New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

A mural of a woman’s face holding up a chain with the word “LOISAIDA” and a gold cityscape. The words “el bohio murals” and “#BRINGARTBACK” are next to the woman alongside the words “CURATED BY … THRIVECOLLECTIVE.ORG.”
Activists’ 25-year fight to revive an East Village community center
Dharma Niles, Deputy News Editor • Mar 12, 2024
A front entrance with the text “Electric Lady Studios” written in a retro white font on two reflective walls.
‘An exploitative environment’: The interns behind Electric Lady Studios
Julia Diorio, Music Editor • Feb 20, 2024

Student Government, NYU Agree to Expunge Academic Probation Records

NYU will officially expunge the external records of students who faced academic probation after conversing with members of student government.
NYU+has+recently+made+changes+concerning+its+policy+on+academic+probation.+%28Staff+Photo+by+Marva+Shi%29
Marva Shi
NYU has recently made changes concerning its policy on academic probation. (Staff Photo by Marva Shi)

Student government reached an agreement with the university to change the current Academic Probation Policy last Friday, after a year of working with faculty in the University Senate.

The university has an internal transcript, seen by those within NYU, and an external transcript, seen by prospective employers, for each student. In the past, when a student faced academic probation it was noted on both transcripts. Moving forward, it will only be mentioned on the internal transcript — and past students who have been on probation will have mention of it expunged from their external records.

Students are placed on academic probation when they fall below a 2.0 GPA — regardless of any family or health issues that may have been contributing factors. This status can affect their financial aid packages and their ability to study abroad. If the student is unable to raise their GPA above a 2.0 for two or more semesters, they can be dismissed from NYU.

Removing mention of academic probation from external records will, hopefully, allow students to apply to graduate schools and other positions without being penalized for past issues, according to CAS senior and Chair of the SGA Academic Affairs Committee Quentin Turner. Turner led discussions with the university on the policy.

University spokesperson John Beckman said, while records of past incidents are important, they often affect students’ mental health and, consequently, their academic performance.

“There are many ways that schools can track students who are on probation; notations on the official transcript are not only unnecessary for this purpose, but they can lead to increased student anxiety,” Beckman said in a statement to WSN. “In this regard, it is worth noting that poor academic performance that results in probation is often accompanied by, if not attributable to, significant wellness concerns.”

In an interview with WSN, Turner said he had a friend that was on academic probation who saw the negative effects Beckman mentioned, partially leading him to push for the policy.

“It’s about second chances,” Turner said. “No student wants to be put in this situation. They should not be penalized for life.”

If students previously faced or are currently facing academic probation, they can reach out to Academic Affairs on the Student Government website for more information.

Email Alexandria Johnson at [email protected].

About the Contributors
Alexandria Johnson, Editor-in-Chief
Alex is a senior double-majoring in Journalism and Public Policy. She is a New York native (representing Queens!), and she loves to talk about how songs have gotten shorter recently, trying to meet her celebrity crush (she'll never tell) and her passion for painting album covers. She's definitely NOT a professional artist, but it helps her pass the time. Follow her on IG and Twitter @a_johnson_2021.
Marva Shi, Deputy Multimedia Editor
Marva Shi is a sophomore studying Media, Culture, and Communication. Besides taking pictures sometimes, she spends a lot of time screaming at her laptop over Adobe Premiere, Lightroom or the latest development in the Dogspotting page on Facebook. Marva mainly enjoys studying next to big, sunny windows and having long conversations with friends about her Mango Mango cravings. Find her in real life, because social media is awful and we’re all going to die someday.
Leave a comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

Comments that are deemed spam or hate speech by the moderators will be deleted.
All Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *