Academic Standing
The information on this page will guide you to the help you need to stay on track for success and will help answer questions you have about your academic standing. The College has many people and resources to help you maintain and return to good academic standing at SUNY WCC. We are dedicated to promoting your academic achievement and are here to support you.
If you received a notice stating that you are not in good academic standing, please note that you are not alone. Many students encounter academic difficulty each year for a variety of reasons, including personal, financial, health, and family factors. While you might have experienced similar circumstances there are a variety of ways to help you meet your college goals despite this setback. The first step is to become familiar with what academic standing is and the next step is to get the support you need.
What is academic standing?
Why is academic standing important?
What happens if my cumulative GPA falls below a 2.0?
Students sometimes experience difficulty while in college and their GPAs might slip as a result. The important thing to know is that you can raise your GPA by using the support available to you at SUNY WCC. The faculty and staff at the College are here to support you and want to help you. Please make use of our services!
If your cumulative GPA fall below 2.0 you might be placed on either probation, restriction, or dismissal depending upon the number of credits you have attempted at the College.
What is probation, restriction, and dismissal?
As a SUNY WCC student you are expected to make satisfactory academic progress toward your degrees and attain the necessary standards to be in good standing. Students with GPAs above 2.0 are considered to be in good academic standing and those with GPAs below 2.0 are considered not to be in good academic standing. If you a GPA below 2.0 and have been alerted by the College about your standing, this has been done to help you become aware of any challenges that are impacting your academic success and to seek out support from the many offices on campus that are ready to support you.
The chart below explains the criteria for probation, restriction, and dismissal.
| Attempted Academic Credits | Cumulative GPA | Last Semester of Attendance GPA | Academic Status |
| 0-31 | Less than 2.00 | Any | Academic Probation |
| 32-47 | Less than 2.00 | 2.00 and greater | Academic Probation |
| 32-47 | Less than 2.00 | Less than 2.00 | Academic Restriction |
| 48+ | Less than 2.00 | 2.00 and greater | Academic Probation |
| 48+ | Less than 2.00 | Less than 2.00 (first time in this category) | Academic Restriction |
| 48+ | Less than 2.00 | Less than 2.00 (second time in this category) | Academic Dismissal |
What happens if I am placed on probation?
What happens if I am placed on restriction?
What happens if I am placed on dismissal?
If you are placed on dismissal, you cannot attend classes at SUNY WCC until you petition for reinstatement [link] from dismissal and your application is approved by your Curriculum Chair and School Dean. Once you are approved to be reinstated from dismissal, you will be placed on restriction. You can then re-enter the College at the start of a fall or spring semester and enroll in up to 8 credits. You are strongly encouraged to utilize the College’s services to improve your academic performance and increase your GPA.
Two important points:
- Being reinstated to SUNY WCC does not mean that your financial aid will be reinstated as well. Please speak with the Office of Student Financial Assistance to learn more about your financial aid eligibility upon reinstatement.
- Being reinstated to SUNY WCC does not mean automatic reinstatement to your major, especially for programs that require special permission to enter such as Nursing, Respiratory Care, Radiologic Technology, and Veterinary Technology. Speaking with your Curriculum Chair and/or School Dean is important to ensure that you are on the right path to reaching graduation.
How is GPA calculated?
You can calculate your Grade Point Average (GPA) using the following information:
- Credits earned – These are the total number of credits earned for the courses you have taken at SUNY WCC.
- Final grades earned – Using Degree Works you can see the grades you earned in all your courses.
- Quality points for your grades – Each grade is assigned a quality point value. Use the chart below to determine the quality point values for your grades.
The letter grades of A through F are each associated with a certain number of points, also referred to as quality points. The chart below explains the numerical equivalent and quality points for each of the letter grades.
| Grade | Quality Points | Numerical Equivalent |
| A | 4.0 | 90-100 |
| B+ | 3.5 | 85-89 |
| B | 3.0 | 80-84 |
| C+ | 2.5 | 75-79 |
| C | 2.0 | 70-74 |
| D | 1.0 | 60-69 |
| F | 0.0 | Below 60 |
| FN | 0.0 | Failure, insufficient attendance |
| IF | 0.0 | Incomplete that became an F |
Please note: If you have audited a course, or received a W grade, the credits for these courses should not be included in your overall total grade points.
