Student Handbook - Iowa Lakes Community College

ACADEMIC PROBATION AND RETENTION
Iowa Lakes Community College provides assistance to students to help them to succeed academically.
The purpose of academic probation at Iowa Lakes is to indicate the need for special or individualized
help for the student who has academic difficulty. The college is concerned when a student has problems
and faculty and staff are available to provide assistance. Academic probation is somewhat different
from financial aid probation, which can be found in the financial aid section of this handbook.
ACADEMIC PROBATION STATUSES
A status of Probation means that the student and advisor must meet to determine what course of
action will lead to success during the next enrollment period. Strict probation means that the student
may continue enrollment only with a written contract for performance; failure to meet the terms of
the contract results in immediate suspension from classes. Participation in Strategies for Academic
Success (or an alternative assignment approved by the facilitator) is usually required of students on
strict probation, except during the summer term. Suspension means that a student is prohibited from
attending classes and is dropped from all courses. A suspension is for a full semester; a second suspension
is for a year. A semester is counted if the student is enrolled for six or more credits.
After the first semester in college, a new freshman will be placed on probation if the GPA is less
than 1.50. The student will be placed on strict probation if the GPA is less than 0.80.
After more than one semester in college, a student will be placed on probation if the cumulative
GPA is less than 2.00. A student with more than one semester in college will be placed on strict
probation if the cumulative GPA remains less than 2.00 or if the term GPA is less than 1.00 and the
cumulative GPA drops below 2.00.
A student on strict probation will be suspended if the term GPA is less than 2.00.
A student on probation or strict probation may continue enrollment if the term GPA is 2.00 or
better, even if the cumulative GPA does not reach 2.00.
A student who earns a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better will be returned to academic good standing.
The Academic Review Committee will review records of students on continued probation and may
revise status based on further information such as absences, excessive number of ‘I’, ‘Q’ or ‘W’
grades, etc. Transfer students will be placed on probation if a similar record at Iowa Lakes would
result in a probationary status.
FINANCIAL AID SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS
STANDARDS - IOWA LAKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE
GENERAL INFORMATION
The U.S. Department of Education requires each institution to establish and consistently apply standards
of reasonable academic progress to all students who want to establish or maintain financial
aid eligibility. This federal requirement indicates that students must maintain satisfactory progress
toward their degree objectives in order to receive financial aid. Iowa Lakes Community College has
established their standards, which are based on qualitative and quantitative measures. They require
students to:
1. Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average at the completion of each term.
2. Maintain a specific cumulative number of hours earned at the end of each term.
3. Achieve their program completion within 150 % of the published length of the program in
credit hours attempted:
4