Graduate Academic Standards
In order to maintain status at the Grove School of Engineering (GSoE) students must be making satisfactory progress towards the degree. The Office of Graduate Affairs reviews students' records every semester.
Students are not considered to be making satisfactory progress if any of the conditions listed below apply:
- Grade point average is below 3.0
- Admissions conditions are not met
- Two or more open grades (INC, SP)
- Excessive course withdrawal
- Exceeded time limit for the degree
If academic standards have not been met, students may be placed on academic probation and ultimately dismissed. Dismissed students may continue in the Program only upon petition to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and/or the GSOE Graduate Committee on Course and Standing. The Office of Graduate Affairs, located in Steinman Hall room 209, oversees the academic appeal process.
GSoE Graduate Academic Appeal Process
The faculty of the Grove School of Engineering (GSoE) defines the degree requirements, academic standards, and rules for students enrolled in the School and has jurisdiction over the courses offered. The GSOE Graduate Committee on Course and Standing (GCC&S) is charged with overseeing enforcement of these matters and dealing with special cases and academic appeals. Students have the right to appeal to the Graduate Committee on Course and Standing any decision made by individual faculty members or administrators about these academic matters. The committee is the final authority on enforcement of curriculum, degree requirements, academic standards, grades and academic rules. It should be noted that most academic rules are enforced without exception and that all modes of appeal, such as appealing to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, are to be exhausted before appealing to the GCC&S.
All appeals to the GSOE Graduate Committee on Course and Standing must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Affairs located in Steinman Hall. The GSoE Graduate Committee on Course and Standing reviews written appeals and does not meet face to face with the parties involved. Written appeals must be hand delivered or mailed to the Office of Graduate Affairs.
In submitting an appeal, students are requesting an exception to the University's or College's or School's academic policy or practice. The appeal must include a personal statement explaining past academic performance, the plan for future success as well as the reason why the appeal should be granted.
Appeals should address any extraordinary circumstances that contributed to the poor academic performance. Circumstances that may warrant an exception to an academic policy are personal or family emergency, unanticipated serious medical difficulty, issues pertaining to a recently diagnosed disability or other change in disability, related extenuating circumstances. Supporting documentation from professionals providing assistance in the student's attempt to overcome challenging circumstances may include applicable official reports (e.g., police reports, hospital records, medical notes, death notices, travel documents, etc.). Factors generally not accepted for an academic appeal include, but are not limited to such things as poor academic performance in class, personal time management problems and lack of awareness of University (College or School) policies or deadlines.
Appeals should also address what specific changes in circumstances and/or actions that will enable success in subsequent semesters should the appeal be granted.
Students submitting an appeal, that affects academic eligibility, who were not enrolled in school in the current or previous fall/spring semester, must also apply for readmission by the readmission deadline in the event the appeal is approved. A sample appeal letter template is available at the Office of Graduate Affairs.
Course Grade Appeal
Graduate students wishing to dispute a course grade must first make a good-‐faith effort to meet with the faculty member to discuss and resolve the issue. Students may request the instructor to review exams, papers and grading criteria to understand why the grade was received. If the student is not satisfied with the explanation and outcome of the meeting with the faculty member, the student should work within the department chain of command and meet with the academic Program Advisor and/or the Department Chair. Most student complaints are satisfactorily resolved at the department level.
In some rare instances, it may be necessary to involve the GSOE Office of Graduate Affairs. If a student has made an effort to resolve the issue by meeting first with their instructor, the Program Advisor and the Department Chair and the issue has not been resolved, the student may appeal to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will attempt to resolve the issue by working with and through the instructor and the Department or Program and will determine whether or not there is just cause to convene the Graduate Committee on Course and Standing.
The Committee on Course and Standing will only consider grade appeals after the student has made documented attempts to resolve the issue with the course instructor, the department chair and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Course Drop/Withdrawal Appeal During Current Semester
This appeal applies only to current semester registrations and must be filed in the Office of Graduate Affairs prior to the end of the current semester.
Course drop/withdrawal appeals will only be considered when there were extenuating circumstances beyond a student's control that kept them from adhering to the normal deadlines. These extenuating circumstances could include medical conditions, death or illness in the family, unanticipated financial problems or University error.
Retroactive Withdrawal Appeal
An appeal for retroactive withdrawal may be necessary when a student has experienced extraordinary extenuating circumstances such that they could not have reasonably been expected to complete the academic period satisfactorily and were prevented from submitting a completed withdrawal form before the deadline.
Academic Dismissal Appeal
Academic Dismissal may occur as a result of continued poor academic performance or failure to comply with imposed admissions conditions. Graduate students are required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0. Students whose GPA falls below 3.0 are placed on GPA probation and may be required to enter into an academic contract. Students placed on academic contracts may be dismissed if they fail to comply with the contract. Students whose GPA remains below 3.0 for two consecutive semester are automatically dismissed. Students who were admitted with conditions may also be dismissed if they fail to satisfy the conditions of their admission.
Last Updated: 08/03/2015 04:52