Academic Regulations

IV. Academic Standards

Each school has a committee which is charged with monitoring and maintaining academic standards. These committees review the academic performance of all undergraduates at the end of each fall and spring semester and have the authority to place students whose performance has been deficient on probation or to suspend or dismiss them from the University. The committees may also issue warnings to students who have withdrawn from or neglected to enroll in classes designed to meet degree requirements, or who otherwise are not making adequate progress towards the degree. The following parameters apply to all schools (for further details please see the sections on Academic Standards under each school entry).

Students who fail a course or who earn a cumulative grade point average below 2.0 are automatically placed on probation. Students may also be placed on probation for failing to complete a full-time courseload (minimum of 12 credits) in two or more semesters. Probationary status continues until it is lifted by the academic standards committee.

In general, students on probation are expected to earn a grade point average of at least 2.0 while carrying at least twelve credits during the semester following imposition of probationary status. The academic standards committees reserve the right to impose additional or higher standards of performance (these additional conditions are communicated to the student by letter). Any student who fails to meet all of these conditions--general or specific--may be suspended or dismissed at the end of the following semester.

Please note: no notation of academic probation is made on the transcript.

Students may be suspended (for one or two semesters) or permanently dismissed from the University because of unsatisfactory academic performance. Students who fail a course while on probation are eligible for suspension or dismissal as are those who fail two courses in a single semester or who accumulate a total of three failures while enrolled at Georgetown. In addition, students may be suspended or dismissed if their grade point averages fall below the following levels at the end of the academic year:

In cases of academic suspension, the length of the student's separation from the University is determined by the Academic Standards Committee. The Committee may also impose requirements for re-admission at the end of the suspension period; these are generally linked to the expectation of better academic performance after study is resumed. Students who are suspended for academic deficiency, or Honor System or Student Conduct violations, may not transfer credits to Georgetown earned elsewhere during the suspension period. Please note: academic suspensions are noted on transcripts.

In cases of dismissal for any reason including academic deficiency, Honor System, or Student Conduct violations, students are permanently separated from the University. Please note: academic dismissals are noted on transcripts. Dismissed students may not continue to work in any way toward a Georgetown degree.

Suspended and dismissed students may not register or attend classes, hold a room in a campus residence hall, or participate in any activities reserved for students in good standing at Georgetown University, including (but not limited to) Commencement activities.

Students who are academically suspended or dismissed may request an appeal of this decision by writing to the Academic Standards Committee within the time limit set by individual schools. Students who do not request an appeal within the time limit determined by the school forfeit the right to appeal. This time limit is specified in the letter of the Committee notifying the student of the suspension or dismissal. The appeal will be heard by a special Appeals Board (see the school sections of the Bulletin for details of board composition and procedure). Every effort will be made to assure the student of fundamental fairness in the appeal hearing. The Appeals Boards for all schools operate within the following parameters:

• The purpose of the Board is to review the student's academic records in light of the decision of the Academic Standards Committee and to determine whether there are any mitigating factors that warrant a less severe penalty than the one imposed by that Committee. For this reason, the student's file and a summary of the Committee's deliberations are made available to the Board.
• In requesting the appeal, the student must explain in writing what the mitigating factors might be and may also present evidence to which the Academic Standards Committee may not have had access. Appellants normally must appear before the Board to present the case in person. The student may bring someone to help present the case and for the purpose of moral support. However, since the Board is an educational institution and not a court of law, an attorney may not appear on behalf of a student during the hearing or appeals process. In extraordinary cases in which it is not possible for the student to appear in person before the Board, a written statement from the student may suffice.
• The Board has the right to call people other than the student to appear before it in the interest of illuminating the case and especially the claims made by the student about extenuating circumstances. If these people cannot appear, they may submit their views in writing. The Board will accept and review written statements submitted at the request of the student in support of the appeal, but it is up to the Board to decide whether it will invite “witnesses” such as parents, professors, and psychiatrists to participate in the hearing itself.
• The student may be present for all stages of the hearing except for the final deliberations of the board.
• Decisions reached by the Board are final and may not be appealed again.

Students who are suspended must make a formal written request to be readmitted at the end of the suspension period. These requests must be submitted to the Dean's Office six weeks before the date of registration.

A student who has been dismissed from Georgetown must not expect to be readmitted. In very rare cases, the Academic Standards Committee may agree to consider an application for readmission after at least one year has elapsed from the date of the dismissal. Requests for readmission must be made in writing to the Dean's Office.

Undergraduate Bulletin 2008-2009 Table of Contents
Copyright 2008, Georgetown University.