Academic Progress
Academic Standards Policy
To remain in good standing at the Gabelli School of Business and retain any awarded financial aid, students must meet established year-by-year standards of "academic progress." Faculty and administrators are dedicated to supporting students in meeting these standards. For details on standards for each class year, see the Academic Status section.
Full-time students are expected to complete their coursework in four years. Students who need additional time to complete their degrees due to special circumstances, such as an illness or a change in major, must receive approval from the senior class dean to continue their programs. Part-time students are not held to this four-year expectation and may take longer to complete their degrees.
It is extremely important that Gabelli School students develop adequate skills in written and oral English. Each teacher, no matter what the subject, may include an assessment of the student's ability to communicate as part of the grade. The teacher can adjust grades for the quality of the student's writing and has the right to require reports to be rewritten on the basis of poor writing alone.
If a student repeats a course, the original grade will remain and will be calculated into the student's GPA along with subsequent grades.
To preserve the quality of a Fordham education, the Gabelli School restricts the use of grades W (Withdrawal), ABS (Absent from exam), and INC (Incomplete). If a student does establish a pattern of these grades, it is considered evidence of failing to maintain reasonable academic progress.
Students must complete 120 credits and 40 courses to graduate. (Please note that certain 3-credit business core courses are split into two 1.5-credit courses; in such cases, those two courses do not count separately, but rather count together as one course.) If a student does not complete enough credits in the time allotted, he or she may warrant dismissal for failure to maintain satisfactory progress toward the bachelor's degree.
Failure to meet standards of academic progress may result in penalties, including probation, suspension, and dismissal. Students on probation may continue to study at Fordham and may be awarded financial aid, though this is not guaranteed; however, they will need to improve their academic status and return to good academic standing.
| Year or Classification | Credits Attempted 1 | Percentage Completed 1 | Minimum Credits Completed 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| First/First Year | up to 30 | 65% | 18-20 |
| Second/Sophomore | 30-60 | 70% | 42 |
| Third/Junior | 60-92 | 75% | 69 |
| Fourth/Senior | 92+ | 80% | 99-100 |
- 1
Transfer credits accepted by Fordham are counted in both credits attempted and credits completed, though the grades are not counted in the GPA.
- 2
For Gabelli School evening students pursuing a degree on a part-time basis, credits earned will be proportionate. Half-time students should complete half of these credits; three-quarter-time students should complete three quarters of these credits.
Gabelli School Evening Students
First/First Year
| Fall | 15-29 credits attempted |
| Spring | 30-44 credits attempted |
Second/Sophomore
| Fall | 45-59 credits attempted |
| Spring | 60-74 credits attempted |
Third/Junior
| Fall | 75-89 credits attempted |
| Spring | 90+ credits attempted |
Academic Status
Though students must achieve a 2.000 cumulative GPA by the end of their academic program to graduate, minimum standards for the first three years of study are somewhat lower. Please note that for students receiving funds from the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and other financial aid, academic standards differ somewhat from the chart below. For further details, consult Fordham's Office of Academic Records.
Gabelli School of Business Administration Day Program Students
First Year
| Year of Attendance | Minimally Acceptable | Academic Probation | Subject to Suspension | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seven Semesters Until Graduate | 2.000 | 1.400-1.999 | 1.350-1.399 | less than 1.350 |
| Six Semesters Until Graduate | 2.000 | 1.500-1.999 | 1.450-1.499 | less than 1.450 |
Second Year
| Year of Attendance | Minimally Acceptable | Academic Probation | Subject to Suspension | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Five Semesters Until Graduate | 2.000 | 1.600-1.999 | 1.550-1.599 | less than 1.550 |
| Four Semesters Until Graduate | 2.000 | 1.700-1.999 | 1.650-1.699 | less than 1.650 |
Third Year
| Year of Attendance | Minimally Acceptable | Academic Probation | Subject to Suspension | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three Semesters Until Graduate | 2.000 | 1.800-1.999 | 1.700-1.799 | less than 1.700 |
| Two Semesters Until Graduate | 2.000 | 1.900-1.999 | - | less than 1.900 |
| Two Semesters Until Graduate | 2.000 | - | - | - |
These standards also apply to transfer students. Both full- and part-time students on probation for two semesters may be subject to dismissal if they do not make satisfactory progress toward good academic standing. In addition, students may be subject to suspension or dismissal if their GPA falls below those indicated.
