Can I Be Put on Academic Probation Despite Meeting Credit and GPA Requirements?

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Obriena005

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Mar 28, 2023
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Good afternoon,

I just had a phone call with my MSG, and he is threatening to put me on academic probation for not maintaining full-time status. The problem is, this is incorrect. I was enrolled in 17 credits, but I had to withdraw from two classes due to a TA strike. So, while I still technically enrolled in 17 credits, I received a "W" on the transcript for those two classes.

Secondly, my contract states: "A full-time student is defined as one enrolled in sufficient academic courses to obtain sophomore, junior, and senior academic status at the end of each appropriate one-academic-year increment for the duration of the scholarship.”

I am currently going into my sophomore year and have 67 completed credits with a passing grade. At my school, sophomore standing is 45 credits, so I’m well above that. I also have a GPA of 3.1, so that shouldn’t be an issue either.

Can they really put me on academic probation for this?
 
Curious, are you on track to graduate on time?

What does your MSG want to happen?
 
  • Full-Time Credit Requirement: How many credits are considered "full time" at your university per semester?
  • Credits Completed: How many credits did you complete during the semester when you withdrew from two courses? Was this during the Spring 2024 term, which was affected by TA strikes? Did your completed credits meet or exceed the minimum requirement for full-time status, or did dropping a lab course reduce your total to 11 credits?
  • Scholarship Implications: Your total credits don't determine your full-time status for that semester. To maintain your scholarship, you must meet the full-time requirement. If you fell below this threshold without prior approval, your cadre may be correct in pursuing probation for not meeting standards.
  • Course Withdrawal: You mentioned you "had to" drop courses due to the TA strike. Did all students in those classes have to drop, or were options like an incomplete available? Did everyone drop, or did some students stay? Before making this decision, did you consult with your ROTC academic advisor to adjust your four-year academic plan?
I'll add this - if you come to learn that you failed to meet a standard, you should really choose your words carefully in dealing with your cadre in discussions and a PRB. take ownership, work to fix this, and good luck to you.
 
Last edited:
Herman_Snerd said:
  • Full-Time Credit Requirement: How many credits are considered "full time" at your university per semester?
  • Credits Completed: How many credits did you complete during the semester when you withdrew from two courses? Was this during the Spring 2024 term, which was affected by TA strikes? Did your completed credits meet or exceed the minimum requirement for full-time status, or did dropping a lab course reduce your total to 11 credits?
  • Scholarship Implications: Your total credits don't determine your full-time status for that semester. To maintain your scholarship, you must meet the full-time requirement. If you fell below this threshold without prior approval, your cadre may be correct in pursuing probation for not meeting standards.
  • Course Withdrawal: You mentioned you "had to" drop courses due to the TA strike. Did all students in those classes have to drop, or were options like an incomplete available? Did everyone drop, or did some students stay? Before making this decision, did you consult with your ROTC academic advisor to adjust your four-year academic plan?
I'll add this - if you come to learn that you failed to meet a standard, you should really choose your words carefully in dealing with your cadre in discussions and a PRB. take ownership, work to fix this, and good luck to you.
Click to expand...
Hello, and thank you for your response.

At my university, enrolling in 12 credits is considered full-time, and receiving a "W" still counts toward maintaining full-time status. This is why the university continued to classify me as a full-time student. However, my issue is that my contract doesn't explicitly state that I must complete 12 credits; it only requires that I be enrolled full-time and have enough credits for sophomore standing by the end of my first year.

At the end of the spring quarter, my MSG told me over the phone that if I took summer classes, I would not be placed on probation. Unfortunately, I didn’t get this in writing, and now he seems to be going back on his word.

Additionally, can they notify me about being placed on probation this late, after the fall quarter has already begun? This seems too late to me.
 
Imo, we aren’t the best place to get your questions answered. You are asking for absolutes, and this, to me, seems to be a grey area.

In the big picture, academic probation isn’t that big of a deal. Unless you cannot meet your requirements. And if that happens? And you are facing separation? Then I would tell my person to talk to someone with expertise. Like a military lawyer.

If you are looking for specific, detailed help with your contract, I don’t think we can help. Nor should we. You need to speak with someone who has access and understanding of the whole picture. I suspect that’s why there’s not much response to your post: no one even CAN answer it.
 
All battalions and cadres are a bit different. But DS, an AROTC MS4, has found great support and advice from his ROO, a kind of jack-of-all-trades Mr. Fix-It. Have you tried checking with yours?

Also, as you progress, strive to build good working relationships with all the officers and SELs in the cadre. Each of them, in their own way, can become great mentors, resources and allies for your journey not just through ROTC but also AD. That's certainly been the case for DS.
 
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