GSH Section 5 - Academic and Professional Standards

GSH Section 5 - Academic and Professional Standards

Introduction - 5.0

The Graduate School and the local graduate program share responsibility for monitoring graduate student academic performance and degree completion. This section describes the minimum academic and professional standards of the Graduate School.

Good Standing - 5.1

To be in good academic standing in the Graduate School, a student must maintain a graduate cumulative cGPA of 3.0 or better in all graduate credit courses at The Ohio State University and must maintain reasonable progress toward Graduate School or graduate program requirements.

A doctoral student who has had two unsatisfactory attempts at the candidacy examination or the final oral examination or professional doctoral examination is not in good standing and will not be afforded another opportunity to complete the examination and will be dismissed from the Graduate School and university.

Additionally, students who violate university policy (including, but not limited to, the Code of Student Conduct and the Research Misconduct Policy) while enrolled in a graduate program are not in good standing in the Graduate School.

Professional Standards - 5.2

Graduate students are required to observe professional ethical standards in their graduate studies and research. Graduate students should talk with their advisors and their Graduate Studies Committee Chair if they have questions about the specific expectations of the local graduate program. Research Standards and Scholarly Conduct  (Appendix C) describes the Graduate School’s general expectations for ethics and conduct in graduate research and scholarship. University processes exist to address allegations of research misconduct by graduate students. Graduate students have the responsibility to be aware of and to follow these standards.

Research and Scholarly Conduct. As a recipient of federal funding, the university is obligated to have an administrative process for reviewing, investigating, and reporting allegations of research misconduct. When the Research Integrity Scholarly Committee (RISC), as defined in the Research Misconduct Policy, forwards allegations of research misconduct by a graduate student to the Graduate School, the Graduate School follows the procedure outlined in “Research Standards and Scholarly Conduct”  (Appendix C).

Academic Misconduct. The university’s Code of Student Conduct defines the expectations of students in the area of academic honesty.

Poor Performance - 5.3

Poor Academic Performance. A full-time student with fewer than nine earned hours or whose cGPA is below 3.0 after nine graduate credit hours will receive a warning letter from the Graduate School urging consultation with the advisor and Graduate Studies Committee. A student enrolled in a graduate certificate program (Section 8.3) whose graduate cGPA falls below 3.0 after three graduate credit hours have been attempted will receive a similar warning letter from the Graduate School.

Remediation. A student whose graduate cGPA is below 3.0 after nine graduate credit hours have been attempted will, in close consultation with their advisor, Graduate Studies Committee and the Graduate School, enter into a remediation plan for one autumn or spring semester or summer term. The remediation plan would be aimed at increasing the student’s cGPA to a 3.0 or better. Remediation is not available to graduate non-degree students.

Probation. Students who do not improve their graduate cGPA after a remediation plan has been attempted will be placed on academic probation for one semester by the Graduate School. A student who is on probation in the Graduate School may not be appointed or reappointed as a graduate associate (Section 9) or a graduate fellow or trainee (Section 10).

Removal from Probation. A student who raises the graduate cGPA to 3.0 or better is removed from probation by the Graduate School. Course work used in raising the cGPA must be a part of normal degree requirements and approved by the Graduate Studies Committee. An international student who is on probation upon admission to an international cooperative graduate degree agreement (ICGDA) program is removed from probation upon meeting the conditions stated in the ICGDA.

Warning of Potential Academic Dismissal. A student on a remediation plan or on academic probation whose record continues to deteriorate will be warned that academic dismissal is likely if the record does not improve. Warnings include performance criteria tailored to the individual student, usually in consultation with the Graduate Studies Committee Chair. See Section 5.5 for more information regarding academic dismissal.

Reasonable Progress - 5.4

The Graduate School oversees and requires that students satisfy and demonstrate reasonable progress in their program. This includes compliance with good academic standing and professional standards. Continued enrollment in a graduate program is contingent upon the completion of course work or other requirements as approved by the Graduate Studies Committee and the graduate program.

A student who does not maintain reasonable progress toward a degree or who does not fulfill other graduate program requirements, may be denied further registration in that program by the Graduate School on the recommendation of the Graduate Studies Committee Chair. The Graduate School will send an official warning letter to the student upon receipt of a letter from the Graduate Studies Committee Chair to the student that provides a warning and states that the student is not maintaining reasonable progress toward the degree, based upon program evaluation(s). The Graduate School recommends that the student contact their advisor and Graduate Studies Committee Chair for more details of why they were deemed to not be making sufficient progress and to determine what is needed to comply. No student may be denied further registration in a graduate program without first being warned by the Graduate School, in writing, by utilizing the official contact information maintained by the university.

A student who has received a warning of potential denial of further registration, but who then satisfies the specified conditions or other requirements as approved by the Graduate Studies Committee, is placed in good standing by the Graduate School.

Denial of Further Registration. A student who has been warned that further registration may be denied and who does not satisfy the specified conditions is denied further registration in that graduate program by the Graduate School. The student is not permitted to reenroll in the Graduate School unless acceptance is recommended by the Graduate Studies Committee of another graduate program.

A student, specifically an online student, that has been identified as “not in good standing” for more than one semester may be denied further registration until the student contacts the Graduate School’s Registration Services area.

Academic and Disciplinary Dismissal from University - 5.5

Academic Dismissal. A student who is on probation and who does not raise the graduate cGPA to 3.0 or better at the end of the probation period (typically the end of the next semester or summer term, whichever comes first) may be dismissed from the university at the discretion of the Graduate School following consultation with the student’s Graduate Studies Committee Chair.

Doctoral Students. A doctoral student who has had two unsatisfactory attempts at the candidacy examination or the final oral examination or professional doctoral examination is automatically dismissed from the Graduate School. (See for additional information.)

Disciplinary Dismissal. As academic dismissal is tied to a student’s academic performance, it is distinct from disciplinary dismissal. Students enrolled at the university are required to follow all established policies and procedures regarding student behavior including, but not limited to, the Code of Student Conduct, the Research Misconduct Policy, and Appendix C of this Handbook. Those students found to have violated university policy (e.g., prohibitions against academic and non-academic misconduct) may be subject to sanction, including disciplinary dismissal from the university. As with academic dismissal, disciplinary dismissal will be noted on a student’s permanent record. Unlike an academic dismissal, students dismissed for disciplinary reasons are ineligible to return to the university.

Reinstatement - 5.6

A student who has been academically dismissed from the university may petition the original or another Graduate Studies Committee for reinstatement to the Graduate School. If the petition is approved, the Graduate Studies Committee must submit the student’s petition to the Graduate School for review.

Notification - 5.7

The Graduate School notifies the student, the advisor, and the Graduate Studies Committee Chair in writing whenever any academic action is taken. In addition, when a student is dismissed or reinstated, the Graduate School records this academic action on the student’s official permanent record.