Policy Statement
Review of Student Academic Performance
At the end of each fall, spring and summer semester, a review of graduate student academic performance is completed by the academic advisor and/or CCAPS Graduate Education Student Services team. This includes a review of the student’s term and cumulative GPA and other elements such as individual course grades, courses taken within and outside the program, number of incompletes, number of course withdrawals and the student’s progress in completing milestones specific to their respective major. CCAPS graduate students are required to maintain a minimum GPA requirement specified by their graduate program or 2.800 (on a 4.000 scale), whichever is higher, throughout their Master’s studies to remain in good academic standing.
Student Remediation, Academic Warning and Discontinuation
- Students who fall below the minimum GPA requirement at the end of a semester will be given an academic warning.
- Students given an academic warning will be notified via email following the review, copying their Director of Graduate Studies and academic advisor. The department may enforce an academic warning by placing a hold on the student’s record or through other mechanisms.
- Students given an academic warning must meet with their academic advisor to develop a feasible plan to be in good academic standing within one semester.
- Students who meet or exceed the minimum GPA at the end of the semester will have the academic warning removed.
CCAPS graduate programs have the discretion to give students an academic probation or discontinue students from a program if other performance standards and progress requirements set by the program are not being satisfactorily met. This will be communicated to students via email and include the timeframe for meeting conditions of remediation, procedures that will be used to determine whether the conditions have been met and the outcome that will result should the conditions not be met.
CCAPS graduate programs may also have a discipline-specific student review and remediation policy. If applicable, students are responsible for meeting the college and program student review and remediation policies.
Appeals Process
Students who believe that a decision regarding remediation, probation and/or discontinuation was based on incomplete information, procedural error, or misinterpretation of policy may submit a written appeal. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Director of Graduate Student Services within 10 business days of the original decision notification from the program and include a detailed rationale for the appeal; the specific rule, policy, or established practice that was violated; and a brief statement of the remedy the student is seeking. The Director of Graduate Student Services, in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, will review the appeal to determine whether there is sufficient basis to reconsider the decision and issue their decision.
If your appeal to the Director of Graduate Student Services is denied, a final step is to submit a written appeal to the Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the College of Continuing and Professional Studies within 10 calendar days of the Director of Graduate Student Services' decision. Your email should detail the rationale for the appeal, the rule or policy you believe was violated and state the remedy you are seeking. The Sr. Associate Dean will review the appeal to determine whether there is sufficient basis to reconsider the decision. The Sr. Associate Dean may:
- Uphold the original decision, or
- Render a new decision based on the appeal materials.
The Sr. Associate Dean of Academic Affairs will issue a decision, including a rationale for the decision, within 30 calendar days of the filing of the appeal, unless there are compelling reasons for delay. The Sr. Associate Dean’s decision is final and cannot be appealed further.
Reasons for Policy
University policy requires that graduate programs conduct annual reviews of graduate student academic performance and specify how processes related to annual reviews, academic warning and discontinuation will be conducted. The CCAPS Graduate Education student review and remediation policy has a more stringent review timeline than the University timeline.
Related Information
UMN Administrative Policy: Master’s Degree: Performance Standards and Progress
UMN Administrative Policy Appendix: Annual Graduate Student Reviews: Guidelines
FAQ
Is an academic warning or suspension status noted on the University transcript?
No. Students may have a hold on their record that prevents registration, but the hold does not appear on the University transcript.
Contact
Amanda Barnett
612-625-2326
[email protected]
Effective July 2024