Academic Policies & Standing

ECU has a variety of academic policies in place to help students retain or improve their academic standing. You will find some of the most common academic policies below. All academic policies can be found in the undergraduate catalog under “Academic Regulations.”

Academic Standing

Good Standing:  A minimum of a 2.0 gpa is required to be in good academic standing at East Carolina University.

Academic Warning: Warning is the first semester in which a student finishes with below a 2.0 cumulative gpa.

If, at the end of the semester that the student is on warning, the cumulative gpa remains below a 2.0, the student is placed on probation.

Academic Probation: Probation is the second consecutive semester in which a student has below a 2.0 cumulative gpa.

A student whose cumulative gpa falls below a 2.0, for the first time, is placed on warning. If, during the semester on warning, the student’s cumulative gpa remains below a 2.0, the student is placed on probation. A student on probation may remain at ECU (on probation) as long as he/she earns a minimum 2.5 gpa for the term. If, during the semester on probation, the student’s gpa remains below a 2.0 (and the student did not earn a minimum 2.5 gpa for the term), the student will be suspended from the university for one semester. Students will be allowed to take summer courses during warning, probation, and suspension periods.

Academic Suspension: Suspension occurs when a student earns a 0.0 gpa in the first semester.

Suspension also occurs at the end of a student’s third, consecutive semester with below a 2.0 cumulative gpa and below a 2.5 for the semester.

A student suspended from the university must serve a semester-long dismissal (fall or spring). However, students may attend summer terms at ECU during this time. If a student is suspended after a spring term, he or she may enroll for summer terms without completing a readmission application. A student suspended after a fall term or summer term must complete a readmission application and be readmitted to attend a summer term.

Policies related to course schedules

Course Adjustment Period (Drop/Add) – students may make as many adjustments to their schedule as they like from the beginning of registration to the fifth-class day of that semester.

Course Load – During fall and spring semesters, 12 semester hours is the minimum course load for a student to be considered full-time. The minimum course load to be considered full-time in the summer is 6 hours. The maximum course load a student can carry, without special permission, is 18 semester hours in the fall and spring or 7 in each summer session.

Course Withdrawals – Once the course adjustment period is closed, students may withdraw from a class, without a grade, within the 60% mark of the semester. The student will receive a grade of “W” on the his/her transcript, but the “W” does not impact the student’s gpa.

Grade Replacements – A student may retake any course in which he/she has earned a grade of C- or lower. The original grade will remain on the student’s transcript, but only the most recent attempt is factored into the gpa. Grade replacements are automatically processed for courses worth 3 or more semester hours. A student must request a grade replacement for 1 or 2 semester hour courses by completing the grade replacement form.