Academic Policies for Undergraduate Students
Retaking Courses
As a rule, a student may retake a course once, regardless of the grade received the first time. In such cases, both grades will appear on the transcript, but only the second grade will count toward the student’s cumulative average. A total of four courses may be retaken, one time each. In all cases, the second iteration of the course must be identical to the first.
Exceptions to this rule are as follows:
· A student may not retake a course if it is a prerequisite for a more advanced course that he or she has already taken and passed. For example, a student who has passed Spanish 102 may not retake Spanish 101.
· Certain courses (many Special Topics and Independent Study courses, among others) have been designated as “repeatable for credit.” A poor grade in such a course cannot be replaced by a grade from a later retake of the course. Instead, each grade will count toward the student’s cumulative average, and each time the student passes such a course s/he will earn credits. For a complete listing of undergraduate courses of this kind, check with the Office of Undergraduate Education.
· Certain colleges and/or majors may have stricter limitations on which or how many courses may be retaken. Students are advised to check with their major departments before retaking any course.
If a student urgently needs to retake an undergraduate course (for example, to meet a major requirement), but the policy described above prohibits doing so, he or she may appeal before registering to the Office of Undergraduate Education. Under no circumstances, however, will a student be allowed to retake a prerequisite for a more advanced course that has already been passed.
Note: A student may repeat the equivalent of a UMass Boston course at another institution, and receive transfer credit for that course, only if the student originally received an F in the UMass Boston course.
Regulations Governing Academic Standing
Students must maintain a required minimum 2.00 cumulative average.
Academic Good Standing: A student is in good standing if he or she maintains a 2.0 or higher cumulative average.
Academic Alert: A student in their first semester at UMass Boston (freshman, transfer, or non-matriculated student) whose GPA at the end of that first semester is below 2.0 receives a notice of Academic Alert. This serves to alert the student to potential academic problems and encourages them to seek advising.
Academic Warning: A student in their second or subsequent semester at UMass Boston whose semester average falls below 2.00 but whose cumulative average still meets the required minimum receives a notice of Academic Warning.
Academic Probation: A student in their second or subsequent semester at UMass Boston whose cumulative average does not meet the required minimum of 2.0 is placed on probation. A letter is sent informing the student of his or her probationary status and strongly urging consultation with the student’s advisor to review the forthcoming semester’s program. While on academic probation, a student shall not be eligible to hold office in any recognized student organization, to represent the university in any sense, or to participate on any intercollegiate athletic team.
Academic Suspension: The student who does not meet the required minimum cumulative average for the second consecutive semester is suspended for one semester. The student must apply for readmission through the appropriate authority. The readmitting body may set conditions on the student’s schedule, and shall set standards for retention. A student who has received a semester average of at least 2.25 for the semester immediately preceding (having completed at least six credits with grades other than P, F, or INC) will instead be placed on Extended Probation, giving the student another semester in which to achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0. Students are eligible for multiple semesters of Extended Probation, as long as they continue to meet these minimum conditions.
Academic Dismissal: A student who, subsequent to suspension and readmission, does not meet the retention standards set by the readmitting body shall be dismissed. A student who has been dismissed may appeal for readmission after one year.
A student who is suspended or dismissed may not enroll as a Special Student and may not take courses through the Division of Corporate, Continuing, and Distance Education (either in the regular semester or during summer or winter sessions).
Note: These minimum retention standards may be subject to more restrictive collegiate policy. They do not apply where a cumulative grade point average is not tabulated.
Voluntary Withdrawal
Students may withdraw from the university before the last day of classes of a semester, although the effective date of withdrawal is that on which all forms are completed, signed and returned to the Office of the Registrar. Students withdrawing receive a “W” for each course in which they are enrolled. Failure to complete a withdrawal form will result in the recording of the grade of “F” for all courses at the end of the term. To withdraw from the university, a student must do the following:
•consult with a member of the university Advising Center, who will provide and sign a withdrawal form;
•receive clearance from any University office in which financial charges have been accrued. These offices may be the library, the Health Services Office, the Bursar’s Office, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, the Office of Financial Aid Services, the bookstore, and the science laboratories.
Readmission to the University
Students who leave the university in good standing may resume their studies by obtaining a readmission form from The One Stop, completing it, and returning it to that Office, with a readmission fee of $25.00 in a check or money order made payable to the university of Massachusetts Boston. They will be notified in writing of their readmission status.
Students who have been dismissed from the university and wish to resume their education should pick up and complete a readmission form from The One Stop, which will provide college-specific guidelines, and write a letter of appeal addressed to the relevant committee of the college to which they are attempting to gain readmission.
All previous course work at the university remains part of the permanent record for students who have been readmitted, and the cumulative average includes all prior grades, regardless of how much time elapsed between enrollments.
Please note: Students who are absent from the university for four or more consecutive semesters are subject to all requirements and policies in effect the semester they return.
Deadlines for Receipt of Readmission Forms
Students wishing to re-enter the university in the fall semester must have their readmission forms received by May 1, and in the spring semester by November 1. After these dates, readmission will be permitted only upon the availability of space