Academic Progress at Marian University

To be considered in good academic standing, undergraduate students must meet the following three requirements.

1. Maintain minimum cumulative GPA: To graduate, Marian University requires all undergraduate students to maintain a cumulative a 2.00 or higher grade point average (GPA) for all courses taken at Marian University and all courses which apply toward the major.

Students must earn a minimum cumulative GPA based on total credits attempted:

2. Maintain minimum completion rate: Continuing students must pass (grade of D or above) more than half of their coursework each semester. There are no probationary terms for minimum completion rate.

Full-Time Students: After the first semester of attendance, full-time students who do not pass a minimum of half of the coursework attempted each semester will be Academically Dismissed.

Part-Time Students: After the first semester of attendance, part-time students who do not pass a minimum of 6 or more credits of 12 consecutive semester attempted credit hours will be Academically Dismissed.

3. EARN A C OR BETTER IN DEVELOPMENTAL COURSEWORK: Students who are required to take developmental courses must earn at least a C or better in those courses. (Developmental courses are those below the 100 level.)

Students who do not earn a C or better in their developmental coursework will be placed on Academic Probation for the next semester and be required to repeat developmental courses.

Students who do not earn a C or better in their developmental course during the semester on Academic Probation will be Academically Dismissed.

Please view the Catalog of Courses to see detailed information about policies.

Students who have been dismissed from Marian University may submit a formal appeal, which is your way of asking Marian University to review a recent decision.

Steps to appeal:

1. Consider why you want to continue at Marian University, how a degree from Marian University fits into your personal and professional goals, and what changes or decisions will you need to make in order to be academically successful should your appeal be granted.
2. Optional: contact CASE to discuss your letter or action plan
3. Contact the Office of Financial Aid to determine if you need to appeal your financial aid standing.
4. Submit an Appeal

• Submit your written letter of appeal via email, addressed to the Academic Policies Committee by the established deadlines to academics@marian.edu. Your written letter should include:
  • A brief explanation of what difficulty you encountered the last semester(s). You should not feel obligated to disclose sensitive or extremely personal/confidential details—only enough information to provide the committee with a general idea of what circumstances led to your academic performance.
  • Explain why you want to continue your degree at Marian University (e.g. how does a college degree from MU fit into your goals?).
  • Include an action plan that will address how you will be successful should your appeal be granted to continue enrollment (e.g. changes to your classroom attendance, time management, hours working, etc.).

What are the deadlines for submitting an appeal?

The deadline for submission will be provided in the email sent to your Marian account and via snail mail to you home address on record. This communication will also be provided to your academic advisor. Typically the window to submit an appeal response is approximately two weeks after the initial communication is sent.

When and how will I know the appeal decision?

Appeals are reviewed and a decision is sent to your Marian email and mailed to your home address on file. This process can take two additional weeks after the provided deadline in communication to allow the committee time to review each appeal. 

Students receiving federal or state financial aid are required to meet minimum satisfactory academic progress standards as defined by the federal aid programs.  Students must meet three requirements for maintaining satisfactory academic progress for financial aid:

1. Minimum GPA Requirement– this is the same requirements as described in the above section.

Students must earn a minimum cumulative GPA based on total credits attempted:

2. Credit Hours Requirement – the financial aid office monitors your academic progress towards your degree. The financial aid office staff reviews the number of credit hours students complete each semester. This is compared to the number of credit hours for which students enrolled at the beginning of each semester. Taking all semesters into consideration, students must complete at least two thirds (2/3) of their Marian University credit hours for which they enrolled. 

3. Time to Completion Requirement – a full time student must complete his / her four year bachelor degree within six years of continuous attendance. A half time student must complete his / her four year bachelor degree within twelve years of continuous attendance.

Students who do not meet the minimum satisfactory academic progress requirements to maintain financial aid eligibility will be notified via email and paper letter at the end of the semester. There is a separate appeal process for financial aid eligibility.

Students who meet all requirements are not notified of their good standing.

Questions can be directed to the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@marian.edu or (317) 955-6040.

You can use a GPA calculation to find out what grades you need to get back in good standing. The basic formula for calculating GPA is to divide the total points earned by the total number of credits attempted. The resulting figure is the GPA.

The below lists the points Marian awards for each earned grade.

A       4.00 points

A-     3.67 points

B+     3.33 points

B       3.00 points

B-      2.67 points

C+     2.33 points

C       2.00 points

C-      1.67 points

D+    1.33 points

D       1.00 points

F        0.00 points

The short answer is "No." All student records are protected by FERPA and each student can make a personal decision on what to share with others. However, we think open communication is good with those that support students during their college journey. 

You aren’t required to tell anyone about your academic standing. All student records are protected by FERPA and each student can make a personal decision about what to share with others. However, it can be helpful to share with people in your life who will encourage and support you. Keep in mind that your academic standing is not a reflection of your academic ability or potential!

Yes, you may want to consider repeating courses you previously failed. The most recent grade and credit will replace the previous grade/credit in the GPA calculation. This can be a great way to improve your GPA. However, keep in mind that the most recent grade will always replace the previously completed grade, even if the second attempt results in a lower grade. For example, if you retake a course in which you earned a grade of D and then earn an F, you will no longer have credit for the D and the F will replace the D in GPA calculation. It’s generally a good idea to repeat a course you previously failed. You should only consider retaking a class you previously passed with a D or higher if it is a developmental course that requires a C or higher or if your major or minor requires a higher grade in a particular class.

Students on probation meet weekly with an assigned Academic Success Coach. Your Academic Success Coach will assist you in setting goals, developing study skills, improving time management, connecting with appropriate campus resources, and determining grades needed to return to good standing. You’ll receive an email during the first week of the semester with the name and contact information for your assigned success coach.

You receive a Watch Term GPA letter if your semester/term GPA drops below 2.00. You are still in Good Academic Standing as your cumulative GPA is above 2.00. However, since your semester/term GPA was below 2.00, there is concern that you may be at future risk of academic probation. The letter just serves as a warning and to encourage students to make use of campus resources.

While transfer credits are added to your Marian transcript, the associated grade points are not calculated in your Marian GPA. The GPA calculation only includes courses taken at Marian.

If you are academically dismissed, you may not apply for readmission until you have been away for one full semester (fall or spring). If you apply for readmission, your application will be reviewed by the Admission Committee. They may ask you to submit a letter, similar to your appeal letter, explaining your academic standing, why you wish to return to Marian, and your plan for academic success.