Reworking Academic Probation to Promote Student Success

Academic Probation: An Overlooked Barrier to College Success

Academic probation policies and practices in California’s higher education institutions, rather than the status of academic probation itself, often pose significant challenges to student success and completion. This analysis highlights the need for a comprehensive examination of academic probation policies and procedures to ensure they promote student success and streamline pathways through college.

Academic probation can be a common experience for many college students. Nationally, approximately 20 percent of first-year college students’ GPAs fall below a 2.0, a standard threshold for the status.¹ Being placed on academic probation has negative consequences for students’ persistence and completion rates. It leads many students to stop out shortly after placement or, for those who stay enrolled, reduces their chances of graduating in a timely manner.^2,3 Given California’s reliance on a well-educated workforce to meet its economic needs, addressing academic probation in a comprehensive manner can improve student completion rates, decrease the time to graduation, and increase economic prosperity statewide.^4,5,6

Majority of Current Academic Probation Policies Are Outdated and Ineffective

California’s current approach to academic probation at most institutions is ineffective, lacks consistency, and is largely overlooked across the UC, the CSU, and CCC systems. Although California law requires the CSU and CCC to notify students of their academic probation status and requires community colleges to provide support (see sidebar “What Is Academic Probation?”), the current methods of notification and support systems at many institutions often leave students with feelings of failure and exclusion.¹⁰ Moreover, the lack of data on student journeys that include academic probation complicates the identification and implementation of evidence-based reforms.

Three Steps College Can Take to Redesign Academic Probation

Our recent study on students who stopped out of college and later returned found that most had been placed on academic probation and that this experience often led them to stop out and made returning to college more difficult. To better retain and support students, we recommend the following actions (many of which are already in place at some campuses but have yet to gain traction at a systemwide level):

• renaming “academic probation” to “academic notice,” to avoid deficit-minded terminology and remove any linkages to the carceral system.
• revising notification letters to use strengths-based language, framing academic probation as a temporary setback, and outlining available resources so students are encouraged to seek help.
• developing and offering a workshop or class that introduces students to various campus resources and teaches academic skills, such as study strategies and time management.

The UC Academic Senate recently approved a name change to “academic notice.”¹¹ While the CCC Academic Senate has advocated for a name change, and a few colleges and universities within CCC and the CSU have initiated reforms to their academic probation policies and practices, progress remains slow and fragmented.^12,13

California Needs a Comprehensive Reform Process to Fix Academic Probation

To address these challenges, California Competes: Higher Education for a Strong Economy recommends establishing a statewide academic probation task force (see sidebar, “How Task Forces Can Lead to Meaningful Changes for Students”). The group—composed of faculty, advisors and counselors, experts on academic probation, and campus leaders—will examine the current academic probation policies and procedures to align language and practices, learn about effective practices other campuses have implemented, and establish coordinated guidelines and complementary actions for each of the state’s three postsecondary systems. The task force’s focus would be on promoting data-informed, student-centered policies and practices that enhance student success and completion rates while respecting each system’s autonomy and governance.

The task force’s proposed objectives would include the following:

• Studying Promising Practices: It would conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing academic probation policies and processes and collect information on various interventions and strategies supported by data and evidence-based research.
• Addressing Diverse Student Needs: It would ensure that the unique needs of California’s diverse student population—including those who are first generation, low income, students of color, and students who balance multiple responsibilities, and those who have stopped out and reentered college—are considered in the development of academic probation policies.
• Enhancing Support Systems: It would improve the support systems available to students experiencing academic difficulties by identifying and crafting policies to advance the implementation of effective interventions.
• Ensuring Consistency: It would establish consistent guidelines and practices that center students and set a timeline for adoption and implementation.

Time to Rework California’s Academic Probation Framework to Put Students First 

Creating a statewide academic probation task force is essential to support student success and completion effectively within each of the state’s three higher education systems. By bringing together leaders from across the state to develop student-centered policies and practices, California can foster a culture of achievement and resilience while respecting each system’s governance and autonomy. Redesigning the academic probation framework to put students first will not only help more students stay in college but also help those who left reenroll and complete their education.