Academic Difficulty
Students having academic difficulty may be asked to withdraw from specific courses, be placed on academic probation, be academically suspended, or dismissed from the University.
Required Course Withdrawal—The Dean of Students Office may, on the recommendation of the department chair, require students to withdraw from any course or courses in which their preparation, progress, effort, or conduct is deemed unsatisfactory.
Academic Probation—Students who are not making satisfactory progress toward a degree are placed on academic probation. Academic probation is a strong warning to students that their scholastic performance is less than that expected by the University. Notices of academic probation are sent to students at the same time grades are available at the end of the semester. Failure to improve after receiving a probation notice can result in academic suspension or dismissal from the University (see below).
A student seeking an undergraduate degree is placed on academic probation when any of the following is true:
- The University cumulative GPA is below 2.00.
- The GPA for the most recent semester is below 2.00.
- The cumulative departmental GPA is below 2.00, based on at least 16 credits.
A student on academic probation will be removed from probation when all of the following are true:
- The University cumulative GPA is 2.00 or greater.
- The GPA for the most recently completed semester is 2.00 or greater.
- The cumulative departmental GPA is 2.00 or greater, based on at least 16 credits.
Academic Suspension and Dismissal—A student is eligible for academic suspension if the cumulative GPA is below 2.0 after a semester of academic probation or if the student is not restored to good academic standing after two semesters of probation regardless of the cumulative GPA. A student who receives a notice of academic suspension will not be permitted to enroll at the University for a specified period of time.
Upon receiving a first notice of academic suspension, a student must sit out for at least one semester, plus a summer. That is, a student suspended at the end of a fall semester may not re-enroll until the following fall, and a student suspended at the end of a spring semester may not reenroll until the following spring. Upon receiving a second notice of academic suspension, a student must sit out two semesters, plus a summer. Upon reinstatement after a second suspension, failure to achieve good academic standing or show substantial academic progress within one semester will result in academic dismissal. There is no opportunity for reinstatement after academic dismissal.
Appeals of Academic Suspension/Dismissal— Appeals of academic suspension/dismissal will be considered if students can document that there are unusual or extenuating circumstances surrounding their recent academic performance. They must also be confident that they will be able to show significant academic progress. Students wishing to make such an appeal must do so in writing to the dean of students.
Reinstatement—A student suspended for unsatisfactory academic progress may apply for a reinstatement through a written request to the dean of students after a period of nonenrollment. A student who is reinstated after academic suspension will be reinstated on academic probation, and shall be considered as having enrolled under the catalog and curriculum in effect at the time of reenrollment.
Upon reinstatement, failure to achieve good academic standing or show substantial academic progress by the end of one semester will result in a second suspension. Upon reinstatement after a second suspension, failure to achieve good academic standing or show substantial academic progress within one semester will result in academic dismissal. There is no opportunity for reinstatement after academic dismissal.
