School of Information Sciences

COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION & INFORMATION

Academic Standards

Overview

Graduate education requires continuous student evaluation. This includes not only periodic objective evaluation, such as the cumulative grade point average, but also judgment by the faculty of the student's progress and potential.

The academic records of all graduate students are reviewed at the end of each semester, including the summer term. Graduate students must maintain a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 in all graduate courses taken for a letter grade of A - F. Grades of S (Satisfactory), NC (No Credit), P (Pass), or NP (No Pass), and I (Incomplete), which have no numerical equivalent, are excluded from this computation. A course for which a graduate student receives a grade below C cannot be used towards the student's degree.

Academic Probation

A graduate student is placed on academic probation when his or her cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 on completion of nine hours of graduate coursework. The director of the School will inform the student in writing of probation. In the subsequent semester(s), these provisions apply:

  1. If the GPA in the probationary semester is below 3.0, the student will be dismissed from the program;
  2. If the GPA in the probationary semester is 3.0 or above, but the cumulative GPA is still below 3.0, the student will be granted a second probationary semester;
  3. If the GPA in the second probationary semester is below 3.0, or if the cumulative GPA is still below 3.0, the student will be dismissed from the program;
  4. If the cumulative GPA after the first or second probationary semester is 3.0 or above, the student returns to regular, non-probationary status;
  5. No student is granted more than two probationary semesters. A student who has been cleared of probation after one probationary semester and falls below 3.0 in later semesters will be considered in his or her second probationary semester. A student who has been cleared of probation after two semesters and falls below 3.0 in any later semester will be dismissed from the program.

If a student receives a grade of D or F in one of the three required classes, he or she will be dismissed from the program.

Dismissal

If a student is on academic probation, degree status will be terminated by the UT Graduate School if the student's semester GPA falls below a 3.0 in a subsequent semester. When the particular circumstances may be deemed to justify continuation, and or recommendation of the SIS director and approval of the UT Graduate School, a student on probation may be allowed to continue on a semester-by-semester basis. Dismissal of a graduate student is accomplished by written notice to the student and to the UT Graduate School. Registration for SIS courses will not be permitted except by written authorization from the SIS director.

Readmission after Period of Nonattendance

A student who has not registered for a consecutive term must apply for readmission to the Graduate School. To continue in the program, the student must submit a readmission application and pay a $30 readmission fee. A readmission application should be submitted to the office of Graduate Admissions at least two weeks prior to the desired re-entry date. If the student does not register for course work the semester subsequent to receipt of the letter, the file will be withdrawn and it will be necessary to seek readmission to both the UT Graduate School and SIS.

Appeals Procedure

The student handbook, Hilltopics, published and distributed annually by the Office of the Dean of Students, contains the University of Tennessee standards of conduct and disciplinary regulations and procedures. Hilltopics is available online at http://dos.utk.edu/hilltopics.
Academic grievances are handled within the School through the student's advisor, the faculty member involved, and then the director. Further appeal may be made as outlined in the Appeals Procedure from the UT Graduate School office.