Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy - All Campuses
(Good Standing Academically)
In order to maintain satisfactory academic progress (to be in good standing academically) a student must do two things:
- Qualitative Measure – Maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA (undergraduate students), or a 3.0 cumulative GPA (graduate students); and
- Quantitative Measure – Successfully complete (i.e., pass) 2/3 of the credit hours attempted.
Maximum Timeframe (150% Rule)
Students are not permitted to receive federal student aid for a period no longer than 150 percent of the published length of the program.
Determination of GPA (see UG 2016-18 catalog adding WE—administrative withdrawal for not attending class—counts into GPA as 0.0.)
The responsibility for determining grades rests with the instructor and reflects the student’s achievement of the academic goals set for each course. A plus (+) and/or minus (-) attached to a grade earned at Siena Heights does not alter the effect of the letter grade on the calculation of the grade point average.
Grades are filed with the Registrar’s office at the conclusion of each term according to the following scale:
Undergraduate Students-
A Superior work - four grade points for each credit hour.
B Above average work - three grade points for each credit hour.
C Average work - two grade points for each credit hour.
D Below average work - one grade point for each credit hour.
E Failure - no grade points.
I Incomplete - See the Incomplete Grades section.
IP Course in progress - no credit earned, no grade points.
W Official withdrawal - has no effect on the grade point average.
WE Administrative withdrawal – no grade points.
WF Administrative withdrawal – issued prior to summer 2016, no credit earned, no effect on grade point average.
CR Credit - credit earned, no grade points. Equivalent of a letter grade of "C" is required to earn CR; cannot be changed to a letter grade.
NC No Credit - no credit earned, no grade points; cannot be changed to a letter grade.
AU Audit - no credit earned, no grade points.
Graduate Students –
The responsibility for determining grades rests with the course instructor and reflects the graduate student's level of achievement of the learning outcomes, goals, and objectives established for each course.
A Outstanding - four grade points for each credit hour.
B Average - three grade points for each credit hour.
C Below Graduate Standards - two grade points for each credit hour.
I Incomplete - See the Incomplete Grades section.
IP Course in progress - no credit earned, no grade points.
W Official withdrawal - has no effect on the grade point average.
D, E Failure -zero grade points for each credit hour.
WE Administrative withdrawal – no grade points.
WF Administrative withdrawal – issued prior to summer 2016, no credit earned, no effect on grade point average.
AU Audit - no credit earned, no grade points.
A graduate student who receives a grade of C or lower in any course results in the student being placed on probation, and the course must be retaken to receive credit towards a Master of Arts degree.
Grade point averages are calculated by dividing total quality points by quality hours. Hours for courses for which grades of CR, NC, or W are excluded from the hours attempted to obtain quality hours.
Hours successfully completed includes all credit hours attached to course grades of A, B, C, D, and CR. Hours attempted includes those successfully completed as well as those attached to courses in which grades of E, I, IP, W, NC, WF, and WE were assigned.
Failure to achieve satisfactory academic progress will result in warning, probation, or suspension and will affect eligibility for financial aid.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy - All Campuses
To be eligible for student financial aid, a student must be making satisfactory academic progress (SAP). The Financial Aid Office standards for satisfactory academic progress may be the same or stricter as academic standards of the University, or any academic department or school. The established guidelines (based on federal regulations) for evaluating a student’s progress take into consideration cumulative Siena Heights grade point average and the number of semester hours attempted and completed.
Siena Heights reviews student’s satisfactory academic progress status at the end of each session, to include summer, fall, and winter.
Satisfactory Academic Progress WarningIf it is determined that a student has not met the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements, students will be placed on a financial aid warning and be allowed one additional session with which to meet SAP requirements in order to remain eligible for financial aid.
Satisfactory Academic Progress SuspensionStudents who do not meet satisfactory academic progress requirements at the end of the financial aid warning period will be placed on a financial aid suspension and will not be eligible for financial aid without appealing.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Academic Plan & Appeal ProcedureAny student denied financial aid due to the policy may appeal to the Office of Financial Aid. An appeal application and instructions will be included with the SAP notification letter from the Office of Financial Aid. Students wishing to appeal will be required to submit a formal letter explaining why he or she is not currently making Satisfactory Academic Progress. The letter should also include the students plan to sufficiently improve their academic status. Students will also be required to meet with their academic advisor to review their academic plan and sign off on the student’s appeal application. Appeal applications should be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid prior to the start of term and must be submitted prior to the end of the second week of the term for which they are applying. After an application for appeal is received, the student will be notified in writing of the results of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal. Reinstatement of aid for a subsequent period will be determined on an individual basis.
