Retention Standards

Good Academic Standing

Students must meet specific grade point average requirements at specific levels of credit to remain in good academic standing.

Academic Probation

Students with grade point averages that fall below the required minimum will be placed on academic probation. During this probationary period, students who make satisfactory academic progress will continue to maintain their academic standing with the College and their concurrent eligibility for financial aid.

Students should meet with their advisers several times during the semester. Advisors will support students in making good academic progress in their classes, prepare them for registration, and help students in planning their course of study. Students should contact the Academic Advisement Center (646.557.4872) for additional information.

See also Maximum Number of Courses in a Term

Dismissal

The academic records of students who fail to meet the minimum retention standards are reviewed each year by the Academic Review Committee, which determines whether there has been satisfactory progress toward meeting required standards. Students who, in the judgment of the committee, have not made adequate progress are dismissed from the College. Upon dismissal, a student may not enroll at John Jay College for at least one year. There is no presumption that students will be readmitted after one year.

Students who receive three Fs, FINs, WUs, Rs or WNs, or any combination thereof in remedial or developmental courses are not permitted to continue at the College. (For a list of these courses, see the Remedial and Developmental Courses section of this chapter.) Students may not appeal the denial of registration. Students may apply for readmission after completing the equivalent remedial or developmental course at a community college.

Students who do not pass the CUNY Assessment Tests (CAT) by the 60th credit may be barred from registering until they pass the CAT.

Reinstatement after Dismissal

Students who have been dismissed from the College because of poor academic performance may seek reinstatement after one year. The process for reinstatement is initiated by the submission of an application for readmission. Deadline dates are available on the academic calendar on the College’s home page, http://www.jjay.cuny.edu.

Deadlines are strictly enforced. Students are encouraged to reapply as early as possible. The application is reviewed by the Readmissions Committee, a decision is made and the student is notified in writing.

Students who are considered appropriate candidates are referred to an academic advisor (SEEK counselor for SEEK students). A student approved through this process is admitted to the College on academic probation and must follow the plan developed in the advising session. Students on probation have a hold on their registration until they meet with an advisor. Failure to meet the conditions of this agreement may result in permanent dismissal.

Second Chance Policy

John Jay College of Criminal Justice recognizes a student’s progress toward an undergraduate degree may often be interrupted for a variety of reasons. This Second Chance Policy applies to former John Jay students and allows individuals in the following situations to request permission to be readmitted to the College and begin with a new grade point average.

After a minimum absence of at least two (2) consecutive years, matriculated students who have been dismissed for academic reasons (other than academic dishonesty), or who have voluntarily “stopped-out” on academic probation, may seek readmission to John Jay College through this policy. Students whose cumulative GPA does not meet John Jay College’s good academic standard and who earned no more than forty-five (45) credits during their initial enrollment at the College may be permitted to readmit under this policy and have none of their previous John Jay College coursework counted toward the computation of their cumulative reentry GPA.

Students will be screened for eligibility for the Second Chance Policy when they apply for readmission (the form to file for Readmission can be found on the J Stop webpage). Students who meet the criteria for the Second Chance Policy will be provided with a Second Chance application along with their readmission decision. Second Chance applicants will be required to present a thoughtful educational plan that includes academic and career goals, strategies for achieving them, and evidence of personal growth and change since their previous enrollment at John Jay. The plan may also include evidence of preparedness to succeed such as documentation of learning through previous or current work experience and/or community service or transcript(s) of college-level courses completed at other accredited institutions. The College Readmission Committee will assess the student’s circumstances and plan in order to make a final decision on their Second Chance application. Please note that after the conclusion of the readmission process, students may not apply for Second Chance retroactively.

Upon reentry under this policy, all previously earned grades will be removed from the calculation of the student’s GPA index but will continue to remain visible on the transcript along with a notation indicating the student’s readmission date. Additional terms and conditions of this policy include: 

• Academic Status: The student is subject to all existing academic policies and practices at the time of readmission.
• Advisement: The student may not register for classes until the student meets with an academic advisor to select an appropriate course load and schedule.
• GPA: The student’s GPA will be recalculated using only grades earned from the point of their readmission to John Jay College. All previous coursework and grades will continue to remain visible on the student’s transcript along with a notation indicating their readmission date under the policy.
• Graduation: The student must earn at least thirty (30) credits in residence at John Jay College after being readmitted under this policy and meet all other graduation requirements.
• Other Requirements: The student must complete all current, published College-wide and program-specific matriculation requirements in effect at the time of their readmission under this policy.
• Usage: This policy may be implemented only once during the student’s academic career at John Jay College.

Academic Forgiveness Policy for CUNY Justice Academy Students

Matriculated students who leave John Jay College either on academic probation or as the result of an academic dismissal, for reasons other than academic dishonesty, who then transfer to a Justice Academy Program at a CUNY community college, and complete at least 30 credits, earn a GPA of at least 2.50, and receive an associate degree (AA or AS only) from a CUNY Justice Academy partner, will have the grades of their prior coursework at John Jay College treated as if it were transfer credit, just as is the coursework that is being transferred from the Justice Academy community college. These students would, therefore, begin their second career at John Jay College with a clear GPA slate, that is, with a GPA of 0.00. CUNY Justice Academy students who return to John Jay but do not meet the standards described above, may still apply under the general Second Chance policy if they meet the specified criteria. Students must file an application by the end of their first semester back at the college to be considered.