University and career/technical programs
Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.
- C.S. Lewis
Students who have been placed on Academic Concern or Mandatory Academic Pause are strongly encouraged to meet with an Academic Advisor to discuss next steps and options.
VIU General Regulations indicate that "unless otherwise specified, students must have a graduating GPA of at least 2.0 (“C”) in order to graduate [with a VIU credential]". The VIU Academic Concern Policy can help to ensure that students continue on a meaningful path to meet their academic goals, including this GPA requirement.
Academic Concern
- Identified students are noted on Academic Concern for the next academic year in which identified students register.
- Academic concern is intended as a supportive measure taken to identify students who are at risk academically and offer appropriate assistance designed to help them discover and overcome the obstacles that are hindering their success.
- Students noted on Academic Concern follow normal registration procedures for the year that they are noted with Academic Concern.
- Students who have been noted with Academic Concern will have their records reviewed each year in May. If the student has completed fewer than 9 credits in the academic year, they remain on Academic Concern. If the student has completed at least nine credits in the academic year, a grade point average will be calculated on these courses, and a minimum GPA of 2.0 (“C”) will be required to have Academic Concern status removed. If a GPA of 2.0 is not met, a Mandatory Academic Pause will be required (see below).
Mandatory Academic Pause
- If a student on Academic Concern completes nine or more credits in an academic year (May 1 to April 30) and does not achieve a GPA of at least 2.0, a Mandatory Academic Pause will be required.
- Students with a Mandatory Academic Pause will be required to discontinue study in University degree, diploma, or academic certificate programs for a period of one year.
- Students with a Mandatory Academic Pause may take Adult Basic Education upgrading courses and may also apply for admission to vocational programs at VIU.
- If students with a Mandatory Academic Pause can gain admission to another post-secondary institution, they can attend there and transfer eligible credit back to VIU if they return to complete a credential at VIU.
- Students who wish to return to VIU after their Academic Pause, must submit a new application to the program of their choice. Students can apply while they are still serving the year of Academic Pause and must meet all posted deadlines.
Students who return to the same program at VIU will return on a year of Academic Concern regardless of time away from their studies.