Academic Warning Based on Program Recommendation

Programs are responsible for monitoring the academic progress of their students, including through annual academic reviews. Factors that a program may use to assess academic progress include, but are not limited to, performance in course work, satisfactory and timely completion of all milestones as determined by the program, satisfactory progress in research, overall graduate and/or program GPA, and performance on qualifying, preliminary, and other examinations.

When students fail to meet these requirements, a program can recommend to the Graduate College that the student be placed on academic warning or dismissed (dropped) by the Graduate College. The Graduate College will review the recommendation. If it is determined that the student will be placed on academic warning, the Graduate College will communicate the length of the warning period and requirements for returning to Good Standing.

See Chapter 3.2 of the Graduate College Handbook for the full policy. 

Background

Graduate College academic warning status is a significant indicator that a student is not making satisfactory academic progress. Students on academic warning status have certain restrictions, including not being eligible for credit/no-credit classes and not being able to hold assistantship or fellowship appointments without approval.

Timelines for Academic Standing Review

Academic standing based on program recommendation will be reviewed and determined once per academic term according to the timelines listed below.

Process

If a department intends to recommend that a student be placed on academic warning status, it is recommended that the program discuss these plans with the student in advance of the Reading Day deadline.

Department Recommendation

To start this process, the program will submit a recommendation for academic warning to the Graduate College.

Academic Warning Based on Program Recommendation form

This recommendation (with the above form) should include:

• A letter from the Executive Officer or Director of Graduate Study that describes the academic progress concerns and provides information about how these expectations have been communicated to the student
• Copy of the most recent annual academic review for the student
• Copies of departmental handbooks, letters/emails about expectations or other items that show how the department has communicated expectations to the student
• Implications on funding of academic warning status,
• Recommended academic warning length, and
• Specific academic expectations that the student is expected to meet to return to good standing.

Student Notification and Opportunity for Response

Following submission to the Graduate College, the entire recommendation package will be provided to the student, who will have an opportunity to provide a written response before the Graduate College will make a decision on the academic standing.

The student may choose to address the concerns the department brought up in its recommendation packet and provide any additional information they would like the Graduate College to consider during its review.

The student will have five business days (excluding university holidays) to provide a written response to be considered as part of the Graduate College review.

Graduate College Review and Decision

The Graduate College will review the documentation provided by the program and the student before making a decision regarding the student’s academic standing for the upcoming term. The Graduate College may request additional information as part of the review. The Graduate College will communicate the decision to the student and the program including, if applicable, the length of the academic warning period and requirements for returning to good standing.

Appeal Process

The student has five business days (excluding university holidays) to appeal the decision on the grounds that the process was not followed in a manner that resulted in significant disadvantage for the student or new information is available that was not available at the time of the initial review. The written appeal should identify the grounds for appeal and provide any additional information to be included in the review. An appeal committee in the Graduate College will review this material and the information included in the initial review before reaching a decision. The appeal committee may request additional information as part of the review. The decision of the appeal committee is final.

During the Warning Semester

When a student is on academic warning status based on program recommendation, the Graduate College will ask that the student and program develop an academic plan to provide guidance to the student in achieving the academic expectations. The Graduate College can provide support to the student and program in this process if requested.

Assessing Progress for Students on Academic Warning Status

During the final term of a student’s academic warning period, the department will be asked to provide an update regarding the student’s academic progress.

Department Re-Review

Using the Academic Warning Based on Program Recommendation form, the department should submit a recommendation that the student be returned to good standing, dropped from the program, or continued on academic warning by the Reading Day deadline within that term. 

Academic Warning Based on Program Recommendation form

This recommendation should include a letter from the Executive Officer or Director of Graduate Study that describes the student’s academic progress and discusses whether milestones have been met. The department may also include letters/emails about expectations or other items that show how the department has communicated expectations to the student. 

If the department wishes to recommend that the student remain on academic warning status, the department must include specific academic expectations that the student is expected to meet to return to good standing. 

Student Notification and Opportunity for Response

If the department recommends that the student remain on academic warning or be dropped from the program, the Graduate College will send this recommendation to the student, who will have an opportunity to provide a written response before the Graduate College will make a decision on the academic standing.

The student may choose to address the concerns the department brought up in its recommendation packet and provide any additional information they would like the Graduate College to consider during its review.. 

The student will have five business days (excluding university holidays) to provide a written response to be considered as part of the Graduate College review.

Graduate College Review and Decision

The Graduate College will review the documentation provided by the program and student before making a decision regarding the student’s academic standing for the upcoming term. The Graduate College may request additional information as part of the review. The Graduate College will communicate the decision to the student and the program including, if applicable, the length of the academic warning period and requirements for returning to good standing.

The student will have the ability to appeal the decision using the appeal process described above.