Understanding Your Academic Standing

Your academic standing reflects your progress toward maintaining satisfactory academic performance at the university. This infographic outlines what happens when your GPA falls below 2.0 and the steps you can take to return to good standing.

Whether you’re currently on probation, recently reinstated, or simply planning ahead, this guide expands upon the formal definitions of academic standings in the Academic Catalog, helps you understand what each standing means, and how to stay on track for academic success.

Flowchart showing academic standing progression from Good Standing to Warning, Probation, Suspension, Reinstatement, and Dismissal, based on semester GPA, cumulative GPA, and consecutive semesters.
A color-coded flowchart illustrating academic standing progression. Students move from Good Standing to Academic Warning when a semester GPA is below 2.0, to Academic Probation when cumulative GPA is below 2.0, and may progress to Suspension, Reinstatement, or Dismissal based on consecutive semesters below 2.0

About This Graphic
All students begin in Good Academic Standing. If your GPA falls below 2.0, you may move through a series of academic standings—Warning, Probation, Suspension, or Reinstatement—depending on your performance over consecutive semesters. Refer to the key terms below to see how your GPA impacts your standing. Then refer to “Steps To Take” to understand each academic standing and the steps to take if you’re placed in any of these standings.

Key Terms
Academic standing decisions are based on how both your semester GPA and cumulative GPA change over time. Understanding the difference helps you know where you stand.

  • Semester GPA – This is your grade point average for a single semester. It shows how you performed during that specific term.
  • Cumulative GPA – This is your overall GPA, calculated from all courses you’ve taken at the university. It determines your official academic standing.
  • Consecutive Semesters – These are back-to-back fall and spring semesters. Academic standing is reviewed and updated only after the fall and spring terms. Semesters in which a student completes a semester withdrawal, as well as summer and winter semesters, are not counted as separate semesters for academic standing purposes. Because a new academic standing is not issued after a withdrawal or after summer or winter coursework, the student’s academic standing from the most recent fall or spring semester carries forward into the next fall or spring semester.

Steps To Take:

  • Requirement: Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
  • Meaning: You meet the minimum standards for continued enrollment.
  • When it happens: Your semester GPA falls below 2.0 for any fall or spring semester.
  • What it means: You’re still in good standing, but this is an early alert that your GPA is at risk.
  • Learn more about Academic Warning
  • When it happens: Your cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 at the end of a fall or spring semester.
  • What it means: You must raise your GPA to at least 2.0 to return to good standing.
  • Note: Three consecutive semesters on probation may result in Academic Suspension review.
    • Semesters in which students completed a semester withdrawal as well as Summer and Winter semesters are not factored into consideration for the three consecutive semesters.
  • Learn more about Academic Probation
  • When it happens: You’ve had three consecutive semesters below a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
    • Semesters in which students completed a semester withdrawal as well as Summer and Winter semesters are not factored into consideration for the three consecutive semesters.

  • What happens next: Your record is reviewed by the Academic Actions Committee to decide whether to suspend you or offer the standing “Suspended but Reinstated.”

Considering an appeal?

  • Meaning: You’ve met the criteria for suspension but the Academic Actions Committee conditionally allowed continued enrollment for the next semester.
  • Goal: Achieve at least a 2.0 semester GPA to remain enrolled.
  • To qualify: You must complete at least 12 credits at another institution with a 2.5 or higher GPA.
  • Once reinstated: You may return to the university under probationary status.
  • Learn more about applying for Reinstatement
  • When it happens: After reinstatement, if your cumulative GPA is below 2.0 for two consecutive semesters, and your current semester GPA is also below 2.0, you may be dismissed from the university.
  • Learn more about Dismissal

Academic Suspension Appeals?

If you have experienced significant circumstances that affected your academic performance, you may be eligible to submit a written appeal. Information about the appeal process, deadlines, and requirements is available on the Academic Suspension page.

View Suspensional Appeal Information