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Back to Policy Section III: Academic Affairs
Section III: Academic Affairs

Policy Number: III-1.30(A)

University of Maryland, College Park Policy and Procedures on Academic Clemency

(Approved by the President Amended )

Undergraduate degree-seeking students who have reenrolled at the University of Maryland in pursuit of their initial baccalaureate degree are eligible, after a separation of at least five calendar years from the University (determined by the last day of the last attended semester), for academic clemency. Academic clemency is granted one time only, and subsequent requests will be denied.

Application for academic clemency must be filed with the Office of Undergraduate Studies (or designee) as soon as possible, and before the end of the first semester of the student’s return to the University. Clemency will be recorded on the student’s record following the completion of the student’s first semester of reenrollment. Under clemency, up to 16 attempted credits of D+, D, D-, and F grades from courses previously completed at the University of Maryland will be removed from the calculation of the student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA).

Attempted credits and grades for which clemency is granted will:

  1. remain on the student’s transcript;
  2. not be used to satisfy degree requirements;
  3. be excluded from the student’s cumulative GPA calculation;
  4. remain included in the calculation of Latin Honors; and
  5. adhere to the institution’s repeat guidelines and be included in the student’s repeat limits.

The granting of clemency is contingent upon the student’s satisfactory completion of the initial semester of reenrollment, and will be recorded by the university at that time. If the student’s first semester of registration upon reenrollment is canceled, or the student withdraws from the semester, clemency will not be granted (and the student will retain the option of filing for clemency in the future).