Dr. Paula Moten-Tolson, Head, Division of Education and Social Work
Dr. Juanita Linton, Coordinator, Graduate Education
Telephone: (919) 278-2661
Fax: (919) 546-8531
Email: jlinton@shawu.edu
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Academic Standing and Satisfactory Academic Progress
At the end of each semester, the records of all matriculating graduate/professional students are reviewed to determine satisfactory academic progress. A graduate student’s academic standing at Shaw University is classified in one of four official standings: Good Standing, Academic Warning, Academic Suspension, or Academic Dismissal. A student will remain in good academic standing if he/she demonstrates satisfactory academic progress in accordance with the standards listed below. Standards by which a student will be evaluated include progress in increments of hours completed (quantitative) and cumulative grade point average earned (qualitative).
Quantitative Standards:
- Students receiving financial aid must successfully earn 67% of the credit hours attempted. Attempted hours include all hours attempted at the University. [Example: If a student has attempted (enrolled in) in a total of 18 credit hours, he/she must earn a minimum of 12 credit hours (18 credit hours x 0.67 = 12 credit hours) in order to maintain satisfactory academic progress.]
- The maximum time frame allowed for a student to complete degree requirements and remain eligible to receive financial aid is 150% of the total credit hours required to receive a degree in a particular course of study. Hours accepted for transfer will count toward the maximum number of attempted hours. This means that graduate programs requiring 42 hours for graduation will be eligible for financial aid during the first 63 attempted hours. Programs requiring 90 hours will be eligible for financial aid during the first 135 attempted hours, and programs requiring 66 hours will be eligible for financial aid during the first 99 attempted hours.
Qualitative Standard:
- Graduate students must meet the following minimum cumulative GPA requirement to retain financial aid eligibility:
| Graduate Program |
Cumulative GPA |
College of Graduate & Professional Studies
- Master of Science - Curriculum & Instruction, Concentration: Early Childhood Education
|
3.0 |
Divinity School
- Master of Divinity
- Master of Arts in Christian Education
|
2.0
2.0 |
Academic Warning
A student is placed on academic warning when the student’s semester grade point average and credit hours are below the minimum requirements according to the table above. If a student fails to remove the sanction by the end of the following semester, the student will be placed on academic suspension.
Students who have an academic warning, or who have been readmitted after an academic suspension or dismissal must adhere to the following:
- Enroll in no more than 9 semester hours each semester.
- Repeat all required courses (when offered) for which at least the grade of “C” has not been achieved.
- Provide written documentation to the Department Chairperson (for College of Graduate and Professional Studies students) or Dean (for Divinity School students) regarding meeting with their academic advisor to review their status and steps needed for correction.
Academic Suspension and Academic Dismissal
Academic suspension occurs automatically at the end of the semester when a student fails to remove the academic warning sanction. Letters of academic suspension will be mailed to the student and the Dean from the Registrar’s Office. Students may submit an appeal to the Graduate Academic Standards Committee and be readmitted upon their recommendation.
Academic dismissal occurs automatically at the end of the semester when a student fails to remove the academic suspension. A student who has been academically dismissed will be required to leave the university for one semester. The student may appeal the dismissal in writing to the Graduate Academic Standards Committee.
The appeal process for Academic Suspension and Academic Dismissal is as follows:
Any student who is on Academic Suspension may appeal the suspension in writing to the Graduate Academic Standards Committee. This is done with the assistance of the student’s faculty advisor and the Program Coordinator.
- Students receive a letter of suspension or dismissal and respond by the specified date on the letter to their faculty advisor with a letter of appeal.
- Students work with their academic advisors on an individualized Recovery Plan then submit this plan, any supporting documentation, and letter of appeal to the Program Coordinator.
- (Supporting documentation which supports extenuating circumstances includes, but is not limited to: death certificates, statements from physician(s), clergy, or other verification information.)
- Program Coordinators will submit student appeals to the Graduate Academic Standards Committee for review.
- Faculty advisors will inform students of the Committee’s acceptance or denial of the appeal.
If the appeal is approved, the readmitted student will be allowed to resume attending classes. If the appeal is denied, the Academic Suspension/Academic Dismissal will stand and the student will be required to comply with the conditions based on the decision of the Graduate Academic Standards Committee. Students will be informed of the Committee’s decision in a formal letter from the Committee.
The Graduate Academic Standards Committee will review a students’ progress following readmission to the University when considering a subsequent appeal. It is recommended that students attending on appeal successfully complete all attempted hours.
A student who has been readmitted twice on an appeal is no longer eligible to be readmitted to the University.
Appeal approval by the Graduate Academic Standards Committee does not automatically qualify a student to receive federal aid. The conditions for re-enrollment may require that students attend and pay in cash only.
Please contact the Division Head of your program for additional assistance.
Course Descriptions