Two Political Science Majors Succeed in Changing a Stony Brook Retake Policy

For years, undergraduate students have expressed their discontent with Stony Brook’s course retake policy. 

This year, thanks to the efforts of two political science students, the policy will change to one that is more “forgiving.”

Under the current policy, if a student retakes a class multiple times, each grade is calculated into their GPA. So if a student fails a class and then aces it, their grade for that class will be a C. 

“This has been a longstanding issue for Undergraduate Student Government administration. It wasn’t a very forgiving retake policy that supported and recognized student growth and success,” said Sarah Elbaroudy, Undergraduate Student Government (USG) vice president of university affairs, who co-led the effort to change the policy. “It can be very difficult to bounce back after a bad semester.”

When the new policy goes into effect in Summer 2025, if a student fails and then aces the same class, only the A will be calculated into their GPA. 

“I think the reason we figured out how to get it passed was we talked in the language of the administration; we worked really hard to connect this to retention,” said Luca Rallis, who serves as the assistant to the vice president of university affairs at USG.

Elbaroudy and Rallis advocated for the new policy in part by saying the current policy is harmful to student mental health and long-term success. They also said it increases academic pressure and reduces a student’s interest in academic improvement. 

Over the summer, Elbaroudy researched other university course retake policies to set a benchmark, both across the State University of New York system and with Stony Brook’s peers in the Association of American Universities. They found that many peer institutions have a policy similar to the one Stony Brook will implement this summer. 

The pair brought their ideas to different administrators and university governance bodies to seek feedback and buy-in. Based on that feedback, the pair altered their proposal to limit the opportunity for retakes to students whose original grade did not satisfy degree requirements, and to keep the original grade listed on the transcript, though not included in the GPA.

“I am pleased that this new, more compassionate policy will be implemented and applaud Sarah and Luca for their thoughtful, well-researched advocacy. This change reflects shared governance at its best: where someone can come forward with an idea, usher it through the levels of decision making, and ultimately succeed because the majority agrees it is the right course of action,” said Carl Lejuez, executive vice president and provost. “I commend and thank all who were involved in this decision-making process, particularly our students whose efforts will support the academic success of their peers and generations of students to come.”

“I want to thank Sarah Elbaroudy and Luca Rallis for developing a thoughtful and appropriate course retake policy that the Undergraduate Council could support,” said Brenda Anderson, president of Stony Brook University Senate. “They have each invested a great deal of time and energy in finding ways to improve our campus. This is just one example of their exceptional leadership.”

For political science majors Elbaroudy and Rallis, their success in advocating for their peers and future Stony Brook students helps prove to both of them that they are on the right academic and professional track.

Rallis already works for a small political consulting agency, High Peak Consulting Group, which he co-founded shortly before graduating high school, and serves as the executive director of policy and government relations for the SUNY Student Assembly. When he graduates in May, he plans to pursue a career in lobbying and government relations.

Elbaroudy, a junior who is double majoring in sociology as well, plans to pursue a graduate degree and career in higher education administration. A member of the SUNY Student Assembly, she won the Outstanding Advocacy Award at the group’s fall conference.

“I didn’t expect this policy change to happen; it seemed really ambitious. To get it passed in only three months, that was huge,” she said. “It only reflects positively on Stony Brook’s relationship with students.”