Course Repetition & Re-Enrollment
Under certain limited conditions, students at SMC may potentially enroll a maximum of four times in a course in which they have earned unsatisfactory grades and/or had a W (Withdrawal) recorded in their permanent record. The information below presents an overview of Santa Monica College’s policies on course repetition and re-enrollment. For complete details, please see “Repetition of Unsatisfactory & Satisfactory Coursework” (SMC AR 4340) and “Re-Enrollment after Withdrawal Coursework” (SMC AR 4341), available online at www.smc.edu/Policies/Policies/AdminRegulations.htm (click on the “Section 4000—Student Services” link).
Course Repetition
Santa Monica College permits students to repeat courses they have already completed, but only under special circumstances authorized by California Code of Regulations Title 5 §58161. Students may repeat courses at SMC if the courses are:
1. Courses that were originally completed with an unsatisfactory grade of D (1.0), F (0.0), or NP (No Pass); or
2. Refresher courses needed to advance to a higher level, when the original course was completed at least three (3) years prior to repeating it; or
3. Courses the College has designated as repeatable; or
4. Courses needed for training required by law for certain types of employment.
Santa Monica College has designated selected courses as being repeatable up to a specified number of times (repeat maximums are stated next to course titles in the Course Descriptions section of this catalog and in the Schedule of Classes). In some cases, courses designated as repeatable are grouped together according to an activity. An activity-based course may include several levels, but may also have a cumulative course repeatability of three (i.e., a total of four course completions is permitted). For example, KIN PE 48A, KIN PE 48B, KIN PE 48C, and KIN PE 48D are grouped together because they are all courses in swimming. A student who repeats KIN PE 48A (two course completions: taking the course initially, and repeating the course), and then completes KIN PE 48B and KIN PE 48C, has accumulated four completions in a group of courses. As a result, that student may not enroll in KIN PE 48D, because doing so would exceed the maximum number of course repetitions that are permitted.
A student who wishes to repeat a course in which an unsatisfactory grade was earned may re-enroll ONE TIME without the need to request prior permission to do so from a counselor. Any subsequent attempts to re-enroll require authorization from a counselor BEFORE ENROLLING, and will most likely NOT be granted.
Repeating a course that a student completed with an unsatisfactory grade the first time can potentially lead to an improved SMC grade point average. If a student repeats a course and earns a better grade than the one originally earned, the new grade will be used to recalculate the student’s GPA (the original grade will remain in the student’s permanent record, as required by Title 5 §55762, but will have a notation to indicate that the course was repeated).
For example, if a student takes English 1 for the first time and earns a D (1.0), then repeats the course and earns a C (2.0), the original D will be disregarded (although it will still appear on the student’s transcript, noted to show the course repetition), and the C (2.0) will be used to recalculate the student’s GPA.
Please note that the only grade that may be used for recalculation and improvement of a student’s GPA is the grade the student earns upon repeating a course the first time, and only if both attempts at taking the course were made at Santa Monica College. This policy does NOT apply to courses taken at other colleges or universities. If the student earns an unsatisfactory grade upon repeating a course—which is to say, the student completes the same course with an unsatisfactory grade for a second time—then even if the student receives special permission to repeat the course yet again, the recalculation of the student’s GPA with the most recently earned grade will not be permitted.
Repeating a course that a student originally completed with a grade of A (4.0), B (3.0), C (2.0), or P (Pass) will have no effect on the student’s GPA or units completed, and is only permitted after the student files a written request and receives approval to repeat the course, and only if the student is repeating the course under one of the special circumstances listed above.
Re-Enrollment in Course after receiving a “W”
Santa Monica College will permit students who enrolled in a course, did not complete the course at the time, and had a W (Withdrawal) recorded in their permanent record as a result, to re-enroll in the course under certain limited conditions.
A student who enrolls in a course for the first time and receives a W may re-enroll in the course one time (i.e., sign up for the course a second time) without the need to request prior permission from a counselor. The W will remain a part of the student’s permanent record, but when the student completes the course, the W will be offset by the new grade the student earns.
If that new grade is an unsatisfactory grade, however, and the student wishes to repeat the course, the student must meet with a counselor and request permission to re-enroll in the course a second time (i.e., sign up for the course a third time). When the student completes the course, the W and the previously earned unsatisfactory grade will be disregarded, and the new grade (A-F, P, NP) the student earns this time will be used to recalculate the student’s GPA.
For any subsequent attempt at re-enrollment due to a student’s being unable to complete the course after a second re-enrollment (i.e., receiving two Ws after signing up three times for the course), a student must have documented evidence of extenuating circumstances—for example, an accident, illness, required military service, or other circumstances beyond the student’s control—and is required to receive approval from the Dean of Counseling and Retention or designee. Please note that if a student receives special authorization to re-enroll more than twice in a course, the student’s most recent grade does not replace any previous Ws earned for the purposes of determining progress probation status.