Student Success Policies

Information on policies related to student success at the University of Louisville can be found on this page or by clicking on the following links to topic-specific pages:

These policies are effective for Academic Year 2024-2025 (Summer 2024 semester). Students enrolled in a term before this effective semester should consult with an advisor in their enrollment unit if they feel that they are disadvantaged by any change from previous policies.

Previous catalogs are available via the archive page of this catalog.

Academic Forgiveness

Academic Forgiveness allows currently enrolled students or students who are eligible to re-enroll without seeking readmission to request the adjustment of their records for one or more continuous entire semesters of previous college work. If the appropriate committee within the students’ enrollment unit or the unit in which they seek to re-enroll finds there are extenuating circumstances that warrant such action, the committee may rule the students eligible for academic forgiveness. The committee will approve petitions only if future academic success seems plausible, with the expectation that such forgiveness should typically have a positive effect on persistence toward eventual graduation.

Forgiveness will only be applied to the record after the successful completion of at least 12 hours after the last term for which forgiveness is to be requested. The 12 hours should be in degree applicable courses with the necessary semester grade point average designated by their enrollment unit. After these 12 hours have been attempted, students may petition the appropriate committee for academic forgiveness, designating the semester or consecutive sequence of semesters to which the forgiveness process is to apply. If approved, all course grades and credit hours for the forgiven semesters will be voided. Students may not be granted academic forgiveness more than once.

The voided grades and credit hours will not be considered for degree requirements or quality-point computations, but will remain on the students’ transcript. Academic actions, such as probation or dismissal, recorded at the end of the voided terms, will also remain. While forgiven course grades are removed from the calculation, the course work does remain a part of the students’ permanent record and the forgiven work may be considered for financial aid, NCAA purposes, and may be evaluated if applying for honors or graduate study.

Academic forgiveness is an internal policy. The University of Louisville cannot guarantee how the work will be viewed by another university should students choose to transfer. Students considering this option are strongly encouraged to consult with their academic advisor for guidance.

Academic Fresh Start

Students who are re-admitted to the university after an absence of two or more years may request a Fresh Start. Students must take at least 30 hours of course work at the University after re‐admission and before graduation for Fresh Start to be applicable. Students are eligible for only one Fresh Start. Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree from the University are not eligible for Fresh Start.

If the Fresh Start is approved by the university, students resume an academic program with no cumulative grade point average from the prior enrollment. All courses taken remain on the permanent record. Courses with passing grades are counted for credit and may be used to satisfy program requirements.

Students may be required to retake courses from academic terms covered by Fresh Start if the content-currency or major-GPA rules of a degree program, department or unit so dictate. Students will be notified at the time of application for the Fresh Start of any additional requirements to be fulfilled in remedying these conditions.

Although Fresh Start affects cumulative grade point average, it has no impact on earned and attempted hours. All courses taken at the university will still be used for financial aid. Financial aid recipients will still have to adhere to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy administered by the Student Financial Aid Office. Students who are granted a Fresh Start are not automatically cleared of any SAP issues. If interested in submitting a SAP appeal, students should contact the Student Financial Aid Office.

Courses taken under the repeat-to-replace option during the period covered by a Fresh Start will be subject to the university repeat policy. Financial aid for repeat courses is calculated according to federal regulations.

For the purposes of scholastic action and advising, students are initially assigned to the same academic standing as when they last attended the university. Thereafter, students are subject to the conditions of probation, suspension and dismissal that govern all students. GPA calculations for graduation honors follow the rules established by the students’ enrollment unit.

While the UGPA calculation restarts after Fresh Start is applied, all previous course work remains a part of the students’ permanent record and may be considered for financial aid, or NCAA purposes, and may be evaluated if applying for honors or graduate study.

Fresh Start is an internal policy. The University of Louisville cannot guarantee how the work will be viewed by another university should students choose to transfer. Students considering this option are strongly encouraged to consult with their academic advisor for guidance.

Academic Standing

Decisions involving academic warning, probation, suspension, dismissal and readmission are made by each academic unit. These decisions are based on the university’s undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) and the program grade point average (PGPA). The unit notifies students after the end of each semester if their status changes. Notifications of such academic actions are officially made through the student's university email account.

Undergraduate students are in good standing when they have a cumulative UGPA of at least 2.00 and a cumulative PGPA greater than the program requirement. Each unit determines their own program requirements.

