Poor Academic Performance

The school's Admissions and Scholastic Standing Committee, composed of elected faculty members, considers the scholastic performance of students who are deficient in semester work and/or whose overall cumulative grade-point average (GPA) is less than the minimum 2.000 required for graduation. The committee may place students into one of the following three categories based on their current and/or previous scholastic record at the university.

Warning. The student is informed by letter to improve his or her scholastic performance. Restrictions are recommended but not imposed.

Probation. The student is informed by letter of the danger of being dismissed from Rutgers unless marked scholastic improvement is demonstrated. Students in this category are required to consult regularly with their faculty advisers or a dean to discuss their course load and course selection and to attend all classes and laboratories in the courses for which they are enrolled. A stipulated cumulative grade-point average for the semester must be achieved, and no temporary grades will be accepted. A maximum load of 13 credits also may be required.

Dismissal. A student whose scholastic performance has been consistently below the cumulative grade-point average required to graduate or whose current work indicates that a desired level of academic performance will not be achieved is informed by letter of dismissal from Rutgers.

General Policies of the Committee. The following numerical guidelines are generally followed by the committee. They are not absolute, however, since many factors are considered before the committee places a student in one of the three performance categories listed above. A student's use of the policy on repeated courses to change the student's GPA does not rescind unsatisfactory scholastic standing status.

Semester Grade-Point Averages

Warning: 1.800-1.999

Probation: 1.501-1.799

Dismissal: At or below 1.500 after a semester of probation or after three consecutive semesters of probation with a cumulative grade-point average below 2.000.

Ordinarily, students are not dismissed for academic reasons at the end of their first semester. For any student, a minimum average may be stipulated as a condition of future enrollment. The average imposed is based on the average necessary to obtain the overall cumulative grade-point average of 2.000 required for graduation. Students remain on probation until a cumulative grade-point average of 2.000 is achieved, regardless of semester average.

It is the student's responsibility to be aware of his or her academic standing. Questions regarding academic standing should be directed to the associate dean of academic programs, Martin Hall, Room 109.

Appeal. Students placed on probationary status may appeal, in writing only, prior to the conclusion of the semester for which the probationary status is being imposed, to the school's Admissions and Scholastic Standing Committee. Grounds for appeal include technical error, changes in grades, and/or additional information not previously available to the committee. Letters of appeal must state the reasons for the appeal and must be accompanied by appropriate documentation. Letters of appeal must be written by the student, although advice from others may be sought in formulating the appeal and submitted to the Office of Academic Programs.

Students who have been dismissed from Rutgers by the school's Admissions and Scholastic Standing Committee may submit a written appeal to the committee (in care of the Office of Academic Programs). Grounds for appeal include technical error, grade changes, extenuating circumstances, and/or additional information not previously available to the committee. Letters of appeal must state the reasons for the appeal and must be accompanied by appropriate documentation. Letters of appeal must be written by the student, although members of the committee and the staff of the Office of Academic Programs are available to assist students in formulating appeals for committee action. The decision of the committee is final. Students are notified in writing within four weeks of the action taken.

Re-enrollment. Students who have been dismissed from the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences for academic reasons may make an application for re-enrollment (here) after they have demonstrated an ability to complete a minimum of 6 credits of university-level work at a Rutgers Summer Session with a grade-point average of 2.500 or better, or if they have remained out of school for a period of one year. Students should contact the school's Office of Academic Programs for specific instructions. Normally a student is not re-enrolled if he or she has been dismissed more than once.

Academic Amnesty. Students previously enrolled in any Rutgers undergraduate unit, with a record of poor academic performance, including a cumulative grade point average below 2.000 and five or more consecutive years of hiatus, who are seeking to complete a degree at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), may apply for Academic Amnesty.

To qualify for amnesty eligible students must demonstrate academic proficiency by meeting the following requirements: students must complete 12 new degree credits of coursework with a grade-point average (GPA) of 2.500 or better within a single academic year from active re-enrollment. Within that first year of amnesty re-enrollment, students are limited to no more 15 credits in a fall or spring semester, and no more than 8 credits in a Summer Session. Students who wish to pursue Academic Amnesty should meet with the associate dean of academic programs.

Scholastic Standing (SEBS)

SCHOLASTIC STANDING