Maintenance of Academic Standards

Maintenance of Academic Standards: Probation and Dismissal

A student's scholastic standing at the University is indicated by their cumulative grade point average (GPA). Four categories of academic standing have been established: good academic standing, academic warning, academic probation, and dismissal. A student remains in good academic standing as long as they maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 for all work taken at the University. Academic warning, academic probation, and dismissal are actions taken by the University when a student's GPA falls below an acceptable level at the end of the fall or spring term.

Conditions of Probation and Dismissal

Probation is defined as a trial period during which a student whose cumulative average has fallen below acceptable standards must bring their average up to those standards or be dismissed from the University.

An academic review is conducted at the end of each fall and spring semester, and at the end of the second summer session. Students are placed on academic warning, academic probation, or returned to good academic standing, depending upon their cumulative GPA. Students may be dismissed from the University only at the end of the fall or spring semester. The University will notify, in writing, each student who goes on academic warning or academic probation or who is dismissed for academic reasons.

  1. Students earning a 0.00 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) at the end of their first semester of full-time enrollment will be dismissed from the University.
  2. Any other student falling below the 2.00 CGPA standard will be placed on academic warning for one full-time semester (12 credits). The University will notify the student, in writing, that they are in danger of facing academic probation. The student who is placed on academic warning must see their advisor and develop an Academic Progress Plan. It is the student's responsibility to contact the advisor and schedule an appointment to complete an APP (see below).
  3. Any student remaining below the 2.00 CGPA standard following a semester of academic warning will be placed on academic probation for one full-time semester (12 credits). A notice of academic probation shall be printed on the student's transcript, and the University will notify the student, in writing, that they are in danger of dismissal. The student who is placed on academic probation must see their advisor and develop an Academic Progress Plan (APP). It is the student's responsibility to contact the advisor and schedule an appointment to complete an APP (see below).
  4. Any student still below the 2.00 CGPA standard after one full-time semester of academic probation is subject to dismissal. A student may appeal to receive extended probation. The special assistant for academic policy may grant one semester of extended probation to a student who:
    1. Has made progress toward academic good standing while following their Academic Progress Plan, and
    2. Has a reasonable mathematical chance of reaching a CGPA of 2.00 after one additional semester on probation
    3. Extended probation is intended to allow students to complete their degree in a timely manner. If a student who has received a letter of dismissal is granted Extended Probation status, they must enroll within the next 12 months. If a student does not enroll for more than 2 consecutive semesters, when they apply for readmissions, they will be returned to dismissed status. The Readmission of Dismissed students aspect of the policy will now apply.
  5. Any student who is still below the 2.00 CGPA standard after one full-time semester of extended probation (two consecutive full-time semesters on probation) will be dismissed. If the student went from full-time to part-time status as part of their Academic Progress Plan, a third semester of probation may be permitted, provided that the student has had a semester GPA higher than 2.00 each semester since being placed on academic probation.
  6. Any student who regains good academic standing, but again falls below the 2.00 CGPA standard, will be placed on probation and given a maximum of 12 credits to return to good academic standing.
  7. A student may be placed on probation no more than twice; placement on probation for a third time will result in immediate dismissal from the University.

Dismissal from the University

  1. A student may appeal their dismissal in writing to the special assistant for academic policy.
  2. Nothing in this policy shall be taken to preclude the dismissal of students for violations of other University policies, in accordance with the provisions of those policies.
  3. A student dismissed from the University may not take course work at the University until they apply and is readmitted to the University. 

Readmission of Dismissed Students

  1. Students will be considered for readmission after one full calendar year following the time of dismissal.
  2. Students readmitted to the University will have a maximum of two full-time semesters (24 credits) to reach a cumulative GPA (CGPA) of 2.00. Failure to achieve a CGPA of 2.00 following the second semester of readmission will result in a second dismissal. Any student who is dismissed from the university for poor academic performance a second time may be eligible for future readmission to the university two years after the second dismissal.

If a student is approved to be readmitted to the University under the Academic Renewal Policy and the student was, prior to separation from the University, a candidate in a program leading to initial teacher certification (B.S.Ed., B.M. in Music Education, or B.S. in Health and Physical Education - Teacher Certification), they may not be readmitted to the original major. The academic renewal student must re-enter in a non-teacher certification degree program or as an undeclared student.

If a student readmitted under academic renewal subsequently qualifies for Teacher Candidacy based upon the provisions of the Academic Renewal Policy, that student may seek a change of major to a teacher certification program under the prevailing internal transfer policy of the specific program.

Good Academic Standing Policy for Student-Athletes

To be eligible to represent West Chester University outside of campus in NCAA athletic competition, students must meet and maintain all NCAA academic requirements and sustain progress toward a baccalaureate degree.

