Academic Standards

Students are expected to achieve and maintain a minimum GPA requirement during their enrollment at Lehman College. In order to remain in good academic standing, students must attain a minimum GPA of 1.5 for the first 12 attempted credits, 1.75 for the first 24 attempted credits, and a 2.0 cumulative index thereafter.

Total number of credits attempted include Lehman College Fs, FINs, Ws, WFs, WUs, Ps, NCs, Rs, WDs, WNs, or their equivalents, and all transfer credits.

Students who fail to meet the required cumulative index are automatically placed on probation warning until the end of the following spring semester. During this warning period, students maintain their academic standing with the College. Students who still do not meet the minimum requirements following the probationary warning period will be dismissed from the College. Students may appeal their dismissal to the Committee on Admission and Standing for consideration of readmission.

Dismissed students whose appeals are granted will be placed on either part-time probation (fewer than 12 credits) or full-time probation (maximum of 16 credits) for the following academic year. The designation of part-time or full-time probation, as well as the determination of allowable credit load therein, will be at the discretion of the Committee on Admission and Standing.

Students on probation are expected to regain good academic standing by the end of the academic year. Students who achieve a semester index of at least 2.3 for each semester of probation but who still do not meet the minimum retention standard by the end of the year will be permitted to extend their probationary period for the following academic year.

Students who do not meet either of the conditions stated above will be dismissed once again from the College and may choose to submit another appeal.

The Fresh Start Program

The Fresh Start Program offers eligible students seeking readmission to Lehman College the opportunity to return to the College and begin their GPA anew. Under the Fresh Start Program, students whose cumulative GPA does not meet Lehman College’s academic standard and who earned no more than 45 indexable credits during their initial enrollment at the College will have none of their previous Lehman College coursework counted toward the computation of their grade point average.   

Eligibility: 

The following reinstated students may qualify for the Lehman College Fresh Start Program:  

•  Students who have either completed an associate’s degree and have earned a minimum GPA of 2.75 or have earned 45 credits at an accredited institution following their initial enrollment at the College with a minimum GPA of 2.75;

•  Students who have not attended a college or university for 5 or more years.

Terms of the program:

• Upon acceptance of an appeal for readmission, students who meet the above criteria will be invited to apply to the program by the Committee on Admission and Standing.  

• Admission to the program is at the discretion of the Committee.  Decisions are final and may not be appealed.  

• Upon acceptance to the Fresh Start Program all previously earned grades will be removed from the calculation of the index but will remain visible on the transcript.  A notation will indicate students’ enrollment in the Fresh Start Program.  

• Students accepted to the program must adhere to a Fresh Start Program Contract which requires regular meetings with an assigned academic advisor as well as the utilization of campus support services.  

• Fresh Start Program participants must comply with all residency requirements for the College following their acceptance to the program, which stipulate the completion of at least 30 credits of coursework at Lehman, including at least half the number of credits in the student’s major and half in the minor or half of the credits in an interdisciplinary program.  

• Students who fail to meet the academic standards of the College following their acceptance to the program will be subject to the policies governing dismissal as outlined in the College Bulletin.  

• The Fresh Start Program may be implemented only once during a student’s academic career at Lehman.

• Credits earned prior to the Fresh Start Program will be treated as transfer credits.  As such, all grades removed from the index under the Fresh Start Program guidelines will not be used in the calculation of any indices.

Graduation Requirements

To qualify for graduation with a Lehman College baccalaureate degree, students must complete the following requirements:

1. completion of at least 120 credits, including all degree requirements;

2. completion of at least 30 credits in coursework at Lehman, including at least half the number of credits in the student's major and half in the minor or half of the credits in an interdisciplinary program;

3. a minimum Lehman College cumulative index of 2.0; and

4. either a minimum grade of C or an overall index of 2.0 in all courses taken in the major and minor departments or in an interdisciplinary program.