A Barnard student is in good academic standing as long as they are making sufficient degree progress. The academic standing of all students is reviewed at the end of each semester by the Faculty Committee on Programs and Academic Standing (CPAS). A student whose term or cumulative GPA falls below 2.0, or who does not satisfactorily complete 12 or more credits in a term, or who receives 3 or more incompletes or withdrawal grades in a given term may be placed on academic probation. A student who does not successfully complete a minimum of 12 credits in a term may be given an insufficient degree progress warning. (Note: students who have not made satisfactory academic progress, or SAP (see below), at the end of an academic year may be placed on Financial Aid Warning or Financial Aid Probation in accordance with that office’s processes.) Students who have been approved for a reduced course load and earn a 2.0 GPA or higher in a term will remain in good standing. A student whose term or cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 for two consecutive semesters, or who fails to complete 24 institutional credits at the end of every academic year at minimum, may be required to take a leave of absence.

At the end of each semester, after student grades have been reviewed, a student who does not meet Barnard's academic standards might face the following consequences:

a) Academic Probation: Students whose semester or cumulative GPA's fall below a 2.0 may be considered to be not in good academic standing, and may be placed on probation. These students will be required to meet with their Class Dean on a regular basis to ensure that they are being connected to the appropriate resources to help support them and help them return to good academic standing.

b) Required Withdrawal: Students whose GPA's fall below 2.0 for two consecutive semesters, or students who fail to complete 24 credits at the end of every academic year at minimum, may be asked to withdraw for one semester or one year. These students may be asked to complete credits of coursework outside of Barnard in order to provide evidence of the ability to maintain good academic standing, and to help them make progress towards their degree completion upon their return. Students who fail to make academic progress in one semester may also be asked to withdraw (consideration is given on a case-by-case basis).

c) IDP Warning (Insufficient Degree Progress Warning): Students who may have met the GPA requirement, but have not made sufficient progress towards their degree, may be put on IDP WARNING status for one semester. Students will be reviewed by CPAS at the end of their IDP Warning semester. Students who continue not to make consistent degree progress may be put on Insufficient Degree Progress status, on academic probation, or be required to take a leave of absence. Note: Students who are eligible for financial aid are reviewed for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) by the Financial Aid Office. Students who do not meet SAP may lose funding, pursuant to determinations made in conjunction with the Financial Aid office. For more information, see online: barnard.edu/finaid/general-policies.

d) Extracurricular or co-curricular activities: Students who are not in good academic standing should note that eligibility for some co-curricular or extra-curricular programs may be impacted by this status.

FERPA and Parental/Legal Guardian Notification
Barnard will not notify parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of a change in a student’s academic standing status without written consent from the student, in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Students may submit written consent in the form of a FERPA waiver to the Dean’s Office in order to inform their parent(s) or legal guardian(s). Information on this consent process is contained in the Academic Standing Letter students receive.

Appeals
Students may only appeal a required leave of absence. Appeal requests are considered by the faculty Committee on Programs and Academic Standing. Students wishing to appeal a required leave of absence may do so only in these cases:

a) The student would like the faculty Committee on Programs and Academic Standing to consider reducing the length of the required leave of absence or a particular requirement for that leave (for example, reducing required leave of absence from one year to one semester, or asking not to be
required to take coursework elsewhere);
b) The student would like the Faculty Committee on Programs and Academic Standing to reconsider the decision or to modify a required leave of absence decision because the student has new information regarding their academic progress that they believe may be relevant to the decision-making process (e.g., a grade change or unfinished work having been turned in).
 

Appeals should be made in writing to the Committee on Programs and Academic Standing. Due to the short period between semesters, students who have been notified of their academic standing in January (after the fall semester) will have 48 hours after receiving the emailed letter from the Dean for Academic
Planning & Class Advising to submit an appeal; students who have been notified in June (after the spring semester) will have seven (7) days from the date on the emailed notification from the Deans’ Office for Advising and Support to submit an appeal. This appeal should include not only the reasons for the appeal, but also the student's proposed academic plan for moving forward, an explanation of why a decision might need reconsideration, and plans for returning to good academic standing. Students may speak with their Class Dean for guidance before submitting the appeal. Appeals are written; no appeals are made in person.

Barnard College policy, per federal guidelines, is that every student must be enrolled in a minimum of twelve (12) credits each semester, and must successfully complete at least twelve (12) credits with a 2.0 GPA in order to remain in good academic standing each semester.

Students who are registered with the Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services (CARDS), and who have documentation supporting a potential need to pursue a reduced course of study, may do so with permission from the Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services. In order to continue making satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the federal government and Barnard College, students cannot take fewer than nine (9) credits per semester. Students registered with CARDS can apply for a reduced course load more than once, but cannot take a reduced course load on a frequent basis or they will not be making satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the federal government and Barnard College.

Students eligible to take fewer than twelve (12) credits should apply for a reduced course load by filling out the appropriate form found on this page: CARDS Policies and Procedures. Students should also provide supporting documentation to the Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services by 4pm one week before the drop deadline each semester (check the Academic Calendar for dates).  Any requests submitted after the deadlines will not be considered. Students who withdraw from a course after the drop deadline will receive a “W" on their transcript.