GPAs beware:

Do “Cs” get degrees?

The answer is still yes, but ever since Fairfield’s administration has tightened the ropes on its academic probation policy, it has become a close call.

Beginning next semester, a new academic probation policy will go into effect. It abides by the following standards: Freshmen with an overall GPA of or below 1.9 after their second semester, sophomores with an overall GPA of or below 1.9 at the end of either semester and juniors and seniors with an overall GPA below 2.0 at the end of any semester will be put on probation.

The prior policy called for non first-year students to be placed on academic probation if their GPA sank below a 1.8. First-year students with a GPA of 1.8 or below would be restricted from extracurricular activities after their first semester and placed on probation if grades did not improve by the end of the second semester.

“The old policy allowed students to remain ‘in good standing’ with a GPA below the minimum needed for graduation,” said Academic Vice President Orin Grossman. “You could conceivably have a junior or senior in good standing under the old policy (GPA of, say, 1.9) but below what is needed to graduate. The new policy brings them into alignment.”

Grossman added that the change is not meant to single out students holding scholarships and should not affect the number of students who receive, and are able to maintain requirements, for financial rewards.

Despite the fact that the change in good standing GPA is minimal, some students believe it will affect the students who are hovering around that grade point average.

“If a student has a GPA of 1.9, they would have been just making it under the old policy,” said Joelle Nawrocki ’11. “One-tenth of a point makes a difference and could possibly be responsible for the expulsion of a student.”

Chaya Lee ’10 agreed with Nawrocki. “It definitely will affect kids, but I think it will be a good effect. It might help a student stay on task, and give them a wake up call to improve their grades.”

Other students, such as Lindsay Warburton ’11, feel that the change is too minuscule to have any type of widespread impact.

“The move isn’t large enough to take a large number of students who would have been just making it to being on probation. It won’t make a big difference to the student body,” she said.

“It won’t affect me. If someone is going to be affected by this, they would have realized just the same as with the old policy. It’s not a big enough discrepancy to make a difference to students who aren’t doing well,” said Mike Doherty ’09.

Antonio Musto ’11 said the change was a good idea for the University more so than the students.

“I think it is a great step for Fairfield. It helps our reputation as a very academic-oriented University, which makes it better for us after we graduate,” he said.

Grossman did not mention any University benefits associated with the policy change, but did explain that it began with the academic administration.

“It began with the administrators who actually deal most with students affected by the policy – the associate and assistant deans of the various schools – and then came as a proposal to my office and the faculty governance structure,” he said.

One benefit, which Musto pointed out, is how easily college students to be distracted with activities other than those involving textbooks and pencils.

“Most kids come here to drink. I think stricter standards help put priorities in order for some confused students,” he said.