Academic Proficiency Standards
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
| Good Standing | Students with a minimum NMU GPA of 2.00 or higher are considered to be in good standing. |
| Academic Probation |
Students with a GPA that falls below a 2.00 (or those initially admitted to the university on probation) will be placed on academic probation and must meet certain semester GPA requirements based on the academic probation standards (below). Students who fail to meet these requirements will be suspended from the university. Students remain on academic probation until they attain good standing (2.00 overall GPA).
Students on academic probation may also have to meet certain requirements of their probation including, but not limited to, meeting with their academic adviser on a prescribed basis, enrollment in developmental courses and repeating appropriate coursework. |
| Immediate Academic Suspension | New freshman 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. |
| 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. |
| Academic Dismissal | Students who have previously been academically suspended from NMU, re-enter, and are academically suspended again, will be 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 hours | 1.80 semester GPA or higher |
| 56 or more credit hours | 2.00 semester GPA or higher |
Suspension/Dismissal
When a student is suspended for the first time--whether it be immediately, after being admitted on freshman probation, or after having been placed on academic probation, the suspension period is for one year. After one year, the student can initiate the process of returning to NMU by filing a re-entry application. Some students may feel that their suspension was caused by circumstances outside of their control; students in such cases may file an appeal to the Admissions and Academic Policies Committee (see "Appeals" section) to return to NMU prior to the end of the one-year suspension period. Students who have been dismissed (suspended more than once), must appeal to return to NMU. Dismissed students are not allowed to file an appeal for one full calendar year after their dismissal.
Immediate Suspension
When a student earns less than a 1.0 during their first semester at NMU, they are immediately suspended. The suspension period is for one year. After one year, the student can initiate the process of returning to NMU by filing a re-entry application. Some students may feel that their suspension was caused by circumstances outside of their control; students in such cases may file an appeal (see "Appeals" section) to return to NMU prior to the end of the one-year suspension period.
Length of Suspensions/Appeals
All academic suspensions from NMU are for one calendar year. Suspended students have the right to appeal to return early.
Students who are academically dismissed from NMU may not appeal for one calendar year from the date of their dismissal and an appeal must be approved by the Admissions and Academic Policies Committee before the student may re-enter the university.
All appeals are presented to the AAPC by the academic proficiency officer in the Academic and Career Advisement Center, who can be reached at 906-227-2971. It is important for students to discuss their appeal with this staff member.
Important Financial Aid InformationA student's financial aid eligibility at NMU, at the time they are suspended or dismissed, is immediately voided. To have eligibility restored, a student must either:
- successfully appeal to return early from a suspension or from a dismissal. Eligibility will be restored without the student filing an appeal with the Financial Aid Office, or
- after waiting one calendar year to return from a suspension, file an appeal with the Financial Aid Office, and have the appeal granted.
