UConn Tweaks Readmission Policy For Academically Dismissed Students

STORRS, CT — The University of Connecticut is tweaking the readmission procedures for students who have faced academic dismissal.

The changes, UConn officials said, "simplify and clarify the process while also recognizing that with the right support, an academic dismissal can be only a temporary interruption in a student’s otherwise solid college career — rather than the end of it entirely."

The term "flunk out" was not used once in the announcement.

The updates are also designed to support a key goal in UConn’s strategic plan to maintain a rate of 90 percent or more of its students graduating in six years or less. Currently, about 83 percent of UConn students graduate within six years. That's higher than the national average of 62.2 percent, officials said.

Before the policy change, students who were academically dismissed from UConn for the first time could apply for readmission after two semesters away, equivalent to one academic year. The change that goes into effect this fall reduces that to one semester.

Removed from the policy's language are words like "probation" in a move toward using "less stigmatizing terminology so the students are more willing to engage with support resources," officials said.

The recommendations came after a comprehensive review by UConn's Office of Undergraduate Advising, which oversees the academic standing and dismissal process with numerous campus partners. Changes were presented to University Senate, which adopted them in April as an update to the university by-laws.

They go into effect in the fall semester.

The updates also "reflect the reality" that, for some dismissed students, "keeping afloat academically may have been difficult amid personal issues, financial concerns, mental health challenges, or other circumstances unrelated to their scholastic ability," officials said.