Academic Standing Policy
Continued enrollment at Utah State University is dependent upon an undergraduate student maintaining satisfactory academic progress toward attaining a degree. To assist students in maintaining satisfactory progress, Utah State University has adopted academic standards designed to provide early identification of students who are experiencing academic difficulty, and to provide timely intervention through academic advising and academic support programs. Academic standing at Utah State University is dependent upon the total number of credits a student has attempted, the student’s semester grade point average (GPA), and the student’s institution GPA.
Undergraduate students are placed on semester GPA warning, academic warning, or academic probation as a warning that their academic progress is not satisfactory, and that they should take steps to improve their academic performance to avoid suspension from the University. Students who are placed on semester GPA warning, academic warning or academic probation should immediately seek assistance in academic improvement from such sources as academic advisors, instructors, and the Academic Success Center.
Good Standing
An undergraduate student is considered by the University to be in good standing when his or her semester GPA is 2.00 or higher and the institution GPA is 2.00 or higher. At the end of a semester, one of the following actions will be taken for students who began the term in good standing:
- Students will continue in good standing if they earn at least a 2.00 semester GPA and the institution GPA is higher than 2.00, or
- Students who have a semester GPA below 2.00, but maintain an institution GPA that is 2.00 or higher, will be placed on semester GPA warning, which will appear as a blank on the transcript, or
- Students will be placed on academic warning if the institution GPA falls below 2.00 and the overall attempted hours are less than 36 credits, or
- Students will be placed on academic probation if the institution GPA falls below 2.00 and the overall attempted hours are 36 credits or more.
An undergraduate student with a term GPA less than 2.00, but whose institution GPA is higher, will be placed on semester GPA warning. Students who are on semester GPA warning will NOT have this status designated on the transcript, but the academic standing will appear blank, rather than indicating good standing.
At the end of a semester, one of the following actions will be taken for students who began the term on semester GPA warning:
- Students will be placed in good standing if they earn at least a 2.00 semester GPA and the institution GPA is higher than 2.00, or
- Students will remain on semester GPA warning status if the semester GPA is below 2.00 and the institution GPA is 2.00 or higher.
- Students will be placed on academic warning status if the semester GPA is below 2.00, the institution GPA falls below 2.00, and the overall attempted hours are less than 36 credits.
- Students will be placed on academic probation if their semester GPA is below 2.00, the institution GPA falls below 2.00 and the overall attempted hours are 36 credits or more.
Consequences of Semester GPA Warning
The academic unit associated with the student’s major has the authority to determine the consequences of semester GPA warning. These consequences may include one or more of the following but are not limited to: placing an advising hold (which prevents registration) on a student’s record, requiring a meeting with an academic advisor, and requiring the student to sign a contract. A contract may require specific actions to be taken by the student, and an expected level of performance in the classroom, in order for the student to continue in his or her current degree program. A contract may include, but is not limited to, things such as meeting with an advisor in the Academic Success Center, participating in a workshop, attending tutoring sessions, participating in supplemental instruction, taking specific courses and achieving a specified minimum grade, and meeting regularly with an advisor. Failure to fulfill the contract may lead to dismissal from a program of study.
Notifications, Transcript Notations, and Holds
An undergraduate student placed on semester GPA warning shall be notified in writing of that action by his or her college dean, advisor, or other college or departmental representative. Since these notifications will typically be sent by e-mail, it is the student’s responsibility to check his or her preferred e-mail account as designated in Banner (Access) (see Email Communication Policy). Students on semester GPA warning may have an advising hold placed on their registration and may need to meet with their academic advisor.
Academic Warning
An undergraduate student with less than 36 attempted hours and with an institution GPA of less than 2.00 is placed on academic warning. Academic warning serves as a reminder that future semesters with a GPA below 2.00 could result in more serious consequences.
