How do I make sure I am in Good Academic Standing?

You have to work hard, that’s all. If your grades fall below a certain level and you don’t do better after a while, you may be placed on probation and could ultimately face dismissal.

At the end of each semester the university will look at your grades and to determine your Academic Standing.

CLICK HERE to learn more about what it takes to maintain Good Academic Standing and what you will need to do if your Academic Standing takes a dive.

Appeal Policy

So, You Messed Up. Now What?

Well, maybe you didn't mess up. But if you did and don't like what happened as a result, or if you didn't and want your side of the story heard, the Undergraduate Business Programs Office provides the means for you to make appeals and special requests relevant to academic matters.

1. All appeals must be submitted in writing. Appeals must be filed within 30 days of the action or incident under discussion.
2. Special requests must be submitted in writing and must be filed at least 15 days in advance of the effective date of the request.
3. All appeals and special requests should be addressed to: Ellen Marie McPhillip, Assistant Dean, Academic Standards Committee
4. The student, not a parent or other agent, must submit the appeal or request.
5. All letters of appeal and special requests must be typed and contain the following:
   • Student name and C0 Number
   • Current and accurate local and/or permanent address,
   • Current and accurate telephone number and email
   • Full description of mitigating circumstances
   • Signature of the student
6. Any supporting documentation must be included with the written appeal.
   • Physicians note and/or record if request is based upon medical circumstance.
   • If appeal is for a complete retroactive drop or withdrawal from a semester, written verification from professor(s) of non-attendance and/or of no work completed is required.
7. The decision of the Committee is provided by written notification and is final. Second appeals will not be accepted.
8. All letters, emails and documents must be delivered to the student’s academic advisor.

           
PLEASE NOTE:

• An appeal for retroactive course withdrawal for individual selective courses will not be considered.
• An appeal for a retroactive complete withdrawal requires detailed written evidence showing that the conditions or factors that caused poor performance warrant the retroactive complete withdrawal. Only if there is a reasonable expectation of future satisfactory performance, will an appeal be considered.
• An appeal concerning the assignment of grades will not be considered. A grade for coursework is at the discretion of the faculty and therefore must be discussed with the individual faculty member.
• An appeal of significant exception to policy, based on health or psychological circumstances, requires a complete documentation of facts. Granting of such an appeal may have other ramifications including but not limited to financial assistance, health record, insurance eligibility, visa status, etc.
• Students have the right to have their concerns heard by the University Ombudsperson if not satisfied with the decision of the Academic Standards Committee, Undergraduate Business Programs.

The following are policies students should assume are in force in the School of Business Administration courses, unless their instructors explicitly establish alternate policies.

Laptops, cell phones, smartphones, PDAs and other electronic devices (such as recording equipment) may not be used during class except at the express discretion of the instructor.

Attendance

Each student is required to attend every class and attendance will be part of the grade. Faculty will excuse absences only in cases of documented serious illness, religious observance, civic obligation or participation in an activity approved by the Academic Deans Policy Council. Otherwise your attendance is expected. If you will miss class for religious observance or a civic obligation, you must inform your instructor at least one week in advance. Any other absences such as absences for work related travel, or family emergency may be excused at the discretion of the faculty upon receiving supporting documentation. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor within one week after any unanticipated absence. Instructors and administrators shall endeavor not to schedule any examination or other graded class event on a major religious holy day.

Arriving Late, Leaving Early, Coming and Going

Classes start on time and students must arrive to class on time and stay to the end of the class period. Students may enter class late only if given permission by the instructor, and only if they can do so without disrupting the class. In addition,

• Students may not leave and re‐enter the class once class has started except by permission from the instructor, and only if they can do so without disrupting the class.
• Arriving late or leaving class early will have impact on the course grade as determined by the instructor.
  Please note that instructors are not obligated to admit late students or may choose to admit them only at specific times. Instructors are not obligated to readmit students who leave class.

Late Submission of Assignments

Late assignments will either not be accepted or will incur a grade penalty unless they are due to documented serious illness or a family emergency. Instructors may make exceptions to this policy for reasons of religious observance or civic obligation, only when the assignment cannot reasonably be completed prior to the due date and the student makes arrangements for late submission with the instructor in advance.

General Behavior

Students will conduct themselves with respect and professionalism toward faculty, students, and others present in class and will follow the rules prescribed by the instructor for classroom behavior. Students who fail to do so may be asked to leave the classroom with a grade penalty.

