Academic Catalog

Academic Affairs Information

Responsibilities of Students

Students are responsible for making sure that they are doing satisfactory work toward completion of a degree at the College. Any changes that affect a student’s individual curriculum must be approved by the student’s academic dean. A copy of the approved changes must be sent to the Office of the Registrar. Students are advised to check their final term reports on the student information system website for accuracy and, if there are questions, to consult the Office of the Registrar. Students may check their academic records in the Office of the Registrar at any time.

Plagiarism — Every student’s work is expected to represent personal efforts. In cases involving allegations of plagiarism (see “Plagiarism” in the Ithaca College student handbook) or any other form of academic dishonesty, the procedures set out in the Ithaca College “Student Conduct Code” (part of the Ithaca College student handbook) are followed. All unresolved differences (as well as repeat offenses) are referred to the Conduct Review Board for hearing in accordance with the code.

Students' Right to Petition

Each currently enrolled undergraduate student has the right to petition the provost to waive any of the all-College academic regulations. Students may also petition the provost to review any other academic issue that has not been resolved first by the instructor, or subsequently by the department chair, and then by the dean; in order to be considered, any such petition must be received by the office of the provost no later than the last day of classes of the fall or spring semester after the events which gave rise to the academic issue addressed in the petition. Petitions related to grades must first follow guidelines under two other policies:  "Grade Changes" (Policy Manual section 7.2.3.6.2) and "Policy on Grade Disputes (Policy Manual section 7.2.3.6.3).

To petition the provost, the student should submit a written petition to the dean with a copy to the department chair and a copy to any faculty member(s) involved. The dean sends the petition to the provost, along with their recommendation. Each petition is considered by the provost or designee on an individual basis and is decided based on the facts that pertain to the particular student’s situation. When it is appropriate and feasible, the provost or designee consults with the individuals involved before making a final decision.

Petitions related to grades must first follow guidelines under two other policies: “Grade Changes” (Policy Manual section 7.2.3.6.2) and “Policy on Grade Disputes” (Policy Manual section 7.2.3.6.3).

Academic Standards

College academic standards require that a full-time student pass 24 credit hours in any consecutive 12-month period and maintain at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA. A summer session cannot be counted twice, i.e., as part of two 12-month periods. Individual schools and programs may have more stringent requirements; therefore, students must check the school and department listings for those additional requirements. To be eligible for financial aid programs, students must meet standards; see the Academic Standing and Progress section.

After a case-by-case review, students who do not meet the College academic standards may be permitted to continue their studies at the College on academic warning, but they are also subject to immediate suspension or dismissal. A student may be suspended or dismissed by a dean from the school and from Ithaca College. Students may be suspended or dismissed from a degree program in accordance with published special academic status policies. Students are informed by letter of the conditions of their suspension and of the criteria and procedures for return. Students who are dismissed from a program, a school, or the College may not return to the unit from which they have been dismissed. Students dismissed from a program or school but not from the College may return to another program or school if accepted by that unit. The specific consequences of each type of action are described below.

If a student withdraws from the College after the deadline for course withdrawal for the semester, they may still be subject to academic suspension or dismissal for unsatisfactory academic performance. The suspension or dismissal action takes precedence over the withdrawal.

Academic Status: Good Standing, Warning, Suspension, Dismissal

College Good Standing

The student has earned at least 12.0 credits in the semester and has maintained a semester and cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.

College Warning

A student is placed on college warning when their semester or cumulative GPA is below a 2.00 or has not completed 12.0 credits in a semester. Students on college warning are eligible to continue taking courses at Ithaca College and participate fully in College activities unless otherwise stipulated. When students are placed on college warning, they are informed in writing of the reasons for warning, any special warning conditions, and the criteria they must meet to be removed from warning. Warnings are not recorded on the student’s official transcript.

College Suspension

A student is placed on college suspension if they have spent one or more semesters on college warning and has not fulfilled the terms of the warning or after failing to achieve the minimum GPA for the student’s standing from the table below. The terms and duration of the college suspension will be determined by the individual school on a case-by-case basis. Students submit appeals of suspension to their dean’s office. Students suspended from Ithaca College may not enroll in any courses at the College for at least one fall or spring semester. All suspensions are recorded on the student’s official academic transcript. Students on academic suspension must apply to return to the College and demonstrate that they have met the conditions specified in the letter of suspension for eligibility to return. Reinstated students are placed on college warning status.

College Dismissal

A student is placed on college dismissal if they have spent one or more semesters on college suspension and has not fulfilled the terms of the suspension or after failing to achieve the minimum GPA for the student’s standing from the table below. Students dismissed from Ithaca College may not return to continue their studies at the College. All dismissals from the College are recorded on the student’s official academic transcript. Students submit appeals of dismissal to their dean’s office.  Students need not be on warning for one or more semesters before being suspended or dismissed from the college.