West Chester University maintains two distinct areas of academic standards that require action by the university. These are probation and dismissal. Students who are on probation have a responsibility to develop an Academic Recovery Plan (ARP) in order to increase their cumulative grade point average. The ARP is closely monitored by the student’s academic advisor. In addition, student-athletes who are placed on probation are enrolled in the Academic Mentor Program in the Department of Athletics. While participating in these programs, student-athletes are considered to be making academic progress and are in good standing for the purposes of NCAA academic eligibility. Student-athletes who are dismissed are not in good standing and not eligible to represent West Chester University in athletic competition.

Academic Progress Plan

It is the responsibility of the student to complete an Academic Progress Pre-Plan Survey on MyWCU and to meet with their advisor to go over their Academic Progress Plan. The meeting should take place no later than the third day of the first semester on probation to allow time to adjust that semester's schedule, if necessary. The student will develop an Academic Progress Plan (APP) at that meeting, with the advisor's assistance.

The APP is intended to identify the challenges that contributed to a student going on academic probation and list steps that they should consider to get back on a path to academic success. Steps suggested might include regular class attendance, repeating failed courses, decreasing the number of credits attempted in a semester, taking reading/study skills courses, decreasing the amount of time spent working or in extracurricular activities, connecting with campus resources, or taking a semester off to deal with personal or financial problems. The completed APP form is copied to the student, the advisor, and the office of the special assistant for academic policy.

Academic Renewal Policy

The Office of the Vice Provost through the special assistant for academic policy, at its discretion, offers academic renewal to students at the time they apply for readmission.

  1. The Academic Renewal Policy permits West Chester University undergraduates whose GPA and total credits earned prevents them from meeting graduation requirements under the traditional readmission policy. Students can be readmitted only once under the Academic Renewal Policy. The policy cannot be applied retroactively after a student is readmitted. 
    1. A student must have had a minimum of a two-year absence from West Chester University.
    2. All grades for courses previously taken will remain on the WCU academic record. Academic Renewal will be noted on the student's transcript. General education courses previously taken and passed with a grade of C or better will be maintained on the student's record as T's. A "T" designation allows for the credits to be counted but the grade will not be factored into the student's new GPA. 
    3. Departments may require their majors and minors to repeat any or all major, minor, cognate, and supporting courses, even if the student had earned a grade of C (2.00) or better in them if the program has an alternative minimum grade requirement. 
    4. Beginning with readmission under the Academic Renewal Policy, students will be treated as first-time, first-year admitted students. Students will be granted all privileges and held to the same requirements of current first-time, first-year students (i.e., permitted to use the repeat policy, eligible for graduation with honors, etc.). Because these students are considered to be first-time admits, they have the option to apply for a different major than the one in which they were originally enrolled. 
    5. Academic Renewal students will be treated as readmits in terms of catalog academic rulings. General education, degree requirements, major, minor, and cognate areas are based on the catalog in the year they were granted academic renewal. 
    6. The Academic Renewal Policy is available for undergraduate students.
    7. Academic renewal may only be requested prior to the receipt of the undergraduate degree at West Chester University.
    8. Students who are granted Academic Renewal must meet with an advisor and complete an Academic Renewal Plan.

Academic Forgiveness Policy*

Academic Forgiveness is available to all currently enrolled undergraduate students. The spirit of the policy stems from the University’s desire to support continued progress for students who may have changed their major, and as a result, would not benefit from repeating courses taken for their original major.

Undergraduate students may improve their overall GPA by invoking Academic Forgiveness, the exclusion of a maximum of three courses (not to exceed 12 credit hours) in which the student received a grade of D (+/-), F, or Z. When Academic Forgiveness is applied, the course grade is excluded from the student’s GPA calculation. If the original course had earned the student credit (D grades), the credit will remain as earned and count towards degree completion. A transcript notation of Academic Forgiveness is applied.

Notes

  1. Academic Forgiveness differs from the undergraduate repeat policy which allows students to repeat courses to replace the original grade. Students must utilize the undergraduate repeat policy if repeating the course is required for their degree progression.
  2. The forgiven courses remain on the student's permanent academic record/transcript along with the original grade. However, the grade is not calculated into the student’s overall GPA. If the original course had earned the student credit (D grades), the credit will remain as earned and count towards degree completion. A transcript notation of Academic Forgiveness is applied.
  3. Students can petition to invoke Academic Forgiveness.
  4. Courses cannot be both repeated and forgiven. If a student re-enrolls in a course, the repeat policy is invoked, and that course cannot be subsequently forgiven.
  5. Please be aware that forgiveness cannot be recognized for federal financial aid eligibility. Per Title IV regulations, the Office of Financial Aid must include all grades and attempted credits in the calculation for satisfactory academic progress.
*

This is a pilot for the 2022 - 2023 academic year.