Purposes of academic probation. The process of academic probation serves two purposes. First, it is a way to alert students and their advisers to academic difficulties in time to help identify those areas where a student might be experiencing problems and determine how best to address them. Students have only a limited number of terms at the College, and the College wants to ensure that each term is a successful one. As a community, we try to intervene quickly so that students are aware and can take advantage of the resources and supports that might be useful. Second, academic probation provides a formal structure of advising for the next term. Allston Burr Resident Deans and Resident Deans of Freshmen work closely with students to schedule follow-up meetings for various points during the year, including before course registration, around the add/drop deadline, the withdrawal deadline, and right before Reading Period and Final Exams. Academic probation facilitates communication among students and their advisers so that they can work together in the upcoming term.
Duration and terms of academic probation. Students can find themselves on academic probation for many different reasons, whether personal, financial, health-related, family, or other concerns. On average, around 130 undergraduates each year are placed on academic probation. Academic probation normally lasts only for a specified term; once students have received all satisfactory grades (a satisfactory grade is defined as C- or better) in the next term, they are relieved from academic probation. Academic probation does not appear permanently on a student's transcript; it is only noted for the duration of the term in which the student is on probation.
During the period of probation, students may not be eligible to serve in leadership positions in particular student organizations or be eligible for certain fellowship opportunities or programs offered at the College, including study abroad, cross-registration, or independent study. This is so that they have the opportunity to focus their time and energy on their courses and get on firmer academic footing. If students are considering one of these opportunities, they can check with their Allston Burr Resident Dean or Resident Dean of Freshmen or the program to find out if their probationary status affects their eligibility. The Handbook for Students reviews the rules and provisions of academic probation.
The vast majority of students are relieved from probation the subsequent term, having benefited from the advising and connections to resources that the status prompts.