Academic Clemency
(Undergraduates Only)
- Are you a former UM undergraduate student who did not graduate?
- Are you returning to UM to restart your undergraduate studies?
- Have you been out of college for at least 36 months/3 years?
- Could your UM grade point average (GPA) need some help?
If you answered yes to all the questions above, you may qualify for and benefit from Academic Clemency. Academic Clemency must be requested during readmission. Read the policy below to see if you qualify. Petition form is located at the end of the policy.
Policy from Bulletin
Academic Clemency is designed for former undergraduate students returning to the University of Montevallo whose UM GPA during previous enrollments make it impossible or highly unlikely for them ever to graduate. Academic Clemency offers former students the opportunity to resume their college studies with a realistic possibility of completing an undergraduate degree. Students who were suspended or expelled from the University for academic dishonesty or misconduct are not eligible for Academic Clemency. Academic Clemency may be awarded only once, cannot be awarded retroactively, and cannot be revoked. Established requirements for repeating classes, admission to, or progression in specific academic degree programs take precedence over this policy.
A former student may apply for Academic Clemency to the dean of the college in which the student intends to pursue a major if the student has not been enrolled at any academic institution for at least 36 months and has not previously been granted Academic Clemency at the University. The student must earn a 2.5 GPA or higher in at least 12 hours of degree-applicable coursework (approved by the dean) in the first term following readmission to the University in order for Clemency to be applied. Once Clemency has been earned, the following rules apply to the student’s academic record:
- Degree requirements will be in accordance with those in effect at the time of the student’s readmission.
- All previous academic work will remain on the student’s transcript with an appropriate notation, but the grades for previous work are not used in computing the UM GPA. Institutional courses in which grades of “C” or higher were earned during previous attendance may be applied to graduation requirements. Institutional courses in which grades of “D” were earned during previous college attendance may not be applied to graduation requirements.
- No adjustments will be made to previously accepted transfer coursework.
- After Clemency is granted, the student’s UM GPA will be recalculated beginning with the semester in which the student was readmitted to the University through the Academic Clemency process. The student’s academic standing in previous semesters will not be changed. Policies governing satisfactory academic progress, probation, and suspension will govern eligibility for continued enrollment following readmission.
- Students who are granted Academic Clemency may not receive undergraduate graduation honors.
Petition to seek undergraduate academic clemency
To petition, students must complete and submit the following form to their college dean. This form must be completed before the beginning of the semester of return.
Petition to Seek Academic Clemency Form
Questions?
The Registrar’s Office are available to answer questions you may have regarding clemency as well as identify the appropriate college dean to receive the petition.
The Registrar’s Office may be contacted at registrar@montevallo.edu or (205) 665-6040.