Academic Clemency

To improve your academic record, if you have changed majors from one department or school to another or have left the University of Wisconsin-Platteville for at least 6 consecutive regular semesters, you may apply for academic clemency.

What is Academic Clemency?

If academic clemency is approved, the Registrar will mark your permanent academic record with an “Academic Clemency, new GPA calculated henceforth” notation and begin the computation of a new grade point average for all subsequent course work.

Am I Eligible?

You are not eligible for academic clemency if:

• You have a cumulative grade point average higher than 2.30
• You have already earned an associate or bachelor’s degree at UW-Platteville
• You want to receive academic clemency for one engineering major, and change to another engineering major
• You have already been granted academic clemency once

Details

• If you have more than one major, you must drop or change at least one of the majors in order to request academic clemency.
• Details on “D” grades:
  • If you have a grade point average of 2.00 to 2.30, and have earned 30 credits or more, credits in courses in which a grade of “D” or higher were earned will be counted toward graduation, but not necessarily toward a major or minor.
  • If you have a cumulative GPA less than 2.00 and have earned 30 credits or more, you may request academic clemency, but the credits in which a “D” was earned will not count toward graduation.
• All previous work shall remain on your official record, but the grades will not be used to calculate the cumulative grade point average. Your grade point average will be calculated on the basis of grades earned after the declaration of academic clemency.
• In order to graduate after electing this option, you must complete at least 32 credits of classes and earn a minimum 2.00 grade point average in those classes.
• If you are granted academic clemency, you are not eligible for academic honors at the time of commencement.
• When you are granted academic clemency, you must then follow the undergraduate catalog and educational requirements in place at the time of the declaration. In other words, you must follow the most recent catalog.
• If you had been officially undecided on a major at the time of the academic clemency request, you must then declare a major and follow the educational requirements of the major at the time of the declaration.
• Academic clemency will be rescinded if the you earn less than a 2.30 GPA in the first semester (or first 12 credits if not full time) following the request for clemency.
• Students who wish to file academic clemency must do so within one semester of the change of major or re-entry to UW-Platteville.
• Students who request academic clemency are not eligible to pursue their previous major without express permission from the dean of that college. The student’s cumulative grade point average will be recalculated. 
• Graduate programs and other universities may disregard a declaration of academic clemency in determining your eligibility for admission purposes.
• If you are receiving GI Bill^® benefits, consult the university Veteran’s Administration representative before electing the option of academic clemency. If you take this option, you may have to repay the VA for past benefits you have received.

Students should contact the Registrar’s Office at registrar@uwplatt.edu or 608.342.1321 for specific instructions regarding academic clemency.