Academic Standing

A student’s academic standing depends upon the number of degree credits completed and the cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA). Degree credits are the number of course credits completed in courses numbered 100 and above in which a passing grade was earned. The GPA is the overall numerical grade, which may range from 0.00 to 4.00. This is calculated for each semester (the semester GPA) and overall for all courses taken (the cumulative GPA).

The university calculates the GPA by multiplying the number of credits for each course by the numerical equivalent of the letter grade earned for that course (See “grading system.”) This calculation yields the number of quality points earned for that course. The semester GPA is obtained by dividing the total quality points earned in a semester by the total number of credits for which the student was registered that semester, not counting courses from which the student withdrew with a passing grade or courses taken Pass/Fail. The cumulative GPA is the total number of quality points earned at UMaine divided by the total number of credits taken at UMaine. These calculations are carried to two decimal places.

Academic Honors

The University recognizes outstanding academic achievement in several ways. Two of the most prestigious are the Presidential Pin and the Dean’s List.

Presidential Achievement Pin
Full-time and part-time students both are eligible for the Presidential Pin, which is awarded only once in a student’s career at the University of Maine. Full-time students must attain a 3.0 GPA or better over two consecutive semesters (a minimum of 24 credits) of accumulated UMaine course work, and must also achieve a 3.5 GPA or better for the most recent semester (a minimum of 12 credits). Part-time students must achieve a 3.0 GPA or better based on 30 credits of accumulated UMaine course work and a 3.5 GPA or better for the most recent 12 credits. No Pass/Fail courses may be counted towards the 30 and 12 credit minimum registrations for either full-time or part-time students, and no incomplete grades may be on the transcript for any semester used in the computations.

Dean’s List Requirements:

Full-Time Dean’s List

To be eligible for the Dean’s List a student (matriculated and/or non-matriculated) must have completed 12 or more hours in the semester, excluding developmental coursework, 9 or more of which must be letter-graded (A-F) credits, (exception: courses with a deferred grade for thesis) and earned a minimum semester grade point average of 3.33.  A student with any Incomplete or Missing Grade for the semester at the point when the Dean’s List is generated is not eligible.

Part-Time Dean’s List

(Matriculated and/or non-matriculated) students who have only been part-time students during both the Fall and Spring semesters of a given academic year are eligible to be placed on the Part-Time Dean?s List if they have completed 12 or more hours total over both those terms (excluding developmental courses), have earned 9 or more letter-graded credits during those terms and have earned a combined GPA in those terms of 3.33.  A student with any Incomplete or Missing Grade for either of the semesters at the point when the Part-Time Dean?s List is generated is not eligible.

Both the Full-Time and Part-Time Dean’s Lists will be generated 35 calendar days after the last day of finals.  Dean’s List eligibility will not be recalculated after that date.  The fact that a student has been placed on the Dean’s List will be recorded on the transcript.

Academic Actions
When a degree seeking student fails to meet performance expectations and does not make continuous progress toward completing the degree requirements, the University responds with an academic action.

The Faculty Senate recommends the standards to determine which students are making satisfactory progress toward their degree. Those students not fulfilling academic requirements are placed on probation, suspended, or dismissed. The Academic Standing Committee administers academic standing policies

Only students in the Onward Program or Foundations Program may be suspended in between the fall and spring semesters. These students will have fully outlined requirements that need to be met upon admission to these programs.

Academic Probation
The minimum acceptable cumulative grade point average needed for graduation is 2.0. Therefore any GPA below 2.0 is a warning to a student that such work will not permit graduation. Students are placed on probation following a semester in which her or his cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0. Further a student may be placed on probation following a semester in which he or she receives a semester grade point average less than 2.0, even though their cumulative grade point average remains at a 2.0 or higher.

A student on probation who does not improve her or his cumulative grade point average to a 2.0 may be continued on probation, suspended, or dismissed. A student on academic probation may be required to meet certain academic conditions defined by his or her college dean, such as level of coursework, academic achievement, etc.  These conditions must be met for the student to be removed from probation and not suspended or dismissed. The action is posted to the official academic record.

