Academic Standing

This section pertains to the standards that apply specifically to a student’s academic standing within the University. The standards for satisfactory academic progress that students must meet in order to be eligible to receive Title IV financial assistance can be viewed here. Those standards are for financial aid purposes only and do not replace or override the following academic policies of Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

Students who are admitted on standard admission status (or who are admitted without being placed on probation), but whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.00 (or the required cumulative GPA as designated by the student's program), will be placed on academic probation. Note that some programs maintain specific requirements that must be met in order to be considered in good academic standing. Please refer to GPS program-specific sections of this Catalog for information.

Students not meeting these standards will be placed on academic probation. Students are placed on academic probation when their cumulative GPA falls below 2.00 (or the required cumulative GPA as designated by the student's program). Students placed on academic probation must achieve a minimum grade of "B-" in each of the first three (3) consecutive courses completed during the student’s probationary term in order to be placed on regular admission status.

Students who fail to attain a grade of at least a "B-" in each of the three consecutive probationary courses, or who earn less than a 1.00 GPA in any term (regardless of academic standing), are subject to academic dismissal. A first-time academic dismissal lasts for six (6) months; a second dismissal lasts for one year. Students who are academically dismissed will receive written notification. If a student has started another course, s/he will be administratively withdrawn from that course and issued a 100% refund (includes all applicable tuition and fees). The student will likewise be administratively withdrawn from the program and the university, and will still be charged for any textbooks s/he has received (if applicable). The student may apply for reinstatement to the appropriate GPS Program Coordinator after the dismissal period has been served.

Any student who wishes to appeal an academic dismissal must, within seven (7) days of the date of the dismissal letter, submit a letter to the appropriate GPS Program Coordinator in which he/she provides a detailed plan for improving his/her GPA. The student may remain in class while the Program Coordinator processes the appeal. If a student’s appeal is not granted, s/he may apply for reinstatement to the Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies after the dismissal period has been served.

STUDENT DISENROLLMENT

Students may be disenrolled for several reasons, including (but not limited to):

  • low GPA
  • outstanding financial balance
  • unapproved leave of absence
  • deportment
  • non-compliance with the Catalog
  • failure to provide official transcripts from colleges or universities previously attended
  • false or incomplete information included in the application for admission
  • failure to successfully complete two consecutive courses

A student will not be permitted to re-enroll in any GPS program until all past-due balances have been paid in full. Students who re-enroll may be placed on academic probation, if appropriate.

ACADEMIC POLICY DECISION APPEALS

A student who wishes to appeal an academic policy decision (including one believed to be discriminatory based on race, national origin, color, sex, disability, or age), must abide by the procedures that follow. Legal counsel or representation is not permitted.

Informal Resolution: When a student has a question about an academic policy decision, s/he must first contact the person who made the decision for an explanation of the policy and how it was followed. This contact must be made within ten (10) business days of the decision. If the policy has been followed, the student has no further recourse.

If the policy was not followed or the student disputes the way in which the policy was applied, s/he may request that the matter be reviewed by the appropriate GPS Program Coordinator. This request must be made within ten (10) business days of the aforementioned meeting. The Program Coordinator will notify the student of his/her decision in writing (e-mail is sufficient) within 10 business days.

Formal Resolution (continuation of above): If the student is not satisfied with the decision of the GPS Program Coordinator, s/he may request that the matter be reviewed by the Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. To accomplish this, the student must file the Appeal form (available via the MVNU portal) within ten (10) business days of the decision. The Dean reserves the right to question any individual and/or obtain additional information from any other source. If the student files the request outside the 10-day period, s/he forfeits any further right to appeal. The Dean’s review is limited to whether the policy was applied properly. The Dean will either uphold the appeal or deny the appeal. The Dean will notify the student of the decision in writing within 10 business days of receipt of the appeal.

If the student is not satisfied with the decision of the Dean, s/he may request that the matter be reviewed by the Chief Academic Office (CAO). To accomplish this, the student must inform the Dean (in person or via e-mail) within ten (10) business days of the Dean’s decision. If the student files the request outside this period, s/he forfeits any further right to appeal. The Dean will send the appeal file to the CAO; thus, the student may not include additional information with the appeal to the CAO. The CAO’s review is limited to whether the policy was applied properly. The CAO will either uphold the appeal or deny the appeal. The CAO will notify the student of the decision in writing within 10 business days. The decision is final and cannot be appealed.