- Academic Amnesty
- Class Year/Graduation Date
- Dean's List
- Poor Academic Performance
- Required Grade-Point Average
Academic Amnesty
Students previously enrolled in any Rutgers undergraduate unit, with a record of poor academic performance, including a cumulative grade point average below 2.000 and five or more consecutive years of hiatus, who are seeking to complete a degree at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), may apply for Academic Amnesty.
To qualify for amnesty eligible students must demonstrate academic proficiency by meeting the following requirements: students must complete 12 new degree credits of coursework with a grade-point average (GPA) of 2.500 or better within a single academic year from active reenrollment. Within that first year of amnesty reenrollment, students are limited to no more 15 credits in a fall or spring semester, and no more than 8 credits in a Summer Session. Students who wish to pursue Academic Amnesty should meet with the associate dean of academic programs.
If Amnesty is granted, a transcript adjustment is applied to the student's record creating a new GPA based only on coursework completed since active re-enrollment. Credit for any prior Rutgers coursework completed with grades of D or better, will count toward degree completion, but these prior grades will no longer be calculated into the GPA.
In other words, successful Amnesty students will only keep prior degree credits earned with grades of D or higher, and the GPA will include only grades earned after the point of Amnesty re-enrollment.
Eligibility
- Only students with a hiatus of 5 or more consecutive years from Rutgers University and a cumulative GPA below 2.000 may apply.
- Prior to being awarded Amnesty, students must demonstrate academic proficiency by completing 12 new Rutgers degree credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.500 or higher, within one academic year from the date of enrollment ( The 12 credits must be completed in consecutive Fall and Spring semesters, plus one summer session immediately before or after the first term.)
Conditions
- All students, regardless of original school of enrollment within Rutgers, who will be re-enrolled in the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, must satisfy all SEBS requirements (Core Curriculum, Major, Degree Credits, and Experiential Learning) for degree completion and comply with all SEBS academic standards. Students must follow one set of SEBS core course requirements and major requirements from a single Rutgers University – New Brunswick Undergraduate catalog. Students must consult with their Undergraduate Program Director in the major and the Associate Dean overseeing Scholastic Standings to determine the appropriate catalog and program of study prior to taking new courses.
- Proficiency requirements must be satisfied within one academic year from the date of first amnesty-eligible re-enrollment. The proficiency GPA standard of 2.500 or higher will be based on the first 12 completed credits. Withdrawing from a semester does not increase the amount of time an Amnesty candidate has to complete the proficiency requirements.
- If Academic Amnesty is awarded, regardless of previous accumulated credits, all students must complete a minimum of 30 graded degree credits in residence at Rutgers–New Brunswick for degree completion. Proficiency course work completed at Rutgers–New Brunswick may be counted toward residency.
- Once Amnesty is awarded, students will not be eligible to use the SEBS Repeated Course Policy for any subsequent grades of D or F.
- Students may apply for Academic Amnesty once. Once Amnesty has been granted, students may not, at a later time, ask for Amnesty to be rescinded or modified. For example, students granted Academic Amnesty may not later request that grades from courses taken prior to re-enrollment, with a grade of D or higher, be computed in the GPA.
If Academic Amnesty Is Approved
- All previous Rutgers grades of F will be "E-credited". The prefix E on a course credit indicates that no credit is earned toward the degree and no grade computed in the cumulative GPA.
- All previous grades of D or better will be "J-credited". The prefix J on course credits indicates that those credits are earned toward the degree, but the grade is not computed in the cumulative GPA. J-credited courses may be used to fulfill major, minor, and general education degree requirements.
- If the student's major requires a grade of C or higher in a course, where the student previously earned a D grade, the student must repeat the course. In such cases, an "E-prefix" will be applied to the D grade, and only the new grade will calculate into the cumulative grade point average.
If Academic Amnesty Is Not Approved
- Upon review of Amnesty Requirements, candidates who have not met the conditions to be approved, must still meet the scholastic standings standards of academic progress for the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.
For More Information
For more information on eligibility and how to apply for Academic Amnesty please contact the SEBS Office of Academics Programs or email scholasticstanding@sebs.rutgers.edu.
Class Year/Graduation Date
A student's class year is determined by the predicted year and month of graduation. Most students graduate after completing the spring semester (graduation month—May) of their class year. Students may also graduate after the fall semester (graduation month—January) or after the Summer Session (graduation month—August). In all cases, students must inform the school's Office of Academic Programs of their intentions prior to the first day of their last semester of registration. Students are not permitted to preregister for the semester after their anticipated graduation date. Students are reviewed for graduation eligibility based on their declared class year and graduation month. Therefore, it is essential that students keep the Office of Academic Programs apprised of their anticipated graduation year and month. Students may reclassify their graduation year and month by submitting a Change of Class request online at mymajor.sebs.rutgers.edu.
