Academic Concern, Conditional Standing/Dismissal and Readmission

Students permitted to enroll at Rider University are either in:

(a) Graduate Standing, in which case they are qualified to undertake graduate study and are recognized as degree or certification candidates upon admission;

(b) Conditional Standing, in which case they are permitted to enroll for a probationary period before a final decision of Graduate Standing is made; or

(c) Special Standing, in which case they are not enrolled in a Rider degree program but are permitted to enroll in some courses.  

Decisions regarding academic progress, conditional standing, and dismissal for poor scholarship or poor professional performance are the responsibility of the faculty of the relevant program or the Committee on Academic Standing within each college or school.  These committees may establish and apply criteria in addition to the minimum university cumulative grade point average (GPA).  Using approved academic criteria, the Committee on Academic Standing within each college or school may review the academic record of any student.  The following applies to all graduate students.

  • Master's and graduate students with a cumulative GPA below 3.0, and Ed.S. or Ed.D. students with a cumulative GPA below 3.3, will be placed on probationary academic standing and may be dismissed.
  • The minimum GPA to graduate from a Master's and graduate certificate program is 3.0 and from an Ed.S. or Ed.D. program is 3.3.
  • For all graduate programs, students graduating with a cumulative GPA of 3.851 or above graduate with distinction.

Master's and graduate students who fail to maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA, and Ed.S. or Ed.D. students who fail to maintain at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA, will be reviewed by the appropriate program faculty or Committee on Academic Standing and may receive a letter of academic concern, be placed on conditional standing, or be dismissed from the University. 

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Rider University calculates GPA to three decimal points within and follows standard rounding to two decimal places.

Academic Concern

Upon review of a student’s academic record and professionalism, a Committee on Academic Standing or Department Chair may issue a letter of concern, which responds to academic progress that does not meet college, school or university expectations, and describes an academic plan of study or professional remediation plan that must be met in the subsequent semester.  Students who fail to pursue the plan prescribed by the department faculty or an academic standing committee, who do unsatisfactory work in the prescribed plan, or who fail to meet other academic standards may be placed on Conditional Academic Standing or dismissed.

Conditional Academic Standing

Upon review of a student’s academic record and professionalism, the department faculty or a Committee on Academic Standing may place a student on Conditional Academic Standing.  In reaching this decision, the faculty or committee may require a student who does unsatisfactory work to pursue a specific course of study or professional remediation plan during a particular academic session.  Students who fail to pursue the plan prescribed by the faculty or an academic standing committee, who do unsatisfactory work in the prescribed plan, or who fail to meet other academic standards may be continued on Conditional Academic Standing or may be dismissed without further right of appeal.  There must be substantial evidence of proper motivation and a capacity for doing graduate level work to warrant maintaining a student in school with a record of continued conditional status as opposed to dismissal.

Students on conditional academic standing may not register for an academic overload. Westminster Choir College graduate students on conditional standing are ineligible for assistantships and may become ineligible for other scholarship awards. Additionally, students must be removed from conditional status in order to be approved for graduation.

Academic Dismissal from the University

Students who have not done satisfactory work may be dismissed from the University for poor scholarship or poor professional conduct at the end of any semester after an appropriate review of their scholastic performance by the department faculty or Committee on Academic Standing within their college or school.  Academic dismissal at the end of the fall semester is effective prior to the beginning of the spring semester.  Academic dismissal at the end of the spring semester is effective prior to the beginning of summer session.

Students who wish to appeal a dismissal must submit a written statement of appeal to the department chair or academic dean of their college or school within 10 days from the date on their letter of dismissal.  All appeals submitted by the deadline will receive consideration by the appropriate academic standing committee.

Dismissal for academic or professional conduct reasons terminates a student’s relationship with Rider.  Dismissed students may not enroll for courses nor participate in university-sponsored activities or ensembles at either campus for a period of one year following their dismissal.  Students dismissed for academic or professional conduct reasons normally will not be eligible for readmission within one calendar year of the dismissal date.  Although some students will apply for readmission, there is no real or implied right to such readmission. 

Students dismissed by Westminster Choir College (WCC) but not Rider University may apply for enrollment in graduate programs in other colleges of the University.  Students dismissed by WCC but not Rider University may not enroll in WCC courses, ensembles or activities until they have been readmitted to WCC with the exception of courses, ensembles or activities that are delivered by WCC and are required in music degrees housed within Media and Performing Arts.

Readmission after Academic Dismissal

Dismissed students seeking readmission must first contact the Registrar's Office, Bart Luedeke Center, or the Associate Dean of Students Office, Bart Luedeke Center to obtain appropriate forms.  Once the Registrar or Associate Dean of Students or his/her designee approves the readmission application, the application is forwarded to the dean of the college or chair of the department to which the student seeks reentry.  Students dismissed for academic reasons must submit with their readmission application a personal letter to the Academic Standing Committee which will make decisions concerning their readmission.  They should also provide evidence, usually in the form of a transcript from another institution, of formal study and/or accomplishment.  If possible, such work should have been done in specific areas of deficiency in the student’s academic record. 

Academically dismissed students must meet all academic requirements in place at the time of their readmission. Readmission will be dependent upon various criteria including GPA, current academic progress, evidence of professional growth, and the student’s general standing.  Students may be required to reapply or reaudition.

If readmission is granted, the student is placed on conditional academic standing until the cumulative GPA reaches a satisfactory level of at least 3.0.  A readmitted student is responsible for curriculum requirements in effect at the time of readmission.

Students should refer to The Student Code of Social Conduct at https://www.rider.edu/about/offices-services/community-standards/student-code-social-conduct for information regarding readmission following a voluntary or judicial dismissal.