D05.1 Academic Actions and Recognitions

By action of the college concerned, full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students will be placed on the Dean's List if their term GPA is greater than or equal to 3.40; they do not have any grades of “Incomplete”, “D” or “F”, (including wellness and any other non-credit but required courses); and they have registered for, and completed, at least 12 credit hours.

Degree-seeking undergraduate students who students who maintain less than 12 credit hours in each term in which they are enrolled during the academic year may qualify for Dean’s List if they have completed at least 9 credit hours during the academic year (fall, intersession, spring, and summer term). Courses used to calculate GPA for Dean’s List must have a cumulative GPA equal to or greater than 3.40 without grades of “Incomplete” “D” or “F” and without being placed on probation.The Dean’s List evaluation will occur at the end of the summer term or in the degree certification term. Placement on Dean’s List is noted on the student’s official transcript.

The GPA calculation will be carried out to two decimal places. Rounding will be done by adding .005 to the unrounded results and truncating after the second decimal place.

1. Undergraduate Policy - Effective Academic Year 2021-2022
   
   An undergraduate student must maintain a cumulative and term Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.00 or above at RIT in order to remain in good academic standing. RIT has set standards to help students maintain satisfactory academic performance, and serve to identify, warn, and provide timely intervention to students experiencing academic difficulty. 
   
   In addition to the RIT requirements outlined below, individual colleges and/or programs may define more rigorous requirements for maintaining good academic standing. Such requirements must be approved by the Provost's Office, clearly defined within published college policy, and communicated in the university bulletin. For programs housed outside of the college structure, the approval of the director of the academic unit is also required.
   
   All probation and academic suspension actions are taken at the end of the fall, spring and summer terms. Students who attempt fewer than 9 credits in a term, and earn a term GPA less than a 2.0, but whose cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher may be subject to academic action at the discretion of the college.
   
   Probation refers to the academic action taken when a student is not in good academic standing. A student placed on probation is expected to sufficiently raise their GPA so as to return to good academic standing in the succeeding term.  Students placed on probation will be required to complete an academic success plan.  Without consultation with their advisor and written permission from the dean of the college, students on probation may enroll in no more than 16 credits.  In some circumstances, a student will also be required to satisfy specific conditions required by the home program. Failure to meet the terms of probation may result in suspension. A student can be placed on probation no more than two terms during a given undergraduate degree level (i.e., associate or bachelor) at RIT.  Students who have had two academic probations and do not meet the criteria for good academic standing will be placed on academic suspension.  
   
   **Students who have been placed on two or more academic probations prior to fall 2021 and qualify for academic probation according to the terms of this current policy (effective fall 2021) will be reviewed for potential academic action based on the cumulative GPA only as follows:
   
   *Those who have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher will be granted one additional academic probation.
   *Those who have a cumulative GPA below a 2.0 will be placed on academic suspension.
   *Note:  Students who have had less than two academic probations prior to fall 2021 and qualify for academic probation will be reviewed under this current policy.
   
   Academic Suspension refers to the academic action taken when a student is not permitted to enroll in courses at RIT for minimum of one term.  Students who qualify for academic suspension at the end of a spring term will be placed on academic suspension for the following summer and fall terms.  An appeal form can be used by a student to appeal an academic suspension decision.
   
   Deferred Suspension refers to the academic action taken when a student appeals academic suspension and the appeal is granted.  Students placed on deferred suspension will have one term to return to good academic standing and will be required to complete an academic success plan with their home program.  A student on deferred suspension, enrolled in summer term, and taking 12 or more credits will be subject to this academic action policy and subsequent academic success plan.  
   
   Academic Success Plan is an agreement between a student and the student's academic program designed to facilitate success in the program.  Students should consult with their academic program to determine the appropriate number of credits per term.  
   
   Policy statements

   1. Any degree-seeking undergraduate student whose term or cumulative grade point average (see D5.0-Grades, section G) falls below a 2.00 (C average) will be placed on probation.

   2. Students placed on probation may enroll in no more than 16 credits during the probation period and are required to complete an academic success plan with their home/primary program.  Students in consultation with their faculty and/or professional academic advisor may appeal to the dean of the college for permission to take more than 16 credits while on probation.

