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Academic Progress Expectations

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Until conferral of the undergraduate degree, a student’s academic progress is monitored by the office of Academic Advising, under the office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE).  Academic progress is reviewed upon the completion of each academic quarter for all undergraduates and coterminal students.

Academic Progress

Minimum Requirements for Undergraduate Students

To remain in good academic standing, undergraduate students must satisfy the following minimum requirements:

  • Earn at least 9 units of credit in a single quarter
  • Earn at least 36 units over the most recent three (3) enrolled quarters
  • Maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above

When an undergraduate student does not meet these requirements, they are placed on an undergraduate academic progress status.

Minimum Requirements for Coterminal Students

To remain in good academic standing, coterminal students must satisfy the following minimum requirements:

  • Maintain a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.0 or above
  • Maintain a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or above
  • Earn a quantitative unit requirement based on tuition group
    • Students in the Coterminal Undergraduate Tuition Group (COTU) must earn at least 9 units in a given quarter
    • Students in the Coterminal Graduate Tuition Group (COTG) must earn at least 8 units of 11-or-more attempted OR earn at least 6 units of 8-10 units attempted

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

Academic Progress Statuses 

Undergraduate and coterminal students who do not satisfy the minimum requirements above may be placed on an academic progress status.  There are four general types of Academic Progress statuses, to be determined by the Academic Progress Review Board (APRB):

  • Academic Notice
  • Academic Probation
  • Deferred Suspension (a discretionary status)
  • Academic 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.

Undergraduate Academic Progress Statuses

Undergraduate Academic Notice

An undergraduate student who, for the first time, does not meet the requirements for satisfactory academic progress as set forth by the Faculty Senate, may be placed on undergraduate academic notice. A student shall be removed from undergraduate academic notice if, in the subsequent quarter of enrollment at the University (excluding Summer), the student:

  • earns a minimum of twelve (12) units of new course work by the end of the final examination period (Note that any course for which units are earned while on an Academic Progress status, that is then repeated while on an Academic Progress status, will NOT count as “new” units.);
  • maintains a 2.0 quarterly grade point average; and
  • maintains at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.

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

Undergraduate Academic Probation

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

A student shall be removed from undergraduate academic probation if, in each of two (2) subsequent quarters of enrollment at the University (excluding Summer), the student:

  • earns a minimum of twelve (12) units of new course work by the end of the final examination period;
  • maintains at least a 2.0 quarterly grade point average; and
  • maintains at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.

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

Undergraduate Deferred Suspension (A Discretionary Status)

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

Undergraduate 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 undergraduate academic notice or undergraduate 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 undergraduate academic suspension to undergraduate deferred suspension.

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

  • earns a minimum of twelve (12) units of new course work by the end of the final examination period;
  • maintains at least a 2.0 quarterly grade point average; and
  • maintains at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.

Not meeting these conditions may result in undergraduate academic suspension.

Note that if conditions for undergraduate deferred suspension are met, the student is then placed on undergraduate academic probation, the conditions of which must be met for the next two (2) subsequent quarters of enrollment.

Undergraduate Academic Suspension

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

Coterminal Academic Progress Statuses

Coterminal Academic Notice

A coterminal student who, for the first time, does not meet the requirements for satisfactory coterminal academic progress as set forth by the Faculty Senate, may be placed on 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 a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.0 or above
  • maintains a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or above
  • meets additional requirements based on tuition group
    • Students in COTU must maintain a minimum 2.0 quarterly undergraduate GPA for any attempted units on that career and earn at least 12 units of new coursework
    • Students in COTG must earn at least 8 units of new coursework of 11-or-more units attempted OR earn at least 6 units of new coursework of 8-10 units attempted

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

Coterminal Academic Probation

A coterminal student who does not meet conditions for coterminal academic notice may be placed on 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 academic notice status.

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

  • maintains a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.0 or above
  • maintains a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or above
  • meets additional requirements based on tuition group
    • Students in COTU must maintain a minimum 2.0 quarterly undergraduate GPA for any attempted units on that career and earn at least 12 units of new coursework
    • Students in COTG must earn at least 8 units of new coursework of 11-or-more units attempted OR earn at least 6 units of new coursework of 8-10 units attempted

Not meeting these conditions may result in coterminal academic suspension (or the discretionary status, 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, in the subsequent quarter of enrollment at the University (excluding Summer), the student:

  • maintains a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.0 or above
  • maintains a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or above
  • meets additional requirements based on tuition group
    • Students in COTU must maintain a minimum 2.0 quarterly undergraduate GPA for any attempted units on that career and earn at least 12 units of new coursework
    • Students in COTG must earn at least 8 units of new coursework of 11-or-more units attempted OR earn at least 6 units of new coursework of 8-10 units attempted

Not meeting these conditions may result in coterminal academic suspension.  

Note that if conditions for coterminal deferred suspension are met, the student is then placed on coterminal academic probation, the conditions of which must be met for one (1) subsequent quarter of enrollment.

Coterminal Academic 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 academic suspension. In addition, and on occasion, a student may also be placed directly on coterminal academic 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 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 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 get off an Academic Progress status/meet conditions

A student is “off” an Academic Progress status once all the conditions of the Academic Progress status have been met (i.e., “met conditions”). For example, a student on undergraduate academic notice must meet the conditions of completing 12 units of new course work and maintaining a 2.0 quarterly and cumulative 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.

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