Academic Difficulty

• Staying connected to your professor throughout the quarter will allow you to seek support if necessary. Keep them in the loop about what’s going on so they can work with you to complete your assignments in a reasonable amount of time.
• Take note of your professor’s office hours and be sure to meet them regularly throughout the quarter.

• You can drop an undergraduate course without any mark on your transcript by the end of the fourth week of the quarter. This course will not show up on your schedule or on the transcript.
• After the fourth week, you can still drop a course with a W on your transcript. The deadline to drop a course with a W is typically by the end of the 7th week of the quarter.
• Consider the following before you drop a course:
  • Will you still be at full-time status (12 units minimum) if you drop the course?
  • What are your financial aid and scholarship requirements?
  • Will dropping this course impact your financial aid, visa status or athlete standing?
  • Could you still add another course if you drop this course? (Typically the add period will end after the first week of the quarter)
  • Do you feel confident about catching up in subsequent quarters if drop the course?
  • Make sure to check our academic calendar for the current quarter’s deadlines before making any changes to your schedule.
• You can read more about Adding/Dropping courses here.

• An incomplete grade may be requested when a student has completed and passed a majority of the work required for a course but, for reasons beyond the student's control, cannot complete the entire course. Incomplete grades can only be granted by instructors and instructors are under no obligation to grant students an incomplete grade.
• This may be a good option if:
  • You were completing and passing the majority of the assignments in your course, but for reasons beyond your control, you are now unable to finish your remaining assignments and/or the final exam.
  • You need additional time to finish your remaining assignments.
  • You are earning passing letter grades in your other courses this quarter.
• This may NOT be a good option if:
  • You have not earned passing grades on many of the course assignments or you have been struggling since the beginning of the quarter.
  • You will take several incompletes this quarter, or a combination of incomplete and P/NP grades.
  • You have concerns about the timeframe for completion outlined by your instructor

• Students may only repeat a course in which they have received a grade of less than C-. In such cases, the grades of both the original and the repeated course are included in the calculation of the student's grade point average, but units are awarded toward graduation only once for each course passed.
• Please note that repeating a course will not replace the original grade on your transcript. All attempts of a course will appear on your official transcript.
• This may be a good option if:
  • You need a C- or higher in the course for a particular requirement.
  • Your major (or intended major) will accept the grade from the repeat attempt.
  • The course is required for graduation and there are no other alternative course options to fulfill the requirement.
• This may NOT be a good option if:
  • You are not confident that you will earn a higher grade on the second attempt.
  • You do not need the course to fulfill any requirements.
  • There are other courses you could take to fulfill the requirement.
  • Your major (or intended major) will not accept the grade from the repeat attempt.
  • The combination of courses you are enrolled in will be overly demanding with the addition of the repeat course.
  • You earned a passing grade (C- or higher) on your first attempt of the course. No units or grade points will be granted for repeats of passing grades.

• Withdrawing from the university will drop all of your courses from the current quarter. Students will need to meet with the Dean of the Drahmann Academic Advising center regarding return/re-enrollment in the future quarters. Students may not return immediately in the following quarter if they are on academic probation.
• You must meet with a Drahmann Center Advisor before you officially withdraw/ drop all classes. Withdrawal has implications on financial aid, housing, student visa status, and access to SCU resources.
• This may be a good option if:
  • You have experienced difficult or unforeseen circumstances this quarter and are failing all or most of your courses.
  • You are on academic probation and failing all or most of your courses.
  • You have consulted with the relevant campus offices and understand the implications that withdrawal will have to your financial aid, housing, visa status, etc. and still feel that this is the right choice given your personal situation.
• You may want to consider other options if:
  • Your instructor(s) are willing to grant you an incomplete and you may be able to pass your other courses.
  • There is a reasonable likelihood that you may pass all or most of your courses.
  • You can read more about withdrawing from the university here.
• You can read more about withdrawing from the university here.

To make an appointment with a Drahmann Center advisor click here.

• Below are some reasons why you might be feeling overwhelmed with your academics
  • Adjustment to SCU
  • Connection with other students
  • Home or family challenges
  • Housing or roommate issues
  • Feeling a lack of confidence or motivation
  • Separation from friends and family
  • Difficulty concentrating in classes
  • Difficulty in managing time
  • Too many classes or a heavy workload
  • Difficulty in understanding the course materials
  • Uncertainty about academic or career goals
  • Financial difficulties
  • Health concerns or untreated disability
  • Stress or anxiety
  • Social distractions
  • Sadness or loneliness
  • Traumatic events

• Experiencing challenges during college is normal and there are ways in which you could address them. Consider what kind of support you might need. There are various campus resources available to support you:
  • Cowell Center Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)
  • The Career Center
  • Faculty Advisors: Please check your Ecampus to identify your faculty advisor and reach out to them via email. If you are undeclared or do not have an assigned advisor yet, please visit the Drahmann center to meet with a University advisor.
  • Office of Student Life
  • The Wellness Center
  • Office of Accessible Education
  • LEAD Scholars program
• Whatever the cause of your academic challenge, a University advisor could help you understand your options and make a plan for getting back on track in a safe, judgment-free environment.

We offer various academic success workshops through the quarter. Checkout the workshops we are offering this quarter here.

• Students are subject to academic probation if their cumulative grade point average is lower than 2.0 based on all courses taken at Santa Clara University.
• Students are also subject to academic probation if they fail to make satisfactory progress toward their degree as defined below:
  • Completing at least 36 quarter units in the previous three quarters of residency OR
  • Completing at least 36 quarter units by the end of the third quarter of residency
  • Completing at least 76 quarter units by the end of the sixth quarter of residency
  • Completing at least 115 quarter units by the end of the ninth quarter of residency
  • Completing at least 160 quarter units by the end of the twelfth quarter of residency
• Students may also be subject to academic probation if they earn no letter grades in a quarter. This includes earning all Pass/No Pass, Incomplete, In Progress, or not recorded grades or any combination of the above. Even if you earn all Pass grades, since no grade points are earned, you will have a 0.0 GPA and may be placed on Academic Probation.
• Students who are not able to meet these terms for the designated quarter are placed on Continued Probation.
  
  
  

• Advising Hold
  • An advising hold will be placed on your Ecampus account which prevents registration in future classes. You must meet with a University Advisor to discuss your situation and make a plan for improvement.
• Terms of Academic Probation
  • You must complete the quarter with a minimum 2.3 term GPA, with no grades of D, F, I, NP, NS, or W.
  • You must complete the quarter with a minimum of 12 units unless you were granted exceptions.
  • You may not withdraw from any courses during the quarter without the consent of an Academic Advisor.
  • In addition to the initial meeting with your Academic advisor, you must meet with your Academic advisor at least once during your probationary period to discuss your academic progress.
  • You must complete an academic improvement plan which allows you to think critically about the challenges you have faced, identify resources to support you and come up with a plan towards removal of Academic Probation.

• We recommend that you take the following steps:
  • Complete the academic improvement plan to reflect on the challenges you faced in the past and come up with a plan. Review our Support for Academic Difficulties to identify resources that could support you.
  • Meet with a University Advisor to discuss your options and create a strategy for your upcoming quarter.