People & DepartmentsOfficesOffice of Academic Success and AchievementCommittee on Academic Standing and Advising

Committee on Academic Standing and Advising

The Committee on Academic Standing and Advising (CASA) is responsible for monitoring the academic progress of students, rewarding academic achievement, and ensuring the proper academic advisement of students.  In addition to assigning Academic Standing (Academic Probation & Academic Warning), the committee handles petitions for exempting individuals from academic policy. 

The 8-member committee comprises three faculty members, one from each division; two students appointed by the SGA; the Dean for Student Achievement and Success; the Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs; and the Registrar.

Petitions to Academic Policy

Students may petition the Committee on Academic Standing and Advising (CASA) for an exception to any academic policy. Policies can be found in the course catalog. Students should generally refer to the catalog that was published the year they matriculated. 

Petitions require support from the student's academic advisor, and should be submitted with supporting documentation as appropriate. In determining the outcome of the petition, CASA will debate the merits of the petition looking for compelling and necessary reasons to make an exception to College policy. Petitions that are denied are often accompanied with suggestions to address the cause(s) of the petition. 

Questions can be sent to academic_petitions@washcoll.edu. 

Academic policies can be found in the course catalog. While students may peitition any academic policy, the ones listed below are aomng the most common cases:

  • Enrollment in more than 22 credits.
  • Enrollment in more than 18 credits while on academic probation or academic warning.
  • Late Add, Drop, or Withdrawal (deadlines published in the academic calendar).
  • Late change in enrollment status: Letter Grade, Pass/Fail or Audit (deadlines published in the academic calendar).
  • Waive or modify general education requirements (CASA has no influence over major requirements). 
  • Exceptions to repeated course policy.

Appeal

Students whose petitions are denied have the option of writing an appeal to the Committee (academic_petitions@washcoll.edu) and to the Provost (provost@washcoll.edu), either of whom may choose to reverse the decision.

  • Overload beyond the allowed 18 credits in a students first semester at the College. While an exception may potentially be made to allow a student to take an extra 1-credit music/ensemble or wellness and personal development (WPD) course, students are strongly discouraged from taking five 4-credit courses, that would result in a 20 cresdit course load in their first semester.
  • Transfer of letter grade from a non-partner institution to Washingon College. Students should not request that a grade from a course taken at another non-partner institution be entered into a student's Washington College transcript. This is not permissible.

Students who wish to plan their general education outside of the normal guidelines may write a proposal to this effect and submit it to their advisor as a basis for discussion of the feasibility of the plan. After consultation with the advisor, the student should send the proposal to the Committee on Academic Standing and Advising (academic_petitions@washcoll.edu) for final judgment. Approval of such proposals depends on convincing evidence that the desired scheme provides an alternate way of adequately meeting the broad aims of the distribution requirement.

Proposals must make provisions for meeting such specific goals as the following:

  • promotion of cultural breadth,
  • introduction to empirical investigation,
  • provision of some basis for aesthetic appreciation or creativity,
  • acquaintance with the nature of language (natural or symbolic),and
  • opportunity to view complex phenomena.

Academic Standing

In order to graduate from Washington College students must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.00, and a grade point average of at least 2.00 in the courses serving to fulfill the major. To help ensure that students make adequate progress toward these graduation requirements, and to alert students and their families, faculty advisors, and the Office of Academic Skills to struggles that some students might be having in meeting their academic goals, at the end of each semester the Committee on Academic Standing and Advising reviews the progress of all students who:

  • earned a semester GPA below 2.00
  • earned at least one “F” grade in the semester
  • earned at least two “D” grades in the semester
  • are currently on academic probation or warning
  • have a cumulative GPA below 2.00 any time after their fourth semester

At the end of each semester, The Committee will recommend an action for each student, which may include placing the student on academic warning, academic probation, or continued academic probation.

  • Students on academic probation or academic warning may not take more than 18 credit hours in any single semester and must participate in the Academic Recovery program.
  • Student-athletes who are on academic probation may be scheduled for a conference with the Athletic Director or coach and the Provost’s Office to determine whether it is appropriate for the student to continue athletic participation.
  • Students on academic probation may not take a course for a Pass/Fail grade.
  • Instructors report midterm letter grades for all first-year students, students on academic probation,
  • Students on Academic Warning or Academic Probation required to participate in appropriate academic support activities offered bythe Office of Academic Skills.

First-semester first-year students may only enroll for a maximum of 18 credits. Exceptions to this rule are rarely granted.

First-semester first-year students earning a semester grade point average of less than 1.75 will be placed on academic probation and required to participate in appropriate academic support activities in recognition of the challenges that may occur in the transition from high school to college-level work.

Suspension

With the exception of a student in their first semester at the College, the Committee may suspend students earning a semester grade point average of less than 1.75.

Suspended students may be required to take courses elsewhere in order to demonstrate sufficient academic readiness for college-level work before requesting reinstatement at Washington College. Students with at least one previous suspension for academic reasons and whose subsequent performance qualifies for review by the Committee on Academic Standing and Advising may be dismissed from the College. 

Dismissal

All students are required to attain a 2.00 cumulative GPA or better by the end of four semesters at the College, typically the end of sophomore year for students who enter as first year students. Students who transfer to the College with fewer than 28 credits are required to attain a 2.00 cumulative grade point average or better by the end of their fourth semester at Washington College. Students who transfer to Washington College with 28 or more credits are required to attain a 2.00 cumulative grade point average or better by the end of their second semester at Washington College.

The Committee on Academic Standing and Advising reviews the academic record of any student whose cumulative grade point average is below 2.00 at the end of four semesters (or at the end of the appropriate semester for transfer students) to determine if the student will be allowed to continue at the College.

Appeal

All students suspended or dismissed have the option of writing an appeal to the Committee (academic_petitions@washcoll.edu) and to the Provost (provost@washcoll.edu) , either of whom may choose to reverse the decision.