When a student earns less than a 2.00 grade-point average, academic progress statuses are applied. These statuses include academic warning, academic suspension, and academic dismissal.
Academic Warning
If you have been notified that you are in Academic Warning status:
- Complete the Academic Action Plan form.
- Submit your responses to the Academic Action Plan (the form is emailed to the adviser).
- Discuss your situation/Academic Action Plan with your adviser in person or via Zoom.
- LionPATH hold will be released.
- Maintain contact with your adviser regarding your academic progress.
- Earn a 2.0 or higher semester GPA to continue to take classes while raising your cumulative GPA to a 2.0 or better to be removed from Academic Warning status.
Academic Suspension
Procedure for Academic Suspension Students:
- While in academic suspension, students wait two semesters before returning to take classes (summer is classified as a semester).
- Complete the Academic Action Plan while in academic suspension status or when ready to re-enroll to resume taking classes.
- Discuss your situation/responses to the Academic Action Plan with your adviser in person or via Zoom.
- Complete the re-enrollment form prior to the deadline for the semester you want to return.
- Register for classes after the re-enrollment process has been completed.
- Maintain contact with your adviser regarding your academic progress. Note: you are returning on academic warning status.
- Earn a 2.0 or higher semester GPA to continue to take classes while raising your cumulative GPA to 2.0 or better to be removed from academic warning status. Note: If your semester GPA is below 2.0, you will move to academic dismissal and must wait four years before being eligible to return to Penn State.
Academic Dismissal
A petition may be used to request an exception to a policy and/or to request a retroactive procedure. Strong, documented justification must be provided to establish the circumstances that warrant an exception. The most common petitions are retroactive withdrawals and retroactive late drops.
- While in academic dismissal, students wait 4 calendar years before returning to take classes.
- Complete the re-enrollment form before the deadline for the semester you want to return.
- Register for classes after the re-enrollment process has been completed.
- Maintain contact with your adviser regarding your academic progress.
With strong justification, a petition may be used to appeal academic suspension or dismissal. Students need 15 or fewer recovery points to begin the petition process. Recovery points are calculated by using this formula:
Recovery points = GPA units x [2 - gpa]