Temporary Enrollment Status and Academic Dismissal

Students are placed on temporary enrollment status as a warning that their academic progress is not satisfactory and that they must improve their academic performance to avoid dismissal from the university. Students who are placed on temporary enrollment should immediately seek assistance in academic improvement from such sources as academic advisers, instructors, the Student Counseling Service, and the Academic Success Center.

Students may be admitted to Iowa State University on temporary enrollment or may subsequently be placed on temporary enrollment as a result of unsatisfactory academic performance. Students on temporary enrollment status who do not meet the minimum requirements described below will be dismissed from enrollment in the university.

Decisions regarding temporary enrollment and academic dismissal are based on the student's cumulative quality-point deficiency. The number of deficient quality-points is determined by subtracting the total number of ISU quality-points from twice the number of ISU credits attempted. If a student enters Iowa State University with a quality-point deficiency, this deficiency will be added to any deficiency accumulated at Iowa State University to determine the cumulative quality-point deficiency. Example: Assume a student has attempted 65 credit hours of coursework, and has a cumulative grade-point average of 1.80. This student needs 130 quality points (i.e., 65 credit hours x 2.00 points) in order to have a zero quality-point deficiency. The student currently has earned 117 quality points (i.e., 65 credit hours x 1.80 grade point average**). Thus, the student currently is deficient by 13 quality points (i.e., 130-117).

Assume the student must remove this 13 quality-point deficiency over the next 30 credit hours. The student would need to earn 73 quality points (i.e., 30 credit hours x 2.00 quality points = 60 quality points) in order to not add to the deficiency. Thus, a grade-point average of 2.44 (i.e., 73 quality points/30 credit hours) for the next 30 credit hours is needed to remove the deficiency.

Students who are placed, or continued, on temporary enrollment at the end of the spring semester may enroll for the summer term without being placed in jeopardy of academic dismissal from the university at the end of that summer term. However, the cumulative quality-point deficiency at the end of the summer term will be used for temporary enrollment decisions. This is true for all students enrolled in the summer term. Students considered for academic dismissal at the end of spring semester will be permitted to enroll for the summer term. The cumulative quality-point deficiency at the end of the summer term will be used to determine whether the student should be permitted to continue. The individual colleges determine if students reinstated for the spring semester will be permitted to utilize the summer term option. (Reinstated students should also see the section on Reinstatement.)

1. Students with fewer than 90 credits attempted or earned,* whichever is greater, will be placed on temporary enrollment at the end of any semester or summer term when their cumulative quality-point deficiency equals 10 or more quality points. At the end of any term in which a student is on temporary enrollment, the student will be:

a. dismissed from enrollment in the university if the cumulative quality-point deficiency has increased;

b. continued on temporary enrollment if the cumulative quality-point deficiency has not increased but remains 10 or more;

c. removed from temporary enrollment if the cumulative quality-point deficiency is now less than 10.

2. Students with 90 or more credits attempted or earned,* whichever is greater, will be placed on temporary enrollment at the end of any semester or summer term when they have any quality-point deficiency. At the end of the term in which a student is on temporary enrollment, the student will be:

a. dismissed from enrollment in the university if the cumulative quality-point deficiency has increased;

b. continued on temporary enrollment if the cumulative quality-point deficiency has not increased but remains greater than zero;

c. removed from temporary enrollment if the cumulative quality-point deficiency has been removed.

3. A student on temporary enrollment may transfer to another college within the university only with the permission of the department chair of the new department and dean of the new college. Transfer during period 3 (after the last day to drop a course) may be approved by the department chair of the new department and dean of the new college only under exceptional circumstances. The student will be subject to any additional specific academic requirements determined by the academic standards committee of the college to which the transfer is made.

4. A student who has transferred from a college while on temporary enrollment cannot transfer back unless permission is granted by the academic standards committee of the original college.

5. A student on temporary enrollment who withdraws during period 3 will not be permitted to enroll the following term, except under extenuating circumstances as judged by the college academic standards committee.

Additional Academic Progress Regulations
Colleges, departments, or programs may have special grade point requirements for admission, continuation, or graduation. These are presented in connection with statements of college and department curriculum requirements.

1. Business: In addition to the requirements listed above, students enrolled in the College of Business with 60 or more credits attempted or earned,* whichever is greater, will be placed on temporary enrollment at the end of any semester when they earn less than a 2.00 grade point average for that semester. Students placed on temporary enrollment under provisions of this requirement will be dismissed from enrollment in the College of Business if they fail to achieve, for the following semester, at least a 2.00 semester grade point average.

Summer term grades will be combined with the student's grades for the prior term to compute a single semester grade point average to be used for temporary enrollment and academic dismissal decisions. Credit hours and quality points will be combined for the purpose of obtaining the average. When courses are repeated, both grades will be used in this computation.

Students considered for academic dismissal at the end of a spring semester under provisions of the preceding paragraphs will be permitted to enroll for the following summer session.

Students who are dismissed from the College of Business must seek admission to another college before the beginning of the following semester to stay enrolled in the university. Proof of admission to another college must be presented to the College of Business by the last business day before the beginning of the following semester. Students who fail to do so will be dismissed from the university.

2. Design: In addition to the requirements listed above, students in the College of Design who have attempted thirty (30) credits or more will be placed on temporary enrollment at the end of any semester in which their cumulative grade point average falls below 2.00. Students placed on temporary enrollment under the provisions of this requirement will be dismissed from enrollment in the college if they fail to achieve, for the following semester, at least a 2.00 grade point average for that semester.

Summer term grades will be combined with the student's grades for the prior term to compute a single semester grade point average to be used for temporary enrollment and academic dismissal decisions.

Students considered for academic dismissal at the end of a spring semester under provisions of the preceding paragraphs will be permitted to enroll for the following summer session.

Students who are dismissed from the College of Design must seek admission to another college before the beginning of the following semester to stay enrolled in the university. Proof of admission to another college must be presented to the College of Design by the last business day before the beginning of the following semester. Students who fail to do so will be dismissed from the university.

3. Engineering: In addition to the requirements listed above, students enrolled in the College of Engineering with 60 or more credits attempted or earned,* whichever is greater, will be placed on temporary enrollment at the end of any semester when they earn less than a 2.00 grade point average for that semester. Students placed on temporary enrollment under provisions of this requirement will be dismissed from enrollment in the university if they fail to achieve, for the following semester, at least a 2.00 semester grade point average.

Summer term grades will be combined with the student's grades for the prior term completed to form a single semester grade point average to be used for temporary enrollment and academic dismissal decisions. Credit hours and quality points will be combined for the purpose of obtaining the average. When courses are repeated, both grades will be used in this computation.

Students considered for academic dismissal at the end of a spring semester under provisions of the preceding paragraphs will be permitted to enroll for the following summer session.

4. Veterinary Medicine: Additional rules for minimum satisfactory progress are in effect.

5. Special students: Students matriculated in this classification category are governed by the regular academic progress regulations. Furthermore, by special action of their college academic standards committee, additional standards may be required.