Academic Probation & Dismissal

DEFINITIONS
"Good standing" means that the student is making satisfactory progress and is not on probation.
"Term" means the fall or winter semester or the summer session.

PROBATION
At the end of each term, students with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 are placed on probation. If at the end of the following term the cumulative GPA is 3.0 or better, the probationary status is removed. A student on probation failing to raise the cumulative GPA to 3.0 may, on the recommendation of the Director of the LL.M. Program, be allowed a second and final probationary term.

If probation is appropriate under these rules, the student will be notified in writing of the probationary period, which will normally be a full term. The student will be notified what must be accomplished and by what date in order to enable the student to be removed from probation.

STANDARD CONDITIONS OF PROBATION
Unless otherwise indicated in the probation letter, students on probation must comply with the following conditions:

  1. They will continue on academic probation until achieving academic good standing, which requires a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  2. Until such time as they achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, they must maintain a term GPA as set out in the probation letter. If no term GPA was specified, students must maintain a term GPA sufficient to raise their cumulative GPA to graduation level (3.0) by the time the other requirements for graduation are completed.
  3. Their schedule of courses must be approved by the Director of the LL.M. Program, and the dropping of any course during the term must also be approved by the Director of the LL.M. Program. In general, students will be required to take required courses before electives and take graded courses rather than courses graded satisfactory-unsatisfactory.

DISMISSAL
A student will be dismissed:

  • any time that the student's term GPA or cumulative GPA is less than 2.0; or
  • at the end of a second term on probation if the cumulative GPA is less than 3.0.

PROCEDURE FOR DISMISSAL
If the Director of the LL.M. Program determines that a student should be dismissed under these rules, the Director will send a letter to the student indicating an intention to recommend to the Graduate School that the student be dismissed.

Within seven (7) days after receipt of this letter, the student may file a written request for review of this decision by the LL.M. Admissions Committee, which may affirm or reject the recommendation of dismissal. The LL.M. Admissions Committee may reject the recommendation for dismissal if the student shows: (a) that the student's poor academic performance was the result of facts other than intellectual inability to perform satisfactory work; (b) that these factors will not continue to impair the student's performance in the future; and (c) that there is reasonable probability that the student can raise his or her GPA to the graduation level (3.0) by the time twenty-four (24) credits have been accumulated.

If the Director of the LL.M. Program sends a letter to the student indicating an intention to recommend dismissal under this procedure, the student may not attend classes unless he or she has filed a written request for review of this decision by the LL.M. Admissions Committee within seven (7) days after receipt of the letter from the Director of the LL.M. Program recommending dismissal. If the student continues to attend classes, he or she will be on probation and will be subject to the standard conditions of probation set out above.

If the LL.M. Admissions Committee is unanimous in recommending dismissal, the student shall have no right of review by the faculty at large. If the Committee recommends dismissal but is not unanimous, the petition shall be referred to the Law School faculty at large. A quorum of the LL.M. Admissions Committee, for purposes of deciding recommendations for dismissal, shall consist of one less than all voting members.

A student who petitions for review by the LL.M. Admissions Committee has the right to appear personally before the Committee and, if allowed under these rules, the Law School Faculty at large. The student may be summoned to appear before either group by making a personal appearance or by supplying answers to written questions. (See below for a full statement of rights of students requesting review of dismissal recommendations.)

The Director of the LL.M. Program will send a letter to the student and the Graduate School promptly after any decision to make a recommendation by the LL.M. Admissions Committee or Faculty at Large. The Graduate School determines whether the student will be dismissed and sends the official notice of dismissal.

A student may appeal a dismissal decision to the Graduate Faculty Senate only after completing the program's appeals process. The full text of Measuring Graduate Student Progress can be found in the Graduate School Catalog on its web site.

If the Director of the LL.M. Program determines that a student should be dismissed under these rules but the LL.M. Admissions Committee, the Faculty at Large, Graduate Dean, or Committee on Graduate Student Appeals determines that the student should not be dismissed, the student will be on probation subject to the standard conditions of probation described above unless varied by the Director of the LL.M. Program.

RIGHTS OF STUDENTS REQUESTING REVIEW OF DISMISSAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Students who request review of dismissal recommendations within the Law School have the following rights:

  1. Fair notice of the time and place of the meeting.
  2. To submit any supporting written material to the Director of the LL.M. Program, the LL.M. Admissions Committee and/or to in the Faculty at Large advance of the meeting, or to present such material at the meeting.
  3. To appear personally at the meeting and make a presentation of reasonable duration.
  4. To be accompanied by a person of their own choosing.
  5. To be informed in writing promptly following the meeting of the Director's, Committee's, and Faculty's recommendation.