SAP Appeal Process

Before You Begin

• Be in SAP Warning or SAP Probation, scheduled for dismissal for not having met the Academic Plan.
• Have a mitigating or extraordinary circumstance that helps explain why you were unable to maintain SAP (for example, injury or illness, the death of a family member, or another extraordinary event).
• Have on hand the supporting documentation that proves the reason for the failure and what has changed in your situation since then.

How It Works

SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress) is evaluated at the end of each evaluation period (the completion of three consecutive terms, or one semester), based on cGPA (minimum cumulative grade point average) and credit completion pace. A student who does not meet these minimums enters SAP Warning and receives a written Academic Plan for the following evaluation period. If, at the end of that period, the student still has not met SAP, the student is dismissed, unless a written appeal is submitted and that appeal is approved.

The appeal must be submitted to the Appeals Committee by a student who did not meet the Academic Plan and is already scheduled for dismissal, when the student believes there were mitigating or extraordinary circumstances that contributed to the failure to maintain SAP. The institutional catalog cites, as examples of mitigating circumstances, an injury or illness, the death of a family member, or other extraordinary events.

The appeal must be accompanied by supporting documentation explaining why the student failed and what has changed in the student's situation so that SAP can be met in the next evaluation period. Approving the appeal does not erase or disregard attempted grades or credits: the student's attempted credits, cGPA, and SAP status remain the same. The approval only recognizes that, because of the circumstances presented, the student may remain enrolled.

If the appeal is approved, the student receives one more evaluation period under SAP Probation, with a revised Academic Plan. If the student fails to meet the terms of that plan at any point, the student will be dismissed from the program. If the appeal is denied, the student is dismissed from the university. A student may receive more than one period of SAP Probation over the course of their studies, but remains financially responsible for all courses in which they are enrolled, and, in the event of dismissal, for the courses from which they were dismissed, with the university's refund policies applying as usual.

The SAP Appeals Committee is composed of the Director of Academic Affairs (who chairs the committee, or the Director's designated representative), the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Dean of Student Experience, the Registrar's Office (University Registrar), and the Coordinator or Director of the student's program. The Committee's decision is final and cannot be appealed again.

Step by Step

1. Confirm that you are in SAP Warning or SAP Probation and have been notified of the scheduled dismissal.
2. Gather the supporting documentation explaining the reason for your failure to maintain SAP and what has changed in your situation since then.
3. Submit the written appeal to the Appeals Committee within two weeks after the end of your SAP Warning or probationary period. The institutional catalog does not specify the exact submission channel; confirm with the Registrar's Office or your program's Coordinator what the correct way to submit the appeal is.
4. Wait for the Appeals Committee's review, which has up to two weeks to respond in writing.
5. If the appeal is approved, follow the revised Academic Plan during the new evaluation period under SAP Probation.

Deadlines and Rules

• The appeal must be submitted within two weeks after the end of the SAP Warning or probationary period.
• The Appeals Committee has up to two weeks to review the appeal and respond to the student in writing.
• The Appeals Committee's decision is final and cannot be appealed again.
• A student may receive more than one period of SAP Probation over the course of their studies, but remains financially responsible for all courses in which they are enrolled.
• If the appeal is denied, the student is dismissed from the university and remains financially responsible for the course from which they were dismissed, with the university's refund policies applying as usual.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can submit a SAP appeal?

A student who did not meet the Academic Plan for their SAP Warning or SAP Probation period and is already scheduled for dismissal.

What do I need to submit along with the appeal?

A written appeal, accompanied by supporting documentation explaining why you failed to maintain SAP and what has changed in your situation since then.

What happens if the appeal is approved?

You receive one more evaluation period under SAP Probation, with a revised Academic Plan. Your grades, attempted credits, and SAP status are not erased or changed; the approval only allows you to remain enrolled.

What happens if the appeal is denied?

You are dismissed from the university and remain financially responsible for the course from which you were dismissed, with the university's refund policies applying as usual.

Can I appeal again if the Committee denies my appeal?

No. The Appeals Committee's decision is final and cannot be appealed again.

Who is on the SAP Appeals Committee?

The Director of Academic Affairs (who chairs the committee, or their representative), the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Dean of Student Experience, the Registrar's Office (University Registrar), and the Coordinator or Director of the student's program.

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See Also

In the Knowledge Base

• Academic Flowchart
• MUST University Grading System