Academic Renewal

Students who withdraw from the University following one or more terms of poor academic performance occasionally return to the University to continue their education.

Their prior low GPA may not be indicative of their potential and may pose a significant challenge to achieving University standards of acceptable academic performance. Prior low grades may also serve as a deterrent to re-enrollment to resume study. Academic Renewal is designed to give returning students a second chance by providing an opportunity to remove a certain portion of prior course work from grade point computation.

Academic Renewal Qualifications

  • A student enrolling at Michigan Tech after an absence of five (5) years or more may elect Academic Renewal. This renewal will affect only those courses taken prior to the five (5) year absence and may be elected only once Academic Standing will be initialized to ‘Good Standing’ for students electing Academic Renewal.
  • Academic Renewal is open only to undergraduate students admitted into a degree program. Academic Renewal is forfeited if a degree program is not completed.
  • Academic Renewal must be invoked prior to graduation and is not available to students who have previously completed requirements for a Michigan Tech bachelor’s or associate degree.
  • If more than one term is elected for Academic Renewal, the terms must be consecutive and have been completed within a maximum of two (2) calendar years for Bachelor’s degrees or one (1) calendar year for Associate’s degrees.
  • A student receiving a bachelor’s or associate degree from Michigan Tech must meet the University residency for graduation requirement in the interval between the most recent course work elected for renewal and the completion of courses at Michigan Tech.
  • To qualify for Academic Renewal, a student must have an overall GPA below 2.0 for the renewal period.
  • Renewal will apply to all courses taken during the period for which it is elected regardless of the grade earned. No course credit is granted for any courses in Academic Renewal terms. Academic Renewal courses are not subject to the existing Repeat Policy rules.
  • All courses and grades in Academic Renewal terms will remain on the student’s transcript with a notation that “Academic Renewal has been granted.” All grades will be annotated with an ‘R’ indicating Renewal, e.g., RD or RF. Grades thus annotated will be excluded from University grade point average computation.
  • Academic renewal is a policy of Michigan Technological University. As such, students should be aware it may not be recognized by outside institutions or agencies (e.g., Michigan Department of Education, other universities and colleges).

Once elected, Academic Renewal is irrevocable. Students must consult with their academic advisor prior to election of Academic Renewal. Signed application forms will be processed and retained by the Registrar’s Office.