Leaders are now reimagining how academic probation is communicated to students and ways to make the policy less punitive
By Ashley Mowreader Academic probation, while designed to be a notice to students of poor performance, can be a significant barrier to student success. Around 8āÆpercent of graduating college seniorsāÆhave been on academic probationāÆat least once during their time in college, and this rate increases to 9āÆpercent among first-generation students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. A 2022 analysis of academic probationĀ on four-year graduation rates at one university found placing students on academic probation based on overall GPA reduced their odds of completing in four years by 40Ā percent.Ā Research from California Competes also found that a majority of students