Appealing Suspension or Dismissal

Appeals can be written if a student has experienced extenuating circumstances that led to underperformance. If the appeal is granted, the student can re-enroll that subsequent semester but must meet one of the academic eligibility criteria for that semester and every semester thereafter until they reach a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.

If the student does not meet academic standards, they will be suspended, and there is no appeal for this suspension. If the appeal is not granted, the student will be suspended for one semester only and may continue their education at Clemson after fulfilling the terms of the suspension.

View instructions to appeal suspension (PDF).

If a student has already been suspended and is subject to being dismissed, that student may appeal if there are extenuating circumstances that led to underperformance. If the appeal is not granted, the student will be dismissed. If the appeal is granted, the student can re-enroll that subsequent semester but must meet one of the academic eligibility criteria for that semester and every semester thereafter until they reach a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.

If the student does not meet one of the criteria, they will be dismissed, and there is no appeal for this dismissal. After dismissal, a student may request readmission only after a calendar year has elapsed. Readmission after dismissal is only possible through the appeals process.

View instructions to appeal dismissal (PDF).

If a student has been dismissed, they may appeal to gain readmission to Clemson after a calendar year has elapsed. If the appeal is granted, the student's record will be evaluated for academic eligibility criteria at the end of each semester until a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher is reached.

If the student does not meet one of the criteria, then they will be permanently dismissed and may not appeal to continue their coursework at Clemson. If the appeal is not granted, the student may file subsequent appeals for readmission after any intervening term.

View instructions to appeal to return after dismissal (PDF).

The student who has not enrolled at Clemson for two or more academic years may apply for Academic Renewal. Under these conditions, the previous credit attempted and grade-point deficit will not constitute a liability in a new grade-point computation and will be set to zero credits attempted at Clemson with a zero GPA. The previous record will appear on the transcript and the notation of readmission under the academic renewal policy. Students on Academic Renewal will retain credit from advanced standing programs and transfer from other universities.

View instructions to appeal to for academic renewal (PDF).

If a student feels that extenuating circumstances contributed to their suspension or dismissal status, they may write a letter to the Appeals Committee on Academic Eligibility explaining those circumstances and ask to be reinstated for enrollment. These meetings are closed to the public, so the student may not present their case in person to the committee. 

Students should contact the Office of Undergraduate Learning 864-656-3022 for information on the appeals process. Email questions or requests for instructions to UGSeligibility@clemson.edu.

The Appeal Letter Should Include:

1. Reasons for former academic difficulty
2. Reasons why the student feels they can meet the degree requirements within a reasonable length of time (i.e., within two or three semesters.)
3. A specific plan of action for how the student will attain the GPA necessary for degree requirements, i.e.
   • Increase study hours
   • Seek help of tutor, or
   • Work with academic advisor to ascertain what courses remain for degree requirements

Include one to three letters of recommendation

Letters of recommendation are important.

• Submit recommendation letters (no more than three) from your academic advisor and/or department faculty supporting your enrollment in their department or major.
• Professors from whom you have received A’s and B’s can write a recommendation letter.
• Give your professors ample time to write the letter before the appeals committee meets. (Do not wait until the last week of school to pursue this.)
• Students who have not been enrolled for a period of time and are no longer in contact with their professors should obtain a recommendation letter from their employer.
• If a student has been taking classes elsewhere, they should send letters of recommendation from the professors at that institution to the appeals committee.

The letter should be as professional as possible

All letters must be provided electronically in Word or .pdf format. Watch spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Give a return address, email address, telephone number, and Clemson University ID number.