Academic Standing

Students who are on Academic Warning or Academic Suspension after the fall semester and are registered for a Winter Intersession course at the University of Massachusetts Lowell will have the grade for that course included in the review of any appeals related to their Academic Standing.

Students who are on Academic Warning or Academic Suspension after the spring semester and are registered for Summer 1 classes offered May through June at the University of Massachusetts Lowell will have the grade(s) for those courses included in the review of any appeals related to their Academic Standing.

The consequences of the academic standing of warning or suspension will not apply for students satisfying all degree requirements that semester.

All students are required to maintain at least a 2.000 average throughout their academic career. Academic records are evaluated at the end of each semester. No student, however, will be academically suspended without having at least one semester of academic warning.

Due to the unprecedented circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, for the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters, academic standing will be processed based on the letter grade (“graded” grading scheme). Once academic standing is posted on the student’s academic record, students who petition for a pass/no credit grading scheme will have their grades converted to “P” pass or “NC” no credit based on their letter grade. The academic standing status will not change.

The academic status of a student is one of the following categories:

Satisfactory Academic Standing:

A student whose semester grade-point average is at least 2.000 and whose cumulative grade-point average is at least 2.000 is in Satisfactory Academic Standing.

Academic Warning

A student whose semester GPA is below 2.000 is placed on Academic Warning. A student on warning is still considered to be in acceptable academic standing, and may register for the following semester and participate in campus and athletic activities. Certain campus programs and activities may choose to prohibit the participation of students on Academic Warning. At the end of the student’s warning semester the student's cumulative grade point average must equal or exceed 2.000 to continue in Satisfactory Academic Standing.

Academic Suspension:

A student who was on Academic Warning at the end of the previous semester and whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.000 is placed on Academic Suspension. A student who is on Suspension may not enroll in the succeeding semester, and therefore may not represent the university in athletic programs nor participate in campus activities.

Academic Dismissal:

A student who was on Academic Suspension at the end of the previous semester and whose cumulative GPA at the end of the probationary semester is below 2.000 is automatically dismissed from the university.

Appeal-of-Suspension Appeal of Suspension

A suspended student may submit a written appeal to the College Dean requesting permission to continue enrollment for an additional semester an academic probation. If permission to continue is granted, the program of study that must be undertaken and the minimum semester grade-point average that must be attained during the additional semester of academic warning will be made explicit.

Entering freshmen and transfer students who are permitted to initiate their university studies with summer school day courses should note that credits attempted in university summer sessions are included in grade-point averages. Subsequent to preliminary evaluations for retention purposes, the records of all students (including probationary students) are evaluated at the end of each semester.

Grades earned during summer session or winter intersession may be used to change a student's academic status prior to the beginning of the following semester. A student who has been suspended is prohibited from enrolling in any credit-bearing program of the university, including credit courses offered by professional studies, in summer sessions, or in winter intersession. If a suspended student chooses to enroll in another accredited degree-granting institution, earns credit at that institution, and subsequently seeks to return to the University of Massachusetts Lowell, such credit may or may not be accepted in transfer at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, depending upon the specific circumstances.

Students who enroll in university summer school and/or professional studies courses after they have been notified by the Office of the Registrar that they are suspended from the university for unsatisfactory academic standing are in defiance of university regulations. Grades received by such students will not be credited to university baccalaureate programs, even if the students are subsequently reinstated as probationary students or achieve satisfactory academic standing after reinstatement.

Academic-Probation Academic Probation

A student who has been suspended from the university is entitled to apply to the suspension hearing office for immediate readmission as a probationary student in accordance with procedures enumerated under the admission policy heading Probationary Readmission.

Students who have been suspended and decide to remain un-enrolled for four semesters or more must apply for readmission on probation through the Office of the Registrar whenever they decide that they are prepared to undertake such a probationary period. The student will receive a letter that specifies the conditions of their probation, and the semester average that they must achieve during their probationary semester in order to achieve satisfactory academic standing.

Probationary students are prohibited from holding student offices or running for elective office and from representing the university in athletic or other activities.

A student who achieves the required minimum semester grade-point average during his or her probation is automatically reinstated as a student in satisfactory academic standing.

Extended-Academic-Probation Extended Academic Probation

Students whose academic performance during a probation semester has significantly improved, but whose cumulative grade average is still slightly below 2.0, may apply to the suspension hearing office for an extended period of probation. Students who are granted such extensions will be notified in writing prior to the beginning of classes for the following semester that they have been granted an additional semester to achieve satisfactory academic standing.

Students who fail to achieve satisfactory academic standing and are not granted extensions of their probations by the Provost and students who are granted such extensions and fail to achieve satisfactory academic standing are dismissed from the university.

Students readmitted on probation should not withdraw from any course unless they withdraw from the university for emergency or medical reasons. A probationary student who withdraws from any course may thus be unable to satisfy the conditions of his or her probation and may be dismissed from the university at the end of the current semester of enrollment.

