Grade Forgiveness

There are certain circumstances in which an undergraduate student’s grade for a course may be “forgiven”, i.e., removed from the student’s major or cumulative GPA. In all cases, requests must be made in writing to the Registrar’s Office, and if approved, a notation appears next to each forgiven course on the student’s transcript.

To Meet the Graduation Requirement

In compliance with the requisite minimum cumulative and major grade point averages of 2.00 for graduation, it is within a student's prerogative, during their final academic year, to exercise the option of excluding from their final cumulative or major grade point average any course that is not indispensable for fulfilling graduation requirements, including the total number of academic credits. Notwithstanding, these grades shall still be documented on the official transcript; however, they shall not factor into the computation of the final cumulative grade point average.

Should a student fail to attain the minimum grade point average prescribed for their major, they shall make arrangements with the Chair of the department in order to achieve a 2.000 grade point average.

Repeating a Course

In an effort to enhance their cumulative or major grade point average, students have the option to retake a course. In cases where a course is repeated at Hartwick College, the highest grade earned will be utilized for calculation purposes. It is important to note that the repeated course will continue to be displayed on the official transcript; however, it will not be factored into the grade point average or contribute towards the total completed credits required for graduation.

The full policy is located here.