{"id":174,"date":"2024-07-15T15:08:17","date_gmt":"2024-07-15T15:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/policies\/?page_id=174"},"modified":"2026-07-27T01:04:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T01:04:25","slug":"p314","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/policies\/p314\/","title":{"rendered":"314 \u00a0Undergraduate Academic Retention Standards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Approved by President
Effective Date:\u00a0May 27, 2026
Responsible Division: Academic Affairs
Responsible Office: Registrar\u2019s Office
Responsible Officer:\u00a0Assistant Vice Provost for Student Records and Registration & University Registrar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I. Purpose<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This policy establishes the minimum criteria for undergraduate academic retention standards at 乐播传媒入口 (MTSU or University).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

II. Establishment of Criteria<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. The Division of Academic Affairs will develop specific criteria, in compliance with this policy, to be implemented and enforced as the undergraduate academic retention standards of the institution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The approved undergraduate academic retention standards shall be clearly expressed in the catalog, uniformly applied to all students, and promptly enforced at the close of each semester.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    III.<\/strong>\u00a0Quality Point System<\/strong> and Grade Point Average<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. The following quality point system is to be used in determining averages:

      For each credit hour of A: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 4 quality points
      For each credit hour of B+: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a03.33 quality points
      For each credit hour of B: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 3 quality points
      For each credit hour of B-: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2.67 quality points
      For each credit hour of C+: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2.33 quality points
      For each credit hour of C: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2 quality points
      For each credit hour of C-: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.67 quality points
      For each credit hour of D+: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.33 quality points
      For each credit hour of D: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1 quality point
      For each credit hour of D-: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a00.67 quality points
      For each credit hour of F\/FA: \u00a00 quality points
      <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. The grade point average (GPA) is determined by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of GPA hours. GPA hours are those used in the calculation of GPA and do not include grades of I, N, NC, P, W, X, or excluded repeated grades.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Grades which are not considered in computing the GPA shall be described and explained in the catalog.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Finally, a single student transcript will include term and cumulative GPA calculations, which ensure that MTSU treats remedial\/developmental hours alike in calculating GPA. The transcript will include the following:\n
        \n
      1. GPA composed only of hours taken in courses numbered 1000 and above (college level only GPA), and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. GPA composed of hours taken at the undergraduate level and hours taken at the remedial\/developmental level (combined GPA).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. The following uses are based on each calculation:\n
          \n
        1. College level only GPA will be used in calculating the required QPA for graduation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. College level only GPA will be used in determining graduation honors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. College level only GPA will be used in determining term honors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        4. College level only GPA will be used in determining athletic eligibility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        5. Combined GPA will be used in determining academic suspension and probation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        6. Combined GPA will be used in determining financial aid eligibility.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        7. For the purpose of increasing mastery in a course, when such is necessary for successful performance in a subsequent course or for the purpose of increasing the grade point average (and only for these purposes), students may be permitted to repeat courses once (two [2] total attempts) without permission in which their final grades of the first attempt are \u201cC+\u201d or lower. In the event the student chooses to repeat the course, the second grade will count for GPA purposes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        8. If a course is repeated more than once, the quality point grades in the second and subsequent attempts are used in calculating the grade point average, excluding any attempts that end with a grade of W.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        9. Students may be permitted to repeat a course in which a grade of \u201cP\u201d or of \u201cB-\u201d or higher was earned only with the approval of the department chair of the course as an exception to this policy.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          IV.<\/strong> Retention Standards<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          1. The minimum grade point average required to achieve the baccalaureate degree is 2.0.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. In addition, a student who fails during any term to attain a cumulative GPA at or above the level indicated below for the credit hours attempted will be placed on academic probation for the subsequent term.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          3. Required Semester System GPA Hours and Overall Combined GPA:

            29.99 GPA hours and under: 1.5 GPA
            30-49.99 GPA hours: 1.8 GPA
            50 GPA hours and above: 2.0 GPA
            <\/li>\n\n\n\n
          4. At the end of the next term of enrollment, a student on academic probation who has failed to attain either the above cumulative standard or a 2.0 GPA for that term will be placed on academic suspension for a minimum of one (1) term. For purposes of this paragraph, the Summer term will not be counted as the term of suspension.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          5. Students with a prior academic suspension, including an academic suspension at a prior institution, will not subsequently be eligible for probation and will be automatically placed on a one-year suspension if they fail to attain the above cumulative standard or a 2.0 GPA for that term.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          6. Suspended students may appeal their academic suspension following the processes outlined in the course catalog. Academic standing is not recalculated once the next semester begins unless there was an instructor or university error in calculating grades. For purposes of this paragraph, the Summer term will be considered the next semester for purposes of academic standing recalculation.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            V. Academic Fresh Start<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            1. Academic fresh start is a plan of academic forgiveness which allows undergraduate students who have experienced academic difficulty to make a clean start upon returning to college after an extended absence.

