Academic Standards for Students Matriculating in or after August 2017

Academic Standards for Students Matriculating in or after August 2017.

Good Standing and Academic Probation.

• Academic Requirement for Good Standing.
• A first-year student who has a grade-point average (GPA) at or below 1.850 at the end of the fall semester will be dismissed for academic deficiency. A first-year student who has a cumulative GPA below 2.250 at the end of the spring semester will be dismissed for academic deficiency.
• The cumulative GPA for required good standing and to graduate is 2.250.
• Academic Warnings, Probation, and Dismissal for Academic Deficiency.
• A first-year student who has a GPA below 2.250 but above 1.850 at the end of the first fall semester will be placed on academic probation. To be removed from probation, the student must attain cumulative and semester GPAs of 2.250 or better in the first spring semester. A first-year student who, at the end of his or her second long semester, has a semester GPA below 2.250 but a cumulative GPA of at least 2.250 will be placed on academic probation. To be removed from probation, the student must attain a semester GPA of at least 2.250 and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.250 by the end of the first long semester of his or her second year. Students who fail to achieve the required semester and cumulative GPAs will be dismissed for academic deficiency.
• Students who have a semester GPA below 2.250 but a cumulative GPA of at least 2.250 at the end of any semester of their second year or third year, other than their graduation term, will be sent a letter of warning by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
• A student who has a cumulative GPA below 2.250 during his or her second- or third-year of law school will be placed on academic probation. Students on academic probation will be required to take at least 14 credits and no more than 16 credits during the semester of probation, unless they lack 13 or fewer to graduate. Students on probation who do not attain the required cumulative GPA will be dismissed for academic deficiency.
• Restrictions on Extracurricular Activities and Outside Employment for Students on Academic Probation. Students on academic probation at the beginning of a semester are prohibited from participating in Board of Barristers activities and other advocacy competitions, serving on the staff of any law school journals, law reviews, or other publications, participating in externships, enrolling in clinical programs, or serving as an officer of a student organization. Further, they may not be employed outside of the School of Law for compensation, except by permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Associate Dean for Student Life and may not serve as mentors to first-year students.
• Academic Requirement to Participate in Semester-Abroad Programs.
• First-year students must have a cumulative GPA of a 2.75 or higher at the time of the application deadline to be eligible to participate in TTU study abroad programs, ABA- approved study abroad programs, or any semester abroad exchange programs.
• Second- and Third-Year students must be in good standing at the time of the application deadline to be eligible to participate in TTU study abroad programs, ABA-approved summer abroad programs, or any semester abroad exchange programs. Students who are on academic probation are not in good standing and thus are not eligible to apply or participate in study abroad programs.
• Enrollment in study abroad programs is limited; therefore, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs may impose additional academic requirements when necessary. Additionally, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs may grant exceptions to the academic requirements only when extenuating circumstances exist.
• Academic Disqualification. Any student who is on academic probation and does not meet the requirements for good standing at the end of the next long semester will be notified by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs that he or she is academically disqualified and not eligible to continue in school.
• Summer Term and Academic Probation. A student placed on academic probation following the spring term may attend class in summer term, but removal from probation shall be determined by academic performance in the following fall semester, as though the student had not attended summer term. If probation is satisfied after considering only the grades for the spring and fall semesters, any grades and credits earned in the summer term will then be added to the cumulative GPA. If inclusion of summer grades then lowers the cumulative GPA below the prescribed minimum, the student has not satisfied probation and will be dismissed.
• Academic Counseling. A student shall be notified when placed on academic probation and shall be referred to the Assistant Dean for Academic Success Programs.

Academic Deficiency in the Graduating Term.

