Academic Standards - Class of 2008

Minimum academic standards are maintained in the following manner:

(a) Probation. Students who receive two grades of F in any grading period shall be placed on probation and warned of poor academic performance.

(b) Dismissal. Any of the following three academic conditions will lead to dismissal from the MBA program: (1) receiving three grades of F in any grading period or in any two contiguous* grading periods; (2) receiving two subsequent grades of NC after being placed on academic probation; or (3) accumulating five credit units of F grades and lowest 10% (LT) indicators in the first year or eight credit units during the program.

(c) Students receiving two credit units of F grades and LT’s at the end of the first semester, four credit units at the end of the second semester and five credit units at the end of the third semester will be warned by letter of poor academic performance and will be expected to seek academic counseling.

(d) Grades of Incomplete are given at the discretion of the instructor when, on the basis of work completed, the student is doing passing work, but some requirement of the course (e.g., exam or paper) is not completed. All Incomplete grades not removed from a student’s record by the end of the first three weeks in the following regular semester shall be converted automatically to F. For example, Incompletes earned in the Spring semester must be removed by the end of the first three weeks of the Summer semester. Grades of Incomplete are changed to permanent grades by the instructor, who files a change-of-grade form upon completion of course requirements. Degrees are awarded in May, August, and December. In order to be awarded a degree, a student must complete all requirements by the last day of the preceding final examination period.

(e) Students who finish any semester with grades of Incomplete shall have each Incomplete be considered as one-half an F grade for academic standards purposes.

(f) For the purpose of paragraphs (a) and (b) above, any Incomplete grade automatically converted to F will be presumed to be an F earned in the semester the student was registered for the course. This could cause a student to be retroactively placed on probation or be dismissed from the program.

(g) A student who is dismissed from the program for academics or other reasons may appeal the decision by writing to the Chair of the MBA Executive Committee within seven days of receiving the dismissal letter. Upon receipt of the request, the committee will convene a hearing and give the student seven days advance notice. The student may appear in person or submit a written appeal. If the student wishes to appear, but cannot, the hearing will still be held. All Committee decisions are final. There is no further appellate body.

(h) The above rules shall be applied irrespective of the number of credit units the student is carrying per semester.

(i) The two summer sessions combined shall be considered as one semester (regardless of whether one or two sessions are attended) for the above purposes of probation or dismissal.

(j) Except when an error is made, only those grades initially reported by instructors will be considered in determining whether a student is subject to probation or dismissal.

*Contiguous grading periods are those that immediately succeed each other. For instance, the contiguous grading period for a full semester course would be the full semester immediately succeeding (e.g., spring follows fall; fall follows spring). The contiguous grading period for a half semester course would be the half semester immediately succeeding (e.g., Q2 is contiguous to Q1 and Q3 is contiguous to Q2; however, Q3 is not contiguous with Q1). In addition Q3 is contiguous to the fall semester but Q4 would not be contiguous to the fall semester.