At the end of the next semester of enrollment, one of the following actions will be taken for students who began the term on academic warning status:
- Students will be removed from academic warning status and placed in good standing if they earn at least a 2.00 semester GPA and the institution GPA is higher than 2.0, or
- Students will be placed on semester GPA warning status if the semester GPA is below 2.00 and the institution GPA is 2.00 or higher, or
- Students will remain on academic warning status if they earn at least a 2.00 semester GPA, but the institution GPA remains below 2.00, and the overall attempted hours are less than 36 credits, or
- Students will be placed on academic probation if the institution GPA remains below 2.00 and the institution attempted hours are 36 credits or more, or
- Students will be placed on academic probation if they earn less than a 2.00 semester GPA, and the institution GPA remains below 2.0.
Consequences of Academic Warning
The academic unit associated with the student’s major has the authority to determine the consequences of academic warning. These consequences may include one or more of the following but are not limited to: placing an advising hold (which prevents registration) on a student’s record, requiring a meeting with an academic advisor, and requiring the student to sign a contract. A contract may require specific actions to be taken by the student, and an expected level of performance in the classroom, in order for the student to continue in his or her current degree program. A contract may include, but is not limited to, things such as meeting with an advisor in the Academic Success Center, participating in a workshop, attending tutoring sessions, participating in supplemental instruction, taking specific courses and achieving a specified minimum grade, and meeting regularly with an advisor. Failure to fulfill the contract may lead to dismissal from a program of study.
Notifications, Transcript Notations, and Holds
An undergraduate student placed on academic warning shall be notified in writing of that action by his or her college dean, advisor, or other college or departmental representative. Since these notifications will typically be sent by e-mail, it is the student’s responsibility to check his or her preferred e-mail account as designated in Banner (Access) (see Email Communication Policy). A notation, Academic Warning, is placed on the student’s transcript. Students on academic warning may have an advising hold placed on their registration and may need to meet with their academic advisor.
Academic Probation
An undergraduate student with 36 or more attempted hours with an institution GPA of less than 2.00 is placed on academic probation. Academic probation serves as a warning to students that their academic progress is not satisfactory, and that they should take steps to improve their academic performance to avoid suspension from the University. Academic probation is an indication of very serious academic difficulty which may result in suspension from the University.
At the end of the next semester of enrollment, one of the following actions will be taken for students who began the term on academic probation status:
- Students will be removed from academic probation status and placed in good standing if they earn at least a 2.00 semester GPA and the institution GPA is higher than 2.00, or
- Students will be placed on semester GPA warning status if the semester GPA is below 2.00 and the USU institution GPA is 2.00 or higher, or
- Students will remain on academic probation status if they earn at least a 2.00 semester GPA, but the USU institution GPA remains below 2.00, or
- Students will be placed on academic suspension if they earn less than a 2.00 semester GPA, and the USU institution GPA remains below 2.00.
A student who is on academic probation and receives an incomplete grade in one or more classes may register for classes in the subsequent semester, provided the grades received from his or her other classes are high enough to prevent the student from being placed on academic suspension. A student in this situation, prior to making up the incomplete grade, may enroll in only one subsequent semester. A Registrar’s Office hold will then be placed on the student’s record, preventing him or her from registering for a second additional semester. Additional advising holds (which prevent registration) may be placed on a student’s record by an academic advisor. The Registrar’s Office hold will not be removed until the incomplete grade is changed to a letter grade. If the resulting grade does not cause the student to be placed on academic suspension, the Registrar’s Office hold will be removed. Other registration holds, such as an advisor hold, will need to be removed by the office placing the hold.
Exceptions to the one subsequent semester limitation may be made (1) if receiving the grade that accompanies the incomplete grade (e.g., a student who receives an IF grade would receive an F if no additional work was completed) would not cause the student to be placed on academic suspension for the semester in which the incomplete grade was originally received, or (2) by memo of justification from the course instructor who submitted the incomplete grade. Any exceptions must be requested through the Registrar’s Office.
Consequences of Academic Probation
The academic unit associated with the student’s major has the authority to determine the consequences of academic probation. These consequences may include one or more of the following but are not limited to: placing an advising hold (which prevents registration) on a student’s record, requiring a meeting with an academic advisor, and requiring the student to sign a contract. A contract may require specific actions to be taken by the student, and an expected level of performance in the classroom, in order for the student to continue in his or her current degree program. A contract may include, but is not limited to, things such as meeting with an advisor in the Academic Success Center, participating in a workshop, attending tutoring sessions, participating in supplemental instruction, taking specific courses and achieving a specified minimum grade, and meeting regularly with an advisor. Failure to fulfill the contract may lead to dismissal from a program of study.