College Appeal Process

Students who are placed on college suspension or college dismissal may appeal when special circumstances exist. Conditions when a student may appeal include death of a relative, injury or illness of the student or other extenuating circumstances.
Some academic programs may have additional policies and procedures regarding program warning, suspension, or dismissal. Students may be placed on program warning, suspension, or dismissal while meeting requirements for college good standing. Please consult the appropriate sections in this catalog for more information.
Please contact Student Financial Services for the academic requirements necessary to maintain financial aid eligibility.

Table of College Academic Status

Total IC Credit Hours Attempted Semester or Cumulative GPA for College Warning Semester or Cumulative GPA for College Suspension or Dismissal
0 - 29.9 Less than 2.000 Less than 1.600
30.0 - 59.9 Less than 2.000 Less than 1.800
60.0 - 89.9 Less than 2.000 Less than 1.950
90.0 or more Less than 2.000 Less than 2.000

Return after Academic Suspension or Dismissal

Students who have been suspended or dismissed and are eligible to return must apply to return to the College. Any student returning to the College after academic suspension or dismissal from a school returns on warning status for the first semester. At the end of that semester, the school to which the student has returned determines whether the student may continue to be enrolled at Ithaca College.

As indicated, students suspended from Ithaca College may return subject to the fulfillment of specified conditions. Students who are dismissed from Ithaca College for academic reasons may not return to the College.

Students who return from academic suspension in the degree program from which they were suspended resume the degree requirements in effect at the time of suspension. If the program requirements have changed during the period of suspension, the student may choose between the original and the new requirements. Students who do not return at the specified time and whose period of suspension is not extended will have “Withdrawn — did not return after suspension” recorded on their official transcript.

Students who wish to apply for admission to a different program or school following suspension, or who have been dismissed from a degree program at the time of their suspension, must meet the admission criteria for the new program and be accepted by that program. Students must contact the new school to find out the specific admission or readmission criteria. If accepted, the students must meet the graduation requirements in effect at the time of admission to that program.

Students who do not return at the end of the specified period of suspension and whose period of suspension is not extended by permission of the dean must, if they wish to return, apply for readmission to the College. They must follow the program requirements in effect in the semester of return, even though the requirements may be different from those under which they entered the program. Students must apply for readmission in accordance with official College readmission procedures. The application can be found on the Office of the Registrar forms website.

Program Suspension or Dismissal

Students may be suspended or dismissed from a particular degree program for failure to meet requirements in that program, yet not be suspended or dismissed from a school or the College. In the case of a program suspension, a department may set special conditions that must be satisfied during the specified period of program suspension. When students are dismissed from a program, they are eligible to make a change of major to another program provided they are accepted by the new department and, if applicable, school. For students who decide to leave the College, the dismissal is effective immediately. For students remaining at the College, such program dismissals take effect at the end of the following semester to allow them time to decide on, and be admitted to, a new major. Meanwhile, they continue to be listed in the current degree program with the same faculty adviser. Failure to change majors during the semester will result in suspension from the school and the College.

Academic Records

The Office of the Registrar is responsible for the maintenance and accuracy of all permanent academic records. Shortly after the close of each semester, students can access their final grade reports using the student information system website. Any students requesting changes to their academic records must submit their request in writing to the Office of the Registrar no later than two weeks from the date when classes begin in the succeeding fall or spring semester.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)

Ithaca College complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This act was designed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their educational records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Education records are defined as records that are directly related to a “student” and maintained by an educational agency or institution by a party acting for the agency or institution. The below information is a direct quote from the FERPA policy provided by the United States government, which does not reflect the Ithaca College policy on gendered language. FERPA affords every student the following rights with respect to their education records:

  1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within a reasonable period of time, but in no case longer than 45 days once a student has submitted a request. A student should submit to the registrar, dean, department chairperson, or other appropriate official a written request that identifies the records they wish to inspect. The College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the College official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
    Records Exempt: The law exempts from student access some school records under specific conditions, which include
    1. Records of instructional, supervisory, and administrative personnel and educational personnel ancillary to those persons that are kept in the sole possession of the maker of the record and are not accessible or revealed to any other person except a temporary substitute for the maker of the record.
    2. Records of a law enforcement unit of the College (Office of Public Safety) created by the unit for a law enforcement purpose and maintained by the unit.
    3. Records on a student who is 18 years old or older that are made or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other recognized professional or paraprofessional acting in his or her professional capacity or assisting in a paraprofessional capacity and that are used only in connection with treatment of the student and disclosed only to individuals providing the treatment.
    4. Financial information submitted by parents.
    5. Records relating to individuals who are employed by the institution, when the records are made and maintained in the normal course of business, relate exclusively to individuals in their capacity as employees, and are not available for use for any other purpose. However, records of students who are employed as a result of their status as students (e.g., work-study) are education records.
    6. Records that contain only information about the student after they are no longer a student at the College.
    7. If the education records of a student contain information on more than one student, the parent or eligible student may inspect, review, or be informed of only the specific information about the student.
    8. Confidential letters and statements of recommendation placed in the records after January 1, 1975, to which the student has waived his or her rights to inspect and review and that are related to the student’s admission, application for employment or job placement, or receipt of honors.
  2. The right to request amendment of the student’s education record that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading. A student may ask the College to amend any part of his or her record that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading. The student should write to the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the College will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student upon notification of the right to a hearing.
  3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent or that such information has been designated by the College as directory information. FERPA permits disclosure without consent to school officials with legitimate interests. A school official is any person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including public safety personnel and health services staff); a person or company providing services or functions or otherwise authorized to act on behalf of the College (such as a consultant, attorney, auditor, volunteer, or collection agent); a person serving on the board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee (such as a disciplinary or grievance committee) or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.
    A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. The College is permitted to disclose, without consent, when the College is returning records to the apparent creator (e.g., a transcript or a letter of recommendation) to verify authenticity. Under certain emergency situations, it may be necessary to release information to protect the health or safety of the student or other students. The College may disclose education records if it determines that there is an articulable and significant threat to the health or safety of a student or other individuals, but only to those persons whose knowledge of the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals. The College will keep a record in the Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life of the articulable and significant threat that formed the basis for the disclosure and of the parties to whom the information was disclosed.
    FERPA also permits disclosures of personally identifiable information, including updated or corrected information, without consent to schools in which a student seeks or intends to enroll; to federal, state, and local authorities in connection with an audit or evaluation of compliance with education programs; in connection with financial aid; to organizations conducting studies for or on behalf of educational institutions; to accrediting organizations; in the context of a lawsuit that the student brought against the institution or the institution brought against the student; to parents when a student is a “dependent” for tax purposes; to a victim of an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or nonforcible sex offense; to parents of a student under the age of 21 if the student has violated College alcohol or drug laws; and to comply with a judicial order or subpoena. The College is also permitted to disclose information concerning a student’s status as a registered sex offender in accordance with state and federal disclosure requirements.
    Directory Information: In accordance with FERPA, College policy limits disclosure of personally identifiable information from the educational records of students (with the exception of “directory information”) to those instances authorized by FERPA. In accordance with FERPA, Ithaca College has designated the following list of student information as public or “directory information”: name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, dates of attendance, class, full- or part-time status, previous institutions attended, major field of study, awards, honors (including dean’s list), degrees conferred (including dates), past and present participation in officially recognized sports and activities, physical factors (height and weight of athletes), date and place of birth, and ID pictures. Such information may be disclosed by the College for any purpose, unless specifically requested not to do so by the student.
    A currently enrolled student may withhold disclosure of directory information under FERPA by completing a request form available at the Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life (330 Egbert Hall). Directory information will continue to be withheld until the student rescinds this request.
    Disclosure of Education Record Information to Parents: An Ithaca College student has the opportunity to declare whether they are independent or dependent for income tax purposes on the enrollment confirmation form provided to all incoming first-year and transfer students at the time of their acceptance to Ithaca College. If a student’s status changes, they should notify the Office of the Registrar. Ithaca College may disclose information (including grades) from a student’s education records to the parents of an eligible student who claim that student as a dependent for income tax purposes, unless there is a court order, state statute, or other legally binding document prohibiting such disclosure. If a student claims they is not a dependent, the parents will need to submit their most recent federal income tax form to the Office of the Registrar as evidence that the student is a dependent.
  4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Ithaca College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The office that administers FERPA is the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605.

A complete copy of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 is available in the College library. Questions concerning FERPA may be referred to the Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life or the Office of the Registrar. Copies of this policy may be obtained in the Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life.

Student Retention and Graduation Rates

The third semester retention rate is the percent of entering first-year students who return to the College for their second year.  At Ithaca College, 83.3% of the first-year students entering in the fall of 2022 returned in the fall of 2023. For comparison, the mean national rate at similar colleges was 79.0% for the fall 2021 cohort returning in fall 2022, per the National Student Clearinghouse First-Year Persistence and Retention 2021 Beginning Postsecondary Student Cohort report. 

Another important statistic is the six-year graduation rate of first-time, full-time first-year students who begin in the fall.  At Ithaca College, 74.3% of the first-time, full-time students entering in fall 2016 graduated within six years.  For comparison, the mean national average at private, non-profit, four-year institutions was 77.8% per the National Student Clearinghouse Completing College National and State Reports.

For more information about data at Ithaca College, please visit the Ithaca College Analytics and Institutional Research website.