Academic Suspension
Academic suspension indicates that a degree seeking student is separated from the University for a minimum of one semester. A suspended student must file an application for readmission. Situations that lead to academic suspension are any one of the following:

1. Students receive a semester grade point average at or below 1.0
2. Students on academic probation fail to meet academic conditions as defined by the college dean, program director, or school director
3. First-year students acquire a cumulative average less than 1.5 at the end of the first two semesters; Sophomores (24-53 credits) acquire a cumulative average of 1.7 or less; Juniors (54-83 credits) acquire a cumulative average of 1.8 or less; Seniors (84+ credits) acquire a cumulative average of 1.9 (regulations also apply to transfer students)

The Onward Program and Foundations Program students will need to meet specific requirements that are clearly outlined and mutually agreed upon.

The action is posted to the official academic record. A hold is placed on the student record to preclude enrollment as a student at any UMS institution.

Exceptions to suspension may be made for degree seeking students who have met any of the following conditions:

1. Earned a semester average of at least 2.0 while on probation, but who have not achieved a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.
2. Taken only one course in a semester and receive a semester average of 1.0 or below
3. Been in good academic standing for three full-time semesters prior to a semester average at or below 1.0

Academic Dismissal
Dismissal is normally the final action taken when students are not making satisfactory progress toward a degree or when students readmitted after suspension show no improvement in their cumulative average or otherwise fail to meet conditions set by the college.

1. The action is posted to the official academic record
2. A hold is placed on the student record to preclude enrollment as a student at any UMS institution
3. The student is not normally allowed to apply for readmission

Academic Activity during Suspension/Dismissal
Students under dismissal or suspension may not be admitted as matriculated students within the University of Maine System. Students may request permission from their associate dean or program or school director or coordinator to take one or two courses as a non-degree candidate at any UMS institution while they are under suspension.

Academic Standing Appeal Procedures
Students appealing a suspension or dismissal must do so in writing addressed to the associate dean of their college or to their school or program director or coordinator. Appeals which explain extenuating circumstances (health problems, family emergencies, etc.) beyond the student’s control and which affected academic performance will be brought to the Academic Standing Appeals Committee, which will decide upon them.

Students whose appeals are denied may appeal the decision of the Academic Standing Appeals Committee in writing to the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education, whose decision is final. The Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education makes sure that the Appeals Committee properly considered the information provided to it and acted in accordance with university policy and practice in making its decision. The Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education is unlikely to overturn a decision of the Appeals Committee unless there were procedural irregularities or unless new information becomes available.

Summer Session Courses for Suspended and Dismissed Students
Students who receive notification of suspension or dismissal who are currently attending a summer session course will be allowed to complete that course for grade and credit. Students under suspension or dismissal will not be allowed to take any subsequent courses without the permission of the associate dean of their college.

Transcript Re-Evaluation
Once during a student’s association with the university his or her transcript may be reevaluated at the option of the student if certain conditions are met. This can only occur following one of the actions listed below:

• Return to the University following suspension or dismissal
• Completing a successful semester on provisional continuation
• Changing academic majors or colleges within the University
• Entering a transitional program
• Returning to the University after withdrawal from it

If one or more of these conditions is met, the student’s dean may exclude from the calculation of the student’s cumulative grade point average all grades (including passing grades) received during one or more semester(s) immediately prior to the qualifying program change. For purposes of this policy, any courses taken outside normal term dates (running start or any course attached to a fall or spring semester) will be treated as part of a separate semester. When a transcript is reevaluated, the dean may waive required courses in which passing grades were received (so that students need not repeat them) but neither the grade(s) nor the credit(s) for those courses count toward graduation or the computation of the cumulative GPA.

Alternatively, if one or more of the above conditions is met, the student’s deans may elect to exclude from the calculation of the student’s cumulative grade point average and credits only courses and grades which would not be required by the student’s new major or by General Education requirements received during the one or more semester(s) immediately prior to the qualifying program changes and for which the grade received was less than a C.  Thus, the grades of courses which fulfill major or General Education requirements would continue to be included in the calculation of the accumulative GPA unless they are repeated.

Former students needing to complete at least 30 credits to qualify for graduation and who have been away from the University for at least five academic years may reapply as an external transfer student. The student’s previous coursework at the university remains on the transcript, but previous grades do not count. Courses for which the student received a grade below C- are not accepted for degree credit. In effect, such students begin a new UMaine academic career upon their readmission.