Increase Your GPA

Academic Probation is used as a warning to allow students time to recover their GPA before they reach the level of Academic Suspension.  The most important goal while on Academic Probation is to increase your GPA.  Take some time to plan your GPA recovery strategies with your advisor or probation counselor.

Probation Recovery Strategies

Identify or determine what caused your grades to fall which led to your being placed on Academic Probation.  Personal issues, stress, missed classes, lack of study skills, test taking skills, lack of time management, inability to concentrate, procrastination, or poor study environment, are common difficulties for students that may have been factors affecting your grades and academic performance.

Make a written plan to recover your GPA and calculate what grades you will need to earn this semester in order to increase your GPA to 2.0. Calculate your GPA

Consider these three potential recovery strategies:

Strategy 1: Consider the number of hours you are taking.  For example, if you took 15 hours last semester and struggled.  You may wish to try taking 12 hours instead and see if you are more successful.

Strategy 2: Apply different study skills, methods, LASSI results, and on campus resources. On campus resources may include, The Academic Development Center, Alpha Scholars Program, The Student Success Program, and tutoring.

Strategy 3: Repeating courses is the key opportunity to most quickly move your GPA to good standing.

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Example

Joe X. Ample

After his first semester, Joe is considered to be in good standing as he has a semester GPA above a 1.5 and a cumulative GPA above a 2.0.

Fall of Freshman Year
BIBL 101	3 hrs	A
ENGL 111	3 hrs	B
BIOL 101	3 hrs	F
SOCI 111	3 hrs	B
CORE 110	3 hrs	C
GPA	2.4 semester GPA	2.4 cumulative GPA

After his second semester, Joe is considered to be on academic probation as he has a semester GPA below a 1.5 and a cumulative GPA below a 2.0.

Spring Freshman Year
BIBL 102	3 hrs	WF
ENGL 112	3 hrs	C
PSYC 120	3 hrs	C
GEOL 111	3 hrs	D
CORE 120	3 hrs	D
GPA	1.20 semester GPA	1.8 cumulative GPA

After his third semester, Joe is considered to be back in good standing as he has a semester GPA above a 1.5 and a cumulative GPA above a 2.0.

Fall Sophomore Year
*BIBL 102	3 hrs	B
*GEOL 111	3 hrs	B
*BIOL 101	3 hrs	B
CORE 220	3 hrs	A
GPA	3.25 semester GPA	2.21 cumulative GPA

How did he do it? 

By taking fewer classes to devote more study time for each class as well as repeating classes in which he earned a D, F or WF (withdrawal failing) as his final grade, Joe can dramatically increase his GPA and potentially get off of Academic Probation in one semester. When a class is repeated, the quality points and hours attempted of the new letter grade replace the pre-existing quality points of 0.0 for the Fs and 1.0 (attempted hours) for the Ds.  

*For example, Joe’s previous F in BIBL 102, D in GEOL 111, and F in BIOL 101 no longer have an effect on Joe’s cumulative GPA.  If a course is a graduation requirement for a student, they will have to gain credit for this course either by retaking the course at ACU (recommended) or taking the course elsewhere and transferring the credit to ACU.  Note that classes must be repeated at ACU to affect a student’s GPA.  While a grade of a D is enough for a student to pass the course, many majors require their students to make a C or better in their major’s courses. This may require students to repeat courses where they earned a grade of a D.

What if he didn’t go back to good standing?

If Joe had not improved their GPA to the required score, he would have been placed on academic suspension. This means that Joe would be dismissed from the University for at least one long semester. Joe would receive additional information from the Registrar’s Office at the end of the fall semester during which they were placed on academic suspension.