Many students struggle in college, whether it’s due to taking tough courses or because something is getting in the way of studying. Drury takes a campus-wide approach to helping students when they are struggling. Faculty and administrators in Academic Affairs join staff in the Cox Compass Center, Financial Aid, Student Affairs, Athletics, Counseling Services, Admissions, the Business Office, First-Year Programs, International Student Services, Operations, the Registrar, and other university offices to offer Drury students the information, referrals, support, and services they need.
If a student is struggling in classes, they should:
Assistance doesn’t end with one email or meeting. Throughout the semester, Drury staff and faculty refer widely to academic and counseling resources across campus. We work to connect students to the right person for support and services.
When a student does not go to class or stops completing assignments, instructors email students to set up a meeting to discuss their situation. If a student does not respond, faculty notify colleagues in Student Affairs and the Compass Center and ask them to meet with the student. Conversely, when a student shares concerns and challenges with staff and faculty advisors, they are encouraged to meet with their instructors and also pursue the steps above (e.g., attend classes regularly, go to office hours and tutoring, seek additional resources like Accessibility and Disability Services, or make an appointment with Counseling Services).
When mid-semester grades are below 2.0 (which is below good standing), staff in Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Athletics, and International Student Services reach out to students and encourage them to schedule meetings to discuss issues. At these meetings, staff talk with students about their studying and test-taking, and refer to services and resources that will address learning issues or other needs that are interfering with success.
The Cox Compass Center team is made up of experienced staff with expertise in academic and career advising, accessibility and disability support, tutoring, and the building of academic success skills. We can help students who have questions about their learning as well as need help with vocational exploration, time management, professional communications, accountability, and study skills.
The Office of Student Affairs, consisting of offices such as First-Year Programs, Housing, Student Success and Retention, Greek Life, International Student Services, and Student Involvement, Athletics staff and coaches, and other campus offices are committed to student success and work with students year-round to support their academic and personal development.
Sometimes students are able to recover during the semester as a result of their responses to outreach and the support they receive. Unfortunately, sometimes students are not able to do as well as they hoped and their academic standing becomes an issue.
Drury’s policies for good standing, probation, extended probation, and suspension, are set by Drury faculty, outlined in the Academic Catalog, and administered by the Office of Academic Affairs. Dr. Jennifer Joslin, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, meets with students each semester to discuss their academic standing, and identify resources to improve their learning and get on-track to graduation.
As outlined in the Academic Catalog, good standing means that students must:
It is possible that students are in good standing but still not doing as well as they hoped. These students should:
Probation results when students fail to meet one or both of the requirements for good standing listed above at the end of a fall or spring semester. Academic probation status is a notice to students that their current performance needs to improve to lead to graduation.
Students return to good standing when they meet both of the requirements for good standing listed above. Most students who earn probation are able to earn a 2.0 or above in the next semester. Many students – and even some staff and faculty! — have earned probation status on their way to graduation. These students took the meetings and outreach efforts seriously and made changes that resulted in improved learning and better grades.
Details:
Students receive an email at the end of the semester informing them they have earned probation status. They are strongly encouraged to submit answers to a questionnaire about their semester and study habits (the Guiding Student Success Survey) and to make an appointment with Dr. Jennifer Joslin in the Cox Compass Center to discuss their status. The focus of the appointment is to identify resources that students need to earn good standing and make referrals that will help them put their plans into action.
First-year students who earn probation status in December 2024 are required to register for an 8-week online student success class for 0 credit hours at the start of spring semester. The goal of the class is to help students identify concerns and explore helpful resources (e.g., accountability sessions, career exploration, time management, accessibility and disability-related services, and/or Counseling Services) to start their semester off on the right track.
Extended probation results when students fail to meet one or both of the good standing requirements for a second consecutive semester.
Details:
Students are notified by email that they have earned extended probation status.
Students are required to submit answers to a questionnaire about their semester and study habits (the Guiding Student Success Survey) and to make an appointment with Dr. Jennifer Joslin in the Cox Compass Center to discuss their status. A hold is placed on student registration pending the completed survey and follow-up conversation with Dr. Joslin. The focus of the appointment is to identify the resources that students need to earn good standing and make referrals that will help them. At this appointment, Dr. Joslin also talks with students about the ramifications of not returning to good standing in the next semester (see suspension, below).
Students on extended probation may also need to complete a Satisfactory Academic Progress appeal for the Office of Financial Aid. Students with scholarships and loans should stay alert for emails from that office (fa@drury.edu) after each semester regarding their status.
Students return to good standing when they meet both of the requirements for good standing listed above.
Students are automatically suspended from the university when they earn probation for three (3) consecutive semesters, or earlier, if the pattern of their work merits such action.
Details:
Students are notified by email that they have been suspended. Information about the appeal process is included in that email.
If students are registered for the next semester, their courses are dropped by the university. Students do not need to log into MyDrury to drop their courses.
Students suspended from the university for academic reasons may apply for reinstatement by writing a letter of appeal.
Students who were suspended may apply for re-admission to Drury through the Office of Admissions. Final decisions are not made until the Office of Admissions receives and reviews all transcripts of college coursework attempted since the student was last at Drury. Readmission is not automatic and financial aid is not guaranteed to students who are readmitted. Further information about the readmission process is in the Academic Catalog (p. 24).
