Maintaining “Good Academic Standing”
Colleges and universities define and apply measures of good academic standing to all matriculated students in two categories leading to degree completion: academic progress and academic pace.*
* In conjunction with this requirement, the federal government requires each college receiving funds from Title IV programs of financial assistance to maintain these standards. This federal requirement ensures that only those students who make satisfactory academic progress toward their degree objectives continue to receive financial assistance.
Academic Pace (formerly Academic Pursuit)
Each year, matriculated students who are in receipt of Federal, State or Institutional financial aid must complete a specified number of credits (see chart on page 206). Failure to meet these credit completion requirements will result in the student being placed on a financial aid warning semester. Subsequently, if the student then fails to meet the pace requirements, and wish to continue to receive financial aid, he/she will be required to create an academic plan, under the supervision of the Office of Academic Advisement.
Academic Probation Requirements
Students placed on academic probation due to lack of academic progress must adhere to the following conditions:
Students on academic probation for academic progress:
- May not enroll for an independent study, internship or re-search project.
- Will not receive approval for Maintenance of Matriculation.
- May not enroll for more than 12 credits in a fall or spring semester.
- Must meet with an advisor in the Office of Academic Advisement three times per semester; students who fail to do so will be dismissed.
Academic Progress
Matriculated students must attain and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 each semester, as well as cumulatively. Failure to achieve and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 places a student on academic probation for lack of academic progress. To resume satisfactory academic progress a student must raise his/her cumulative GPA to a level of at least a 2.0 over the next academic year or two semesters. Failure to achieve this goal will result in dismissal from the College.
Academic Review
At the end of each semester, students’ academic records are reviewed by the Office of Academic Advisement for academic progress and academic pace. Those students who fail to meet the academic progress requirement of a 2.0 cumulative GPA, and are therefore deemed not to be in good academic standing, are immediately placed on academic probation. Students placed on academic probation then have one year or two semesters to regain good academic standing or face dismissal from the College. It should be noted that probation is cumulative in that a student in poor academic standing who manages to raise his or her cumulative GPA to 2.0 or above in one semester but subsequently returns to poor standing in a future semester will have only one additional semester to regain good standing.
Academic Suspension
Academic suspension is recommended when, after two consecutive semesters in the College, a student has earned a cumulative GPA of 1.0 or less, and when even if mathematically possible, it would be highly unlikely for the student to achieve a 2.0 cumulative GPA over the next semester.
Students placed on academic suspension may not enroll in the College for a period of at least two consecutive semesters. To apply for re-entry, the student must meet the following requirements:
- Complete at least 12 credits at another accredited institution for at least one semester and earned a cumulative GPA there of 2.5 or better.
- Submit a letter of recommendation from a faculty member from the institution attended while on academic suspension.
- Provide the College with a completed judicial form from the institution attended while on academic suspension.
- Submit a personal statement to the Dean of Academic Advisement and Student Retention, along with a Re-Entry Application form.
- In addition, all re-entry applicants will be interviewed by the Dean of Academic Advisement and Student Retention, as part of the application process. All financial holds must have cleared to the satisfaction of the College prior to any re-entry consideration. Students whose re-entry application has been approved may petition for grade waivers in a maximum of four (4) MMC courses for which grades of D or F were earned, but were subsequently repeated at the institution attended while on academic suspension.
Dismissal from the College
Students placed on academic probation who do not meet the requirements of satisfactory academic progress within the prescribed time face dismissal from the College. The Dean of the Faculty in consultation with the Academic Standing Committee reviews the records of such probationary students and renders a decision on each student’s status. Academic dismissal will also be recommended when at any point during a student’s probationary status it is mathematically impossible for the student to attain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 within the prescribed probationary period. The College will also dismiss students when they are unable to remain in school without detriment to health or who, in the judgment of school authorities, fail to live up to required standards and regulations. The Vice President for Academic Affairs informs students by certified letter of a dismissal decision.
Dismissal/Suspension Appeal Process
A student who has been suspended or dismissed from the College may submit an appeal in writing to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.