Graduate School Academic Standing and Dismissal Policy

The term “Academic Policies” is defined as those policies, procedures, and regulations of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), the University of Nevada, Reno, the University of Nevada, Reno Graduate School (“Graduate School”) and particular graduate departments or graduate programs.

A Degree Program is defined as the student’s approved academic course of study or program of study, which outlines the courses the student shall complete for their graduate degree in the program the student was admitted to within a particular college.

An Interdisciplinary Graduate Program is defined as a specific type of Degree Program which has participating faculty from multiple disciplines, departments or colleges. An Interdisciplinary Graduate Program is directly under the Graduate School and reports to the dean of the Graduate School (“Graduate Dean”).

The term “Graduate Programs” shall refer to the Degree Programs and Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs collectively.

The term “Recommending Party” shall refer to the person within the college or Interdisciplinary Graduate Program who shall make the recommendation to the Graduate School for a student to be placed on probation or be dismissed from a Degree Program or Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. For purposes of this Policy, the Recommending Party shall be the dean of the college or the director of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program.

The term “dismissed” shall mean removal from the student’s Graduate Program and removal from the Graduate School. If a student is dismissed, the student needs to reapply to the Graduate Program and the Graduate School.

The term “discontinuation” shall mean the suspension of the student’s active status in the Graduate Program and Graduate School. If a student is discontinued, the student does not need to reapply to the Graduate Program and the Graduate School. A student can be reinstated at the discretion of the Graduate Program and the Graduate School.

A student may be placed on probation and/or dismissed from a Graduate Program for numerous reasons, which may include, but are not limited to:

1. Failure to maintain good academic standing as defined by this Policy or the particular Graduate Program.
2. Failure to make satisfactory progress as defined by the standards in this Policy or a particular Graduate Program.
3. Failure to meet the conditions of academic probation as described in the Academic Probation Notice.
4. Unsatisfactory performance as a graduate teaching assistant, graduate research assistant, or graduate project assistant.
5. Failure to comply with professional or ethical standards applicable to a particular Graduate Program while the student is in a clinical or professional setting.
6. Violations of University Student Code of Conduct or the Academic Standards Policy for academic dishonesty (UAM 6,502) where the disciplinary sanction is expulsion.

All probation and dismissal recommendations shall be submitted to the Graduate School. Only the Graduate School may officially place students on probation or dismiss students. Colleges and Graduate Programs may not place students on probation, nor dismiss students from the Graduate Programs unless authorized to do so by the Graduate School.

3.1. Good standing

A student may be placed on probation and dismissed from the Graduate School for failure to maintain academic good standing. To be considered in good academic standing, graduate students shall:

1. Complete each graduate course with a grade of “C” or better for the units to be acceptable toward an advanced degree. Some Graduate Programs, at their discretion, do not accept any grade lower than “B” or “B-“ for the fulfillment of Graduate Program requirements.
2. Maintain a University graduate cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.0.
3. Maintain a passing grade in the clinical or practicum course.
4. Have not been placed on probation by the Graduate School for academic deficiencies or clinical or practicum placement deficiencies.

3.2. Failure to make satisfactory progress

A student may be placed on probation and dismissed from a Graduate Program for failure to make satisfactory progress in their course of study. Failure to make progress is indicated by one or more of the following academic progress standards (“Academic Progress Standards”):

1. Failure to complete three (3) graduate credits per semester toward their Graduate Program; if an exception has been issued allowing a student to enroll for fewer than three (3) graduate credits, failure to complete the agreed-on number of graduate credits.
2. Unsatisfactory grades (including grades below C, or grades lower than a B or B- in the case of Graduate Programs which only accept B or B- or higher for the fulfillment of Graduate Program requirements)
3. Repeated withdrawals from courses.
4. Failure to consult with their advisor when requested.
5. Failure to establish a graduate advisory committee.
6. Failure to develop an official, approved program of study.
7. Failure to establish the groundwork for a thesis or dissertation.
8. Failure to comply with other specific Graduate Program requirements or policies as stated in the Graduate Program’s dismissal policy, if any, or in the Graduate Program’s student handbook and website.
9. Failure to meet a Graduate Program milestone or benchmark within the timeframe specified by the Graduate Program.
10. Failure to correct or remediate an “out-of-status” course per the student’s Program of Study or the Graduate Program.
11. In Graduate Programs with clinical or practicum components, failure to perform at a level commensurate with the training received from either the Graduate Program or the clinical/practicum placement site while the student is in a clinical or practicum setting.
12. Failure to maintain the standards of academic and professional integrity expected in a particular discipline or Graduate Program, as described in the Graduate Program’s student handbook and website, while the student is in a clinical or practicum setting.

