Academic Standards
Academic Achievement Awards and Recognitions
Dean’s List: The dean’s list is one of several ways in which the University recognizes undergraduate students who achieve academic excellence. The dean’s list is published after each standard (fall/spring/summer) semester. Eligibility requirements for the dean’s list are as follows:
| Undergraduate Hours Earned with Normal Grading | Minimum Term GPA |
|---|---|
| 12 | 3.75 |
| 13 | 3.65 |
| 14 or more | 3.50 |
Students earning fewer than 12 semester hours are not eligible for the dean’s list. Courses below the 100 level will not be counted in determining eligibility for the Dean’s List.
Dean’s Award: As a further recognition of academic excellence, the University presents the Dean’s Award to undergraduate students who have achieved the Dean’s List and/or the President’s Award (see below) three times. Students receiving the Dean’s award are presented with a recognition pin by the appropriate academic dean.
President’s Award: The highest undergraduate recognition of academic achievement for a semester (fall/spring/summer) is the President’s Award. This award is given to students who complete a full time course load (minimum of 12 institutional credit hours earned) during a semester (fall/spring/summer), with normal grading (excluding developmental coursework), and who attain a 4.0 grade point average for that semester. Students receiving the President’s Award receive a letter of recognition from the President. In addition, the division of Public Relations and Marketing distributes the names of the recipients to appropriate news media, including their hometown newspaper.
Good Academic Standing
Minimum Academic Standards
Satisfactory Progress: Degree-seeking students shall be considered as making satisfactory progress toward their degree so long as they remain in good academic standing and enroll in courses required or allowed in their chosen academic program.
Students having difficulty meeting academic standards are strongly advised to reduce or eliminate part-time jobs and other extracurricular activities which may detract from their studies, or to reduce the number of hours for which they are enrolled. To make timely progress toward degree students are expected to earn at least 15 credit hours per fall/spring semester.
Good Academic Standing: To be eligible for enrollment without being placed on academic probation, students must maintain a minimum of the following institutional grade point average (GPA) while enrolled at EKU.
| Overall GPA Hours | EKU GPA |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 31 | 1.5 |
| 31-50 | 1.8 |
| Over 50 | 2.0 |
The actions described below pertain to students whose institutional GPA falls below the established GPA threshold. Once a student’s institutional GPA returns to the established GPA threshold or above, he/she is once again in good academic standing.
Academic Probation: Students who do not meet the established institutional GPA (see table above) will be placed on Academic Probation after the close of that semester. While on academic probation, students may not enroll in more than 15 credit hours in either fall or spring terms or more than a total of six hours during a full (12-week) summer term.
Intervention for New First-Time Students (new freshman and new transfers with less than 24 hours earned) on Probation: Because a student’s academic performance in their first semester at EKU is predictive of overall success and graduation, EKU increases support given to students whose institutional GPA is between 1.0 and 1.5 with 30 or fewer earned GPA hours. New first-time freshmen whose institutional GPA is between 1.0 and 1.5 are required to participate in prescribed intervention strategies and are placed on First Semester Probation, with a requirement of earning an institutional 2.0 or higher term GPA in the second semester to prevent academic suspension. New first-time students whose institutional GPA is below 1.0 after their first semester are academically suspended from the university without being first placed on probation.
Academic Suspension: At the end of a semester on academic probation, students must have earned a semester GPA of at least 2.0 or raised their institutional GPA to meet the established threshold (see table above). Students not meeting the semester or institutional GPA requirement will be placed on academic suspension. Students may not enroll in classes at EKU while academically suspended. Students who are academically suspended for the first time may not enroll in classes at EKU for one full semester (summer is counted with the next fall semester if a student is academically suspended at the end of the spring term). Students may be academically suspended up to three times during their academic career at EKU. The second academic suspension is for one calendar year and a third academic suspension is for two calendar years. An academically suspended student will return to EKU on academic probation if their institutional GPA falls below the established threshold at the time of their return. Suspended students may be subject to EKU requirements for readmission after they have sat out their mandatory suspension period (please refer to the Requirements for Readmission section of the Catalog).
Academic Dismissal: Students who have been academically suspended three times must maintain a semester GPA of 2.0 or better each semester after they return. Students who have been academically suspended three times, and after returning are unable to maintain a semester GPA of 2.0, will be academically dismissed from EKU for a period of five calendar years and are subject to EKU requirements for readmission (please refer to the Requirements for Readmission section of the Catalog).
Attending Another School While Suspended or Dismissed: During the time a student is academically suspended or dismissed from EKU, course work earned at another regionally accredited college or university will be considered for transfer credit when the student returns to EKU. This course work can be used to meet graduation requirements but is not counted in institutional GPA. Students are responsible for requesting that an official transcript of any transfer course work be sent to the EKU Office of Admissions when they apply for readmission to EKU. Students should consult with their advisor or college for the applicability of course work taken at another institution to their degree program at EKU. In some circumstances acceptance of transfer work may be subject to requirements of prior approval by the department chair of the student’s major.
