Graduate Academic Dismissal Policy

The School of Education requires that all graduate students achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale) in order to graduate. If at any time the student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.8, the student may be dismissed from their program of study by the Graduate School upon recommendation of the student’s academic program. 

Additional requirements are stated in Graduate School policies and the School of Education’s program documents. Failure to meet these requirements also constitutes grounds for dismissal from a program of study. Reasons for dismissal include, but are not limited to: failure to pass master’s comprehensives or doctoral qualifying examinations; failure to develop appropriate professional skills and dispositions; failure to meet program and professional standards of practice. At or before matriculation, individual programs will notify students of the program specific requirements they must meet to remain in good academic standing. If a program’s requirements conflict with the School of Education’s requirements, the School of Education’s requirements will control. 

When a student is judged not to have met the university, school, or program requirements, the Faculty Director for Graduate Studies or the Director of the School of Social Work will notify the student in writing of this determination and the recommendation of dismissal from their program. A copy of this notice will be sent to the Assistant Dean for Student Success. If no appeal of the dismissal is lodged within 10 business days, the dismissal will be communicated to the Graduate School. 

Note: Violations of Syracuse University’s Student Conduct Code and Academic Integrity Policy may also result in program dismissal under certain conditions. 

Appeal Procedures for Program Dismissal (Graduate Students)

Students have the right to appeal a decision to dismiss them from their academic programs. The appeal must be initiated in writing within 10 business days after the dismissal decision. The written document should describe the basis for the appeal and the remedies sought. 

The written appeal should be directed to the Assistant Dean for Student Success. The Assistant Dean will transmit the appeal to the School of Education’s Committee on Policies and Standards. The committee will forward a copy of the appeal to the faculty member representing the student’s program and the Faculty Director for Graduate Studies or the Director of the School of Social Work. The committee, or a subcommittee of it consisting of at least three tenured faculty members and/or Non-Tenure Track faculty members, will constitute the appeal panel. 

The appeal panel will make every effort to review the written appeal within a month of the committee’s receiving the appeal. However, the timing of the review of the written appeal or its circumstances may require a longer period of investigation. The appeal panel will not question the requirements the program has set nor will it substitute its own judgment for the judgment of the program faculty about whether the student has met those requirements.

Valid grounds for appeal arise if the program fails to provide or implement uniform and consistent requirements, or bases an assessment on other than the stated criteria. Thus, the appeal panel will consider whether the student was provided with “accurate and plainly stated information relating to maintenance of acceptable academic standing,” as required by the University Student Handbook, and whether the program applied those requirements, and only those requirements, in making its decision. 

If a student raises issues of discrimination or harassment as part of their appeal, the School of Education may be required to refer those issues to an appropriate University office that will review and potentially investigate the issues.  It is possible the appeal will be paused while the allegations of discrimination or harassment are reviewed. 

If, instead, a student raises issues of disability or other personal or identity-based challenges that may have contributed to their academic performance, the student may ask a member of a relevant University support unit to act as their support person and a consultant to the appeal panel.  The appeal panel may also request consultation from appropriate University offices or officials.   

The decision of the appeal panel is final.