Academic Warning and Separation

Academic Warning – Status imposed on students whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.000. The student in academic warning status whose semester GPA is 2.000 or better, but whose cumulative GPA remains below 2.000, is permitted to continue in academic warning status. 

Returned to Good Academic Standing – Status achieved when cumulative GPA increases to 2.000 or above. 

One Semester Academic Separation – Status imposed on any student in academic warning status who fails to earn a semester GPA of 2.000. 

Final Academic Warning – Applies to a student who is permitted to enroll after any academic separation status. The student in final academic warning status whose semester GPA is 2.000 or better, but whose cumulative GPA remains below 2.000, is permitted to continue in final academic warning status. 

Two Year Academic Separation – Status imposed on any student in final academic warning status who fails to achieve a semester and cumulative GPA of 2.000 or better. 

1. A student with a cumulative GPA (grade point average) of 2.000 or higher is in good academic standing. 
2. A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.000 is placed in academic warning status. A student in academic warning status, whose cumulative GPA remains below 2.000, but whose semester GPA is 2.000 or above, remains in academic warning status. A student in academic warning status, earning a semester GPA below 2.000, is placed in academic separation status for one semester. A student in academic warning status is returned to good academic standing upon achieving a cumulative GPA of 2.000 or better. 
3.  Students in academic warning status may continue to enroll and attend UWM courses in consultation with their assigned academic advisor. Students in academic separation are restricted from enrolling in UWM courses for the specified duration, barring a successful appeal for early reinstatement. Returning to UWM after an academic separation requires a re-entry application. 
4.  A student in academic separation status may appeal to be reinstated or readmitted as laid out below. A reinstated or readmitted student is placed in final academic warning status. 
   1. A student may appeal to be reinstated immediately after an academic separation action. They must appeal to the dean or a designee of the school, college, or academic unit to which they belonged when the academic separation action was imposed. 
   2. A student may apply for readmission after sitting out the required separation period. After their separation period has elapsed, they re-enter the program to which they belonged when the academic separation status was imposed. 
   3.  A student who chooses to change their program after sitting out their separation period may only do so with the permission of the dean or a designee of their new program. 
5. A student in final academic warning status, who fails to achieve a semester GPA of 2.000 or better, is placed in academic separation statusfor two years. A student in final academic warning status, whose cumulative GPA remains below 2.000, but whose semester GPA is 2.000 or above, remains in final academic warning status. A student in final academic warning status   is returned to good academic standing upon achieving a cumulative GPA of 2.000. 

The Workgroup on Academic Probation requests the following editorial changes to the Academic Drop and Probation Policy listed in UWM’s Undergraduate Policies (Academic Catalog), effective Fall 2025 or the soonest practical term thereafter. (In order to be included in the Fall 2025 catalog, this policy would need to be approved by May 2025.) As other schools have noted, the term “probation” has connotations associated with the criminal justice system and punishment, which can alienate students from further enrollment or utilizing university resources that could be helpful to them. 

Similarly, the “drop” terminology suggests a permanence and a lack of institutional interest in affected students’ success that may discourage students from returning to UWM.  “Separation” suggests a more temporary state. 

April 23, 1992

No. 1817

September 23, 2021

No. 1817R1

April 20, 2023

No. 1817R2

January 25, 2024

No. 1817R3

May 6, 2025

No. 1817R4