Academic Standing Policy

Students must earn a 2.0 minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA), as well as at least a 2.0 Major GPA to graduate from Washington College. To ensure students make adequate progress toward the graduation requirements, and to alert students and their families, faculty advisors, and the Office of Academic Skills to struggles students may be experiencing in meeting their academic goals, at the end of each semester the Committee on Academic Standing and Advising reviews the progress of all students who:

• earned a semester GPA below 2.00
• earned at least one “F” grade in the semester
• earned at least two “D” grades in the semester
• are currently on academic probation or warning
• have a cumulative GPA below 2.00 any time after their fourth semester

The Committee on Academic Standing & Advising (CASA) recommends an action for each student, which may include placing the student on academic warning, academic probation, or continued academic probation. With the exception of a student in their first semester, CASA may suspend students earning a semester grade point average of less than 1.75.

Suspended students may be required to take courses elsewhere to demonstrate sufficient academic readiness for college-level work before requesting reinstatement at Washington College. Students with at least one previous academic suspension and whose subsequent performance qualifies for review by CASA may be suspended from WC.  Suspended students may submit an appeal petition to CASA and to the Provost, either of whom may reverse the decision.

First-semester first-year students earning a semester grade point average of less than 1.75 are placed on academic probation and required to participate in appropriate academic support activities in recognition of the challenges that may occur in the transition from high school to college-level work.

All students are required to attain a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA by the end of four semesters at WC, typically the end of sophomore year for students who enter as first year students. Students who transfer to the College with fewer than 28 credits are required to attain a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA  by the end of the fourth semester. Students who transfer with 28 or more credits are required to attain a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA by the end of the WC second semester.

CASA reviews the academic record of students whose cumulative GPA is below 2.00 at the end of four semesters (or at the end of the appropriate semester for transfer students) to determine if the student is allowed to continue at WC.