What is Continued Academic Notice?
Continued Academic Notice (CAN) is an academic standing for those who either did not transition out of their academic notice semester or were readmitted after being disqualified.
If you have Continued Academic Notice status, you will have the same terms for transitioning to Good Standing as before (earning semester and cumulative GPAs of a 2.0 by the end of the next Fall or Spring semester) as well as the same grading option restriction. However, you will have additional criteria to follow.
The first step will be a mandatory appointment with a specific L&S College Adviser. You will receive outreach from L&S Advising to let you know who you will meet with. We strive to make this appointment an encouraging and supportive experience, with the primary goal being to review and discuss your semester schedule and to discuss any other requirements for your CAN semester. These are your CAN terms and may include that you follow through on connecting resources, follow up with an L&S College Adviser, or other terms that are related to your particular challenges. This should provide you with guidance and support toward reaching your academic goals.
CAN status is noted as "Subject to Disqualification" on the administrative transcript.
Continued Academic Notice grading option restriction: While you are on Continued Academic Notice, you will not be able to change a grading option from Letter Graded to Pass/No Pass. If you make this change, the system will change your grading option back to Letter Graded. It is okay to sign up for a class that is offered as Pass/No Pass only.
Note: If your grades are retroactively changed at any point (e.g. by resolving an Incomplete or being granted a retroactive withdrawal), your academic standing in the subsequent semester will not change.
If you do not transition to good standing by the end of the next semester (i.e. Fall or Spring) of enrollment, you may be required to take a break from UC Berkeley and earn specific grades elsewhere before returning. See our Disqualification page for more information about this process.
If you have concerns about your grades while on Continued Academic Notice, L&S College Advisers offer safe, judgment-free space to discuss the challenges you have encountered, understand your options, and make a plan for getting back on track.
Continued Academic Notice FAQs
How do I transition to Good Standing?
To transition to Good Standing, you will need to earn a minimum 2.0 term (semester) GPA and a 2.0 cumulative UC GPA by the end of the next Fall or Spring semester of enrollment (academic notice term). An L&S College Adviser can help you understand the grades you will need to earn if you need to raise your GPA to a 2.0. Additionally, you may use the GPA calculator offered by UC Berkeley Residential Life to calculate your GPA.
During an Academic Notice term, all courses that can be taken for a letter grade must be taken for a letter grade. You are still allowed to enroll in courses that are only offered as Pass/No Pass.
Students will need to be enrolled in a minimum of 13 units, unless approved for a Reduced Course Load.
If you use your Late Change of Class Schedule petition while on notice to drop a course and this puts you below 13 units, L&S will approve a Reduced Course Load for you. You may wish to discuss using your Late Change of Class Schedule petition with an L&S College Adviser. Additionally, you should speak with Financial Aid to discuss any impact to your financial aid package should you drop below your minimum units.
Before semester is over: I'm concerned about not transitioning to Good Standing. What can I do?
If you believe you will not transition to Good Standing
- Meet with an L&S College Adviser. If you are worried that you may not meet the GPA requirements to transition to Good Standing by the end of your notice term, we encourage you to meet with a L&S College Adviser as soon as possible to discuss the factors impacting your academic progress and any options you may have available to you.
- Submit a Continued Academic Notice Letter. You have the option to write a “Continued Academic Notice” letter to the Academic Standing Review Committee. This is an opportunity for you to provide additional information about why you were unable to transition to Good Standing, actions you have taken to transition to Good Standing, and steps you would take if granted an additional semester to transition to good standing. Students on Academic Notice should receive an email near the end of the semester for more information on this. See our Continued Academic Notice Letter page for guidelines and samples.
What happens if I do not transition to Good Standing?
If you do not transition to Good Standing, a review will take place to determine if you will be required to take a break from UC Berkeley. This is called being “Subject to Disqualification” It is important to know that “Disqualification” does not mean that you are “kicked out” of UC Berkeley permanently. The goal of Disqualification is to give you space to resolve challenges so that you can ultimately return and graduate.
REVIEW PROCESS
Your academic history will be reviewed. Trends toward improvement are taken into account. Additionally, trends that show struggles in particular subjects or major directions are identified. If you could potentially graduate in the next semester, this will also be noted. Any relevant advising notes will also be considered. We also take into consideration utilization of resources throughout the semester such receiving advising services from other offices (e.g. EOP, BIO, etc).
Ultimately, the review committee attempts to determine whether continuing into the next semester at UC Berkeley is likely to help you improve your academic situation or if taking time away from UC Berkeley is the best next step for overcoming your challenges.
You have the option to write a “Continued Academic Notice” letter to be considered in this review. This is an opportunity for you to provide additional information about why you were unable to transition to Good Standing, actions you have taken, and steps you would take if granted an additional semester to transition to Good Standing Academic Notice. See our Continued Academic Notice Letter page for guidelines, samples, and deadlines.
We understand that waiting for a decision creates anxiety. We notify students of decisions as soon as the academic standing review process completes, which typically takes a few weeks once grades have been finalized and academic statuses have been assigned by the Office of the Registrar.
Possible outcomes
After this review, you will receive one of two decisions:
- You will be temporarily disqualified and will plan to meet particular criteria before you can be readmitted to another Fall/Spring semester at UC Berkeley. See the Disqualification page for detailed information.
- You will have Continued Academic Notice (CAN) status for the next semester. This status will come with more oversight than your first term on Academic Notice and you will have extra obligations. See FAQ below on CAN status for more information.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
International students are prioritized in the review process due to impacts to visas. If you are on a visa and subject to disqualification, it is important to talk directly with Berkeley International Office right away to discuss plans to depart the U.S. or transfer your I-20.
Other Considerations while on Continued Academic Notice
LATE ACTION
If you are on Continued Academic Notice, you are still eligible to submit a Late Change of Class Schedule petition for late adds, drops, or variable unit changes. You may also use late actions to drop below your minimum unit allowance, as late actions are considered approved Reduced Course Loads. Please speak with Financial Aid to discuss any impact to your financial aid package should you drop below your minimum units.
REQUESTING AN INCOMPLETE
You can request an Incomplete while on Continued Academic Notice. Incompletes for a given course should only be granted if you are currently passing the course, have completed the majority of the coursework, the instructor of record is willing to grant the Incomplete, and all timelines for grade reporting are met. You will still need to follow the standard guidelines to resolve, extend, or freeze an Incomplete. If you have been granted an Incomplete, you will still be able to transition to Good Standing provided that your semester and cumulative GPAs are above a 2.0 with the remaining letter grades you earn during the Continued Academic Notice semester.
WITHDRAWAL
You can withdraw from the semester while on Continued Academic Notice. When you readmit, you will be readmitted on Continued Academic Notice and the same terms will apply to transition to Good Standing. Readmitting on Academic Notice requires a meeting with a L&S College Adviser, so we recommend making time for that process before the readmission deadline.
GRADUATION
You can graduate while on 1.5 term Continued Academic Notice if your cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher. You cannot graduate if your cumulative GPA is less than a 2.0, as this is the minimum college GPA required in order to graduate. Additionally, we recommend that you check with your undergraduate major adviser to ensure that your major GPA meets department requirements.
Transcripts
While Subject to Disqualification statuses show up on the administrative transcript, it will not be reflected on a student’s official transcript.
Summer Session
UC Berkeley summer session courses have the ability to positively raise your cumulative GPA. However, Summer Session grades do not have the ability to transition you to Good Standing. In order to transition to Good Standing, you must complete a standard Fall or Spring semester while meeting the terms of Continued Academic Notice.