Academic Warning, Probation, and Dismissal
Each semester, the Graduate Faculty Committee reviews the scholastic record of each student in the program and recommends to the graduate director warning, probationary status, or dismissal for any student experiencing academic difficulty. The director notifies the student in writing of any action taken. Students in the graduate program are not expected to receive more than two grades of C or C+ and no grade lower than a C. Failure to maintain this standard may result in dismissal from the program.
Under ordinary circumstances, prior to a termination decision students shall be given at least a one semester warning in which the Graduate
Faculty Committee, through the program director, specifies in writing (a) the
nature of the problem (e.g., inadequate performance in graduate coursework) and (b) what specific remedies would address the problem and
avert a termination decision (e.g., a minimum grade-point average in
specified graduate courses to be completed within a specified period of
time). Serious ethical violations--such as a violation of the school's
policy on academic integrity (see the section in this catalog on Academic Integrity) or the American Psychological Association's Code of Ethics (available at http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx) would be among the grounds for immediate dismissal.
Student Appeals
Student appeals of Graduate Faculty Committee decisions, or student grievances related to academic matters, must be presented in writing to the director of the graduate program within one month of the decision(s). Acceptable grounds for appeal include (1) technical error and/or (2) new information and/or (3) extenuating circumstances. Students are allowed to meet with the committee and are permitted to be represented by an adviser from within the university community. In consultation with the Graduate Faculty Committee and all parties to the dispute, the graduate program director proposes a resolution to the matter. If this is unsuccessful, the matter is placed before the membership of the graduate program faculty for its decision. While such faculty action usually is final, a student may appeal to the Graduate School–Camden in cases where he or she is dissatisfied with the resolution.
Student Complaints about Grades
A student with a complaint about a grade must submit the complaint in writing to the course instructor within one week of receiving the grade. In the event of an unsatisfactory resolution of the problem, the student may appeal to the graduate program director, or designee selected by the graduate program, whose decision is final. Such an appeal must be made in writing no later than one week following the date of unsatisfactory resolution.
