At the end of each regular term, the Registrar flags the records of students who do not meet minimum standards. These records are reviewed first by the student's home department, then by the Committee on Academic Performance in two sets of meetings, Grades and Deferred Action. This page gives details of the review process.

Students are represented at departmental and Deferred Action Meetings by their advisors. Department undergraduate officers and administrators attend CAP's Grades Meetings. Students do not appear before CAP but are encouraged to submit written statements for the Deferred Action Meetings.

END OF TERM REVIEW PROCESS

Department Review

Once most grades are recorded, each academic department reviews the records of its students (majors) whose term GPA is 3.0 or below, or whose end-of-term registration is 35 or fewer units. Because of special freshman grading, the standard for first-year students is passing 39 or fewer units.

The department (UAAP in the case of first-year students) decides on a recommended action for each student—No Action (which often includes a departmental warning), Warning, or Required Withdrawal. Faculty undergraduate officers and academic administrators present these recommendations to CAP at the Grades Meetings in the first weeks of January and June.

Grades Meetings

At the Grades Meetings CAP reviews student records and considers department recommendations. The Committee may accept the department's recommendation, or may vote for a different action than the department recommends. See Procedures below for details of how CAP conducts this review.

CAP votes at the Grades Meetings include:

• No Action
• Warning
• Deferred Action.

See the End of Term Decisions page for explanations of each decision. Deferred Action triggers a second review, at the Deferred Action Meetings, held two weeks later.

Deferred Action Meetings

At the Deferred Action Meetings, in the third weeks of January and June, CAP reviews two sets of student records in more depth. These include:

• students for whom relevant information was not available at the Grades Meeting;
• students who may be required to withdraw.

In each case students are represented by their academic advisor or other departmental officer. Students are invited to submit a written statement for consideration at the meeting. See Procedures below for details of how CAP conducts this review.

CAP votes at the Deferred Action Meetings include:

• No Action
• Warning
• Required Withdrawal.

See the End of Term Decisions page for explanations of each decision.

Procedures

If your record is flagged for review, the Committee will look at your academic performance individually and in context. It considers not only grades received but also the total number of General Institute Requirements (GIRs) and units beyond GIRs completed, the nature of subjects taken, and those factors in your personal situation which may have affected your performance in a given term.

Deans from Student Support Services (S³) are present at CAP's End of Term Meetings. With your permission, they can provide relevant personal information to the Committee. A representative of MIT Medical attends the Deferred Action Meetings to confirm use of medical services. Deans and medical staff share only information directly relevant to a student's academic performance and possible CAP action.

If another member of the MIT community (such as an instructor, housemaster, graduate resident tutor, or MIT administrator) has additional information about your situation, you should ask that person to relay this to either your academic advisor or to a dean in Student Support Services, depending on the nature of the information to be given.

In all cases CAP takes care to ensure that its decisions are consistent across undergraduate departments, while still taking into account students' individual circumstances.

All Committee proceedings are confidential, and CAP actions are reported only to you, your advisor, and your home department. You and your advisor will be notified of Committee decisions by email soon after the Committee meets; you, your advisor, and your department will also receive a printed letter confirming the decision.

In January the Committee mails letters only to your term address; in June letters go to your permanent address. You can update these addresses in your Biographic Record on WebSIS.