Starting in Summer 2019, a new academic standing policy went into effect at Weber State University. This policy was voted on and approved by the Faculty Senate and Board of Trustees in Spring 2019.

The update will provide changes to suspension, grade point average for juniors and seniors and readmission.

“At WSU, academic policy is determined by Faculty Senate,” Associate Registrar Cori Horne said. “The Office of the Registrar supports the Faculty senate in the implementation and dissemination of academic policy, and conducts policy assessments and reviews to ensure that WSU academic policy best serves the institution and its students.”

Before Summer 2019, juniors and seniors needed to maintain a 2.5 term GPA, unlike their freshman and sophomore counterparts who only needed to maintain a 2.0. Now, all undergraduate students must maintain a 2.0 term GPA, regardless of class standing.

Under this new policy, once students’ institutional GPAs drop below 2.0, the students would be placed on academic warning. If the institutional and term GPAs remained below a 2.0 during the next term, probation comes into effect. If the students’ term GPAs are above a 2.0, the students remain on warning until the institutional GPA raises above 2.0.

However, if students don’t raise their term GPA once on probation, the students are suspended the next semester. Instead of serving extensive suspensions, the policy has capped the suspension length at one term and will be working with students using more academic interventions: Bounce Back and Starfish.

Bounce Back will provide students enrolled in the program with a short online workshop. They will then meet with their academic advisor to create a plan for success. If a student returns within two years, the student will meet with their academic advisor for a follow-up appointment.

If students enrolled in Bounce Back haven’t completed the course by the eighth week of the semester, students will receive a registration hold until program completion.

Starfish is an academic eWeber app that allows students to see their resources for the school and information and services related to the courses they are enrolled in. It also allows students to request help and schedule appointments and tasks.

Instructors are also able to send “kudos” to students for doing well on certain assignments or participating in class.

“In 2018, Registrar’s assessed WSU’s academic suspension policy in light of the many student success initiatives that the university has undertaken to support students’ academic and personal success,” Horne said. “These initiatives include the creation of a Student Success Steering Committee and the implementation of academic interventions.”

All students facing one- to three-year suspensions will be reinstated in Fall 2019, which totals 148 students. As of July 8, these students could register for fall and reach out to financial aid and academic advisors.

In addition, those who were suspended and those who may be in the future will be reinstated under academic warning instead of probation to give the students two semesters to raise their institutional and term GPAs above 2.0. This will give students the ability to come back without facing suspension again.

Lastly, because WSU has decided to cap the suspension length, students cannot seek early readmission through an appeal. All academic suspensions must serve the full term.