OSRHE Retention Standards
Effective academic retention policies have several components in common. Such policies must treat all students equitably and fairly. Students must know what is expected of them in terms of satisfactory academic performance. Concomitantly, the repercussions of classroom nonperformance must be detailed. Retention policies should be directly and simply stated for ease in interpretation, application, administration, and monitoring. The foremost concern of these policies should be student success. Thus, an early notification to students experiencing academic difficulties must be inherent in such policies. And, finally, quality retention policies must have academic integrity. Such integrity is reflected in the student grade-point average retention requirements and the uniformity of application coupled with an acknowledgement of individual circumstances. The following policy strives to meet these standards.
A. Academic Support Services
In keeping with this philosophy of maximizing student success, institutions are strongly urged to initiate or strengthen programs which will assure that students experiencing academic difficulties will be provided appropriate academic assistance. Such specially designed programs should include, but not be limited to, academic and career counseling, tutoring opportunities, study skills sessions, and diagnostic testing as appropriate. Students on academic notice or academic probation should be required as a condition for continued enrollment to participate in these special academic support services. These programs should be available to all students who feel participation will enhance their academic performance and success.
B. Definition of Terms
Good Academic Standing
Any student who meets the retention requirements as set forth in this policy is in good academic standing.
Academic Notice
Freshman students, 30 or fewer credit hours, with a retention GPA of 1.7 to less than 2.0 will be placed on academic notice.
Academic Probation
Any student whose retention GPA falls below those designated in Section C for a given semester is on academic probation.
Academic Suspension
Any student who was on academic probation the previous semester and who fails to raise his/her GPA to the required retention level or to achieve a 2.0 GPA the next semester in regularly-graded course work, not to include activity or performance courses, will be suspended from the institution.
Policies and Procedures
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
State System Coordination
II-2-75
Policy Date: 6/30/04
C. Retention GPA Requirements
A student must maintain a 2.0 retention GPA for the duration of his/her college experience with the exception of freshmen on academic notice and academic probation. A student will be placed on academic probation if s/he fails to meet the following requirements:
| Retention Credit Hours Attempted | GPA Requirement 14 |
|---|---|
| 0 through 30 semester credit hours | 1.7 |
| Greater than 30 semester credit hours | 2.0 |
Any student not maintaining satisfactory progress toward his/her academic objective as indicated above will be placed on probation for one semester. At the end of that semester, s/he must have a semester GPA of 2.0 in regularly-graded course work, not to include activity or performance courses, or meet the minimum retention GPA standard required above, in order to continue as a student. Students not meeting either of these criteria will be immediately suspended and may not be reinstated until one regular semester (fall or spring) has elapsed. Students suspended in the spring semester may attend, at the discretion of the suspending institution, the summer session immediately following spring suspension.15 However, such students may enroll only in core academic courses, which meet the general education requirements or degree requirements. Only students under first-time suspension status at the suspending institution are eligible. To continue in that fall semester, such students must achieve a 2.0 semester GPA or raise their retention GPA to the required level.
D. Additional Requirements
1. Suspension of Seniors
An institution may allow a student with 90 or more hours in a specified degree program who has failed to meet the retention grade-point average of 2.0 or the semester GPA of 2.0 to enroll in up to 15 additional semester hours in a further attempt to achieve the retention GPA requirement. During this 15 hours of enrollment, the student must achieve a minimum 2.0 semester GPA during each enrollment or raise his/her retention GPA to 2.0 or above. This senior suspension exception can be exercised only once per student.
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14 All courses in which a student has a recorded grade will be counted in the calculation of the grade-point average for retention purposes excluding any courses repeated or reprieved as detailed in the State Regents’ Grading Policy and excluding remedial/developmental (pre-college) courses. Beginning in 1994, the retention GPA also excludes physical education activity courses.
15 The student’s transcript will note suspension at the end of the spring semester. For students who fail to achieve retention standards after the summer session, the phrase “suspension continued” should be entered on the transcript at the end of the summer session.
Policies and Procedures
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
>State System Coordination
II-2-76
Policy Date: 6/30/04
2. Academic Suspension Appeals
Institutions have the discretion to establish an academic suspension appeals procedure. Such procedures should allow appropriate discretion in deserving cases. Academic suspension appeal procedures should require that the suspended student document any extraordinary personal circumstances that contributed to his/her academic deficiencies. Such events must be highly unusual such as the death of an immediate relative; a serious illness; severe financial distress; direct, significant work conflicts; unexpected, substantial family obligations; or personal crisis. Such appeals decisions should be made only following the thoughtful deliberation of an appropriate committee which may include faculty, students, and administrators. Any institutional policies and procedures developed for the appeal of academic suspension decisions must be submitted to and approved by the State Regents. Annual reports detailing all decisions concerning appeals requests will be submitted to the State Regents.
3. Readmission of Suspended Students
Students who are academically suspended by an institution will not be allowed to reenter the suspending institution for at least one regular semester (fall or spring) except as noted above. Institutions should develop policies and procedures to guide the readmission of suspended students. Such policies should include the provision that suspended students can be readmitted only one time. Such students are readmitted on probationary status and must maintain a 2.0 GPA each semester attempted while on probation or raise their retention GPA to the designated level. Should a reinstated student be suspended a second time from the same institution, s/he cannot return to the suspending school until such time as s/he has demonstrated, by attending another institution, the ability to succeed academically by raising his/her GPA to the retention standards.
4. Reinstatement of Suspended Students at System Institutions
It is the intent of the State Regents that public higher education opportunities be provided for all citizens with the ability and desire to use these public services. As previously stated, students will not be permitted readmission to the suspending institution for a minimum of one regular semester (fall or spring). However, research indicates that many times students suspended from one institution may succeed in a new academic environment if given the opportunity. As such, institutions may develop a special admission procedure, subject to State Regents’ approval, for students who are suspended from other system institutions and who would otherwise qualify for admission to the reinstating institution. Such students would be admitted at the discretion of the receiving institution and such admission would be probationary. Institutions admitting such students should provide the appropriate academic services to facilitate their success.