Tips for students facing the possibility of discontinuation
Students become liable for discontinuation under any of these conditions:
<36 credits in 2 consecutive semesters (excluding the summer semester)
<1.0 SGPA for 2 consecutive semesters (excluding the summer semester)
> maximum period of registration for the curriculum (normally 150% of the normative period of studies)
Other additional conditions stipulated by Faculties (e.g. failed in capstone or professional core courses)
What can you do?
Advising Tips
Invited to review meeting with the Faculty Review Committee on Student Performance and Discontinuation (Tip 1)
Recommend to continue?
Yes → Continue to study (Tip 2)
No → Case presented to the Committee of Discontinuation (CoD) → 2 options for students
• Voluntary withdrawal (Tip 3)
Hard to decide? (Tip5)
• Meeting with the CoD (Tip 4) → Allow to continue?
Yes → Continue to study (Tip 6)
No → Required to discontinue (Tip 7)
What should I do when facing the possibility of discontinuation?
- Take initiative to seek help and advice from your adviser
- Tell them your worries and concerns
- Explore with your advisers adaptive ways to take care of themselves during this difficult time
- Think about other study options and weigh the pros/cons with them
- Take constructive actions and appropriate compensatory measures, instead of avoiding
- Do remember that your health and wellbeing are very crucial. Reach out to the counsellor at CEDARS-CoPE, when you feel hopeless, depressed or even suicidal.
- Last but not least, remember “One door closes, another opens!”
Invited to review meeting with the Faculty Review Committee on Student Performance and Discontinuation (FRC)
After being requested to attend FRC:
- Arrange meeting with your Faculty Academic Adviser to seek prompt advice
- Be open and share your thoughts with your adviser
- Self-reflect / evaluate on your situation, look into the possible/real causes of your study problems and how the issues might be interrelated
- Develop an action plan with the adviser to address your issues and study difficulties (you may make reference to our “back on track” worksheet)
- Make use of university learning support and community resources (e.g. counselling, financial aids, language support, etc.) if needed
- Prepare the supporting documents for submission (e.g. medical certificate, support letter(s))
- Submit personal statement, study plan and other relevant documentations ON TIME, attend the meeting in person and pay attention to your email inbox so that you can respond to the email communications from Faculty/Department promptly
Recommended to continue to study
Work hard to improve your academic performance:
- Define short term/long term goals
- Set deadlines/milestones to reach the goal
- Arrange a regular advising meeting schedule with your adviser for periodical monitoring/reporting of your academic progress
- Fine-tune your study plan, if needed, after regular reviews with FAA to reach the goals
Case presented to the Committee of Discontinuation (CoD) (Option 1)
Voluntary withdrawal
Procedures for withdrawal:
- A student who wants to withdraw from the University officially must complete the “Withdrawal of Study Form” which can be downloaded from http://www.ase.hku.hk/ (under the last Section of “Guidelines and Forms”) and return the completed form to the student’s home Faculty Office.
Upon withdrawal from the University, you are required to surrender the Student Registration Card to your Faculty Office.
Pros:
- Transcript will show voluntary withdrawal from studies, without specifying the reasons behind such as unsatisfactory performance or recommendation for discontinuation
- Easier (compare to the case of discontinuation) to gain admission or apply for transfer of credits earned at HKU to another university
- Eligible for application for readmission to the same curriculum at HKU in future, which is not allowed for students who are discontinued from their studies
Cons:
- Forgo the chance of being allowed to continue your study by CoD
Case presented to the Committee of Discontinuation (CoD) (Option 2)
Attend the meeting with CoD
Get prepared for the meeting:
- Discuss with the adviser on the feedback from the FRC (if available); Self-evaluate on what could be done better
- Provide new/additional information to address the possible concerns raised in FRC and improve your action/study plan
- Fill in the provided form and prepare all the information you wish the CoD to consider timely, allow ample time for your adviser to comment and submit to the CoD Secretary on time (no further information can be considered by CoD after it has made the final decision)
Pros:
- One more opportunity to explain your case
- Might have a chance to continue studies in HKU
Cons:
- Transcript will show clearly the status of discontinuation of studies if the COD make such a final decision
Hard to decide?
If you find it hard to decide, you may consider:
- Checking on the alternative study opportunities in Hong Kong or overseas e.g. Admission website to UG programme (and the chance of getting advance standing), associate degree or higher diploma programme with top-up options, technical certificate
- Seeking advice from teachers, family members and mentors
- Discussing different study options with AASO Adviser
- Meeting careers advisers at CEDARS for employment information
- Seeking professional counselling service at CEDARS-CoPE if necessary
Continue to Study
It is very critical for you to get back and stay on track:
- Make extra and sustained efforts to turn around your academic performance
- Define short term/long term goals
- Set deadlines/milestones to reach the goal
- Arrange a regular advising meeting schedule with your adviser for periodical monitoring/reporting academic progress
- Fine-tune your study plan, if needed, after regular reviews with FAA to reach the goals
Final Decision and No Appeal
It’s the final decision and no appeal is allowed. What will happen next:
- Faculty will inform you about necessary procedures (e.g. return of student card)
- Other service units (e.g. Library, UHS, CSE), upon notification from Faculties, will decide by themselves when to stop you from using their services.
- Residential halls, upon notification from CEDARS, will ask you to leave within a short time decided by the Warden. Overseas students may approach their Warden if they need more time to move out.
If necessary, you may approach: