Classification
Students may be classified by unit status, by entering cohort, or by expected graduation year, depending on the context. For enrollment verification purposes, unit completion is the sole determinant of class status. Students must receive 36 academic units to graduate, or 9 units per year, plus one physical education unit. The unit status classification used for enrollment verification is as follows:
- First-Year: 0–7 academic units*
- Sophomore: 8–16 academic units
- Junior: 17–25 academic units
- Senior: 26 academic units and above
* First-year students who bring in AP, IB, dual enrollment, or transfer credits are reclassified, as appropriate, at the end of the first year. While academic classification is based on the units noted above, a student’s class cohort and registration cohort is determined on the basis of their plans for degree completion and anticipated completion date. After the first year, a student’s unit status is adjusted each quarter; the expected graduation year and class cohort is adjusted as necessary, usually at the completion of the spring quarter.
Good Standing
Students who are not on academic probation are considered to be in good standing at Kalamazoo College. Students should be aware that maintaining good academic standing does not ensure continued financial aid eligibility. Grades of NC or W may also affect an award. Please refer to the Financial Assistance section of this catalog for more information.
Dean’s List
Students who earn a term GPA of 3.5 or better for a full-time course load of at least 3 units, without failing or withdrawing from any course, will be placed on the Dean’s List. Students who elect to take a letter-graded course as credit/no credit (CR/NC) or receive an F, NC, or W grade are not eligible for Dean’s List consideration during that quarter. Students with I or IP grades will be considered for Dean’s List upon receipt of the final grades. Dean’s List recognition is posted on students’ transcripts. Students registered for Study Abroad, Study Away, or Interinstitutional courses are not eligible for the Dean’s List.
Honor Societies
The College invites qualified first-year students to join the Alpha Lambda Delta national scholastic freshman honorary society.
Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest honorary scholarship society in the United States, has a chapter at Kalamazoo College, Delta of Michigan. Students who wish to be considered for election to Phi Beta Kappa must demonstrate a knowledge of mathematics and take a wide variety of courses outside the major, and must include courses in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Students must also demonstrate good character in order to be considered for election.
Monitoring Academic Progress
The Academic Standards Committee meets at the end of each quarter to review the grades of all students. If a student appears to be having academic difficulties, as indicated by withdrawn courses, poor grades as compared to previous work, or failing grades, the committee may issue a warning letter through the Registrar or may place the student on academic probation. The Academic Standards Committee may place students on any level of academic probation (i.e., probation statuses are not necessarily progressive from Level 1 to Final Probation) whenever their cumulative GPA falls below 2.00. Placing a student on academic probation is notification that the student is no longer in Good Academic Standing and needs to take immediate action to improve academic performance.
First-Year Academic Warning
Students placed on “First-Year Academic Warning” must be First Year Students at the end of their first quarter. Students may be given this status instead of probation if their cumulative GPA falls between a 1.67 and 1.99 GPA after the first quarter. Students must improve their cumulative GPA to a 2.0 or better in the subsequent quarter to demonstrate academic progress. Students on First-Year Academic Warning should meet with their academic advisor within the first two weeks of the subsequent quarter and as needed thereafter in order to develop strategies for success. It is the student’s responsibility to seek this assistance and ensure progress toward degree completion. Students are encouraged to seek assistance through various support services, including the learning centers, subject tutoring through supplemental instruction and individual departments, career counseling and testing through the Career and Professional Development Center, and personal counseling through the Office of Student Development. Failure to meet this requirement will result in academic probation (see probation levels below). “First-Year Academic Warning” status does not apply to transfer students.
Academic Probation Level I
Students on academic probation should meet with their academic advisor within the first two weeks of the subsequent quarter and as needed thereafter in order to develop strategies for success. It is the student’s responsibility to seek this assistance and ensure progress toward degree completion. Students are encouraged to seek assistance through various support services, including the learning centers, subject tutoring through supplemental instruction and individual departments, career counseling and testing through the Career and Professional Development Center, and personal counseling through the Office of Student Development. Failure to meet these responsibilities may result in continued or final probation or dismissal from the College. Student athletes placed on academic probation will be ineligible to participate in MIAA/NCAA sports.
Academic Probation Level II
In addition to the conditions from “Academic Probation Level I” students placed on “Academic Probation Level II” must be enrolled in and complete three letter-graded courses in the next quarter of residence and earn a minimum GPA of 2.0 for the quarter. Failure to meet this requirement may result in dismissal from the College.
Final Academic Probation
In addition to the conditions from “Academic Probation Level I” students placed on “Final Academic probation” must be enrolled in and complete three full-unit, letter-graded courses in the next quarter of residence and earn a grade of at least a C in each course. Failure to satisfy the terms of final probation will lead to dismissal from the College.
Veteran’s Administration
The Veteran’s Administration (VA) requires that all recipients of veteran educational benefits maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 to remain eligible. A recipient who allows the cumulative GPA to fall below 2.0 will be placed on probation with regard to veteran benefits. A recipient will be allowed two quarters to bring the cumulative GPA to the level of 2.0. If the recipient fails to do so, the VA will be notified of unsatisfactory progress and enrollment will not be certified to the VA. Certification may resume once the cumulative GPA has reached 2.0. The Veteran’s Administration may rescind benefits if a recipient does not present a GPA of 2.0 at the time of graduation.
Academic Progress & Financial Aid Policies
For information on how academic progress influences eligibility for student financial aid, refer to Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policies found under Financial Aid Programs.