Academic Standing

Undergraduate Programs

Good Academic Standing

Good Academic Standing is defined as the condition of maintaining a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 and a minimum 2.0 in the major. Students who do not maintain Good Academic Standing are subject to the provisions as specified below.

Good Academic Standing in programs that are strictly Pass/Fail is determined by the student's advisor/coach, in consultation with the Dean, and is based upon the quality of work shown and the student's mastery of the course material. Students deemed to be in need of special support will be placed on a contract that outlines expectations for improvement over a determined period of time.  

Students must be in Good Academic Standing the semester in which they graduate. A student jeopardizes their graduation if a cumulative 2.0 GPA or 2.0 GPA in the major is not maintained in the semester of graduation.

Students will be evaluated for academic standing at the conclusion of the Fall and Spring semesters. Although all students will be evaluated for, and notified of, any deficiency in their academic standing every Fall and Spring semester, no posting of academic warning or probationary status to students’ records will be made until the completion of the first Fall or Spring semester in which they have attempted at least 12 cumulative graded units. Students may be referred for academic support services at any time at the discretion of the Registrar and the Director of the Academic Advising and Achievement Center.

Rate of Progress and Progress Probation

Students are expected to successfully complete the courses in which they enroll each academic year. Students who complete less than three-quarters of the units in which they have enrolled in a given academic year will be subject to Progress Probation. Students on Progress Probation may be subject to dismissal from the University if they again fall below completing three-quarters of the units in which they are enrolled in any subsequent academic year. Students on progress probation may also be referred by the Registrar to the Academic Advising and Achievement Center for assistance with any specific skills development, tutoring, or assessment that may be useful. Exceptions due to extenuating circumstances such as unforeseen medical emergencies or severe illness may be appealed to the Academic Petition Committee.

Academic Warning

An undergraduate student is placed on Academic Warning if the student’s semester GPA is more than 1.0 but less than 2.0, even if the cumulative GPA remains above 2.0. Students on Academic Warning must meet with their advisors to reflect on the causes of their deficient performance and to take whatever actions are necessary to improve their performance in subsequent semesters. Students on academic warning may also be referred by the Registrar to the Academic Advising and Achievement Center for assistance with any specific skills development, tutoring, or assessment that may be useful. The Academic Warning status is not noted on the transcript.

Students who are on Academic Warning are considered to be in Good Academic Standing.

If the semester GPA is above 1.0 but below 2.0 in the subsequent semester, the student is placed on Academic Probation, which is reflected on the transcript.

Academic Probation

If the student’s cumulative GPA is below 2.0, or if the semester GPA is below 1.0, the student is placed on Academic Probation (PR). Students on PR have until the conclusion of the succeeding Fall or Spring semester to raise their cumulative GPA to 2.0 or above. Failure to do so results in automatic dismissal from Dominican. Students who earn a semester GPA of less than 1.0 for more than one semester may also be subject to academic dismissal, even if the cumulative GPA remains above 2.0.  The Academic Probation status is noted on the transcript.

Students on Academic Probation are not considered to be in Good Academic Standing.

Academic Dismissal

Students are subject to Academic Dismissal (AD) under the following two scenarios:

• If, as stated above, they are on PR and fail to raise their cumulative GPA to good standing (2.0); or
• If their cumulative GPA falls below 1.0. In this case PR is bypassed, and the student is immediately disqualified.

The Academic Dismissal status is noted on the transcript.

Summary of Academic Standing

The table below illustrates the various levels of academic difficulty and the resulting actions that may be taken in each case:

Appeals

A student may appeal their dismissal and petition for immediate reinstatement. Such an appeal must be made in writing within the time limit indicated on the dismissal notification letter and must have the support of the student’s advisor. The appeal letter should be directed to the Appeals Committee, in care of the Registrar. The student may request to make a personal appearance before the committee. It would then be at the committee’s discretion to either:

1. Reinstate the student on Academic Probation or Continued Academic Probation; or
2. Deny the petition and allow the dismissal to stand.

Graduate Programs

Good Academic Standing for graduate students is defined as the condition of maintaining a minimum overall cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in the graduate program. The first time that a student’s GPA falls below 3.0, the Program Director is notified and the student may be placed on Academic Probation. If, at the end of the semester on Academic Probation, the cumulative GPA is not 3.0 or better, the student is eligible for dismissal. At the discretion of the Program Director, a graduate student may continue for an additional semester on Academic Probation if they have improved their cumulative grade point average during the semester on probation.

A student may not receive a Master’s Degree from Dominican University of California with a cumulative graduate GPA below 3.0.

Reinstatement (Undergraduate and Graduate Programs)

Former students who were enrolled in a degree program at Dominican, but who left, or were dismissed from, the University not in good academic standing, and now seek to complete a degree, may apply for reinstatement.

Reinstatement in the university is generally granted if the former student has raised their cumulative GPA to the required minimum through subsequent transferable work at a regionally accredited college or university, presents compelling evidence that the conditions that led to their earlier unsatisfactory performance will no longer affect their studies, and has the approval of the academic advisor and the program director. Students reinstated under this policy will return with a standing of Academic Probation and must maintain good academic standing in the first semester.

Applicants for reinstatement must:

• Have the approval of their academic advisor and Program Director to return
• Be in good financial and disciplinary standing
• Have raised their overall cumulative GPA to the required minimum, through transferable coursework
• Complete and sign the Application for Re-enrollment or Reinstatement available on the Registrar’s Office website at www.dominican.edu
• Submit an appeal letter citing evidence of having identified and overcome previous academic difficulties
• Send official transcripts to the Dominican Registrar’s Office for all academic coursework taken at any college or university during their absence from Dominican
• Obtain an updated degree checklist from their academic advisor, including the advisor’s allocation of any newly transferred credit in the major, minor, or concentration
• Submit a new Graduation Application, if a graduation application had been filed before leaving Dominican
• Receive clearance from the Registrar to re-enroll under current or previous catalog requirements
• Obtain prior authorization from the Registrar if any courses are to be taken at another institution

Once all required documents have been submitted to the Registrar, and all approvals have been granted, students will receive notification of their new enrollment status. Please allow 10 working days for processing, once all materials arrive.

Reinstatement After Dismissal from an Academic program

Students who were dismissed from a specific program, rather than from the University, must meet that program’s conditions for reinstatement and have approval of the Program Director/Chair. Dismissal from an academic program, such as a graduate program, or Nursing or Health Sciences/Pre-Occupational Therapy, does not necessarily constitute dismissal from the University.

A student who is otherwise in clear academic standing may be eligible to re-enroll in a different major or graduate program. Dismissal from an academic program is not subject to the same appeal process as Academic Dismissal from the University and must be addressed with the Program Chair and the Dean of the School, rather than with the Registrar, the Academic Petition Committee, or the Appeals Committee.