Colleges and Graduate Programs may establish their own benchmarks or requirements for the academic progress standards stated above. The benchmarks or requirements for the academic progress standards shall be consistent with Graduate Program requirements, standards in the field, and as specified in the Graduate Program section and on the website for that Graduate Program. A College or Graduate Program shall not create or add any additional academic progress standards beyond those listed in this section 3.2.

Colleges and Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs are required to review the academic performance and progress of a student at least once per year.

3.3. Probation and dismissal

A Recommending Party may request that the Graduate School place the student on probation and/or dismiss a student for failure to maintain academic good standing and/or failure to make satisfactory progress. A request by a Recommending Party for a student to be placed on probation and/or dismissed from a Graduate Program shall follow the procedures stated in the specific dismissal policy for that particular Graduate Program. If the Graduate Program does not have a specific graduate dismissal policy, this Policy shall be applied for probation and dismissal.

A Recommending Party may request that the Graduate School place the student on probation for one of the following reasons:

1. Failure to maintain academic good standing as stated in subsection 3.1.
2. Failure to make satisfactory progress as stated in subsection 3.2.

3.3.a. Placing the student on probation – Failure to maintain academic good standing.

If the student's cumulative grade-point total falls below 3.0, but not below 2.31, the student shall be placed on probation following the process stated in Section 3.3(b). The student must then raise their cumulative graduate GPA to 3.0 by the end of the following semester during which the student is enrolled or the student shall be summarily dismissed from the Graduate School with no further process or appeal. If in the following academic semester, the student fails to enroll for the minimum number of credits required, or if the student is not granted a leave of absence, the student shall be discontinued per Section 3.4.

GPA calculator

3.3.b. Placing the student on probation – Failure to make satisfactory progress.

If the Recommending Party determines that the student has failed to make satisfactory progress, the Recommending Party shall make a written request to the Director of Operations of the Graduate School (“Director of Operations”) to place the student on probation. In the request, the Recommending Party shall provide documentation of the student’s failure to meet the specific provisions(s) of this Policy or the specific provisions of the College or Graduate Program dismissal policy, where applicable, warranting probation. The Recommending Party also shall provide specific requirements and/or conditions, including deadlines, which the student shall complete in order for the Graduate School to remove the student from probation.

If the Graduate School approves the request to place the student on probation, the Recommending Party shall notify the student in writing that the student has been placed on academic probation (the “Academic Probation Notice”). The Recommending Party shall forward the Academic Probation Notice to the Graduate School.

The Academic Probation Notice shall outline what the student must do and the dates by which the student must do so in order to return to good standing in the student’s Graduate Program. The Academic Probation Notice also shall inform the student that if the student does not meet the conditions of probation, the student shall be dismissed from the Graduate Program, contain information about the applicable Graduate School, College or Graduate Program dismissal appeal process that shall be used and provide the student with the contact information for the Director of Operations for any questions or concerns the student may have. The Academic Probation Notice also shall inform the student of the student’s right to participate in a review conference with the College or Interdisciplinary Graduate Program to discuss the terms and conditions of the probation and that the student must submit, within ten (10) Working Days from the date of the Academic Probation Notice, a written request to the Graduate School to have a review conference (“Review Conference Request”).

The student shall be afforded the opportunity for a review conference, which shall be administered by the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program Director or the College dean or the College dean’s designee who shall be a department chair, program director or associate dean (“Review Conference Administrator”). The student shall have ten (10) Working Days from the date of the Academic Probation Notice to submit a written request to the student’s College or Interdisciplinary Graduate Program for a review conference (“Review Conference Request”). The College or Interdisciplinary Graduate Program shall direct the Review Conference Administrator to schedule the Review Conference to occur no later than ten (10) Working Days from receipt of the Review Conference Request.

3.3.c. Dismissal

If the student fails to meet the requirements and/or conditions of probation, violates the terms of the probation or is recommended for dismissal without probation under Section 3.4 for all instances except for failure to maintain academic good standing as stated in Section 3.4(a), the Recommending Party shall make a written request to the Graduate School to dismiss the student from the Graduate Program and Graduate School. In the request, the Recommending Party shall provide documentation of the student’s failure to meet the terms of the probation, the student’s violation of the terms of the probation, or the grounds for dismissal without probation as stated in Section 3.4.

If the Graduate School approves the request to dismiss the student, the Recommending Party shall notify the student in writing that the student is being dismissed from the Graduate Program and Graduate School (“Dismissal Notice”). The Dismissal Notice shall include a written statement of reasons for the dismissal action, information about the applicable appeal procedures and the time period by which the student shall file an appeal (set forth in Section 6 below).

