Preamble

Students must meet the average grade point average requirements. Students who fail to meet these requirements may be placed on academic probation or dismissed.

When a student’s performance may be adversely affected by extraordinary personal circumstances beyond the student’s control, the student bears the responsibility to take the necessary steps to improve their academic performance before academic failure results.

 

RULE 1:         Standards for Automatic Dismissal for Failure to Meet Academic Requirements.

*Please note the grade range and normalization policies applicable to incoming 1Ls (effective fall 2024) have changed. For incoming first-year students, the standards for automatic dismissal are below.  For students who enrolled prior to fall 2024, the applicable standards can be found in an earlier version of the handbook, available here. 

Except for graduating third-year students in their final semester (see RULE 5), any of the following will result in automatic dismissal for failure to meet minimal academic requirements.

(a)       A grade average for any individual semester after the first semester of the first year below 1.700.

(b)      A cumulative overall grade average at any time after the first semester of the first year of less than 2.200.

(c)      Failure to meet the requirements for being removed from academic probation as specified in RULE 3.

(d)      Obtaining a grade of F in more than two courses.

 

RULE 2:         Standards for Placing Students on Academic Probation for Failure to Meet Academic Requirements.

*Please note the grade range and normalization policies applicable to incoming 1Ls (effective fall 2024) have changed. For incoming first-year students, the standards for placing students on academic probation are below.  For students who enrolled prior to fall 2024, the applicable standards can be found in an earlier version of the handbook, available here. 

Any student whose grade average for an individual semester falls below 2.200 but who is not otherwise subject to dismissal under RULE 1 shall be placed on academic probation for failure to meet academic requirements.

 

RULE 3:         Standards for Removing Students from Probation.

*Please note the grade range and normalization policies applicable to incoming 1Ls (effective fall 2024) have changed. For incoming first-year students, the standards for removing students from probation are below.  For students who enrolled prior to fall 2024, the applicable standards can be found in an earlier version of the handbook, available here. 

Any student whose aggregate grade average for the probationary semester and the preceding semester is 2.200 or better, who satisfies such other requirements as may be imposed, and who is not otherwise subject to dismissal under RULE 1, shall be removed from probation at the end of the probationary semester.  Students who satisfy these requirements will be automatically removed from academic probation.

 

RULE 4:         Standards for Conditional Readmission of Probationers Until Grades Are Reported.

 

Any student placed on probation under the provisions of RULE 2 shall be allowed to register and attend classes during the semester or summer school term following the probationary semester until the student's grades for the probationary semester have been reported. The student shall be allowed to continue enrollment as a student in good standing only if the requirements of the probation are met. If the requirements of the probation are not met, the student shall be required to withdraw from enrollment in the Law School and shall be dismissed under RULE 1. A student who is required to withdraw under this Rule shall be entitled to the return of such portion of the student's tuition as may be permitted by the regulations of the University of South Carolina.

 

RULE 5:         Standards Governing Students Who Fail to Meet Academic Requirements in the Semester They Are Scheduled to Graduate.

*Please note the grade range and normalization policies applicable to incoming 1Ls (effective fall 2024) have changed. For incoming first-year students, the governing students who fail to meet academic requirements in the semester they are scheduled to graduate are below.  For students who enrolled prior to fall 2024, the applicable standards can be found in an earlier version of the handbook, available here. 

Violation of RULE 1 in the semester a student is scheduled to graduate shall result in automatic dismissal except when the only subparagraph violated is Rule 1(a) (student's grade average for the semester is below 1.700). In this case, the student shall not be dismissed but shall be placed on probation and required to complete an additional probationary semester under RULE 3.

 

RULE 6:         Summer School Terms.

 

The summer school term shall not be considered an "individual semester" or a "probationary semester" for any purpose under these Rules. Grades received during the summer school term shall be included in the average of the grades received in the next individual semester, and the student's cumulative overall grade average shall not be calculated until that time. Probationary students shall be allowed to enroll in the summer school term subject to RULE 4.

 

RULE 7:         Notice.

 

All students subject to dismissal or probation shall be given timely notice after their academic status is determined by the Law School. Failure to receive notice under this Rule is not to be construed as a waiver of any other Rule.

 

RULE 8:         Standards for Calculating Grade Averages.

*Please note the grade range and normalization policies applicable to incoming 1Ls (effective fall 2024) have changed. For incoming first-year students, the numerical grading scale is  below.  For students who enrolled prior to fall 2024, the applicable standards can be found in an earlier version of the handbook, available here. 

Individual semester grade averages and cumulative overall grade averages, as used in these rules, shall be calculated on the following basis:

(a)       For each course, multiply the numerical value of the grade received by the credit hours of that course;

(b)       Total these figures (semesterly and cumulatively); and

(c)       Divide this figure by the total number of graded credit hours taken (semesterly and cumulatively).

Effective for students matriculating in Fall 2024 and onward, the numerical value of grades are as follows:

A   =  4.000
A-  =   3.670
B+  =   3.330
B    =   3.000
B-  =   2.670
C+ =   2.330
C   =   2.000
C- = 1.670
D+ =   1.330
D   =   1.000
D- = 0.670
F     =   0.000
WF =   0.000

Courses in which the recorded grade is a No Report (NR), Withdrawal (W), Unsatisfactory (U), or Pass (S) shall not be included in the calculation of grade averages.

WF is assigned for students withdrawing from a course after the penalty deadline prescribed in the University of South Carolina Master Schedule of Classes. The grade of WF is treated as an F in the grade point average calculation.

Except with respect to transfer students as provided in §IV.K, only the grades received in courses taken at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law shall be included in the calculation of grade averages for the purpose of these rules. Courses taken for Law School credit in other departments or schools of the University of South Carolina shall be recorded on a pass/fail basis by the Law School. See also §§ IV.D and IV.I.3 for pass/fail rules on courses taken at other law schools.

Except as provided under the Academic Forgiveness Program (See §VI.B), when a course is repeated, both grades shall be included in the calculation of the cumulative overall grade average, and each grade shall be included in the appropriate semester grade average.