College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Academic Review

Satisfactory Academic Progress: To maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress a full time student 1) must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits each semester, 2) is expected to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0, and 3) must successfully complete 75% of attempted credits per academic year. Students who are registered for 11 or fewer credits in an academic semester will also be expected to maintain a GPA of 2.0 and must successfully complete 75% of attempted credits per academic year to maintain satisfactory academic progress.

ACADEMIC REVIEW: In each college, the Academic Review Committee is responsible for monitoring students' overall performance to meet the bachelor’s degree requirements and academic regulations of that college.

Academic Alert

A student in Good Academic Standing is given an Academic Alert if the student,

• obtains a semester GPA below 2.0 (2.3 for LUCAD students);
• the student fails one course

Academic Support Following an Academic Alert

Students receiving an Academic Alert should consider adjusting their course loads and re-evaluating their involvement in co-curricular activities while they work towards achieving satisfactory academic standards. Students should make appropriate use of the University’s academic and personal support services, including the Academic Advising Center and the University’s Center for Academic Achievement.

The Director of Academic Advising will assign an Academic Success Advisor to (non-LCAL) CLAS students who receive an academic alert immediately following their first semester at Lesley. LCAL students (on campus, off campus, and online adult learners) will obtain this additional support from their academic advisor.

Academic Probation

A student who had been in Good Academic Standing is no longer in Good Academic Standing and is placed on Academic Probation if the student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 (CLAS) or 2.3 (LUCAD). If, while on Academic Probation, a student earns a semester GPA of 2.0 or greater but has a cumulative GPA below a 2.0, then s/he will remain on Academic Probation.

The Academic Review Committee may place a student on academic probation if the student has not completed 75% of courses attempted, has not met the internships/student teaching requirement of the major, or has been placed under Divisional Review.

The Associate Dean of the college will notify the student by email of the Academic Review Committee’s decision to place the student on academic probation. The student may appeal this decision by providing potentially significant information or evidence that was not available to, or considered by, the Academic Review Committee. The student has five (5) business days from the date of the email notification to file an appeal with the Dean’s office. The Dean of the college will review the decision of the Academic Review Committee and all documentation both considered by the committee and provided by the student. The Dean will make the final decision on academic probation and will notify the student and the Academic Review Committee of the decision.

Academic Support While on Alert or Probation

Students on Academic Probation must adjust their course loads to have no more than 12 credits, and may be required to reduce their involvement in co-curricular activities until they have achieved satisfactory academic standards. Students should make appropriate use of the University’s academic and personal support services, including the Academic Advising Center and the University’s Center for Academic Achievement.

The Director of Academic Advising will assign (non-LCAL) CLAS students who are on academic probation with a Probation Advisor to serve in addition to the student’s regular academic advisor. LCAL students (on campus, off campus and online adult learners) will obtain this additional support from their academic advisor.

Academic Dismissal

The Academic Review Committee may recommend dismissal to the Dean of the college if a student,

• Earns a semester GPA below a 2.0 while on Academic Probation; or
• Earns a GPA of 1.0 or less during their first semester of study at Lesley; or
• Does not demonstrate the ability to meet degree requirements, including the internship/student teaching requirement of the major, or the Remediation Plan required in the major. The Dean will notify the student by email of the Academic Review Committee’s recommendation for dismissal and offer the student the opportunity to respond. The student will have five (5) business days from the date of the email notification to submit, by email, a detailed written response to the Dean’s office. The Dean will make the final decision concerning dismissal and will notify the student (by email and U.S. mail) and the Academic Review Committee of the decision. The Dean’s decision is final and may not be appealed.

If a student is dismissed, the financial obligation to the college is governed by the financial regulations stated in the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Restricted Programs of Study

These programs of study have specific academic and professional standards in addition to the College’s general standards. Copies of the relevant standards are available through the divisions and are distributed to the students in the programs of study.

Education: Any junior or senior having less than a 3.0 cumulative grade point average, or who otherwise fails to meet the prerequisites, will not be accepted for the Senior Practicum. Likewise, students who do not pass all of their MTEL exams will not be accepted for the Senior Practicum, which is a required element of the Education majors.

The Division’s Review Committee may determine that a student who fails to meet academic and professional standards of the major will not be allowed to continue in the major. A student may appeal the decision within five working days of receiving notification if s/he disagrees with the decision and if s/he can demonstrate the availability of new information or evidence that is potentially significant and was not available to the committee and therefore not considered by the committee. The Dean will review the decision of the committee and all documentation considered by the committee. The Dean will notify the student and the committee of her/his decision within five working days. The decision of the Dean is final. Copies of the appeal process are also available from the dean of the college.

Credit-Bearing Internships and Field Experiences for Students not Majoring in Education; Unless otherwise stated, students must receive a grade of “C-“ or better in any internship course, including the first year introduction to field experience course, in order to take subsequent internship courses.