3.4: Dismissal without prior probation

In rare instances, a student may be dismissed or discontinued from the Graduate Program and Graduate School without being placed on probation. These instances include the following circumstances:

1. Failure to maintain the following required grades: (1) a student’s University graduate GPA of 2.31 or higher; or (2) a required GPA for the particular Graduate Program or a required grade for a course within the Graduate Program, as stated in the Graduate Program’s dismissal policy, student handbook and website. If the student fails to maintain the GPA requirements described in this Section 3.4(a), the Graduate Program dismissal procedure in this Policy shall not apply and the student may be summarily dismissed from the Graduate Program.
2. Failure to pass required courses in the number of attempts allowed by the Graduate Program.
3. Failure of comprehensive and/or qualifying exams in the allowable number of attempts specified by the Graduate Program.
4. Failure to successfully defend a thesis prospectus or dissertation prospectus in the allowable number of attempts specified by the Graduate Program.
5. Failure to successfully defend a final thesis document in the allowable number of attempts specified by the Graduate Program.
6. Failure to pass the culminating experience in the allowable number of attempts specified by the Graduate Program. The term culminating experience does not include: thesis, dissertation, comprehensive exam, clinical, practicum, fieldwork or internship.
7. Failure to complete all degree requirements within a timeframe required by the program not shorter than 8 years for doctoral students, and not shorter than 6 years for Masters students.
8. When a sanction of expulsion is issued by the Office of Student Conduct resulting from a student conduct issue or a violation of the Academic Standards policy (UAM 6,502) for academic dishonesty.
9. When a student’s behaviors or actions while in a clinical or practicum setting endanger the life, health, well-being or safety of any person at the clinical or practicum setting.

For those instances involving a disciplinary sanction of expulsion by the Office of Student Conduct, the student is subject to the procedures as outlined in Section 4.

For the other instances described above (other than the instances described in Section 3.4(a)), the student is subject to the same procedures as outlined in Section 6 for Graduate Program dismissal. The student shall be provided with a Dismissal Notice which shall include information about the appeal procedures, the appeal conference and the time period by which the student shall file an appeal (set forth in Section 6 below).

All disciplinary issues relating to a student’s alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct and the Academic Standards Policy are processed through the Office of Student Conduct and not the Graduate School. The Graduate School does not dismiss students from the Graduate Program or Graduate School as a result of a finding of responsibility of violations of the Student Code of Conduct or the Academic Standards Policy. The Graduate School does dismiss a student from the student’s Graduate Program and Graduate School upon direction from the Office of Student Conduct after all conduct hearings and appeals have been completed and the Office of Student Conduct notifies the Graduate School that the sanction imposed against the student is expulsion from the University and therefore, dismissal from the student’s Graduate Program.

Probation and/or dismissal from the Graduate School for lack of professionalism or professional misconduct while in a clinical or practicum setting shall be allowed only for those Graduate Programs with licensing, accreditation or national standards outlining professional behaviors or expectations. Colleges and Graduate Programs shall establish their own benchmarks for professionalism or professional conduct, consistent with Graduate Program requirements, licensing, accreditation or national standards in the field, and as stated in the Graduate Program’s dismissal policy, student handbook and website.

All probation and/or dismissal recommendations based upon lack of professionalism or professional misconduct in a clinical or practicum settling shall be submitted to the Graduate School and only the Graduate School may officially place students on probation or dismiss students. Colleges and Graduate Programs may not place students on probation, nor dismiss students from the Graduate Programs unless authorized to do so by the Graduate School.

A recommendation for probation and/or dismissal due to lack of professionalism or professional misconduct shall follow the procedures stated in the specific dismissal policy for that College or Graduate Program for dismissals based upon failure to make adequate progress. If the College or Graduate Program does not have a specific graduate dismissal policy for lack of professionalism or professional misconduct, the College or Graduate Program shall follow the procedures stated in this Policy for dismissals based upon failure to make adequate progress (Section 3.3) or dismissal without probation (Section 3.4(i)), whichever section is applicable.

A. Student’s appeal request

The student shall have ten (10) Working Days from the date of the Dismissal Notice to submit an appeal to the student’s College or Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. The College or Interdisciplinary Graduate Program then shall have ten (10) Working Days to submit the student’s appeal to the Graduate School. Within ten (10) Working Days of receipt of the student’s written request for appeal, the Graduate Dean shall review the student’s appeal and provide the student with written notification of the opportunity for a review conference on the appeal (“Appeal Conference”).

