The Daily Bulletin Archive

From the President
At its November 14, 2008, meeting, the College Senate voted to approve and forward the following motion to the president for review and action:

Motion for Addressing the Number of Credit Hours That Can Be Taken by Undergraduate Students on Academic Probation (below a 2.0 Cumulative GPA); Brought by the Standards for Students Committee, October 2008 

Buffalo State does not have an overall college policy addressing the number of credit hours that students can take while on academic probation (cumulative average below a 2.0). In the 2007–2009 Undergraduate Catalog (p. 24), the following paragraph discusses course load, but does not provide guidance for those on academic probation:

Course Load
The average course load for undergraduates is 15–16 credit hours a semester. Should a matriculated student desire to register for more than 19 hours, the approval of the appropriate academic adviser must be secured. Students in majors should consult with their faculty adviser, and undeclared students not affiliated with EOP, STAR, SSSP, or AIM should consult with the coordinator of the Academic Advisement Office, Twin Rise 100. The student’s academic adviser will review requests for overload.

WHEREAS, there is no mention of course load as related to academic probation;

WHEREAS, taking 16 or more credit hours while on probation can be considered a high course load that will set the student up for failure;

WHEREAS, cases are documented where students have taken as many as 19, 24, and 27 credits in a semester (some with adviser approval) and have not been able to remove themselves from probation;

WHEREAS, capping students’ course load will help build an effective academic strategy for regaining good academic standing, resulting in a positive contribution to the college’s retention rate; and

WHEREAS, capping the number of credit hours taken should be part of the collaborative advising sessions that take place between students and advisers, during which they create an appropriate semester plan that considers program course sequence, satisfactory academic progress, and individual needs,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the following statements be added as a second paragraph under “Course Load” in the undergraduate catalog:

Students on academic probation (below a 2.0 cumulative grade point average) can enroll in a maximum of 15 credit hours. All students should consult with their academic adviser for proper guidance.

I hereby accept the recommendation of the College Senate and approve the addition of the statements in the undergraduate catalog under “Course Load.” I charge the provost with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of these revisions.