Administrative Procedure 4225

Students may only repeat a credit course for a maximum of three (3) repeats, in which any combination of a substandard grade (D, F, NP, NC, or FW) was received or the student withdrew from the course with a “W”.

• For the first repeat (second attempt) there is no petition required. A student can proceed to repeat the course.
• For the second repeat (third attempt) a petition requiring counselor approval is required. (Student returns this approved petition to Admissions & Records along with transcript highlighting repeated courses).
• For the third repeat (fourth attempt), the petition is initiated with a counselor. It requires Dean of Student Success/Dean of Counseling and Matriculation/Dean of Counseling/Division Dean/or Vice-president of Student Affairs for approval.

When a student repeats a class to alleviate substandard academic work, the previous grade and credit shall be disregarded in the computation of grade point averages.

The policies and procedures adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) may:

1. Designate certain types of courses as “repeatable courses” consistent with the requirements of section 55041 (see AP 4227).
2. Permit a student to repeat a course in an effort to alleviate substandard academic work consistent with requirements on of section 55042 (see above).
3. Permit or require a student to repeat a course due to significant lapse of time consistent with the requirements of section 55043 (See AP 4228).
4. Permit a student to repeat a portion of a course, other than a physical education, visual arts, or performing arts course, offered for variable units on an open-entry/open-exit basis which the student previously completed only under the circumstances described in section 55044 (see AP 4229).
5. Permit a student to repeat a course which is not designated as a repeatable course, regardless of whether substandard academic work was previously recorded, where the district determines, consistent with section 55045, that there are extenuating circumstances which justify the repetition.
6. Permit a student to repeat a course in cooperative work experience under the circumstances described in section 55253. When a cooperative work experience course is repeated pursuant to that section, the grade received each time shall be included for purposes of calculating the student's grade point average.
7. Permit a student with a disability to repeat a special class for students with disabilities any number of times based on an individualized determination that such repetition is required as a disability-related accommodation for that particular student for one of the reasons specified in section 56029. The district policy may allow the previous grade and credit to be disregarded in computing the student's GPA each time the course is repeated.
8. Permit a student to repeat a course determined to be legally mandated as defined in section 55000, regardless of whether substandard academic work has been recorded. Such courses may be repeated for credit any number of times. The governing board of a district may establish policies and procedures requiring students to certify or document that course repetition is legally mandated.
9. Permit a student to petition the district to repeat a course as a result of a significant change in industry or licensure standards such that repetition of the course is necessary for the student's employment or licensure. Such courses may be repeated for credit any number of times. The governing board of the district may establish policies and procedures requiring students to certify or document that there has been a significant change in industry or licensure standards necessitating course repetition.

(b) The policies and procedures adopted by the district pursuant governing board of each community college district pursuant to subdivision (a) may not permit student enrollment in active participatory courses, as defined in section 55000, in physical education, visual arts or performing arts that are related in content, as defined in section 55000, more than four times for semester courses or six times for quarter courses. This limitation applies even if a student receives a substandard grade or “W” during one or more of the enrollments in such a course or petitions for repetition due to extenuating circumstances as provided in section 55045.

(c)  When course repetition occurs pursuant to this section, the student's permanent academic record shall clearly indicate any courses repeated using an appropriate symbol and be annotated in such a manner that all work remains legible, insuring a true and complete academic history.

Repeatable Courses

Administrative Procedure 4227

Districts may only designate the following types of courses as repeatable:

• Courses for which repetition is necessary to meet the major requirements of CSU or UC for completion of a bachelor’s degree; . The governing board of a district must retain supporting documentation that verifies that the repetition is necessary to meet the major requirements of CSU or UC for completion of a bachelor’s degree. The supporting documentation must be retained by the district as a Class 3 record basic to audit as required by section Title 5 §§ 59020 et seq.;
• Intercollegiate athletics, as defined in Title 5 § 55000; and
• Intercollegiate academic or vocational competition courses., as defined in Title 5 § 55000, where enrollment in the course and courses that are related in content, as defined in 55000, is limited to no more than four times for semester courses or six times for quarter courses. This enrollment limitation applies even if the student receives a substandard grade or “W” during one or more of the enrollments in such a course or petitions for repetition due to extenuating circumstances as provided in Title 5 § 55045.

The District must identify and designate such repeatable courses in its catalog.

When a course is repeated pursuant to this section, the grade received each time shall be included for purposes of calculating the student’s grade point average, except if the course is repeated pursuant to another section of this chapter that permits district policy to allow the previous grade(s) to be disregarded.

The petition for requesting permission to repeat the course is available at each college’s Counseling office. Once completed, the form must be submitted to the Admissions & Records office of the college.

Course Repetition - Significant Lapse of Time

Administrative Procedure 4228

A “significant lapse of time” is a period of three years or longer.

• In addition to permitting course repetition in the circumstances described in other provisions of this article, a district may also permit or require repetition of a course where the student received a satisfactory grade the last time he or she took the course but the district determines that there has been a significant lapse of time of no less than 36 months since that grade was obtained and:
  • the District has properly established a recency prerequisite for a course or program pursuant to Title 5 California Code of Regulations § 55003; or
  • another institution of higher education to which the student seeks to transfer has established a recency requirement which the student will not be able to satisfy without repeating the course in question. Pursuant to petition, a district may allow repetition where less than 36 months have lapsed pursuant to this subdivision if the student documents the repetition is necessary for the student’s transfer to the institution of higher education.
• If the district determines that a student needs to repeat an active participatory experience course, as defined in Title 5 California Code of Regulations § 55000, in physical education or visual or performing arts, or an active participatory experience course that is related in content, as defined in Title 5 California Code of Regulations § 55000, due to significant lapse of time, that repetition shall be counted in applying the limit on repetitions set forth in Title 5 California Code of Regulations § 55040(c) except that, if the student has already exhausted the number of repetitions permitted under subdivision (c), an additional repetition due to significant lapse of time may be permitted or required by the district.
• When a course is repeated pursuant to this section, the district policy may allow the previous grade and credit to be disregarded in computing the student’s Grade Point Average (GPA).

Course Repetition - Variable Units

Administrative Procedure  4229

Students may be permitted to enroll in variable unit open-entry/open-exit courses as many times as necessary to enable them to complete the entire curriculum of the course once.

Students may not repeat variable unit open-entry/open-exit courses unless:

• The course is required for legally mandated training; or
• The course is a special class for students with disabilities which needs to be repeated; or
• Repetition of the course is justified by extenuating circumstances; or
• The student wishes to repeat the course to alleviate substandard work.

A student may not enroll in a variable unit open-entry/open exit active participatory course in physical education, visual arts, or performing arts more than one time.