1.4 Academic Standards

In order to preserve the integrity of the College as a community and center of learning, the College requires students to withdraw for three different kinds of reasons: when students fail to act in accordance with the standards of behavior established by the College and set forth in the Course Catalog; or when students cannot remain without endangering their own health or that of other students; or when students have failed to make satisfactory progress toward the degree. 

Satisfactory progress toward the degree is defined as maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative average, and earning credit at the normal rate of four units each year.

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A standing committee of the faculty, the Committee on Academic Standards, working in concert with the Dean for Academic Advising, is charged with the responsibility of reviewing cases of failure to maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree.

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At the end of each semester, as soon as possible after grades are reported, the Committee on Academic Standards reviews the records of all students who fail to meet the standards defined above. The Dean for Academic Advising is responsible for reviewing the records of all students and reporting the names and records of deficient students to the committee. In considering each case, the committee usually examines progress reports from instructors and receives reports from the offices of the Dean of Student Development, and the Dean for Academic Advising. In addition, the committee may ask for a report from the faculty advisor, as well as a written statement from the student. Tentative grades in year courses are considered by the committee. In its deliberations, the committee seeks to consider all pertinent information before making an evaluation of the student's failure to make satisfactory progress toward graduation.

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Amended Nov. 2016

Based on the review outlined above, the committee is empowered to act as it may determine. The most common actions are listed below.

Letter of Warning: A letter explaining the deficiency and possible consequences if improved performance is not achieved in the following semester or year.

Conditional Enrollment. A letter setting conditions on continued enrollment at the College. Some of the more common conditions include: a limit of 2.0 units/16 semester hours of courses, a requirement of full attendance, and a specification of minimum grade point average necessary for the student to continue atKenyon. Students placed on conditional enrollment for more than one semester and/or who successfully appeal an academic suspension are not in good standing until they are removed from conditional enrollment.

Academic suspension: When a student is not making satisfactory academic progress towards the degree, and their current academic trajectory is negatively impacting their ability to graduate, CAS may impose academic suspension. The period of suspension is typically two semesters. In extreme cases, the committee may require withdrawal indefinitely or permanently.

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Edited May 2017

Copies of letters concerning actions taken by the Committee on Academic Standards are placed in the students' electronic folders. Summary records of the committee's actions are maintained by the Office of Academic Advising.

A note of the committee's actions is kept as a part of the student's permanent academic record, but it is confidential and not listed on the transcript with grades and course information. No indication that a student has received a letter of warning or has been placed on conditional enrollment appears on copies of the student's transcripts, which are sent from the College.

In the case of a required withdrawal, the student's permanent record and transcript will indicate the date of the required withdrawal, with no indication of cause.

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