Academic Clemency

Academic Clemency

Academic clemency provides an opportunity for persons to apply for a new undergraduate academic beginning at Southern University by disregarding their prior academic record. This policy permits students to begin their college studies again with no credits attempted and no quality points earned. Academic clemency may be awarded to a student only once and is applicable only to students enrolled and credits earned at Southern University. Academic clemency may be referred to as academic bankruptcy, academic amnesty, academic renewal, or academic pardon at other institutions.

The following criteria and conditions apply to a student eligible for academic clemency:

• Prior to applying for admission, at least five years must have elapsed since the end of the semester in which the applicant was last in attendance for credit at any college or university.
• The applicants must apply no later than the end of the first semester following reentry and must provide written justification why they should be granted academic clemency.
• The staff in the Office of Academic Affairs will review the application and make recommendations to the vice chancellor.
• If an applicant is granted academic clemency, no prior academic credits may be used as part of a degree program; however, the prior record, including probation and suspension, remains a visible part of the student's transcript.

If academic clemency is granted, the date of academic clemency is entered on the transcript along with a statement prohibiting use by Southern University of previously earned credits and quality points to meet degree requirements, to compute the grade point average, or to determine graduation status.

The student will have status as an entering freshman, and will begin a new record showing no credits attempted and no quality points earned.

A student demonstrating competency in a given area may be allowed advanced standing (without credit) or a waiver of requirements just as any entering freshman, but the student will not be allowed credit by examination for courses lost in academic clemency. Academic clemency does not affect accumulated financial aid history. Accumulated semester and award limits include all semesters of enrollment at any college or university.

Note: Many undergraduate professional curricula, graduate schools, and professional schools compute the undergraduate grade point average over all hours attempted when considering applications for admissions. Therefore, courses and grades placed in abeyance for academic clemency purposes may be used for some future evaluation.

Business Contact Information

The Office of the Registrar is located on the 1st Floor of T.H. Harris Hall, P.O. Box 9454, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70813. Phone: (225) 771-5050; Fax: (225) 771-5064