Academic Dismissal

Letters notifying students of their academic status are mailed from University College for Academic Success as soon as grades are received from The Office of Enrollment Services. All eligible students who are subject to dismissed are informed of their right to appeal to the Scholastic Standing Committee for a waiver of that dismissal. According to The University Manual, dismissed students may appeal by submitting a letter within five working days of receipt of their notification letter. The committee reviews each student’s file and appeal letter to determine whether to waive the dismissal based on the following criteria:

  • extent of student’s deficiency (a student 15 or more quality points deficient, is, for example, unlikely to earn sufficient number of A’s or B’s in a semester to warrant continuation),
  • extenuating circumstances which may have contributed to poor academic performance, and
  • other factors described by the student in the letter of appeal.

Students provide the committee with complete information about why the dismissal waiver is being requested, including:

  • an explanation/reflection for poor performance
  • a brief description of action steps student will take
  • detailed plans on how they will use academic support services on campus
  • any supporting documentation should be included (e.g., medical documentation, supporting letters, etc.).
  • the committee can only consider grade changes with written verification by the professor.

A dismissal waiver is very unlikely if a quality point deficit is significant or if a student has already been granted a dismissal waiver in a previous semester and did not earn a semester quality point average (QPA) of at least 2.0 in the current semester.
All information supplied to the Committee is considered confidential and will only be available to Committee members. The decision of the committee is final. If a student is dismissed, it is not because the Committee is unsympathetic to the problems that led to academic difficulty; but because they determine that the academic deficiency is such that the student will not be able to move toward graduation. Often the best chance a student has of achieving the 2.0 GPA. (“C” average or higher depending on program requirements) required for graduation is to be dismissed and then readmitted on conditional or probationary status.

Consequences of Dismissal

Dismissed students may not register as matriculating (i.e. degree-seeking) students at URI, or as non-matriculating students, unless they first obtain the permission of the Dean of the college to which they intend to seek readmission. Non-matriculating students are denied some of the benefits of matriculating students: they are not eligible for financial aid or for on-campus housing. If a student does take courses while on dismissal, the grades earned during the period of absence are considered in deciding whether to readmit the student. Dismissed students must remain out of school as matriculating students for one semester. After that time they may apply for readmission. If they are accepted, the Scholastic Standing Committee determines whether they should be placed on probation or on conditional status.

Financial Aid Implications

A student’s poor academic performance often affects financial aid/scholarships. The Office of Enrollment Services will notify students of any financial aid or scholarship changes.