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When the word “probation” is mentioned, criminal justice comes to mind. Academic probation, however, is a consequence for students who are no longer in good academic standing. The intention of academic probation is to help students find the resources they need to manage their courseload. Yet, the intentions behind this practice often don’t translate to a successful academic recovery.
A 2022 paper coauthored by Dr. Nicholas Bowman, professor of educational policy and leadership studies at the University of Iowa, and Dr. Nayoung Jang, outlines “the frequent negative effects of probationary placement on four-year graduation.” They found that four-year graduation rates drop 40% when students are placed on probation based on GPA. Given the drastic impact on four-year graduation, colleges could consider alternate ways of righting the academic course, or perhaps take a more sensitive approach to current probation practices.
The Role of Academic Probation
Academic probation is a way to connect students to resources, and for students to evaluate the factors that negatively impact their academic performance. Ultimately, it’s a wakeup call. There are also ethical and financial components to probation. Bowman pointed out in an interview that “there are times when an institution isn’t right for a student; you have to stop taking a student’s tuition money.”
Rates of academic probation are also intertwined with evolving admissions criteria. Beth Howland, the former director of advising of the undergrad biology major at Cornell University, also specialized in advising student-athletes at Cornell and Duke University. She said in an interview:
“When admins altered admission criteria, which should be applauded, the downstream and on-campus experience was challenging and lacking to position students to be successful. Every year there were numerous students needing 9, 10, 11, 12 semesters due to difficulties they encountered throughout their career.”
Many academic institutions made efforts to bring students from more diverse backgrounds to campus, which also meant that students are on a “spectrum of preparedness in AP credits, college credits, etc.” The spectrum of preparedness shows up in the student-athlete population and often impacts athletic eligibility as well as good academic standing. If institutions are unwittingly creating a perfect storm for students to fall below a 2.0 GPA in their first semester, then administrators must take into consideration a student’s level of preparedness and how to bring that up to par.
The Psychological Impact of Template Letters
A poorly crafted and even boilerplate letter can send the message to students that their institution doesn’t believe in them, and perhaps that they don’t recognize the difficulties that the student is facing or the efforts that they are making to improve. Bowman notes that upon receipt of such a letter, students may wonder if they can tell their family and friends, or how their academic status will impact their financial aid. Guilt, shame, and the fear of letting people down can all tie into a student’s reaction. The letter can also seem like exactly the opposite of receiving help.
Howland explains, “it’s unfathomable that these students would receive a templated letter that doesn’t acknowledge hardships or resources that they availed themselves to.” What if probation letters were more personal, both humanizing the student and the process? By offering deeper context as well as by addressing a student’s specific circumstances in the letter, perhaps students would feel more supported and more motivated.
Contextualizing Probation for Students
Academic policy doesn’t change overnight, but the ways that faculty and staff contextualize academic probation could go a long way in mitigating negative effects. Bowman explains that administrators can frame probation as a process instead of a status, as temporary. Demystifying the process would eliminate some of the fears that students have about financial aid and about how to talk with their friends and families.
According to Bowman, the University of Arizona adjusted its academic probation policy in 2019; they introduced a warning semester as well as different language surrounding probation. This policy change resulted in a roughly seven percentage-point increase in retention to the second year for students who had a GPA below 2.0. The University of Arizona changes a student’s academic standing from “eligible to academic warning” when a student’s GPA drops below a 2.0 over the duration of a semester. The “warning” semester serves as a buffer that connects students to an academic intervention.
On-campus staff support is necessary for contextualizing probation. Howland says, “not many institutions are investing in student development staff or student success coaches. Retention would go up by investing in more staff and higher touch points and contact with students.”
For students who are asked to take a required leave of absence, Howland notes that staff should be present to talk through goals of the leave with students so they can focus on who they become and not on what they do, so when they return to school, they can be closer to their best self and thrive in that environment.
Preventing the Need for Academic Probation
Collaboration between admissions offices and advising offices could go a long way in preventing poor academic performance. Howland says that more communication between admissions offices and advising offices could help identify students in need of additional academic preparation before performance drops drastically. If there was more collaboration, advisors would know that “graduating in eight semesters would be suspect” for an individual. Perhaps some students will need more semesters proactively to prevent dropping or failing classes, or to prevent carrying a GPA that’s hard to recover from.
Furthermore, both Howland and Bowman suggest that institutions could re-evaluate the criteria for good academic standing. Why are those criteria in place, and do you need to set the criterion where it is? If it’s known that some students simply won’t do as well to start, perhaps setting a lower bar, while also connecting students with resources, will actually improve retention.
Howland also suggests “co-taking developmental and college level courses as a way to help students start successfully.”
Students would benefit from the presence of staff who humanize the academic probation process through their choice of words, higher touch points, and who can connect students to the resources that each individual needs.
