Termination

All courses within the Costello College of Business are limited to three graded attempts. Students have three opportunities to earn a grade of C or higher (or B- or higher in some cases) to successfully complete the course. Please note that the most recent attempt is what counts as the standing grade and dropped or withdrawn courses do not count as attempts. 

Registration for Third Attempts of Business Courses  

When students attempt to register for their third attempt, they will encounter a registration error stating: “Repeat hours exceeded 6.” To avoid this error, students must meet with their Business Academic Advisor before attempting to register for their third attempt. The advisor will review the termination policy with the student and provide the necessary override to allow registration. 

Failure to Complete Course After Three Attempts 

If a student does not successfully complete a course in three attempts with a grade of C or higher, the following actions will occur: 

• Business Foundations or Core Courses: If a student fails to complete a Business Foundations or Core course within three attempts, they will be terminated from the Costello College of Business and will need to change their major to a program outside of the College of Business. 
• Concentration Courses: If a student fails to complete a Concentration course within three attempts, they will no longer be eligible for that specific concentration. A hold will be placed on their account, and they will need to meet with a Business Academic Advisor to change their concentration to another program within the College of Business. 

Termination Appeals 

Terminations from the College of Business are considered final. Appeals to this policy are taken seriously and are reviewed carefully. The Office of Student Success and Academic Services provides multiple opportunities to ensure that students are aware of the termination policy and receive ample support to avoid being terminated, including the following steps: 

• Completion of the College of Business orientation 
• Outreach following the first unsuccessful attempt, including a follow-up meeting with a Business Academic Advisor 
• Registration restrictions placed after the second unsuccessful attempt 
• Mandatory advising meetings to discuss strategies for success 
• Follow-up communication regarding the termination policy, drop deadlines, and selective withdrawal policies 

Submitting an Appeal 

If a student wishes to appeal a termination, they must demonstrate why they should be considered an exception to the policy. The appeal must include: 

• Detailed explanation of what occurred during the semester (after the drop and selective withdrawal deadlines) that prevented successful course completion; students must address extenuating circumstances that impacted their ability to complete the course/s in all three attempts 
• Substantial documented evidence from verifiable third-party sources (medical provider, employer, etc.) supporting the explanation. Any confidential information will be reviewed by the Director of Undergraduate Academic Services for the sole purpose of the appeal and will not be shared with other offices or personnel. 

Appeals are rarely granted and are typically only considered in cases of severe medical emergencies that occur after the selective withdrawal deadline, which affected the student’s ability to complete ALL courses, including the course in question. 

Appeal Deadline 

• Completed Termination Appeals must be submitted by the degree conferral date in the semester in which the termination occurred. 
• If unforeseen circumstances prevented the student from submitting the appeal by the deadline, an essay must be provided, explaining why the appeal is late and what occurred that prevented the student from meeting the deadline. Late appeals received that do not include this additional explanation will not be considered.