Academic Standing

Policy: What is Academic Standing?

Academic Standing is how The College of Idaho identifies students who may need additional academic support in maintaining satisfactory academic progress towards completing their program of study. The College of Idaho bases academic standing on both Semester and Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA), as well as their pace to completion. Students will be considered one of the following statuses:

Note: The College of Idaho’s Winter Term counts as credits taken in the previous fall semester for Academic Standing Purposes. Meaning, Academic Standing will not be updated until after students complete Winter Term.

Good Standing

In order to maintain Good Academic Standing, a student must earn at least a 2.0 GPA each Semester and maintain at least a 2.0 for a Cumulative GPA.

Academic Warning

Should a student’s Semester GPA and/or Cumulative GPA fall beneath a 2.0, or their pace to completion falls below the mandatory threshold, the student’s Academic Standing will be put on Academic Warning. The semester of Academic Warning is designed to serve as a "wake-up" call. It is notice that the student’s current academic plan, goals, or study routines are not working and need to be evaluated and perhaps changed.  

Students earn this status in the fall will be placed on Academic Warning in the spring. Students earn this status in the spring will be placed on Academic Warning in the fall. Students on Academic Warning are expected to remain in a full course load (at least 12 credits) during their semester of Academic Warning.

If a student finishes their Academic Warning semester with at least a 2.0 for their Semester GPA and brings their Cumulative GPA above a 2.0, and/or raises their pace to completion above the threshold the student will be deemed Good Standing.  Should the student not meet these criteria, they will be dismissed with the right to appeal.

Dismissed

Students who are on Academic Warning that do not meet the GPA/pace to completion of requirements listed above will have their academic status converted to dismissal. In this case, the student is suspended from The College as well as suspended from receiving federal, state, and institutional financial assistance.

Dismissed- Pace to Completion:

Pace to Completion Threshold = 67 percent

Please reach out to an Academic Advisor in Academic Support or Terri Scott, Director of Financial Aid, for assistance.

Procedure: How does a Student Get Back to Good Academic Standing?

If you are on Academic Warning

If a student’s academic progress warrants placement on Academic Warning, they will receive an email notification from the Registrar’s Office. The terms of Academic Warning stipulate that the student must:

• Meet with an Academic Advisor in Academic Support no later than the third day of classes of the probationary semester. Students can e-mail [email protected] or schedule a meeting at this link.
• Acknowledge their academic status by completion of the online form.
• Ensure appropriate course enrollment for Academic Warning Semester. The student will have a registration hold placed on their account, so students must make any adjustments to course enrollment during their initial meeting with an Academic Advisor.
• Develop 2 SMART Goals using the Smart Goals Form and ensure that their schedule is appropriately adjusted. Students must schedule two more meetings with an Academic Advisor in Academic Support throughout the semester – one halfway through the semester and one at the end of the semester.

At the end of the Academic Warning semester, if the student earns a 2.0 Semester GPA and/or increases their Cumulative GPA and/or they increase their pace to completion they will clear Academic Warning and be placed back in Good Standing.  However, if the student is unable to meet these requirements for the semester, they will fail to clear warning, they will be dismissed from The College of Idaho but will have the right to appeal the dismissal.

If placed on Academic Warning, we strongly encourage students to take some time to review all aspects of their academic and social life and institute changes wherever appropriate so that they may be successful here. To this end, we urge students to confer with their advisor, instructor, counselor, or with a member of the staff of the PEAK Center, as appropriate, early in the semester of probation. These measures may or may not be a part of the student’s SMART Goals.

If you are Dismissed

If a student’s academic progress warrants academic dismissal from The College of Idaho, they will receive an email from the Registrar’s Office. At this point, the student has two choices, either accept the terms of the suspension or appeal the dismissal to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Committee (SAP Committee). The notification from the Registrar’s Office also includes a deadline for an appeal that students must be aware of.

If appealing the dismissal, the student must immediately schedule a meeting with an Academic Advisor here or by emailing [email protected]. During this meeting, students will begin to write their appeals with the assistance of an Academic Advisor. The Appeal must include:

• A narrative, with documentation, of any extenuating circumstances which led to poor performance; and
• A detailed, realistic academic improvement plan – constructed with the help of an Academic Advisor that addresses the causes of students’ academic problems and shows how they will prevent those causes from affecting performance in the future. The student should include in this planning an updated degree plan. This needs to be uploaded into their Self Service Student Planning Timeline for Approval
• SMART Goals & Strategic Support Team Online Form
• (Optional) Any other supporting letters from faculty members or other supplemental documentation that address your circumstances and plans for improved academic performance.

If a student’s dismissal is successfully appealed, the student will be placed on probation for the next semester and their progress will be re-evaluated at the end of the following semester. To successfully complete your probation and avoid another dismissal the student cannot withdraw from a course; cannot receive a failing grade; cannot take incompletes; must earn at least 12 credits, and must attain a semester GPA of at least 2.0 in the following semester and must ensure that their pace to completion meets the necessary benchmarks. Students who successfully appeal must also:

• Ensure appropriate course enrollment for Academic Probation Semester. The student will have a registration hold placed on their account, so students must make any adjustments to course enrollment during their initial meeting with an Academic Advisor.
• Students must schedule two more meetings with an Academic Advisor throughout the semester – one halfway through the semester and one at the end of the semester.
• Students returning on probation cannot represent the College of Idaho in any school-sanctioned events, unless participation is approved as part of their probation plan. To continue to represent the College in music, debate, theatre, art, athletics, the student must show improvement academically.

At the end of the Appealed semester (probation semester), if the student earns a 2.0 Semester GPA and/or increases their Cumulative GPA and/or increases their pace to completion above the necessary benchmarks their status will be improved to Academic Warning the following semester.  However, if the student is unable to meet these requirements outlined above, they will fail to clear probation, they will be dismissed from The College of Idaho.

If accepting the terms of the dismissal, or upon the denial of an appeal, the student is dismissed from The College. Should the student seek re-admission to The College, they must appeal to the SAP Committee by demonstrating evidence of their ability to do satisfactory college work. Normally, the expectation is that the student will complete a semester of full-time (at least 12 credits) at another regionally accredited college or university with no grade below a C as well as providing evidence that would support academic success.

Terms & Definitions

Academic Standing: Refers to the academic status of a student. Students can be in good standing, on academic warning, or under temporary suspension.

Cumulative GPA: The overall weighted average of all graded credits a student has earned. For more information, see Grades and Transcripts.

Registrar: The individual who oversees the policy that dictates academic standing. All official correspondence about academic standing will come from this office. Currently occupied by Mark Heidrich

Satisfactory Academic Affairs Committee (SAP Committee): The committee which reviews and either approves or denies student academic appeals. The committee includes the Registrar, The Assistant Vice President for Academic Support, and the Dean of Students, Provost, and Vice President of Enrollment Management.

Semester GPA (Term GPA): The overall weighted average of graded credits for a single term. For more information, see Grades and Transcripts.

Pace to Completion: The federal regulation that students’ complete credits at the necessary rate for reasonable degree completion. Starting July 1st, 2022, the College’s pace to completion policy is moving to a flat rate of 67%. Contact Financial Aid for more information.