Fredonia implements new Freshman Forgivness policy

Grades excluded from GPA after major change, personal issues

Kevin Hamm
Special to the leader

Fredonia implemented a new policy this year known as Freshman Forgiveness which allows students to apply to have poor or failing grades excluded from their GPA.

Freshman Forgiveness is the third installment Fredonia's Academic Forgiveness Policy and is, according to an official description written by Joseph Straight, mathematics professor and chair of the Academic Affairs Committee and college registrar Nancy Bowser, "designed for students who get off to a bad start as freshmen perhaps because they began in a major for which they are ill-suited." Straight said the policy is intended to level the playing field for new freshmen as compared to transfer students. Students who transfer into Fredonia already have a form of "forgiveness" since the university does not factor in GPAs from previous schools. Fredonia has long since offered a course retake option that is available for students who fail college core curriculum (CCC) classes. Students can apply for Freshman Forgiveness after they perform poorly in non-CCC classes they no longer need after a change in major.

"I can't emphasize enough how difficult it is going to be for students to get forgiveness," Bowser said. "Some people think this is going to be an easy way for people to slack off and then get a second chance- no. Students will have to submit written statements and will undergo intense scrutiny during the application process."

Applicants' records will be expected to show consistent improvement before qualifying for Freshman Forgiveness and forgiveness cannot be granted after a student accumulates more than 50 credits.

Straight said that applications will be evaluated by a nine-person committee of administrators and faculty members including representatives from student affairs and academic affairs, faculty members from each of the three colleges (arts and humanities, natural and social sciences and education) and a student.

As an example, Straight and Bowser created a scenario in which a student "begins as a math major, taking University Calculus 1, Computer Science 1, English Composition, Human Biology, and American Politics. He gets an A in American Politics, a C in English Composition, a D in University Calculus 1 and Fs in Computer Science 1 and Human Biology. He really likes his American Politics course and decides to change his major to political science. With the new major he pays more attention to his studies and makes the Dean's list second semester."

"This student would be a good candidate for Freshman Forgiveness. He could apply to have the grades in calculus and computer science forgiven. He might apply to have the biology grade forgiven, but chances are it would not be, since the student still needs to complete the Natural Sciences requirement in the CCC. Instead, the student would be advised to retake the course." The other two options in Fredonia's A'cademic Forgiveness policy are the Restart Option and Academic Bankruptcy. The Restart Option is for students who have an interruption in their studies at Fredonia, perhaps due to academic dismissal. Upon returning to the university and after the successful completion of at least 12 credits, a student may apply for this option, allowing a new grade point average to be established.

Academic Bankruptcy is intended for a student who normally maintains satisfactory marks, but whose grades suffer for one semester due to unusual or unfortunate circumstances including personal and family complications.

According to Virginia Horvath, vice president for academic affairs, Freshman Forgiveness is also designed to make room for students whose grades suffer due to more extenuating circumstances including personal and family complications. This rang true for one freshman childhood education major who asked that his name not be published. He said it was the first he had heard of the policy, but that he might end up needing it.

"My mother was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago," he said. "I have had to miss some classes already and I'll probably miss more when she goes into surgery."

Straight said the policy is in place, but that "there is always a period of adjustment."

"Everyone always says that college is the time for self discovery," said Josh Matecki, sophomore English major. "How are you supposed to discover yourself without making a few mistakes?"