UAF’s academic standards are designed to help students take action to ensure student success and completion of their degree. Students are encouraged to reach out to their academic advisor, instructors, dean or other campus resources to ensure continued success.

Academic standing and honors are assessed at the end of each semester, including summer. In order to remain in good standing, undergraduate and certificate students must earn a GPA of 2.0 at the end of each semester and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. If a student does not meet these requirements, academic standing action may result in a warning, probation or disqualification from the university.

Catalog Year

UAF defines catalog year as beginning in the fall and ending at the conclusion of the summer semester. For example, the 2024-2025 catalog year includes fall 2024, spring 2025 and summer 2025.

Good Standing

Undergraduate Students

Students are in good standing if their cumulative GPA and most recent semester GPA are 2.0 or better.

Graduate Students

To maintain good academic standing in UAF graduate programs, students must:

• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in courses taken since admission to graduate school. Before advancing to candidacy, however, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required. Students must earn at least a B grade in F400-level courses.
• Be registered at UAF with a minimum of six graduate or F400-level credits per year unless on an approved leave of absence.
• Abide by all parts of the Student Code of Conduct.
• Have a current graduate study plan or an advancement to candidacy submitted and approved unless within the first year of graduate study.
• Have on file with the Graduate School by May 15 of each year an annual report from the graduate advisory committee certifying satisfactory progress. This is the responsibility of the student. Students starting in January need not submit an annual report until May of the next academic year. If a satisfactory annual report is not filed as specified, the student may be placed on probation.
• Pass any required qualifying exams or comprehensive exams. Departments may set the number of times a student may retake an exam.

Academic Honors for Undergraduate and Certificate Students

The chancellor’s list is comprised of students who have earned a semester GPA of 3.9 or higher; the dean’s list includes students with a GPA of 3.5-3.89. 

To be eligible for academic honors at the end of a semester, a student must:

• be a full-time student in a UAF undergraduate degree or certificate program, and
• have completed at least 12 UA institutional credits with the letter grades of A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- or F, and
• for students with an incomplete or deferred grade, academic honors might not be determined until those grades have been finalized.

UAF announces the names of students who earn honors each semester on its news and information website. The honors list is also shared with the news media, elected officials and the public via news releases, newsletters and social media posts. The following are exceptions:

• Students with incompletes or deferred grades that are changed after the publication of honors are not announced separately.
• If a student has requested that information not be released (under FERPA), the student's name will not be released to the media.

Warning, Probation, Disqualification or Dismissal

Academic standing is assessed at the end of each semester, including summer. 

Warning

Students who have either a semester or a cumulative GPA below 2.0 are placed or continued on academic warning. Students on academic warning will be encouraged to meet with an advisor to discuss academic support resources. 

Probation

Undergraduate Students

Students whose semester and cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 after any semester, including the summer session, will be put on academic probation. Students on probation may not enroll in more than 13 credits a semester unless an exception is granted by the appropriate dean. Probation may include additional conditions as determined by the dean of the college or school in which the student’s major is located. Students on probation will be referred for developmental advising/education and/or to an advising or support counseling center. The student should work with an academic advisor to prepare an academic plan for achieving a higher GPA. Removal from probation requires the student’s cumulative and semester GPAs to be at least 2.0.

Graduate Students

Probationary status indicates a student is not in good standing. When a student is placed on probation, the dean of the school or college and the advisory committee will tell the student what requirements are necessary to return to good standing. If a student does not return to good standing by the end of two semesters, the student may be dismissed from the degree program.

Academic Disqualification

Undergraduate Academic Disqualification

Academic Disqualification is the status assigned to those undergraduate students who begin a semester on academic probation (including students admitted on probation for that term) or are continuing on probation and fail to earn a semester GPA of 2.0 or higher. 

The student’s program will be changed to inactive and the student will not be allowed to attend UAF for one academic (fall or spring) semester. After non-attendance for either the fall or spring semester, the student may complete a form for reinstatement.

