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Academic Progress Expectations for Coterminal Students

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Academic progress is monitored upon the completion of each academic quarter for all undergraduates, including coterminal students who have not yet had their undergraduate degrees conferred. To remain in good academic standing, coterminal students must satisfy the following minimum requirements each quarter:

  • Maintain a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.0 or above
  • Maintain a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or above
  • Undergrad Tuition Group students must earn at least 9 units of credit out of 12 or more enrolled units in a single quarter

OR

  • Graduate Tuition Group students must either earn at least 6 units of credit when enrolling in 8-10 units in a single quarter or at least 8 units of credit when enrolling in 11 or more units in a single quarter

Note that quarterly units for all coterminal students are counted across both careers, though coterms may choose to enroll on either or both careers.

When a coterminal student does not meet these requirements, they are placed on the appropriate coterminal academic progress status.

Coterminal Academic Progress Statuses 

There are four general types of Coterminal Academic Progress statuses, to be determined by the Academic Progress Review Board (APRB):

  • Coterminal Academic Notice
  • Coterminal Academic Probation
  • Coterminal Deferred Suspension (a discretionary status)
  • Coterminal Suspension (1- or 3-year)

Academic Progress Statuses do not appear on the Official Transcript, but do appear on the Unofficial Transcript for the purposes of advising. The Unofficial Transcript is accessible to staff in Academic Advising, as well as Student Services Officers (SSOs) in the department or program in which a student has declared a major/minor.

Coterminal Academic Notice

A coterminal student, without a current academic status, who does not meet the requirements for satisfactory academic progress as set forth by the Faculty Senate, may be placed on coterminal academic notice. If a student placed on academic notice subsequently matriculates into a coterm program the next quarter, their status will be converted to coterminal academic notice. A student shall be removed from coterminal academic notice if, in the subsequent quarter of enrollment at the University (excluding Summer), the student:

  • maintains at least a 2.0 cumulative undergraduate grade point average; and
  • maintains at least a 3.0 cumulative graduate grade point average*
  • In the Undergraduate Tuition Group earns a minimum of twelve (12) units of new course work across both the undergraduate and graduate careers by the end of the final examination period, AND maintains a 2.0 quarterly undergraduate grade point average for any units attempted on the undergraduate career

OR

  • In the Graduate Tuition Group either earns at least 6 units of credit when enrolling in 8-10 units in a single quarter OR earns at least 8 units of credit when enrolling in 11 or more units in a single quarter

(Note that any course for which units are earned while on an Academic Progress status or Coterminal Academic Progress status, that is then repeated while on an Academic Progress or Coterminal Academic status, will NOT count as “new” units.)

Not meeting these conditions may result in coterminal academic probation or coterminal suspension (or the discretionary status, coterminal deferred suspension).

Coterminal Academic Probation

A student who does not meet conditions for coterminal academic notice may be placed on coterminal academic probation. If a student placed on academic probation subsequently matriculates into a coterm program the next quarter, their status will be converted to coterminal academic probation.  In addition, and on occasion, a student may also be placed directly on coterminal academic probation if the student has had a prior coterminal academic notice status.

A student shall be removed from coterminal academic probation if, in the next subsequent quarter of enrollment at the University (excluding Summer), the student:

  • maintains at least a 2.0 cumulative undergraduate grade point average; and
  • maintains at least a 3.0 cumulative graduate grade point average*
  • In the Undergraduate Tuition Group earns a minimum of twelve (12) units of new course work across both the undergraduate and graduate careers by the end of the final examination period, AND maintains a 2.0 quarterly undergraduate grade point average for any units attempted on the undergraduate career

OR

  • In the Graduate Tuition Group either earns at least 6 units of credit when enrolling in 8-10 units in a single quarter OR earns at least 8 units of credit when enrolling in 11 or more units in a single quarter

(Note that any course for which units are earned while on an Academic Progress status or Coterminal Academic Progress status, that is then repeated while on an Academic Progress or Coterminal Academic status, will NOT count as “new” units.)

Not meeting these conditions may result in coterminal suspension (or coterminal deferred suspension).