Notifications, Transcript Notations, and Holds
An undergraduate student placed on academic probation shall be notified in writing of that action by his or her college dean, advisor, or other college or departmental representative. Since these notifications will typically be sent by e-mail, it is the student’s responsibility to check his or her preferred e-mail account as designated in Banner (Access) (see Email Communication Policy). A notation, Academic Probation, is placed on the student’s transcript. Students on academic probation may have an advising hold placed on their registration and may need to meet with their academic advisor.
Academic Suspension
Undergraduate students who do not meet the requirements of their academic probation are suspended from the university. A student who is on probation and earns a semester GPA of less than 2.00 is subject to suspension. An undergraduate student placed on academic suspension shall be notified in writing of that action by the Office of University and Exploratory Advising (or by the Academic Advising and Orientation Office at USU Eastern). Since this notification will typically be sent by email, it is the student’s responsibility to check their USU student email account (see Email Communication Policy). The notation Academic Suspension is placed on the student’s transcript. A student who is registered for classes in the semester immediately following the suspension will be dropped from those classes. Questions about the suspension should be directed to the student’s advisor.
Notifications, Transcript Notations, and Holds
An undergraduate student placed on academic suspension shall be notified in writing of that action by the Office of University and Exploratory Advising (or by the Academic Advising and Orientation Office at USU Eastern). Since these notifications will typically be sent by email, it is the student’s responsibility to check their USU student email account (see Email Communication Policy). A notation, Academic Suspension, is placed on the student’s transcript. Academic Suspension Appeal Process
Any suspended students wishing to appeal their academic suspension must meet with an advisor, located in the Office of University and Exploratory Advising (or the Academic Advising and Orientation Office at USU Eastern), and express a desire to make an appeal. Students should understand that, while they are entitled to appeal their suspension, very few appeals will be approved.
The student must write an appeal letter and complete an appeal form. The appeal letter must include: (1) a clear explanation as to why the student believes the suspension penalties should be lifted, (2) an account of reasons why the student feels they didn’t perform well, and (3) a description of the student’s plan for improvement.
Academic suspension appeals must be submitted to the chair of the Suspension Appeals Committee within seven working days (one week) of official suspension notification for a student to remain enrolled in classes for the semester following an academic suspension.
The chair of the Suspension Appeals Committee will submit the appeal letter (attached to the student’s transcript) to the committee. The chair may contact the student’s academic advisor to solicit additional information that might be relevant to the committee’s decision. Additionally, the committee chair may find out if the student’s department supports a suspension appeal or not.
If the committee upholds the suspension, the decision will be final. The committee chair will notify the student that the appeal was denied. After the suspension has been satisfied, the student may apply for readmission.
If the committee waives the suspension penalties, an Exploratory Advising advisor will meet with the student and have them sign a retention contract. The student’s department will provide specific contractual obligations.
If the student was not properly notified of their probation (as outlined in the Academic Probation policy), the student’s appeal is likely to be granted. Students should be aware that, even if their appeal is granted, a notation of suspension will remain on their transcripts.
Readmission Following Academic Suspension
Students who have been suspended once may apply for readmission after a two-semester layout at USU. Students who have been suspended two times may apply for readmission to the university following a layout of one full calendar year.
Academic Dismissal
Students who become subject to suspension for a third time will receive notice of academic dismissal from the university and have the notation academic dismissal placed on their transcript. Students who have been dismissed may apply for readmission to the university following a layout of five or more calendar years.
Academic Standing for Student Athletics Eligibility
Student athletes are considered, for purposes of athletics eligibility and NCAA or NJCAA intercollegiate competition, to be in good standing if they meet the applicable NCAA or NJCAA grade point average rule and are able to register for classes and attend during the next subsequent regular academic semester.
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