Academic Standing

Academic performance is reviewed twice a year, typically in January (after fall semester) and August (after spring and summer terms). Notification of academic standing is sent to the student’s SMC email account.

Criteria for Good Academic Standing

Academic Warning

A student in good academic standing (see table above) whose recent performance raises concerns about meeting academic standards in the future will receive an academic warning. Academic warnings are issued under the following circumstances:

1. The student earns a semester GPA below 2.0.
2. The student is completing 75% (or less) of the credits they are attempting. (Note: Courses with grades of “F” and “WD” count toward attempted credits that aren’t completed.)

Students who receive a warning are invited to meet with academic support staff to create an academic improvement plan and are encouraged to utilize the many academic and personal supports available at Saint Michael’s. 

Academic Probation

A student who does not meet the minimum cumulative GPA threshold for good academic standing (outlined above) will be placed on academic probation. While on probation a student’s participation in extracurricular activities may be restricted. The student will be placed on an Academic Improvement Plan (AIP) approved by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Education. The AIP specifies GPA targets for the following term and requires regular meetings with academic support staff. Students who meet or exceed their GPA targets are retained for the subsequent semester. If they do not yet meet the criteria for good academic standing, they are continued on academic probation and given new GPA targets for the next term. Students who meet the criteria for good academic standing are removed from probation.

Academic Suspension

A student who fails to meet the GPA targets outlined in the AIP is suspended from Saint Michael’s College for the following academic semester. Students have the option to appeal their suspension by submitting a formal letter to the Academic Review Board. The appeal should describe any extenuating circumstances contributing to poor academic performance and explain how the student will address these issues and improve academic performance during the upcoming semester. Students who do not submit an appeal by the deadline outlined in the suspension letter are suspended for the subsequent fall or spring term without further recourse.

The Academic Review Board (ARB) will review each student appeal, along with all relevant information, and recommend appropriate action to the Dean of Undergraduate Education and the Dean of the Faculty. Final decision-making authority on suspension or dismissal rests with the Dean of Undergraduate Education and the Dean of the Faculty. If the student’s appeal is granted, the student is continued on academic probation for the following semester under the same conditions outlined above. If the appeal is denied, the student is suspended from Saint Michael’s College for the subsequent fall or spring semester.

Suspended students should meet with a representative from the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Education to develop plans for their time away from the College. That representative serves as the student’s primary contact and resource during the suspension period.

Readmission After Suspension

To be readmitted following a suspension, students must submit a letter to the Dean of Undergraduate Education detailing how they will address prior obstacles to academic success and providing evidence of their ability to satisfy academic expectations. Full details about readmission are included in the letter detailing the academic suspension.

Academic Dismissal

Readmitted students who do not return to good academic standing and/or satisfy the conditions of their AIP will be dismissed from the College. Students may appeal a dismissal using the same process available for an academic suspension (see above). If the appeal is denied, the dismissal from Saint Michael’s is final and permanent with no opportunity for readmission. 

Although the procedure described above generally applies, Saint Michael’s College reserves the right to suspend or dismiss at any time, without giving additional reason, students whose conduct or academic standing it judges to be unacceptable. Neither the College, nor the officers, nor the trustees of the College will be under any liability for such dismissal.