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What is Academic Jeopardy?
To be in good academic standing and
graduate from Kutztown University (KU), all students must
earn a minimum cumulative, or overall GPA of a 2.0. Students who
earn a cumulative
GPA below a 2.0 become a part of the
Academic Jeopardy Program located in 119 Stratton Administration. The goal of the Academic Jeopardy Program is
to help students develop a plan to improve their academic
performance, return to good academic standing, and continue
to make progress toward a degree at KU. The
Coordinator of the Academic Jeopardy Program serves as a
supplemental Advisor for students in Academic Jeopardy.
Staff from the Academic Jeopardy Program recognize that there are many factors that affect
students’ academic progress, including part-time employment, social
and financial pressures, emotional issues, and uncertainty
about choice of major or career. While working with students
to improve their academic performance, staff will help students find support,
and if necessary, refer to additional
Campus Resources.
Definitions of Academic Status
At the conclusion of each semester (fall and spring),
students who earn a cumulative
GPA
lower
than a 2.0 will receive a letter from the Registrar’s Office
indicating one of the following four academic statuses according to University Policy:
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Notification:
Students earning a cumulative GPA lower than
2.0 at the completion of their first semester.
-
Academic Warning:
Students earning a cumulative GPA lower than a 2.0 at
the completion of their second or any subsequent. Part-time
students will be evaluated every twelve (12) credits
beginning with the completion of twenty-four (24)
credits and will receive an Academic Warning whenever
this evaluation shows their cumulative GPA to have fallen below
2.0. A student is allowed only one semester of Academic
Warning.
Please refer to the
University Policy– Academic
Warning/Probation Requirements for a complete
description and specific requirements for students on
Academic Warning.
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Academic
Probation: Students earning a cumulative GPA lower than a 2.0
after receiving an Academic Warning in any semester will be
placed on Academic Probation. A part-time student who has
received an Academic Warning must bring his/her cumulative
GPA up to 2.0 or higher within twelve (12) semester credits
attempted, or will be placed on Academic Probation.
Please refer to the
University Policy– Academic
Warning/Probation Requirements for a complete description
and specific requirements for students on Academic
Probation.
-
Disqualified: A student is
Disqualified from the University, if at
the end of a probationary semester a 2.0 cumulative GPA has not been
earned. Under policy of the University, disqualification is
effective immediately before the beginning of the next
regular semester. If a student under Academic Probation
earns the GPA required for good standing, but then again
falls below the 2.0 GPA, the student will
automatically be disqualified. Any student, regardless of status, is eligible to take
summer courses at KU. Remember, when attempting to
improve your cGPA by repeating a course; you MUST repeat the
course at KU.
If you are disqualified and feel that you
have significant academic progress, or there were extenuating
circumstances which caused you to earn a low cumulative GPA,
you may want to petition the
Undergraduate Exceptions Committee for an
additional semester of Academic Probation.
Click the following link to learn the
Process to Petition for an Additional Semester of
Probation
Please refer to the
University Policy– Academic
Warning/Probation Requirements for a complete description
and specific requirements for students who are Disqualified.
Financial Aid Progress Requirements
All students who are receiving
Financial
Aid must satisfy academic progress requirements. Click
here to review information on
Academic Progress
Requirements for Financial Aid.
Contact the Financial Aid Office, (610) 683-4077, or 209
Stratton Administration with questions.
GPA Calculator
A GPA calculator is available to help you calculate the
grades and credits you would need to improve your current GPA and
return to good academic standing. Follow this link to
Online Student Services, and log on using your social
security number and pin number. After logging in, click on Registration, then
Class
Schedules, and then the link "Estimate your GPA".
If you do not know your pin number, contact the Registrar’s
Office at 610-683-4485.
Tips for Improving Your GPA
You are encouraged to contact the
Coordinator of the Academic Jeopardy Program to discuss your
options and develop a plan to help you return to good
standing with the University. It is important that you
contact us as soon as you are notified
by the Registrar's Office of your academic status, so that
you can utilize available resources and if necessary,
revise your course schedule for the next semester. Staff is available throughout the
summer and during winter break.
