Orfalea College of Business - Academic Probation & Disqualification Policy
Academic Probation
A student is automatically placed on Academic Probation when the GPA drops below 2.0. The GPA applies to the current term, Cal Poly cumulative, or the Higher Education cumulative. The student is advised promptly by email regarding Academic Probation status, however it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to address their academic standing as soon as they are on Academic Probation. A student can only be on Academic Probation once. The second time in which the GPA drops below a 2.0, the student is subject to disqualification.
Students on Academic Probation are required to complete the OCOB Academic Support Seminar on Blackboard. Seminar Objectives:
- Learn about academic policies and your responsibilities
- Confirm understanding of academic requirements
- Learn about other resources on campus
- Create an Academic Action Plan
- Give feedback to the college about your experience at Poly
In addition, students are encouraged to do the following:
- Go to an Academic Perspectives Workshop
- Meet with an Academic Advisor
- Attend a Study Skills Seminar
- Sign up for Study Groups and Tutoring on campus.
- Attend Office Hours regularly.
- Consider the Counseling Services on campus if applicable.
- Complete any other recommendations/mandates given by the college.
Academic Probation Contract
A student on academic probation for a second term is subject to academic disqualification. In most cases the student is placed on an Academic Probation Contract. However, there are cases, in which the student could be academically disqualified (see Academic Disqualification section below).
Students on Academic Probation Contract are required to complete the OCOB Academic Support Seminar on Blackboard. Seminar Objectives:
- Learn about academic policies and your responsibilities
- Agree to the Academic Probation Contract requirements
- Learn about other resources on campus
- Create an Academic Action Plan
- Give feedback to the college about your experience at Poly
In addition, students are encouraged to do the following:
- Go to an Academic Perspectives Workshop
- Meet with an Academic Advisor
- Attend a Study Skills Seminar
- Sign up for Study Groups and Tutoring on campus.
- Attend Office Hours regularly.
- Consider the Counseling Services on campus if applicable.
- Complete any other recommendations/mandates given by the college.
Academic Disqualification
A student is subject to disqualification and will be disqualified when either of the following is true:
- A Freshman or Transfer student earns below 2.0 GPA for two consecutive quarters during the first year at Cal Poly.
- The student GPA drops below 2.0 after already being on Academic Probation Contract in a previous quarter.
The academic disqualification standards above are strictly followed, but the college reserves the right to make exceptions in the following cases, whenever deemed appropriate by the college:
- Student remains on Academic Probation Contract while maintaining acceptable progress, whereby the term GPA remains above a 2.0 while cumulative GPA may be below 2.0 for a reasonable number of quarters.
- If a student has recently changed to a major in the Orfalea College of Business and his/her Cal Poly GPA is below 2.0 when they are accepted into a major, the student is considered to be on Academic Probation Contract until the GPA is raised to at least 2.0. The student must maintain at least a 2.0 term GPA at all times.
- If a Former Returning student has a Cal Poly GPA below 2.0 when they return to Poly, the student is considered to be on Academic Probation Contract until the GPA is raised to at least 2.0. The student must maintain at least a 2.0 term GPA at all times.
- Any other exceptional circumstance, as determined by the college.
NOTE: The Orfalea College of Business does not do a formal review of student performance at the end of the summer term. However, if a student takes courses at Cal Poly during the summer term, the university Academic Probation policy (noted in the catalog) still applies. Therefore performance during summer term will affect a student’s academic status.
Appeal Process Guidelines
Students who have been academically disqualified have the option to submit an appeal. Questions or requests regarding special exceptions to disqualification decisions will not be considered unless the student submits a formal appeal using the following guidelines.
If a student wishes to appeal his or her disqualification due to extenuating circumstances, the student must submit a well-written, carefully organized one-page typed appeal (no more than 400 words) to the Disqualification Appeal Review Committee. The student should address the following in the appeal:
- Explain the extenuating circumstances during the past quarter and explain why these circumstances specifically impacted your performance.
- Attach pertinent documentation that provides compelling evidence that the student’s performance was caused by factors that are not likely to reoccur.
- Provide a definitive plan for succeeding in successive quarters, which should include:
- coursework that needs to be repeated,
- course load and work load plan (total estimated hours per week for both school and work),
- study groups or supplemental instruction you plan to utilize
- campus resources such as Disability Resource Center, counseling services, study skills center, etc. that you plan to utilize.
The appeal must be emailed to Academic Advisor, Charity Romano at the following email address: cromano@calpoly.edu. The email must include the student’s full name, Empl ID, Cal Poly email address, phone number and address. The email must be received by the deadline noted in the student’s Disqualification notice (notices are sent to the student Cal Poly email within 10 days after the last day of finals).
Within 48 hours of the time the student submits the appeal, the student should receive a reply email confirming that the appeal was received. If the student does not get confirmation, it is the student’s responsibility to submit another appeal by the deadline.
Appeals submitted by the deadline will be reviewed and the committee will respond to the student via email regarding the status of the appeal by the end of the first week of the quarter.
IMPORTANT CLARIFICATIONS
Does performance during summer school count toward academic status?
The Orfalea College of Business does not do a formal review of student performance at the end of the summer term. However, if a student takes courses at Cal Poly during the summer term, the university Academic Probation policy (noted in the catalog) still applies. Therefore performance during summer term will affect a student’s academic status.
Does performance during study abroad or at a community college count toward academic status?
Any courses taken at another institution (community college, out of state, or abroad) will be applied to the student’s Higher Education GPA, once an official transcript is received. If the Higher Education GPA is below 2.0, the academic probation status applies.
How is academic status determined if a student has been disqualified, completed a contract and returned to Cal Poly to continue his/her education (Former Returning Students)?
If a student is a Former Returning student, all quarters of Academic Probation (including those prior to the break from Cal Poly) are taken into account when determining academic status.
If a student has a Cal Poly GPA below 2.0 when they return to Poly, the student is considered to be on Academic Probation contract until the GPA is raised to at least 2.0. Other expectations for the student may be specified in the contract, per the college.
If the student earns less than 2.0 for term GPA in any term following their return to Cal Poly, the student is immediately subject to disqualification and may be disqualified with no option to return to Cal Poly.
How is academic status determined if a student has recently changed to a major in the Orfalea College of Business from another college?
All quarters of Academic Probation (including those in previous major) are taken into account when determining academic status.
If a student has a Cal Poly GPA below 2.0 when they are accepted into the new major in this college, the student is considered to be on Academic Probation contract until the GPA is raised to at least 2.0. Other expectations for the student may be specified in the contract, per the college.
If the student earns less than 2.0 for term GPA in any term following their Change of Major, the student is immediately subject to disqualification and may be disqualified with no option to return to Cal Poly.