• Graduation Requirements. To graduate, a student must have a cumulative GPA for all credits taken of at least 2.250. If the student is not already on academic probation, a student whose semester GPA is less than 2.250 in the student's graduating term will be permitted to graduate if the student's cumulative GPA is at least 2.250.
• Students Ineligible for Graduation. A student will not be permitted to graduate if the student:
• Is on probation when entering the graduating term and fails to be removed from probation at the end of that term, or
• Fails to earn a cumulative GPA of at least 2.250 at the end of the graduating term.
• Readmission of Students to Meet Graduation Requirements. Absent extraordinary circumstances, a student will not be readmitted to enroll in additional courses to be removed from academic probation or to achieve the 2.250 cumulative GPA needed to graduate, except as provided below.
• A student who has been excluded at the end of the graduating term and seeks readmission must follow the procedures and conditions described below for "Readmission and Re-entry to the Law School." The Academic Standards Committee's decision on readmission under this section is final.
• A student's petition for readmission may be granted only if all of the following criteria are satisfied:
• the student's failure to maintain good academic standing was due to extraordinary circumstances ("extraordinary circumstances" do not include events for which the student had a reasonable opportunity to recover or obtain administrative relief before completing a significant portion of the work on which course grades were based);
• those extraordinary circumstances either no longer exist or will no longer substantially interfere with the student's academic performance; and
• the student's admission and academic record, together with any other relevant information, demonstrate a convincing likelihood that the student can successfully perform at a level to be removed from academic probation and earn a cumulative GPA of at least 2.250.
• A student who has a cumulative GPA below 2.150 may not, under any circumstances, be permitted to apply for readmission under this section.
• No student will be readmitted for more than one additional semester, during which the student may not enroll in more than 16 law credit hours.
• No student who has been readmitted to bring up the student's cumulative GPA to the 2.250 required for graduation is permitted to take the bar exam during such readmission semester. The law school will not certify such a student to take the bar exam until after such time as the student's cumulative GPA attains or exceeds a 2.250 and the student graduates from the law school.

Readmission and Re-entry to Law School. Students who are granted readmission or re-entry to the law school return under the latest academic standards and policies in effect.

• Petitions for Readmission and Re-entry. Except as provided herein, a student who is academically disqualified may, depending on credit hours attempted and overall GPA, petition the Academic Standards Committee in writing for readmission to the law school to continue with his or her studies or for re-entry to the law school as a first-year student. A student may be granted re-entry only once. A student dismissed for academic deficiency during or at the end of his or her first year may apply to re-enter as a first-year student only after sitting out two long semesters following the academic year of his or her dismissal. A student dismissed for academic deficiency during or at the end of his or her first year may not apply for readmission. Only second- and third-year law students may petition for readmission.
• Process for Readmission and Re-entry. A student wishing to seek readmission to continue legal studies or re-enter the law school as a first-year student must begin the process by meeting with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, who shall inform the student that readmission or re- entry is not automatic but is discretionary with the Committee. A petition for readmission or re- entry shall include (a) reasons why the student was not successful in meeting the requirements for good standing and (b) measures the student has taken to correct any problems that contributed to that status. The Committee should consider the student's conduct while on probation including the extent to which the petitioning student has worked with the Assistant Dean for Academic Success Programs. A student who is readmitted or permitted to re-enter must consult with the Assistant Dean for Academic Success Programs and develop a plan for addressing the student's academic problems.
• Criteria for Readmission and Re-entry. A student's petition for readmission or re-entry may be granted only if all of the following criteria are satisfied:
• The student's failure to maintain good academic standing was due to extraordinary circumstances ("extraordinary circumstances" will seldom include events for which there was reasonable opportunity for the student either to recover or obtain administrative relief prior to completing a significant portion of the work on which course grades were based); and
• Those extraordinary circumstances either no longer exist or will no longer substantially interfere with academic performance; and
• The student's admission and academic record, together with any other relevant information, demonstrate a convincing likelihood that the student can achieve and maintain academic good standing in all future semesters. No second- or third-year student may be readmitted by the Committee if the student's GPA is below 2.200.
• Academic Standards Committee Considerations.
• In evaluating the petition for readmission or reentry, the Committee may consider, as part of its decision-making, the responsibility of the law school to ensure that its graduates meet minimum, basic standards for fitness to practice law.
• If a student has a cumulative GPA of 1.950 or higher but lower than 2.250 at the end at the end of the second or third year of law school, the student may petition for readmission or for re-entry to law school to retake all courses. If a student has a cumulative GPA of 2.200 or higher but lower than 2.250 at the end at the end of the second or third year of law school, the student may petition for readmission or for re-entry to law school to retake all courses. If a student has a cumulative GPA below 2.250 at the end of the first year of law school, the student may petition for re-entry to law school to retake all courses (readmission is not permitted). A petition to reenter may be granted only if the Committee concludes that the three criteria for readmission or re-entry are satisfied. Absent compelling circumstances, a student who has attempted more than 32 credits cannot petition for reentry. When considering a petition for readmission, the Committee, at its discretion, may transform the petition into one for re-entry.
• If a student is readmitted or permitted to re-enter, the chair of the Academic Standards Committee shall place a statement of the considerations that led to the decision in the student's file. Readmission or re-entry may be conditional or subject to stipulations imposed by the Committee. Students who re-enter law school may be subject to conditions such as the following:
1. Prohibited from participating in Board of Barristers activities and other advocacy competitions; and
2. Prohibited from serving on the staff of any publication for which students provide services and as an officer in any student organizations.
• The Committee's decision on any petition is final.