Academic Discipline - Undergraduates

The university sets high standards for students and expects them to make normal progress toward completion of their baccalaureate program. At the same time, it believes that students who have initial academic difficulty should be encouraged to persist in their programs and should be given the support they need to succeed. The academic discipline policy is one of the ways in which the
university balances these two goals.

At the end of each Fall and Spring semester, the course work of all undergraduate students are subject to an academic review by the Academic Dean. Students not meeting the following standards are subject to academic discipline. Full-time students (those attempting 12 credits or more in any regular semester) must:

• Earn a semester grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher
• Earn a passing grade (a C- or better in upper-level courses in the student's major, a D- or better in all other classes) in at least 9 credit hours in that semester.  Withdrawals are not considered passing for this policy.
• Earn at least 24 credits in the prior two full-time semesters at the university (credits earned in any special semesters or terms in between are included).
• Earn at least 48 credits in the prior four full-time semesters at the university (credits earned in any special semesters or terms in between are included).

Part-time students (those attempting fewer than 12 credits in a semester) must earn at least a semester GPA of 2.0.

The levels of academic discipline are described in the following table in increasing severity:

The level of academic discipline assigned to a student generally depends on the number of semesters the student has failed to meet standards. The first semester of failing to meet the standards results in a warning; the second semester results in probation; the third, a one-semester suspension; the fourth, a two-semester suspension; and a fifth semester of failing to meet the standards results in dismissal. Students returning from suspension are on academic probation for the semester they return.

At the Academic Dean’s discretion, students on probation or suspension may be subject to other requirements. With prior approval of the Academic Dean, students who are suspended from the university may take courses at other accredited universities and transfer them toward their elective credits at UD, providing they achieve a minimum of 2.0 in each course transferred. Courses taken elsewhere will not affect the students’ University of Dallas cumulative GPA. Students should also consult the Office of Financial Aid before taking courses elsewhere since their financial aid package may be affected. An appointment with the Academic Dean is required before returning to the university after a suspension.

The record of students who have encountered academic difficulty during the semester is shared with academic advisors, who work with students to identify problems and develop a plan for improvement. Students whose academic record warrants disciplinary action according to the policy in this section will be contacted promptly about that action.

For the purposes of the academic review, any course taken in the Interterm is counted as part of the Fall semester, and any course taken in Mayterm is counted as part of the Spring semester. Courses that are in progress, have yet to be graded, or have an Incomplete grade, are treated as failing (F) until they are assigned a grade. Deadlines to clear these grades to avoid action under this policy are set by the Academic Dean and are generally before the beginning of the next regular semester.

Academic discipline once finalized will not be affected retroactively by transfer or other granted credit, nor by the use of the repeat and cancel policy.

Academic discipline may be appealed in writing to the Academic Dean. Appeals can be made and granted either conditionally or unconditionally, and either wholly or in part. Appeals for exemption from the credit restriction policy during probation will be considered only for the most extraordinary circumstances. 

First semester student policy

Of special concern are students just beginning at the university. If a student during his or her first full-time semester earns a GPA of 1.5 or lower, the student will be put on academic probation during the subsequent semester (i.e., the warning semester will be skipped). If the student fails to meet the standards listed above during that probationary semester, the student will be suspended. On the other hand, if the student meets the above standards, the student will return to good standing, and subsequent actions under this policy will treat the initial probationary semester as if it were merely an academic warning, though the semester will still be marked as probationary on the student’s transcript.