Course Failures
If a student fails a course, but his or her academic record does not otherwise warrant direction to withdraw from the University, he or she may continue his or her course of study with the understanding of the following:
- That failing any required course is a deficiency that must be made up by repeating the course, normally before the beginning of senior year.
- That a failure in any course becomes a permanent part of a student's record and influences the student's GPA even after he or she has repeated the course for a passing grade.
- That the responsibility for repeating and passing a failed course rests with the student, who should arrange to remedy this deficiency as soon as possible.
Make-Up by Equivalent Course
If a student fails a required course at Fordham, he or she must make up that course at Fordham, in all but exceptional cases. Four-year day students who fail a course must retake and pass the class through the Gabelli School of Business, Fordham College at Rose Hill, or the Fordham summer program. Evening students who fail a course must retake and pass the class through the Gabelli School of Business, Fordham's School of Professional and Continuing Studies, or the Fordham summer program. Only if scheduling or other circumstances prevent this may a student apply for permission from the class dean to take an equivalent course in another school within Fordham or at another institution.
Students wishing to pursue this option first must get approval from the class dean that the University will accept and give transfer credit for the course in question. If the course is a liberal arts course, the class dean also may require the student to get permission from the chair of the department that offers the course. Forms for this approval process are available from the deans' offices.
Though the class dean may approve an exception for a student to retake a course outside of Fordham, only courses taken at Fordham count toward a student's GPA. Students should consider the ramifications of this policy, especially knowing that the original failing grade remains even when a course is successfully retaken: A course retaken and passed at Fordham will yield a higher counterbalancing grade, whereas a course retaken and passed elsewhere will not. In addition, students should note that the University will not transfer in any external course in which the grade received is below a C (2.0 out of 4.0).
The above policies also apply to courses taken outside of Fordham that had not been failed at Fordham (including non-Fordham study abroad programs).
Probation, Suspension, and Dismissal
Probation
Students are given probationary status through the direct action of a dean. In all but rare cases, students may remain on probation for no longer than the equivalent of one academic year.
Suspension
Suspension is an enforced termination of formal studies, typically given for two semesters. A student may be put on suspension if any one or more of these criteria apply:
- He or she fails to maintain satisfactory academic standing as indicated in the Academic Status section of this bulletin.
- He or she receives three failing grades in any semester.
- He or she has more than one academic integrity violation.
If a student wishes to continue his or her studies at the Gabelli School after a suspension, he or she must formally apply for readmission to the school and should contact their Gabelli School class dean for an application. Students are generally required to demonstrate academic proficiency at another four-year college or university prior to returning to Fordham.
Dismissal
A student may be dismissed if either or both of the following criteria are met:
- He or she fails to maintain satisfactory academic standing as indicated in the Academic Status section of this bulletin.
- He or she receives three failing grades in any semester.
- He or she is placed on academic probation for three successive semesters.
If a student has been dismissed for academic reasons, he or she may not continue to take courses in the school. Dismissal is a formal termination of all further studies in the Gabelli School of Business and Fordham University.
Dismissal Appeal Policy
All academic progress decisions may be appealed, as a final form of review, in writing, to the dean of the school/college. The appeal must be made within three business days of the notification of change in academic status. It should include documentation of any extenuating circumstances that may have impacted the student, such as a death in the immediate family or an illness, as well as a statement from the student explaining the reasons for the appeal. The dean will make a decision in consultation with a convened committee, and that decision shall be final.
Grievance Procedure
Any enrolled student has the right to grieve alleged discriminatory treatment on the part of any Fordham administrative office, department, procedure, or student organization. The student alleging discriminatory treatment has the right to a prompt investigation of the charges, resulting in redress of grievances where cause is found. Internal grievance channels provide for the investigation and adjudication of charges by members of the Fordham community. Two internal procedures have been established: one for grievances in academic matters and a second for grievances in nonacademic matters. In either instance, to be valid, a grievance must be filed within thirty (30) days of the action against which it is directed. Further details concerning these procedures are available in the dean's office.
Academic Rank in Class
Starting in the 2019-2020 academic year, rank in class will no longer be computed or published for Gabelli School of Business students. This section pertains to the 2018-2019 academic year and earlier.
In the Gabelli School of Business, a student's rank in class was computed on the basis of a minimum of 24 graded credits in a regular academic year. No rank in class was computed for a student who had fewer than 24 graded credits in an academic year.
Rank in class was computed only once at the conclusion of the academic year. If grade changes of any kind were made after this time, rank in class was not recomputed.