Undergraduate Academic Policies

Glossary

• Semester Hours–College courses are offered for one, two, three, or four semester hour credits. Traditionally delivered three-hour courses meet three hours per week for one full semester and typically require two hours of study or preparation time for each hour in class. Courses occurring in shorter terms or courses delivered through distance education formats are designed to provide learning opportunities that are equivalent to traditionally delivered courses.
• Course Load–Students usually take from 12 to 18 hours during a semester.
• Full-time/Part-Time–Undergraduate students enrolled for 12 semester hours or more in a term are considered full-time. Graduate students enrolled for six hours or more in a term are considered full-time.
• Grade Point Average (GPA)–GPA is figured by dividing total grade points by the number of hours attempted. Values assigned are, A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0 points.
• University Core–The university core is comprised of courses that are central to the college education.
• Academic Calendar–the official calendar that defines the start and end date for each term and communicates significant deadlines.
• Academic Year–The academic year is composed of three long terms, fall, spring, and summer. Each term is comprised of sessions of varying lengths, including 16 week traditional length terms and short sessions of varying lengths.

Academic Integrity

Students must conduct themselves with honor and integrity. Refer to the student handbook code of academic integrity.

Grading

Final grades are recorded by faculty and available to students at the end of each enrollment period through the student information system. Grades can only be changed by written authorization of the instructor and academic dean. Grade changes must be received in the office of the registrar within one long semester after the initial grade was given.

Grade Appeals

Students appealing a grade must complete the following.

• First, discuss the grade in question with the instructor of the course
• If the issue is not resolved with the instructor, students may appeal to the chair of the department offering the course
• If there is still no resolution of the problem, students may appeal to the dean of the appropriate college
• Finally, students may appeal to the academic appeals committee

Grade appeals must be in writing and are only accepted within one semester after the grade was assigned. During the appeal, students and faculty will meet with the members of the committee to present their cases. Decisions of the academic appeals committee are final.

Letter Grades

• A–Excellent, four grade points per hour
• B–Good, three grade points per hour
• C–Average, two grade points per hour
• D–Poor, one grade point per hour

The following designations are calculated at zero grade points per hour

• F–Failure, no credit, given for failure to meet standards for passing the course or for failing to meet university attendance requirements.
• IP–In Progress, given at the discretion of instructors if requested by the student. When an IP is granted, students have the next consecutive term the course. For example, students receiving an IP in the spring, must complete the course before the end of the summer. If the course is not completed within the allotted time, the grade will be changed to F.
• N–Non-credit, indicates a student took a course and completed required work and tests, but requested no credit.
• O–Audit, indicates a student attended the class, but did not participate or complete required work.
• P –Indicates passing credit received without academic grades or grade points. A limited number of elective courses may be annotated with the grade of P.
• TR–Credit accepted from another university and credit by examination.
• W–Indicates a student has withdrawn or been dropped officially during the first 2/3 of the term.

Audit

Students may audit one lecture class per term with the approval of the department chair. Courses delivered by distance education formats are not eligible for audit. Non degree seeking students, may audit courses provided the department chair approves and space is available. Auditors may be removed, if the space is needed for a student taking the course for credit. Students who audit a course are not eligible to take the same course for academic credit or seek credit for the same course through credit by exam. Students are not permitted to change a class from audit to credit or from credit to audit after the 11th class day of a semester or the 4th class day of a short term. Audit tuition is non-refundable.

Pass/Fail Grades

Students with at least 30 semester hours, a grade point average of at least 2.0, and advisor permission, may elect to take one elective course each semester on a pass/fail basis. No more than 12 total hours may be taken pass/fail. Pass/fail forms are available in the office of the registrar. Consult the academic calendar to determine the period of time when pass/fail is an option.

Adds/Drops

Students may change their course schedules, with advisor approval, before the end of the drop/add period. Students dropping or adding courses after the drop/add period expires will be charged a $25 drop/add fee per course. Courses dropped during the drop/add period will not appear on the transcript. Courses dropped after the drop/add period, but before the last day to drop with a W, will be recorded on the transcript with a grade of W. Electing not to attend classes without dropping a class will result in a grade of F. Drop/add period dates are found on the academic calendar.