Dean's List
Each semester the school publishes the Dean's List, an honor list of students whose coursework is outstanding. In order to qualify, a student must have taken 12 or more credits for letter grades and achieved a semester grade-point average of 3.500 or better. Dean's List designation is noted on the student's official transcript, and the student also receives a letter of congratulations for their academic achievement.
Poor Academic Performance
The school's Admissions and Scholastic Standing Committee, composed of elected faculty members, considers the scholastic performance of students who are deficient in semester work and/or whose overall cumulative grade-point average (GPA) is less than the minimum 2.000 required for graduation. The committee may place students into one of the following three categories based on their current and/or previous scholastic record at the university.
Warning
The student is informed by letter to improve his or her scholastic performance. No restrictions are imposed.
Probation
The student is informed by letter of the danger of being dismissed from Rutgers unless marked scholastic improvement is demonstrated. Students in this category are required to consult regularly with their faculty advisers or a dean to discuss their course load and course selection and to attend all classes and laboratories in the courses for which they are enrolled. A stipulated cumulative grade-point average for the semester must be achieved, and no temporary grades will be accepted. A maximum load of 13 credits also may be recommended.
Dismissal/Delayed Drop
A student whose scholastic performance has been consistently below the cumulative grade-point average required to graduate or whose current work indicates that a desired level of academic performance will not be achieved is informed by letter of dismissal from Rutgers.
Students who have been dismissed from the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences may be placed on "Delayed Drop" and allowed to complete a minimum of 6 credits of university-level work during the subsequent Rutgers Summer Session with a term grade-point average of 2.500 or better to demonstrate an ability to reverse academic deficiencies.
A dismissed student may be eligible for re-enrollment after remaining out of Rutgers classes for a period of one year and should complete the regular Re-enrollment process when ready to return. Normally a student is not reenrolled if he or she has been dismissed more than once. Students should contact the Office of Academic Programs to discuss options after dismissal/delayed drop action.
General Policies of the Committee
The following numerical guidelines are generally followed by the committee. They are not absolute, however, since many factors are considered before the committee places a student in one of the three performance categories listed above. A student's use of the policy on repeated courses to change the student's GPA does not rescind unsatisfactory scholastic standing status.
| Category | GPA |
|---|---|
| Warning | 1.800–1.999 |
| Probation | 1.501–1.7999 |
| Dismissal | At or below 1.500 after a semester of probation OR after three consecutive semesters of probation with a cumulative grade-point average below 2.000. |
Ordinarily, students are not dismissed for academic reasons at the end of their first semester. For any student, a minimum average may be stipulated as a condition of future enrollment. The average imposed is based on the average necessary to obtain the overall cumulative grade-point average of 2.000 required for graduation. Students remain on probation until a cumulative grade-point average of 2.000 is achieved, regardless of semester average.
t is the student's responsibility to be aware of his or her academic standing. Questions regarding academic standing should be directed to the associate dean of academic programs, Martin Hall, Room 109.
Appeal
Students placed on probationary status may appeal, in writing only, prior to the conclusion of the semester for which the probationary status is being imposed, to the school's Admissions and Scholastic Standing Committee. Grounds for appeal include technical error, changes in grades, and/or additional information not previously available to the committee. Letters of appeal must state the reasons for the appeal and must be accompanied by appropriate documentation. Letters of appeal must be written by the student, although advice from others may be sought in formulating the appeal, and submitted to the Office of Academic Programs.
Students who have been dismissed from Rutgers by the school's Admissions and Scholastic Standing Committee may submit a written appeal to the committee (in care of the Office of Academic Programs). Grounds for appeal include technical error, grade changes, extenuating circumstances, and/or additional information not previously available to the committee. Letters of appeal must state the reasons for the appeal and must be accompanied by appropriate documentation. Letters of appeal must be written by the student, although members of the committee and the staff of the Office of Academic Programs are available to assist students in formulating appeals for committee action. The decision of the committee is final. Students are notified in writing within four weeks of the action taken.
Re-enrollment After Dismissal/Delay Drop
Students who have been dismissed from the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences for academic reasons may make an application for reenrollment application for re-enrollment after they have demonstrated an ability to complete a minimum of 6 credits of university-level work at a Rutgers Summer Session with a grade-point average of 2.500 or better, or if they have remained out of school for a period of one year. Students should contact the school's Office of Academic Programs for specific instructions. Normally a student is not reenrolled if he or she has been dismissed more than once.
Required Grade-Point Average
The cumulative grade-point average required for graduation from the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences is 2.000. The cumulative grade-point average is based on all grades received in courses taken for graduation credit at Rutgers University. See the University Policies and Procedures section of the General Information chapter of the Rutgers–New Brunswick Undergraduate Catalog for information on the computation of the cumulative grade-point average and other grading regulations.
| Grade | Definition | Numerical Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| A | Outstanding | 4.0 |
| B+ | 3.5 | |
| B | Good | 3.0 |
| C+ | 2.5 | |
| C | Satisfactory | 2.0 |
| D | Poor | 1.0 |
| F | Failure | 0.0 |