Academic Probation
Students enrolled in the Rutgers Business School: Undergraduate – Newark (RBS-Newark) program are expected to maintain a high-level of academic performance. Should a student’s cumulative GPA fall below 2.5 at any point during their academic career, the student will be placed on academic probation.
Academic probation is not a punitive measure, but is designed to provide assistance by helping the student assess their situation, make adjustments, and implement a plan to get back on track.
Academic Probation Criteria and Requirements
- Students with a cumulative GPA below 2.5 are automatically placed on academic probation for the following semester. There is no appeals process for academic probation, it is based solely on cumulative GPA.
- Students who are on academic probation will receive an email sent to their Rutgers email account notifying them of their academic probation status.
- Students who are on academic probation are permitted to continue to register for classes and make progress toward their degree, but they can register for a maximum of 14 credits each semester until the student either comes off academic probation or graduates.
- Students on academic probation do not have access to the online web registration system (WebReg). Students can only register for classes by consulting with their academic advisor.
- There is no time limit for how long a student can be on academic probation. It is in the student’s best interest to improve their GPA and come off academic probation as quickly as possible.
Math and English Requirements
- Students are required to enroll in an English Composition course every semester until they have completed English 102 (21:355:102). Failure to enroll in an English Composition course will result in the student automatically being placed on academic probation. If a student needs an exception to this policy, they must speak with, and receive written permission from, either the Director of the Rutgers-Newark Writing Program or their academic advisor prior to the start of the academic semester.
- Students are required to enroll in a Quantitative Reasoning course every semester until they have completed their degree requirements (Applied Calculus (21:640:119) OR Calculus I (21:640:135) AND Statistics (21:220:203) OR Statistics I (21:640:211). Failure to enroll in a Quantitative Reasoning course each semester will result in the student automatically being placed on academic probation. If a student needs an exception to this policy, they must speak with, and receive written permission from, either the Chair of the Rutgers-Newark Math Department or their academic advisor prior to the start of the academic semester.
Academic Dismissal
A student will be academically dismissed from RBS-Newark and Rutgers University if the student is on academic probation and their cumulative GPA falls below 2.0. For example, if a student’s GPA at the end of the Spring semester is 2.3 they would be placed on academic probation. In the next semester (Fall), if the student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.0, they would be dismissed. A student must be on academic probation for at least one semester before they can be academically dismissed.
Students dismissed from RBS-Newark may petition the Academic Standing Committee if there are extenuating circumstances that contributed to the student’s poor academic performance. The dismissal appeal must be submitted in writing, and be accompanied by relevant documentation to support the letter’s contents. The appeal letter should be comprehensive, elaborating on non-academic problems, such as financial, medical, and personal hardships that affected the student’s academic performance during the semester. Presenting false or intentionally misleading information in the appeal will result in immediate dismissal of the appeal and/or judicial charges.
The appeal and supporting documentation must be submitted by the due date listed in the dismissal letter. Late appeals will not be considered. Dismissal notices are sent out both via email to the student’s Rutgers email account and by certified mail.
If the student's appeal is granted, the student will be able to continue their studies at RBS-Newark and Rutgers University, while remaining on continued academic probation.
If a student chooses not to appeal, or if their appeal is denied, the academic dismissal will be final. Students who have been dismissed from RBS-Newark must wait at least eight academic semesters (four years) before they are eligible to apply for reinstatement to the school.
The letter of appeal must include:
- Student’s name, RUID number, current address and Rutgers e-mail address
- Explanation of the circumstances that negatively affected the student’s academic performance
- What was done to address these issues, or what is being done if these circumstances are still ongoing
- Any administrative contact made with RBS-Newark, Rutgers University, or any outside entities to address these issues, along with the outcome of these efforts
- Appropriate supporting documentation
- The outline of an academic and personal action plan that will be implemented should the appeal be successful
The Academic Standing Committee reviews the criteria for dismissal in the cases of individual students; the committee is the final authority in these matters.
First-Year and Transfer Students With Below 2.0 GPAs Following Their First Semester at RBS-Newark
First-year and transfer students who earn a GPA below 2.0 after their first semester at RBS-Newark are not dismissed after their first semester, but will be placed on academic probation.
Students are allowed to continue their studies at RBS-Newark, but are required to retake all courses where they initially earned a D or F. If the student does not have a 2.0 or higher cumulative GPA by the end of their second semester, the student will be dismissed from RBS-Newark.