Withdrawals

Students desiring to withdraw from the university must complete a withdrawal form. Withdrawal forms are available from the office of the registrar. The withdrawal process includes consulting with the office of financial assistance and the business office to determine financial implications. An appropriately executed withdrawal results in a W recorded on the transcript in lieu of a grade. In cases where a course was completed before a withdrawal, the earned grade is recorded. Students failing to complete the withdrawal process receive grades of F.

Late Enrollment

Late registration is permitted during the late registration period. Enrollment after the late registration period must be approved by the instructor(s) of record for the course(s) to be added late, as well as the student’s academic advisor and academic dean.

Classifications

• Freshman–completed 0-29 hours of college credit
• Sophomore–completed 30 hours of college credit
• Junior–completed 60 hours of college credit
• Senior–completed 90 hours of college credit
• Post-Baccalaureate–taking courses for credit leading toward a second undergraduate degree after completion of a first degree
• Post-Graduate–taking courses for credit or noncredit after completing a baccalaureate degree

Repeating Courses

Students wanting to raise their grade point average may repeat a course. Both grades will appear on the transcript, but the last grade received is used for the grade point average. Courses taken at other universities are not accepted to improve grade point averages.

Course Loads

Regular student loads during a semester are 12-18 hours. Students who hold jobs or who scored in the lower quarter on their entrance examination are encouraged to enroll in fewer than 15 hours during their first college semester. Students on probation must take no more than 12 hours. Students who want to take more than 18 hours must have permission from their academic advisor and academic dean.

Bible Requirements

Students must complete a general Bible requirement to earn a baccalaureate degree. Beginning freshmen must complete a 12 hour general Bible requirement. Full-time beginning undergraduates are required to take Bible their first two semesters and are not permitted to withdraw from Bible classes without permission of the dean of the college of biblical studies. Transfer student Bible requirements are the higher of 6 hours or 10% of the hours needed to complete a baccalaureate degree rounded to the nearest 3 hour increment. Transfer Bible majors must complete a 12 hour general Bible requirement.

Chapel Attendance Requirements

Chapel attendance is mandatory for certain students. Refer to the student handbook for chapel attendance policy.

Attendance

Students are responsible for material presented in or assigned for their courses, even when they are absent from class, and will be held accountable for such material in the determination of course grades. Faculty will not apply a more restrictive attendance policy than the one outlined below:

Students who miss three, six, or nine class meetings in courses meeting once, twice, or three times per week, respectively, may, at the discretion of the professor, be dropped from the course with a grade of F. Students participating in authorized school related functions who miss more than 25% of the class meetings, may, at the discretion of the professor, be dropped from the course with a grade of F. Students will work with coaches, directors, and sponsors and their professors to keep track of their attendance and not miss more than the allotted class meetings. Students who enter the university after the starting date will accrue absences from the date the class began. Students may be required to make up any class work and/or assignments missed due to absences. Students whose absences were caused by personal illness, a death in the immediate family, or authorized participation in official school functions must be given an opportunity to rectify, in a manner acceptable to the professor, any deficiencies which may have resulted from such absences. For other reasons, professors determine whether students can rectify deficiencies. It is the responsibility of each student to inform the professor of the reason for an absence. If possible, the student should do so prior to the absence and if not, at the first attended class meeting. Students have the right to appeal dismissal using grade appeals processes outlined in the catalog. If students disrupt class, either by tardiness or by distracting noises or actions, they will be given an initial warning. Students may be dismissed from a class upon continuance of disruptive behavior, as determined by the instructor. Students have the right to appeal a class dismissal to their academic dean.

