Academic Progress

Date Developed: 10/04
Date Reviewed: 3/05
Date Approved: 5/13/05

Procedures | Interpretation | Back to Policy index

Continuation in graduate studies is at the discretion of the Graduate Council. Permission to register each term is contingent, in part, on the professional judgment of an Advisor (in consultation with an academic committee*) that progress toward the degree is satisfactory.

Each graduate student's progress toward a degree will be monitored continuously by an academic committee.* While failure to maintain academic standards merits automatic dismissal, a student also may be dismissed from the Graduate Division if progress toward the degree is unsatisfactory.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Measures of Satisfactory Academic Progress are based on these categories:

Cumulative Grade-Point Average (GPA)

Graduate students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 based on total credits attempted. Students who fail to meet this requirement may be dismissed or placed on academic probation by action of the Division of Graduate Studies (see Policy 7: Academic Standing). It is an Advisor’s responsibility (shared with an academic committee*) to evaluate the quality of the academic performance in each course, in relation to the research and long-range plans of the student. Therefore, an unsatisfactory report of performance may be based on individual course performance or on grade trends, regardless of a cumulative GPA.

Completion Rate

Timely and orderly completion of degree requirements (i.e., selection of an advisor, appointment of an advisory committee, filing a plan of study, completion of any qualifying examinations, each research practicum and defense of thesis or other research) are significant measures of completion rate. It is an Advisor’s responsibility (shared with an academic committee*) to evaluate the quality of the student’s performance in completion of all degree requirements.

Maximum Timeframe

Graduate students are expected to complete the master’s degree within two academic years of matriculation. Students must complete the master's degree within five years from the date of matriculation. A student who exceeds five years of enrollment in graduate study will be dismissed for Unsatisfactory Academic Progress and any graduate credit earned will not be applied toward a degree from the Division of Graduate Study of Palmer College of Chiropractic.

It is an Advisor’s responsibility (shared with an academic committee*) to evaluate the overall progress the student is making toward the degree. A report of unsatisfactory progress may be filed if the Advisor and Committee* determine that delays in completion of aspects of research are not justified although a maximum timeframe have not been reached.

An official Leave of Absence (see, Policy 5: Leave of Absence) may automatically extend the maximum timeframe without negatively impacting this measure of academic progress, at the discretion of the Graduate Council. Frequent leaves or an extended Leave of Absence for non-academic reasons may represent unsatisfactory academic progress, as determined by an Advisor and Committee,* the Dean of Graduate Studies or the dean’s designate.

* A Graduate Advisory Committee or, in the absence of such a committee, a designated advisor and the Graduate Council.

Procedures:

Notice: When it determines that Unsatisfactory Academic Progress exists, the committee* will prepare a Report of Unsatisfactory Academic Progress. The Report will enumerate the identified deficiencies and/or grievances, what corrective measures must be taken for each, and a timeline for implementation. The report must warn the student that dismissal may result from failure to implement the measures. The report must have the unanimous support of the membership of the committee. The committee will discuss this report with the student in a called meeting. Copies of the Report of Unsatisfactory Academic Progress and a summary of the meeting will be provided to the student and the Dean of Graduate Studies.

If the deficiency is not corrected within the time allotted by, a statement reiterating the grievance and recommending dismissal will be sent to the graduate dean with a copy to the student. The graduate dean will give the student an opportunity to respond and will forward the recommendation for dismissal and any response received to the Graduate Council. The student and the committee will be notified of the final action. In the case of dismissal, the student’s official transcript will indicate Dismissed for Unsatisfactory Academic Progress.

Appeal: A committee’s determination of unsatisfactory progress is not subject to appeal. However, a graduate student may request a hearing before the Graduate Council to consider either the corrective measures, the timeline for their implementation, or a final determination of an unresolved Report. The request for a hearing must be submitted in writing, to the Graduate Council. Letters of appeal must be submitted within one week of receipt of a Report or the final determination. The letter of appeal should provide sufficient grounds and any necessary documentation to assure effective review. At a called meeting, the Graduate Council will meet to consider the appeal and the student will be invited to address the appeal at that meeting.

Remediation: Remediation of Unsatisfactory Progress is at the discretion of the committee.* A Report of Unsatisfactory Academic Progress is deemed obsolete when the measures required by that committee or modified by the Graduate Council are complete following the prescribed timeline.

* A Graduate Advisory Committee or, in the absence of such a committee, a designated advisor and the Graduate Council.

Interpretations:

According to this policy an advisor (in consultation with an advisory committee) may submit a report of unsatisfactory academic progress if a student performed at a lower level in a specific course than deemed appropriate, even if the grade normally would be considered acceptable (e.g. ‘B’ or ‘B+”). Typically such a course would be directly related to specifically established goals, either academic or research, for that student. Remediation could result in repeating the course (new grade), completing an independent study of the topic (new course), passing a committee-administered exam, or some other method deemed appropriate by the committee.

A report of unsatisfactory academic progress also may be submitted based upon delay in completing an assigned responsibility according to a schedule prepared by an advisor/committee or if its completion required excessive management by the advisor/committee. This does of course imply that the delay was within the student’s capacity to control. If the task were complete, remediation would likely increase the impact of subsequent delays.

Research is integral to the graduate degree, even if that research were not part of a specific course within the curriculum. Thus, if a committee determines that a student’s research is not progressing, and that there is no appropriate justification for it, a report of unsatisfactory academic progress is not only appropriate, but justified and warranted.

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