COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC STANDING POLICY GUIDELINES
1999-2000
The Committee on Academic Standing is charged with the responsibility for enforcement of the regulations on Satisfactory Academic Standing (AR22). In this regard the committee has the authority to develop guidelines for the administration of these regulations. The following policies and procedures reflect this mandate and the clear understanding that diligent enforcement of the regulations is desired. These policy guidelines will be reviewed annually by the Committee to ensure that they continue to serve the interests of the University Community and that they reflect current University policies and procedures. Reviewed, confirmed, and amended December 2nd, 1998. The 2003-2004 Committee reviewed and updated guidelines on September 24, 2003.
1. Policy Guideline - Academic Suspension can not
be appealed.
Academic
Suspension is based on an objective standard being applied to
a student's academic record. No subjective judgments or evaluations
are a part of
the decision to suspend. When the GPA's on the student's Academic
Record are accurate and they meet the criteria for Academic
Suspension, no grounds
exist to challenge the decision to suspend.
2. Policy Guideline - Academic Suspensions resulting from
grading errors will be rescinded.
Since Academic Suspension is based on GPA, that
GPA must accurately reflect the student's academic performance. An Academic
Suspension based on GPA' derived from erroneous grades submitted by instructors
will be rescinded. All reference to the Academic Suspension will be removed
from the student's academic records. Rescissions cannot be effected until
the Registrar's Office is in receipt of the appropriate approved "Change
of Grade" documents. Students must take the initiative to ensure
the accuracy of their grades.
3. Policy Guideline - Suspended students who desire reinstatement to
the University
must file a "Request for Reinstatement" form
with the Registrar's Office.
This form initiates the reinstatement
process. The information requested is required to complete processing
the request. Decisions will not be rendered until all requested information
is provided and the form is complete.
4. Policy Guideline - Suspended students who comply
with the reinstatement rules (2
years absence or 24 credits of
transferable college-level work at an accredited college or university, with GPA of 2.5 or better)
will be reinstated to the University.
Upon filing a Request for Reinstatement
and verification of compliance with the reinstatement rules, the Registrar's
Office may institute the necessary steps to reinstate the student without
further reference to this committee. It should be noted that the reinstatement
rules permit a student who has attained a transfer GPA less than 2.5 to
be reinstated if absent 2 years.
5. Policy Guideline - A suspended student may be reinstated if the GPA
(OSU
cumulative or term) increases sufficiently to place the student
in an improved Academic Standing (Academic Warning, Academic Probation
or Good Standing).
Students should receive the benefit of subsequent
appropriate actions taken which improve their academic record. This can
happen as a result of the removal of an I grade, the replacement of a
grade by repeating a class, a retroactive change to records due to approved
petitions to add/drop or withdraw, etc., prior to their suspension. (Suspended
students, by definition of AR22, are denied all the privileges of the
institution and of all organizations in any way connected to it, which
includes the Academic Regulations Committee.) The Registrar's Office may
reinstate such students upon their request, assigning appropriate Academic
Standing without further reference to this committee. These students constitute
an automatic exception to the reinstatement rule. Rescission of Suspension
is not appropriate in these cases. The student has not been Suspended
as a result of institutional (i.e., instructor) error but rather as a
result of the student's own action or inaction.
6. Policy Guideline - The number of reinstatements
is not limited.
Suspended
students who comply with the Reinstatement Rules are to be reinstated.
7. Policy Guideline - The Committee on Academic Standing will consider
requests for
exceptions to the Reinstatement Rules only in those rare
situations in which all four of the following conditions are met:
a) The poor academic performance was the result of extraordinary circumstances that have been demonstrably corrected or substantially addressed, and should no longer adversely influence the student's academic performance. Documentation of these circumstances should be provided. (i.e. medical records, obituaries or death certificates, etc.)
b) The Head Advisor of the student's college, or the student's academic advisor, in consultation with the Head Advisor, is willing and able to argue convincingly that the student has a strong probability of completing the degree program to which the student would be reinstated.
c) In addition to the poor academic performance, there is also evidence in the academic record of an ability to succeed academically and make timely progress toward completion of a degree program.
d) The student provides a proposed schedule for the next three terms and a detailed plan to foster academic improvement, which have been reviewed and endorsed by the Head Advisor, or academic advisor, in consultation with the Head Advisor
The Committee recognizes that there may be cases which require review and merit exception. Exceptions are imaginable where the term or terms of poor performance are somewhat isolated, and clearly linked to an extraordinary occurrence (such as a health problem) that has been ameliorated, or to unusually challenging circumstances whose impact on the student has been substantially relieved. It must be made clear, however, that exceptions will be granted only rarely. To warrant exception, the academic record should contain evidence that, in the absence of the problem asserted by the student as responsible for the poor performance, the student can succeed; more simply, there should be on record at least one term in which the student performed successfully in courses that contribute to progress toward a degree. Furthermore, the student must present a clear plan of action, endorsed by the Head Advisor, which includes a program of contact with recognized academic support staff. Finally, advocacy, and not mere "approval," by a Head Advisor, or by an academic advisor in consultation with the Head Advisor, is a crucial necessary condition for an exception. Students also may submit evidence of support from other representatives of recognized University support services in addition to, but not in lieu of, letters from departmental and college advisors.
8. Policy Guideline - Students with Senior Standing who meet all four
of the following
criteria may be granted an exception to the Reinstatement
Rules:
a) they are candidates for graduation, with an application on
file in the Registrar’s office;
b) they expect to graduate within
the next 3 terms;
c) they have strong support from their Head Advisor;
d)
they have 1.95 - 1.99 GPA with one term to graduate; OR
1.90 - 1.99
GPA with two terms to graduate; OR
they have been absent from the University
for one year.
These students may be reinstated by the Registrar's Office without reference to this Committee. This is an automatic exception to the reinstatement rules.
