Academic probation sounds scary, but it doesn’t have to be. First let’s look at how grades are reported. At Ohio University, grades are to be submitted by faculty (professors/instructors) no later than 12 p.m. (noon) on the Wednesday following the end of the semester. You should be able to view them shortly after this time. However, don’t be surprised if grade reports are delayed due to a faculty member being late submitting grades. It happens.
Grades can be found in My Student Center (don’t rely on complete grades to be recorded in Blackboard) under the Academics Tab, other academics drop down. Select “grades” and click the arrow where you will then be directed to a complete list of the semesters available to view. Click the term you want to view, then hit continue and the grade report with GPA will appear.
You can also review all grades on the DARS report. To understand the DARS better read our post How to Read the DARS: Ohio University’s Snapshot on Degree Progress.
Perhaps you didn’t have as strong of a semester as you’d hoped or maybe you already knew you weren’t doing well in your coursework and now you find yourself on academic probation. First, what is academic probation at OHIO? A student will be placed on academic probation if the accumulative GPA is under 2.0. You remain on academic probation until such time as the accumulative GPA is above 2.0. Being on academic probation puts you at risk for academic suspension or dismissal. While you may be disappointed or upset about your academic status, do not ignore it. Trust me – the university wants you to be successful and there are resources available to assist you. Talk to your academic advisor, reach out to the Academic Achievement Center for help in finding a tutor or learning better study skills and habits, attend supplemental instruction (SI) sessions when offered.
The quickest and easiest way to get off academic probation is to retake the courses you did poorly in. Keep in mind that retaking a course is not a bad thing. Don’t feel shame or embarrassment over this. Generally a student may retake a course two times (maximum of three attempts). There are usually many sections of the same course offered and it is possible to take a section with a different faculty member if you feel that your learning was inhibited by the faculty member (perhaps their teaching style and your learning style aren’t cohesive.) Even if you do take the course over with the same faculty member, don’t be ashamed or afraid. I’d encourage you to visit the faculty member after the first class to explain that you are retaking the course and that you desire to do better. Ask them for their advice, study suggestions, and other guidance.
At OHIO, a course’s grade and hours are replaced when the course is retaken. What does this mean? When your failing grade is recorded, you receive 0.00 points towards your GPA and also zero (0) hours towards hours completed. Similarly if you get a D+ in a course you will receive 1.33 points and will receive credit for the hours attempted. When retaking this course and receiving a new grade, the new grade replaces the previous attempt in both GPA points and credit hours. [Note that all grades and attempts will be shown on the full transcript.]
It is important to understand that if you retake the course at another university, for example a local community college when you are home on summer break, the grade will not be replaced. For example if you take Math 1200 and fail it at OHIO but retake the equivalent course at Columbus State Community College during the summer, you will only receive credit for the course (credit hours and meeting the requirement) but the F (0.00 GPA based on 4 credit hours) will remain and will continue to impact your GPA.
If you have questions about academic probation, you should reach out to your academic advisor. They are truly your best resource.
A message for parents:
If your student is placed on academic probation, the best thing you can do is offer support and guidance. Chances are your student knew this was coming – it should not be a shock to a student that they didn’t do well in classes. Have an honest conversation with them about what their obstacles were and what your expectations are. Brainstorm on how to correct course. Demanding access to their Blackboard or other systems will probably not help and will potentially cause your student to retreat. As parents our best action is to be supportive. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t be upset. I get it. College is expensive. But raised voices and threats of bringing your student home could create longterm friction between you and your student when what you need more than anything is open and honest dialogue. Encourage them to reach out to the academic advisor sooner than later.
**this is for undergraduate courses only, graduate programs have different policies for academic probation and course retakes.
Would my student need to be enrolled in atleast 15 credit hours beginning fall if 2023 per semester of the last fall and spring semester previously? Also I think she’s only at 13 or 14 credit hours would she still be able to get this ? Thank you