Academic Standards Policy
Academic Standing
The College of General Studies is committed to the success of its students and has guidelines in place to connect students with the appropriate resources at the earliest sign of academic difficulty. A student’s academic standing is comprised of three factors: term GPA, cumulative GPA, and progress toward a degree. Students in the College of General Studies are expected to maintain a cumulative GPA and term GPA of 2.00 or above for each term of enrollment. In addition, full-time students are expected to successfully complete a minimum of 12 credits during each term of enrollment. Part-time students are expected to successfully complete a minimum of 3 credits during each term of enrollment.
Academic Alert is a marker designed to notify students who show signs, early on and throughout their academic career, of jeopardizing successful progress toward the completion of their undergraduate degree. This may be due to their inability to maintain a satisfactory GPA and/or failing to fulfill the algebra or composition requirement within the first two terms of full-time enrollment. Students who receive two consecutive Academic Alerts will be placed on Academic Probation.
Students are placed on Academic Probation after earning a GPA between a 1.50 and a 1.99 over two consecutive terms or have one semester at or below a 1.49 cumulative GPA. Students may also be placed on Academic Probation if they fail to make progress toward their degree (e.g. failing to earn any academic credits).
Students currently on Academic Probation who earn a term GPA below a 2.00 or fail to make progress toward their degree will be subject to Academic Suspension. After being suspended, students are not eligible to re-enroll for one calendar year. Following suspension, students are required to apply for reinstatement at the Undergraduate Dean’s Office. Students returning from academic suspension are reinstated on academic probation and are required to develop an academic success plan upon their return. These reinstated students’ records are reviewed after each subsequent term of enrollment.
Students who have been reinstated from Academic Suspension must earn at least a 2.00 GPA for each term that they enroll until they have achieved a cumulative GPA of a 2.0 or above. If a student fails to earn a 2.00 term GPA, they are subject to Academic Dismissal from the University. Dismissed students are not eligible for reinstatement.
Dean’s List
Full-Time Students
Following the fall and spring terms, College of General Studies students whose grades in the preceding term indicate outstanding academic achievement are recognized on the Dean’s List. To be placed on the Dean’s List, a student must have earned at least 12 credits (not including courses taken on the Satisfactory/No-Credit option) with a term GPA of at least 3.50.
Part-Time Students
College of General Studies students whose grades in the preceding fall and spring terms indicate outstanding academic achievement are recognized on the Dean’s List following the spring term. To be placed on the Dean’s List, a part-time student must have earned at least 12 credits (not including courses taken on the Satisfactory/No-Credit option) across the consecutive fall and spring semesters with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50 for those terms.
Grade Disputes
Students who wish to dispute a grade should follow the following guidelines:
- The student and the professor should meet to resolve a grade dispute.
- If no resolution is agreed upon, the student and the professor should meet with the chair of the department offering the class.
- The chair of the department puts in writing his/her resolution to the dispute.
- The student has the option to contest the chair's resolution with an Assistant Dean.
- The Assistant Dean has the option to interview the student, the professor, and the department chair. The Assistant Dean puts in writing his/her resolution to the dispute.
Academic Integrity Code
Students and faculty are expected to familiarize themselves with the published rules and regulations governing academic integrity, the ethical standards of integrity by which each student and faculty member is expected to operate. As members of a community of learners, all students and instructors are expected to adhere to these behavioral, academic, and ethical standards of the University community and of their field of study. The Academic Integrity Code sets the standards for protocol regarding issues such as how to handle cheating or plagiarizing.
Read the full code online. Matters pertaining to academic integrity and the code of student conduct at CGS will be handled in accordance with the academic integrity procedures established by the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and fall under the purview of the Office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and CGS.
Student Code of Conduct
The Student Code of Conduct is an outline of the nonacademic rights and responsibilities of University students. The code defines offenses by and against students. A student or University official may file a complaint of violation of the Student Code of Conduct at the University Student Judicial System. Read the full code online.