54-00 Academic Progress


54-00 Academic Difficulty and Recovery

To graduate, a degree candidate must complete the requirements for the candidate’s major and earn at least a C (2.00) average for all courses taken at this University as stated in 82-40, subject to the conditions of 51-00.

When a student does not make adequate progress towards meeting and maintaining this 2.00 grade-point average, various academic progress statuses are used to serve as notification and to assist the student in correcting academic difficulties.  These statuses include academic warning (54-20) and academic suspension (54-40) and are summarized in the table below.

Status at beginning
of semester *
Cumulative GPA
at end of semester
Semester GPAStatus at end
of semester
Good Standing2.00 or higher 2.00 or higherGood Standing
Good Standing2.00 or higher Less than 2.00 ±Good Standing
Good StandingLess than 2.00Less than 2.00Academic Warning
Academic Warning2.00 or higher2.00 or higherGood Standing
Academic WarningLess than 2.002.00 or higherAcademic Warning
Academic WarningLess than 2.00Less than 2.00Academic Suspension

± Students will receive a notification when their semester grade-point average drops below a 2.00.

I-1 Academic Difficulty and Recovery

Revised: 9/9/14-Effective Fall 2016 – Archive
Revised: 4/24/18


54-10 Good Standing

A student must have a cumulative grade-point average of 2.00 or higher to be considered in good standing to declare a major and to graduate from the University.

A student will receive notification at the end of each semester when his/her semester grade-point average drops below a 2.00.

Initial Legislation: 9/9/14-Effective Fall 2016
Revised: 9/6/16

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54-20 Academic Warning

Academic warning serves as official notification that the student has not earned a 2.00 cumulative grade-point average. A student placed on academic warning will have a hold placed on registration and will be required to meet with an academic adviser for this registration hold to be removed. Through this meeting, students will be encouraged to identify issues that have impeded their academic success and work with an adviser to develop a meaningful plan for academic recovery.

A student in academic warning status may continue to enroll for classes as long as the semester grade-point average continues at a 2.00 or higher.  To remove academic warning, the cumulative grade-point average must be 2.00 or higher.  A student in academic warning who does not maintain a semester grade-point average of 2.00 or higher will be academically suspended (54-40).

I-1 Academic Difficulty and Recovery

Revised: 4/4/78
Revised: 9/9/14-Effective Fall 2016 – Archive

Revised: 9/6/16
Revised: 4/24/18

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54-40 Academic Suspension

Academic suspension is a University-level intervention used when a student has earned a semester grade-point average of less than 2.00 while on academic warning. Suspension will be deferred at the end of the student’s second semester at Penn State if they completed seven or fewer credits in at least one of the semesters.

A student who has been academically suspended may not enroll at the University or attend classes for two consecutive semesters (Note: Summer session is equal to one semester and includes all courses offered after Spring semester and before Fall semester). Students with 15 or fewer recovery points may petition the Faculty Senate for a reduction in or stay of the suspension. Petitions will not be automatically granted.

A student returning from academic suspension must apply for re-enrollment as defined in policy 58-00 (or admission, if a degree-seeking student conditionally enrolled in DUS) and returns to the University in academic warning status, with the former cumulative grade-point average, and with a hold placed on the registration.  Students must meet with an academic adviser to develop a plan for academic recovery prior to the hold being lifted.

Students who have returned from academic suspension and do not achieve at least a 2.00 semester GPA, are subject to academic dismissal (54-50).

A student may apply for academic renewal four years after academic dismissal.

I-1 Academic Difficulty and Recovery

Initial Legislation 9/9/14-Effective Fall 2016
Revised: 12/5/17
Revised: 4/24/18

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 54-50 Academic Dismissal

A student who returns from academic suspension and does not achieve at least a 2.00 semester GPA is subject to academic dismissal and is no longer permitted to take courses at the University. Students with 18 or fewer recovery points may petition the dismissal through the Faculty Senate. Petitions will not be automatically granted.

After a period of four calendar years, a student who has been academically dismissed from the University may seek re-enrollment to the University by requesting academic renewal (54-90).

I-1 Academic Difficulty and Recovery

Revised: 1/10/78
Revised: 1/19/93
Revised: 9/9/14-Effective Fall 2016 – Archive
Revised: 4/24/18

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54-52 Baccalaureate Degree Candidates

Revisions approved by the Senate 9/9/14 included the removal of Policy 54-52.  Archive

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54-54 Associate Degree Candidates

Revisions approved by the Senate 9/9/14 included the removal of Policy 54-54.  Archive

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54-56 Drops by Colleges

  1. The dean of the college, subject to the review of the faculty of the college, may require that a candidate be disenrolled from a major in the college or from the college for failure to meet academic retention standards of the major or the college. Academic retention standards applicable to any student shall be those in effect at the time of the student’s most recent admission to the major or college. A student required to disenroll from a major may transfer directly to another major subject to Section 37-00, or may be admitted to the Division of Undergraduate Studies subject to Section 39-00, expecting transfer to another major later. If not accepted for enrollment in another major or in the Division of Undergraduate Studies, the candidate will be dropped from degree status.Note: A candidate who is disenrolled from a major and who previously has completed the allowed enrollment time limit of the Division of Undergraduate Studies, as specified in Section 39-50, may be allowed one additional semester of enrollment in that division. Failure to relocate into another major in the specified time will cause the candidate to be dropped from degree candidacy under Section 39-80 unless Section 54-52 applies.
  2. The dean of the college, subject to the review of the faculty of the college, may at any time recommend to the President that a candidate enrolled in that college be dropped as a degree candidate at the University if the candidate is, in the opinion of the faculty, not adaptive to the work of the college.

I-5 Drops (or Disenrollments) By College

Revised: 6/3/75
Revised: 4/4/78

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54-58 Notification

The University Registrar shall notify each student and his/her academic adviser whenever the student’s semester grade-point average is less than a 2.00 and of academic warning, academic suspension, and academic dismissal under Sections 54-20, 54-40, and 54-50.

Revised: 10/7/80
Revised: 9/9/14-Effective Fall 2016 – Archive

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54-80 Reinstatement

Revisions approved by the Senate 9/9/14 included the removal of Policy 54-80.  Archive

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54-82 Dropped for Unsatisfactory Scholarship

Revisions approved by the Senate 9/9/14 included the removal of Policy 54-82.  Archive

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54-90 Academic Renewal

Students, including those who have been academically warned, suspended, or dismissed, may request approval for Academic Renewal and Re-enrollment if:

  • They have a cumulative grade-point average less than 2.00 and
  • They have been absent from Penn State for at least four calendar years during which they have not been enrolled in any Penn State credit courses. Students may petition the Faculty Senate for early consideration of academic renewal.

If Academic Renewal is granted:

  • The student’s cumulative average will start over at 0.00 in academic good standing.
  • All prior courses and grades remain unchanged on the student’s academic record.
  • The notation of Academic Renewal will be recorded on the student’s transcript.
  • Courses passed with a grade of “C” or better during the earlier enrollment and approved by the dean of the college may be used to fulfill graduation requirements.
  • Courses taken prior to Academic Renewal will not count towards the repeated courses limit as specified in Policy 47-80.

K-2 Academic Renewal

Initial Legislation: 4/3/84 (as Policy #58-60)
Revised: 5/5/75 (as Policy #58-60)
Revised:10/14/75 (as Policy #58-60)
Revised:11/11/75  (as Policy #58-60)
Revised: 9/9/14-Effective Fall 2016 – Archive
Revised: 9/15/15
Revised: 12/8/15
Revised: 4/24/18

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