Since the basic
mission of the university is instruction of students, the procedures for
curriculum modification are most important and should be clear. In order to provide some clarification in
this important area, this statement is being issued. The basic and most important
unit in determining curricula is the academic department. For some time,
departments have recommended their own departmental courses and programs after
careful consideration by the faculty of that department. In the past few years,
however, some departments have chosen to add students to departmental
committees and meetings. It has been suggested that all departments develop
plans for involving students in academic governance at the departmental
level. Since that suggestion has been
endorsed by the Chancellor, the Faculty Senate and the Student Government
Association, it is hoped that all departments will have begun to involve
students. As this is being accomplished, all segments of the university should
find the following guidelines reasonable and acceptable.
GUIDELINE I
Any proposal for
changes in a department's courses or programs must first be acted upon by the
department before being submitted to the college advisory council. Any proposal
for changes (excluding course changes within existing programs) in a college
withdraws without making proper arrangements with the dean of Graduate Studies
and Research.
GUIDELINE
II
Recommendations for
changes in general academic policies or academic programs must be submitted to
the Academic Policies and Procedures Committee by any of the following:
A.
Department, college, or school
B.
Faculty Senate
C.
Student Government Association
D.
Council of Deans
A faculty member,
student, or ad hoc faculty or student group will channel proposals through the
appropriate body above (A., B., or C.)
GUIDELINE III
The Academic
Policies and Procedures Committee is, in most circumstances, the final
recommending body to the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and
the Chancellor. The faculty members and
the students on this committee serve as the representatives for the faculty and
students, respectively. As such, these
groups should make their respective views known through their appointed representatives
(except as provided in Guideline II, B. and C.) and should make arrangements
for their respective representatives to be held accountable to them.
GUIDELINE IV
If a proposal for
changes in a department's courses or programs is not approved by that
department, then the group initiating the proposal may appeal (within 90 days
after rejection) first to the advisory council of the college to which that
department belongs. If the proposal is rejected by the college or school, then
the group may appeal (as above) to the Academic Policies and Procedures
Committee.
When a departmental
proposal is not recommended at the college advisory council level, the
department may appeal to the Academic Policies and Procedures Committee.
ABSENCES FROM CLASSES AND CLASS
ATTENDANCE
1. It is the policy of
Appalachian State University that class attendance is considered to be an
important part of a student's educational experience. Students are expected to
attend every meeting of their classes, and are responsible for class attendance.
No matter what bases exist for absence, students are held accountable for
academic activities, and faculty may require special work or tests to make up
for the missed class or classes. Faculty, at their discretion, may include
class attendance as a criterion in determining a student's final grade in the
course. On the first day of class, faculty must inform students in writing of
their class attendance policy and the effect of that policy on their final
grade. If class attendance is to affect a student's final grade, then a
statement to this effect must be a part of the course syllabus distributed to
each student.
(NOTE: A student who does
not attend a class during one of its first two meetings may, at the discretion
of the academic department, lose her or his seat in that class. Further, if a
class meets only one time per week-e.g., a laboratory or an evening class-the
student must attend the FIRST meeting of that class or risk losing her or his
seat.)
2. A syllabus is to be
prepared for each course and distributed at the first of the semester. The syllabus should include the
following: an explanation of course
goals and objectives, the name of the text and any other materials required of
each student, the instructor's office hours, an explanation of how the grade is
to be determined, and an explanation of any additional reading, papers,
projects and examinations which the instructor expects to give or assign.
3. Syllabi for courses
taught in the present and previous semester should be on file in the
departmental offices and should be made available to students who request
them. These syllabi would indicate the
structure of courses as they are being or have been taught.
4. The Registrar's Office
is allowed to assign an administrative withdrawal to the "audit"
student who has not been "regular in attendance." Documentation will consist of an appropriate
notation by the faculty member of record on the final roll.