Art Therapy, Counseling, Expressive Arts Therapy and Human Services: Any junior or senior having less than a 2.3 cumulative grade point average in major requirements and/or an overall cumulative grade point average of 2.0 will not be accepted for an internship.

The Division’s Review Committee may determine that a student who fails to meet academic and professional standards of the major will not be allowed to continue in that major. The Academic Notification informs the student of the Division Review Committee’s concerns and may, if appropriate, include a Remediation Plan. A student may appeal the decision within five working days of receiving notification if s/he disagrees with the decision and if s/he can demonstrate the availability of new information or evidence that is potentially significant and was not available to the committee and therefore not considered by the committee. The Dean will review the decision of the committee and all documentation considered by the committee. The Dean will notify the student and the committee of her/his decision within five working days. The decision of the Dean is final. Copies of the appeal process are also available from the Dean of the college.

Business Management: All Business Management majors must achieve a grade of “C” or higher, with the exception of one course, in all courses with prefixes CMGMT or CECON. Courses with grades below “C” must be repeated. Any exceptions must be approved by the Division Director in order to continue to the next course sequence.

Any junior or senior having less than a 2.3 cumulative grade point average in major requirements and/or an overall cumulative grade point average of less than 2.0 will not be accepted for an internship.

A grade of "C" or better is required to move to the next internship course.

A grade of "B-" or better in the capstone course is required to meet the requirements of the major.

A cumulative grade point average of 2.3 or better in the major is required to meet the requirements of the major.

Within the General Education Requirements, Business Management majors are required to complete the following courses in the specified categories:

Social Science Requirement:

CECON 2101 Microeconomics. This is 3 of the 6 credits required in the Social Science category.

Math Requirement:

CMATH 1590 Patterns and Functions. Please note that based on a student’s SAT Math and/or ACT Math scores, the student may be placed in a lower level math course prior to taking CMATH 1590. CMATH 1590 satisfies the 3-credit general education mathematics requirement.

Liberal Arts Electives Requirement:

CECON 2102 Macroeconomics. This is 3 of the 12 credits required in the category Liberal Arts Electives.

Business Management majors are required to demonstrate a foreign language competency. Students who have studied a foreign language prior to entering Lesley University are encouraged to take the foreign language proficiency exam. Students who receive a passing score will be exempted from the language competency requirement. Competency can be fulfilled by taking two semesters of the same foreign language at the University.

Creative Writing, English and History

Any junior or senior having less than a 2.3 cumulative grade point average in major requirements and/or an overall cumulative grade point average of 2.0 will not be accepted for an internship.

Individually Designed Major (LCAL Students)

Adult students with transfer or PLA credits may pursue approved individually designed majors. The Individually Designed major leads to a BA or BS in Liberal Arts with a concentration in the student’s area of interest. The concentration should be one that is not offered through Lesley’s traditional programs. Students should be aware that for some disciplines, students will be required to meet the same documented professional standards as outlined by the division for the major.

Online and Community College Partnership Programs

Online programs and programs run through Lesley University's Community College Partnership Programs are restricted to students in the Center for the Adult Learner.

Professional and Personal Standards: When a student appears unable to conform to the professional and personal standards of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the case will be referred to the Academic Review Committee.

Academic Dismissal: The College reserves the right to suspend or dismiss at any time any student who, in the opinion of the college authorities, does not maintain any one of the stated degree requirements. The Academic Review Committee can recommend dismissal to the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences if the student meets any of the following conditions:

• Remains on academic probation for two (2) consecutive semesters;
• Earns a GPA of 1.0 or less during the first semester of study; or
• Does not demonstrate the ability to meet degree requirements, including the internship/student teaching requirement of the major.

If a student is dismissed, the financial obligation to the college is governed by the financial regulations stated in the Financial Information section of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Academic Catalog.

GENERAL DISMISSAL: In addition to academic dismissal and financial administrative withdrawal, the college reserves the right to suspend or dismiss from the academic programs and the residence halls any student who, in the opinion of the college authorities, does not achieve and maintain the required academic, personal, and professional standards as defined in the Degree Requirements section of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Academic Catalog. Such suspension or dismissal may occur as a result of both on-campus and off-campus violations of the degree requirements and/or the Community Standards of Conduct described in the Student Handbook. Dismissal from the academic programs or the residence halls does not terminate the student’s financial obligation to the college for tuition, residence fees, or other indebtedness.

Reinstatement Policy

A student who has withdrawn or been dismissed from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences may apply for reinstatement by submitting a written request to the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The request should explain fully why reinstatement is justified and should also include the necessary supporting documentation. It should be sent in sufficient time to enable the Dean and, as appropriate, the Academic Review Committee to review and act upon the request prior to the beginning of the term for which the student is requesting readmission.

Normally, requests for readmission for the fall semester should be submitted by August 15, and for the spring semester by January 2.