The Graduate Council considers and acts upon requests for deviations from program requirements, as well as student appeals for exemptions from established academic policies.
Academic Warning/Probation/Dismissal
Students who have been dismissed for academic reasons or who have withdrawn from the College while on probation must be readmitted by formally appealing to this committee. Necessary forms and specific guidelines are available from the Registrar.
- If a student’s overall grade point average for a term is below 3.0, the student will be placed on academic warning.
- If a student’s overall grade point average is below 3.0 for two consecutive terms, the student is considered to have an unsatisfactory scholastic record for that term and will be academically dismissed.
Readmission to Bethany College after not attending one or more terms.
- A. In good standing at the time of leaving: the student is readmitted. Readmission will be limited to within the same academic year. The Graduate Council can readmit the student if up to six credits completed elsewhere has been completed with grades of “C-“ or better.
- On probation at the time of leaving: student must apply for readmission to Bethany College. The Graduate Council may readmit or deny readmission.
- Dismissed from Bethany College: student must apply for readmission to Bethany College. The Graduate Council may readmit or deny readmission.
Requests for deviation from degree requirements
The Graduate Council also considers requests for deviation from degree requirements. Such requests should include a rationale and must have the support of the academic program director.
Student Appeals of Graduate Council actions
- If a student who has been dismissed believes that unusual or extenuating circumstances surround the student’s academic failure, the student may appeal the dismissal to the Chief Academic Officer.
- Procedures for appealing and academic dismissal.
- The student must notify the Chief Academic Officer by the specified date of the student’s intention to appeal due to unusual and extenuating circumstances.
- The student should consult with the academic advisor, who will be asked to provide an analysis of the situation.
- The student must submit a letter of appeal to the Chief Academic Officer, to be received no later than the specified date. The degree of the student’s insight into the student’s academic difficulty and the extent to which the student provides evidence of future academic promise will be evaluated. The following list may suggest items to address in an appeal:
- Academic record (including courses taken, patterns of achievement, etc.)
- Attendance records.
- Coursework attempted (at Bethany College or elsewhere) after dismissal or probation.
- Incompletes removed or progress reports on incompletes.
- Advisor’s recommendation.
C. The student must appeal in writing to the Chief Academic Officer, who will render a final decision on the matter.