The Dean’s list is based on the GPA you had in your term rather than your cumulative GPA. Learners who average a term GPA between 3.5-4.0 are emailed their recognition letters in the 5th week of the following term. Here is a link to the policies and stipulations on Dean’s list eligibility:
https://www.capella.edu/content/dam/capella/PDF/policies/3.01.03.pdf

Please note that the President’s List is based on cumulative GPA and not term based.