Academic Standing

A student is in good academic standing if they have a cumulative grade point average that is not below 2.00.

To be eligible to graduate cum laude or magna cum laude status upon graduation, the student must:

• have a honors grade average that places them in the 92nd through 96th percentile among graduating seniors during the previous academic year for Magna cum laude.
• have a honors grade average that places them in the 97th percentile or higher among graduating seniors during the previous academic year for Cum laude.

Click here for information on how to calculate honors grade average and more detailed requirements.

Each undergraduate that meets the criteria for the President's list will have the term "honor roll" affixed to the student's permanent academic record for that quarter.

To be eligible a student must:

• Have a quarterly grade average places them at the 90th percentile or higher among students of the same class (freshmen, sophomore, etc.)
• Be officially enrolled in a division of WWU which employs the A-F grading system.
• Complete at least 14 credits that quarter on the A-F grading system.

The University has set the standards described below to ensure that students who are earning poor grades will examine their objectives carefully before continuing enrollment. In some cases, students will be dropped from the University. The standards are designed to ensure that a student will examine their objectives and seek assistance before grades deteriorate to the point that continued enrollment or admission to another college or university becomes impossible. In all cases involving poor scholarship, students are encouraged to consult with the Academic Advising Center, their instructors, or major advisor.

The low scholarship categories below apply to all divisions of Western Washington University except Fairhaven (see the Fairhaven College section for that division’s scholarship standards). Students dropped from one college division may not transfer to another college division without reinstatement by the Scholastic Standing Committee. These standards apply to students enrolled in self-supporting courses.

A warning is issued to a first-quarter freshman or a first-quarter transfer student (who has not previously attended Western) whose grade average is below 2.00 and to any continuing student whose quarterly grade average is below 2.00 but whose cumulative grade average is 2.00 or higher.

Any student except a first-quarter freshman or first-quarter transfer student (who has not previously attended Western) whose cumulative grade average falls below a 2.00 is placed on academic probation. A student who begins the quarter on probation must earn at least a quarterly grade average of 2.00 to avoid academic dismissal (see below).

Students on probation who repeatedly withdraw or register for Pass/No Pass or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory courses may have their registration privileges revoked.

A student who begins a quarter on probation and, during that quarter, earns a grade average of 2.00 or higher without raising their cumulative grade average to at least 2.00 is placed on continuing probation. The student must then improve their cumulative grade average to at least 2.00 or attain at least a 2.30 quarterly average during the next quarter of enrollment.

Students continuing probation who repeatedly withdraw or register for Pass/No Pass or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory courses may have their registration privileges revoked.

A student will be dropped from the University if they:

• begin a quarter on probation and earn a quarterly grade average below 2.00 and fail to raise their cumulative grade average to at least 2.00 or
• begin a quarter on continuing probation and earn a quarterly grade average below 2.30 and fail to raise their cumulative grade average to at least a 2.00.

Under unusual circumstances involving consistent patterns of course withdrawal or course repeats, a student whose cumulative grade average is 2.00 or higher may be dismissed from the University. The provost may authorize dismissal in these unusual cases after reviewing records presented by the registrar.

A student who has been dismissed for low scholarship should first meet with an advisor with the Academic Advising Center to begin their planning for returning to Western via the reinstatement petition process. More information about the reinstatement process can be found on the Academic Advising & Student Achievement Center website. See also the Reinstatement section below for more details

This occurs at the end of a quarter during which a student has improved their cumulative grade average to 2.00 or higher.

Students who have been dismissed for low scholarship and want to return to Western should contact the Academic Advising and Student Achievement Center and schedule an appointment to meet with an advisor. Students who succeed in gaining reinstatement have earned strong grades in coursework taken since dismissal, established strong study skills, overcome personal challenges that previously interfered with their studies and have clearly defined, realistic academic goals.

Students who have been dismissed for low scholarship can seek reinstatement (but not for the quarter immediately following the quarter of dismissal). For the petitioning process and additional information, go to the Academic Advising & Student Achievement Center website. The Scholastic Standing Committee has the responsibility of determining reinstatement.