Academic Standards for Students Matriculating in or after August 2017

1. GPA Requirement for Good Standing. A student must earn a cumulative GPA of 2.250 or higher to remain in good standing and to graduate. 
2. Academic Warning, Academic Probation, and Automatic Dismissal for Academic Deficiency.
   1. Academic Warning. First-year students who have a semester GPA below 2.250 but a cumulative GPA of at least 2.250 at the end of the spring semester will receive a letter of warning from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Students who have a semester GPA below 2.250 but a cumulative GPA of at least 2.250 after any semester of their second year or third year, other than their graduation term, will receive a letter of warning from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
   2. Academic Probation.
      1. Academic Probation for First-Year Students.
         1. After Fall Semester. A first-year student who has a GPA of at least 1.850 but below 2.250 at the end of the first fall semester will be placed on academic probation. To be removed from probation, the first-year student must attain a semester and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.250 in the spring semester.
         2. After Spring Semester. A first-year student who has a cumulative GPA of at least 2.150 but below 2.250 at the end of the spring semester will be placed on academic probation. To be removed from probation, the student must attain a semester and cumulative GPA of at least 2.250 at the end of the first long semester of the student’s second year.
      2. Academic Probation for Second- and Third-Year Students. A student who has a cumulative GPA below 2.250during 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. Further, students who are placed on academic probation for the fall semester of their second year must take two advanced required courses during the fall semester. To be removed from probation, the student must attain a semester and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.250 at the end of the next long semester.
      3. Continued Probation. Given the above academic standards for probation, a first-year student who is on academic probation after the end of fall semester may continue to be on academic probation after the spring semester. For example, a first-year student who has a cumulative GPA of 2.00 will be on probation during the spring semester. If the student has a cumulative GPA of 2.20 at the end of the spring semester, the student may continue to be on probation during the fall semester of the student’s second year. To be removed from probation after the fall semester of the student’s second year, the student must attain a semester and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.250 at the end of the fall semester.
      4. Notice and Academic Counseling. Students placed on academic probation will be notified by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and will be referred to the Office for Academic Success Programs for required academic counseling.
      5. Summer Term and Academic Probation. A student placed on academic probation following the spring term mayattend 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 addedto the cumulative GPA. If the inclusion of summer grades lowers the cumulative GPA below the required minimum, the student has not satisfied probation and will be dismissed.
      6. Restrictions on Extracurricular Activities and Outside Employment for Students on Academic Probation. Students on academic probation 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; serving in an appointed or elected leadership role of a student organization; or serving as a mentor to first-year students. Further, they may not be employed outside of the School of Law for compensation, except by prior written permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
   3. Automatic Academic Dismissal.
      1. First-year Students. 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 automatically dismissed for academic deficiency. A first-year student who has a cumulative GPA below 2.150 at the end of the spring semester will be automatically dismissed for academic deficiency.
      2. Second- and Third-year Students. Second- and third-year students on probation who do not attain the required cumulative GPA of 2.250 will be dismissed for academic deficiency.
3. Academic Requirement to Participate in Semester-Abroad Programs.
   1. First-year Students. First-year students must have a cumulative GPA of a 2.75 or higher at the time of the application deadline tobe eligible to participate in TTU study abroad programs, ABA- approved study abroad programs, or any semester abroad exchange programs.
   2. Second- and Third-year Students. 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.
   3. Extenuating Circumstances. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs may grant exceptions to this academic requirement only when extenuating circumstances exist. Further, enrollment in study abroad programs is limited; therefore, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs may impose additional academic requirements when necessary.
4. Academic Deficiency in the Graduating Term.
   1. 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 termwill be permitted to graduate if the student's cumulative GPA is at least 2.250.
   2. Students Ineligible to Graduate. A student will not be permitted to graduate if the student: (1) is on probation when entering thegraduating term and fails to be removed from probation at the end of that term, or (2) fails to earn a cumulative GPA of at least2.250 at the end of the graduating term.
   3. Filing a Petition for Continued Enrollment to Meet Graduation Requirements. A student who has failed to meet the academic requirements to graduate may file a Petition for Continued Enrollment. If the Academic Standards Committee grants the petition, a student may enroll in additional courses to attempt to be removed from academic probation or to achieve the 2.250 cumulative GPA needed to graduate.
      1. Eligibility to File a Petition for Continued Enrollment. A student who has a cumulative GPA below 2.150 maynot, under any circumstances, be permitted to file a Petition for Continued Enrollment under this section.
      2. Petition for Continued Enrollment Criteria. The Academic Standards Committee may grant a student's Petitionfor Continued Enrollment to meet graduation requirements only if all the following criteria are satisfied:
         1. 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).
         2. those extraordinary circumstances either no longer exist or will no longer substantially interfere with the student's academic performance; and
         3. 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 eligible to graduate. removed from academic probation and earn a cumulative GPA of at least 2.250.
   4. Limitation of Continued Enrollment. No student will be allowed to continue for more than one additional law school term (i.e., summer term or long semester), and the student may not enroll in more than 16 law credit hours during a long semester.
