Academic Standing
Trinity’s academic standing and degree progress policies are designed to encourage all students to graduate on time and achieve academic success.
Academic Standing | Academic Standing Statuses | Preparing to Return to Trinity
Students who meet the three standards below are considered to be in good academic standing, a designation indicating that the student has no current academic difficulties:
- A minimum cumulative GPA appropriate to semester since matriculation (see chart below)
- Adequate progress towards degree completion as defined by the minimum number of credits accumulated since matriculation (see chart below)
- Full-time enrollment (defined as attempting 4 or more course credits), unless authorized to drop below by an approved accommodation request or petition for reduced course load. Full-time enrollment is reviewed–and standing adjusted accordingly–following the end of Add/Drop in the fall and spring semesters.
The following chart shows the minimum number of earned credits and cumulative GPA required per semester to maintain degree progress and good academic standing at the college.
There are five academic standing statuses (from most serious to least serious). For more information on each, click the links below.
- Required Withdrawal
- Required Withdrawal (waived)
- Academic Probation
- Academic Warning
- Academic Outreach
Required Withdrawal
What is Required Withdrawal?
Required Withdrawal is a temporary academic suspension from the College for one or two semesters because of a pattern of unsatisfactory academic performance. The College’s faculty developed the Required Withdrawal status based on the conviction that a student who repeatedly does not meet their academic responsibilities needs to spend time away from the College to address the issues that are interfering with their progress. Required Withdrawal is a physical separation from the College. For the duration of the Required Withdrawal period, you may not participate in the academic and extracurricular activities of the College. You may not attend events or activities, use campus facilities, or work or live on campus.
If you wish to meet on campus with a faculty member or dean for a specific academic purpose (for example, to meet with your faculty adviser to prepare for Advance Registration after you have been readmitted), you may request permission from the Office of Student and Community Life ([email protected], 860-297-2156). We strongly encourage you to remain in communication with the College, especially with your faculty adviser and the deans’ office.
Returning to the College after the Required Withdrawal period is neither automatic nor guaranteed. You must submit a petition for return. (See “How do I apply to return?” below.)
What is the process to request a waiver of Required Withdrawal?
Waiving Required Withdrawal typically requires showing resolution of whatever circumstances led to problems in your academic performance. Waivers are less likely to be approved if the most recent semester showed an escalation of academic problems (such as an increase in unsatisfactory grades or a drop in your term GPA).
To request a waiver, send a statement via email to the Registrar’s Office ([email protected]) that answers each of the following questions separately:
- Why are you requesting a waiver of required withdrawal?
- What academic, personal, or other circumstances led to unsatisfactory academic performance?
- What are your plans for the upcoming semester for addressing the challenges above, and what is the timeline for your proposal? You must be specific.
- What evidence do you have that your proposed strategies will work?
Optional: You may include a letter of support from your academic adviser. Your adviser can email the Registrar’s Office directly with more information about your academic situation.
Optional: You may include relevant supporting documents. Those of a private nature, such as medical or legal documents, will be viewed only by the committee representative from the Office of Community and Student Life.
Waiver requests for Spring 2024 are due by noon on Friday, January 12, 2024. You can expect a response to your petition by the end of the day on Friday, January 19, 2024.
Academic Probation
Trinity’s academic probation and academic standing policies are designed to encourage all students to graduate on time and achieve academic success. Probation can occur due to: 1) multiple unsatisfactory grades, 2) a lack of good academic standing, or 3) insufficient degree progress.
If these problems continue, your degree completion may be in jeopardy. Please note that incurring a second consecutive or a third non-consecutive academic probation semester will result in a Required Withdrawal from the College.
Academic Probation Status Impacts This Semester:
- You have an advising hold that will be removed after meeting with your academic adviser.
- You are not eligible for Incomplete course status and must complete all coursework when due and no later than the last day of the semester.
- You may not elect to have a course graded on a Pass/Low Pass/Fail basis (excluding courses which are only offered P/F, such as P.E./physical education).
- You cannot study abroad.
- You may not be eligible to participate in College athletic competition. Check with your coach(es) to clarify your specific situation.
- You cannot pledge a fraternity or sorority, affiliated with the College or not.
What can you do now?
- Meet with your academic adviser by early February to discuss your academic performance and develop a plan to get back on track to graduate on time.
- Review this list of academic resources to help you develop and implement your plan.(link)
- If you have questions regarding Academic Probation, reach out to your Nest Dean.
