The faculty Committee on Academic Standards (CAS) is charged with considering cases of substandard academic performance by Kenyon students. The Committee reviews the records of students with deficient grades at the end of each semester. Students who are not making satisfactory progress towards their degree will be placed on conditional enrollment, continued on conditional enrollment, advised to withdraw from the College, or suspended from the College.

Satisfactory progress is defined as maintaining a 2.00 cumulative average by the end of the fourth semester and earning credits at the rate of 4.00 units per year. The cumulative average for the first, second, and third semesters must be at least 1.6, 1.8, and 1.9, respectively.

Students who fall below these minimum requirements and are placed on conditional enrollment (CE) will be required to do the following:

  1. Earn passing grades in all classes and a minimum 2.25 semester GPA while on CE. The goal is to offset the previous weaker academic semester by demonstrating stronger academic performance in the CE semester.
  2. Enroll in no more than 2.00 units of study, unless approved by the faculty advisor, and complete no fewer than the minimum units expected for full-time enrollment by class year (1.75 units for non-seniors, 1.50 units for seniors). The goal is to achieve strong academic performance with a reasonable and manageable course-load.
  3. Attend all class meetings. CE disallows participation in any academic or non-academic activities that require missing any class meetings. Students on CE may not miss class meetings for any reason other than those listed below. In these cases, students are still responsible for completing all course assignments and meeting all deadlines.
    • illness or infirmity as determined by the College Health and Counseling Center;
    • compelling and unavoidable personal circumstances as determined by the Dean of Student Development or the Dean for Academic Advising;
    • curricular or extracurricular activities sanctioned in advance by the College.

  4. Complete all work in a timely manner. The goal is to avoid delays that might pile up, worsen procrastination and lead to end-of-semester difficulties. Should timely completion of work become a problem, students should consult directly with staff in Student Accessibility and Support Services (SASS) for help with time and work management.

  5. Meet with the assigned CE advisor during the first week of classes to discuss the semester’s courses, potential challenges, campus resources, and strategies for success. At this time, the student and the CE advisor will review applicable CE conditions, discuss academic goals and priorities, and determine regular intervals for meetings throughout the semester (e.g., weekly at first, bi-weekly as the semester progresses). The goal of these meetings is to ensure: regular review of the student’s academic situation (via self-reports and official progress reports) with a staff member familiar with campus resources; ongoing discussions of academic challenges as well as successes; and consistent reflection on balancing academic and non-academic commitments and responsibilities.

  6. Write a letter to the Committee on Academic Standards near the end of the semester reflecting on the student’s academic situation and commenting on the challenges and successes of the year. Students are told toward the end of the semester how and when to submit this letter.

Some campus organizations and offices may limit participation by students on CE. CE may prevent participation in athletics, Greek organizations, and symbolic leadership roles at campus events, among other co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Students should be prepared to consult the policies and regulations of organizations and offices as necessary to determine their eligibility.

Students on CE for more than one semester (in a row or in different years) are not in good academic standing. Students not in good academic standing are not permitted to take part in athletic competitions (according to NCAA rules).

These requirements for CE are designed to enable satisfactory progress.  Failure to meet them may result in suspension from the College.  The Office of Academic Advising and the Committee on Academic Standards (CAS) review compliance and progress at the end of each semester to determine the outcome of CE.