Graduate students (matriculated and non-matriculated) must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 to remain in good academic standing.

1. Academic standing is calculated at the end of each cohort term or fall or spring semester commencing with the completion of the first term in which the student has earned a minimum of 6 program credits. Only degree-required graduate courses taken at Ramapo College will be used in the GPA calculation. Courses transferred from other colleges count only as credits earned; accompanying grades are NOT calculated toward the grade point average at Ramapo. If the student has a minimum cumulative program GPA of 3.0, the student is in good standing. If the student has a cumulative program GPA below 3.0, the student is placed on probation.
2. At the completion of the next cohort term or fall or spring semester of enrollment, the probationary student is subject to the following conditions:
   • If the student has a minimum cumulative program GPA of 3.0, the student is in good standing after probation.
   • If the student’s cumulative program GPA is below 3.0 but has at least a 3.0 term or semester GPA, the student is placed on continued probation.
   • If the student’s cumulative program GPA is below 3.0 and has a term or semester GPA below 3.0, the student will be dismissed with the right to appeal.
3. At the completion of the next cohort term or fall or spring semester of enrollment, a student on continued probation is subject to the following conditions:
   • If the student has a cumulative program GPA of at least 3.0, the student is in good standing after probation.
   • If the student has a cumulative program GPA below 3.0, regardless of the term or semester GPA, the student will be dismissed with the right to appeal.
4. Students in good standing after probation who fall below a cumulative program GPA of 3.0 for a second time are automatically dismissed from the program with the right to appeal.

Students placed on Academic Probation may not appeal their standing. A student must be in Good Standing in order to enroll in Thesis or final project courses.

Procedures for Determining Academic Standing

At the close of each cohort term and fall or spring semester, once final grades have been posted, the Registrar’s Office generates Academic Standing and provides the report to the Program Directors. The Program Directors review records of all graduate students enrolled in their respective programs at the College.  Any student whose academic performance has fallen below the College’s established standards (above) is advised of the deficiency in writing, via Ramapo College e-mail, by the Program Director, copied to the Dean, the Chair of Graduate Council, and the Registrar.  Only degree-required graduate courses taken at Ramapo College will be used in the GPA calculation. Graduate students are responsible for checking their Ramapo College e-mail accounts frequently.

Procedures for Appealing Dismissal

A student who has been dismissed has the right to appeal and will be so notified of that right and the deadline by which to appeal in the notification letter from the program director. The appeal deadline will be set three calendar days after notification from the program director. A student who wishes to appeal must submit an appeal letter electronically to the Chair of Graduate Council that details reasons why he/ she fell into academic difficulty and the strategies that he/ she will employ to raise his/her GPA in the future. The student may request supporting letters from graduate faculty and/or his/her respective program director and/or Dean. Supporting letters on official letterhead should be sent via Ramapo College email to the Chair of Graduate Council by the specified deadline. A student who does not appeal by the deadline is viewed as accepting his/her dismissal.

The Chair of Graduate Council will call a meeting (physical or virtual) of the five school deans to hear the appeal. The Chair of Graduate Council will also attend the meeting in an ex-officio, non-voting capacity. After considering the student’s appeal and supporting documentation as well as information from the Program Director, the deans will take one of two actions:

• To uphold the student’s dismissal from his/her graduate program;
• To reinstate the student on continued probation. At the end of the student’s probationary term or semester, he/she must regain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA or will be dismissed with the right to appeal.

The Chair of Graduate Council will notify the student of the outcome via Ramapo College e-mail, copied to the Program Director, the Dean, and the Registrar.

The decision of the Deans is final.

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