Procedures for Academic Review

When students realize, or are told, that their record for a term is unsatisfactory, they should immediately contact their Resident Dean of Freshmen/Allston Burr Resident Dean to discuss their academic difficulties.

  • Students whose records are unsatisfactory are encouraged to write a statement explaining their circumstances and reflecting on any changes they aim to make in their approach to their academic work.
  • The student’s Resident Dean of Freshmen/Allston Burr Resident Dean will prepare and present a docket page (a summary of the student’s academic record and of the dean’s understanding of the student’s circumstances) to the Board. (Click here for a sample docket page. Docket pages are also used for petitions and disciplinary cases.) Students do not have the option to appear before a subcommittee of the Board when their academic records are reviewed.
  • After the Board discusses a student’s record and circumstances, the chair or his or her designee will call for a vote. The Board decides how to respond to unsatisfactory records primarily on the basis of the record itself. However, it carefully considers each case individually, taking into account the student’s overall record and specific circumstances.
  • Students will be informed of the Board’s decision, along with any special instructions or necessary follow-up, in writing by their Resident Dean of Freshmen/Allston Burr Resident Dean. All documents relating to the Board’s review of a student’s academic record are placed in the student’s College file.