Policies & Procedures

UH is designed to be completed in two years, and Vantage Point Seminar must be completed by the fifth semester (even in the case of transfer students). The two thematic Clusters (or one thematic Cluster + one Theory & Practice Track) should be completed by the fourth semester. Students who foresee difficulty completing their citations by their fifth full-time semester (typically Fall semester, third year) are required to contact the Assistant Director for Academic Life before the conclusion of their second year. 

The courses that are most likely to be approved for completion in the junior year are the Theory & Practice Track courses that are shared with the Federal & Global Fellows program. Because these courses are offered at the 300-level and were originally developed as an internship experience for upper-level students, students may have a more valuable internship experience if they have advanced beyond the sophomore year. These shared courses also overlap with UH’s goal to see students continue upper-level research and internship opportunities in their junior and senior years.

A student may be placed on probation in University Honors (“UH probation”) if (a) their cumulative GPA is below 3.0, (b) they receive an unresolved XF in a non-UH course (regardless of GPA), and/or (c) they are found responsible for behavioral misconduct. A student who has been placed on UH probation may not be granted automatic permission to register for University Honors (HNUH) courses.

• Low GPA. A student who has been placed on UH probation due to GPA may regain registration permission for Honors courses either by raising their GPA to 3.0 or above by working with the Assistant Director for Academic Life to develop a robust and credible improvement plan. Students still must complete UH requirements by the end of their fifth semester. 
• Academic Misconduct. For a student on probation due to an XF, the only way to return to good standing in UH is to complete an Academic Integrity Seminar and successfully petition the Appellate Board of the University Student Judiciary (USJ) to remove the X from the transcript. A student with an XF will remain on UH probation as long as the X remains on their transcript, but will be permitted to register for UH classes so long as they are working to resolve the XF. UH students who receive an XF will also be asked to submit to Mr. Dario Middleton (dario@umd.edu) a copy of the “reflective exercise exploring your decision making and ethics in your academic field” that they submit to the Coordinator for Student Conduct. Such a student cannot be awarded the citation unless the X is removed by (a) completing the Academic Integrity Seminar and (b) successfully petitioning the Appellate Board for removal of the X.
• Behavioral Misconduct. Students in University Honors are expected to uphold high standards of behavior in accordance with University Honors commitments to integrity, inclusiveness, and respect. Students not in good disciplinary standing, who engage in violations of the University Code of Student Conduct, or who act out of accordance with program or university behavioral expectations may be placed on UH probation or may not be able to participate in UH student leadership opportunities. Any student who has been placed on UH probation due to behavioral misconduct will work with one or more members of the UH staff team to develop a plan for reinstatement.

A student may be removed from University Honors due to nonparticipation, prolonged UH probation, academic misconduct, or behavioral misconduct. 

• Nonparticipation. Students may be removed from University Honors if they fail to register for HNUH courses for more than one semester. Students who are not enrolled in HNUH courses will be contacted by the Assistant Director for Student Achievement. Nonresponsive students may be removed from UH and will be notified of this removal. 
• Prolonged UH Probation. Any student who has been on UH probation for two semesters (consecutive or nonconsecutive) may not be permitted to continue in the program.
• Academic Misconduct. A student who receives an XF may be dismissed from University Honors if this XF remains unresolved for more than two semesters. 
• Behavioral Misconduct. Students who are not in good disciplinary standing with the University (e.g., university probation, suspension, or expulsion by the Office of Student Conduct) may be removed from the program.

A student who wishes to appeal their dismissal from University Honors should contact the Assistant Director for Academic Life, who in turn will confer with the Director and other members of the program’s staff team and report the outcome of these deliberations to the student.