Maintaining Academic Standing

Requirement to Maintain Academic Standing

Graduate, post baccalaureate, and credential students, must be aware of the rules to maintain academic standing, and how it can be lost.

Academic Notice and Disqualification

Graduate, post baccalaureate, and credential students can maintain good academic standing by sustaining a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above. Students may find themselves on academic notice if their cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 following a semester which is reported on the transcript. Academic Notice students will remain in that status if the following term GPA is at least 3.0 and the cumulative GPA remains below 3.0, thus it is possible to remain on academic notice for successive semesters as long as semester GPAs are at least 3.0 and the cumulative GPA remains below a 3.0.  

Once the cumulative GPA returns to 3.0 or above, the student is returned to good academic standing, however, it is possible for students to return to academic notice any time their cumulative GPA falls below 3.0.  Graduate students on academic notice or continued academic notice will be academically disqualified when the term GPA for a fall, winter, spring or summer term completed while on academic notice is below a 3.0.

Reinstatement following disqualification may be accomplished in four ways via the Graduate Petition for Reinstatement, which must be initiated by the Graduate Program Coordinator.

• Program of Study: Enroll in 6-9 units of Graduate Coordinator approved
  undergraduate courses (100-level) via Open University and earn a 3.3 overall GPA for those approved courses. Courses must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator which may possibly be used for program credit. Graduate courses (200-level) are not permitted for a Program of Study. Note that the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters have specific deadlines to apply for a Program of Study.

• Grade change (IC to letter grade, grading error): In some cases, a student may have had a grade or grades which were erroneously posted and impacted a student’s semester such that a student’s academic standing goes from probation to disqualification. Thus, a subsequent grade change may recalculate the term GPA such that the academic standing may be impacted to change from disqualification to either continued probation or good standing. In this case, reinstatement is made by selecting the Change of Grade Choice on the petition and attaching a copy of the change of grade form as soon as possible. 

• Extenuating circumstances: Approved retroactive course/semester withdrawal petitions following posting of academic standing may impact a student’s semester such that a student’s academic standing goes from probation to disqualification. Thus, a course withdrawal with a posted grade may recalculate the term GPA such that the academic standing may be impacted to change from disqualification to either continued probation or good standing. In this case, reinstatement is made by selecting the Extenuating Circumstances choice on the petition and attaching a copy of approved withdrawal petition form as soon as possible. 

• Special Consideration: This category is reserved for students returning after five or more years who wish to enter a new program or can demonstrate that life experiences have better prepared them for success in completing their program. Please contact the program Graduate Coordinator for more information.
  
  

Although a Petition for Reinstatement must be initiated by the Graduate Coordinator, a student should work closely with the Graduate Coordinator to provide correct information and to clearly understand the process of both reinstatement and readmission. International students must contact ISSS as the procedure for reinstatement differs and must work with an ISSS advisor to ensure VISA compliance.

Administrative Academic Probation and Disqualification 

In some instances, students will be placed on Administrative Academic Probation regardless of their cumulative GPA. Placement on Administrative Academic Probation can result when students withdraw from courses repeatedly, fail to make progress toward an educational objective or do not comply with an academic requirement. 

Students placed on Administrative Academic Probation will be notified in writing typically the first few weeks following the end of the semester and are provided with the conditions for release from Administrative Academic probation and the circumstances that would lead to Administrative Academic Disqualification should probation not be cleared. If the student is administratively disqualified, the student will be notified in writing. 

Students are strongly advised to check with their department regarding any special policies regarding Administrative Academic Probation and Disqualification. For more information on both Academic and Academic Administrative Probation and Disqualification and how to appeal decisions and apply for reinstatement please review the catalog. Policy S16-16 governs academic probation and disqualification.