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Updated 2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog | 20255

Academic Progress and Status

Academic Status

Full-time and Part-time Status: A full-time undergraduate student is defined as one who has enrolled for a minimum of twelve (12) semester credits per semester. A full-time graduate student is defined as one who has enrolled for a minimum of nine (9) semester credits. Full-time status is required to qualify for insurance coverage and for certain federal and state financial aid programs (contact the Financial Aid Office). The Deans' List requires a minimum of twelve (12) semester credits of letter grades (A, B, C, D, or F). Semester credits audited are excluded when computing full-time status.

 Academic Progress

     I. MINIMUM GRADE POINT AVERAGE REQUIREMENT

    A student will be suspended if the following grade point average (GPA) is not attained:   

    Semester Hours Attempted * / Minimum GPA Required**          

    0-15 / 1.50  
       
   16-30 / 1.75  
       
   31-59 / 1.90 
        
   60 & above / 2.00

    * Credits transferred from other institutions as well as credits attempted at BSU.

    **Cumulated GPA at Bemidji State University (excludes grades earned at previously attended institutions).

     II. MINIMUM PERCENT COMPLETION

     A student is required to obtain a 66.67% course completion rate. Credits accepted in transfer   are added to the BSU attempted credits and BSU earned credits, the calculated total earned credits is then divided by the calculated attempted credits to determine the percent completion rate.

     III. PROCESS

     Cumulative values are used in determining if academic progress has been met. Students not meeting the minimum grade point average or the minimum percent completion requirements will be notified of their academic progress status. Academic progress statuses include Academic Warning and Academic Suspension. See below for the criteria for each academic progress status.

     IV. DETERMINATION OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS STANDING

     Academic Warning

     The first time a student fails the minimum cumulative grade point average requirement or the cumulative percent completion requirement during the semester, the student will be placed on Academic Warning.

     Students placed on academic warning are eligible for continued enrollment and are expected to make progress toward meeting the minimum cumulative grade point average requirement and minimum percent completion requirement.  

     REQUIREMENTS FOR ACADEMIC WARNING

     Upon conclusion of the warning term, if the student has met BSU’s minimum cumulative grade point average and cumulative percent completion, the student’s warning status will be removed.

     Academic Suspension

     At the conclusion of the warning term, those students not meeting the minimum cumulative GPA or minimum cumulative percent completion requirement will be suspended for the minimum time period indicated below.
   
    # of Suspensions / Period of Suspension     

    1 / One semester

    2 / One calendar year

    3 or more / Two calendar years

      V. REINSTATEMENT/APPEAL PROCESS

     Students suspended from Bemidji State University who wish to return following the period of suspension must submit a petition to the Records & Registration Office. The petition should include information on the circumstances that affected past performance and a plan to be successful in achieving future academic progress goals. Reinstatement will be considered provided that certain conditions regarding academic deficiencies are agreed to in advance and reflected in the subsequent registration.

     Those students on suspension due to poor academic performance may submit a petition/appeal prior to sitting out the term of suspension if extenuating circumstances impeded their academic performance.

     All petitions are submitted to the Records & Registration Office to be reviewed by the Student Programs & Admissions (SPA) Committee. In order to allow sufficient time to review the petition, it is recommended that appeals are submitted at least two weeks prior to the start of the semester for which the appeal is being requested.

     Academic Probation

     Students with an approved petition for academic reinstatement will be placed on academic probation. While on probation, the student will be required to meet the terms that are set forth in the approved petition.

     Note: Students returning to BSU after suspension will always be subject to the minimum percent completion rate and GPA requirements stated above.

Extended Absences and Grade Point Average (GPA) Adjustment

If students have less than a 2.00 cumulative GPA, they may petition the Records and Registration Office for an adjustment of the GPA under the following conditions:
        A minimum of two (2) years absence from the University;
        When the first twenty-four (24) credits have been successfully completed after returning to Bemidji State University with at least a 2.25 GPA for each semester of enrollment;

The GPA may be adjusted to a 2.00 level at the time the above criteria have been satisfied by disallowing sufficient previous course work in which low grades have been earned. This may result in reduced total semester credits earned toward graduation.   

A student may be required to validate course work that was completed more than ten (10) years prior to graduation which is to be included in an undergraduate major. Such validation requires the approval of both the department chair and the dean of the major field. The department of the major program may require that students repeat such courses or take additional course work.