B. Appeal conference

The Appeal Conference shall be administered by the Graduate Dean. The Appeal Conference is a meeting that is not intended to be adversarial in nature. The student may be accompanied by an advisor during the Appeal Conference, who may serve in a support role to the student during the Appeal Conference. In this process, the advisor has no right to speak during the Appeal Conference except to the student.

If a student, who has been given notice does not appear for the Appeal Conference with the Graduate Dean, then the review conference shall proceed in the absence of the student.

The Appeal Conference is the time for presentation of the information, documents or witnesses in support of the dismissal. The Appeal Conference is the time at which the student is afforded the opportunity to present information, documents or witnesses on the student’s behalf. Witnesses may present a statement to the Graduate Dean; however, only the Graduate Dean is allowed to ask questions of any witnesses. Furthermore, the Recommending Party has the opportunity to participate in the Appeal Conference and may present information, documents or witnesses in support of the dismissal recommendation. The Graduate Dean also may include representatives from the applicable discipline or Graduate Program in the Appeal Conference.

The Appeal Conference shall occur within thirty-five (35) Working Days but no earlier than ten (10) Working Days after the date the Dismissal Notice was sent to the student by email or by personal delivery. The student can make a written request to the Graduate Dean asking that the 10-day period be waived if the student wants the Appeal Conference to occur sooner. If necessary, the student can make a written request to the Graduate Dean for an extension of time for the Appeal Conference and the Graduate Dean in their sole discretion, may grant the extension with regard to the Appeal Conference. If an extension of time for the Appeal Conference has been granted by the Graduate Dean, the Appeal Conference shall take place no later than forty-five (45) Working Days from the date of the Dismissal Notice.

C. Written decision

After a review of all the materials, statements and relevant circumstances, the Graduate Dean shall issue a written decision setting forth the reasons upon which the final decision is based. The Graduate Dean’s determination shall be made on the basis of whether it is more likely than not that the student engaged in behavior or actions related to the Graduate Program that warrant dismissal.

If the Graduate Dean does not uphold the recommendation for dismissal, the student shall be reinstated in the Graduate Program. The Graduate Dean shall provide the written decision to the student and the Graduate Program within five (5) Working Days after the Appeal Conference.

D. Decision final

The decision of the Graduate Dean is final and is not subject to appeal.

Pursuant to the Academic Policies of the Graduate School, a student is required to be enrolled in either: (1) three (3) graduate-level credits per semester; or (2) the minimum number of credits agreed to by the Graduate School and the student prior to the beginning of the semester (the “Continuous Enrollment Policy”). Any student in violation of the Continuous Enrollment Policy is subject to discontinuation from the Graduate Program and the student’s academic record shall be closed.

The Graduate School shall notify a student prior to the beginning of the next semester if they are in danger of violating the Continuous Enrollment Policy (“Discontinuation Notice”). The Discontinuation Notice shall be issued by the Graduate School within 10 (ten) business days prior to the beginning of the semester. The Discontinuation Notice shall inform the student that failure to register for the minimum number of credits violates the Continuous Enrollment Policy and will result in their discontinuation. If thereafter, the student fails to register for the minimum number of required credits, the student is discontinued from the Graduate Program.

If a student is unable to enroll in the minimum number of credits the next semester, the student shall submit a Leave of Absence Form signed by the Graduate Program and the Graduate School prior to the start of that next semester.

Failure to timely submit the Leave of Absence form or failure to return to the Graduate Program after the leave of absence has expired shall result in discontinuation from the Graduate Program and the student’s academic record shall be closed.

Students who were discontinued due to non-enrollment and whose academic record was previously closed may request reinstatement to the Graduate Program. A Notice of Reinstatement to Graduate Standing form must be received by the Graduate School no later than the last day of enrollment for the semester in which the reinstatement is to begin.

The decision to reinstate occurs at the discretion of the Graduate Program and the Graduate School. A Graduate Program may deny the request for reinstatement and require the student to reapply to the Graduate Program.

Students whose request for reinstatement is approved by the Graduate Program and the Graduate School must pay a reinstatement fee which is equivalent to the application fee.

In some instance, there will have been changes in the Graduate Program’s curricular requirements between the time at which the student was enrolled last, and the time when the student is being reinstated. A reinstated student is required to follow the curriculum that was applicable when the student was last enrolled in the program unless the Graduate Program agrees in writing to allow the student to follow the most recent curriculum.

A student who has been dismissed from a Graduate Program is not permitted to request reinstatement to the Graduate Program from which they were dismissed.