Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

Undergraduate SAP Standards

The academic standing of an undergraduate student at McPherson College is measured by the student’s progress toward a degree within a specific amount of time. This includes a quantitative measure (residential cumulative grade point average) and a qualitative measure (credit hours earned as a percentage of credit hours attempted). The maximum time frame for completing a degree is 180 credit hours. The time frame may be extended if necessary for students who have changed majors. An appeal will be required for this extension.

A quantitative assessment is based on residential cumulative grade point average. Repeated coursework is included in the GPA hours of the most recent term that the course was taken.

The qualitative satisfactory academic progress is based on all coursework done at McPherson College and all other coursework counted towards the degree. At McPherson College, this includes failed coursework, coursework graded as incomplete and withdrawn coursework. All repeated coursework is included in the attempted hours.

Determinations of satisfactory academic progress are made immediately after each payment period. If a student takes a summer class, their academic progress will be reevaluated at the end of the summer term. Students who exceed the academic criteria listed in both the qualitative and the quantitative measures are considered in good academic standing. Students who do not meet one of these measures are placed on academic/financial aid warning or suspension and will be notified within 30 days after grades are due from the faculty. Progress is based on the chart below.

A student who fails to meet the quantitative or qualitative measures will fall into one of the following categories: Warning or Suspension.

1. Warning – Students who do not achieve one or more of the academic criteria in any given semester/term are put on warning. The student is sent notification stating the policy and the consequences of a consecutive term below standards.
2. Suspension – Students who do not achieve one or more academic criteria for a second consecutive semester are put on suspension. Students who are not permitted to continue their enrollment will be placed on suspension for at least one semester. A student on suspension will not be eligible for federal, state, or institutional financial aid. Students are notified of their suspension and given the choice to appeal. If the student chooses not to appeal, they will serve their suspension from the college.

Appeals

Students that had circumstances that prevented them from meeting SAP are encouraged to appeal. The student must complete an appeal by the deadline that is given in their suspension letter. An appeal template will be included with the suspension letter. The appeal should –

• Clearly explain the circumstances that have prevented the student from satisfactory academic progress. Examples of these circumstances could be, but are not limited to, the death of a relative, injury or illness, or another special circumstance. Documentation of this circumstance will be required.
• Include a specific plan the student is committed to implementing in order to work their way back into good academic standing.

If the appeal is approved, the student will be in either a one semester probation or a multiple semester plan. At the end of the next payment period, another review will be completed. If the student does not meet the standards again, they will be placed back on suspension. The student may appeal their suspension again; however, the explanation cannot be the same as the first appeal.

Academic Plans/Probation

Probation – If it is mathematically possible and probable that the student can meet satisfactory academic progress in one term and the student has an unusual circumstance, the student can be placed on probation and given one term to fix the issue. If the student achieves the required GPA and/or pass rate, the student continues in good standing. If the student fails to meet the minimum requirements, the student is immediately put back on suspension.   Students may appeal again if there are reasons for the lack of academic progress other than those cited in the original appeal.

Academic Plans – If it is not mathematically possible or is improbable that a student can achieve good standing in one term, McPherson College may choose to put the student on a multiple-term academic plan. The plan will utilize the SAP levels and a set number of credit hours per semester to get the student back into good standing. If the student meets the semester/term achievements but still lacks the cumulative requirements, the student is not put back on suspension but allowed to continue on their plan. If the student meets good standing sooner than planned, the student is put back in good standing. If the student does not meet any part of the semester/term plan, the student is put back on suspension. The student has the option to appeal, but a successful appeal will only be granted if there are circumstances other than those cited in the original appeal that explain the lack of academic progress.

Suspension

Suspended students that do not appeal or their appeal is denied, they will serve the term of their suspension from McPherson College. After serving their suspension, students must reapply for admission to McPherson College. The student will be considered for readmission. A student will not receive any federal, state, or institutional financial aid until they are back in good academic standing. However, the student does have the option to appeal their financial aid suspension when applying for readmission.

Graduate SAP Standards

The academic standing of a graduate student at McPherson College is measured by a qualitative measure (cumulative residential grade point average) and a quantitative measure (credit hours earned as a percentage of credit hours attempted). To maintain good academic standing, a graduate student must, at all times, maintain a 3.0 cumulative residential GPA and complete no less than 67 percent of all hours attempted. Any student whose GPA falls below 3.0 or who completes fewer than 67 percent of all attempted hours will be placed on academic warning. The student remains on warning until a 3.0 GPA is achieved or the percentage of hours earned totals at least 67 percent of hours attempted.

Determinations of satisfactory academic progress are made immediately after each payment period. If a student takes a summer class, their academic progress will be reevaluated at the end of the summer term. Students who exceed measures listed in both the qualitative and the quantitative measures are considered in good academic standing. Students who do not meet one of these measures are placed on academic/financial aid warning or suspension and will be notified within 30 days after grades are due from the faculty.