              The academic fresh start allows eligible students to resume study without being penalized for his\/her past unsatisfactory performance and signals the initiation of a new GPA to be used for determining academic standing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            2. Readmitted students who were formerly enrolled at MTSU as well as transfer students who meet institutional requirements for admission and who have been separated from all institutions of higher education for a minimum of four (4) years shall be eligible for the academic fresh start.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            3. MTSU shall require that the transfer applicant’s grade point average on transferable courses must be at least equal to that which MTSU requires for the readmission of its own students.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            4. Applicants who do not meet the MTSU\u2019s standards may be admitted on probation. (See\u00a0Policy 301 Admissions<\/a>.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            5. The provisions of academic fresh start require meeting the following minimum criteria:\n
                \n
              1. Student Requirements:\n
                  \n
                1. Separation from all collegiate institutions for at least four (4) years and has not previously earned a bachelor’s degree.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                2. Any time after the readmission or admission as a degree-seeking student, a formal application must be filed with the appropriate office, as identified in the appropriate MTSU catalog, requesting the academic fresh start and describing an academic plan.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                3. Terms of the Academic Fresh Start\n
                    \n
                  1. Once the student has satisfied the above requirements, MTSU may grant the academic fresh start. The student may be granted an academic fresh start only once.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  2. The student’s permanent record will remain a record of all work; however, courses taken and previously failed will be excluded from the calculation of the GPA. Courses with a \u201cD\u201d grade, including \u201cD+\u201d and \u201cD-\u201c will also be excluded from the calculation when a grade of \u201cC\u201d or better is required in the student’s current major. GPA and credit hours will reflect courses for which passing grades were earned and retained.\n
                      \n
                    1. Retained grades will be calculated in the academic fresh start GPA.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    2. All remaining courses for the current degree objectives should be completed at MTSU.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    3. The application of retained credit toward degree requirements will be determined by the requirements currently in effect at the time the academic fresh start status is conferred on the student. Specific program regulations must also be met.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    4. Previously satisfied assessment and placement program requirements will not be forfeited.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    5. Upon degree admission, academic fresh start applicants who did not satisfy assessment and placement program requirements at the time of previous enrollment and whose academic plan includes completion of a college-level English or mathematics course must meet current academic assessment and placement program requirements regarding enrollment in college English and mathematics courses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    6. The student’s transcript will note that the academic fresh start was made and the date of the academic fresh start. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    7. MTSU will honor an academic fresh start provision granted at another institution. The student should also signify understanding that other institutions may not accept the GPA as it is calculated with the academic fresh start.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    8. This policy is independent of financial aid regulations. Financial aid requirements at the time of application will apply. Therefore, an academic fresh start applicant shall be informed of the need to check with his\/her financial aid counselor for guidance.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                      VI.<\/strong> Drop and Withdrawal Standards<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        \n
                      1. After the official registration period is over, students may make adjustments in their schedule through the process of adding and\/or dropping courses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      2. A student may drop or add a course after published deadlines by obtaining the approval of the appropriate administrators.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      3. The last date for students to add or drop a course without a penalty is to be clearly indicated and expressed in the MTSU catalog and Registration Guide.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      4. Courses dropped or withdrawn with a grade will be included on a student\u2019s transcript.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      5. After the last day to add or drop a class without a penalty, and not later than two-thirds (2\/3) into the semester, a student may officially drop a course(s) or withdraw from the University and receive a “W” grade.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      6. Grades of “W” count as hours attempted but are not included in GPA hours.\n
                          \n
                        1. After two-thirds (2\/3) of the semester is complete, a student may drop a course(s) or withdraw from the University without a mandatory grade of “F\/FA” only after having established the existence of unavoidable circumstances.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        2. In such cases, it is the responsibility of the appropriate university administrators or faculty to determine the grade the student is to receive, which could be an “F\/FA”.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        3. Statements describing this process shall be clearly shown in the catalog.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        4. MTSU shall develop institutional guidelines outlining specific types of conditions or hardships which will be considered as acceptable.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        5. Students who desire to drop a course(s) or withdraw from the university before the end of a semester must make a formal application in the appropriate administrative office of the University which will be so defined in the catalog.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        6. If for any reason a student does not officially drop a course(s) or withdraw from the University, the student will receive an “F\/FA” for each course(s) involved.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                          Forms: none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          Revisions: September 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          Last Reviewed: April 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          References: Policy 301 Admissions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                          Approved by PresidentEffective Date:\u00a0May 27, 2026Responsible Division: Academic AffairsResponsible Office: Registrar\u2019s OfficeResponsible Officer:\u00a0Assistant Vice Provost for Student Records and Registration & University Registrar I. Purpose This policy establishes the minimum criteria for undergraduate academic retention standards at 乐播传媒入口 (MTSU or University). II. Establishment of Criteria III.\u00a0Quality Point System and Grade Point Average […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-bannernosidebar.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-174","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/policies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/policies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/policies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/policies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/policies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/policies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3525,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/policies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/174\/revisions\/3525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/policies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}