Advising Students on Academic Notice

Formerly known as "academic probation", the campus is working to remove carceral language around academics and has changed "academic probation" to "academic notice". 

When a student is placed on Academic Notice, it is important for them to know that they are in a vulnerable status, but that they have an opportunity for academic recovery. Students benefit greatly from meeting with an advisor early on in the semester to address any needed schedule changes, considering classes that need to be repeated. This also provides an opportunity to familiarize them with academic notice policies, like the minimum GPA thresholds to avoid disqualification for their class standing (i.e., depending on how many units they have earned). 

The menu on the right side of this page will guide you through the details of common causes of academic notice, steps in the advising process, forms that can be used to guide conversations about academic notice, helpful academic success strategies, and student support services.

While a student placed on academic notice is at higher risk of attrition, the Academic & Career Advising Center (ACAC) staff have confidence that a student can recover and be successful in their education. Many studies highlight the positive effect that advising has on collegiate success and retention. (Backhus, 1989, Cook; 2001; Glennen, Farren & Vowell, 1996; Habley, 1981; Janasiewicz,1987; Kirk-Kuwaye & Nishida, 2001; Molina & Abelman, 2000; Muskat, 1979; Ramirez & Evans,1988).

Both the literature (Arcand & LeBlanc, 2011, 2012; Houle, 2013) and Humboldt campus advisors report that students regularly share experiences of feeling embarrassed, depressed, humiliated, ashamed, anxious and incapable of completing college when placed on academic notice. However when students have an institutional advocate, they feel more integrated and connected to the institution (Earl, 1987; Heisserer & Parett, 2002; Spanier, 2004). Tinto’s (1975) foundational retention model identified academic integration as a primary factor in preventing student attrition.