| Total Quality Points Earned |
|
||
| Total Credits Attempted |
Here’s an example student’s transcript with credit hours, grade earned, and grade points. To determine grade points per course, multiply the credits per course by the quality points per course. In this example, the student has attempted 15 credits in total and earned 37 total grade points.
| Course | Grade | Credits | Quality Points | Grade Points |
| Biology | A | 4 | 4 | 16 |
| Biology Lab | B | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| English | C | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Mathematics | D | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Sociology | F | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| TOTAL NUMBER OF ATTEMPTED CREDITS = 15 | TOTAL NUMBER OF GRADE POINTS = 37 | |||
The basic formula for calculating GPA is to divide your total quality points earned by the total number of credits attempted.
| Total Grade Points Earned |
|
||
| Total Credits Attempted |
Plugging these figures into the formula above, we use the student’s total grade points earned (37) divided by the 15 credits attempted means the student has a GPA of 2.46.
| 37 Grade Points Earned |
|
||
| 15 Credits Attempted |
If a student fails a class there are no grade points earned for that course, however, the credits attempted from that course are still included in the total credits attempted for the program, which is why failing a class does bring down a student’s GPA.
What happens if I fail a course required for my major?
If you fail a required course in your major, you will need to retake and pass that course to progress in your program. Once you pass the course, the original grade will remain listed on your transcript but will not be included in the calculation of the GPA. Instead, only the grade (and credits attempted) associated with the successful retake of the class will be used in the calculation of your GPA.
Should I withdraw from a class if I am not doing well in it?
Since withdrawal grades do not calculate into your GPA, withdrawing from a class can be an option, but you should speak with your professor first about your progress in the course. You might not need to withdraw and maybe working with an Academic Support Center tutor can help you instead. There are withdrawal deadlines for each semester so be attentive to these dates. You should be cautious and not withdraw from too many courses as you can run the risk of losing your financial aid.
Here are the types of withdrawal grades at SUNY WCC:
- W = Student Initiated Withdrawal (not assigned by the faculty member)
- WP = Faculty Assigned Withdrawal – Passing (Student is passing at the time of withdrawal)
- WF = Faculty Assigned Withdrawal – Failing (Student is failing at the time of withdrawal)
Withdrawing from your classes should not be a choice that you make too frequently. Before withdrawing from any classes, always check with the Office of Student Financial Assistance about your financial aid eligibility.
What connection, if any, exists between academic standing and financial aid?
A STRONG connection exists between financial aid and academic standing. According to federal policies, a student’s financial aid eligibility is determined by GPA and the number of credits they have earned. Before withdrawing from any classes, always check with the Office of Student Financial Assistance about your financial aid eligibility.
How can I get back into good academic standing?
You can get back into good academic standing when you have raised your cumulative GPA to at least 2.0. Here are some strategies that can help you do that; however you should review these options with an Academic Counselor to identify which of the following suggestions make the most sense for you.
https://www.sunywcc.edu/student-services/counseling/
- Repeat failed courses: When you repeat and pass courses that you previously failed the new course grade will replace the failing grade in your GPA.
- Reconsider your major: Is your current major a good fit for you? For example, you might be an Engineering Science major who is interested in what engineers do but are having difficulty getting through the math requirements of the major. Or, you might be fascinated by politics and social issues and like talking about these topics with friends and family but lose interest and focus when you need to write papers on these topics. If you can relate to these examples perhaps exploring other majors might be the right step for you.
- Take full advantage of all the support available to you at SUNY WCC: The College offers a many support services that can help you academically, personally, financially, and socially including but not limited to:
If the services you need are not offered by SUNY WCC, we have staff who can connect you to services in your community.
- Determine the cumulative GPA you need to get back into good academic standing and aim for the final grades you need in each of your courses to reach your goal: Your GPA can be calculated using the formula you were shown above or you can use the GPA Calculator in Degree Works by logging into MyWCC. You can find the GPA Calculator in your audit and view your progress toward your degree there as well.
- Check in regularly with professors and academic counselors to get feedback and support: Speak with your professors so you always know how you are doing in your classes and get suggestions for improvement. Meet with an academic counselor to get support with time management, managing your multiple demands, and developing your educational plans.