Best Practices: Academic Notice

Programs are encouraged to develop an Academic Support Plan prior to recommendation for Academic Notice. The Graduate Division may recommend students for Academic Notice if they fail to meet the terms of an Academic Support Plan. In such cases, programs will be closely consulted and the student’s progress reviewed collaboratively to see if an extension of the support plan is warranted before recommending Academic Notice.

Academic Notice is a process to help students meet their degree objectives and complete their degree requirements within normative time. It is primarily used when a program has identified that a student is not meeting documented academic expectations, and should be viewed as a form of collaborative structural support. Academic Notice includes a formal written agreement with the student’s home Department and the Graduate Division that specifies goals and deadlines that must be met for the student to emerge from Academic Notice to continue in the program.

When recommending a student for Academic Notice, programs should include the specific criteria that qualify the student for Academic Notice and the specific steps a student must take to regain good academic standing. Criteria relating to program coursework or program milestones must be consistent with the coursework and milestone requirements documented in the General Catalog. The duration of Academic Notice should be no less than one quarter and no longer than one academic year. Requests for Academic Notice should be made from the Faculty Graduate Representative on official letterhead, addressed to the Dean of Graduate Studies, and sent to the Graduate Division’s Continuing Student Services team. Once received, the Dean of Graduate Studies will review the request to determine the best course of action. The Dean may request to meet with the student, the Staff Graduate Representative, or the Faculty Graduate Representative, or send a written request for information before a final decision concerning Academic Notice is made. Requests that do not adequately address the academic qualifications for notice status or that do not include reasonable expectations for improvement will not be considered.

If the Dean grants the request for Academic Notice, the Graduate Division will notify the student, the Faculty Graduate Representative, and the Staff Graduate Representative via electronic mail and update their official academic standing.

Students who meet the terms of their Academic Notice will be returned to good standing. If the student does not show improvement during the Academic Notice period, the Graduate Dean will ask the department to recommend and justify (a) continued notice status or (b) disqualification.

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