PROBATION, SUSPENSION, READMISSION,
AND EXPULSION POLICY

Probation
Suspension
Readmission
Expulsion Policy

Students with a cumulative grade-point average below 2.0 are notified on semester grade reports that their academic performance is unsatisfactory. Such students may be subject to probation by the dean of their college or school. A unit may require a grade-point average above 2.0 or other academic requirements for purposes of determining probation or meeting degree requirements. Students have the right to have the sanction of academic probation reviewed and explained by the academic official who imposed the sanction. Academic probation is not recorded on a student's permanent record and essentially constitutes a warning to the student of standards which must be met.

Uniform Academic Suspension Regulations

WVU undergraduate students become subject to academic suspension when they accrue more than the maximum allowable grade point deficiency as described on page 44 of the 2003-2005 Undergraduate Catalog. The maximum grade point deficiency allowed varies with the total number of hours attempted.

Students, parents, academic advisors and academic administrators find the maximum allowable grade point deficiency system complicated and confusing. The student's deficiency points do not appear on the student's grade report and need to be calculated after a review of the student's transcript. Because this is not a transparent process, students sometimes claim that they were unaware that they were in jeopardy of being placed on academic suspension.

A simpler and more straightforward means of determining a student's eligibility for academic suspension is needed. Therefore, it is proposed that eligibility for academic suspension be based on a minimum GPA using a sliding scale that varies with the total hours attempted. The following table represents a conversion of the maximum allowable deficiency point system to a minimum allowable GPA system. A student would be subject to suspension when their cumulative GPA was less than the minimum allowable GPA.

*Includes all hours attempted in institutions in the WV system of higher education. Grades of P are excluded and the D/F repeat policy is applied.

Reinstatement After Suspension

During the semester immediately following the effective date of suspension, suspended students may petition in writing for reinstatement. The college or school petitioned shall establish the terms of reinstatement for successful student petitions. After one calendar year from the effective date of suspension, any student who has been suspended one time shall, upon written application, be reinstated to the University and to the college or school in which the student was previously enrolled, unless the student petitions for admission to another college or school. The college which reinstates the student removes the student's suspension restriction in Admissions and Records and accepts the student.

A suspended student who is reinstated under the provisions above will be placed on academic probation and will be subject to the maximum grade-point deficiency regulations as before, unless the terms of probation agreed to by the student and that college stipulate otherwise. Each college or school shall have the right to establish requirements or performance expectations.

After the second or any subsequent suspension, a student may be reinstated to the University provided that a college or school agrees to reinstate the student. After a student has been reinstated, he/she must apply for readmission through the Office of Admissions and Records.

Appeal of Suspension

Imposition of academic suspension based on grade-point average, failure to meet the conditions previously specified for removal of academic probation, or failure to meet the conditions of admission, may be appealed under the following conditions:

• The student may appeal individual final course grades and, if successful, may be reinstated.
  
• The student may make an appeal to the appropriate dean based on erroneous calculation of the grade-point average or on erroneous calculation of the time period within which a grade-point average must be achieved. The decision of the dean, as the president's designee, is final.

Students have the right to appeal academic suspensions based on requirements or standards other than grades or grade-point average which they believe reflect capricious, arbitrary, or prejudiced academic evaluation, or reflect discrimination based on race or color, sex, sexual orientation, veteran's status, religion, age, disability, national origin, creed, ancestry, or political affiliation. At the dean's discretion, suspensions may remain in effect until appeal procedures are completed.

Step 1. The student shall discuss the complaint with the dean involved within 30 calendar days of the action taken. If the two parties are unable to resolve the matter satisfactorily within 15 calendar days, the student may proceed to Step 2.

