Failure to meet the requirements and standards of the Honors College, including violations of the Honors Integrity Code, may result in dismissal and the termination of the Macaulay Scholarship and all associated privileges. Students are subject to dismissal if they do not fulfill (at a minimum) the requirements below:
- Macaulay students must achieve a GPA of 3.3 in their first three college semesters, and a 3.5 GPA thereafter.
- Macaulay students are expected to be enrolled as full-time students (minimally 12 credits), unless the Dean and/or Provost of Macaulay Honors College gives a student permission to do otherwise due to exceptional circumstances. However, some campuses and degree programs may require additional credits per semester; your honors advisor should be consulted regarding your program planning.
- Macaulay students must successfully pass all of the four Macaulay Seminars.
- Macaulay students must successfully complete a minimum of four additional honors courses. (The honors programs at some colleges require more.)
- Macaulay students must complete honors in their major and a senior thesis or capstone project.
- IF these options are not available, or with special permission, students may, with the approval of the Provost, choose among these three options: (1) Students can take two extra upper division Honors classes on any campus, including at Macaulay. (2) Students can enroll in Macaulay’s Springboard Senior Thesis class (a two-semester commitment; students will not be permitted to enter mid-year). (3) Students may complete an independent senior thesis project at their home campus, in consultation with their Macaulay advisor.
- Macaulay students must either study abroad or complete a qualifying internship or research experience.
- Macaulay students must complete thirty (30) hours of community service before the senior year. At least ten (10) hours must be completed within the first year. (Some campuses require more hours).
- Macaulay students must adhere to the Honors Integrity Pledge at all times.
I. Academic Support
At the end of each semester, the campus director, advisor(s), Macaulay Provost and Macaulay staff (the Progress Review Principals) will review the progress of all Macaulay students. These Progress Review meetings allow Macaulay to monitor the progress and achievements of all students.
If a student’s GPA for any semester falls below the required minimum, that student will be identified for Academic Support. The student will be notified of this by letter, and the Academic Support status will include both required and recommended steps for the student during the next semester (these may include meetings with an advisor, tutoring, reducing outside activities, and others).
If the student’s GPA for the next semester is back above the required minimum, that student will be returned to Good Standing, and any required steps will no longer be in effect (although there may still be some recommendations).
If, in any future semester, the student’s GPA falls below the required minimum again, that student may be returned to Academic Support status or (at the discretion of the campus director, and with the advice of the Progress Review Principals) the student may be dismissed.
II. Dismissal
A student who fails any of the Macaulay City Seminars, or violates the Honors Integrity Pledge may be subject to dismissal from Macaulay Honors College.
A student whose GPA for any semester is below the required minimum, if that student has already had at least one semester in Academic Support standing, may be dismissed from Macaulay Honors College.
Students being dismissed will receive a dismissal letter from their campus director and the Macaulay Provost no more than 10 business days after the progress review. The dismissal letter will clearly specify the exact reasons for dismissal (e.g. which Macaulay requirements have not been satisfied). Dismissals, regardless of when they are imposed, will take effect only after the spring semester. Students who are dismissed after the end of the fall semester will have their dismissals take effect after the spring semester ends.
III. Appeals
Students dismissed from Macaulay Honors College will have an opportunity to appeal within ten (10) business days upon receipt of their dismissal letter. All materials must be received before this 10 business day deadline or the dismissal is considered final and an appeal will not be considered. Appeals must contain a statement from the student explaining the justification for the appeal. All of the specific points listed in the dismissal letter must be addressed in the student appeal letter. Appellants may also include letters of support from faculty, advisors, and others, and should certainly provide these letters if they will include information that will be helpful to the committee in considering the appeal. Any medical or practical difficulties or obstacles must be documented with objective evidence. Claims asserted in the appeal letter but not supported by documentation shall hold little or no weight in the appeals decision.
The appeals committee shall be composed of the Macaulay Provost, two Macaulay Directors, two Macaulay advisors, one Macaulay faculty member, one member of the Macaulay student affairs staff and one member of the Macaulay academic affairs staff. Directors and advisors will be appointed to the committee by the Dean on a rotating basis. If the student appellant is from the same campus as a Macaulay Director who is on the committee, or is one of the advisees of one of the advisor who is on the committee, that committee member will not vote on that appeal (clarification added 5/2/2018). In addition to reviewing the transcript, probation/dismissal letters, the student appeal letter, and other academic records, the appeals committee will consult with the student’s advisor before making a final decision. A majority vote of the appeals committee shall be sufficient to sustain or deny the appeal and the committee may choose to establish specific conditions, the fulfillment of which are required to sustain a successful appeal. If the appeals committee is unable to reach a decision, the Provost will make the final decision on the appeal. In no case will the Provost overrule a majority decision of the committee.
The appeals committee will meet to consider appeals within 20 business days of the receipt of the dismissal letter, and will communicate their decision in a letter to the appellant within 10 business days of their meeting. If that letter includes specific conditions as requirements of the reinstatement, failure to meet those requirements shall result in dismissal without the possibility of further appeal.
The committee may decide to deny the appeal, to grant the appeal and return the student to good academic standing, or to grant the appeal and place the student on Academic Support status. In the case of a decision to place the student on Academic Support, the appeals committee’s letter will clearly specify recommended and/or required steps the student needs to take to return to Good Standing. A student may only be reinstated to Macaulay Honors College one time. If a dismissed student is reinstated to the College and is subsequently dismissed again for any reason, the second dismissal is considered final.