A student is assigned an academic standing at the conclusion of every semester in which a student finishes at least one course. This means that grade changes that happen mid-semester or after grades are posted do not affect academic standing until the next semester concludes. A cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher is needed to stay in good academic standing. A student whose cumulative GPA is less than 2.00 is no longer in good standing. A student is given up to three semesters to raise the cumulative GPA, so long as the student continues to achieve 2.00 or higher semester GPAs. The purpose of this system is to allow students three semesters to incrementally repair low cumulative GPAs by achieving higher semester GPAs. Students not in good standing must achieve a semester GPA of 2.00 or higher or the student will be academically disqualified. Students who have not raised the cumulative GPA to 2.00 by the end of the third semester are academically disqualified.
There are only two options for students who have been academically disqualified to return to the college as degree-seeking students. These options are (a) successfully appeal the academic disqualification (details below) or (b) take at least six consecutive terms (e.g., Spring, Summer, Fall, Spring Summer, Fall) from Fort Lewis College and then request Academic Renewal when reapplying to Fort Lewis College.
When a student has Withdrawal grades (AW, CW, or SW) in all courses in a fall, spring, or summer semester, this has no effect on academic standing.
At the conclusion of every semester (fall, spring, summer), all students will receive an email informing them of their updated academic standing. The only academic standing that may be appealed is Academic Disqualification.
To appeal Academic Disqualification, a student must submit the appropriate paperwork to the Academic Standards Committee.
A student who has been academically disqualified may appeal if:
Students make the appeal by submitting an Academic Standing Appeals package to the Registrar’s Office. The deadline to submit this appeal package will be specified in the notification letter and email sent to the student.
The appeals package must include:
Incomplete appeals packages will not be considered. The Academic Disqualification Appeals form is available for download. You can save the form to your computer and type right into the form. You can copy and paste the results of your GPA worksheet analysis into the space provided and you can copy/paste scanned documentation into the appeal form.
If you have any questions about preparing the Academic Standing Appeals package, please contact:
Tessa Creatini, Coordinator academicstanding@fortlewis.edu 970-247-6550
The Academic Standards Committee hears appeals five times each year.
The Academic Standards Committee will consider appeals on a case-by-case basis. The appeals package submitted by the student and the educational records of the student, including the disciplinary record, will be reviewed by the committee. Additionally, the committee may seek input from faculty and professional staff in other relevant campus offices.
If the appeal is approved, the student’s academic standing will be “Reinstated from Academic Disqualification” and the student will have one additional semester in which to raise the cumulative GPA to 2.00. If this does not happen, the student will again be academically disqualified.
Students will be notified of the committee’s decision by email to the Fort Lewis College account as soon as possible. If the FLC email account is not active, the student will be asked to provide an alternative email address.
The committee’s decision may be appealed to the Provost or designee.