5. The Student Health
Services DOES NOT write medical excuses for students who miss a class for
illness or injury. However, faculty may call Health Services(262-3100)
to verify the day and time
the student was seen. The nature of the student’s illness or problem will not
be divulged unless the student has signed the appropriate release of medical
information.
ATTENDANCE
POLICY RELATING TO PARTICIPATION IN UNIVERSITY SPONSORED ACTIVITIES
As an integral part of the
academic program at Appalachian State University, the university sponsors and
otherwise supports co-curricular programs, athletic programs, and other
out-of-class activities such as field trips.
Participation in such activities occasionally requires a student to miss
one or more class meetings.
A student who expects to
miss one or more class meetings because of participation in a university
sponsored activity has several responsibilities: The student (in person) will notify the
instructor in advance of any absence; the student is expected to complete all
work missed by making up the work in advance or by completing any compensatory
assignment which may be required by the instructor; the student is expected to
maintain satisfactory progress in the course; and the student (otherwise) is
expected to maintain satisfactory attendance in the class if so required. In the event that a student anticipates that
participation in a university sponsored activity will require missing more than
10% of the class meetings, the student is required to discuss this matter with
his or her instructor at the beginning of the semester and may be advised to
drop the course.
If the above
responsibilities are met, it is expected that the instructor will excuse the
absence and permit the student to make up missed work in whatever manner the instructor
deems appropriate.
When a student is out
of town and unable to return to campus due to hospitalization, death
in the family, or other extenuating circumstances, the student or her/his
parents may contact the Office of Student Development to request that
professors be notified as to the reason for the absence. This notification is conveyed to the
appropriate departmental office as a matter of information only and does not
serve as an official excuse for class absence.
Only individual faculty members make this determination, and documentation
may be requested by the faculty members.
The Office of Student Development does not provide this service when
notification is received after the absence has occurred. Also, if a student is in town, that
student is responsible for notifying the individual faculty members that she/he
will be missing class.
Undergraduate: An undergraduate student usually takes from
15 to 18 hours a semester. In special
situations, an undergraduate student may take more than 18 hours a semester. To do this, the student must have prior
approval of the dean of the college in which she/he is enrolled. Registration for less than 12 hours places
the student on part-time status.
An undergraduate
student must take 12 semester hours during a regular semester (and if in summer
school, six semester hours each session) in order to be a full-time student.
During one of the
student's last three semesters, each undergraduate student who is taking a
program leading to teacher certification will student teach at least one
semester in the area and at the level for which the student has been
preparing. This work will consist of
full-time teaching activities under the guidance of a competent and experienced
teacher. A student must earn 12 semester
hours of credit for student teaching. No
student teaching will be permitted during the summer.
The summer session
at Appalachian is composed of various terms of different lengths; therefore the
academic load for a student is based on the length of study in weeks. For example, a five-week period of study may
include a five-week course, a three-week course and a two-week course. Hence, the maximum undergraduate student load
for this combination would be the load limit (shown below) for a five-week
period of time.
Period of Time
Maximum Academic Credit for
Undergraduate
Students
10 weeks 12 semester hours
5 weeks 7 semester hours
3, 2 or 1 week 1 semester hour per week
Graduate: The maximum
course load for a graduate student during the regular academic year is 15 hours
per semester for a student without an assistantship, and 12 hours for those
holding assistantships. For each summer
session, the course load is six semester hours.
Graduate degree candidates may not earn more than 12 hours for the
entire summer.
For full-time resident
credit, graduate students must be registered for a minimum of nine semester
hours.
The maximum load for
graduate students during the regular academic year and the summer session is
outlined below.
Academic
Year
Full-time without
assistantship . . . . . .15 hours
Full-time with
assistantship . . . 9
to 12 hours
Summer
Session
5-week term . . . . . .. .
. . . . . . . . 6 hours
2-week term . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 2 hours
A graduate degree
candidate may not earn more than 12 hours for the entire summer.
