Successful Transition Off of Academic Probation`: A Qualitative Analysis

Academic probation is a designation colleges and universities use to indicate that a student is not meeting specific Grade Point Average (GPA) requirements. According to MacEwan University policy, students are placed on academic probation for one academic year if they achieve a GPA below 2.00 from the previous academic year. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that helped contribute to a successful transition off of academic probation for MacEwan students, to better understand the existing resources that have been useful for helping with the transition, and to see if other resources or strategies could be helpful for a successful transition. To understand students’ experiences with transitioning off of academic probation, focus groups were conducted with MacEwan University students who were enrolled in any of the main faculties/schools and who had successfully transitioned off of academic probation. This presentation highlights key findings from the focus group sessions. The findings may help future students successfully transition off of academic probation based on knowledge of what worked well for participants and could also lead to improvements in existing resources at MacEwan University or the development of new ones. Discipline: Sociology Faculty Mentor: Dr. Diane Symbalu