After the first 12 degree-applicable semester hours at the University, students who have either a cumulative UGPA below 2.00, or a cumulative PGPA below the program requirement, will be placed on academic warning. Such students will be notified and strongly encouraged to seek assistance from their advising center.

In any semester subsequent to an academic warning, students whose cumulative UGPA falls below 2.00, or cumulative PGPA falls below the program requirement, will be placed on academic probation for the next semester of enrollment. Academic probation is considered a serious warning that students are making unsatisfactory progress toward completion of the academic requirements for a particular degree program. Students on academic probation may be ineligible to hold office in campus organizations, to go out on co-op, internship, or clinical assignments, or to represent the school or the University in any official capacity.

Students on academic probation shall be removed from that standing at the end of the first subsequent semester in which they achieve a cumulative UGPA of at least 2.00 and a cumulative PGPA greater than the program requirement. Such students will return to good standing. Students on academic probation shall be placed on academic suspension at the end of the first subsequent semester in which their semester UGPA falls below 2.00, or semester PGPA falls below the program requirement.

Students on academic suspension are not permitted to enroll for at least one program semester. During this period, individuals should seriously reexamine their previous accomplishments in terms of their chosen career objectives. After one semester, students who believe that a reasonable opportunity for future successful performance exists may petition the unit’s committee for re-admittance. The petition must be received no later than July 1 for readmission for the fall semester, November 1 for the spring semester, and May 1 for the summer terms. Students who are granted reinstatement will be readmitted on academic probation. Readmission of suspended students is not guaranteed.

Students will not be reinstated more than twice; the third suspension is an academic dismissal. Students academically dismissed can only return through special permission from the enrollment unit. Students who are suspended or dismissed are eligible to apply for admission to another unit and may be admitted if they meet minimum unit admission standards. Students admitted to another unit may not enroll in any courses in the unit from which they were dismissed, with the exception of courses needed to complete general education or other degree requirements offered only by the unit from which they were dismissed.

Class Attendance and Excused Absence

Students shall not be penalized for an excused absence.

The academy requires student participation in the learning process, measurement of student progress, and the fulfillment of basic course requirements. Faculty members will provide students in their classes with clear syllabi, including attendance requirements and dates for required measurements or field experiences. Except where prior notification is required (major religious holidays and University sponsored trips), students missing any graded work due to an excused absence bear the responsibility of informing the instructor about their excused absence within one week following the period of the excused absence, and of making up the missed work. The instructor shall give the student an opportunity to make up the work and/or exams missed due to an excused absence, and shall do so, if feasible, during the semester in which the absence occurred.

The instructor shall provide the student with an opportunity to make up the graded work (e.g., quiz, exam, homework, etc.). The make up work may take a form other than the work accomplished during the missed time period but must provide equal opportunity to demonstrate mastery of course content and be counted equally in final grade calculations.

Students, as required by the course syllabus, should submit documentation from an official entity (e.g. health care provider) to their course instructors to excuse their absence(s).
If the reason for the absence involves a religious observance or a University sponsored trip, the student must inform the instructor prior to the trip when possible.
Students missing any graded work due to an excused absence bear the responsibility of informing their Instructor about their excused absence as soon as possible, and must do so within one week following the period of the excused absence.
Students are responsible for material covered or work assigned in any class for which they have been provided an excused absence.
Some experiential learning that involves third party sites or partners (ex: clinical experiences) may not be feasible to make up during the same semester. In these cases, a student should be awarded an Incomplete (I) grade and allowed to complete the required experiential component during the following semester.

Excused Absences Requiring Prior Notification

University Sponsored Activities

For students acting as official representatives of the university or participating in university- sanctioned events or activities. These include but are not limited to student government congresses, intercollegiate athletic and debate contests, music competitions, academic meetings, and conferences. The deans, the student government association, or faculty sponsors of recognized student organizations may petition the provost to designate other specific events as university sanctioned. When feasible, the student must notify the Instructor of Record prior to the occurrence of such absences, but in no case shall such notification occur more than one week after the absence. Instructors of Record may request formal notification from appropriate university personnel to document the student's participation in such activities.

Major Religious Holidays

Students who observe work-restricted religious holy days must be allowed to do so without jeopardizing their academic standing in any course. Faculty are obliged to accommodate students’ request(s) for adjustments in course work on the grounds of religious observance, provided that the student(s) make such request(s) in writing at least two (2) weeks prior to anticipated absence. See the University Policy on Work-Restricted Religious Holy Days. A calendar of work-restricted religious holy days is published each year by the Office of Institutional Equity.