Probationary students who receive course evaluations of INC (incomplete) and who fail to make up their work prior to the beginning of the next semester are advised that they may not qualify for extension of their probation and may not register for or attend university courses (including professional studies courses) until such time as a final determination of their status has been made. Probationary students who have received permission from the suspension hearing office to extend their make-up period should understand that such extension does not waive the requirement for a final determination of academic standing that is based upon grades for all probationary courses.

Academic-Dismissal Academic Dismissal

Students on academic probation who fail to achieve satisfactory academic standing during their probationary semester and are not granted extensions of their probation by the suspension hearing office and students who are granted such extensions and fail to achieve satisfactory academic standing are dismissed from the university and are subsequently barred from attending both day and evening courses.

While on dismissal, students are not allowed to make progress toward a university degree. Students who have enrolled in university summer school and/or professional studies courses after they have been notified by the Office of the Provost that they are dismissed for unsatisfactory academic standing are in defiance of university regulations. Grades received by such students will not be credited to university baccalaureate programs even if the students are subsequently reinstated as probationary students or achieve satisfactory academic standing after reinstatement.

The university recognizes that dismissal from the institution for reasons of academic failure need not be permanent. Under the following circumstances readmission is possible.

Freshman and sophomore students (attempted less than 60 credits) who have been academically dismissed may qualify for readmission to the university as follows:

Under the provisions of the Massachusetts Transfer Compact after completion of an associate's degree at a Massachusetts Community College; and
After a lapse of two years, under the provisions of the Fresh Start program.

Students of junior or senior standing at the time of dismissal may reapply to the university after an absence of at least two years, under the provisions of the Fresh Start program.

The procedure for readmission of academically dismissed students begins with filing an application with the Office of the Registrar. The final decision to readmit an academically dismissed student rests with the dean of the college in which the student was enrolled at the time of dismissal from the university.

Fresh-Start-Program Fresh Start Program

Degree seeking students who have been absent from the university for two years or longer may be readmitted under the terms of the Fresh Start program. Under this program, a returning student’s previous credits will be treated as transfer credits. A maximum of 75 credits completed during earlier periods of enrollment with grades of C or above may be accepted toward graduation but will not be included in the cumulative average. Courses completed during earlier periods of enrollment with grades below C will not be counted toward graduation or included in the cumulative average. After readmission under Fresh Start the student must earn a minimum of 45 credits in residence at the University of Massachusetts Lowell in a matriculated program of study. Students must maintain good academic standing upon readmission or may face dismissal.

Courses taken in the academic major during earlier periods of enrollment must be approved by the major department before those courses can be counted toward the requirements of the major. (This provision is especially important in majors that undergo regular curriculum revision).

Students may use the Fresh Start Program only once in his or her career at the university of Massachusetts Lowell. Students who return under the Fresh Start program and as a result have previous coursework excluded from his or her cumulative GPA are not eligible to use course deletions or course repetitions for grade replacement and exclusion from GPA.

ReturningReturning to UMass Lowell with an Earned Associate’s Degree

Students who have been absent from the university after being placed on academic suspension or academic dismissal, and who enrolled in a community college and earned an associate’s degree, may be considered for readmission to UMass Lowell. Students who wish to return with an earned associate's degree may be readmitted and present a maximum of 75 credits as outlined in articulation agreements and transfer polices to be counted towards graduation. These 75 credits may also include prior UMass Lowell coursework that was not included in the associate's degree when a grade of C or better was earned. In cases where the eligible combined transferable courses from the associates degree and prior UML coursework exceeds the 75 credits permitted, the student must work with his/her academic advisor to select courses to be included. 75 credits is the maximum total number of credits that will be considered including transfer credits and previous UMass Lowell coursework. This should be outlined on an academic petition and submitted to the Registrar’s Office. After readmission with an associate’s degree, students must earn a minimum of 45 credits in residence at the University of Massachusetts Lowell in a matriculated program of study. Students must maintain good academic standing upon readmission or may face dismissal.

Students who return with an associate’s degree and have previous coursework excluded from his or her cumulative GPA are not eligible to use course deletions or course repetitions for grade replacement and exclusion.

Semester Honors⁠

At the end of the fall and spring semesters, the university recognizes undergraduate students who have achieved distinguished Semester Honors and have completed courses towards full-time degree programs. In spring 2022, the Student Government Association Academic Affairs committee proposed changes to the Dean’s List. The Faculty Senate approved the Semester Honors effective fall 2023.

With Distinction: Semester GPA of a 3.250 to a 3.499
Dean’s list: Semester GPA 3.500 to a 3.849
Chancellor’s list: Semester GPA 3.850 to a 4.000

In order to be eligible, undergraduates must have the following requirements in the semester:

At least 12 credits of which must have been qualitatively graded
No grades less than “C”
No grades of INC (incomplete)

(Please note that students who are approved through Disability Services for a reduced course load in accordance with the American Disabilities Act (ADAAA) will be exempt from the 12 credit minimum).

Academic Standing