Satisfactory Progress

Students in Degree Programs

The academic progress of each student is reviewed shortly after the end of each term. The School of Continuing Education considers a student’s academic progress to be satisfactory when it is at a rate that allows the student to complete all requirements for the M.S. degree within the time prescribed by each program:

• Actuarial Science: 6 consecutive terms, excluding summer
• Bioethics: 6 consecutive terms, excluding summer
• Communications Practice: 4 terms, including summer
• Construction Administration: 10 terms, excluding summer
• Fundraising Management: 12 terms, including summer
• Information and Knowledge Strategy: 4 consecutive terms, including summer
• Landscape Design: 5 consecutive terms, including summer
• Narrative Medicine: 12 terms, including summer
• Negotiation and Conflict Resolution: 6 terms, excluding summer
• Sports Management: 8 consecutive terms, excluding summer
• Strategic Communications: 12 terms, including summer
• Sustainability Management: 6 consecutive terms, excluding summer
• Technology Management: 4 consecutive terms, excluding summer

In this regard, marks of INC or UW do not indicate satisfactory progress and will be taken into account in the review of each student’s performance. Those not meeting this satisfactory progress requirement will normally be dismissed. Only under extraordinary circumstances and with the approval of the program director will students be allowed to extend their study over a longer period of time.

Satisfactory progress is also assessed on the basis of grades. Degree candidates must complete all courses required for the degree with an overall average of 3.0 (B) or better. Every course creditable to the degree must be taken for a letter grade, although students may register for one additional approved course per term on a Pass/Fail or R credit basis. If a student’s average falls below 3.0, or if 50 percent or more of the student’s program shows marks of INC or UW in any given semester, the student will be placed on academic probation. Students who have a second academically unsatisfactory term will be dismissed from the program, as will any student who receives two final grades of C (including C+ or C-) or any student who receives a final grade of D or F. A student receiving a grade of C in any semester may take only one course the following semester. All decisions to place a student on academic probation or to dismiss a student for academic reasons are subject to appeal (see below).

The degree will only be awarded to those who complete the requirements for the degree with an average of 3.0 or better.

To receive financial aid under the programs authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA--College Work-Study, Perkins Loan, Stafford/SLS loans) as amended, a student must maintain satisfactory academic progress according to the standards and practices of the institution in which the student is enrolled. Federal regulations require that such institutions measure such progress at least once each year. A student who is not maintaining satisfactory progress, and whose inadequate progress is not judged to be attributable to mitigating circumstances, is ineligible to receive financial aid from the aforementioned programs. For further information, consult Student Financial Services in 210 Kent Hall.

After the review of records has been completed, students will be alerted to any identified deficiencies and advised of the means to remedy them, and told of the consequences of their failure to do so. Extension of the time allowed for completion of a degree may be granted by the Dean on the recommendation of the program director, but only when specific mitigating circumstances warrant. Students who are correcting deficiencies in a manner prescribed by the program director or who are granted extensions will ordinarily be eligible for financial aid under Title IV of the HEA.

Appeals of Academic Probation or Dismissal

When a student believes that either academic probation or dismissal has been decided upon unfairly or inappropriately, students in credit programs may appeal the decision first to the Associate Dean of Student Life and Alumni Relations, and finally, if still aggrieved, to the Dean of the School; for students in noncredit programs the first appeal is to the Associate Dean of Student Life and Alumni Relations of the School.

Students in Nondegree Programs

Students are expected to maintain normal academic progress as defined in the requirements of the program to which they are admitted. Those not maintaining normal academic progress shall be dismissed. Normal academic progress will normally be defined as the successful completion of courses in a particular term with the required grade point average stated by the program in which the student is enrolled. In Pass/Fail programs, this means completing courses with the mark of Pass. In noncredit foreign language courses, failure fully to participate in class, to complete assignments, etc., will result in dismissal from the class, and will preclude a subsequent registration in noncredit language classes. In the auditing program, where students are expected to sit in as observers (but not participants) in selected classes, failure to comply with the requirement of nonparticipation will result in dismissal from the class and will preclude a subsequent registration as an auditor.

Structured postbaccalaureate programs as well as the noncredit certificate programs have specific grade requirements for the award of certificates. The academic progress of each student is reviewed shortly after the end of each term. A student whose performance falls below that level is placed on academic probation; if below-standard performance persists for a second term, the student will not be permitted to register again. For programs without specific and stated standards, an average of C or better will be taken as evidence that a student is making normal progress and is in satisfactory academic standing. If a student’s average falls below C, or if 50 percent of the student’s program shows marks or INC or UW, the student will be placed on academic probation. If the student has a second unsatisfactory term, he or she will not be permitted to register again. All decisions to place a student on academic probation or to dismiss a student for academic reasons are subject to appeal (see below). Structured certificate programs also require as a condition of satisfactory progress that students follow the mandated course sequence of program requirements. Finally, while School nondegree programs vary in length, satisfactory progress is generally defined as sufficient progress to meet all program requirements within eight terms.

In the American Language Program students who fail to make reasonable progress across levels over a number of terms are not permitted to reregister in the program.

Appeals of Academic Probation or Dismissal

When a student believes that either academic probation or dismissal has been decided upon unfairly or inappropriately, students in noncredit programs may appeal first to the Associate Dean of the School, and finally, if still aggrieved, to the Dean of the School.