Standards of Academic Progress, 2020-21

To maintain satisfactory academic progress and eligibility to attend the University, students must meet three standards listed below.

These standards are evaluated at the end of each semester. If a student is not meeting any one of these standards, the student is placed on “Academic Warning” for that standard for the following semester. A student not meeting that standard by the end of the “Academic Warning” semester will no longer be eligible to attend the University. Students on academic warning are not eligible for Rotating University courses, directed studies, or internships (except when required by department for graduation).

1. Grade Point Average. Undergraduates must maintain a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA), and Graduates must maintain a 3.0 GPA. Repeated courses use only the higher grade. Transfer credits earned at other institutions are excluded from the GPA calculation. Students who fall below the designated level are put on warning for the next semester.
2. Completion Rate. Undergraduate students must complete two thirds of instructional credits attempted, within the current degree (excluding RC and REC courses, but including DC courses). Unattended courses are removed from the student’s record and are therefore excluded. Grades of “W,” “NC,” “NCR,” “NP,” “I,” and “AU” are counted as credits attempted but not completed. Transfer credits are counted as attempted and completed.
3. Maximum Time Frame. Undergraduate students may attempt a maximum of 150% of the number of credits normally required to complete their program. For example, an undergraduate degree requires 128 credits so undergraduates may attempt a maximum of 192 credits to complete their program, including transfer credits, double majors, and switching majors. A student who has 174 credits is placed on “Warning” status the following semester.

Appeal, Probation, Loss of Aid Eligibility to Attend, and Reinstatement

Appeals to loss of eligibility after the “Academic Warning” semester must be made in writing to the Academic Standards Committee through the Registrar.

Appeals will only be granted to students who can demonstrate that the circumstance leading to their inability to meet any one of these standards was unexpected and beyond their control, and that the problem is not likely to occur again. If the appeal is granted, the student will be placed on “Academic Probation” for the following semester, with eligibility for financial aid, and must meet the standard by the end of that semester. ASC has the ability to specify a longer probation period for students with a specified academic plan to rectify the difficulty, during probation, for example distance education students whose course load may take some time to rectify the problem.

Reinstatement may be achieved after all of the three standards have been satisfactorily met. For example, a student may have an approved Late Work Contract; completion of the late work may allow the student to meet the applicable deficient standard. Or a former student may earn credit at another institution demonstrating and specifying that the difficulty causing the earlier deficiency has now been rectified.

Suspension

Students are eligible for suspension from the University if

• they do not meet satisfactory academic progress as listed above
• they violate the code of student behavior as outlined in the Maharishi International University Student Handbook
• they don’t pay their outstanding charges as mentioned above

The Student Handbook describes the code of behavior, the procedures that are followed when a student is reported to have violated that code, the possible results of a behavioral infraction, the consequences of suspension, and the policy for an appeal of a decision.

A suspended student must apply for readmission through the Office of Admissions before returning to the University.

Additional Points for Graduate Students

• Master’s programs — Some departments will not permit students to remain in a program if there is an accumulation of more than a specified number of graduate credits below a “B” grade even though the overall Grade Point Average is 3.0. Students who fail to meet the standards set by the department may be required to withdraw at the end of any block.
• Professionals and MS CS DE program — The above Standards of Academic Progress do not apply to graduate Professionals program students or MS CS distance education students because their academic departments have their own separate standards.
• Doctoral programs — These programs require a grade of “B” or higher in all courses. Doctoral students who are unable to meet the standard of doctoral quality work, as determined by the advisory committee, may be asked to withdraw at the end of any block. At the end of each semester, the advisory committee interviews all doctoral students to evaluate and discuss their progress in the program.