from another institution. Likewise, Snow College credit that is transferred to another institution will carry the original grades.

The Federal Higher Education Act will not allow academic renewal for federal financial aid purposes. Students who plan to apply for financial aid must contact the Financial Aid Office before requesting academic renewal.

Academic renewal cannot be used to make an otherwise ineligible athlete eligible. Only a student’s original grades are considered for athletic eligibility.

Academic renewal petition forms are available in the Registrar’s Office or on their webpage.

Other Grades (Incomplete, Administrative Drop, Unofficial Withdrawal)

Incomplete

An Incomplete “I” grade may be given if students have completed a substantial portion of the required class work (typically 70% or more) but are unable to complete the work for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, accident).

Incomplete Grade Agreements must be submitted to the Registration Office by the instructor no later than six weeks after the term has ended. The maximum time to complete the work is 12 months from the end of the semester in which the “I” was assigned unless otherwise specified in the Incomplete Grade Agreement. A failing grade of "IE" (Incomplete Expired) will be recorded if work is not submitted by the specified date. A Grade Change Request form should be submitted to the Registration Office by the instructor when a final grade is assigned. An incomplete may not be completed by registering for the class in another semester.

Incomplete Grade Agreements indicating work completed and work to be completed must be signed by the student, instructor, and the dean, and turned into the Registrar’s Office.

Administrative Drop

Students who do not attend a registered course during the first week of the term or by the second class meeting, whichever comes first, may be administratively dropped or dropped for nonattendance by their instructor. Likewise, students who are enrolled in an online course who do not participate or submit a first assignment by the due date, may also be Administratively Dropped by their instructor.

Students who intend to miss during the first week or intend to skip a first assignment in an online course are encouraged to seek prior approval from their instructor in order to remain in the course and avoid being dropped for nonattendance. This does not remove responsibility from the student to drop courses which they do not plan to attend.

Instructors typically administratively drop students from courses that are full when available seating is needed for other potential attending student(s). Additionally, this option is used so that instructors may avoid having to grant a failing grade at the end of the semester for students who never attended. Students who attend or participate at least once and stop attending may receive a UW or Unofficial Withdrawal which holds the same value as a failing (F) grade and affects the grade point average.

Instructors are strongly encouraged to request an Administrative Drop through the Registrar’s Office as soon as possible, but no later than one week prior to the last day to add within each term. This allows a student to add into another course before the add deadline. Students who are dropped for nonattendance will be notified by the Registrar’s Office through their students.snow.edu e-mail account.

'UW' Unofficial Withdrawal

Regular and prompt attendance is expected of every student. An Unofficial Withdrawal or ‘UW’ grade may be granted to a student if they had attended at least once or completed at least one online assignment but stopped attending or participating at any time without following procedures for officially withdrawing. A ‘UW’ is calculated as a failing (F) grade and affects the grade point average.

To avoid a ‘UW’ grade, students must submit a Drop form to the Registrar’s Office by the Final Day to Drop a Course with a ‘W’ grade deadline as indicated on the Academic Calendar.

Academic Standing

Maintaining good academic standing is the responsibility of each student. To graduate from Snow College, students must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. Students who fall below this threshold will be subject to the interventions and requirements outlined in this policy. 

In addition to the interventions described herein, continued unsatisfactory academic performance may have negative implications for:

• Financial aid and scholarships
• On-campus housing
• Participation in certain campus programs or services 

Students are expected to understand the academic requirements connected to all aspects of their college experience and to take an active role in monitoring and managing their academic progress. 

Academic Categories

Snow College exists to help students achieve their academic goals, and the academic standing categories below have been designed to support students who are not on course for graduation.

Good Standing (GS)

Students with both a semester GPA and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above are considered in good academic standing. 

Academic Warning (WA)

Students who earn a semester GPA below 2.0 but maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher will be placed on Academic Warning. The Student Connection Center will contact students about this status and ensure they know about academic and personal support services.

Academic Probation (PR)

Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 will be placed on Academic Probation and must engage in targeted interventions designed to support their academic recovery and long-term success. Students must meet with an academic advisor to create a personalized academic success plan. Students on Academic Probation may not enroll in more than 13 credit hours per semester. Students will remain on Academic Probation until their cumulative GPA is raised to 2.0 or higher, regardless of individual term GPA improvements. 

Involuntary Academic Deferment (DF)

Students on Academic Probation who earn a semester GPA below 2.0, and for whom continued enrollment would make timely graduation unlikely, will be placed on an Involuntary Academic Deferment for one full semester. This temporary pause in enrollment is designed to provide students with the opportunity to reflect, reset, and re-engage with renewed focus and support. During the deferment period, students are required to complete the Snow College Student Success Canvas Course and submit a comprehensive Academic Success Plan demonstrating readiness to return. Prior to re-enrollment, students must meet with an academic advisor.

Academic Reinstatement (AR)

Students returning to Snow College following an Involuntary Academic Deferment will remain on Academic Probation and must demonstrate academic progress to continue enrollment. Specifically, students are required to earn a semester GPA of 2.0 or higher each subsequent semester to avoid further academic action. Reinstated students may enroll in no more than 13 credit hours per semester while on probation.

Academic Dismissal (AD)

Students who return to Snow College following an Involuntary Academic Deferment and fail to earn a semester GPA of 2.0 or higher will be permanently dismissed from the institution. This policy is intended to ensure that students are adequately prepared for academic success and that institutional resources are used to support students with a realistic path to graduation. 

Students who have been academically dismissed may be eligible to seek special approval for reinstatement after a minimum of three years from the date of dismissal. To be considered for reinstatement, students must submit a formal appeal to the Academic Standards Committee, providing compelling evidence of significant academic or personal improvement, and/or documentation of extenuating circumstances that contributed to their prior academic performance. 

If reinstated, students will re-enroll under Academic Probation with strict performance conditions, including: a required semester GPA of 2.0 or higher, a reduced course load (no more than 13 credits), and mandatory advising and progress check-ins.

Repeating a Course

Some courses may be repeated to obtain a higher grade. Both courses will show on the academic record; however, only the most recent grade earned (not necessarily the highest grade) is calculated in the grade point average and the credit is only counted once. (A student wishing an earlier grade to count over a more recent one should submit an appeal to the Academic Procedures Committee explaining the rationale for the change.)

Repeat attempts are limited to two per course (a total of 3 attempts at any one course). Once a repeated course has been completed, students need to contact the Registration Office to ensure the first grade is discounted from the GPA. Students must register and pay tuition for the semester in which the class is repeated. Hours earned in repeat courses may be counted toward graduation requirements only once.

The exceptions to this policy are the courses designated as “repeatable for credit” in the catalog. These courses will be given credit each time the course is taken (according to the number of times or number of credits determined in the course syllabus.)

Note: A course repeated at another institution cannot be used to change the GPA on a Snow College transcript.