Undergraduate: To
continue at Appalachian in good academic standing, a student must earn, as a
minimum, the following cumulative grade-point average (GPA) at the end of the
semester indicated:
Cumulative
GPA
Semester 1 1.50
Semester 2 1.75
Semester 3 1.90
Semester 4 (and
thereafter) 2.00
(NOTE: For the purpose of
academic standing, a student who enters Appalachian as an undergraduate
transfer will have the credit hours accepted from other collegiate institutions
converted to semesters in residence at Appalachian. The conversion ratio is
fifteen to one:i.e.,
fifteen semester hours of
transfer credit is equivalent to one semester in residence.)
Failure to earn a grade-point
average indicated above will automatically place the student on academic
probation during the semester that follows.
(The grade-point average at Appalachian is computed only on the
basis of coursework taken at Appalachian; i.e., grades earned on coursework
taken at other collegiate institutions or by correspondence will not be computed
in or allowed to affect the grade-point average at Appalachian.)
While on probation,
however, a student will, within the limits prescribed below, be allowed to continue:
1. An undergraduate
student, whether admitted as a freshman or a transfer, will be allowed to
enroll for a maximum of two (2) academic terms while on probation.
2. The dean of a college
or school can attach specific requirements before enrollment on probation is
approved. These requirements may include
special advising sessions, a limitation on the number of hours for which the
student may enroll, the requirement that certain courses be repeated, enrollment
in developmental courses, etc.
If a student uses the two
terms of academic probation mentioned above, but again fails to earn a
cumulative grade-point average sufficient to place her or him in good academic
standing, that student will be automatically suspended from further enrollment
at Appalachian. At that point, the
student's only recourse is to enroll during the University's summer terms until
such time that the grade-point average places her or him in good academic
standing. (A summer term does not count
as a semester in residence for the purpose of computing academic
eligibility. Undergraduate students in
academic difficulty--probation or suspension--may always attend Appalachian
during the summer.)
Students may apply for
readmission under specific “Forgiveness Policies.”
Graduate: Graduate
students who fail to maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.00
may not be permitted to re-register as degree candidates without the written
recommendation of the advisor and the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies
and Research (see Probationary Status).
Normally, degree candidacy is discontinued for the student who has
received as many as four grades of C, and if a graduate student receives a
grade of “F” or “U”, the student may not continue in graduate school unless the
advisor submits in writing an acceptable recommendation to the Dean of Graduate
Studies and Research. In no case may a
graduate student be permitted to repeat more than one course to improve the
grade, and the student who receives a second grade of “F” or “U” may not
continue toward the graduate degree under any circumstances.
Graduate credit
accepted in fulfillment of the requirements for a graduate degree shall average
not lower than 3.00, and no credit toward the degree shall be granted for a
grade of F or U. Course work reported
"Incomplete" must be completed within a semester of the official
ending of the course. The grade of D is
not given in
ADVANCED
PLACEMENT PROGRAM/COLLEGE LEVEL EXAMINATION
PROGRAM/
DEFENSE ACTIVITY FOR NON-TRADITIONAL EDUCATION SUPPORT/ INTERNATIONAL
BACCALAUREATE
Appalachian participates
in the Advanced Placement Program, the College Level Examination Program, the
Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support, and the International
Baccalaureate Program. Students who have demonstrated their achievement on
specific tests in any of these programs may have their test results submitted
to the
Students may also
qualify for advanced placement and course credit by taking departmental tests
in their areas of extensive specialization. Based upon these test results, the
amount and the nature of the credit granted is determined by the committee on
academic policies and procedures and the pertinent department of instruction.
Test scores
submitted from testing programs will remain valid for only ten years.
An undergraduate
student enrolled at Appalachian can transfer to another accredited collegiate
institution, earn an acceptable associate degree, return to Appalachian, and
request that her or his prior GPA be deleted.
In essence, this student would return with the hours earned at
Appalachian, plus the hours earned at the institution awarding the associate
degree, but without her or his prior GPA.
