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Policy and Administrative Support

College of Engineering Policy of Reasonable Progress

2.0 Minimum In-Major GPA Policy

Upon completion of 36 or more credit hours at VCU, any student whose major GPA falls below 2.0 will be placed on in-school academic probation and will have an advising hold placed on his/her account. The student must meet with the student advising office and their faculty adviser to determine the courses to be taken the next semester. From that point forward, the student must maintain a semester minimum major GPA of 2.0. Upon failing to meet that standard, the student will be dismissed from the program.

Course Failures and Withdrawal Policy (Three Strikes Rule)

A student may attempt to complete each required major course a maximum of three times. When a student does not earn a minimum grade of C on the second attempt to complete the same major course (this will include instances in which the student withdraws from a class), the student will be notified and a hold will be placed on his/her account, prohibiting him/her from registering for classes. The student must meet with the student advising office and his/her faculty adviser to determine the courses to be taken the next semester.

More information on the Policy of Reasonable Progress

Academic Regulations Appeals Committee (ARAC)

The Academic Regulations Appeals Committee is an entity comprising representative from many units across VCU who consider appeals for exceptions to undergraduate program academic regulations. The committee typically meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month.  All matters discussed are confidential.

There are several types of appeals that can be made.  Please see the list of appeals that can be heard by ARAC along with information for preparing your appeal.

Students in the College of Engineering who wish to appeal a regulation must do so through the Office of Student Services.  To begin the appeals process, please make an appointment with the Director of Engineering Student Services by emailing engradvise@vcu.edu. 

In order to file an appeal, the student must prepare a written statement as to why the exception to the regulation is warranted.  This letter should include specific details as well as dates associated with the situation. it is very important that the student provide documentation, on letterhead (Dr.’s note, court papers, police reports, etc.) to support statements made in your letter.  Please note that letters from relatives and friends are not acceptable forms of documentation.

Once all materials for your appeal have been received, the appeal will be assembled and submitted to the committee where it will be heard and voted upon. Appeals are granted or denied based upon majority vote and are effective immediately.

Please be advised that some appeals, such as retroactive withdrawal or drop may have an effect on your financial aid award. This is the responsibility of the student to verify.

If you have questions or wish to begin the appeal process, please email engradvise with “ARAC” in the subject line or call 804-827-4010 to schedule an appointment.

Additional information regarding ARAC

Download a PDF document on preparing your ARAC Petition

Historical Repeat

Are you repeating a course this semester or have you already repeated a course?  Remember to turn in the Historical Repeat Form during the semester in which you are repeating a course.

Do any of these situations apply to you?

  • If you have previously taken a course and received a grade of D or F, and are taking/have already retaken the class and achieved a better grade, you can use Historical Repeat to remove the failing grade from your GPA calculation.  Please note that the failing grade does not disappear from your transcript, but is exempt from your GPA.
  • If you have failed a class twice and still need to take the class again, you can also submit the Historical Repeat to remove one of the failing grades from the calculation of your GPA.
  • If you are on academic warning or probation and have repeated a course(s), it is imperative that you turn these forms in prior to your GPA calculation for the semester.  It could potentially push your GPA up and back into Good Standing.
  • Grades of F assigned by the Office of Academic Integrity cannot be replaced by Historical Repeat.

You can use the Historical Repeat option only once for each course that you attempt.  If you have any questions, please see your adviser.

Once you fill out the form(s), please take it to the Student Services Center in Harris Hall.

Grade Review and Appeal

Students who feel they have been assigned a final grade inconsistent with  the syllabus or grading rubric have a right to appeal. It is the responsibility of the student to provide evidence that the grade is incorrect. Please note that grades assigned by the Office of Academic Integrity may not be appealed through this procedure.

In order to initiate a grade review, students should first meet with the professor of the course to discuss the grade and how it was determined. If the meeting does not result in a resolution, the student should then submit a written appeal for review to the chair of the department offering the course. Appeals to the chair must be submitted no later than 14 calendar days after the start of the next semester. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the appeal to the chair, the chair will forward the appeal to the dean who will form a grade  review committee.

Follow this link to bulletin for more information on the grade review/appeal process.