"How was I supposed to know all of this?” Science undergraduate students’ experiences of academic probation and suspension


Monica Paabo, University of Toronto

This multiple case study investigates the experiences of three undergraduate science students who received academic probation and then academic suspension at a large Canadian university because their cumulative grade point average fell below the university’s requirements. The students attributed their academic difficulties principally to insufficient knowledge of the expectations of the university system. Two students were the first in their families to attend university and their knowledge of academic requirements was based mostly on their experiences from high school. The third student, from a highly educated family, was aware of the academic probation policy but not of the negative consequences of academic probation and suspension. All three students participated in an academic retention program that taught them study strategies. The case study narratives revealed gaps in the students’ understanding of the university’s policies when they were placed on academic probation and later on suspension. This suggests that the university was not effective in its communications with students about the academic probation policy, the grading system, and consequences of low marks. Students also need a clear understanding of their likelihood of success in critical foundational courses that have a reputation for weeding students out of programs. While staff may have cautioned the students about taking courses in the compressed summer session while on academic probation, the students did not understand the reasons for the warning. This study suggests that ongoing academic advising was especially helpful for first-generation students. Staff who are responsible for student success programs might wish to consider differences in cultural knowledge between first-generation and non-first-generation students. Requiring all first-year students to participate in a foundational program could also ensure that all students, not only those who voluntarily seek out guidance, gain the cultural and foundational knowledge needed to navigate through university.

This paper will be presented at the following session: