ACADEMIC STANDING
Academic standing is based on a student’s overall grade point average (GPA), exclusive of transfer work.
The grade point average alone, however, does not tell the full story of a student’s academic
performance, as student may use late drops or grade option conversions to inflate the GPA.
Additionally, a student who has performed well for several semesters may hit a snag and have a
semester or two of low grades before reaching Academic Probation.
1. Good Standing and Dean’s List
A student’s overall GPA is at 2.000 or higher. The student is eligible to take up to 21 credits without an
advisor’s authorization. When reviewing a request for a credit overload, look at how many credits the
student has successfully completed in the most recent 2 or 3 semesters, then add one course to get the
maximum recommended load. The advisor and student need to be realistic about what can reasonably
be accomplished.
- Dean’s List distinction is awarded when the term GPA is 3.5 or greater in at least 9 credits
with no grades of C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F, NC or NCR.
- Grade changes after “grade roll” do not alter a student’s academic standing
- Academic standing is not retroactively changed when the GPA is recalculated following a
course repeat
2. Academic Probation
A student’s overall grade point average is below a 2.000. Once on probation, the student must maintain
a term GPA of 2.000 or higher to avoid academic suspension. Topics to discuss with the probation
student:
- What do they view as the primary reasons for their unsatisfactory performance?
- Are there any campus resources they need to utilize to be successful?
- Are they in the right major (or do they need additional skill development to be successful in
that major)?
- What are the repercussions (financial and academic) of continued low performance?
3. Suspension
No student is suspended after a single semester of bad grades, nor does one grade ever “cause a
student to be suspended.” If a student has otherwise performed well, that one bad grade won’t have
dire consequences. A student is suspended if, after a semester of probation, he or she fails to achieve a
term grade point average of 2.00 or higher. The student will be eligible to apply for reinstatement
following a semester away from UM.
- Academic suspension is not synonymous with Financial Aid Suspension, although they
sometimes go hand-in-hand.
- Encourage the student to consider how to use the time away from school to succeed when
they return.
