Graduate students who meet one or more of the conditions below will be academically suspended from further graduate study at App State.
- Unacceptable grades, including
- Cumulative GPA less than 3.0,
- 4 or more grades at the C level, or
- Any failing grade (U or F). NOTE: There are no grades at the D level for graduate courses, so any such grade submitted in error by the faculty will be changed to F. C- is the minimum passing grade.
- Denial of candidacy in programs that require candidacy. Check the Graduate Bulletin to see if your program requires candidacy. Check with the program director for the specific conditions needed to obtain candidacy.
If you are suspended, the Graduate School will send a letter to your enrolled student mailing address. In addition, you can see the academic suspension code on your unofficial transcript in Appalnet or Degreeworks.
Note: Suspensions based on academic standing are processed at the end of each term. Grades changed during the term (by the course instructor or as a result of an Incomplete rolling to a F or U) will not impact academic standing until the end of the term in which it was changed.
If you believe there was a recording error that caused your suspension, notify your advisor, program director or department chair as soon as possible. A common situation is an incomplete grade that was not changed by the faculty member by the deadline; these grades "roll" to U or F at the end of the extension.
Making an Appeal
Students with a GPA under 3.0 or with too many grades at the C level can petition to return for one semester on academic probation. This petition should be made to the program director or department chair. If they support the request, they will in turn seek Graduate School approval.
If the department or the Graduate School denies the request for a term on probation or if the student wants to appeal a denial of candidacy, they can formally appeal to an ad hoc appeals subcommittee of the graduate faculty (consisting of three members from departments other than their home department). That appeal must be in writing and should be detailed and specific about the circumstances leading to the poor performance and why the student can return to good standing in one semester. The Associate Dean of the Graduate School coordinates the appeals process. The committee will review all of the materials submitted, as well as information provided by the department and Graduate School, and they will make a binding decision. This process can take some time, so most students find that if their appeal is successful they will end up returning in a later semester. Students who were admitted with provisional status are considered to be using their one semester on probation during their first semester of study.
Graduate students are allowed only one semester on probation. An appeal for a second semester on probation is possible and can be made in writing to the Graduate School, but these requests are almost never granted. Circumstances surrounding your poor performance in the probationary term must be unusual and compelling.
To appeal a grade, students should follow the grade appeal process as outlined by Academic Affairs. Please note that because grades appeals involve a dispute with a faculty member, the department and the academic college will handle those rather than the Graduate School.
If you have exhausted your probation and appeals, you can apply again for admission to a program. If you are admitted, that admission resets your GPA. Note however, that only nine (9) hours of coursework you took prior to the new admission can be used to meet graduation requirements.