Coterminal Deferred Suspension (A Discretionary Status)

A student who does not meet conditions for coterminal academic notice or coterminal academic probation may be placed on coterminal deferred suspension. In addition, and on occasion, a student may also be placed directly on coterminal deferred suspension if the student has had a prior coterminal academic notice status.

Coterminal deferred suspension is a discretionary status the Academic Progress Review Board (APRB) may use, which is intended to strongly convey that the student should carefully consider whether to enroll or whether time off (i.e., Leave of Absence) would be beneficial. It may also be used in situations where students minimally do not meet the requirements of coterminal academic notice or coterminal academic probation and/or have very few remaining requirements for graduation (e.g., only one quarter of enrollment remaining). Finally, the status for a student whose Request for Reconsideration of Academic Suspension results in a change of status will be converted from coterminal suspension to coterminal deferred suspension.

A student shall be removed from coterminal deferred suspension if, after one (1) quarter of enrollment at the University (excluding Summer), the student:

  • maintains at least a 2.0 cumulative undergraduate grade point average; and
  • maintains at least a 3.0 cumulative graduate grade point average*
  • In the Undergraduate Tuition Group earns a minimum of twelve (12) units of new course work across both the undergraduate and graduate careers by the end of the final examination period, AND maintains a 2.0 quarterly undergraduate grade point average for any units attempted on the undergraduate career

OR

  • In the Graduate Tuition Group either earns at least 6 units of credit when enrolling in 8-10 units in a single quarter OR earns at least 8 units of credit when enrolling in 11 or more units in a single quarter

(Note that any course for which units are earned while on an Academic Progress status or Coterminal Academic Progress status, that is then repeated while on an Academic Progress or Coterminal Academic status, will NOT count as “new” units.)

Not meeting these conditions may result in coterminal suspension.

Note that if conditions for coterminal deferred suspension are met, the student is then placed on coterminal academic probation.

* If a program’s required graduate grade point average for degree conferral is below 3.0, then they will need to meet that minimum graduate grade point average.

Coterminal Suspension

A student who does not meet conditions for coterminal academic probation or coterminal deferred suspension (or, on occasion, for coterminal academic notice) may be placed on coterminal suspension. In addition, and on occasion, a student may also be placed directly on suspension if the student has had a prior academic notice status. If a coterminal student is suspended, they are suspended from both the undergraduate and graduate careers.

In general, students suspended for the first time are suspended for one year and are not eligible to enroll for four quarters (including Summer quarter) following the quarter in which the Suspension or Coterminal Suspension was issued. Students suspended a subsequent time may be suspended for up to three years and are not eligible to enroll for up to twelve quarters (including Summer quarter) following the quarter in which the Suspension or Coterminal Suspension was issued.

A suspended student should meet with an Advisor to discuss plans for the future and for advice regarding the required Request to Return and Register in Undergraduate Study that must be submitted 8-12 weeks before the intended return.

Note that any Summer quarter enrollment will be terminated for students suspended at the end of Spring quarter.

VPUE will collaborate with the graduate department/program in the deliberation of any academic suspension. Additionally, academic departments and programs already hold authority to dismiss candidates from their Master’s programs through their own internal process. As such, any decisions made by the academic department/program to dismiss a coterminal student from the Master’s program would supersede or supplant the VPUE coterminal academic review process.

How students end a Coterminal Academic Progress status/meet conditions

A student is “off” a Coterminal Academic Progress status once all the conditions of the Coterminal Academic Progress status have been met (i.e., “met conditions”). For example, a student on coterminal academic notice must, while in the undergraduate tuition group, meet the conditions of completing 12 units of new course work and maintaining a 2.0 quarterly and cumulative undergraduate grade point average, as well as a 3.0 cumulative graduate grade point average, for one (1) quarter of enrollment. When those conditions have been met, the student has fulfilled the conditions of their status (met conditions) and returns to making satisfactory progress towards the undergraduate degree.

If an instructor feels that a student may be experiencing personal or medical difficulties, please strongly encourage that student to reach out to their Undergraduate Advising Director.