Retention Standards – Undergraduate Students
Academic Progress
It is all students’ responsibility to be aware at all times of the quality of their academic work and to maintain satisfactory progress toward curriculum completion. When students are in doubt concerning the quality of their work, they should request a conference with the instructor or instructors concerned.
Although students are encouraged to complete their undergraduate programs in four years, the College sets no time limit on the number of semesters a continuously enrolled student may spend in pursuit of a degree. Students can accelerate and complete their programs in a shorter time if their personal circumstances and availability of offerings permit.
Class Year
A student’s class year is defined by the number of semester hours earned (including transfer credits), as follows:
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Freshman |
0 – 24 s.h. |
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Sophomore |
25 – 56 s.h. |
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Junior |
57 – 89 s.h. |
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Senior |
90 s.h. and above |
Academic Probation and Dismissal – Matriculated Students
Any student whose cumulative grade point average (established by grades earned at Oneonta) falls below 2.00 is either placed on academic probation or dismissed from the College.
The following cumulative grade point averages are used to identify students who are subject to routine dismissal for academic reasons. These may not necessarily apply in instances in which the student’s most recent semester average is above 2.00:
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First semester freshmen: |
1.25 or higher overall GPA |
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First semester transfers: |
1.50 or higher overall GPA |
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All second semester students: |
1.75 or higher overall GPA |
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All other students: |
2.00 or higher overall GPA |
Note: Transfer grades are not used in the calculation of the overall GPA.
These minimum retention standards supersede any previously published standards and became effective fall 2005.
Students may be dismissed for failure to maintain academic progress even if they achieve the above cumulative grade point averages or a cumulative average of 2.00 if in the judgment of the Committee on Student Progress and Status their performance is insufficient for retention. Students need not be on probation before being dismissed.
The Committee on Student Progress and Status reviews the records of undergraduate students who are making unsatisfactory progress at the end of each academic period. The Committee may decide to dismiss, place on probation, continue on probation, or declare a student ineligible to register until certain conditions are met. The Committee also considers applications for readmission or reinstatement, waivers of degree or residency requirements, and appeals from earlier decisions.
Students dismissed for academic deficiencies may submit a written appeal. This appeal must be submitted to the chair of the Student Progress and Status Committee who issued the dismissal letter and should contain a report of clearly documented extenuating circumstances contributing to poor academic performance. An academic dean will present the appeal to the Committee on Student Progress and Status. Students dismissed for academic deficiencies will not be considered for readmission before the passage of at least one calendar year following dismissal and completion of at least 12 semester hours of academic course work at another college with a grade point average of at least 2.50.
Membership of the Committee consists of the division deans, two representatives from the Office of Student Development, the Registrar, the Director of Special Programs, and five faculty members appointed by the Provost. A student may appeal in writing, a decision of the Committee, but students do not meet with the Committee.
Academic Probation and Dismissal – Pre-Matriculate Students
Students who have not been admitted to a degree program and who are taking undergraduate courses through Continuing Education are expected to maintain a 2.0 grade point average. Students are placed on probation whenever their semester GPA falls below a 2.00, even if their cumulative GPA is above 2.00. Any student whose cumulative GPA either falls below or remains below 2.00, is placed on probation, continued on probation, or dismissed from the College. Review for retention of pre-matriculate students is done by the Director of Continuing Education.
Retention Standards – Graduate Students
Degree Students
Graduate students are expected to maintain semester and cumulative GPAs of at least 3.0. At the end of each semester, the Divisional Dean will review the transcripts of all currently enrolled graduate degree students. Students with a cumulative or semester grade point average below 3.0 will be academically dismissed or placed on academic probation. In consultation with the academic department, the Dean will notify these students in writing of their academic standing.
Students will be academically dismissed when they fail to make progress toward degree completion. Situations that result in academic dismissal include:
- Failing to earn the minimum required semester and/or cumulative GPA, except as noted below
- Earning grades that make it unfeasible for the student to obtain a GPA that meets the minimum standard within the allotted probationary period described below
- Failing to earn minimum grades within the declared program of study
- Failing to successfully defend or amend the thesis proposal or thesis
- Failing to meet minimum standards for passing comprehensive exams
- Being ineligible for or failing to successfully complete field placement
- Failing to meet the remedial plan as outlined in Division of Education Fair Practice policies
Students may be placed on academic probation when their semester or cumulative GPA falls below 3.00 for the first time in their graduate career.
- If a full-time student is placed on probation, the student will have one semester to achieve a minimum (3.0) cumulative grade point average.
- If a part-time student is placed on probation, the student must achieve a minimum (3.0) cumulative grade point average by the time 12 additional credit hours are earned.
- These time limits will be conveyed to the student in writing when the student is notified of his/her probationary status.
- For both full and part-time students, failure to clear probation within the specified time or failure to maintain a 3.0 cumulative or semester grade point average each semester subsequent to the probationary period will result in dismissal.
Academically dismissed students have the right to appeal their dismissal and must do so in writing. The written appeal and accompanying documentation must be delivered to the Office of Graduate Studies. The Graduate Appeals Committee will adjudicate the appeal. The written appeal, accompanying documentation, CAPP document, academic transcript, student file, a complete audit of the student’s academic history on Banner, and any information from the department will be used in deliberations.
When a student is academically dismissed, that student is ineligible to register for courses at the College. If the student wishes to return to graduate study at the College at a later time, s/he must apply for readmission
Non-degree Graduate Students
Non-degree students are expected to maintain the same academic standards as degree graduate students. Students not maintaining a minimum grade point average of 3.00 may be precluded from taking additional coursework at the College.
Taking graduate courses as a non-degree student does not guarantee that any student will subsequently be admitted to a degree program. Additionally, coursework in which a non-degree student earns below a “B” may not be applied subsequently to a degree program.
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