ROWAN UNIVERSITY POLICY

Title: Undergraduate Academic Standing
Subject: Academic Affairs 
Policy No: AA: 2017: 02
Applies: University-Wide 
Issuing Authority: Sr. Vice President and Provost
Responsible Officer: Deans and Vice President for Student Affairs
Adopted: 
Last Revision:

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28 Dec 2023 
Last Reviewed:

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28 Dec 2023 

I.      PURPOSE PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to outline the standards for academic standing which apply to all matriculated undergraduate students.

II.   ACCOUNTABILITY      ACCOUNTABILITY 

Under direction of the Provost, the Vice President for Student Affairs

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shall implement this policy

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in collaboration with appropriate personnel.

III.    APPLICABILITY

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This policy applies to all matriculated undergraduate students of Rowan University.

IV.    POLICY

1. Rowan University has established standards for academic standing which apply to all matriculated undergraduate students as follows: Students who have attempted 12 or more semester hour credits and have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 are considered to be in good academic standingGood Academic Standing.
2. Academic Warning Notice 1 (for cumulative GPA falling below 2.0 after a fall semester)
   1. At the end of each fall and spring semester, matriculated undergraduate students who are not already on academic probationAcademic Notice, who have attempted 12 credits or more, and who have a cumulative GPA below 2.0 are placed on academic warning Academic Notice 1 for the following subsequent spring or fall semester.  Those who have not attained a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 by the end of the spring semester will be placed on academic probation. Those who achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher after the subsequent fall or spring semester will return to good academic standingGood Academic Standing.
   2. Students on academic warning Academic Notice 1 are required to meet with a designated University representative to make an academic success plan and will be enrolled in a zero-credit course in Canvas for the spring following semester supporting academic remediation. Details of the academic remediation program can be found on the Student Success website. Students on Academic Notice 1 may have a registration hold placed on their Banner account related to completion of the program requirements, and can participate in incentive programs related to completion.
   3. The Vice President for Student Affairs or designee will notify students when they are placed on academic warningAcademic Notice 1 via their Rowan email address. Such notices will include the requirement for the academic remediation activities as described above. The Registrar's Office will note the academic warning Academic Notice 1 status on the student's academic record.
   4. Students will meet with their academic advisors each semester to develop appropriate plans for achieving satisfactory academic performance.
3. Academic Probation Notice 2 (for cumulative GPA falling below 2.0 after a spring semester)for the second term in a row): At the end of each fall and spring semester, matriculated undergraduate students who have attempted 12 credits or more and have on Academic Notice 1 who do not achieve a cumulative GPA below at or above 2.0 are will be placed on academic probation. This probationary period begins with the Academic Notice 2 for the subsequent spring or fall semester. Students have one academic year in which to achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0. Those who have not attained a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 by this time will be dismissed from the university.In addition, students on academic probation on Academic Notice 2 are required to meet with a designated University representative to make an academic success plan and will be enrolled in a zero-credit course in Canvas for the following semester supporting academic remediation for the fall semester. Details of the academic remediation program can be found on the Student Success website.Full-time students must attempt 12 or more credits each semester of probation.  An attempted credit is defined as credit for any courses in which a student receives a grade of A, B, C, D, F, P, S, W, WP, or WF, or IN. Students on Academic Notice 2 will have a registration hold placed on their Banner account related to completion of the program requirements and can participate in incentive programs related to completion. 
   1. The Vice President for Student Affairs or designee will be considered on probation until they attain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 or move to Academic Dismissal status the following spring.
   2. Summer courses may be taken to help students reach the 2.0 cumulative GPA.
   College Deans will notify students when they are placed on academic probationAcademic Notice 2 via their Rowan email address. Such notices will include a requirement that students consult an academic advisor in their college early in the first probationary semester and in no event later than the end of that semesterthe requirement for the academic remediation activities as described above. The Registrar's Office will notify the colleges of students who are placed on academic probation and will note the academic probationary Academic Notice 2 status on the student's academic record.
   3. Students will meet with their academic advisors each semester to develop appropriate plans for achieving satisfactory academic performance.
4. Continued Academic Notice 2 (for students on Academic Notice 2 whose GPA since their most recent prior academic standing update is 2.0 or higher but whose cumulative GPA remains below 2.0).
   1. Students who are on Academic Notice 2 and achieve a GPA of 2.0 or higher in term(s) since their most recent prior academic standing update, but whose cumulative GPA remains below 2.0, will be placed on Continued Academic Notice 2.
   Academic Dismissal
   1. Students on Continued Academic Notice 2 must follow the requirements for students on Academic Notice 2 described above.
5. Academic Suspension
   1. Academic Suspension
   2. Academic dismissal takes place under the following circumstances:
