Learn about options for students who are dismissed, including how to appeal a dismissal, and what students can do to be re-admitted.
The criteria for dismissal from the university can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog.
Sometimes it is in a student’s best interest to leave higher education for a year or more to address any personal distractions, reflect on why they were not successful, and consider applying to re-enter the university after one year.
Most dismissed students have the right to appeal their dismissal. Students admitted to the University on probation or those with a conditional status are not eligible to appeal.
Students who have been dismissed should talk with their academic advisor and support network (which may include family, friends and allies), who can help them evaluate their academic standing, identify the steps to be reinstated at UB or transfer to another institution and assist with other planning decisions.
Students must submit a formal appeal electronically. The link to the Dismissal Appeal website is included in the dismissal notification correspondence, or can be provided by a student’s academic advisor.
Students are encouraged to discuss their situation with their academic advisor, who will evaluate the strength of the student’s appeal, and help students determine if submitting a request for an Academic Withdrawal is appropriate.
Students should be prepared to discuss all the circumstances that contributed to the dismissal, and whether or not these factors can be managed to justify an immediate return to the university.
Dismissals and appeals occur during the spring semester. The appeal process is available following spring academic review. Appeals will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and students will receive a notification of the decision via their UB email account in early July.
Following are the potential outcomes of an appeal:
Only students whose academic standing changes after their dismissal (because of grade changes, request for Academic Withdrawal, etc.) will receive full reinstatement.
These students must meet certain conditions, including earning a semester GPA of at least 2.000 without any Incomplete grades. Other conditions may also be included in the notification students receive regarding their appeal. While on dismissal deferral, these students will be allowed to register for future semesters. However, academic records will be reviewed at the end of the following fall semester and students who do not meet the requirements in the dismissal deferral outlined by the Dean of Undergraduate Education will be subject to final dismissal and their spring registration will be cancelled.
These students will not be allowed to continue at UB, will be removed from their upcoming fall classes, and must be away from UB for one academic year before applying for reentry. These students should consult with their academic advisors to discuss the possibility of applying to UB at a later date.
If a student is enrolled in a cousre in the summer directly following their dismissal, they are permitted to complete that summer course regardless of the outcome of the appeal. However, dismissal appeal decisions are not based on summer enrollment or grades.
Financial aid eligibility will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis for students who received a dismissal deferral or have been reinstated. Students should visit the Financial Aid website for information, and to schedule an appointment with a financial aid advisor.
Students who choose to leave UB, or whose dismissal appeals are denied, are expected to be away from UB for one full year. During that time, students who want to return to UB eventually may consider the following options.
Students who are dismissed from UB may choose to attend another institution and then re-apply to UB.
Students who enroll at another college and want to return to UB eventually need to do well academically at the other institution. There is no specific criterion GPA they must achieve, but it must, in the opinion of the Academic Standards Committee, be sufficient to indicate the student’s ability to succeed.
Students may want to consider SUNY community colleges, which admit students dismissed from four-year schools (like UB) as part of their mission.
Students should be in touch with their academic advisor about which classes to take at the other school, and which classes to save to re-take when they return to UB. Application of UB’s Repeat Policy can help students improve their UB GPA, but only if they avoid repeating classes with equivalent courses elsewhere in the interim.
Students intending to return to UB after one academic year away should prepare their re-entry application early in the second semester away. If the student is readmitted, this may let them take advantage of earlier registration.
Students should discuss the possibility of taking UB summer or winter courses with their advisor. Dismissal appeal decisions are not based on summer enrollment or grades.
Courses taken elsewhere will not improve your UB grade point average — only UB grades will be included in your UB GPA and help you reduce your quality point deficit.
Students have the right to complete any courses with a grade of Incomplete. Positive grades that replace grades of “I” may impact the outcome of the dismissal appeal.