Policies and Procedures

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students must be making satisfactory progress toward the degree in order to maintain status at The Graduate Center and to be eligible for any student financial assistance. A student is deemed not to be making satisfactory progress if he or she has a grade point average below 3.00, has accumulated more than two open grades (“INC,” “INP,” “NGR,” “ABS,” and “ABP”), has completed 45 credits without having passed the First Examination, has completed 10 semesters without having passed the Second Examination, has received two “NRP” grades in succession, or has exceeded the time limit for the degree. Please refer to the sections on “Incomplete Grades,” “Standards for Retention,” “Computation of Grade Point Average,” and “Time Limits for Degrees,” which appear in this handbook’s section on “Academic Policies and Procedures.”

The Graduate Center reviews each student’s record every semester. If formal standards have not been met, a student may register (and receive financial aid, if otherwise eligible) only upon petition of the student’s Executive Officer to the Vice President for Student Affairs. Students whose petitions are approved are considered to be making satisfactory progress toward the degree and are eligible to receive financial aid.

Students who are employed as graduate assistants on departmental adjunct lines or as research assistants by individual grant holders must show satisfactory performance in these activities. If this performance is found to be unsatisfactory, such employment may be terminated. This type of termination is independent of satisfactory academic progress.

Preferred Name

The University affords students the opportunity to identify a preferred name to be recorded in its student information systems and to be displayed on a variety of documents.  Documents and records that may display a preferred name include, among other things, course rosters, student identification cards, and student email addresses. A preferred name will not appear on, among other things, a student’s official academic record, diploma or transcript, which will instead display the student’s legal name.
 
Students who would like to request that a "preferred name" be recorded should login to the CUNYfirst system and then add the preferred name under Personal Information via Self-Service. Faculty and staff should be aware that future course rosters and similar documents may contain students’ preferred names.

See also CUNY's University Name and/or Gender Changes Policy.

Veterans Benefits

Each semester, eligible veterans who wish to obtain benefits and information on other matters of concern to veterans may consult the Registrar. 

Veterans that are returning students are given preference in the following ways:

• Readmission in a probationary or non-degree status will be granted to the veteran who is a former    student with an unsatisfactory academic record.
• Upon their return from active duty, veterans may register even after normal registration periods end, without late fees or other penalties.
• Veterans returning too late to register may audit classes without charge.

The Veteran's Certifying Office is Mr. Vincent DeLuca, Director of Student Services and Senior Registrar, Room 7201; Telephone (212) 817-7500.  Additional information is available at the CUNY website for veterans and in the Student Handbook.