Transfer Credit Policy

Coursework submitted for transfer credit will be evaluated for equivalency by the registrar. Only courses completed with a grade of C or higher will be considered for transfer credit. The course must be of appropriate level for the degree sought and be in a content area similar to the content area of the course offered. Teacher credentials must also be evaluated for credit earned at non-regionally accredited institutions. Although the university may offer transfer credit for a particular course, such acceptance does not guarantee that the course will satisfy the requirements of a particular degree program. Students desiring to appeal the results of an evaluation may do so, in writing, to the appropriate academic dean, whose decision is final.

Academic Standards

Academic standing is based on the cumulative grade point average. Grade point averages are computed at the end of each enrollment period. Students have the right to continue their studies at the university as long as they are making satisfactory progress toward a degree and complying with all other university standards.

Academic Probation

Students who fall below the grade point average required for good academic standing will be placed on academic probation. While on academic probation students must do the following:

• Enroll in no more than 12 hours in a semester
• Adhere to the attendance policies
• Suspend participation in extracurricular activities
• Repeat course with grades of F

Students who wish to appeal any condition of this policy must submit a letter to the registrar explaining their extenuating circumstances. The registrar will forward the letter to the academic appeals committee. The academic appeals committee will review the circumstances and determine whether or not academic probation should be enforced. The decision of the academic appeals committee is final. At the end of a semester of probation, students who have not earned at least a 2.0 grade point average are placed on academic suspension.

Good Academic Standing

Students are considered in good academic standing when all admission requirements have been met and they maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.00.

Academic Suspension

Students are placed on academic suspension for the following reasons.

• Failing all their courses in the fall or spring semesters
• Failing to achieve good academic standing after a semester on academic probation

The term academic suspension refers to a period of time when, for academic reasons, students may not enroll in classes at the university. Students on academic suspension may enroll if their circumstances meet one of the following guidelines.

• They have served a suspension period extending through one fall or spring semester
• Their suspension occurred at the end of the spring semester and they elected to attend summer school while on continued probation. With this option, students must enroll for a minimum of 6 hours. At the end of the summer, if they have earned the required cumulative grade point average, they will be eligible to enroll in the fall. If not, their suspension will continue until the end of the fall semester.

Academic Suspension Appeal Procedure

To appeal a suspension, students must submit a letter to the registrar explaining any extenuating circumstances that may have contributed to the problems resulting in their suspension. This letter will be forwarded to the academic appeals committee, which will hear appeals during one of the regular committee meetings in August or January to determine whether any suspensions should be lifted or enforced. The decision of the academic appeals committee is final. Students desiring to enroll at the university after a third academic suspension must petition the academic appeals committee for reinstatement before enrolling. The committee will hear the appeal during the regular meeting dates in August and January. Students who are readmitted must meet with the committee to petition for reinstatement following any subsequent suspension. Students whose appeal is denied may not enroll again for undergraduate credit. Students appealing to enroll after a third academic suspension, who subsequently have their appeal denied by the committee, may appeal in writing to the provost. The decision of the provost is final.

Assessment of Academic Proficiency

Students should complete UNI2000 in the first semester after completing 60 semester hours. To enroll in UNI2000, students must be in good academic standing and have completed or will concurrently complete the following courses.

• ENG1301 and 1302
• 3 hours from HIS
• ESS1200
• MAT1311 or a higher level course
• 6 hours of Bible or 3 hours if admitted with 30 or more credit hours
• 3 hours from COM
• 3 hours from BIO, CHE, NRC, or PHY

Successful completion of UNI2000 is a University Core requirement.

Texas Higher Education Assessment for Education Majors

The Texas Higher Education Assessment exam is required for admission to the educator certification program. Students who plan to become teachers should consider taking the exam during their freshman year so they can be assured of having met the minimum score requirements on all sections of the exam prior to their application to the educator certification program. Please refer to the educator certification program section of this catalog for further information about the THEA and other educator certification requirements. THEA registration booklets are available in the testing office.

Major Changes

Students changing majors must complete a change of major form and submit to the office of the registrar. Changes of major must be approved by the student and the losing and gaining department.