Students who do not meet the terms of satisfactory academic progress, and who either elect not to file an appeal, or who failed to meet the terms of their financial aid academic plan will be required to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards before regaining eligibility for financial aid.
Satisfactory Academic Progress ProbationStudents will be assigned this status if they fail to meet satisfactory academic progress but successfully appeal. Students will be permitted to receive financial aid for one additional term with continued eligibility to be reviewed and determined at the term’s end. Students on SAP financial aid probation are monitored for improvements and are required to adhere to their terms and conditions of probation.
Incompletes, Withdrawals, Failures and RepetitionsClasses graded with failure (“E”), “incomplete”, “no credit”, or “withdraw” will be evaluated as courses attempted, although not successfully completed. Repeated courses will count toward academic progress.
Transfer Credit, Siena Heights Credit Hours and Academic ProgramWhen determining if a student is within the requirements of Siena Height’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy, the Financial Aid Office will consider credit hours that are accepted by the Registrar’s Office as transfer credit or that were taken at Siena Heights, and that are applicable to the student’s academic program. The number of transfer credit hours accepted will be used to calculate a student’s remaining eligibility according to the maximum timeframe standard (150% rule) and will be included in the quantitative calculation which includes number of credits attempted and completed. Transfer credit grades are not considered in a student’s GPA. The GPA used for Satisfactory Academic Progress policy only considers classes taken at Siena.
Academic Probation & Suspension Criteria (All Undergraduate Students)
For the purposes of Academic Probation and Suspension Criteria, official terms for the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) are Fall and Winter, and are Summer, Fall, and Winter for the College of Professional Studies (CPS).
Probation
A student whose cumulative GPA is less than a 2.0 will be placed on probation and notified of his/her status by the Advising Office.
Continued Probation
A student placed on probation will remain on continued probation as long as he/she continues to earn a semester GPA of 2.0 or higher in each successive session until the cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher, at which time the student will be removed from probation.
Suspension
A student who has already been placed on probation, and whose cumulative and current semester GPA both fall below 2.0 will be suspended from Siena Heights University for one session.
Reinstatement from suspension
A student seeking reinstatement after being suspended may submit a written appeal to the Academic Review Board any time following suspension. However, the student must sit out for one full session following suspension. The student must provide the documentation of the circumstances that contributed to his/her poor performance and submit this documentation with the appeal. Such documentation might include a letter from an attending physician, hospital records, pertinent legal documents, etc. A student may also provide any evidence of academic success since the suspension.
The appeal must be submitted at least one month prior to the session the student desires to return. Appeals are read at the first meeting of the Academic Review Board each month. In addition, a student must also submit the Application for Readmission to the Adrian campus Admissions Office or to the appropriate CPS site in tandem with the written appeal for reinstatement.
Dismissal
If reinstatement is granted to a student after a suspension, he/she will be placed on probation, and must attain a GPA of 2.0 or each session he/she is enrolled until the cumulative GPA is also 2.0 or higher. Otherwise, the student will be dismissed from Siena Heights University for a period of two full years.
Reinstatement after dismissal follows the same process as the reinstatement after suspension outlined above. Reinstatement following a dismissal can occur no earlier than two full years from the date of the student’s dismissal. A student will be subject to current probation guidelines when granted a return from either suspension or dismissal.
Academic Probation & Suspension Criteria (Graduate Students)
For the purposes of Academic Probation and Suspension Criteria, official terms for the Graduate College are Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Probation
When a graduate student earns a letter grade of “C” in any course, the result is probation. The academic progress of a graduate student on probation will be monitored by student’s academic advisor for no less than the next six (6) credit hours. While on academic probation, a student may be required to take GRS598, which is intended to strengthen academic skills. Once the student’s GPA has risen to at least a 3.0 by repeating courses until a grade of a “B-“ or better is earned in each course, the student’s status may be upgraded to regular academic status.
Suspension
A graduate student who is placed on academic suspension is informed in a letter from the Dean, of deadlines and procedures for an appeal of the suspension. All suspensions last at least one (1) academic session (i.e., summer, fall, or winter). The student must submit a written appeal to the Dean for reinstatement at least one month prior to the session the student desires to return. Upon the timely receipt of a request for reinstatement, the Dean will ask the Academic Suspension Subcommittee of the student’s respective program to review the appeal letter and relevant evidence and to make a recommendation to the Graduate Council. The Graduate Council reviews the request and makes a decision regarding reinstatement. A student who is suspended a second time will be dismissed from the University permanently with no opportunity for appeal.