Step 2. The student must prepare and sign a document which states the facts constituting the basis for the appeal. A copy of this document shall be given to the University Committee on Student Rights and Responsibilities. Within 15 calendar days of receipt of the appeal, the University Committee on Student Rights and Responsibilities will arrange a hearing using the following procedures:

1. All parties involved shall receive written notice of the date, time, and place of the hearing.
2. The student may be advised by a person of his/her choice from within the institution; likewise, the academic officer recommending suspension may have an advisor from within the institution. Such advisors may consult with but may not speak on behalf of their advisees or otherwise participate.
3. The administrative procedure is not adversarial in nature; the formal rules of evidence do not apply.
4. Witnesses may be called by any of the parties involved.
5. A record of the appeal shall be prepared in the form of summary minutes and relevant attachments and will be provided to any of the parties involved upon written request.

The decision of the University Committee on Student Rights and Responsibilities will be sent to the dean involved and the student within seven calendar days of the hearing. If the decision requires a reinstatement, the dean will take action in accordance with the committee's decision. If the decision of the committee is to uphold the suspension, the student's appeal must reach the appropriate vice president within 30 calendar days of receipt of the committee decision. The vice president will review and make a decision regarding the suspension within 15 calendar days of receiving the student's appeal. The decision of the vice president, as the president's designee, is final.

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Uniform Academic Dismissal Regulations

Academic dismissal from the University means that a student will not be permitted to register for any classes, including those in summer sessions, offered by the University. Academic dismissal can result from repeated failure to make academic progress and/or to meet probationary terms set forth in writing by the student's college or school.

After five calendar years from the effective date of academic dismissal, any student who has been dismissed shall, upon written application, be considered for reinstatement to the University, with the terms of reinstatement to be established by the college or school entered. Failure to meet these terms will result in permanent academic expulsion.

Appeal of Dismissal

Note: The procedures and appeals described do not apply to dismissal as a sanction for academic dishonesty.

The time limitations stated herein are suggested in order to render a decision as expeditiously as possible. In the case of University holidays or absence of person(s) involved, reasonable delays may be expected.

A decision to dismiss a student for failure to meet academic standards (as distinguished from academic dishonesty) can be made only after the student has been counseled by the appropriate departmental committee or representative, with counseling to take place as soon as possible after discovery of the problem. After the student is given a reasonable opportunity to correct deficiencies, there shall then be a formal review of the student's status by the appropriate departmental or program committee to determine whether the student shall be retained or dismissed. The student may provide the committee written documentation of his/her efforts to correct deficiencies.

A committee recommendation for dismissal, including any documentation provided by the student to the committee, shall be forwarded to the student's dean and to the student. Within 15 calendar days of receipt of the committee's recommendation, the dean shall inform the student and the students department/ program of his/her decision. A decision to dismiss shall specify whether the dismissal is from the program or college/school. The dean may also dismiss a student from the institution if the student does not meet institutional standards.

Step 1. The student shall prepare and sign a document which states the facts constituting the basis for the appeal. A copy of this document must reach the dean within 30 calendar days of receipt of written notice of dismissal. The student shall be given an opportunity to discuss the appeal with the dean at any time in Step 1. If the matter is not resolved satisfactorily within 15 calendar days of the dean's receipt of the student's appeal, the student may proceed to Step 2.

Step 2. The student will forward a copy of the appeal to the appropriate vice president within 15 calendar days of failure to resolve the matter at the dean's level. Prior to the decision of the vice president, the student will be given an opportunity to discuss the appeal with the vice president. The decision of the vice president, as the president's designee, shall be rendered within 15 days of receipt of the student's appeal and is final.

Dismissal, based on failure to meet academic requirements or performance standards irrespective of grades or grade-point average, from undergraduate programs, graduate programs, professional programs, and/or from the institution, may also be appealed. Students have the right to appeal academic dismissal based on requirements or standards other than grades or grade-point average which they believe reflect capricious, arbitrary, or prejudiced academic evaluation, or reflect discrimination based on race or color, sex, sexual orientation, veteran's status, religion, age, disability, national origin, creed, ancestry, or political affiliation.

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