Policy Summary 

This description is up-to-date with the policy changes made during the 2018-2019 academic year.

There are two components to academic standing. The first component, “qualitative standing,” refers to a student’s GPA and balance points. The second component, “quantitative standing,” refers to the number of units that a student completes. According to Academic Senate Regulation A552, expected progress is met by passing an average of 12 units per quarter and minimum progress is met by passing at least 12 units per quarter. There are penalties for not meeting minimum progress; there are no penalties for not meeting expected progress.

At the end of each quarter, minimum progress is calculated. The average is calculated based on the number of quarters in which the student is enrolled full-time during that period. At this point the student’s academic status for quantitative reasons is determined as follows:

• If a student completes an average of 12 units or more during this period, they are considered to be in good standing for quantitative reasons.
• If a student completes an average of less than 12 units during this period, they are considered to be on academic notice for quantitative reasons.
• If a student completes an average of less than 12 units during three consecutive quarters, they are considered to be subject to disqualification for quantitative reasons.

For a student on academic notice for quantitative reasons, a “degree progress average” of all of the units completed at UC Davis during full-time terms is calculated at the end of the next term in which they are enrolled full-time.

Summer Units: Courses passed in summer sessions at UC Davis or at another accredited school (during the summer) and transferred to UC Davis will be counted as units passed (applied to the next full-time quarter of enrollment immediately following the summer session). 

Minimum Progress Waiver: In certain cases, students with a qualifying disability may be eligible for a minimum progress waiver. Students may apply for such a waiver through the Student Disability Center. Approval of the waiver omits the specified term(s) from the calculation of quantitative standing; there is no notation on the internal transcripts.

Elective Pass/No-Pass and Minimum Progress: If a student is not in good academic standing solely due to minimum progress, such standing does not restrict their use of the P/NP grade mode option (DD Reg A552C5).

How to do the Minimum Progress Calculation

Both the Minimum Progress Average (MPA) and the Degree Progress Average (DPA) are calculated by dividing the number of units that a student has completed during the full-time terms in question, by the number of full-time terms completed. Part-time quarters, and units earned during these quarters are not part of the equation in any way.

Calculating Minimum Progress Average (MPA)

• N1 = Number of units in which the student was enrolled during the preceding academic year during full-time terms.
• Q1 = Number of full-time Quarters in which the student was enrolled during the preceding academic year.
• Equation: N1 / Q1 = MPA.

Calculating Degree Progress Average (DPA)

• N2 = Number of units in which the student was enrolled during full-time terms during their academic career at UC Davis. Summer units (taken after matriculation) are calculated as being part of the next full-time term in which the student enrolls.
• Q2 = Number of full-time Quarters in which the student was enrolled during their academic career at UC Davis.
• Equation: N2 / Q2 = DPA.

Minimum Progress Questions Answered

In terms of minimum progress, what is the difference between Part-time and Full-time? Part-time quarters are quarters in which the student has been approved by the Office of the University Registrar to be part-time. All other terms are considered “full-time” and subject to the minimum progress calculation. Part-time terms are not calculated into the minimum progress calculations and cannot offset a minimum progress deficit.

Do workload courses count towards Minimum Progress? Yes. Workload courses are evaluated using the “Carnegie Unit Rule” (meaning that the units for each course are assigned in accordance with the number of hours that the course meets). See Academic Senate Regulation A552(B)a for details.

Do summer session courses taken at UC Davis count towards Minimum Progress? Yes, for purposes of minimum progress, summer session units count as units passed during the first full-time term in which the student enrolls following the Summer Session. See Academic Senate Regulation A552(B)c for details.

Do courses taken during the summer at an outside institution count towards Minimum Progress? Yes, for purposes of minimum progress, summer session units taken at an institution other than UC Davis may count as units passed during the first full-time term in which the student enrolls following the Summer Session. See Academic Senate Regulation A552(B)c for details.

Do courses taken during the regular academic year (fall-spring) at an institution other than UC Davis count towards minimum progress? Yes, if the concurrent enrollment is approved. Students are prohibited from obtaining transfer credit for courses taken at a non-University of California campus in a quarter during which the student is enrolled as a full-time student at Davis unless an exception has been granted by the appropriate Dean or administrative officer. In such cases where an exception has been approved, units earned from courses taken at a non-University of California campus are counted toward minimum progress in the quarter(s) in which the dual enrollment occurred. See Academic Senate Regulation A553 for details.

Do In-progress (“IP”) units count towards Minimum progress? Yes. See Academic Senate Regulation A552(B)e for details.

Do Incomplete (“I”) units count towards Minimum progress? No, not until they are made up for a passing grade. When the work is completed for an Incomplete grade, minimum progress credit will be given for the term in which the work was assigned. See Academic Senate Regulation A552(B)f for details.

Do units count towards Minimum progress if they are repeated? Yes, up to a maximum of 16 units. See Academic Senate Regulation A552(B)b for details.

Does Credit By Exam count towards Minimum progress? Yes. See Academic Senate Regulation A552(B)d for details.