   3. A student can be placed on probation no more than two terms during a given undergraduate degree level (i.e., associate or bachelor) at RIT.  Students who have had two academic probations and do not meet the criteria for good academic standing will be placed on academic suspension.

   4. Any student who has been placed on probation after having been removed from probation will be granted one term to be removed from probation before academic suspension from RIT.

   5. Any student whose term grade point average falls below 1.00 is not eligible for probation and will be placed on academic suspension through the upcoming fall or spring term, at the minimum.  

   6. Students who have been readmitted to RIT after an academic suspension will have up to two terms to return to good academic standing, and their status will be "pending action."  Students who fail to return to good academic standing in two terms will be placed on academic suspension.

   7. A student on academic suspension cannot enroll in any credit or non-credit course at RIT while on academic suspension.

   8. Students on academic suspension may appeal an academic suspension decision to their primary home department.  If the appeal is granted, the student will be placed on deferred suspension for one term.  An appeal can be made by completing and submitting an appeal form. Individual colleges and/or programs may set limitations on the number of appeals a student can submit.

   9. Decisions regarding deferred suspension require dean (or designee) approval.  For programs housed outside the college structure, the approval of the academic unit in which the enrollment is requested is required.  

   10. Students placed on deferred suspension will have one term to return to good academic standing and will be required to complete an academic success plan with their home department.

   11. Academic suspension refers to the academic action taken when a student is not permitted to enroll in courses at RIT for minimum of one term.  A student on academic suspension will be excluded from classes, university housing, and all other university activities during the period of academic suspension.  Students on academic suspension may attend university events that are open to the general public and may participate only as a member of the general audience.

   12. Students on academic suspension may be required to satisfy specific academic requirements imposed by the home program in order to be considered for readmission to their program.

   13. Students on academic suspension may be admitted to another program if it is approved by the dean (or designee) of the college in which enrollment is requested. Such students will be placed on deferred suspension and required to complete an academic success plan with the new program. For programs housed outside the college structure, the approval of the academic program in which the enrollment is requested is required.

   14. Students must apply through undergraduate admissions for re-admission at the end of their academic suspension. Such re-admission must be approved by the dean (or designee) of the college for which they are requesting enrollment (this may be the original college or another) in consultation with the academic program. For programs housed outside the college structure, the re-admission must be approved by the director (or designee) of the academic unit for which they are requesting enrollment.

   15. Readmitted students will be required to complete an academic success plan and will have up to two terms to return to good academic standing.  After two terms, students who do not maintain both cumulative and term GPA of 2.0 or above will be placed on academic suspension.
       
       Undergraduate Students - Prior to Academic Year 2021-22

       An undergraduate student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above at RIT in order to remain in good academic standing. To help students maintain satisfactory academic performance, RIT has set academic standards that serve to identify, warn, and provide timely intervention to a student who is experiencing academic difficulty.
       
       In addition to the university requirements outlined below, individual colleges and/or programs may define more rigorous requirements for maintaining good academic standing. This information must be approved by the dean, clearly defined within published college policy, communicated in the university bulletin, and communicated to the Provost’s Office. For programs housed outside the college structure, the approval of the director of the academic unit is required.
       
       All probation and academic suspension actions are taken at the end of the fall, spring and summer terms.
       
       Probation refers to the academic action taken when a student is not in good academic standing. A student placed on probation is expected to sufficiently raise his/her GPA in the succeeding term so that the probationary status can be removed. In some circumstances, a student will also be required to satisfy specific conditions required by the home department in the form of an academic contract in order to be removed from probation. Failure to meet the terms of probation may result in suspension.
       
       Suspension refers to the academic action taken when a student is not permitted to enroll in courses at the university for a period of one calendar year.

       1. Any degree-seeking undergraduate student whose term or cumulative grade point average (see D5.0-Grades, section G) falls below a 2.00 (C average) will be placed on probation.

       2. Any student who is on probation according to A.1. above and who is not removed from probation in the two succeeding terms (including summer session) in which credit is attempted will be suspended from RIT for a period of one calendar year.

       3. Any student who has been placed on probation after having been removed from probation and whose cumulative grade point average is below 2.00 will be suspended.

       4. Any student who has been placed on probation after having been removed from probation and whose cumulative grade point average is 2.00 or above will be granted one term to be removed from probation before suspension from RIT.

