Feature Request
We would like to request an enhancement to Course Mapping that would allow schools to manage GPA and credit inclusion separately for different enrollment periods within the same academic program.
Current Limitation
A student can have separate enrollment records for the same program with different entrance terms and start dates. However, Course Mapping currently displays a single list for that program, rather than distinguishing between the individual enrollment records.
We would like the ability to preserve the student’s earlier academic record while independently determining which courses, grades, and credits contribute to the new enrollment.
Requested Functionality
Within a single student profile, we would like to:
- Distinguish between separate enrollment records for the same program in Course Mapping.
- Independently select whether each course contributes to the cumulative GPA for each enrollment.
- Independently select whether each course’s earned credits contribute to the cumulative credit total for each enrollment.
- Preserve the original course records, letter grades, and historical term GPAs.
- Preserve the cumulative GPA associated with the earlier enrollment while calculating a separate cumulative GPA for the new enrollment.
- Clearly identify courses excluded from the new enrollment’s GPA or credit totals without replacing the original grades with a withdrawal status.
For example, a course completed during the earlier enrollment could remain part of that enrollment’s GPA and credit totals, while being treated in one of the following ways for the new enrollment:
For coursework completed during the earlier enrollment, we would like to preserve the original grades and historical GPAs while excluding those grades from the cumulative GPA for the new enrollment.
Separately, we would like to select which of those prior courses are approved to contribute earned credits toward the current degree. Prior courses that are not approved should remain in the historical record but contribute neither grades nor credits to the new enrollment’s cumulative totals.
Courses completed during the new enrollment should contribute to that enrollment’s GPA and credit totals as usual.
Use Case
This would support students returning after a prolonged absence who must meet current catalog requirements. Some previously completed courses may no longer meet current program requirements, while others may still be approved for credit.
Schools need a way to apply their academic renewal or readmission policies while preserving an accurate historical record and calculating a separate GPA for the new period of study.
Why the Suggested Workaround Does Not Fully Meet Our Needs
Populi Support suggested creating a custom “Academic Forgiveness” withdrawal status to exclude selected courses from GPA calculations. However, we understand that this approach would also change the original term GPAs.
Our goal is to retain the original academic history while controlling how prior coursework applies to the new enrollment, without creating duplicate student profiles or reclassifying our own institutional coursework as external transfer credit.