Academic Standards, Academic Standing, Dismissal, and Appealing Dismissal

Academic Standards

All matriculated students are expected to maintain satisfactory levels of academic achievement (at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average and appropriate levels of credits completed satisfactorily in each semester) throughout their tenure at Geneseo and to make satisfactory progress toward their degrees. Note that some departments and programs require higher grade point averages for admission to and/or progress in the major. The Advising Office monitors students’ progress at the end of each fall and spring semester.

The College recognizes that some students will need assistance in making the adjustment to the demands of college work. The College’s academic standards regulations provide short-term, provisional requirements intended to help these students make satisfactory progress toward their degree.

Changes or revisions in Academic Standards are approved by the College Senate and distributed by the Advising Office. Academic Standards and other academic policies for students in the Access Opportunity Program are available from the Director of AOP.

Good Standing

Good standing status for a semester is defined for full-time, matriculated students as: (1) the successful completion of a minimum of 11 credits of coursework (8 credits for students in their first semester at Geneseo), and (2) a minimum term and cumulative grade point average of 2.00. Students should note that financial aid and many scholarships, including Excelsior, have higher credit requirements for students to remain in good standing; students should look at the terms for their individual aid packages.

Good standing status for a semester is defined for part-time, matriculated students as: (1) the successful completion of all attempted credits; (2) a minimum term and cumulative grade point average of 2.00.

Credit Warning

Students are placed on credit warning if they do not earn the minimum number of required credits:

  1. Full-time, matriculated students who do not earn 11 credits

  2. Part-time, matriculated students who do not earn all the credits they attempted

  3. Full-time, matriculated students in their first semester who do not earn 8 credits

Academic Warning

Students are placed on Academic Warning if they complete the minimum number of required credits and their Term GPA is under a 2.0, while their cumulative GPA is over 2.0.

Academic Probation

Matriculated students are reviewed for academic probation at the end of each fall and spring semester. First-semester students, whether first-year or transfer, are not subject to academic probation. Matriculated students who have completed at least two semesters at Geneseo will be placed on probation if their cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 or if they have two consecutive semesters of Credit Warning. Any student placed on credit warning, academic warning, or academic probation will will receive a letter from the Director of Advising or Dean of their College recommending that the student take such actions as seeking academic counseling and reviewing work schedules. Students placed on academic probation will be required to receive academic advisement before registration. Students on probation must meet the criteria for good standing in their next semester or they will be dismissed. Unless otherwise stipulated by the Director of Advising, students on probation are not precluded from participation in college-sponsored co-curricular activities, unless indicated by that activity.

Notes:

  • The College defines a “full-time” load as 12 credits registered and paid for. The minimum number of credits required to meet the good standing status is not the same as a “full-time” load.

  • Students receiving financial aid should consult the Financial Aid Office concerning credit minimums for eligibility to receive or retain financial aid.

Extended Time to Return to Good Standing

If a student placed on academic probation (AP) successfully completes EXPL 125 - Academic Coaching in the semester immediately following, but fails to meet the requirements for good standing (11 completed credits and cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher), the College will defer “dismissal” for an additional semester. Enrollment in EXPL 125 is recommended for students who go on academic probation, but not required.

Academic Dismissal

Students are reviewed for academic dismissal at the end of each fall and spring semester. Students on academic probation from the previous semester will be “Pending dismissal” if they fail to meet the criteria for good standing. Notification of pending dismissal is sent by email and is mailed to the student’s address on record with the College upon request, at the end of the semester in question. Students may choose to resign or appeal the pending dismissal and are informed how to do so in the email notification they receive. Each student is responsible for informing the College through the Office of Records and Scheduling of updates and changes to their address.

Students who choose neither to resign nor appeal their dismissals by the specified date, students whose appeals are denied, and students who fail to meet specified conditions for reinstatement following appeals that are granted are formally dismissed from the College. Dismissed students are no longer eligible to continue at the College and will be denied further registration and removed from registration for future semesters. Such students should meet with staff in the Advising Office and must complete a specified exit procedure; failure to do so could result in their being refused readmission and denied copies of transcripts. All questions concerning exit procedures may be addressed to the Division of Student and Campus Life.

Academic Resignation

Students who are pending dismissal and are so notified by the Office of Advising may elect to resign from the College in advance of an appeal. Students choosing this option will waive their right to appeal their academic standing and/or any course grade not already under appeal by the end of the semester in which they become subject to academic dismissal. Upon resignation, the College will remove all indication of academic dismissal or academic dismissal pending from its transcript records. Any resigned student who later seeks readmission to Geneseo will be subject to all regulations applied to dismissed students who seek readmission (see “Readmission after Dismissal or Resignation” below). Complete information on the process for dismissal, appeal, and resignation is available from the Office of Advising.

