Fresh Start Policy

Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) recognizes the fact that some students may attend the College prior to being actually ready to pursue a college education. Students may attend a semester or two and receive failing or near failing grades. Often the student may stop attending and return many years later only to have the grades from their previous academic endeavor negatively impact their current academic work.

Students returning to FLCC after an absence may petition to have their prior work excluded from their current cumulative grade point average (CGPA). A student who has been away from the College for five or more years may file a petition for a Fresh Start. If a student has less than a five-year absence from the College, but has extenuating circumstances that warrant a Fresh Start, the student may also petition the Associate Provost of Student Affairs, with appropriate documentation. The Associate Provost of Student Affairs may refer the petition to the Committee on Academic Standing who will consider the petition based on the documentation submitted. If the petition is approved, the student will be granted a Fresh Start.

If a student is granted a Fresh Start, the transcript will be modified as follows: grades of S (satisfactory) and C- or better will not be calculated in the CGPA, but the credit will count towards graduation requirements. The courses and grades would remain on the transcript to reflect an accurate academic history. Courses with grades of D+, D, D-, F, and U will also remain on the transcript to reflect an accurate academic history, but the grades would no longer be calculated into the CGPA, and the credit would no longer count towards graduation requirements.

Students can be granted only one Fresh Start petition during their academic career at Finger Lakes Community College and should petition during the first academic year of their return to college.

All documents will be retained by Student Records and stored in accordance with the record retention policy.