An undergraduate student maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.0 is in Academic Good Standing and eligible to continue to enroll for classes.

Academic Notice Memo - Fall 2024

A student with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above who earns a semester/term GPA below 2.0 is given an "academic notice".  Academic notice alerts a student to the consequences of continued poor academic performance and is communicated to the student and the student's adviser. 

Academic notice does not appear on the student's permanent academic record, and the transcript notation for the semester/term will reflect " Academic Good Standing."

Academic Probation Memo - Fall 2024

Academic probation is an indication of serious academic difficulty and applies whenever a student's cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0.  A student who is placed on academic probation at the end of a semester/term may enroll for the following semester/term; however, a student on academic probation will be restricted to a course load of no more than 13 credit hours each semester until their cumulative grade point average has improved sufficiently enough to remove them from academic probation.  The university might also require students on academic probation to confer regularly with their academic advisers, participate in academic skills development programs, and/or utilize specific JMU academic resources.

Academic Suspension Alert Memo - Fall 2024

A student will receive an academic suspension alert if

• their cumulative GPA is below the academic suspension threshold at the end of their first semester of enrollment at JMU
• their cumulative GPA is below the academic suspension threshold at the end of a summer session, but their academic status was greater than academic suspension at the end of the immediately preceding spring semester
• their cumulative GPA is below the academic suspension threshold at the end of a fall semester, and they have no prior academic suspensions

A student who receives an academic suspension alert may enroll for the following semester/term; however, a student who receives an academic suspension alert will be restricted to a course load of no more than 13 credit hours each semester until they reach academic good standing.  The university might also require students who receive an academic suspension alert to confer regularly with their academic advisers, participate in academic skills development programs, and/or utilized specific JMU academic resources. 

Academic suspension alert does not appear on the student's permanent academic record, and the transcript notation for the semester/term will reflect " Academic Probation".

A student will be placed on academic suspension if:

• their current term of enrollment is greater than the first term of enrollment and their cumulative GPA is below the academic suspension threshold at the end of a spring semester.
• their cumulative GPA is below the academic suspension threshold at the end of a summer session, and their academic status was academic suspension at the end of the immediately preceding spring semester

As a rule, academic suspension will be invoked at the end of the spring semester (and summer session for students who attend summer session); however, in exceptional cases where academic performance is persistently unsatisfactory, or in cases where students fail to meet continued enrollment or conditions, the university may choose to suspend students at the end of the fall semester.

The period of academic suspension is a minimum of twelve months following a first suspension and a minimum of twenty-four months following a second suspension.  A student who is academically suspended for a second time is eligible to apply to return to JMU by agreeing to apply for the Transfer Equivalent Option (TEO) upon their approved return to JMU.  Re-entry is not guaranteed.

If you are suspended a third time, you will be permanently dismissed from the university. You may not appeal this type of dismissal, nor will you be allowed to exercise the Transfer Equivalent option (defined below).

*Total Number of Hours for Standing includes all hours attempted at JMU plus:

• Credit hours transferred to JMU.
• Credit hours earned by departmental exam and AP/IB/Cambridge Exam credit.
• Credit hours for courses taken on a credit/no credit basis (whether the final grade was CR or NC).

In the example below a student has attempted 60 credit hours at JMU and received 30 credits for transfer work and 2 hours of no credit work. The hours attempted plus the no credit and transfer hours place this student in the 92 credit hour category, even though the total number of hours earned is equal to 82. With a cumulative GPA of 1.991, the student is subject to suspension.

First Suspension:

Following a first Academic Suspension, a student may not attend JMU for at least the following twelve months, except as described in the Summer Session and Continued Enrollment Appeal paragraphs below.

Summer Session. Students may enroll in JMU summer session courses by completing normal registration procedures. If a student's academic performance in the summer session raises their cumulative grade point average so that they are no longer on academic suspension, they will be eligible to continue their studies at JMU.  View additional information concerning summer session attendance. 

Continued Enrollment Appeal. Students may appeal for continued enrollment after a first suspension. If a student believes that there are extenuating circumstances associated with their first academic suspension, they may submit a Continued Enrollment Appeal Form (the form's link will be posted/made available on May 2023). 

PLEASE NOTE:  If you are enrolled in (or are planning to enroll in) JMU summer session classes, please wait until your summer session grades are posted to submit an appeal form. If your GPA reaches Academic Probation or Good Standing during the Summer Session, submitting an appeal form to return to JMU for the fall semester is not necessary.   

Second Suspension:

Following a second Academic Suspension, a student may not attend JMU for at least the following twenty-four months, except as described in the Summer Session paragraph below.

Summer Session. Students may enroll in JMU summer session courses by completing normal registration procedures. If a student's academic performance in the summer session raises their cumulative grade point average so that they are no longer on academic suspension, they will be eligible to continue their studies at JMU.  View additional information concerning summer session attendance.  

Students who are academically suspended for a second time are eligible to apply to return to JMU by agreeing to apply for the Transfer Equivalent Option upon their approved return to JMU.

Re-entry is not guaranteed but is contingent upon review by an academic review committee chaired by the Assistant Vice Provost of Academic Student Services. Such review may result in a denial or conditional re-entry.

Third Suspension:

There is no appeal. You are permanently dismissed from the university.

You may wish to consider taking courses at another institution for transfer credit at JMU. To do this, you must complete paperwork with the JMU Registrar prior to enrolling in the course(s) to verify that the courses will be accepted by JMU. These courses cannot be used to raise your GPA at JMU, but may be considered when evaluating your re-enrollment.

We recommend that you get help from the staff of one or more of the following university support services:

Academic Advising

University Career Center

Counseling Center

University Writing Center

Science and Math Learning Center

Learning Success Strategies

These offices will review your study and social habits. Their help and your academic adviser's aid will support your progress toward graduation.

For additional information on offices and departments on campus that can assist you, visit The JMU Learning Centers' Learning Resources page.

If you received a Federal Loan while at JMU , you must complete exit counseling after you stop taking classes.  The six-month grace period for these loans begins the last day you attended, even if you plan to return to JMU. If you return to JMU, you may or may not be eligible for federal financial aid as determined by the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy.  If you are denied aid, you are responsible for finding other means to pay for your educational expenses.

If you are living on-campus in a residence hall or on Greek Row, you must meet the terms and conditions of the JMU Living Contract. You should contact the Office of Residence Life (540-568-4663) to officially check out of your assignment.

Repeat Forgiveness

You may elect to repeat up to two courses on a Repeat Forgiveness basis, but those courses must be repeated at JMU. This option allows you to repeat a course you previously took and forgive your prior attempt. This replaces the previous grade and credit hours from calculations of your GPA, whether you achieve a better grade on the repeated attempt or not. The grade from any previous course will appear on your transcript, even though it will only be counted once toward satisfying graduation requirements. You must declare Repeat Forgiveness at the time of course registration. This option is helpful if you were reinstated and are trying to improve your academic standing. You can find details on Repeat Forgiveness in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the JMU Undergraduate Catalog.

Transfer Equivalent Option

If you return to JMU after an absence of two or more calendar years and maintain a 2.0 GPA for 12 credit hours after your return, you may apply for the transfer equivalent option. This allows you the same quality point status of a transfer student admitted to the university. That is, your new GPA will initially be earned in the 12 credit hours taken upon re-entry.  If you are suspended with a GPA of 1.0 or below, this is a helpful option to consider. Specific regulations and procedures governing this option are described in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the JMU Undergraduate Catalog.