"Failure to Enroll" / "Progress Towards a Degree"

According to immigration regulations, all international students are expected to make sufficient academic progress over the course of their studies. For IESL international students, this means that the student must successfully pass all of their classes and make progress to higher levels. For college-level international students, this means that the student must successfully pass a minimum of 12 credits and maintain a 2.0 or higher Grade Point Average (GPA) every term.

Lane’s International Programs policy is specifically designed to help you maintain your F-1 status and meet your educational goals. We have designed a Success Program contract to help you build skills in areas you may need to be more successful academically.

NOTE: Lane's overall Academic Probation and Dismissal policies are for all students, especially for those receiving federal financial aid; however, International Students have stricter requirements as stated in the immigration regulations above.

Failure to Enroll

If you register for less than or drop below 12 credits (college level) or 18 class hours per week (IESL) or drop classes without first getting permission, your SEVIS record may be terminated. This means you will have to:

• Leave the U.S. within 15 days of dropping below the minimum requirement, OR
• File for reinstatement, which is a long, expensive process and can be denied by immigration. 

Failure to Make Progress

If at the college level you earn less than a 2.0 GPA and/or do not successfully pass 12 credits OR at the IESL level do not successfully complete 18 hours the following actions will occur:

1. Your grades and academic record will be reviewed by the International Programs Committee.

2. You may receive either an email of concern, or a notification that you will be placed on the Success Program contract as a condition to continuing your studies at Lane, or be dismissed from Lane.

A. If you receive an email of concern, it is because your records from the previous term reflect academic difficulty and/or non-passing grades. You are not required to sign a contract, but you are highly encouraged to take measures to improve your academic performance for the next term by attending tutoring and participating in Midterm Progress Reports with each of your instructors.

B. If you continue to have less than a 2.0 GPA and/or earn less than 12 credits/18 hours for a second term, you will be placed on a Success Program contract.

C. If you have a severe violation of progress or have previously been on the Success Program contract for one or more terms, you may be automatically disqualified from Lane.

3. If you receive a Success Program contract notification, you will be required to sign a Success Program contract with an International Program Retention Specialist as a condition to continuing your studies at Lane. A copy of this contract will be given to you and placed in both your academic and immigration files. If you are placed on a Success Program contract, you will be required to follow the contract completely and pay for additional tutoring in order to stay at Lane.

4. If you disagree with the International Programs Committee’s decision to place you on the Success Program contract, you have the right to fill out and submit an appeal form with additional documentation explaining why you don’t think you need to be placed on the contract.  The appeal form will be emailed to you with your notification.

A. If the appeal is accepted, then you will not be placed on the Success Program contract.

B. If the appeal is denied, you will have to either sign the Success Program contract and follow its requirements to continue at Lane, or transfer to another institution within the immigration time period allowed for transfer, or return home within 15 days of the denial. 

If you refuse to sign the contract, a certified letter will be sent to your address for reconsideration.  If you continue to refuse to sign the contract, you will be terminated in SEVIS for unauthorized early withdrawal and have to leave the U.S. within 15 days from the date the letter was delivered.

5. At the end of your term on the Success Program contract, the International Programs Committee will meet to review your grades and compliance with the contract requirements and you will face one of the following scenarios:

Graduation from the Success Program

If you follow all of the requirements of the Success Program contract, achieve a 2.0 GPA or higher and successfully pass 12 credits/18 class hours per week, you will receive a congratulatory end-of-term assessment email informing you that you are off contract for the following term.  This means you no longer have to follow the contract requirements. You are encouraged to continue to attend tutoring (no charge), to participate in Midterm Progress Reports, and to use other campus resources to maintain and improve your academic performance. Once the Success Program is completed, students are not normally given a second chance to be on contract and must maintain a 2.0 GPA and 12 credit/18 class hours per week completion rate or risk dismissal. 

Success Program Contract Extension

If the International Programs Committee feels strongly you have shown improvement and followed most aspects of the contract, they may recommend you for a contract extension (another term on the Success Program contract). The contract extension may be during a consecutive term (the term right after your first term on the Success Program contract) or it may be during a later term (if you have already been on the Success Program contract once before).

Dismissal from Lane

1. If you do not follow the requirements of the Success Program contract, you may be dismissed from Lane Community College at the end of the term. Any student who does not meet the Success Program Contract requirements for two terms and/or does not show improvement will be disqualified and will receive an official dismissal email and phone call from Lane International Programs.  Students have the right to file a written petition by a specific date indicated in the dismissal notice to appeal the dismissal decision.

2. If a student has previously completed two terms on the Success Program contract and in a later term fails to achieve a 2.0 GPA or complete 12 credits they will be automatically disqualified.  Students have the right to submit a written appeal to the Director of International Programs by the date indicated in the dismissal notice.

3. Upon receiving a dismissal notification, students have the option to petition the dismissal by filling out and returning an appeal form along with any additional documentation to the Director of International Programs.  The appeal form will be emailed to you with your dismissal and must be submitted within 3 business days from the dismissal notification. 

4. If the student chooses not to petition or if the petition is denied, the student must choose from one of the following options:

A. Transfer to a new institution immediately and have their SEVIS record transferred within the transfer period allowed by immigration
B. Have their record terminated in SEVIS and return to their home country within 15 days of the final notice of dismissal