Improving Academic Standing: Academic transfer course work is not considered when determining academic standing. Only by repeating EKU course work in which a student earned poor or failing grades can a student quickly rehabilitate their institutional GPA and therefore improve academic standing.
Immediate Readmission following Academic Suspension: Students on first suspension are required to sit out for one full regular semester (fall/spring). If there were documented, catastrophic circumstances beyond the student’s control, University policy allows the student to submit a Petition for Immediate Readmission to the Office of the Registrar. The required documentation supporting the petition, the student’s full academic record, and potential to successfully complete college work will be reviewed. If approved, the student will be allowed to attend the semester immediately following the suspension. Please note, the suspension will remain on the academic record and transcript. Students may not appeal an academic dismissal.
First-Time Student Mid-Term Grade Review Process
The first semester for first-time freshmen and first-time transfers with less than 24 credit hours is pivotal to academic success and graduation. First-time students will have their mid-term grades reviewed by the Office of Advising and Career Services and the Registrar during their first semester at EKU. If the calculated GPA of all reported mid-term grades is below 1.0 (indicating non-attendance and/or failure to meet course requirements) the student will be required to participate in an intervention program that includes the following:
- a study skills workshop
- a signed Student Learning Agreement (Contract)
- a registration hold that is placed on their student account
- a change of degree status to an associate-level degree status until ending a term in Good Academic Standing.
First semester new students who fail to attend the required workshop, fail to respond to communication from the University, and/or to comply with their success agreement will be withdrawn from all courses for the current semester, have any future course registration cancelled and their student record inactivated.
First-time students who cease participation in courses during their first semester at EKU, and as a result are failing all classes at midterm, will be considered to have withdrawn from the University.
New first-time students whose institutional GPA is below 1.0 after their first semester are academically suspended from the university without being first placed on probation.
For more information visit the Office of Advising and Career Services website at www.oacs.eku.edu or call (859) 622-1296.
Academic Standing Noted on Transcript
A student’s academic standing (good standing, academic probation, academic suspension, or academic dismissal) is determined at the conclusion of each semester and is notated term by term on the student’s transcript.
Expulsion is the permanent separation of a student from the institution. Expulsion at EKU is restricted to the most egregious academic or disciplinary offenses. Expulsion, due to its permanent nature, is notated on the official transcript with the comment, “Expelled – ineligible to return”.
Details of due process that can lead to expulsion of a student can be found in the Eastern Kentucky University Handbook for Students.
Class Attendance
Students must be registered in a class in order to attend and participate. Individuals not registered are prohibited from doing so.
Research shows that students who regularly attend class are more likely to succeed. The University expects all students to be officially registered before the end of the add/drop period for each course, and to attend all class meetings. EKU students are responsible for course work covered during all class periods, specifically any work missed during any absence from class, including the first class meeting. Each instructor will record absences and deal with them in a manner consistent with departmental policy for that course. Since attendance policies vary among departments and for courses within departments, students must be familiar with the policy printed on the course syllabus.
If a student presents the instructor with an adequate and documented reason for an absence, the instructor normally will give the student an opportunity to make up the work missed, if this is feasible. Adequate reasons involve circumstances beyond the student’s control, such as personal illness, critical illness, or death in the immediate family, or participation in an approved University activity. No absence of any nature will be construed as relieving the student from responsibility for the timely completion of all work assigned by the instructor. Initiating the request to make up class work is the student’s responsibility.
Absence from Class Due to Participation in an EKU Sponsored Event: A student who participates in an EKU sponsored event should complete and process a Student Absence from Class form before the sponsored event. This form explains the student’s absence, it does not excuse the student from responsibility for content covered during the approved absence.
First Day of Class Attendance: This process is designed to ensure clear reinforcement of the message that class attendance at EKU is important. All faculty (undergraduate and graduate, online and all other modes of delivery) are required by the University to drop a student for being absent (or not participating online) on the first day of class/first week of class (as scheduled by the Registrar’s Office). Students who know they will be absent should contact their instructor or the academic department office prior to the 1st class meeting to explain their absence and request that the instructor not drop them from the class.
Students are responsible for monitoring their class schedule and should never assume that missing the first day of class will automatically result in removal from that class. A student who never attends a class but remains enrolled will receive a failing grade in the course and is responsible for tuition and fees for that class.
Classification of Students
A student’s classification is determined by the number of semester hours earned, as follows:
| Student Classification | Semester Hours |
|---|---|
| Freshman | 0 - 29 semester hours earned |
| Sophomore | 30 - 59 semester hours earned |
| Junior | 60 - 89 semester hours earned |
| Senior | 90 or more semester hours earned |