Excused Absences with Post-absence Notification

Illness

Illness of the student or serious illness of a member of the student's household (permanent or campus) or immediate family shall be considered an excused absence. The Instructor of Record shall have the right to request appropriate verification if so noted in the syllabus. The term “illness” includes mental as well as physical illness. The standard of verification for illness that an instructor requires shall be equally stringent for physical and mental illness. For example, if a note from University Health Services that the student sought care from a health provider is considered to be acceptable verification, then a note from the Counseling Center that student has sought care shall likewise be considered to be acceptable verification.

Death in Family

The death of a member of the student's household (permanent or campus) or immediate family. The Instructor of Record shall have the right to request appropriate verification if so noted in the syllabus. For the purpose of this rule, immediate family is defined as spouse or child or parent (guardian) or sibling (all of the previous include steps, halves and in-laws of the same relationship); and grandchild or grandparent.

Excused Absences for Other Long-term Commitments:

Pregnancy, Childbirth, or Related Conditions

The benefits and services provided to students affected by pregnancy shall be no less than those provided to UofL students with temporary medical conditions. Pregnancy in and of itself is not considered a disability; however, some conditions arising from pregnancy (e.g. hypertensive preeclampsia, gestational diabetes) may constitute disabilities that necessitate reasonable academic, and/or extracurricular accommodations. Students with pregnancy-related disabilities, like any other student with a disability, are entitled to academic adjustments or auxiliary aids and services in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504), and may seek assistance from the Disability Resource Center (DRC) in that regard.

Students with new parenting responsibilities who wish to remain engaged in their coursework while adjusting their academic responsibilities may request reasonable academic modifications appropriate to their circumstances through an interactive process initiated by the student with the Dean of Students (DOS) office (SAC-W301, (502) 852-5787, advocate@louisville.edu).

See the Student Pregnancy Accommodation Policy in the UofL Policy and Procedures Database.

Military Duties

Military Duties are an acceptable cause for an excused absence.

Short absences (less than 30 days)

Military students (including those in the Reserves or the National Guard) may have required military activities which cause the student to be absent from class for a short period of time (typically 2-3 weeks once a year).

Once a student is aware of a call to duty, the student shall provide a copy of the military orders to the Center Military Connected Students (CFMCS) at milconstu@louisville.edu. The student shall also provide the CFMCS with a list of their courses and instructors.
On behalf of the student, the CFMCS will notify each instructor of record via Department Letterhead as to the known extent of the absence.
The Instructor of Record shall not penalize the student’s absence in any way and to the extent possible shall provide accommodations and timeframes so that the student can make up missed assignments, quizzes, and tests in a mutually agreed upon manner.

Long Absences (30 days or more)

In the case of a longer activation or deployment, the student should consult with their academic advisor and the Center Military Connected Students (CFMCS) for coordination with instructors to determine the best course of action based on the length of absence and percentage of the term completed. See the Military Program Integrity Policy in the UofL Policy and Procedures Database; specifically the sections on Withdraw Requirements, Readmission Requirements, and Termination of Readmission Eligibility.

Jury Duty or Subpoena for Court Appearances

The University respects the need for all citizens to serve on a jury when called to duty. If a student serves as a juror, class absences will be considered excused when the student provides advance notice to the instructor, the instructor acknowledges the request and the student provides written verification of jury selection and proof of service.

Any potential student juror may notify the court of conflicts or undue hardship and request an excuse from service. The individual student must make the decision as to whether jury service will present an undue hardship and then take the affirmative action to request to be excused from service, and may need to provide a written explanation to the court. If a student does not request to be excused and is selected to serve, the student may miss a prolonged period of time resulting in the inability to complete the academic requirements of classes.

Dean’s List and Scholars

Students who complete twelve or more graded credits in one semester are eligible for the Dean’s List and designation as a Dean’s Scholar. The following distinctions are made:

Dean’s List: UGPA 3.5 and above, with no grades of I, X, U, or C-minus or below

Dean’s Scholar: UGPA = 4.0, with no grades of I, X, or U

Developmental courses (courses below 100 level) and grades of P are not prohibited in Dean’s List or Dean’s Scholar qualifications but cannot be used to meet the graded-credits minimum requirement. Any petitions arising from unusual circumstances (such as part-time status) should be filed with the students’ advising center within two weeks of the beginning of the next term of enrollment.

