Scholastic Committee Guidelines: Petition guidelines for undergraduate students enrolling in a course a third time

Committee Guidelines

Starting with registration for fall 2013 classes, the University policy restricting course repetition is enforced by the registration system. This policy allows for one course repetition without special permission; the grade for the second enrollment will replace the grade for the first enrollment, and credit will be given only once.

In order to safeguard course access for all students and to encourage students to make steady progress, students wishing to enroll in a course a third time must receive approval from their college’s Student Scholastic Standing Committee. This approval will be given rarely, and normally only in the specific instances as detailed below.

Students who wish to take a course a third time:

• Must petition their home college Student Scholastic Standing Committee for approval.
• Students will be directed to the guidelines to help them consider whether a petition may be approved.
• The established guidelines are based on the assumption that few petitions will be approved.
• Colleges will now have more control over how and when students are allowed to repeat courses, allowing for adviser intervention when students pursue major programs in which they have not been successful, and helping to control access in high-demand courses.

Student Guidelines

• Students may only repeat a U of M course or its equivalent once.
• Petitions to request to take a course a third time are rarely approved.
• Petitions to take a course a fourth time will not be considered.

Requests for taking a course a third time are unlikely to be approved for the following reasons

The student:

• Wants to improve GPA
• Needs a better grade for admission to their major or graduate/professional school
• Wants to change probation/suspension status
• Can take an approved equivalent course at another nearby institution, either online or in person
• Did not realize the course couldn’t be taken a third time
• Earned a lower grade the second time the course was taken
• Did not take the course seriously the first two times
• Had a conflict with the instructor and/or teaching assistant
• Miscalculated the level of difficulty of the course, or took the course without taking an expected prerequisite course

Even though an instructor may suggest that a student repeat a course for a third time and/or supports the student’s request, this would not be acceptable grounds for approving a student’s petition.

Requests to enroll in a course for a third time may be considered for students who demonstrate one of the following:

• The course is needed for the student’s major (in which success has already been demonstrated) and there is no equivalent course available at another accessible institution.
• Student is returning to the University after 5 or more years absence and needs to repeat a course to continue in their program.

Process for approved petitions (Twin Cities specific)

When a petition is approved for a student to repeat a course, the college’s appointed Repeat Policy Representative will notify One Stop Student Services at [email protected] to adjust the student’s record. Approved petitions do not result in a permission number; One Stop staff will have access to override the student’s registration and will enroll the student directly into the course.

Petitions to repeat a course a third time should only be approved on a space available basis. No approvals should be given where the most recent (second) attempt of the course is still in progress.

If an equivalent course exists at a local institution, students should be directed there to complete the course, regardless of the merit of their petition.

Emailing One Stop to enroll a student in a course a third time

Must include:

• Subject line: Approved petition to repeat a course
• Student name
• University ID
• Term and year
• Course subject, course number, and section (ex. HIST 1001-001)
• Five digit class number
• Grading basis
• Permission number (if required)
• Term of the most recent attempt