Policy Change Relaxes Grade Exclusion Requirements for Returning Students

Lake Land College Board of Trustees Meeting | Dec. 8, 2025

Article Summary: Trustees voted to reduce the waiting period required for students to apply for grade exclusion, lowering the threshold from five years to two years. The policy change is designed to remove barriers for students returning to college after a break.

Grade Exclusion Policy Key Points:

• New Timeline: Students now only need to be non-enrolled for two years, down from five, to be eligible for grade exclusion.

• Requirements: Returning students must complete 12 semester hours with a GPA of 2.0 or higher to qualify.

• Strategic Goal: The change aligns with the college’s motto, “Education that fits your life.”

The Lake Land College Board of Trustees on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, approved a revision to Board Policy 06.54, significantly reducing the time a student must be away from the college before they can wipe poor grades from their GPA calculation.

Under the previous policy, students had to be non-enrolled for five consecutive years before applying for grade exclusion. The revised policy reduces this requirement to two years.

Dr. Ikemefuna Nwosu, Vice President for Academic Services, told the board that the change removes “unnecessary barriers” and better aligns Lake Land’s policy with other institutions.

“More importantly, this change also reflects our strategic motto of ‘Education that fits your life’ — by offering a more flexible, student-centered policy,” Nwosu said.

The board waived the second reading of the policy to ensure the changes appear in the 2026-2028 catalog.