Academic Progress, Probation & Dismissal

Academic Progress

In order to maintain the grade point average required for graduation, a student must achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in coursework. The Academic Standards Committee reviews a junior or senior who fails to maintain a 2.0 cumulative or term grade point average; a sophomore, 1.9; a freshman, 1.8.

Academic Probation & Dismissal

Students who are not in good academic standing at the university, or who are in danger of slipping below this level, may be subject to academic probation, academic dismissal, or other actions in an effort to ensure that all enrolled students meet the academic standards required by Georgian Court. Cases related to academic standing, academic probation, dismissal, and related issues are reviewed by the student success officer and the Academic Standards Committee.

Definitions

Minimum Acceptable GPA by Class Level – 1.8 freshman, 1.9 sophomore, and 2.0 junior and senior

Cumulative GPA – the student’s grade point average overall, an average of grades for classes taken across all terms as a GCU student.

Term GPA – the student’s grade point average for all qualifying courses taken in a single semester or term.

Term – a period in which all classes are scheduled to begin and end within a set time frame. Examples at GCU include but are not limited to fall and spring semesters, winter sessions, 7.5-week sessions, and summer sessions. At GCU, “session” and “term” are used synonymously for purposes of academic standing.

Semester – the main fall or main spring term, approximately 15 weeks long.

Guidelines

Academic Warning

Any student whose cumulative or term GPA falls below 2.0 who is not placed on academic probation or strict academic probation, or who is not dismissed from the university, may receive an official academic warning notice.

Academic Probation

Students on academic probation continue as fully enrolled students at Georgian Court University, but are limited to 16 credits per term while on academic probation. In addition, students are required to meet monthly with academic support staff and participate in designated workshops.

A student may be placed on academic probation if his or her cumulative GPA or term GPA falls below the minimum acceptable for his or her class.

A student who is on academic probation and has shown improvement, but who has not yet reached the minimum acceptable GPA for his or her class—either term or cumulative—may remain on academic probation. A student who has been on academic probation for at least one semester and who has failed to show improvement, or whose cumulative or term GPA has fallen, may be placed on strict academic probation. See “Strict Academic Probation” below.

Note: A student who has been on academic probation, or some combination of academic probation and strict academic probation, for two or more semesters may be subject to academic dismissal. See “Academic Dismissal” below.

Strict Academic Probation

Students on strict academic probation continue as fully enrolled students at Georgian Court University, but are limited to 13 credits per term while on strict academic probation. In addition, students are required to meet twice monthly with academic support staff and participate in designated workshops.

A student whose cumulative GPA is below 1.7 or term GPA is below 1.5 may be placed on strict academic probation. A student who is on strict academic probation but who has not yet reached the minimum acceptable GPA for his or her class—either term or cumulative—may remain on strict academic probation for additional semesters, or, if that student has shown some improvement, may be placed on academic probation instead.

A student may also be placed on strict academic probation if he or she has been on academic probation for at least one semester and has failed to show improvement, or if his or her cumulative or term GPA has fallen. See “Academic Probation” above.

Note: As noted above, a student who has been on academic probation, or some combination of academic probation and strict academic probation, for two or more semesters may be subject to academic dismissal. See “Academic Dismissal” below.

Academic Dismissal

A student will be dismissed from the university if her or his cumulative GPA falls below 1.0, or if the student earns a term GPA of 0 during a semester in which he or she has taken at least 6 credits. 

A student will also be dismissed if he or she has spent two semesters on academic probation or strict academic probation, or some combination of these, and the student has not shown improvement, or if a student has spent three semesters on academic probation or strict academic probation, or some combination of these, and has shown improvement but has not achieved the minimal acceptable cumulative GPA for his or her class.

Students have the option to appeal.