Students who choose neither to resign nor appeal their dismissals, students whose appeals are denied, and students who fail to meet specified conditions for reinstatement following appeals that are granted are formally dismissed from the College. Such students should meet with staff in the Office of Advising and must complete a specified exit procedure; failure to do so could result in their being refused readmission and denied copies of transcripts. All questions concerning exit procedures may be addressed to the Division of Student and Campus Life.

Appeals of Dismissals

Students wishing to appeal their dismissal at the end of the academic semester must submit a written statement to the Director of Advising. Following Pending Dismissal emails, the Office of Advising will outreach to students to schedule meetings and assist with the decision process and appeal letter writing. The letter should detail the specific reasons and/or circumstances that warrant the appeal. Drafts can be sent to advisors for support and edits before the deadline. The appeal letter can be emailed to the Advising office or must be postmarked no later than 10 calendar days after the date on the dismissal letter. The Academic Standards Committee reviews the written appeal and the entire record of the student. The Academic Standards Committee has the authority to uphold the dismissal, repeal the dismissal with conditions, or repeal the dismissal. Conditions of reinstatement set by an Academic Standards Committee may limit the number of appeals, set target grade point averages, or place other conditions on a student that otherwise supersede general guidelines for academic standards.

Degree Time Limitation

Students enrolled in a baccalaureate program at the College who fail to maintain continuous enrollment in at least one course each semester are administratively withdrawn from the College unless they have been granted a Leave of Absence in advance. Such students must be readmitted to the college before they will be permitted to resume their studies.

If the standards of admission in effect at the time of application for readmission are met, a student may be admitted to a degree program current at the time of readmission. The Director of Advising, in consultation with appropriate department chairs, will determine which courses completed prior to withdrawal will be applied to degree programs elected following readmission.

Readmission after Dismissal or Resignation

Students who have been academically dismissed or who resign may not apply for readmission until at least two criteria have been met. First, at least one year must have elapsed since the time of academic dismissal. Second, students are expected to successfully complete a minimum of one full-time semester at another accredited college, or a comparable experience (as determined by the Director of Advising). Students are required to submit an application for readmission, transcripts from any colleges attended, and, in addition, should provide a brief written statement detailing the reasons for returning to Geneseo. Readmission to the College does not automatically readmit students to majors or programs which have separate admission or proficiency standards (the School of Business or the School of Education).

Using the procedures described above, an Academic Standards Committee reviews the records of dismissed students and those who resigned in previous semesters and wish to be readmitted to the College. The Committee has the authority to recommend or deny readmission and to specify conditions for readmitted students.

Readmitted students should be aware that their previous Geneseo academic record remains as a part of their Geneseo cumulative average and is considered in academic reviews conducted in subsequent semesters, unless they meet the conditions for the Fresh Start program. They should also be aware that the Geneseo cumulative average is not altered by grades earned at other institutions. Readmitted students return under the catalog of the year of their readmission. For further information, see the section on “Readmission.”

Fresh Start Program

Fresh Start provides an opportunity for students who left the College after experiencing academic difficulties to continue their studies at Geneseo. It excludes failing grades prior to academic dismissal or resignation for students who are readmitted and meet specific criteria. Students are eligible for Fresh Start if they meet the following requirements:

  1. Their GPA was below 2.0 when they left the College.

  2. One calendar year has elapsed since their last attendance at Geneseo, and they successfully completed at least one semester (12 credits) at another institution since leaving the college.

  3. They achieve at least a 2.0 GPA in the first 12 credits earned after readmission to Geneseo. *

  4. Students cannot exclude W or I grades, non-credit courses, or courses that were excluded for other reasons (i.e., repeated course, program change)

Under the Fresh Start program, courses in which a student earned an E grade before leaving the college may then be excluded from the student’s overall GPA when the student returns to complete a degree. Students who qualify for Fresh Start must return a signed Fresh Start application to the Director of Advising by the close of their returning semester. The courses and grades remain on the transcript in the semester taken, but the notation “Fresh Start” will appear on the transcript, and the grades will be excluded from the overall GPA calculation, for all academic purposes. 

Students should note that Financial Aid may not exclude any grades, by state and federal law, but there are alternative processes for exceptions to the GPA requirements for state and federal financial aid. Students should make an appointment with the Financial Aid office for current information.

*If the student’s major GPA requirement is above a 2.0, the student must meet that minimum GPA.

For more information on Academic Standards, Probation, and Dismissal, please refer to that section of the Undergraduate Bulletin.