Academic Standards
Academic Standards
Academic standing is calculated at the end of the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Students and their advisors will be notified by the Chief Academic Officer if they are placed on Academic Alert, Academic Probation, Continued Academic Probation, or are Academically Dismissed.
Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher to be in good standing and eligible to graduate. Students failing to meet the 2.0 minimum standard will be placed on probation or dismissed. One exception is that freshmen will remain off of probation if they have a cumulative GPA of 1.75 and above.
1. Academic Alert – Students are placed on academic alert when their cumulative GPA is above the required threshold, but their semester GPA is between 1.0 -1.99. Freshmen will be placed on academic alert if their cumulative GPA is 1.75 -1.99, or if their semester GPA is between 1.0 -1.99.
2. Academic Probation – Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 (or 1.75 for freshmen) will be placed on probation. Similarly, students who have a cumulative GPA that meets the minimum standard but who have a semester GPA below a 1.0 will be placed on probation. Students will only receive one probationary semester.
Students on Academic Probation must meet with the Student Success Office either to develop or waive a Learning Contract. A Learning Contract details the steps that they will take to improve their academic record. The contract may include any of the following: restrictions on academic and non-academic activities; requirements for attendance at study sessions; required meetings with a faculty advisor; required meetings with a student academic coach; required tutoring or study sessions with an upper-division student; building a daily and weekly time-management plan; limiting the number of classes a student may take; building a class schedule that best fits the student’s needs and abilities; declaring a major; changing a major; building a multiple-semester academic course plan that leads to graduation; changing an academic advisor; retaking of certain classes; and requirements that academic performance meet a certain level during the upcoming semester.
If students on Academic Probation do not meet with the Student Success Office to either develop or waive a Learning Contract by the second day of the semester, they will be dropped from their enrolled classes and are subject to immediate dismissal.
3. Continued Academic Probation – Students are allowed to continue on probation if after their probationary semester they meet one or both of the following:
a. Students who fulfilled the steps of a Learning Contract by participating in a minimum of 90% of the meetings with tutors, academic coaches, and mentors, but who did not meet cumulative GPA standards at the end of the semester in which they were on academic probation will be allowed to continue on probation.
b. Students whose cumulative GPA is still below the minimum standard, but who earned at least a 2.2 semester GPA will be allowed to continue on probation.
Students who have returned to good academic standing after their probation semester should note that any subsequent semester in which they fall short of academic standards will result in being placed on Continued Academic Probation and they will not be granted a second semester on Academic Probation.
Students allowed to continue on probation must meet with the Student Success Office to develop a Learning Contract. Waiving a Learning Contract is not an option for students continuing on probation. If a student does not meet with the Student Success Office to develop a Learning Contract by the second day of the semester, they will be dropped from their enrolled classes and are subject to immediate dismissal.
4. Good Standing - A student is removed from Academic Probation or Continued Academic Probation when the semester and cumulative GPA meet the academic criteria at the end of a semester. Students who have been on probation will receive notice when they return to good academic standing.
5. Academic Dismissal – Students may be dismissed for any of the following reasons:
a. All students who have a cumulative GPA below 1.0 will be dismissed.
b. Students who do not have a 2.0 cumulative GPA or above at the end of their probationary semester who waived or did not complete 90% of their Learning Contract and who have not earned a semester GPA above a 2.2 will be dismissed.
While these are the typical reasons why a student might be academically dismissed, the college reserves the right to dismiss any student who fails to achieve minimum academic standards at any point during his or her college career. A dismissed student must wait at least one semester before applying for readmission to the College, and readmission is contingent on the approval of the Registrar and Dean of Student Success.
Dismissal Appeals
Students wishing to appeal their dismissal must submit an appeal letter to the Chief Academic Officer (CAO).
A. The appeal must be submitted within one week of being notified of the shortfall.
B. The student’s appeal must include:
- An explanation of why the student failed to meet Academic Standards; and
- A detailed explanation of how the student plans to improve their academic record.
C. Submission of an appeal is not a guarantee of approval.
- Dismissal appeals from a student who failed to pass (with a C or higher) either ENGL 100 College Writing Strategies or MATH 090 Developmental Mathematics will not be accepted.
- Dismissal appeals from a student who had three or more low grades (D+, D, or F) at midterm who did not actively participate in the plan developed by Student Success to address the low grades during the semester will not be accepted.
D. The Inter-School Academic Affairs Committee (ISAAC), the Financial Aid Director, and the Director of Student Success will review the appeal, and the CAO will notify students if their appeal was accepted or denied.
E. If the appeal is approved, the University will allow the student to continue enrollment.
- The student will be placed on Academic Probation (if they have not been on probation before) or Continued Academic Probation (if a probationary semester has been received) status.
- Students must develop a Learning Contract with the Student Success Office. Waiving a Learning Contract is not an option.
F. If the appeal is denied, the student will not be eligible to remain enrolled as a student, and must sit out for a minimum of one semester before being eligible to be considered for readmittance to the institution.
G. Any dismissed student who successfully applies for readmission will be on Academic Probation (if they have not been on probation before) or Continued Academic Probation (if a probationary semester has been received) status during the first semester of their return to the college.
Extraordinary Hardship Appeal
A student whose underachievement occurred under extraordinary circumstances, of rare and extreme hardship, may be permitted to appeal any probation or dismissal status. This type of appeal must be accompanied by appropriate documentation, and may include:
- Death in the family
- Serious illness of an immediate family member
- Medical complications or prolonged illness or injury of the student
- Serious misapplication (by the College) of college standards, due to misinformation or error.
An extraordinary appeal, if successful, would reverse Academic Dismissal status and permit the student to continue under the appropriate academic status (Academic Probation or Continued Academic Probation). Students wishing to appeal because of an extraordinary hardship would follow the same procedure as stated above, but must also include documentation of the hardship.
Requirements to receive Financial Aid vary from Academic Standards. Students may be academically qualified to register for classes, but not eligible for financial aid. Please see the financial aid section for more information about the financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.
Students majoring in education should note that a higher GPA is required for the major than is generally required for the institution. Education majors placed on probation or dismissed should review the School of Education handbook with their advisor.