THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE

 

                                                                   FACULTY SENATE

 

Senate Document Number    7507S

 

Date of Senate Approval      05/03/07

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

 

APC Document  65:                    First Year Student Suspension Policy

 

                                                          

Effective Date:  Fall 2007

 

 

1.  Delete:         On page 37, the entry under Academic Suspension and Dismissal

 

     Add:            On page 37, in place of deleted entry:

 

Because students with persistent academic difficulties may benefit from taking time off, the university imposes a suspension of one regular semester when students fail to meet a minimum grade-point average on their total attempted hours. Students must maintain a grade-point average at or above the following levels in order to be enrolled at UNC Asheville.

 

Total Attempted Hours
(Includes transferred hours
and UNC Asheville attempted hours)

Minimum Grade-Point Average

 0–23

1.00 (see First Semester Rule below)

24-44

1.50

45-74

1.75

75 and above

2.00 (required to graduate)

       

 

First Semester Rule

Students in their first semester of enrollment at UNC Asheville must earn a grade-point average of 1.00 or above.  Students whose grade-point average is below 1.00 at the end of their first semester will be suspended for one semester.

 

Students having academic difficulty after their first semester must have been on academic warning for at least one regular semester of enrollment at UNCA before being subject to suspension.

 

Returning to the University after Suspension

After suspension, a student is eligible to re-enroll by submitting an Application for Readmission to the Admissions Office by the stated deadline for the semester of re-enrollment. Students returning from suspension are limited to 14 credit hours per semester or one course per summer term.

A student returning from Suspension or Dismissal must:

a)   earn a 2.25 semester GPA during each semester or summer term of enrollment until his/her cumulative GPA is above minimal levels, AND

b)   achieve his/her appropriate minimal cumulative GPA level within 24 attempted semester hours after re-enrollment.

 

Students who fail to achieve either of these two conditions will be dismissed from the University.  Students who have been dismissed and have been out of school for at least three calendar years may apply for readmission.  However, students who are dismissed from the university have no guarantee of reinstatement. 

 

Impact: 

First semester students with severe academic difficulty will not be able to take classes the subsequent term. 

 

Rationale: 

Students with such a low GPA have usually been non-attenders and have completed little, if any, of the class assignments.  It is rare that such a student returns the 2nd semester with a change in behavior; rather, they continue along the same path and end up with an even more dismal record.  This new policy would make the expectation for their success from the start of their enrollment clear and, if needed, provide an earlier time for reflection on their academic path.