UB Students

Undergraduate Catalog 2004-2005

Academic Standards Policy

To maintain academic standards and determine eligibility for continued enrollment, financial aid, and participation in university activities, the University at Buffalo regularly reviews the academic records of all undergraduate students. This review, as defined by the Faculty Senate, addresses the quality of the student's studies as measured by the student's course grades.

Academic Good Standing

  • A student is in academic good standing if the student's cumulative UB grade point average (GPA) is 2.0 or greater and the student's semester GPAs for the most recent two consecutive semesters of study at UB are 2.0 or greater.
  • A student in academic good standing is eligible for all university activities.

Academic Progress

  • It is the University at Buffalo's expectation that a full-time student will complete a minimum of 24 credit hours during a year, which may include summer session study. For a student to graduate in four years with 120 credits, a minimum success rate of 30 credit hours per year is necessary. A student not completing at least 24 credit hours within a year will be considered not to be making good academic progress, and will be alerted to the consequences of this problem regardless of his/her cumulative GPA.
  • Any part-time student not completing 50 percent of his/her attempted credits will be considered not to be making good academic progress, and will be alerted to the consequences of this problem regardless of his/her cumulative GPA.
  • It is also the University at Buffalo's expectation that each student will be in a major program upon completion of 60 credit hours. A student not in a major upon completion of 60 credit hours (including credit hours transferred from other institutions or programs) will be considered not to be making good academic progress and will be alerted to the consequences of this, including the potential loss of New York State TAP awards.

Academic Warning

  • Many students go through an adjustment period when beginning their baccalaureate studies at the university. Therefore, any student - freshman or transfer - whose first-semester GPA is less than 2.0 will be on academic warning in his/her second semester of study at the university.
  • Although a student on academic warning will be considered in good standing for purposes of participation in university activities, he/she may be subject to an advisement checkstop - a mandatory discussion with an academic advisor to help build an effective academic strategy before the student may complete any further registration activity.

Academic Probation

  • A student is on academic probation and not in academic good standing if his/her cumulative UB GPA is 2.0 or greater but his/her most recent two consecutive semester GPAs are less than 2.0.
  • A student is on academic probation and not in academic good standing if his/her cumulative UB GPA is less than 2.0 after two or more semesters of study at UB.
  • A student who is already on academic probation who continues to have less than a 2.0 UB GPA for another consecutive semester will be considered to be on continued academic probation.
  • A student who is already on continued academic probation and persists in having a cumulative UB GPA of less than 2.0 for the next consecutive semester and a grade point deficit of 20 points or less (after the completion of that semester) will be considered to be on continued academic probation.
  • A student who is already on continued academic probation and persists in having a cumulative UB GPA of less than 2.0 for the next consecutive semester and a grade point deficit of greater than 20 points (after the completion of that semester), but the most recent semester UB GPA is 2.0 or greater will be considered to be on continued academic probation.
  • Students may request, through their academic advisor, to have their UB summer session grades evaluated for purposes of reconsideration of their academic probationary status.

Dismissal

  • A student enrolled at UB for two or more semesters who has a cumulative UB GPA less than 0.5 will be dismissed from the university regardless of his/her most recent semester GPA. A freshman or transfer student will be granted at least two semesters of study at UB before dismissal on these grounds.
  • A student on continued academic probation who at the completion of the next semester has a cumulative UB GPA less than 2.0, a grade point deficit greater than 20 points, and a GPA for the most recent semester less than 2.0 will be dismissed from the university.
  • Students are reviewed for academic dismissal at the end of each academic year, but any student - freshman or transfer - who begins study at UB in the spring semester may also be reviewed at the end of the following fall semester.
  • Each dismissed student will receive official notification via U.S. mail, and all future academic-year registration rights will be blocked. The student will not be allowed to reapply to UB and register for a period of at least one year, under normal circumstances. A dismissed student may attend UB summer sessions.
  • A dismissed student may appeal the dismissal in writing to the vice provost for academic affairs during a period of time specified in the dismissal letter.
  • The vice provost for academic affairs is the arbiter for these regulations.