   5. Bar Exam During Period of Continued Enrollment. A student who has been allowed to enroll for one additional summer term or long semester to bring up the student's cumulative GPA to the 2.250 required for graduation will not be permitted to take the barexam during the continued enrollment term/semester. The law school will not certify the student to take the bar exam until after the student's cumulative GPA meets or exceeds a 2.250 and the student graduates from the law school.
5. Petitions for Readmission and Petitions for Continued Enrollment (Other Than in Graduating Term). A student who has been academically dismissed may, depending on credit hours attempted and overall GPA, petition the Academic StandardsCommittee in writing for (a) readmission to the law school (i.e., restarting law school as a first-year student) or (2) continued enrollment in the law school.
   1. Eligibility to File a Petition for Readmission or a Petition for Continued Enrollment.
      1. Academically Dismissed First-year Students. A student who has been academically dismissed during or at the end of the first year may file only a Petition for Readmission to restart law school. Under no circumstances will a first-year student be eligible to file a Petition for Continued Enrollment. Further, a first-year student who has been academically dismissed is required to sit out of law school for at least two long semesters following the academic year of the student’s dismissal.
      2. Academically Dismissed Second- and Third-year Students (Other Than in Graduating Term). Second- and third-year law students (other than those in their graduating term) who have been academically dismissed may be eligible to file a Petition for Continued Enrollment or a Petition for Readmission. If a student has a cumulative GPA of at least 2.150 but below 2.250, the student may file a Petition for Continued Enrollment. If a student has a cumulative GPA below 2.150, the student may file a Petition for Readmission.
   2. Process for Filing a Petition for Readmission or Petition for Continued Enrollment.
      1. Meeting with Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. A student seeking readmission to the law school as a first-year or continued enrollment as a second or third-year student must begin the process by meeting with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
      2. Information to Include in Petition for Readmission or Petition for Continued Enrollment. A Petition for Readmission or a Petition for Continued Enrollment must include the following information: (a) reasons why the student was not successful inmeeting the requirements for good standing; (b) measures the student has taken to correct any problems that contributed to thatstatus; and (c) if the student was on probation, the student's conduct while on probation including the extent to which the studentworked with the Office of Academic Success Programs.
      3. Time to File. A Petition for Readmission must be submitted to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs between April 1 and April 15, the spring before the student is seeking to restart law school in the upcoming fall semester. A Petition for Continued Enrollment must be submitted to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs as soon as practicable after all semester grades have been finalized.
   3. Criteria for Readmission and Continued Enrollment. Readmission and continued enrollment are discretionary with the Academic Standards Committee. The Academic Standards Committee will grant a student's Petition for Readmission or Petition for Continued Enrollment only in limited circumstances and only if all the following criteria are satisfied:
      1. The student's failure to maintain good academic standing was due to extraordinary circumstances. ("Extraordinarycircumstances" generally refers to events beyond the student’s control that directly interfered with the ability to meet academic standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, significant health or medical condition, a serious mental health condition that impaired functioning, the death or terminal illness of an immediate family member requiring significant caregiving responsibilities, or other compelling personal hardships supported by documentation. “Extraordinary circumstances” will seldom include events for which there was reasonable opportunity for the studenteither to recover or obtain administrative relief prior to completing a significant portion of the work on which coursegrades were based);
      2. Those extraordinary circumstances either no longer exist or will no longer substantially interfere with academic performance; 
      3. The student's admission and academic record, together with any other relevant information and documentation, demonstrate a convincing likelihood that the student can achieve academic requirements in all future semesters; and
      4. The general responsibility of the law school to ensure that its graduates meet the minimum standards for fitness to practice law.
   4. Other Considerations.
      1. Transformation of Petition. When considering a Petition for Continued Enrollment, the Committee, at its discretion, may transform the petition into one for Readmission.
      2. Record of Decision to Readmit or Allow Continued Enrollment. If a student is re-admitted or allowed to continue enrollment,the Chair of the Academic Standards Committee shall provide the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Office of Admissions with a statement of the considerations that led to the decision in the student's file.
      3. Limitation of Readmission or Continued Enrollment. A student may be granted readmission or continued enrollment only once.
      4. Academic Standards in Effect. Students who are granted readmission or continued enrollment return under the latest academic standards and policies in effect.
      5. Finality of Decision. The decision of the Academic Affairs Committee on any Petition for Readmission or Petition for Continued Enrollment is final and cannot be appealed.
      6. Conditions for Readmission or Continued Enrollment. Readmission or continued enrollment may be conditional or subject to stipulations imposed by the Academic Standards Committee. For example, students may be subject to conditions such as the following:
         1. Required to consult with the Office of Academic Success Programs and develop a plan for addressing the student's academic challenges;
         2. Prohibited from participating in Board of Barristers activities and other advocacy competitions;
         3. Prohibited from serving on the staff of any publication for which students provide services;
         4. Prohibited from serving in any appointed or elected position in any student organizations;
         5. Prohibited from obtaining employment unless expressly authorized by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; and
         6. Any other reasonable conditions that promote academic success.