Seattle University has stringent academic requirements and you will be regularly challenged to do your best both in and outside of the classroom. Experiencing academic difficulty is not unusual or something to be ashamed of. If you begin to feel overwhelmed and are not doing as well as you would like, review the information below and utilize resources available to you on campus. If you would like to work with an advisor regarding your academic success, contact your assigned academic advisor or contact the Science and Engineering Advising Center.
Seattle University provides an early warning system through Slate for Student Success that is designed to connect struggling students with faculty, advisors, and campus resources. Faculty can submit alerts for students in their classes who are not attending regularly or are experiencing personal concerns or issues.
Sometimes, students just need a "booster" from one of the services provided at SU. Maybe you weren't aware of all of these services available to you. Maybe you were aware but never took advantage of what they offer. There's likely a service or program for all of your needs whether it's about academics, emotional/spirituality, engagement, or sense of belonging.
To learn more, visit Student Life.
Still have questions? Email se-adv@seattleu.edu to talk with an advisor in the CSE Advising Center.
Good Standing
A Seattle University undergraduate student must meet the Academic Standards for their major and school or college in order to maintain good academic standing. In the College of Science and Engineering, a student must:
1. Earn a cumulative GPA of at least that required for your major (2.0 for biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science or 2.5 for engineering, computer science, and applied and pure math).
2. Earn a major GPA of at least that required for your major (2.0 for biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, or 2.5 for engineering, computer science, and applied and pure math).
Any undergraduate student who does not meet the standards listed above for their respective major and school or college will receive one of the following:
Academic Warning
In the first term that a student does not meet the Academic Standards for their school/college and/or major, that student will receive an Academic Warning from their school/college. An Academic Warning will communicate concern about a student’s academic performance and serve as a formal reminder of available support and the Academic Standards of the student’s school/college and/or major.
Academic Probation
In subsequent terms (consecutive or non-consecutive), a student who does not meet the Academic Standards may be placed on Academic Probation or again on Academic Warning by their school/college. In order to recover their academic standing, students must meet the academic conditions listed as part of their initial placement on Academic Warning.
Academic Suspension
A student who has been placed on Academic Probation and, in a subsequent term (consecutive or non- consecutive), does not meet the Academic Standards may be placed on Academic Suspension by their school/college. A student placed on Academic Suspension will be dropped from next term’s classes following an unsuccessful appeal for Academic Reinstatement. In order to recover their academic standing and re-enroll in courses at SU, students must follow the Academic Reinstatement procedure, outlined in the formal notification from the school/college.
Academic Reinstatement
A student may appeal their Academic Suspension and apply for Academic Reinstatement, permitting them to reenroll in their original program or to seek to continue in a different academic program and/or school/college at Seattle University. There are multiple ways a student may be reinstated—all outlined in the formal notification a student will receive from their school/college upon being placed on academic suspension. A student who has been reinstated will recover their academic standing when they meet the minimum academic standards for their school/college and/or major.
To learn more, read the Academic Warning, Probation, Suspension, and Reinstatement Policy for Undergraduate Students.
Sometimes, students will need to take time away from the University. This can be due to a variety of reasons including health, finances, or military training.
In these cases, we recommend students take a Student Leave of Absence. This process is a proactive management of a student’s temporary departure from SU (you intend to return). The maximum leave is four quarters (including summer).
If you do not return in the approved quarter, you will be withdrawn from the university and will have to submit a request for readmission if you wish to return at a later date.
Complete a Student Leave of Absence (e-form).
To learn more, read the Student Leave of Absence policy.
To schedule a meeting to discuss this further, email sedean@seattleu.edu
After the withdrawal deadline, withdrawal status from classes will only be approved in the case of hardship. A Hardship Withdrawal is granted by the Assistant Dean only for reasons relating to death of a family member, catastrophic illness in the family, or an illness and/or an injury to the student. Hardship Withdrawals may be granted for any number of classes in a quarter. In addition, students granted a Hardship Withdrawal may be required to take additional action before being allowed to re-enroll in a following term.
In order to be eligible for a Hardship Withdrawal students must complete the following steps:
To learn more, read the Hardship Withdrawal Policy.
