(Revised May 2022)
At Quinnipiac University, we recognize that many students face unique challenges in their academic journey and we offer many resources to help students succeed. Our Academic Good Standing Policy for Undergraduate Students is designed to support and empower our students to achieve academic success. We have designed processes to help students identify and address any academic challenges they may be facing, while also providing opportunities for growth and development.
Credit and GPA Requirements
To be in Academic Good Standing at Quinnipiac, undergraduate students must meet both minimum grade point average (GPA) and completed credit requirements.
A student fails to meet Academic Good Standing requirements if their:
1. Cumulative GPA is below 2.00
Any new student earning a GPA less than 2.25, but 1.20 or more, in their first semester at Quinnipiac will be placed on Academic Warning. Any new student earning a GPA less than 1.20 in their first semester will be placed on Academic Probation. While students on Academic Warning remain in academic good standing, they are required to follow the academic recovery process in order to improve their academic record. Students on Academic Probation are not in academic good standing and also are required to follow the academic recovery process.
2. Semester GPA is below 2.00 in any two consecutive semesters
3. Credit accumulation
In addition to the GPA requirements, all students must complete coursework over a period no longer than 150 percent of their program length to maintain the satisfactory academic progress standards of the university. Consequently, a full-time student enrolled in a four-year degree program must successfully complete an average of 10 credits per semester registered. For financial aid eligibility, a part-time student must complete at least 6 credits per semester registered.
Some individual degree programs have higher GPA and credit requirements for students to maintain program eligibility. Consequently, students should consult the program description in the Catalog for the requirements of their individual program.
The Academic Good Standing requirements for transfer students are based on the number of credits accepted for transfer. For example, students who enter Quinnipiac with 20 transfer credits are considered to have completed two semesters and are subject to the requirements of a third-semester student during their first semester at Quinnipiac. However, minimum GPA is based only on courses completed at Quinnipiac.
Students should also know that failure to meet the Academic Good Standing requirements may result in the loss of financial aid and/or scholarship. Students with any questions regarding how this policy may affect their eligibility for aid should contact the Office of Financial Aid.
Academic Warning
In an effort to support academic success, the university places under review students whose previous academic performance indicates a risk to academic success. While this review is not an official notification of academic difficulty and these students remain in academic good standing, GPA and/or credit accumulation may indicate a challenge to academic success. Students will be placed on Academic Warning if their:
- Semester GPA is below 2.25, but higher than or equal to 2.00, and their cum GPA is higher than 2.00
- Semester GPA is below 2.00 for the first time and their cum GPA is higher than 2.00
Any new student earning a GPA less than 2.25, but 1.20 or more, will be placed on academic warning in their first semester.
After the close of the previous semester, the Office of Academic Innovation & Effectiveness notifies students placed under Academic Warning as well as the student’s adviser and Learning Commons staff. Students on Academic Warning must follow the Academic Recovery Process (see below).
Academic Recovery Process
The Academic Recovery process is comprised of four key pillars: academic coaching, required coursework review, access to counseling and support services and progress monitoring. Students on Academic Warning and on Academic Probation are required to complete the Academic Recovery process.
Academic Coaching
The student will work with an academic coach who can help them develop study skills, time management techniques and other strategies to improve their academic performance. Upon being placed on Academic Warning or Academic Probation, the student will be invited to an initial academic coaching meeting. The academic coach or specialist will meet with the student on a regular basis to monitor their progress and provide ongoing support.
Required Coursework Review
The student will be invited to attend a course review meeting with their major adviser to ensure their classes are appropriate and move them toward academic good standing. This may also include additional coursework, such as a study skills course or a course related to their major, to help them improve their academic performance. These courses may be designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed academically.
Counseling and Support Services
The student may benefit from counseling or other student support services to address any underlying issues that may be contributing to their academic difficulties. For example, a student who is struggling with anxiety may benefit from counseling to help improve their overall well-being, or a student who currently has a hold on their account may benefit from meeting with financial aid, or a student unsure of their career interests and major may benefit from a meeting with the career development team. Upon being placed on Academic Warning or Academic Probation, the student will receive a resource that helps connect them to available resources.
Progress Monitoring
The student will communicate with a member of the Learning Commons on a regular basis to review their academic progress and set goals for improvement. The academic coach or specialist will provide feedback and guidance to help the student stay on track and meet their academic goals and keep the student’s academic program informed.
Sanctions
Any student who fails to achieve any of the academic good standing requirements above is subject to one of the following sanctions:
Academic Probation
When a student's academic performance falls below our standards of progress, they may be placed on Academic Probation, which is an official notification requiring students to promptly address their academic difficulties. Students on Academic Probation are not in academic good standing. Academic Probation is an opportunity for the student to reflect on their academic progress and identify strategies for improvement. After the close of the previous semester, the Office of Academic Innovation & Effectiveness notifies students of their probation as well as the student’s adviser and Learning Commons staff. While Academic Probation is an academic sanction, through the Academic Recovery process, Quinnipiac University takes a rehabilitative approach to probation in order to help students overcome their academic challenges and become successful learners.
Requirements of Academic Probation
Following the Academic Recovery process (see above), during the academic probation period, students are required to:
- Meet with their major adviser before the start of the semester to discuss their class schedule. The adviser will help the student plan their graduation requirements and reregister the student for previously attempted courses. If appropriate, the adviser will discuss completing a variant procedure request for a retroactive course withdrawal due to extenuating circumstances in a previous semester as described in the Withdrawal from a Course Policy.
- Complete and submit an Academic Success Plan before the fifth day of the semester. The Academic Success Plan is intentionally designed to help students identify their strengths and design a path froward. This will be sent to both their adviser and the Learning Commons team.
- Meet with a member of the Learning Commons team to discuss their academic success plan as well as discuss academic strategies and campus resources. Students will schedule at least two additional check-in meetings with the Learning Commons for a total of at least three meetings throughout the semester.
- Students must meet personally with their adviser a second time during pre-registration to discuss their progress in meeting the goals of their Academic Success Plan and their course selection for the next semester.
Normally, students are not permitted to appeal probationary status. However, students who failed to achieve the completed credits requirement for documented medical reasons may appeal a probation decision. Students on probation or credit deficient at the close of the semester may use summer or January classes to regain good standing to the degree this action follows existing academic policies. To remediate a GPA below 2.00, students must take a course offered by Quinnipiac University and comply with existing policies regarding summer and J-term courses. To remediate credit deficiency with courses taken at another university, students must comply with the Policy Regarding Transfer Credit from other institutions. If they are able to remediate their academic difficulty, they must appeal the change of academic status through the office of the associate vice president for retention and academic success no later than the Friday of the first week of the subsequent semester. Appeals should include acknowledgement of current status, actions taken to remediate current status and discussion of changes intended for the next semester. A change in academic status will not be made without a successful appeal. A successful appeal will result in a notation to the student’s transcript that indicates a new standing of Academic Warning...
For more information about appeals to reinstate financial aid, see the Standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for Financial Aid Recipients and Applicants.
Dismissal
Students with serious or repeated academic difficulties are subject to dismissal from Quinnipiac. Students who do not meet academic good standing requirements after a total of three semesters on probation, two semesters after the first year, or two semesters after transferring to Quinnipiac are dismissed. After a period of at least one year, dismissed students who have demonstrated academic achievement elsewhere may file a new application for admission to Quinnipiac. Permission to reapply does not guarantee readmission to Quinnipiac or to the program from which the student was dismissed.
Procedures
Academic records will be formally reviewed at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Students eligible for dismissal will be notified via their official Quinnipiac email.
With the exception of the new students as noted above, students are usually placed on probation after their first deficient semester. Individual students may be continued on probation for subsequent semesters if they make progress in addressing their academic difficulties. However, students who do not meet academic good standing requirements after a total of three semesters on probation, two semesters after the first year, or two semesters after transferring to Quinnipiac are dismissed. Any student who has a GPA below 1.20 after two semesters is dismissed. Dismissed students may appeal their sanction to the Academic Appeals Committee, consisting of a representative from the Office of Academic Innovation & Effectiveness, undergraduate school and college deans or their designee (an associate or assistant dean), and one student appointed by the student government president.
One Quinnipiac faculty member or staff member (excluding any relative employed by the university) may attend the appeal meeting in the role of an adviser. Advisers serve as a moral and emotional support for students during appeal meetings and can assist them with their meeting preparation. Advisers are not permitted to advocate for a student or speak on their behalf during the appeal meeting. No parents, family members, attorneys or any other third parties are permitted to attend or participate in any academic hearing.
The Appeals Committee may change a dismissal to a lesser sanction. All notifications of decisions and of meeting times of the Appeals Committee are sent via email. It is the responsibility of students to be sure they can be contacted and, if necessary, respond promptly to committee notices.
Math and English Requirements
Full-time students are expected to have completed EN 101, EN 102 and MA 110 (or their equivalent) by the end of three semesters. Part-time students are expected to have met these requirements by the time they have completed 30 credits. Students may not withdraw from EN 101 or EN 101I. The first time a student fails to complete EN 101 or EN 101I successfully, a grade of “U” is issued. Each additional unsuccessful attempt at EN 101 or EN 101I results in a grade of “F.” For more information, please review the course description.