       5. Any student whose term grade point average falls below 1.00 will be suspended from RIT for a period of one calendar year.

       6. Students who have been readmitted to their original program after having been suspended and then qualify for probation will be suspended from RIT.

       7. A suspended student cannot enroll in any credit or non-credit course at the university while on suspension.

       8. A suspended student may appeal a suspension decision. Individual colleges and/or programs may set limitations on the number of appeals a student can submit.

       9. A suspension may be waived upon written appeal to the student’s home program. Final suspension waiver requires dean (or designee) approval. For programs housed outside the college structure, the approval of the director of the academic unit in which the enrollment is requested is required.

       10. A suspended student may be required to satisfy specific academic conditions imposed by the home department in order to be considered for readmission to his/her program.

       11. A suspended student may be admitted to another program if it is approved by the dean (or designee) of the college in which enrollment is requested. For programs housed outside the college structure, the approval of the director of the academic program in which the enrollment is requested is required.

       12. Students must apply through undergraduate admissions for re-admission at the end of their suspension. Such re-admission must be approved by the dean (or his/her designee) of the college for which they are requesting enrollment (this may be the original college or another). For programs housed outside the college structure, the re-admission must be approved by the director (or designee) of the academic unit for which they are requesting enrollment.

       13. Academic Suspension refers to the academic action taken that immediately removes the student's affiliation with the university for a period of one calendar year.  A student on academic suspension will be excluded from classes, university housing, and all other university activities during the period of suspension.  A suspended student may attend university events open to the general public.  The student's participation at university events will be limited to the participation of the general audience.

2. Graduate Policy
   
   Degree-seeking graduate students will be placed on probation or suspended from the university according to the criteria enumerated below. All actions are taken at the end of the term; however, a student may petition the dean of their home college for reconsideration of probation or suspension should the removal of an incomplete grade (I) raise the program grade point average above those stated below. For programs housed outside the college structure, the approval of the director of the academic program in which the enrollment is requested is required.
   
   Each degree-seeking graduate student will generate two different grade point averages that appear on the transcript - cumulative and term averages. The university cumulative average reflects all course work completed at RIT at the graduate level. The term average reflects a single term of academic activity. In addition, each graduate student has a program average used for degree certification that is manually calculated by the academic unit and reflects course work completed at RIT applicable to graduation in a student's current academic program. The current academic program refers to the university and college degree course requirements specified by the degree granting college and noted in the graduate catalog.

   In addition to the university requirements outlined below, individual colleges and/or programs may define more rigorous requirements for maintaining good academic standing.  This information must be approved by the dean, clearly defined within published college policy, communicated in the university bulletin, and communicated to the Provost's Office. For programs housed outside the college structure, the approval of the director of the academic unit is required.

   1. Any degree-seeking graduate student whose cumulative and/or program grade point average (see D5.0 - Grades, section VII) falls below a 3.00 after 9 credit hours (attempted or earned) subsequently will be placed on probation and counseled by the graduate program director (or his/her designee) concerning continuation in the graduate program.
       
   2. Students on probation must raise their program cumulative and program grade point average to 3.00 within 9 credit hours (attempted or earned) or they will be suspended from the graduate program.
       
   3. A graduate student suspended for academic reasons, must apply for readmission.
       
   4. A suspended student cannot enroll in any credit or non-credit course at the university while on suspension.
       
   5. A suspended student may appeal a suspension decision. Individual colleges and/or programs may set limitations on the number of appeals a student can submit.
       
   6. A suspension may be waived upon written appeal to the student’s home program. Final suspension waiver approval requires dean (or designee) approval. For programs housed outside the college structure, the approval of the director of the academic unit in which the enrollment is requested is required.
       
   7. A suspended student may be required to satisfy specific academic conditions imposed in order to be considered for readmission to his/her program.
       
   8. A suspended student may be admitted to another program if it is approved by the dean (or designee) of the college in which enrollment is requested. For programs housed outside the college structure, the approval of the director of the academic program in which the enrollment is requested is required.
       

3. Non-Degree-Seeking Undergraduate and Graduate Policy
   
   Any non-degree-seeking undergraduate student who has a cumulative GPA below 2.00 after 15 credit hours or non-degree-seeking graduate student who has a cumulative GPA below 3.00 after 9 credit hours (attempted or earned) may not register for credit or non-credit courses without the specific approval of the department head offering the course(s).