NOTE: It
is the intent of the AP&P committee that the act of returning under this
policy should not increase either the total number of times a student
can enroll while on probation or the total number of courses which can be used under
the repeat policy. In essence, a student
at the undergraduate level should have an absolute maximum of two terms
of enrollment while on probation (excluding summer), and five courses to which
the repeat policy may be applied.
AWARDING OF DEGREES
POSTHUMOUSLY
Over the years,
there have been times when members of our senior class have died prior to
graduation. The following criteria and
procedures will be used in the awarding of degrees posthumously.
Requests to award
degrees posthumously may be made by a surviving family member or a member of
the Appalachian State University faculty or administration following their
having been so notified of the possibility of doing so by the Vice Chancellor
for Student Development. Such a request
must be considered by the faculty of the department in which the student was
majoring and be recommended to the chair of that department. The chair must concur and recommend to the
appropriate dean. The dean must concur
and recommend to the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, who will
present the recommendation to the Chancellor.
Final approval must be given by the Chancellor. Once the Chancellor approves the action and
the dean has been notified of this, the dean will contact the Registrar's
Office to make certain that a diploma will be prepared.
If approval is given,
the family will be notified by the appropriate chair and be informed that the
degree will be awarded in a private ceremony to take place on the day (or as
soon thereafter as possible) of the next commencement. The diploma will be presented by the
appropriate dean.
The minimum criteria
for considering such a request is as follows:
The student must have been within 30 semester hours of graduating; been
a student in good standing at the time of death; and, must have had an overall
GPA of 2.00.
A new catalog is
issued biennially; and, while course offerings are fairly continuous from year
to year, the faculty reserves the right to make changes in curricula, degree
requirements and academic policies. The
information in any given catalog is, therefore, usually valid only for the
two-year period of its issue, and is superseded by subsequent issues. Any interested person should consult the most
recent issue of the University catalog for current information about the
instructional program.
Any changes in degree
requirements do not, however, affect a student already enrolled in a degree
program. In those rare cases where
specific required courses are no longer available, the dean's office will
identify suitable substitutes which do not increase the overall credit
requirements. All students may elect to
graduate in accordance with the degree requirements as recorded in the catalog
that is current at the time of their first registration or any subsequent
edition (provided the student is enrolled during a period in which the catalog
is in force) except that any catalog chosen must not be more than six years
old. Students electing to graduate under
a new catalog must meet all requirements of the catalog under which they wish
to graduate subject to the exception noted above for those cases when specific
courses are no longer available. In
order to change the catalog under which they intend to graduate, students must
notify the office of the dean of the college in which they are enrolled. Graduate students will notify the dean of
Graduate Studies and Research of their intent to change catalogs.
A student returning to
Appalachian under either the "Four-Year Policy" or with an acceptable
Associate's degree must graduate under the catalog in force at the time they
re-enter. (Subsequent catalogs are, of
course, acceptable.)
Changes in academic
policies become effective for all students on the date approved for
implementation.
Students may add courses
or change sections until the first five days of a fall or spring semester-i.e.,
through the end of the published “drop-add” period. Students may drop courses without academic
penalty through the first five days of a fall or spring semester-i.e., through
the end of the published “drop-add” period. AFTER THE FIRST FIVE DAYS, A STUDENT WILL BE ALLOWED TO DROP A
CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF FOUR COURSES DURING HER OR HIS UNDERGRADUATE CAREER AT
APPALACHIAN. Further a course dropped after the “drop-add” period must be
dropped by the end of the ninth week of the academic term. Exceptions to this
policy will require the approval of the instructor, department chair, and the
dean of the college/ school in which the course is offered. (Note: This policy
went into effect during the fall semester, 1995-courses dropped prior to fall,
1995 will not be counted in the above mentioned limit of four.)
Any drops approved for
exceptional circumstances will not be used in computing the grade-point average
and will not be recorded on the permanent record.
During the “drop-add” period,
a course may be changed from credit to audit with no academic penalty. To accomplish this, the student must obtain
the necessary form from the Registrar’s Office. Permission of the instructor is
required for a student to change a course from credit to audit.
Failure to complete a
course that has not been officially dropped will automatically result in a
grade of "F", which will be computed in the student's grade-point
average.
Undergraduate Major
Students who are in
General Studies will be sent information about officially declaring a major and
having their records forwarded to the appropriate degree-granting college.
To make a change within
one of the upper division colleges, the student should go the appropriate
dean’s office to inform them of the change.
To make a change from one
college to the other, go tho the dean’s office where the new major is located.
The personnel in the receiving college’s dean’s office will request the
academic file from the college of the student’s previous file.
Graduate Major
A graduate student who has
been approved for admission to one graduate major but who wishes to transfer to
another must request approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research and
the department into which they propose to transfer before the change may be
made. Change of Major request forms are available in the
At the end of each
semester, students are classified on the basis of semester hours. All students admitted as degree-seeking and
who have completed less than 30 semester hours are classified as freshmen. Students who have completed at least 30 semester
hours are classified as sophomores.
Students who have completed at least 60 semester hours are classified as
juniors. Students who have
completed 90 semester hours are classified as seniors.
The university requires
the following amount of contact time per credit hour generated. Please remember that the amount of contact
time remains constant, regardless of the academic term in question.
One semester hour -- Minimum of 750 contact minutes
(15 weeks x 50 minutes)
Two semester
hours -- Minimum
of 1500 contact minutes
Three semester hours
--
Minimum of 2250 contact minutes
Four semester
hours --
Minimum of 3000 contact minutes
All scheduled examination
periods will be met at the assigned time.
A final examination period is provided at the end of each semester. After the schedule for examinations has been
made, an instructor may NOT change the date or time of an examination without
permission of the department chairperson and dean. Instructors determine how
they will use the assigned period, but all scheduled examination periods will
be met at the assigned time. A student
may take an examination outside of the scheduled time only by permission of the
instructor of the course. Permission is
granted only in case of emergency.
A student who is absent
from a final examination because of an emergency takes the make-up examination
at the convenience of the instructor.
Undergraduate Students
Not all courses are
amenable to credit by examination, but many are. Students who wish to challenge a regularly
listed course should consult with the appropriate chair. If arrangements can be made, a fee of $50.00
is charged for each examination and a receipt from the Student Accounts Office must be shown to the department
chairperson before final approval can be
given. If the examination is passed,
credit without grade will be noted on the student's transcript. The chairperson
will notify the Registrar's Office, in writing, to enter the credit on the
permanent record and notify the cashier, in writing, to reimburse the faculty
member who administered the examination.
If the examination is not passed, no notation is made on the transcript. In the case of freshmen who take advanced
placement examinations during the freshman orientation period, the fee is waived.
Anyone seeking to
credit examination must be either a candidate for a degree at Appalachian or
taking courses for
Teacher licensure.
Credit by examination cannot be used to repeat a course, nor can it be used to
meet the University’s residency requirements for graduation.
Graduate Students
Upon the
recommendation of a graduate student's committee and with the approval of the
chairperson of the department in which it is listed, one course numbered 5000
and above may be challenged by examination.
Grades are not recorded for credit earned by examination. Credit by examination may not be used to
repeat a course.
CREDIT FOR PRIOR LIFE
EXPERIENCE
In exceptional cases
credit can be awarded for prior non-college-based learning, if the credit
sought is related to the student's degree program (i.e. core curriculum, major
or licensure requirements). Assessment
of prior learning can commence only after a student has been admitted to the
University and has declared a major.
The student will
first meet with a academic advisor who will help in defining the areas or
disciplines in which appropriate creditable learning may have occurred. Actual assessment is done by a faculty member
in the appropriate academic area, for which a $100.00 fee for each area of
assessment will be charged. Payment is made to the Student Accounts Office.
1. A maximum of 20
semester hours of correspondence work from recognized institutions may be
credited toward meeting the requirements for graduation. Some correspondence courses are offered by
the University. Before registering at
another accredited institution for a correspondence course to be transferred to
Appalachian, students must have the written permission of the dean of their
college or the Director of General Studies if they have not declared a major. In order to obtain this permission, the
student must first secure the proper form from the Registrar's Office. The
combined load of residence courses and correspondence courses may not exceed
the maximum load allowed.
2. Except for physical
education majors, not on more than six hours in physical education activity
courses (limited to courses numbered PE 1000-1099) may be included within the
122 semester hours required for graduation.
3. A candidate for
the Bachelor of Arts degree may count not more than a total of 40 hours above core
curriculum requirements in any one discipline.
4. Validation of
credits earned more than 10 years prior to the date of graduation may be
required if and when they are submitted to fulfill baccalaureate degree
requirements.
Academic work for graduate
degree students, including transfer credit, taken more than six calendar
years before the year in which the graduate degree is awarded, may not be used
to satisfy the degree requirements. Coursework that is beyond the seven-year
limit cannot be used for the degree.
5. All baccalaureate
degrees granted by Appalachian require the completion of a minimum of 60 semester hours at a senior college or university.(Note
that credit awarded for military service or "Prior Life Experience"
does not count as part of the required 60 hours.)
6. Degree-seeking
students at Appalachian may NOT enroll at another collegiate institution unless
prior approval has been obtained from Appalachian. Appalachian students who wish to attend
another collegiate institution should contact the Registrar's Office at
Appalachian to 1) secure the proper application forms, and 2) have the intended
transfer courses are acceptable. (Students who wish to study abroad should
contact the Office of International Programs to secure the proper application
and determine whether the intended courses from abroad are acceptable.) The
intended coursework, once evaluated, will be forwarded to the appropriate
Appalachian college to the Office of General Studies for approval. Failure to
obtain prior approval may result in the coursework being deemed unacceptable for
transfer to Appalachian.
A graduate
student enrolled in a non-thesis degree program may usually be permitted to
transfer from another graduate school up to nine semester hours of appropriate
graduate credit. A student in a thesis program may be permitted to transfer up
to six semester hours of appropriate resident work completed in another
approved graduate school, provided the work has not been included in a previous
degree. Students wanting to transfer
more than nine semester hours or thesis students who want o transfer more than
six semester hours may appeal to the Dean of the Graduate Studies and Research.
7. Seniors with a
grade point average of 3.00 or above may, with written permission from the
course instructor, chairperson of the department offering the course, and the
graduate dean, be permitted to take one or more graduate courses for undergraduate credit. Credit earned in this manner will be used to
meet baccalaureate degree requirements and may not be applied toward a graduate
degree.
Seniors with a grade
point average of 3.00 or above desiring to enroll in graduate level courses for
graduate credit to be applied to a
graduate degree may do so provided they have:
(1) made application for admission to the Graduate School; (2) made
application to take the GRE or GMAT; and (3) obtained written permission from
the course instructor, chairperson of the department offering the course, and
the graduate dean.
8. If a student has
received a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian, a second (or subsequent)
bachelor’s degree can be earned by completing all catalog requirements for the
second (or subsequent) degree.
If a student who
wished to earn two (or more) undergraduate degrees at Appalachian concurrently,
she or he must complete all catalog requirements stipulated for the respective
degrees.
A second (or
subsequent bachelor’s degree must differ in type from any degree previously
awarded by the University. The University will not, for example, award a second
Bachelor of Arts(B.A.)degree: it will, however, award both a Bachelor of Arts
AND a Bachelor of Science(B.S.)degree, either simultaneously or in sequence.
9. An undergraduate
student may include a maximum of 3 semester hours credit under the
Instructional Assistance Program toward meeting graduation requirements.
