Academic probation of private university students

Students at leisure at a private university

Academic probation serves as a form of punishment to encourage satisfactory student performance, as a method to inform students of the gravity of their academic situation, and a way to identify students who may be at risk for leaving the institution so that steps can be taken to help them improve their performance. Failure to maintain satisfactory progress can lead to the cancellation of financial aid, academic probation, dismissal, or other equally serious consequences. Student who's CGPA will be between 1 and 2 after the first two semesters will be placed on probation for the next two semesters. Failure to raise their CGPA to at least 2 after the probation period will lead to dismissal from the university. Probationary students also exhibit lower levels of motivation impacting their beliefs about how much control they have in improving their academic standing. It is a transition period in which a student is given time to try to redeem failing grades or bad conduct. Bad grades may result in academic probation, and parental disapproval. A student will be placed on probation during a period of low performance or bad conduct, and after the trial period, if the student's performance does not improve, expulsion may come. Probation is not new in academic arena, but the importance of such problems in developing country is a recent issue.
Students falling into academic probation
Difficulty in understanding language: Understanding the language and class lecture can be described as a predictor of academic success; most of these rely on standardized test scores as measures of proficiency and GPA as the measure of success. To comprehend the classroom lectures and the texts a student needs to have a fair understanding of the English language, the medium of instruction is English in most of the private university in Bangladesh as it is mandatory for the classroom lectures of private universities in Bangladesh to be delivered in English. In general, the textbooks for higher studies are also written in English. Consequently, a student who has good ability in listening and comprehending the English language and can appropriately correspond in English should usually find it easier to understand the subject matters discussed in the class, and vice versa. Hence, difficulty in understanding language has been presumed to have a positive influence on a student struggling in academic performance, and eventually falling into academic probation.
Weak communication skills: Effective communication skill is vital for good academic performance. The inclusion of oral presentations is a major feature of coursework in private universities in Bangladesh. In addition, effective communication / interaction with the teacher is necessary for a student in the classroom and in the teacher's office which allows him or her to clarify confusing topics and grey areas. Poor communication skills appear to be a major impediment for achieving good performance in the class. Hence students with poor communication skills are likely to underperform compared to those with better communication skills, and it leads to academic probation.
Weak educational background: The previous academic performance, or the educational background of a student, tends to influence his/her performance in the future. The students in our sample came from different educational background. A student having strong academic performance prior to begin university courses is expected to have a solid foundation for acquiring the education provided in the classes primarily due to possessing sound knowledge and clear concepts of the subject matters he or she learned previously, and is better capable of using those knowledge in university learning, if necessary. Conversely, a student with a weak educational background is deemed to find it difficult to understanding the subject matter chiefly due to lack of adequate knowledge and clear concepts. Most university courses are highly intensive in nature; they do not accommodate a slow learning process, which acts as a further demerit for students with poor educational background. Hence weak educational background should contribute to a student's poor performance, eventually leading to academic probation.
Grading too difficult: In the traditional grading process, where teachers assess students' performances based on test scores, quizzes, and in-course and final examinations. Then award a final grade using some cumulative formula of these assessments became critical. However, a variety of assessment procedures are followed in different universities and even within a university.
The grading schemes followed by private universities in Bangladesh tend to replicate North American universities, and are not compatible with the grading schemes followed by Bengali medium schools and colleges. Most private universities requires a student to get well above 90% to achieve an 'A' grade and a student has to obtain around 60% score to achieve a passing grade. Some public university degrees also adopt a similar standard where a student can pass an examination with 33% score only.
Naturally, the liberties with which the examination scripts are checked in these institutions with varying grading schemes also tend to differ. Hence students with weak academic backgrounds may abruptly find it very difficult to achieve a passing grade once he or she is enrolled in a private university program, and the difficult grading scheme may result to a student falling into academic probation.
Involvement with other activities: As non-academic commitments increase, it would be expected that time available for academic work and subsequent academic success would decrease. The courses offered in private universities in Bangladesh are highly intensive in nature. In a three-month long semester period a student has to undertake three to four courses, regardless of the subject, all of which completes ten or more chapters and examines the students regularly with in-class quizzes, sit-in examinations, class and home assignments, case studies, project work and presentations, comprising both individual and team effort. Such high volume and intensity of academic courses demands the student to allocate an adequate time of the day for preparing for the classes leaving limited room for involvement with other activities, whether they be extra-curricular activities in nature or be personal or for family and friends. Involvement with activities or “too much social life” other than studies are thus expected to adversely affect a student's preparation for academic exercises because it leaves less time to be devoted to studying. Such involvements are deemed to influence a student's falling into academic probation.

