2.11 - Standards of Performance and Evaluation

The Graduate College is responsible for review of the performance of graduate students in accordance with the guidelines described in this bulletin. The Graduate College monitors the students' academic progress and at the end of each semester or summer session notifies students about their status if they fail to meet the standards of performance required by the Graduate College.

All graduate students, regardless of admission status, are required to maintain a grade point average of 3.00 or greater in all graduate course work completed. If a student's academic record includes enrollment in more than one graduate degree and/or certificate program, the student must maintain a grade point average of 3.00 or greater in each program. The total number of credit hours of C grade which can be applied toward a graduate degree and/or certificate cannot exceed 25 % of the total letter graded course work required for the degree and/or certificate

Students who fail to maintain an overall grade point average of 3.00 in all graduate courses attempted will be placed on academic probation. Students will also be placed on probation if they fail to maintain satisfactory progress as determined by their annual evaluation or in receiving the grade of U in 5980 or 6980. Instructors and mentors are expected to notify the student of any impending U grade and plan remedial action well before the end of the semester.

Students placed on academic probation for low GPA will be evaluated at the end of each subsequent semester. The probationary status will remain until the student raises their overall graduate GPA to 3.00 or higher. The probationary requirements must be completed within 9 credit hours of graded graduate course work or one calendar year from being placed on probation, whichever comes first. This is the probationary period, during which students must demonstrate satisfactory progress in improving their cumulative grade point average. Students placed on probation for a grade of U in 5980 or 6980 or for failure to maintain satisfactory progress will be evaluated at the end of the following semester. The grades of D, F, or U may be grounds for dismissal prior to completing the probationary period.

At the end of the probationary period, students who achieve a 3.00 cumulative grade point average and/or regain satisfactory progress will be returned to full or unclassified status and will be allowed to continue their enrollment. Those who fail to achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 for all courses awarding grade points may be denied further enrollment after this probationary period. If students merit an extension of the probationary period, the extension will be considered a second probationary period and the time limit will be specified by the Graduate Dean but may not exceed two consecutive academic terms.

If a student fails to maintain a 3.00 grade point average and the rules require probation for a third time, the student will be denied further enrollment and will be dismissed from the Graduate College.

Programs, departments or other academic units may have additional and more stringent criteria for evaluating their students' performance and progress and they may demand a higher level of performance than that required by the Graduate College. Under certain circumstances, a department or program unit may recommend dismissal of a student from a graduate program even though a 3.00 grade point average has been maintained. Grounds for dismissal include but are not limited to (1) failure to make timely progress toward the degree or (2) failure to perform in course work, qualifying examination, or research at an acceptable level in the respective department or program unit. These guidelines are stipulated in the departmental documents.

Programs shall conduct an annual review and evaluation of their students' progress in meeting degree requirements. Each department shall establish a graduate student review procedure to coordinate and forward all reviews to the students and Graduate Dean. The review must be conducted by graduate faculty authorized to chair committees at the level of the students to be evaluated. Any exceptions to this requirement must receive prior written approval of the Graduate Dean. Annual reviews are to be conducted prior to the fall semester.

1. Criteria. The review may include, but is not limited to, considerations such as progress toward meeting conditions of admission; completion within the prescribed period of time of those courses in which the student has received the grade of I; completion of core course requirements; completion of research tool requirements; progress toward completing research requirements; timely filing of the prospectus; the general quality of research; and completion of the thesis or dissertation. The review also may encompass the student's broader scholarly capabilities and professional development.
2. Procedure. The Program will make this review annually and notify each student in writing of the student's progress and performance toward satisfying degree requirements. If there are deficient areas, the department must specify clearly what each student must do to receive a satisfactory evaluation and specify a time for a second review. A copy of this letter must be sent to the Graduate Dean. The Graduate Dean will review the student's total record and, if appropriate, the student will be placed on probation.
3. Second Review. The Graduate Dean and the Program will conduct a second review for all students placed on probation. In this second review, the Program will determine if (a) the student is making satisfactory progress; (b) the student's level of performance is unsatisfactory and the student is ineligible for further enrollment; or (c) the Program believes the student's progress is still unsatisfactory but wishes to petition the Graduate Dean to continue the student on probation for an additional semester or summer session. The student and the Graduate Dean will be notified in writing of the results of this second review. The Graduate Dean may either remove the student from probation, deny the student further enrollment, or continue the student on probation for an additional semester. When application of the above rules requires the student to go on probation a third time, the student will be denied further enrollment.

The primary purpose of residence requirements is to encourage the educational and professional development of individuals seeking advanced degrees. The opportunity for the student to associate with the faculty and other students in the University community, to utilize the facilities on the campus, and to take advantage of a wide variety of cultural opportunities justifies a relatively extended campus stay. In addition, the University must be in a position to oversee the development of the candidate, especially during the formal preparation for the General Examination.

The student must be in residence at the University of Oklahoma and engaged in course work or research activities prescribed by the Program for at least two regular semesters. Exceptions are made for degrees provided by distance education through electronic media.