Undergraduate Students Academic Disqualification
As per USF's undergraduate student regulations and policies, academic disqualification constitutes the termination of a student's relationship with the University for unsatisfactory academic performance. A disqualified student may not register in any of the University's classes and is denied all privileges of student status.
The following students are subject to disqualification:
- Students who, after being placed on academic probation, fail to achieve a 2.0 (C) average for the work undertaken during the probationary semester.
- See additional criteria for disqualification of students in the School of Nursing and Health Professions: Undergraduate Student Regulations.
Appeal Application Materials and Instructions for Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate students who have been academically disqualified from the University of San Francisco are not eligible to enroll or continue in any course work at USF without going through the Appeal process. To formally appeal the disqualification, students must submit appeal materials to be reviewed by the Academic Disqualification Appeals Committee.
Before you begin the appeal process, we encourage you to consider whether it's the right time to return to USF. If you have been recently dismissed, many students find it helpful to take time away before appealing. If you decide that you are not prepared to appeal at this time, you may contact us again. We typically hold the appeal process twice a year. Please contact us by May 1st or November 1st for appeal timeline and instructions.
If you have any questions or concerns about the Academic Disqualification appeal process, you can contact your CASA academic success coach via email or call them at (415) 422-5050 or contact Sara Solloway at (415) 422-6742 or backontrack@usfca.edu.
Dates and Deadlines:
- Appeal application opens: Monday, January 6, 2025 at 9 AM Pacific Time
- Appeal application submission deadline: Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time
- Recommender support submission deadline: Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time
- Appeal Application Meeting: Friday, January 17, 2025 by appointment via Zoom
Appeal Application Materials for Undergraduate Students
Your thoughtful and very thorough response to the appeal application questions are essential for a successful appeal. The Academic Dismissal Appeal Committee will review your application responses in addition to any recommendations, in order to make a final decision on your appeal. The committee will review your responses on the following topics: awareness of obstacles preventing academic success, examples of changes made to improve academic performance, major fit, and degree completion timeframe.
A strong application will include articulating specific examples and plans of the changes you have made to ensure future academic success at USF. The appeal meeting is designed to share the committee outcome of your application and instructions and is not a deciding factor in your appeal, thus your responses to the appeal questions (and any documentation you can provide) are very important.
The application portal will be available starting Monday, January 6, 2025. Students must submit all petition materials by 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Wednesday, January 15th (late submissions are not accepted).
Notice about Medical Documentation.
If you experienced medical issues that impacted your academic success, please upload them in the appropriate area on your petition application.
You may choose to submit a recommendation to support your case for reinstatement. Having a strong recommendation will strengthen your overall appeal application, but it is not required. A strong recommendation would come from an instructor or someone who can speak to your ability to succeed at USF. Once you have selected your recommender(s), you may use the link below to provide the contact information for your recommender(s), and a direct email with an online submission form will be sent to them. You will be notified via email once the recommendation has been received.
Please contact your recommender in advance to (1) ask for their permission to complete a recommendation on your behalf, (2) let them know the due date, and (3) give them time to complete the form. The recommender can be a USF instructor or staff member (not your CASA academic success coach), high school teacher/counselor, therapist, or employer; or anyone who is not related to you (peers/friends are also excluded).
The submission deadline for the recommender's support is Wednesday, January 15, 2025 by 11:59pm. Please submit this recommender contact information as soon as possible, as that will give more time to your recommenders to complete their recommendation on your behalf. If your recommender does not submit a recommendation by the deadline, it will not be included in your application.
Appeal Applicant Meeting
You will be assigned an appointment time for your appeal application meeting which will take place on Friday, January 17, 2025 via Zoom between 10am - 4pm, so please be available during this time frame. If you are unable to be available on this date, you may want to consider appealing at a future date; we hold the appeal process twice per year. Please check your email frequently to receive your meeting time appointment information. The appeal meetings will take place via Zoom with one Dismissal Appeal Committee member. The purpose of the appeal meeting is to share the committee outcome of your application and is not a deciding factor in your appeal, but it is required.
Appeal Application Materials Review Process
The Academic Disqualification Appeals Committee will review all the application materials and base a decision on the following:
- Academic Probation Contract Fulfillment: 1-on-1 meetings with success coach
- Quality of Written Appeal: Thorough responses to these topic areas: awareness of obstacles preventing academic success, examples of changes made to improve academic performance, major fit, and degree completion timeframe
If your appeal is approved, you will be reinstated and eligible to return to USF classes immediately based on any Committee conditions and recommendations. If your appeal is not approved, you will not be eligible to return to USF for the following semester. The Academic Disqualification Committee will provide you with feedback about your appeal materials and may allow you to go through the appeal process again in a future semester. You can contact our office by May 1 and November 1 for the appeal instructions.
Many students have told us that it was helpful for them to take time away from USF before deciding to go through the Academic Disqualification process. We recommend consulting with your success coach to receive assistance, advice, and counsel during this time of reflection and discernment.
Helpful Preparation for Application Completion
Below are the appeal questions asked on the application, you may want to thoughtfully consider your responses prior to receiving the application link. Once the application link is sent to you, you must complete it at one time, or your link may become invalid. If your link becomes invalid, please contact Sara Solloway at backontrack@usfca.edu.
Suggestion: Write up the responses to your questions in another spot (like a word document) and put your responses into the application at one time, as you will not be able to save your work and go back to it within the application form.
Application Questions:
- Explain in detail why your grades fell below academic standards (if you experienced medical issues, please include any medical documentation).
- Did you complete all of the Back on Track program requirements as stated in your academic probation contract? If not, please explain why you didn't complete them.
- Explain specific examples of changes you have made to ensure future academic success at USF.
- What is your major?
- Why did you select this major?
- What is your major GPA?
- If reinstated, what would be reasons why this major may or may not work for you?
- What are your career goals?
- Explain your graduation timeline including the amount of credits needed and date of completion.
- Describe why you believe you will be more successful at USF, if reinstated.
Appeal Process Visual Overview