Library of a private university

Wrong course selection: Series of course selection decisions may directly influence students' future by widening or delimiting further study and future educational and occupational possibilities.  Students make their course selections in response to a powerful set of incentives: grades. Improper course selection or poor advice may put a student in a difficult situation, for which student is not mentally equipped, may result in poor academic performances. The major study discipline may be chosen either by the student on his or her personal motivation or be influenced by family members, friends, or faculties. If personal motivation, interest and objectives are unmatched with those of the friend, family or faculty, then there is a chance that a wrong choice is made regarding the course selection. In addition, personal choices may also be incorrect where a student fails to appropriately recognize and appreciate his or her true strengths, skills and advantages regarding various study disciplines. In some cases, failure is directly related to students' inability to grasp the material being presented or their lack of interest in particular courses. Subsequently, choosing a course that does not fit an individual's strengths, skills and techniques may cause a student to perform poorly in a wrongly fitted class, and pave the way for falling into academic probation.
Lack of seriousness in studies: Seriousness in studies is vitally important regardless of the study volume and intensity. Even relatively simple concepts are expected to become difficult for a student who does not pay attention class lecture and review the materials later. A student may not have chosen an area of academic discipline or course carefully. It puts students into a position from where he/she struggles to perform properly.
Family problem: In recent decades, Bangladeshi families have been experiencing significant stress and functional discourse as unparalleled changes in family structures are taking place. Traditional family environment where security, caring, and nurturing were abundance has been broken down. It is an impediment to perform well in academic course. Family problems may cause a student to lose concentration on studies, and may constraint a person's motivation and determination. Severe family problems such as illness or death of a family member or a break-up between the family members is also expected to contribute to a more significant adverse effect than a less severe family problem such as quarrel or disagreements between the family members. Regardless of the degree of intensity of family problems it is expected that these family problems may act as a constraint towards a student's concentration and motivation in studying, leading to poor academic performance and eventually falling into academic probation.
Personal problem: A personal problem of an individual, whether that be physical or mental is expected to adversely affect a person's academic performance.  A physical personal problem such as an injury or illness may directly prevent a student form attending classes, participating in team activities or preparing examinations. A mental personal problem, on the other hand, may affect a student's concentration and motivation for studying. The latter is deemed to have a similar effect as a family problem can cause.
Concluding thoughts
Students on probation need immediate and effective ways to turn around their academic lives. Using self-assessment and intervention procedures, a study skills portfolio strategy teaches students how to appeal probationary status and reinstate full academic standing. The following ways might help the students to come out of academic probation.
Academic institutions' perspective: Some researchers suggest that influences of grades are not beyond the influence of institutional intervention. They identified three types of interventions that have positive influences on students' GPAs. These interventions include instruction in academic skills, advising and counseling programs, and comprehensive support programs. With regard to advising and counseling, the literature supports intrusive developmental advising as a significant way to promote and support student persistence and success.
Intrusive advising is a psychosocial dimension which is described as having more personal than professional approach. Through an intrusive relationship, an advisor personally can reach out to students, meets with them, help them identify the issues and situations contributing to their academic difficulty, assist in setting short and long term goals, and guide them through the development plan to accomplish their goals which includes advisor-student follow-up. It incorporates intervention strategies that allow the adviser to become an active part of the student's life, which, in turn, helps the student to stay motivated.

Cultural programmes are arranged on occasions also at private universities.

Students' perspective: Students enter higher education with a variety of backgrounds and educational experiences. A student can have high self-efficacy (student controls the outcomes of their actions/decisions), which can support his/her academic achievements or can have low self-efficacy which can be detrimental to their success.
The students are required to manage and balance multiple parts of life, including the life inside and outside of the classroom. Sometimes the life outside of the classroom begins to gain ground over the studies and the student faces great challenges. In many cases, the students may be dealing with multiple non-academic issues (such as mental health, family problems, financial struggles, and work demands) which may become blur and intertwined.
The transition into the institution can also affect students' academic success especially during their first semester.  Student retention literature is clear that the first six weeks of a student's first semester on campus is most critical, particularly with regard to transition. This transition can be difficult for students no matter if they are first year or seasoned students transferring to the new academic institution. The freshmen do not necessarily know how to look at themselves as learners, to think about how they learn, to set goals, to actively apply strategies and to monitor themselves as they advance toward a goal.

The writer is an Associate Professor at School of Business and Director of BBA Program, North South University, Dhaka. He received his Ph.D. in management sciences from University of Manchester, Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), UK.E-mail: jashim@northsouth.edu, jashimahmed@hotmail.com.