      1. Undergraduate students who have attempted at least 12 credits and Students who have been on probation for the academic year (fall/spring) will be dismissed from the University.  Their dismissal is in effect as of the upcoming fall semesterAcademic Notice 2 or Continued Academic Notice 2 for one or more semesters and who earn a GPA of below 2.0 in term(s) since their most recent prior academic standing update will be suspended from the University for a period of at least one calendar year.
      2. Implementation note for January 2024 cycle:  Because these statuses are new, adapted processes will be in place for the January 2024 cycle.  Because the sequence of statuses is being extended from a minimum of two semesters of enrollment prior to suspension to a minimum of three, students who have had a cumulative GPA below 2.0  for at least 3 consecutive semesters will be subject to academic suspension.  These include those on Continuing Probation, those who had a suspension appeal approved in a previous term, or others identified via the academic standing process.
   3. The Registrar's Office will notify the appropriate University officers when students are academically dismissed suspended and will note the dismissal suspension on the student's academic record.
   4. The College Deans Vice President for Student Affairs or designee will notify students in writing when they are dismissedsuspended via their Rowan email address.  The notices will include a statement that registration for the next fall or spring semester will be canceled.  Students enrolled in the immediate winter or summer session will not have their enrollment canceled.
   5. Students so dismissed suspended cannot register in either academic year or summer terms, as full- or part- time students, nor as non-matriculated students.
   6. Students who have been academically dismissed suspended from the university may apply University are eligible for re-enrollment through the Office of Academic Transition and Support Programs after one academic year following dismissal.University Advising Center after one academic year following suspension.  Normal re-enrollment processes will apply, including determination of eligibility for specific academic programs, and subject to other restrictions unrelated to academic standing (such as disciplinary processes and registration holds).
      1. Request for Early Return from Suspension: Suspended students may appeal to re-enter the University prior to the one-year period after at least one fall or spring term of suspension status by contacting academicstanding@rowan.edu and providing a rationale and documentation demonstrating readiness to return prior to the expected one-year timeline.  Because the expected suspension period is one full year, only compelling appeals which include documentation such as satisfactory grades at another college, resolution of a related health matter, or other such evidence of readiness to return will be considered.
6. Academic Suspension Academic Standing Appeal Process
   1. The Office of the Provost serves as the focal point for the academic probation and dismissalsuspension.  The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs is responsible for the implementation of this process.
      1. Written notification of the appeal process and dates will be sent to the student .Student contacts the Dean's Office in the College of their major to make an appointment with the appeal committeevia their Rowan email address.
      2. Student completes and returns the Request an Appeal Hearing appeal form with any supported materialsupporting documentation.
      3. Students who do not appeal and students whose appeal is denied will be dismissed suspended from the University and any registration in future fall and spring terms will be dropped.
   2. Decisions concerning academic dismissal suspension are made independently of decisions governing financial aid awards. Appeals regarding the discontinuance of financial aid must be made to the Director of Financial Aid.
7. Interim addendum for the spring 2021 academic standing computation and process:
8. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the academic standing process was not conducted following spring 2020. During the terms spring 2020, fall 2020, winter 2020-2021, and spring 2021, undergraduate students had the option to replace letter grades in any undergraduate course with a Pass (P) for letter grades of D- or higher, or No Credit (NC) for letter grades of F. Pass and No Credit grades do not factor into the GPA. Therefore, the use of cumulative GPA alone for computing Academic Standing is insufficient for this cycle.
For the spring 2021 academic standing process, the following process and criteria will be used:
9. Two GPAs will be computed for each student:
   1. Actual Cumulative GPA: The actual cumulative GPA as shown on the official transcript, which may have been affected by the student’s selection of the Pass or No Credit option for one or more courses
   2. Letter Grade Cumulative GPA: The cumulative GPA that would have resulted from the student’s letter grades if the expanded Pass or No Credit option has not been selected. That is, this GPA is based on the original letter grades as entered by instructors for each course on the student record. For students who did not elect any P/NC grades, Actual and Letter Grade cumulative GPAs would be identical.
10. Each student will have a Pace value computed. Pace is the proportion of credits earned from among courses that the student completed with a grade of A-F, P, and NC. Pace does not include courses for which the student withdrew.
Academic standing will be determined by the two types of GPA and Pace as follows:
11. Criteria for Good Standing: Student meets either condition below:
    • Letter Grade Cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher OR
    • Actual Cumulative GPA is 2.0 or above AND Letter Grade Cumulative GPA is below 2.0 AND Pace is 67% or higher
12. Criteria for Probation/Dismissal: Student meets either condition below:
    • Actual Cumulative GPA is below 2.0 OR
    • Actual Cumulative GPA is 2.0 or above AND Letter Grade Cumulative GPA is below 2.0 AND Pace is below 67%
13. Dismissal would occur only if the student was already on probation from spring 2019 and continues to meet criteria in either 2a or 2b.
Review of unique student situations may result in manual adjustment of academic standing to ensure alignment with the intent of the interim criteriaThe revisions in this policy are implemented on an interim basis pending any Senate action.