Undergraduate Academic Standing

Good Academic Standing

Students maintain Good Academic Standing at the University by earning a cumulative 2.0 grade point average (GPA) or better. Grade point averages are computed to two decimal places and truncated, not rounded.

The University issues academic sanctions to students not in Good Academic Standing to support successful degree completion. These sanctions, including Academic Warning, Mandatory Academic Improvement, and Suspension, alert students to renew their focus and attention on their educational progress and plans.

The University reserves the right to consider other indicators of satisfactory progress toward degree completion in its determination of academic sanctions. These indicators include an unsatisfactory grade point average in the major (as required by the department) or all Boler courses (below a 2.0 GPA), an unsatisfactory grade point average for the semester, multiple course Failures and Withdrawals, or failure to satisfactorily complete at least 67% of overall attempted credit hours.

Students who have standings of Warning or Mandatory Academic Improvement will need to create an Academic Recovery Plan with an appropriate staff member.

NOTE: Some departments require a higher GPA for students in their majors. Students should consult with their respective departments for information on the GPA requirement to be admitted to or continue in their major.

Academic Warning

Students are placed on Academic Warning and required to complete an Academic Recovery Plan whenever their semester average drops below 2.0 while their cumulative average remains above this minimum.

There is one exception: because students in their first term of attendance have cumulative and semester GPAs that are the same, first-semester students who have a GPA below 2.0 but above 1.75 will be placed on academic warning instead of mandatory academic improvement.

Students may remain on Academic Warning for two consecutive semesters. Students who do not improve their academic record after two semesters on Warning may be placed on Mandatory Academic Improvement.

Students may not appeal the sanctions of Academic Warning and Mandatory Academic Improvement.

Mandatory Academic Improvement

Students are placed on Mandatory Academic Improvement when their cumulative grade point average drops below 2.0, or after they have been on Academic warning for two consecutive semesters. However, first-semester students with GPAs between 1.75 and 2.0 will be placed on academic warning instead of mandatory academic improvement. Students on mandatory academic improvement are subject to the following requirements:

• Course registration is limited to 12-13 semester hours.

• Registration in a section of AS 1200 or the completion of 5 academic coaching sessions.

• Participation in the JCU Academic Recovery Program

• Participation in co-curricular activities will be determined by the designated University administrator, representative, and/or advisor (e.g. athletic director, Greek life supervisor, etc.) according to guidelines approved by the academic standing committee

  • All JCU co-curricular programs must have a minimum cumulative GPA requirement of at least 1.5, though any given co-curricular program may require GPAs higher than this minimum

Students remain on Mandatory Academic Improvement for at least one semester until a 2.0 cumulative grade point average is earned. Mandatory Academic Improvement status may extend for up to two consecutive semesters before the student would be subject to suspension.

Students may not appeal the sanctions of Mandatory Academic Improvement.

Academic Suspension

Students are subject to Suspension after two consecutive terms on Mandatory Academic Improvement. Students who are academically suspended are not eligible for Readmission  until at least one full Fall or Spring semester and one summer have elapsed. 

Academic Dismissal

A readmitted student who returns from suspension and continues not to meet Good Academic Standing benchmarks will be dismissed from the University and is not eligible to apply for Readmission as an undergraduate for five years from the date of dismissal. 

Academic Standing and Financial Aid Eligibility

The following table compares unsatisfactory academic standing statuses to financial aid eligibility as defined by JCU’s  “Standards of Academic Progress” policy. Standards of Academic Progress (SAP) is a set of guidelines that students receiving financial aid must meet to remain eligible for aid. Students in the first half of their degree progression must maintain a cumulative GPA of 1.75 and those in the second half a cumulative GPA of 2.0 as well as a minimum pace of 67%.

In the third and fourth terms of attendance, a cumulative GPA of 1.75 or higher is satisfactory for continuing financial aid. However, any cumulative GPA below 2.0 makes a student subject to mandatory academic improvement, suspension, or dismissal, depending on their previous semesters’ performance and in accordance with this policy.

Academic Standing Appeals

Students may not appeal the sanctions of Academic Warning and Mandatory Academic Improvement. They may appeal academic Suspension and Dismissal by completing and submitting the Academic Sanction Appeals Form. Grounds for an appeal include GPA miscalculations, administrative errors or extraordinary extenuating circumstances such as a serious health condition or situation, family emergency, or other external factors.  The Appeals Form asks the student to provide an explanation of their plan to succeed in the upcoming semester. Appeals must be received within five business days of the notification email sent date. Appeals will be evaluated by the Chair of the Academic Standing Committee and a committee of Associate Deans. Decisions on the appeal will be communicated within five business days of receipt of the appeal. Such decisions are final.

Academic Recovery Process

At the completion of each term, students who are not in good standing will be identified by the Academic Standing Committee and contacted by staff in the Academic Success Center regarding the academic recovery process.  As part of this process, students will be required to complete an Academic Success Plan and assigned to meet with an academic support guide throughout the following semester to monitor progress on the success plan and improve academic performance.