What you can do…
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A very good strategy for improving your GPA is to repeat
courses in which you earned a grade of “F”. Your new grade
in the course will replace the old grade when calculating your
GPA. The courses must be repeated at KU to impact your GPA. You
can make changes to your schedule through
Online Student Services,
independently, with the assistance of your
advisor, or the
Coordinator of Academic Jeopardy Program.
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In some cases, it may also be advantageous for you
to repeat courses in which you earned a grade of “D”.
These courses must be repeated at KU, in order to improve
your GPA. You may make changes to your schedule through
Online Student Services or with the assistance of your
advisor or staff in the
Advising Center for Undeclared Students. It is important for you to understand that
repeating courses in which you received a “D” will not
add new credits, however it will add additional quality
points if a grade higher than a "D" is earned. Repeating
a "D" will not add new credits toward the twenty-four
(24) new credits required each year to meet
Academic Progress
Requirements for Financial Aid.
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Assess your study habits and study skills.
- Be sure that you are scheduling at least 2-3 hours
of study time for each hour of class each week i.e. a
three (3) credit course would require approximately 4-6
hours of study time outside of class.
- Use a monthly planner to organize your time, assignments,
projects, and examinations.
- Learn your Professor’s name and office location. Visit
him/her during scheduled office hours for assistance or
clarification of difficult coursework.
- Visit the
Academic Skills Lab to become more familiar with
your learning style and to assist you to strengthen your study
habits including time management, note-taking,
test-taking, test-anxiety, and effective reading strategies
for college coursework.
- Request a tutor for subjects that you feel are difficult
for you. Accessing
Tutoring
Services early in the semester is key for your
success.
-
If you received accommodations in high school or
feel that you may have a disability, contact
Disability Services for more information on accessing
services in college. Ask for assistance as soon as needed (don’t wait).
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Consider your academic load. Students generally enroll and complete
at least fifteen (15) credits each semester to make adequate
progress toward graduation. However, if you have not completed
fifteen (15) credits in the past semester, or you feel
you would be unable to
manage such a course load, work with an
Advisor to plan a
lighter course load during the fall and the spring semesters. Register for summer courses to make up additional credits. It is important that you work with an Advisor on
this plan since not all courses are offered at
KU during the summer sessions.
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If you plan to take courses at another college or
university, only the credits will transfer, not the
grades. That means that courses taken at another college
or university will not count towards your GPA. Please check the
Transfer
Course Evaluation to confirm transferability and
applicability of courses. Also, you will need to complete a Request to Study
at Another College form (not an accessible PDF file). The form is located in the
Registrar's Office,
115 Stratton Administration.
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Prioritize how you spend your time when balancing your
academic, social and personal needs. While the merits of
part-time employment and involvement with extra-curricular
activities are significant, if your commitments are
interfering with your academic performance it is time to
re-evaluate the benefits. If you are consistently late for
class or miss classes all together, or if you have little or
no quality study time because of your busy personal
schedule, you should consider making changes. If you cannot
make changes to your personal schedule and commitments,
consider lightening your academic load. (See #5).
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Are you coping with personal, interpersonal, or family
problems? Talking with a professional counselor in the
University Counseling
Services may
help you to better manage your personal concerns so you can
focus your attention on your academic coursework.
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Are you uncertain about your academic major or unclear about
your career path? It can be difficult to focus on your
courses when you are not sure why you are taking them or how
they may help you achieve your career goals. Review
Choosing a Major,
and contact
The Advising Center for Undeclared Students and/or
Career
and Community Services Office for help in finding a major
that is right for you.
Withdrawing From KU
You may need to take some time away from
Kutztown University (KU) to evaluate your personal and academic situation
and make necessary changes to ensure your academic
success. If you decide not to return to
KU, you must officially notify the University by completing
a
Leave of Absence/Withdrawal Form, and
return it to the
Registrar’s
Office, 115 Stratton Administration.
If you withdraw from KU, you will need to reapply to
the University through the
Admissions Office when
you are
ready to return.
Click here for
Message From the Coordinator of Academic Jeopardy
Coordinator of the Academic Jeopardy Program
Professor George Paterno
Coordinator of the Academic Jeopardy Program
paterno@kutztown.edu
Phone: (610) 683-4735
Fax: (610) 683-4727
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