Academic Termination
- Each student must maintain a GPA of 3.0 while pursuing the Graduate Certificate or Endorsement in Special Education.
- Each student must earn a B- or better in all required coursework for the course to be used toward the Graduate Certificate or Endorsement. If a grade below a B- is earned, the course must be retaken and a grade of B- or better must be earned before it can be used toward the program. A course may be taken a maximum of three times, including retakes, to be used toward the specified program.
- If a student, during the progression of his or her program, receives a letter grade below a B- in a Certificate- or Endorsement-required course, the Graduate Certificate program may be terminated. Should the student's cumulative GPA fall below a 3.0, the student may have the opportunity to raise the GPA to 3.0 or higher in the next semester of coursework. Notification of course grade or program GPA infractions will be sent to the student from the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders.
Professional Ethics Termination
Graduate students in Special Education are expected to abide by both the UNL Student Code of Conduct that outlines behaviors of misconduct and the CEC Professional Ethical Principles outlining how to show respect for diverse characteristics and needs of persons with exceptionalities and their families.
Students will be dismissed from the Special Education program should they demonstrate unethical behaviors while enrolled at UNL. If a student demonstrates professionally inappropriate or unstable personal-social behavior in the classroom or fieldwork, the student may be asked to confer with the Graduate Governance Committee, Department Chair and/or a counselor to determine the degree to which the student can be expected to continue his or her enrollment in the graduate program. Repeated incidences without change may be cause for termination from the program.
Termination Appeals Procedures
Students may petition the Special Education Graduate Governance Committee’s decision to terminate the student from the Graduate Certificate program. Petition letters outlining the reasons for poor performance and a plan for improvement may be directed c/o Department Graduate Coordinator.
General appeal procedures for any academic termination matters, as well as any appeals associated with fellowships and assistantships, are available in the most recent edition of the UNL Graduate Catalog.
Reports for department violations of the accreditation standards outlined by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) can be submitted to CEC Standards Office by mail, 2900 Crystal Drive, Suite 1000, Arlington, VA 22202-3557.