18/05/2026
2026-062
RE: Cut-off Policies for A.Y. 2026-2027
ATTENTION TO ALL INCOMING FIRST YEAR STUDENTS FOR A.Y. 2026-2027:
Pursuant to the College's Supplemental Policies on the Student Handbook, the first-year academic cut-off was established to uphold the College's retention standards. This policy aimed to ensure that only students demonstrating the potential for success in the Architecture profession and worthy of advancing within the Thomasian Architects family proceed to the second year.
Recent observations by the Office of the Dean, corroborated by feedback from academic staff handling first-year courses, indicate that many first-year students struggle to adjust to the rigors of technical courses during their initial college year. Furthermore, while students from technical high schools often possess an advantage in studio courses, students from non-technical high schools frequently begin to progress and demonstrate their potential later in the program, typically during their second year.
To validate these findings, the Office of the Dean consulted with the College Guidance Counselor ("Counselor"), who confirmed these observations. To mitigate the adverse effects of the initial adjustment period on first-year academic performance, the Counselor was asked whether implementing the cut-off policy after the sophomore year, rather than the first year, would be beneficial. The Counselor concurred, explaining that this revision would alleviate a significant burden on first-year students during their transition to college life. This change would also be advantageous for students from non-technical high schools, providing them with the opportunity to acquire basic skills during their first year and fully develop their potential during the sophomore year.
Giving due consideration to the aforementioned rationale and following consultation with the Dean's Council and the First-Year Academic Coordinators, the Office of the Dean will implement the following updated College cut-off policies, effective for incoming students of Academic Year 2026-2027 onwards:
The College's academic cut-off policy shall henceforth be implemented at the end of the Sophomore Year (Second Year):
1. A second-year student who fails to meet the cut-off grade, as determined by the Deanโs Office, shall be ineligible to enroll in the third year. The cut-off grade will be based on the student's General Weighted Average (GWA) in Allied and Professional courses relative to the performance of their batch.
2. Effective Academic Year 2026-2027, students are strictly prohibited from failing or dropping any Allied or Professional course for any reason during their first two years. Non-compliance with this specific requirement will result in the student being ineligible to enroll in the third year.
For your guidance and compliance.
