Failing in the First Semester

There is help! 

Below are options you might have.

Contact your academic advisor or Support Services for assistance!

If you have issues preventing your completion of a class and you have completed 75% or more of the course, your instructor could give you an incomplete for the class.

(This needs to be put in place before the semester ends.)

• The awarding of an incomplete is up to the instructor and the dean of the school; so, you should discuss this with your instructor as soon as possible before the end of the semester.

• If you have been given an incomplete, you will receive an "I" on your transcript, and you will be given a specified amount of time in which you must complete the remaining work for the class. 

  • If the instructor of the class is not working during the time given for your incomplete (ex., summer), find out who you can connect with if you have questions about the class content.

•  When you turn in your outstanding work, your instructor will remove the "I" and enter a grade for you.

IMPORTANT:  If a grade is not entered by your instructor by the end of a one-year period, the "I" will automatically be changed to an "F".  

Connect with Support Services to see what help you may receive to prevent the issues causing you problems in future classes. 

access@pierpont.edu   304-534-7878

 The status of Academic Probation is automatically applied to a student when the cumulative grade point average (GPA for all of the classes you have taken) falls below 2.0.

• The status of Academic Probation will be removed after the cumulative grade point average, based upon coursework taken at Pierpont, is 2.0 or higher.

• A student who is placed on academic probation may continue to enroll on a full-time basis, but will be limited to 15 semester hours. 

More information can be found in the 2022-2023 Student Handbook. 

Pierpont has an Academic Suspension program that you as a student should be aware of.  This program is as follows:

The academic records of students on probation will be reviewed at the end of each regular semester with regard to Academic Suspension. The following guidelines will be used in the review.

Academic Suspension occurs when a student’s cumulative grade point average, based upon coursework taken at Pierpont, falls below the minimum required GPA in relation to the overall attempted institutional and transfer hours (listed below).

Credit Hours*                             GPA

        16-29                                        1.45

        30-59                                         1.75

          60 +                                           2.00

               * Attempted hours at Pierpont plus transfer credits

• The Suspension list will be compiled at the end of the fall and spring semesters.

• Students will be placed on probation for one semester before they are subject to Academic suspension.

• Students can be placed on suspension if they have been on probation in any previous semester.

• No student with a current semester GPA of 2.0 or higher will be subject to academic suspension.

More information can be found on page 27  of the 2019-2020 Student Handbook. 

More Info About Academic Suspensions

• A student who is initially academically suspended from Pierpont will not be permitted to enroll in coursework at Pierpont for the following fall or spring full semester. One full fall or spring semester constitutes the required period of suspension.

• A student who is academically suspended twice from Pierpont will not be permitted to enroll in coursework at Pierpont for a full academic year. One full fall, spring, and summer semester constitutes the required period of suspension.

• A Pierpont student may be eligible for readmission after their first or second period of suspension is over, but must reapply through the Office of Admissions to have his/her Academic Suspension hold removed, and must schedule and meet with an academic advisor every two weeks to verify attendance and review course progress.

• Students who have been suspended three times from Pierpont will not be permitted to enroll in coursework at Pierpont for four full academic years (four fall, spring and summer semesters). Students may be eligible for readmission after the period of suspension is over but must reapply through the Office of Admissions to have his/her Academic Suspension hold removed, and must schedule and meet with an academic advisor every two weeks to verify attendance and review course progress.

• Suspension decisions may be appealed in writing and brought before the Admissions and Credits Committee. Each decision made by the Admissions Committee will be handled on a case by case basis.

• Pierpont will not accept credit for courses taken at an accredited higher education institution during the period in which a Pierpont student is suspended. 

If you are having significant problems and cannot make up the work, you do have the option to withdraw from college for the semester.  

We encourage all students to speak with their instructors, academic advisor, and/or reach out to Support Services before making any decisions on withdrawing.  

To withdraw, contact your academic advisor or Pierpont's Student Services advisors.  They will:

• Discuss with you any negative results from withdrawing from all of your classes

• Refer you to Financial Aid to learn how withdrawing would affect you financially now and how it might affect you receiving financial aid in the future 

• Check Pierpont's Academic Calendar to see when the last day to withdraw from a class is 

• If you still need to withdraw, they will connect you with the Registrar who will do that for you

Sierra Spitzer  shendershot@pierpont.edu    304-362-8162  

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Nancy Parks  nparks@pierpont.edu   304-367-4990  

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Student Services 304-367-4907