Academic Proficiency Policy
The academic proficiency policy defines the academic standards students must meet to be considered academically successful at NMU. Students must maintain a minimum Northern grade point average of 2.00 to be in academic good standing. Students with an NMU GPA below this level will be placed on academic probation and will have to meet certain semester GPA requirements to remain at NMU (see academic probation standards).
Students are notified of their academic status in their end-of-semester grade report. Any questions regarding academic proficiency should be referred to the Academic and Career Advisement Center.
Levels of Proficiency
1) Good Standing: Students with a minimum NMU GPA of 2.00 or higher are considered to be in good standing.
2) Warning and Academic Probation: Students with an overall NMU GPA that falls below 2.00 (or those initially admitted conditionally to the University) will be placed on Warning Probation (if GPA is below 2.00, but at least 1.70) or Academic Probation (GPA less than 1.70).
Students on Warning Probation may not be academically suspended, however, students on Academic Probation must meet certain semester GPA requirements based on the Academic Probation Standards (below). Students on Academic Probation who fail to meet these requirements will be academically suspended from the University. Students remain on Warning or Academic Probation until they attain academic good standing (2.00 overall NMU GPA).
3) Immediate Academic Suspension: New freshmen and transfer students who have 8 or more credit hours and a GPA of less than 1.00 in their first semester of enrollment will be suspended immediately.
4) Academic Suspension: Any student on academic probation who fails to attain specific semester GPA requirements (see Academic Probation Standards) will be suspended from the University.
5) Academic Dismissal: Students who have previously been academically suspended from NMU, re-enter, and are academically suspended again, are dismissed from the University.
Academic Probation Standards
This table provides a quick reference to the semester GPA that students on academic probation must attain to remain at NMU.
Overall GPA Credit Hours at Time of Grading |
Semester GPA Necessary to Remain at NMU |
Less than 28 credit hours |
1.70 semester GPA or higher |
28 to less than 56 credit |
1.80 semester GPA or higher |
56 or more credit hours |
2.00 semester GPA or higher |
Date Approved: | 1-1-2000 |
Last Revision: | 1-1-2000 |
Last Reviewed: | 1-1-2000 |
Approved By: | Board of Trustees |
Oversight Unit: | DEAN OF STUDENTS |