MSU's Suspension Policy

Students who develop a pattern of low academic achievement risk being suspended from MSU. Details of MSU's suspension policy are found in the undergraduate catalog.

The Impact of Being Suspended

Being suspended from MSU may be both traumatic and problematic for you. However, by no means does a suspension necessarily indicate that you will not be successful in college. Many MSU students have difficulty establishing good academic habits. A suspension period out of school often provides students motivation to focus appropriately on their academic life. In addition, the money saved by working during this time can help with the cost of college.

Extraordinary Circumstances Around Your Suspension

Sometimes a student is suspended for low academic performance in a given semester during which there were extraordinary circumstances beyond their control: a significant illness near the end of the semester, a traumatic event from which the student was unable to recover, an ongoing medical condition, etc. If you believe your academic performance in the semester for which you were suspended was due to circumstances like this, you may be eligible for a retroactive withdrawal, which you would apply for through the Dean of Student's Office. (Note that circumstances such as too many morning classes, needing to go to a friend's wedding, noisy roommates, not going to class, working too many hours, brief illnesses, not being motivated, too much skiing/ snowboarding or partying, etc., do not qualify as extraordinary circumstances.)

Applying for a retroactive withdrawal by no means assures it will be approved. The Dean of Student's Office will weigh all the factors and make a determination.

How to Appeal a Suspension

If you have been suspended from the University, you will receive notification from the Provost's Office. Within this notification, you will be given specific instructions for how to complete the appeal process.