Academic Notice and Subject to Dismissal
Cal Poly’s Academic Notice and Subject to Dismissal Policy can be found on the Office of the Registrar website.
Office of the Registrar Website
Core Values/Guiding Principles
Every student admitted to Cal Poly should have the maximum opportunity to earn a Cal Poly degree. As a university, we should be providing assistance and guidance wherever possible to achieve this goal. When students find themselves in academic difficulty, we should be creating pathways for success, preferably at Cal Poly. Our policies should reflect this premise as much as possible.
Academic Notice
An undergraduate student is automatically placed on academic notice when the grade point average drops below 2.0 (C). The grade point average applies to the current term, the Cal Poly cumulative, or the higher education GPA. A student grade report will be mailed to only those students on academic probation.
Subject to Dismissal
Undergraduate students will be placed on subject to dismissal status if their Cal Poly cumulative GPA (CPSLO GPA) or their higher education GPA (Higher Ed GPA) falls below the following academic progress level GPA limits based on the corresponding academic progress levels (degree applicable work completed):
| Academic Progress Levels: | Academic Progress Level GPA Limits: |
|---|---|
| Academic Progress Level IV (75.1%-100%): | 1.950 Cal Poly Cumulative or Higher Ed GPA |
| Academic Progress Level III (45.1%-75%): | 1.850 Cal Poly Cumulative or Higher Ed GPA |
| Academic Progress Level II (20.1%-45%): | 1.700 Cal Poly Cumulative or Higher Ed GPA |
| Academic Progress Level I (0%-20%): | 1.500 Cal Poly Cumulative or Higher Ed GPA |
Student Success Clause
To allow for an adjustment period, first-time freshmen and new transfer students will not be placed in the subject to dismissal status until the end of their first academic year, even if their GPA falls below the designated academic progress level GPA limits.
Learn more about the Undergraduate Academic Notice and Subject to Dismissal Policy.
Support for Students on Academic Notice
Cal Poly sets high academic standards and is committed to supporting the academic success of all students. Cal Poly is a rigorous institution with high academic standards, therefore students are required to maintain their academics above a 2.00 GPA at all times.
The Orfalea College of Business is committed to supporting students in reaching academic success. The college provides a full program of services and requirements that are specifically designed to help students be academically successful in hopes of supporting students in raising their GPA over a 2.00 and removing themselves from academic probation.
Below is a list of some of the support services and resources for students on academic probation, provided by the Orfalea College of Business Student Services.
Students on academic probation are recommended, and sometimes required, to meet with an Academic Advisor. Orfalea’s Advising Staff can provide students with developmental advising and counseling related support to assist students in exploring campus resources, developing a unique plan for future success, identifying strategies for making degree progress towards good academic standing. Orfalea’s Advising Staff believes that all students have the capacity to succeed and our goal is to assist you in realizing your potential.
To schedule an appointment with an Advisor, contact Orfalea Student Services at 805-756-2601, cobadvis@calpoly.edu, or by visiting our center in room 100 in the Business Building (03).
Program Support
This is a free, peer mentoring program provided to Orfalea College of Business students designed to assist other students in the social, personal, and academic acclimation to Cal Poly. As a student who participates in the program, you will be assigned to an upperclassmen Business, Economics, or Industrial Technology Peer Mentor who will work with you to meet goals and provide you guidance through the quarter. This program was initially launched in Winter 2012 to assist in supporting students on academic probation. Peer mentoring through Mentor Connection has shown an increase in GPA and retention trends among the Mentee population, which has reached over 800 students since it’s launch. Specifically, 76% of Mentees who join the program on Academic Probation remove themselves from Academic Probation by the end of their involvement in the program (2 quarters – 1 year) and 89% of Mentees are retained and continue into the next academic year.
The Orfalea College of Business provides free tutoring for a variety of courses within the Business Administration, Economics, and Industrial Technology curriculum. Drop-in tutoring, group tutoring, and one-on-one appointment based tutoring is offered through this program. All Tutoring is held in Orfalea’s classes in the Student Success Center (located in the back of the third floor computer lab).
Subject to Dismissal
Students who are placed in the subject to dismissal status are notified before the beginning of the next consecutive regular quarter. All official notifications regarding dismissal will be sent to the Cal Poly email address of the student. It is the student’s responsibility to check their campus email account regularly.
Students who are dismissed are given the opportunity to appeal for reinstatement due to extenuating circumstances that occurred during the quarter in which the student was placed into this status. If reinstated, students will be placed on an Academic Success Contract. Students who do not appeal for reinstatement or whose appeal is not approved will be dismissed from the university. Detailed instructions on submitting an appeal for reinstatement are included in the academic dismissal email sent to the student’s Cal Poly email.
In some cases, a student may be eligible to return to Cal Poly after dismissal. Students are eligible to enter into a Readmission Contract if their appeal for reinstatement is denied or if they do not submit an appeal for reinstatement. Eligible students are given the option to set up a Readmission Contract with the Orfalea College of Business to return as a former student under the same major in which they were initially admitted to. Contract requirements are individualized and must be set up directly with the Orfalea College of Business Student Services Advising Staff. In most cases, students will attend a California community college while pursuing their Readmission Contract and need to demonstrate academic success in order to meet contract requirements prior to returning to Cal Poly.
Readmission Contracts are not final until the student and Advisor have reviewed the requirements, agreed to the terms outlined on the contract, and officially signed the contract together. If students do not have an appointment in place to define contract classes and obtain a contract approval signature, an official Readmission Contract is not finalized, regardless of the courses students may decide to take elsewhere following their academic dismissal. To explore eligibility to set up a Readmission Contract to return to Cal Poly as a former student, please contact Orfalea Student Services to request an appointment with an Academic Advisor.
Students have the option to set up a Readmission Contract to return to Cal Poly at any time after being dismissed. Some students may want to enter into a Readmission Contract right away, while others believe they need some time to get their life circumstances in order before pursuing a Readmission Contract. Please note, any classes taken (at a community college or elsewhere) will be evaluated prior to setting up a Readmission Contract. If you plan to delay the start of a contract, you may want to discuss the implications of taking classes at a community college before formally entering a contract.
Former returning students are students who are no longer matriculated at Cal Poly (did not attend for three consecutive quarters and are not on an official leave). Students can break their enrollment by choice, for disciplinary reasons or by being formally dismissed. Students considered not in good standing include those who were formally dismissed from the university following academic disqualification, those who left with one or more grade point averages below a 2.00 their last quarter at Cal Poly, and/or they have one or more registration holds due to academic or administrative probation.
Former students who did not leave the university in good standing (i.e. academically dismissed), will have their application and transcripts sent to their department/college for review before reinstatement can occur. Applicants in this category are advised to contact their department or Student Services Center to begin dialogue about satisfying any requirements before submitting the application, per the instructions outlined above.