Suspensions and probations are not ideas of the past. They still exist in many colleges, including Oklahoma State University, as many students recently found out.
After the fall semester, 811 undergraduates were placed on probation, and 214 were placed on suspension. This is the highest number of probations since spring 1992 when there were 1,073. However, the number of students suspended has remained low.
According to the fall 2001 OSU Student Profile by the Office of Planning, Budget and Institutional Research, undergraduate enrollment at OSU was 17,211. The 811 students on probation constitute 4.71 percent of OSU undergraduates, and the 214 suspended constitute 1.24 percent.
Randall Dahl, associate vice president for academic affairs, said the number of probations and suspensions is “one reflection from the increased enrollment happening at OSU. The chance for students to encounter difficulty is to increase also.”
Being placed on probation is dependent on credit hours attempted and retention grade point average. Undergraduates with 31 hours or more must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or risk probation.
For others with 30 hours or less, the GPA cutoff is 1.7. If students’ GPAs fall between 1.7 and 2.0, these undergraduates, usually freshmen, receive an academic notice telling them they are close to probation, said Martha McMillian, University Academic Services director.
McMillian said students on probation must achieve a 2.0 semester GPA or raise their retention GPA to the minimum scale; otherwise, they risk suspension. The student has to wait one semester before returning.
A letter from Marvin Keener, executive vice president, notified students placed on probation. This letter also encouraged students to take advantage of the services the university provides so they have the opportunity to improve their performance.
University Academic Services provides help for students on probation in a variety of ways.
The office offers advisement on enrollment, career and major choices. The academic counselors work one-on-one with students to answer questions about degree programs and university policies involving repeats and reprieves.
University Academic Services also offers one-on-one tutoring, orientation classes and student academic mentors for freshmen and transfer students. This includes a one-hour course called Academic Assessment and Evaluation, which is taught by McMillian and Terry Hyman, academic adviser.
“This is a letter-grade class that focuses on time management, study skills and addresses procrastination,” Hyman said.
The university also offers many learning resource centers for various subjects.
The Mathematics Learning Resource Center is located in the Murray Hall basement and offers tutoring for math classes. Some classes, such as college algebra, give extra credit for using this service.
The Writing Center in 104 Morrill Hall offers tutoring and writing coaches for English classes. The center helps students with term papers, essays and resumes.
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