To learn more about a Hardship Withdrawal Refund, read the Refunds of Tuition and Fees Policy.
To schedule a meeting to discuss this further, email sedean@seattleu.edu
Sometimes, a student will decide that they should drop a course during the quarter. Maybe this is because they don't feel prepared for the course; maybe around mid-terms they recognize they are not doing well enough to be successful in the course; or maybe life-circumstances changed during the quarter and they don't have time to dedicate to this course anymore.
Withdrawing from a course results in a "W" grade being assigned to your transcript. The “W” has no effect on your grade point average (GPA). If the course is required for your degree however, the “W” does count as an attempted course; you are limited to 2 repeats of an attempted course. In short, it can protect your GPA rather than earning a lower grade like a "D" or "F".
It's important to pay attention to the date that you plan to drop this course (see Important Dates). Each date has a different grading and financial impact. For example, if you withdraw from your class in the first five days of the quarter, the class is dropped from your transcript (like you never signed up for it) and you receive a 100% tuition refund. However, withdrawing from your class after the first 5 days of the quarter will result in a grade of "W" and the tuition refund varies depending on what date you do this during the quarter.
If you are receiving financial aid or scholarships, PLEASE CONTACT STUDENT FINACNIAL SERVICES BEFORE YOU WITHDRAW. Withdrawing from classes could negatively impact this quarter's or next quarter's financial aid. You want to know this before you decide to withdraw.
To Withdraw from a class:
Still have questions? Please email se-adv@seattleu.edu to speak with an advisor in the CSE Advising Center.
Sometimes, a student recognizes that they will not be able to complete any of their courses in the current quarter. In this case, they are considering a complete withdrawal for the current quarter.
Unfortunately, a student may not be able to complete any of their courses in the current quarter and decides not to return to SU after the quarter. In this case, they are considering a complete withdrawal and not returning to SU.
To completely withdraw from the current quarter:
Still have questions? Please email se-adv@seattleu.edu to connect with an advisor in the CSE Advising Center.
In Winter 2023, this accommodation is no longer being offered by the University.
There was a University-wide COVID-19 Grading Accommodation that ended after Summer Quarter 2021. CSE students should have contacted their advising center by emailing se-adv@seattleu.edu with questions and directions on next steps. A list is provided below of CSE courses that were not eligible for CR and must have been taken for a letter grade.
CSE Courses not Eligible for CR
In Fall 2022, only courses offered by the College of Arts and Sciences and UCOR will again have the grading option of CR/F. CSE students should contact their Advising Center at se-adv@seattleu.edu to discuss this option.
In Winter 2022, again only courses offered by the College of Arts and Sciences and UCOR will again have the grading option of CR/F. CSE students should contact their Advising Center at se-adv@seattleu.edu to discuss this option. You will need to complete a Petition to Change to CR Grade for 22WQ CAS and UCOR Courses to formalize your request. These forms will be accepted starting March 23, after winter quarter grades have posted. The last day to submit the form is April 25, 2022.
In Spring 2022, again only courses offered by the College of Arts and Sciences and UCOR will again have the grading option of CR/F. CSE students should contact their Advising Center at se-adv@seattleu.edu to discuss this option. You will need to complete a Petition to Change to CR Grade for 22SQ CAS and UCOR Courses to formalize your request. These forms will be accepted starting June 15, after spring quarter grades have posted. The last day to submit the form is October 24, 2022.
There was a University-wide COVID-19 Grading Accommodation that ended after Summer Quarter 2021. CSE students should have contacted their advising center by emailing se-adv@seattleu.edu with questions and directions on next steps. A list is provided below of CSE courses that were not eligible for CR and must have been taken for a letter grade.
CSE Courses not Eligible for CR
Once a student has stopped attending Seattle University, they will be withdrawn from university (for undergraduates this means being inactive for 2 consecutive quarters). If a student wishes to return to Seattle University, they must be readmitted.
To begin the readmission process:
To learn more, read the Policy on Readmission.
To learn more about the readmission process, visit the Registrar’s Readmission Webpage.
Still have questions? Please email sedean@seattleu.edu to speak with the Assistant Dean.