Degree honors are applicable to undergraduate students only.

Honors posted to the academic record will be based upon the student’s cumulative grade point average upon completion of the degree requirements. The registrar will post honors to the student’s academic record and they will be reflected on the official transcript. The numerical criteria for graduation with honors are as follows.

• summa cum laude - 3.80 cumulative GPA

• magna cum laude - 3.60 cumulative GPA

• cum laude - 3.40 cumulative GPA

Honors reported for inclusion in the Commencement Book must be based on a minimum of 30 credit hours earned (see residency requirement for graduation in Policy D12.0), and the student’s cumulative GPA. In addition, the Commencement Book will only reflect honors earned by the end of the fall term.

The GPA calculation will be carried out to two decimal places. Rounding will be done by adding .005 to the unrounded results and truncating after the second decimal place.

The dean (or department head for any degree granting programs outside the college structure) may, in extraordinary circumstances, act to grant graduation with honors to students who do not meet all the criteria listed. A copy of the notice of exception, with reason, is to be sent to the registrar to become part of the student’s academic record.

One of the traditional concerns of colleges and universities is with the definition and recognition of excellence. The Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar Award has been established to recognize excellence in academic achievement by students. Those selected to receive the award are designated RIT Scholars in perpetuity. The achievement is noted on the Scholar’s transcript and recognized through a specially designed medallion symbolic of high academic achievement. The awards are presented at a special convocation held prior to the end of each academic year.

The procedure for the selection of award winners is:

1. Maximum number of students eligible

   1. The maximum number of recipients of the award in any year will not exceed one (1) percent of the full-time equivalent enrollment of each college in the preceding fall term.

   2. It is the intent of this policy that each college will be permitted to nominate at least one student for the award although the college may choose not to do so.

   3. It is the intent of this policy that transfer students and part-time students will be eligible to receive the award.

   4. It is the intent of the policy that generally the award be limited to those registered at RIT during the fall term. However, students identified by a college as not currently enrolled, but who are actively pursuing completion of degree requirements, can be added to the list of candidates.

2. Minimum University Requirements

   1. Must have completed 83 credit hours of work, of which not less than 45 hours must be in RIT grade-bearing courses.

   2. Must have a cumulative GPA of 3.85 for all work completed at the university as of the previous spring term.

3. Selection Process
   
   A committee as specified in section V. below will be responsible for selecting the recipients of the award in each college.

   1. In making its decision, the committee will give careful attention to the academic achievements and activities of the student and to factors that in the judgment of the committee are closely related to such academic achievements and activities. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: creative work, employment, student committees, civic activities, and independent research projects.
      
      The committee is free to call upon other persons from the faculty, staff or student body for help in reaching a decision.
      
      On the basis of these deliberations the committee will choose or will decide not to choose one or more recipients of the award, but the number is not to exceed one (1) percent of the college FTE enrollment of the previous fall semester.

   2. Names of students chosen to receive the award must be accompanied by:

      1. a brief biography and resume of the student;

      2. a personal statement (up to one page) from the student;

      3. a statement from the selection committee giving reasons for its choice of the student;

      4. statements from at least one non-major instructor in support of making the award to that student.

   3. The names of award winners must be forwarded to the provost by the first Monday in December.

The dean of each college (or the director for any program that falls outside the college structure that grants undergraduate degrees) will appoint a committee of faculty not to exceed five members, including the dean or designee, from that college. The committee will invite a person from outside the college to serve on the committee.

RESPONSIBLE OFFICE:
Office of the Provost and the Faculty Senate.

For inquiries, please contact:

Faculty Senate: 
fsenate@rit.edu
(585)475-2016

Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs:
Assistant Vice President
academicaffairs@rit.edu
(585)475-5572

EFFECTIVE DATE:
Approved October 1956

POLICY HISTORY: 
Revised May 10, 2007
Edited August 2010
Revision for Academic Year 2012-2013 approved May 3, 2012
Revised for semesters and separated from D05.0 April 25, 2013
Revised April 24, 2014 - II.B.
Revised February 12, 2018, II.A.13, IV.B.1
Revised April 8, 2021, II. Academic Probation and Suspension
Revised October 27, 2021-Faculty Senate Executive Committe, Section II. Academic Probation and Suspension