New academic standards at N.C. Central University have put more than 500 students in jeopardy of being kicked out of school.
As many as 519 students at the university are on a warning list because they do not have a 1.9 GPA. The new requirement is part of an incremental policy to help improve the school’s academic standing.
Students are expected to maintain a 1.9 GPA instead of a 1.7 GPA to continue enrolling in classes. And starting in the fall of 2011, they will have to maintain a 2.0 GPA — the same requirements that a student must already have to graduate.
“They have to have a 2.0 for graduation,” said Bernice Duffy Johnson, dean of the University College at NCCU. “If students are not anywhere near that, we look at it as being a waste of somebody’s time and money for letting them linger until they do have the grade.”
The old policy allowed students to continue enrolling in courses even if they weren’t up to graduation standards, and also put students at risk for losing financial aid opportunities, Johnson said.
“It’s about equity and fairness to the students,” she said.
“Students have to earn hours in 67 percent of the courses they attend in order for them to be eligible for financial aid.”
At its meeting last week, the UNC-system Board of Governors mentioned looking into decreasing enrollment for the 2012-13 academic year as a possible solution to cope with the consistent decreases in state funding. But university administrators said the reason for the crackdown on GPA requirements was not budget-related.
At UNC-CH, students are expected to remain in “good standing,” by maintaining a 2.0 GPA to enroll in classes for the next semester.
NCCU’s new requirements were announced to students in December by Chancellor Charlie Nelms.
