Satisfactory Academic Progress

All programs must make clear and direct reference in their materials (in a printed handbook and/or on the web) to the policies detailed below. Programs must also detail any additional program requirements, to the extent that they differ from The Graduate School’s (TGS) policies.

Cases of improper academic and/or research conduct, and inappropriate or unprofessional behavior are considered outside the boundaries of “satisfactory academic progress”. These cases are covered separately under TGS’s Academic Integrity policy, as well as the published policies of the Office for Research Integrity, the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access, and the Student Handbook. These cases are addressed according to the University’s existing disciplinary procedures, and may result in a range of sanctions up to and including exclusion from the University.

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS

TGS sets the minimum standard for satisfactory academic progress. Programs may have additional criteria beyond TGS’s for determining a student’s academic standing. There are four sets of criteria that are taken into account in determining satisfactory academic progress:

• Program length.  Doctoral students must complete all requirements for the Ph.D. within nine years of initial registration in TGS.  Master’s students must complete all requirements for the master's degree within five years of initial registration in TGS. Students who do not complete degree requirements by the established deadlines will not be considered in good academic standing and will not be eligible for financial aid.
  Students may submit a petition to extend the degree deadline, but those students will not be eligible for financial aid and will be subject to TGS 513, advanced continuous registration.

• Grades and cumulative GPA.  A student whose overall grade average is below B (3.0 GPA) or who has more than three incomplete grades is not making satisfactory academic progress and will be placed on probation by TGS.  Individual programs may have stricter criteria.
• Internal deadlines.  Doctoral students who have not been admitted to candidacy by the end of their third year, or who have not passed the prospectus by the end of the fourth year are not making satisfactory academic progress and will be placed on probation by TGS unless a petition for extension is approved by both the program of study and TGS.
• Program criteria.  Failure to make satisfactory academic progress, as determined by the program, may be a result of (but is not limited to):  unsatisfactory performance in classes, unsatisfactory performance on qualifying exams, unsatisfactory research progress, or failure to meet other program requirements (such as language proficiency).

Each student’s academic progress must be reported annually by the student’s program to the student and to TGS.

Failure to make satisfactory academic progress will result in probation or exclusion.   The Graduate School will notify students of probation status on a quarterly basis.

PROBATION

A student who is not making satisfactory academic progress due to one of the reasons outlined above will be placed on probation by The Graduate School and/or the program.

When a decision to place a student on probation is made by the program, the student and The Graduate School must be notified in writing.

When a decision to place a student on probation is made by The Graduate School, the student will be notified in writing, along with the program’s Director of Graduate Study, and will be given at most two quarters (excluding summers) to resume satisfactory academic standing. 

During the probationary period, students will remain eligible to receive federal and institutional assistance (except when they have exceeded their degree deadline).  At the end of the probationary period, progress will be reviewed.  If a student cannot re-establish satisfactory academic standing during the two probationary quarters, the student will become ineligible to receive financial aid and will be excluded from TGS.

EXCLUSION

Exclusion is defined by the University in the Student Handbook. 

A student who fails to resume satisfactory academic standing after at most two quarters (excluding summers) after being notified of his or her placement on probation by either TGS or the program will be excluded from TGS. 

Under certain circumstances, a student can be excluded by a program without first being placed on probation.  This may occur only if the criteria for exclusion have been stated clearly by the program and have been disseminated to the students effectively.  Exclusion by the program always requires approval from both the director of graduate study and either the chair of the graduate program’s student advisory committee or the chair of the student’s department.

Funding will cease on the effective date of the exclusion unless other arrangements are made.

NOTIFICATION OF EXCLUSION

When a decision to exclude is made by the program, both the student and TGS must be informed in writing within five business days of the decision. The notification must include the effective date of the exclusion and a clear statement of the reason(s) for exclusion.

Similarly, when TGS determines that a student is to be excluded, the program and the student will be informed within five business days of the determination.  

APPEAL PROCESS

Students wishing to appeal TGS’s probation or exclusion decision must submit their request in writing to The Graduate School’s Director of Student Services within ten days of the date of written notification of probation/exclusion to the student and include any supporting materials at that time.  If no appeal is filed within the ten-day appeal period, TGS’s decision becomes final and not subject to appeal.

Students wishing to appeal a program’s probation or exclusion decision must first appeal directly to the program by submitting a request in writing directly to the program’s Director of Graduate Studies within ten days of the date of written notification of probation/exclusion to the student.  The program must inform both the student and TGS of the outcome of the student’s appeal(s) in writing.

A student may appeal final program probation or exclusion decisions to The Graduate School.  To appeal a program decision, students should submit a request in writing to the attention of the Director of Student Services within ten days of the date of the program’s final written determination of probation/exclusion to the student and include any supporting materials at that time.  If no appeal is filed within the ten-day appeal period, the program’s decision becomes final and not subject to appeal.

Appeals will only be considered by TGS on the basis of procedural errors or failure to comply with established program or TGS policy. The Dean of The Graduate School may request additional information from, or a meeting with, the student and/or program before making a final decision. The Dean’s decision will be made in a timely manner, and will be communicated in writing to the student and program.  The Dean’s decision shall be final.