Final Examinations

For courses offered the full length of the term, comprehensive final examinations must be administered only on the date and time prescribed in the university final exam schedule. For courses offered less than the full length of the term (e.g. 5 week or 8 week Fall/Spring courses), comprehensive final exams may be given on the last day of class.

Comprehensive examinations may not be given on the last regular day of class or during the reading period. No mandatory activities or assessments of any kind may be scheduled during the reading period. Examinations which cover a limited portion of the coursework may be given during the last regular class period. Longer final cumulative assessment instruments may be assigned at any time but must be completed by the date and time prescribed in the university final exam schedule. Students must be notified of the type of examinations to be given in the course as well as each examination’s percentage of the course grade. This information, along with scheduled dates and times, should be included in the course syllabus.

A student with more than two final examinations scheduled on any one date or for whom two examinations have been scheduled for the same time should speak with their instructors about possible alternate examination times. If no resolution can be found, the student should consult with their unit Dean who will ensure that the student’s examination for the class with the lowest total enrollment is rescheduled. Students must request this rescheduling from the appropriate instructor in writing at least two weeks prior to the scheduled examination.

Comprehensive final exams in distance education (fully online) courses may be given at any time during the university final exam period. Online final exams in distance education courses should be conducted asynchronously.

Grading

The university awards letter grades that are translated into quality points to determine a grade point average. The “+/-” ("plus/minus") grading system may be used by instructors to help students understand their performance more accurately. Under this system, quality points are assigned as follows:

A+ = 4.0 A = 4.0 A- = 3.7

B+ = 3.3 B = 3.0 B- = 2.7

C+ = 2.3 C = 2.0 C- = 1.7

D+ = 1.3 D = 1.0 D- = 0.7

F = 0.0

The grade A+ is given for extraordinary work and appears on the transcript with the “plus” qualification, but it awards no additional quality points.

The grade F means not passing and earns neither semester hours toward graduation nor quality points; however, the number of semester hours attempted is computed into the point standing, so that an F has a negative effect on the point standing. All missing grades change to failing grades one year after the completion of the semester in which the course was taken.

Other letter grades, all of which do not enter into the point standing, include the following:

AU means Audit.

I means Incomplete Work.

P means Passing.

NC means No Credit.

S and U mean Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory.

W means Withdrew.

X means No Basis for Grade.

For a course taken on a pass-fail or pass/no credit basis a grade P is given for achievement equivalent to the standards for the grades A through D in the same course and earns the designated number of semester hours toward graduation. For courses using S and U, an S will earn semester hours, but those hours may not be counted toward the minimum number of hours required for graduation or a degree. The grade X is available only for graduate level courses for which the work is not yet finished due to the nature of the study.

The university’s undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) is determined by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of semester hours attempted with earned grades. The UGPA takes into account all undergraduate course work taken at the university, except that courses numbered below the 100 level will not be used in the earned hours or UGPA calculations. Grades and quality points earned at other institutions are also not incorporated into the UGPA.

A program GPA is calculated by including only those courses used to satisfy degree requirements. Courses for which transfer credit has been awarded are not included in the calculation. The program GPA is used for determination of honors and satisfaction of degree requirements.

Incompletes

Students unable to complete course work because of conditions beyond their control may be granted the grade I, which stands for Incomplete, so that the work can be completed after the end of the semester. Such conditions include hospitalizations, death in immediate family, and prolonged sickness. The grade I may not be used solely to extend the available time in a semester for students who fall behind for reasons under their control.

The grade I may be assigned at the discretion of the course instructor if all of the following conditions are met:

The majority of the course work was completed prior to the end of the semester;
The student is in good standing to pass the course upon successful completion of the remaining work;
The final portion of the course work could not be completed for reasons beyond the student’s control.

If requested to do so, the student must supply the instructor with documentation of the extenuating circumstances. The instructor is encouraged to provide to the student a written statement of the expectations and requirements for completing the course work.

Students must complete the course work no later than the last day of classes for the next regular fall or spring semester. If the work is completed by the deadline, the instructor submits a change of grade from I to the letter grade earned. The change of grade form must be submitted by the instructor to the registrar’s office by the last day to submit grades for the semester when the student’s completed coursework was due. Failure of the student to complete the work by the deadline will result in an automatic change of grade from I to F unless the dean’s office grants an extension.

Students may not graduate with an I grade on the transcript. Students with an incomplete should not register again for the course. An I carries no quality points until it is changed to a letter grade.