Policy for Dismissal of Graduate Students

In general, the necessary precautions are taken during the admission process to select those students who have potential to successfully complete graduate work.  However, some cases arise in which a student should not continue in a graduate program.  Graduate School policy as well as Department policy set standards for dismissal.  For masters degree students, numbers A.4 and criminal behavior, see University Regulations.
 
A.   The following are instances in which a student will be
      dismissed from graduate study based on Graduate School
      of Departmental Policy:
 
      1.   If a student does not enroll for a period of 3 consecutive
            semesters including summer), the student will be dismissed. 
            The student must reapply for reentry to subject to favorable 
            approval by the program area.
 
      2.    If a student is admitted conditionally and does not meet the
             conditions of admission, the student will be dismissed.  The
             student and advisor will be informed by the SOE Graduate
             Studies Office as soon as the information is available.
 
       3.   A student is expected to maintain a graduate cumulative index
             representing a 3.0 GPA or better.  If a student does not
             maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better after 9 credit hours subsequent
             to admission, the student will be dismissed.  The student and
             advisor will be informed by the SOE Graduate Studies Office as
             soon as the information is available.
 
       4.   If the Ph.D. work has extended five years beyond the
             successful completion of preliminary exams, the student will
             be dismissed from a graduate program.
 
       5.   If a student does not pass preliminary examinations, the
             student will be dismissed.  If this is the first attempt at
             preliminary examination, the student's committee may
             recommend a second attempt as specified in Educational
             Studies Preliminary Examination Policy.
 
B.   A student may be dismissed from a graduate program
     because of a lack of progress.  Procedures to be followed 
     include:
 
        1.    Evaluation of student progress is based on an assessment of:
 
               a.   Research Skills (e.g., successful completion of EDPS
                    53300; EDPS 63000, a statistical sequence, participation
                    on a research team, progress on dissertation research)
 
                b.  Technical Skills for their area (e.g., teaching, counseling,
                     supervision, assessment, administration)
 
                c.   Professional and Ethical Behavior (e.g., appropriate
                      interactions with clients, students, peers, supervisors,
                      and faculty; behavior consistent with professional
                      students including confidentiality, honesty, and academic
                      integrity)
 
                d.   Writing Skills for their area (e.g., scholarly writing, grant
                      writing, policy reporte, IEP's, case conceptualizations,
                      report).
 
       2.      A student's lack of progress will be recorded in writing with
                copies given to the student and put in the student's file (kept
                by the advisor or program area as dictated by program area
                policy).  If the student's progress is unsatisfactory, a plan of
                remediation must be specified and a special time frame for
                remediation identified.  In special circumstances, program 
                area faculty may decide that  remediation is not appropriate
                and dismissal from the graduate program will be immediate.
 
       3.      If a student does not complete the remediation satisfactorily
                within the specified time frame, the student will be
                dismissed.