Reinstatement

An academically disqualified student who desires to continue in the same program or another baccalaureate program may submit a request for reinstatement after not attending UAF or another UA institution for one academic semester (not including summer). The student should complete a request for reinstatement, which includes a plan for academic success. This form must be reviewed and approved by an academic advisor. Completed reinstatement forms must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar no later than the Friday before the first day of the semester for which a student wishes to be reinstated. An academically disqualified student must be successfully reinstated within two years of disqualification or they will need to reapply for admission.

• If reinstatement is granted, the student will remain on probation and be required to meet with an advisor prior to registration for classes until their cumulative GPA is 2.0 or above. Students must achieve a term GPA of 2.0 or above for each term.
• Reinstated students will have a maximum semester course load limit of 13 credits. Overloads will not be allowed; however, school or college deans may set a lower credit limit.
• Should a second academic disqualification occur, the student will be required to sit out one calendar year before being reinstated to UAF, CTC or CIS. The Alternative Program and Appeal options are not allowed.
• Should a third academic disqualification occur, the student will be required to sit out two calendar years before being readmitted to UAF, CTC or CIS and will need to reapply for a certificate or degree program through the Office of Admissions.
• UAF honors the academic status decisions of the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Alaska Southeast. Any student required to sit out at UAA or UAS will be eligible to register for UAF courses after the sit-out period and the hold has been released by the originating campus.

Alternative Program Option

Baccalaureate students who wish to continue attending may apply to the UAF Community and Technical College or College of Indigenous Studies for admission into an associate-level degree, certificate or occupational endorsement program with dean approval. This process can be completed with a full academic success plan developed with their new program academic advisor and submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

• Readmitted students will have a maximum semester course load limit of 13 credits. Overloads will not be allowed; however, school or college deans may set a lower credit limit.
• Should a second academic disqualification occur, the student will be required to sit out one calendar year before being reinstated to UAF, CTC or CIS. The Alternative Program and Appeal options are not allowed.
• Should a third disqualification occur, the student will be required to sit out two calendar years and may reapply for a degree program through the Office of Admissions.
• UAF honors the academic status decisions of the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Alaska Southeast. Any student required to sit out at UAA or UAS will be eligible to register for UAF courses after the sit-out period and the hold has been released by the originating campus.

Appeal of Academic Disqualification

A student who wishes to appeal an academic disqualification decision and remain in their current undergraduate program may submit an appeal form, available at the Office of the Registrar. Appeals must be initiated no later than the Friday before the first day of instruction for the semester in which a student wishes to be reinstated. The appeal form with a full academic plan for success will be reviewed by a committee for first-step approval and will then be approved by the dean of the college or school where reinstatement is being requested. 

• Students who successfully appeal will have a maximum semester course load limit of 13 credits. Overloads will not be allowed; however, school or college deans may set a lower credit limit.
• Should a second academic disqualification be received, the student will be required to sit out one calendar year before being reinstated to UAF, CTC or CIS. The Alternative Program and Appeal options are not allowed.
• Should a third academic disqualification be received, the student will be required to sit out two calendar years and may reapply for a degree program through the Office of Admissions.
• UAF honors the academic status decisions of the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Alaska Southeast. Any student required to sit out at UAA or UAS will be eligible to register for UAF courses after the sit-out period and the hold has been released by the originating campus.

Academic Dismissal

Graduate Students

If recommended by the department chair, graduate advisory committee and dean of the college or school, and approved by the dean of the Graduate School, a student will be dismissed because of unsatisfactory performance. Unsatisfactory performance is deemed as one or more of the following:

• Exceeding the maximum time limit for the degree.
• Not being registered at UAF for a minimum of six credits per year unless on an approved leave of absence.
• Having less than a 3.0 cumulative GPA for courses taken since admission to graduate school.
• Being on probationary status for more than two consecutive semesters.
• Violating the Student Code of Conduct.
• Lacking progress as judged by the advisory committee and documented on the student’s annual report.
• Having substantive inaccuracies in the original application for admission.

If the student does not have a graduate advisory committee, dismissal can occur upon the recommendation of the department chair and the dean of the college or school, with approval from the dean of the Graduate School.