Introduction: 

The Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts as published in the Dartmouth College Bulletin - Organization, Regulation, and Courses establishes the expectation that students will make satisfactory academic progress towards a degree. 

While specific grading standards and thresholds are upheld within individual programs of study, the Academic Support Framework serves as a mechanism to support and empower all students in making appropriate progress towards degree completion. This framework is designed to provide a supportive environment that identifies and assists students who may require additional support in achieving their academic goals. As the system is structured around early intervention and the provision of relevant advising and other supportive resources, students are expected to make necessary adjustments and take proactive steps towards academic success. 

Students are encouraged to work closely with the Undergraduate Deans Office when they need academic support. The role of the Undergraduate Deans Office in the Academic Support Framework is to provide guidance, assist students in creating personalized academic plans, and connect students with other campus resources. Undergraduate Deans track early indicators of academic difficulty, including D and E grades, course withdrawals, and GPA decline, allowing for timely communication with students prior to a change in academic status. Students are responsible for working proactively to assess their academic progress, exploring potential course options, and meeting the degree expectations of Dartmouth College. 

Note: This framework applies to students who have not yet completed the requirements for their degree. Students who have satisfied all degree requirements are considered to have met the standard of satisfactory academic progress and are not subject to the academic status categories or criteria described below.

Proactive Resources for Support: Dartmouth offers a wide range of support resources available to all students throughout their academic engagement at Dartmouth. 

• Academic Advising: Students are encouraged to seek academic support and advising from the faculty teaching the course, faculty advisors, and the Undergraduate Deans Office.  The Undergraduate Deans Office may reach out to students at any point during the term, including after receiving notification of an academic concern from a faculty member.  
• Targeted Academic Resources: Students may choose to access tutoring, study groups, and additional resources to enhance their understanding of course material. 
• Academic Success Workshops: Workshops on study skills, time management, and effective learning strategies are offered to help students excel academically. 
• Faculty-Student Partnerships: Students collaborate with faculty members to set goals and strategies for improvement (this may include additional faculty support or developing a shared plan for successful course completion when appropriate). 
• Access to Health and Wellbeing Resources: Students are encouraged to utilize wellness and health resources across campus to build skills that support their holistic wellbeing and engage fully in their academic pursuits. 
   

Academic Status Categories: 

• Good Academic Standing 
• Academic Recovery Commitment
• Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery 
• Academic Separation 
   

Criteria for Change in Academic Status: Five areas are considered when assessing a student’s standing: 

• Cumulative GPA 
• “E” accumulation over time
• “D” accumulation over time*
• Credits earned in a single term
• Previous Interventions

* D Grade Accumulation: Students may earn D grades on their transcript. While D grades yield academic credit, they are typically a sign that more individual support is needed. While individual D grades alone do not prompt automatic actions, students who receive a letter grade of D in any term will receive outreach from the Undergraduate Deans Office and will be encouraged to voluntarily create an improvement plan to help facilitate their use of support resources. If a student reaches 7 D grades on their transcript, they will be placed on an Academic Recovery Commitment.

Good Academic Standing: a student is considered in good academic standing when they are not on Academic Recovery Commitment, Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery, or Academic Separation. 

Academic Recovery Commitment: When placed on this status, a student will complete the Academic Recovery Commitment form and submit it to the Academic Support Team who will convene to review, edit, and/or approve the student’s plan. The student will identify on- and off- campus resources that can best support their academic work and make a clear, actionable plan for engagement with those resources. The commitment will include measurable markers of engagement, which may include meetings with faculty, utilization of support resources, check-ins with their undergraduate dean, or changes in course selection or co-curricular commitments. It is the student's responsibility to follow through with their Academic Recovery Commitment, and it may be considered in any future requests for reconsideration of their academic status. Students must develop an Academic Recovery Commitment if: 

• “E” accumulation over time: The student has accumulated between 2 and 4 grades of “E” in a single term or over any two consecutive terms; OR
• “D accumulation over time: The student has accumulated 7 total grades of “D”; OR
• Only one credit earned in the term; OR
• Cumulative GPA: Cumulative GPA is 1.60 or below 

Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery: A Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery is an academic suspension. When placed on this status, a student is mandated to take three terms away from Dartmouth to prepare for re-engagement with academic work. Students must take Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery if: 

• Term E accumulation: The student earns two or more E grades in a single term; OR
• “E” accumulation over time: The student has accumulated more than 4 grades of “E” over any two consecutive terms; OR
• Cumulative GPA: Cumulative GPA is 1.60 or below; 
• AND 
• Previous Interventions:  
• The student engaged in an Academic Recovery Commitment within the past 3 enrolled terms. 
• Students whose grades would result in a third Academic Recovery Commitment will be placed on Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery.
  
   

Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery carries with it the following consequences:

• Upon notification of the Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery, students must leave campus within 48 hours  
• Students are not eligible to live in any college-owned or affiliated housing including all co-ed, fraternity, sorority, or society housing
• Students may not come to campus without prior permission from their undergraduate dean
• Students may not participate in College academic or extracurricular activities
  
   

Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery is permanently recorded in the student's file as maintained by the Undergraduate Deans Office and is temporarily reflected on academic records and transcripts as a suspension while the student is subject to Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery. Unless a student is classified as independent, a notification letter may be sent to parents and/or guardians informing them of the enrollment status change.

Students on Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery are not allowed to visit campus without permission until they have been approved to return by the Undergraduate Deans Office. Students are encouraged to return home or otherwise leave Hanover and the surrounding area during their Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery. Requests to return prior to the eligibility date specified in an outcome letter are prohibited.

Upon completion of their Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery, students return to Good Academic Standing.  

Academic Separation: When academically separated, a student is permanently removed from the College community for unsatisfactory scholarship. Separation is recorded in the student's file as maintained by the Undergraduate Deans Office. A student will be Academically Separated if: 

• Cumulative GPA: is 1.60 or below; OR
• “E” accumulation over time: The student has accumulated 4 or more grades of “E” over two consecutive terms;  
  AND
• Previous Interventions: The student previously took Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery within the past three enrolled terms. 

Upon notification of Academic Separation, the student must leave campus housing within 48 hours. Academic Separation is recorded in the student's file as maintained by the Undergraduate Deans' Office and recorded on the student's transcript as 'Separated - Ineligible to re-enroll.'  Unless a student is classified as independent, a notification letter may be sent to parents and/or guardians informing them of the enrollment status change. College email access will be terminated.

Requests for Reconsideration: Reconsideration may only be requested for Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery or Academic Separation. A request for reconsideration must be in writing, must set forth in reasonable detail the grounds for reconsideration, and must have attached to it any materials students wish to have considered in their request.  Requests for reconsideration are reviewed by the Academic Support Team. Requests for reconsideration must occur at the reconsideration meeting immediately following the term the student was placed on the academic status. 

A student's written request for reconsideration should be addressed to the Academic Support Team and must be submitted to the student's undergraduate dean. Students who intend to request review must notify their undergraduate dean within 48 hours of their notification of Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery or Academic Separation. They must submit the written statement by the deadline established by the Undergraduate Deans Office (to be no later than the first day of the succeeding term).

Students requesting reconsideration must demonstrate adherence to their most recently approved Academic Recovery Commitment. 

Reconsideration of Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery will result in one of the following: 

• Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery being upheld; or
• Engagement in an Academic Recovery Commitment
  
   

Reconsideration of Academic Separation will result in one of the following: 

• Academic Separation being upheld; or
• Mandatory Withdrawal for Academic Recovery

There is no additional venue for reconsideration. Questions about the Request for Reconsideration process should be directed to a student's undergraduate dean.