Academic Warning
Any student who has met the conditions for academic outreach (listed below) for two consecutive semesters, or three semesters total, will have an Academic Warning status placed on their record.
Any student who receives a status of Academic Warning will:
- have a notation added to their student’s advising transcript noting Academic Warning,
- have all the actions associated with Academic Outreach (listed below), and
- will be required to meet with a representative from the Office of Student and Community Life for additional review of on-campus resources.
Academic Outreach
Any student who has met the following conditions will have Academic Outreach status placed on their record: 1) accruing a semester GPA of 2.0 or below, 2) a single unsatisfactory grade (D, LP, U or F); or 3) the completion during the fall and spring term of a minimum of two-thirds of the credits attempted (for IDP students).
Any student who receives a status of Academic Outreach will also:
- have a notation added to their advising transcript noting Academic Outreach,
- have a registration hold placed on their account,
- be required to meet with their academic adviser, and
- for students on financial aid, a financial aid eligibility letter will be issued reminding the student of the academic requirements needed for the upcoming semester to maintain their aid.
Preparing to Return to Trinity
What can I do while away to best position myself for academic success upon return?
Depending on your circumstances and remaining requirements, consider taking courses while away to continue to make progress toward completion of your degree and to be able to show in your petition to return clear evidence of academic success. This also could help you meet or surpass the degree progress requirements or the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) if you receive financial aid.
Grades earned elsewhere will not be figured into your GPA. However, they will appear on your transcript and will be used to determine eligibility for return. Courses taken elsewhere with the intention of earning transferable credit must be pre-approved by the Registrar’s Office. Review the transfer credit policies and contact the Registrar’s Office if you have questions.
Many students have also found that regular use of additional resources, such as counseling services, has helped them address issues that have impeded their performance.
When do I apply to return?
In order to participate in Advance Registration for the term you return, petitions for readmission are due early in the prior semester. The readmission petition deadline for a fall return is March 1 and for a spring return is October 1. (If you are applying for financial aid, the deadline may be earlier. Visit the Financial Aid website for more information.)
How do I apply to return?
The process of petitioning to return from Required Withdrawal involves the following steps:
Step 1: Submit Petition and Intent to Return Form
a. Petition to Return
This form and all other documents must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office no later than March 1 if petitioning to return for the fall semester, or no later than October 1 if petitioning to return for the spring semester.
b. Intent to Return Form
Complete the top portion of this form and submit it to the Registrar’s Office. The office will obtain the other necessary signatures. You will be asked to make an appointment to meet with a representative from the Office of Student Success.
c. Letter to the Academic Affairs Committee
The letter accompanying your petition should explain the following:
- What are your insights into what led to your incurring probation this past semester and any previous semesters?
- What steps did you take to address the issues at hand?
- What evidence can you show that you have made changes that will have clear bearing on academic success when you return? (For example, what challenging classes did you successfully complete while away? What effective strategies have you mastered while away that show you how to make full use of your day and manage complex academic tasks well?)
- What is your plan of study for the first two semesters back? Specifically, for the first semester back, what is your “Plan A”, “Plan B,” and “Plan C” for specific courses, allowing that some might be full when you try to register and recognizing that it is important to show balance of courses?
Step 2: Check Holds
Before petitioning, check your advising transcript to be sure that you do not have any holds (for example, a financial hold) so that once approved to return you will be able to successfully register for classes.
Step 3: Contact the Housing Office
At the time you petition to return, you should also contact the Office of Residential & Community Life ([email protected], 860-297-2305) to find out what you need to do to select a room (for example, by proxy through the lottery if returning in the fall or being added to the waitlist for available rooms if returning for the spring semester).
Step 4: Check Your Email
Your Trinity email should stay active, but if you forget your password or have other difficulties accessing Trinity email or websites, contact the Help Desk for assistance. It is important to check your Trinity email regularly while away. Important notices are typically sent via email and it is the most common way for faculty or staff to reach you. Failure to check email and therefore missing an important notice is not a sufficient excuse for missing a deadline or other call to action.
Regaining Good Academic Standing Upon Return
If you have been placed on Required Withdrawal, any future semesters in which you incur academic probation will place you on Required Withdrawal again and most likely will result in another interruption to your studies. Therefore, you should be prepared and dedicated to achieving good academic standing once you return to Trinity.
To avoid incurring probation and be in good standing, you must achieve the criteria summarized in the chart above (a cumulative GPA of 2.0, earning satisfactory grades, and earning an average of four academic credits per semester). If you need help, we encourage you to take advantage of the many academic support resources at Trinity.
