All Columbia College full-time and part-time students must meet the college's guidelines for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). All undergraduate students will be given a maximum of 186 attempted hours to complete their B.A., B.M.U.S, or B.F.A. degrees. During this time, students must successfully complete two thirds of their attempted semester hours each term and they must have a minimum, cumulative grade point average of 2.00.
Transfer credit accepted from an accredited post-secondary institution will be included in the determination of a student's academic completion rate. Transfer credit will also affect the remaining total number of semesters a student has in which to satisfy Columbia's degree requirements. Accepted transfer credit will be the only component of a previous academic record to be incorporated into the computation of the academic completion rate upon enrollment at Columbia. Grades earned at another institution will not affect the student's grade point average at Columbia.
Grades of Incomplete (I), Withdrawal (W), and Pass (P) are not included in the computation of the grade point average, but they do affect the completion rate. Grades of A, B, C, and D (including pluses and minuses) are included in the grade point calculation and count toward satisfying the minimum completion rate. Failure grades (F) affect the grade point average and completion rate adversely. Students who fail to meet the minimum required grade point average and/or completion rate will be subject to the following procedure:
Following each semester of noncompliance, students will be notified in writing of their academic status. Students who are out of compliance with SAP must meet with their college advisor for counseling and academic clearance before registering for classes, and before receiving financial aid. Students should be aware that academic standing might affect financial aid eligibility.
Students who are presently enrolled in their fourth term at the college at Probation status with a cumulative grade point average below 2.00 will be restricted from registering for future terms. If at the end of their fourth semester they regain good academic standing with a 2.00, or higher, cumulative grade point average, they will not be dismissed from the college and the restriction will be lifted.
Following the fourth consecutive semester of noncompliance, students will be dismissed from the college for a minimum of two semesters. Written notification of academic dismissal will be sent to students at the conclusion of the fall, spring, and summer semesters of each academic year.
In some instances, it is possible for a student to lose financial aid eligibility before reaching the point of academic dismissal. A dismissed student must attend another college or university and demonstrate academic progress at that institution in order to be eligible to resume a course of study at Columbia. Dismissed students are not eligible for any form of financial aid at Columbia until they regain satisfactory academic standing.
To apply for readmission to the college after dismissal, the student must write a letter of petition to the associate director of college advising. Upon readmission, the student must regain compliance by achieving a 2.00 cumulative grade point average. Financial aid can only be reinstated when students attain a 2.00 or higher GPA.
Students who have attempted 186 credit hours and have not achieved their degree will be immediately dismissed from the college and will not be allowed to enroll in future semesters. They will also be immediately suspended from receiving federal financial aid. There are no probationary terms for maximum time frame.
Recognizing that there may be extenuating and mitigating circumstances affecting student performance (e.g., critical personal circumstances, prior performance), the college allows students to appeal their academic progress status by submitting a written appeal to the associate director of college advising within 60 days after the end of the semester in question. Students have the right to appeal in writing the decision of the associate director of college advising to the assistant dean for student development. This committee consists of the provost, the dean of students (or his or her designated representatives), a faculty member, and the registrar (a nonvoting member). The decision of the Academic Standards Review Committee is final.