Undergraduate Academic Standards Policies

Academic Standards Committee

The Academic Standards Committee is appointed by the Provost of the College. It exists for the purpose of administering standards of acceptable academic performance, reviewing students’ academic progress, and advising the Provost on appropriate College actions. Student Academic Standings shall be reviewed at the end of each semester (Fall, Winterim, Spring, and Summer). Academic dismissals shall be carried out at the end of Fall and Spring semesters.

Acceptable Standing

The minimal academic levels for Acceptable Standing in a given semester are:

1. A Semester Grade Point Average of 2.0, and
2. A Cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.0.

Note: Students receiving certain types of financial aid are subject to other performance standards. For details, see the “Financial Aid ” section of this catalog.

Academic Warning and Academic Probation

1. Academic Warning: for all students, except those completing their first semester at SUNY Potsdam, if a student’s Semester Grade Point Average falls below 2.0, then the student will be placed on Academic Warning.
2. Academic Probation: for all students, except those completing their first semester at SUNY Potsdam, if a student’s Cumulative Grade Point Average falls below 2.0, then the student will be placed on Academic Probation.
3. Students completing their first semester at Potsdam: first-semester students with Semester Grade Point Averages between 1.5 and 1.99, inclusive, will be placed on Academic Warning. First-semester students with Semester Grade Point Averages below 1.5 but above 0.0 will be placed on Academic Probation. First-semester students with semester grade point averages of 0.0 will be eligible for dismissal.
4. Students who qualify for both Academic Warning and Academic Probation status will be placed on Academic Probation.

Warning Sanctions

The College imposes no formal sanctions for students on Academic Warning status. Warning status, however, may affect students’ eligibility to apply for awards, transfer to other institutions, or participate in certain organizations or activities.

Probationary Sanctions

1. Sanctions: while on probation, a student should avoid extensive non-academic commitments and curtail voluntary activities that consume significant amounts of available study time. Effecting an immediate academic recovery, and thereby averting possible dismissal, must become the student’s primary objective. Note: See “Dismissal” section below. The student on probation is prohibited from student teaching; fraternity/sorority pledging; serving as a Resident Assistant; serving on a College committee; representing the College in official intercollegiate competition, including cheerleading; and assuming or maintaining any office, designated post, position, or leadership role in organizations financially supported or formally recognized by the institution. A list of such organizations is available from the Provost, the SGA President, and the Dean of Students. All matters concerning eligibility and proper compliance shall be adjudicated by the Provost (or designee).
2. Procedures for Organizations to Verify Leader Eligibility:
   1. All student organizations at SUNY Potsdam shall submit to the Dean of Students (or designee) a roster citing all individuals serving as officers, under the terms of its approved constitution, for the following semester no later than ten days prior to the last day of classes each semester. Any change in leadership that takes effect during the semester in which it occurs should be submitted to the Dean of Students (or designee) immediately.
   2. The Dean of Students (or designee) shall notify the Provost (or designee) when violations occur.
   3. A student found to be on academic probation shall be immediately suspended from assuming or maintaining any office, designated post, position, or leadership role in the organization for the duration of the probationary period.
   4. An organization found to be in noncompliance (i.e., allowing ineligible members to continue to serve in a leadership role) shall be at risk and liable to the immediate penalty of suspension of formal institutional support, recognition and registration status as deemed appropriate.

Changing Academic Status

1. Return to Acceptable Standing: The academic standing of students on Warning or Probation will return to Acceptable Standing when they achieve both a Semester and Cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.0 or above.
2. Repeated courses: repeating a course does not enable students to change their academic status for a previous semester. For academic standing purposes the semester GPA is calculated before any exclusions for repeat courses are coded.
3. Transfer courses: courses completed at another academic institution normally will not affect academic status at SUNY Potsdam, since only credit hours, not courses, transfer. When all the following conditions are met, however, transferred courses may change a student’s academic status from Probation to Acceptable Standing:
   1. The transferred course is an exact repeat of a SUNY Potsdam course. Note: Students who plan to repeat SUNY Potsdam courses at another college should consult in advance with the Admissions Office to insure that the course will count as an exact equivalent.
   2. The SUNY Potsdam Registrar’s Office receives an official transcript of the repeated course. (Students must arrange for the other institutions to transmit the transcripts to SUNY Potsdam.)
   3. The SUNY Potsdam Registrar’s Office is notified of the repeated course by the student.
   4. The grade for the repeated course is higher than the grade for the original course, and the exclusion of the original grade results in raising the student’s Cumulative Grade Point Average to 2.0 or above. In this case, the student’s academic standing will be Warning if the semester GPA in their last semester at SUNY Potsdam was below a 2.0, and Acceptable Standing if it was above a 2.0.

Notes:

• Transfer work cannot change the academic standing for a previous semester.
• The modified standards for students completing their first semester at SUNY Potsdam do not apply in the case of transfer work, since it is completed after the student’s first semester.

Eligibility to Register

“Good Academic Standing” is defined as eligibility to register for and undertake academic coursework for the semester in question. Revocation of this privilege occurs when a student is dismissed from the College. A dismissed student may not register for or undertake coursework at SUNY Potsdam unless formally readmitted by the Office of Admissions. Records relating to students’ academic standing shall be maintained by the Registrar and the chair of the Academic Standards Committee.

Dismissal

1. Conditions for Dismissal: students may be subject to Dismissal in the following cases:
   1. In their first semester at the College they earn a semester Grade Point Average of 0.0, or
   2. After a semester on Probation, they fail to raise their cumulative Grade Point Average to a 2.0 or higher, with the following exceptions:
      1. If in their first semester on Probation they earn a semester Grade Point Average of 2.0 or above but fail to raise their cumulative Grade Point Average to a 2.0 or above, they will be permitted to return to the College for one more semester on Probation.
      2. If in their second semester on Probation they earn a semester Grade Point Average of 3.0 or above, based on 12 or more numerically graded credit hours, but fail to raise their cumulative Grade Point Average to a 2.0 or above, they will be permitted to return to the College for one more semester on Probation
2. Dismissal and Future Enrollment:
   1. First Dismissal: revocation of enrollment for a full academic semester (Fall or Spring). Students wishing to return to SUNY Potsdam following dismissal must demonstrate academic readiness in a Supplement to the Application for Readmission. Students may also be required to complete an interview regarding their academic readiness prior to readmission.
   2. Second Dismissal: students dismissed for a second time may not continue their education at SUNY Potsdam.
   3. Special Dismissal Waiver for Exceptional Circumstances: the Academic Standards Committee at its discretion may recommend a Special Dismissal Waiver when circumstances beyond the personal control of students prevented them from satisfying the appropriate standards set forth above. Students may petition for the Waiver upon notification of Dismissal. This appeal must be submitted on the form available from the Student Success Center by the deadlines indicated in the Dismissal notice. This Waiver allows students to enroll for one additional semester on Probationary status.
3. Students dismissed from the College will not be permitted to enroll in SUNY Potsdam courses as a cross-registrant from one of the Associated Colleges until they are removed from the dismissed status at SUNY Potsdam.