GPS Waiver Information

Appeals Petition

GPS Waiver Information

GPS Waiver and Replacement Policy

GPS courses focus on an introduction to college, the Compass Curriculum, and oral communication among other skills that will help you succeed at UCCS. Students who take GPS are more likely to graduate from UCCS as well as have better success in their courses. However, many students arrive at UCCS with comparable experiences and are not require to complete GPS.

The three most common exemptions to GPS requirements are all handled directly by your UCCS Advisor.

Please note that calculation of credit hours for GPS Waivers do not include credit by exam such as credit earned through AP, BI, CLEP, or DSST.

  • Students who matriculate with 30 or more credit hours are exempt from GPS 1010.
  • Students with 24-29 credits from colleges other than UCCS and a 2.4 GPA or higher need approval from their designated UCCS advisor to be exempt from GPS. You can contact your advisor on the UCCS Advising Website.
  • Students who have completed a course similar to GPS at another college may work with their designated UCCS advisor to determine if the course can be transferred as a substitute for GPS. You can contact your advisor on the UCCS Advising Website.

If students meet with their advisor and do not qualify under any of these categories, they may apply for exemption under the policy below.

  • Students who have completed 16 college credits after graduating high school and a GPA of 2.4 or higher may submit a petition to appeal to be exempt from GPS by completing the appeal form below. 
  • Submitting a petition is not a guarantee that the requirement will be waived. Petitions are evaluated and a decision on whether to waive or accept the replacement for the course is made by the Compass Director.

Review of Appeals

The Compass Curriculum Director is the ultimate authority for exceptions to requirements and policies for this campus-wide education program.

Student Information

 

Letter of Explanation

Petitions without an explanation will not be reviewed by the committee.

Please explain why you should be exempt from the GPS requirement. To be eligible for exemption you must have completed 16 college credits after graduating high school with a GPA of 2.4 or higher.

In your petition, please explain the experiences you have had which meet the learning objectives of UCCS’s version of GPS. Please reference specific real-world experiences such as career, military, academic, or other experience.

GPS Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Describe why a university education is important in the pursuit of personal and professional goals.
  2. Act as a responsible, ethical college student through the use of intellectual curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, analytical reading, and listening skills
  3. Sct as a civil and responsible university citizen through the development of necessary civic, ethical, and social competencies.
  4. Develop the self-advocacy skills to access personal, academic, professional and information technology support at UCCS.
  5. Analyze, apply, and integrate knowledge and skills as they relate to the disciplinary focus of the GPS section.
  6. Communicate effectively through writing to receive, comprehend, and convey information.
  7. Communicate effectively through a prepared, purposeful individual or group presentation.