Collaboration on Graded Assignments

Students may not work together on graded assignments unless the instructor gives express permission or unless explicitly indicated on the course syllabus.

*Endorsed by the Vice Deans and Department Chairs

A student may elect to repeat up to two courses that were taken at the University of Miami within that student’s first two semesters of college work and in which the student earned a grade of D or F. Each repeated course must be taken at the University of Miami, must be the same course as the course initially taken, and must be completed within 12 months after the end of the semester (or summer session) in which the initial course was first taken.

No course may be repeated more than once under this rule. A course repeated more than once under the University’s General Repeat Rule will not qualify under the Freshman Repeat Rule.

Enrollment for a second time in a course constitutes a repeat of that course for the purposes of this rule, unless the student withdraws from the course on or before the University’s published Last Day to Drop a Course date.

For each repeated course, only the second grade (whether higher, or lower, or the same as the first grade) will be used in the computation of the student’s CGPA. The initial course will not count as credits attempted or earned, although the initial course grade will remain on the student’s permanent record.

Students who plan to apply to graduate and/or professional school should be aware that such institutions may recalculate the CGPA to include the initial grade earned before the repeat.

Click here to download and print the Freshman Repeat Rule Form

The University of Miami Honor Code is here to protect the academic integrity of the University, to encourage consistent ethical behavior among undergraduate students, and to foster a climate of fair competition.

While a student's commitment to honesty and personal integrity is assumed and expected, this Code is intended to provide an added measure of assurance that, in fulfilling the University's requirements, a student's work will never involve falsification, plagiarism, or other deception regarding the true nature of the materials presented.

All undergraduate students are responsible for reading, understanding, and upholding this Code. Students are expected to warn fellow students who do not appear to be observing proper ethical standards and to report violations of this Code.

If you haven’t read the code or you need a refresher, click on the link below.

Honor Code

The Ombudsperson and University Troubleshooter program was established to open channels of communication between students and the university community by providing an identifiable person to listen to student concerns. The objective of the program is to connect students to faculty and administrators who will listen, answer questions, interpret policies/procedures and provide guidance on the appropriate steps to consider for a resolution. (University of Miami Policies and Procedures)

Learn more about Ombudsperson

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are "eligible students."

Schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31)

• School officials with legitimate educational interest;
• Other schools to which a student is transferring;
• Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes;
• Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;
• Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school;
• Accrediting organizations;
• To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;
• Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and

State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law.

Schools may disclose, without consent, "directory" information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, schools must tell parents and eligible students about directory information and allow parents and eligible students a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose directory information about them. Schools must notify parents and eligible students annually of their rights under FERPA. The actual means of notification (special letter, inclusion in a PTA bulletin, student handbook, or newspaper article) is left to the discretion of each school. (United States Department of Education)

Learn more about FERPA

This Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. The Act describes that no person in the United States shall, on the basis of age, be excluded from participation, or be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under, any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. The Age Discrimination Act is enforced by the Civil Rights Center. (United States Department of Labor)

Learn more about the Age Discrimination Act

Below is an example of unfair treatment at work that may be based on age:

Hannah recently became manager of a software development company. She believes that she can boost sales and productivity by hiring a younger, more tech-savvy marketing representative, despite the fact that Antonio, the company's current marketing rep, has done superb work. Antonio recently completed a highly successful ad blitz that generated much industry-wide buzz and attracted numerous new clients. Hannah fires Antonio, who is 62 and close to retirement age anyway, she reasons, and replaces him with Cheyenne, a 35-year-old marketing whiz. Hannah discriminated against Antonio by firing him because of his age.

It is the policy of the University of Miami that sexual harassment of or by any administrator, faculty member, employee, or student is prohibited. A violation of the sexual harassment policy shall constitute grounds for disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the University. The University reaffirms its commitment to the concept of non-discrimination and to providing a work environment and an educational forum free of sexual harassment. (University of Miami Policies and Procedures)

Learn more about UM's support network

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities. Discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities, in employment opportunities, is prohibited by the University. An individual with a disability is a person who:

• has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
• has a record of such an impairment; or is regarded as having such an impairment.

Reasonable accommodation:

• An accommodation must be requested by the applicant or the employee.
• All reasonable accommodation requests are reviewed and granted based upon whether the individual is otherwise qualified and the accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. (US Department of Justice)