An undergraduate
student who carries 12-14 hours of coursework on which grade points are
computed and who attains a grade-point average of 3.45 or better is placed on
the dean’s list of honor students for that semester.
An undergraduate
student who carries 15 hours or more of coursework on which grade points ate
computed and who attains a grade-point average of 3.25 or better is placed on
the dean’s list of honor students for that semester.
GRADES AND GRADE POINT AVERAGE
(GPA)
The grade-point
average (GPA) is a general measure of the student's academic achievement while
at Appalachian. The GPA is determined by
dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of
quality hours attempted ("quality points" and "quality hours"
are derived from courses graded A-F or WF).
The GPA is computed only on the basis of coursework taken at Appalachian.
Undergraduate grades and grade points given in the
university are as follows:
A
Excellent, 4.0 grade points per semester
hour
A-
Excellent, 3.7 grade points per semester hour
B+
Above Average, 3.3 grade points per semester hour
B
Above Average, 3.0 grade points per
semester hour
B-
Above Average, 2.7 grade points per semester hour
C+
Average, 2.3 grade points per semester hour
C Average, 2.0 grade points per semester hour
C-
Average, 1.7 grade points per semester hour
D+
Below Average but Passing, 1.3 grade points per semester hour
D Below Average but Passing, 1.0 grade point
per semester hour
D-
Below Average but Passing, .7 grade point per semester hour
F Failure, 0 grade point
F*
Failure, 0 grade points (*indicates only that the course was
taken on the Pass-Fail basis; this grade is equivalent to the
F above)
P Pass, 0 grade points (used only for courses
taken on Pass-Fail basis)
AU
Audit, no credit
I Incomplete, because of sickness or some other unavoidable cause.
An
I becomes an F if not removed within the time designated by
the instructor, not to exceed a semester, except that
all incompletes must be removed at the time
of
graduation. An incomplete is not given
merely
because assignments were not completed
during the
the semester.
IP in progress
NR Grade Not Reported (hours not counted
in computing GPA)
W Withdrawal, either from a course or from the University
WP
Withdrew passing
WF
Withdrew failing
@F
Administrative F
S Satisfactory, 0 grade points (used for
student teaching, screening proficiencies, and specially designated
courses in the curriculum)
U Unsatisfactory, 0 grade points (used to
indicate unsatisfactory performance in student teaching, screening
proficiencies, and specially designated courses in the
curriculum)
WU
Withdrew Unsatisfactory
CR
Credit (pass)
NC
No credit (fail)
To
be official, drops and withdrawals must be formally approved and filed in the
Registrar's Office.
The
following graduate grades are given:
A Superior Graduate Accomplishment, 4.0 grade
points per semester hour
A-
3.7 grade points per semester hour
B+
3.3 grade points per semester hour
B Average Graduate Accomplishment, 3.0 grade
points per semester hour
B-
2.7 grade points per semester hour
C+
2.3 grade points per semester hour
C Below Average But Passing, 2.0 grade points
per semester hour
C-
1.7 grade points per semester hour
F Failing grade. An “F” in the approved
graduate
Program of Study must be removed at the time
of
graduation.
@F
Administrative F
AU
Audit, no credit
I Incomplete, given because a student has not completed
the quantitative requirements of a course due to sickness or
some other unavoidable cause. Except
for graduate thesis courses (5999 or 6999), an I becomes an F
if not removed within the time designated by the instructor,
not to exceed one
semester, except that all incompletes must
be
removed at the time of graduation. An
incomplete is
not merely given because assignments were
not
completed during the semester.
IP
In Progress grade assigned for graduate thesis,
Dissertation, product of learning or
continuation
courses.
NR
Grade Not Reported (hours not counted in computing GPA)
W Withdrawal, either from a course or from the University
WF
Withdrew Failing, course dropped with failing grades more
than
nine weeks after registration closes.
WP
Withdrawal/passing
WU
Withdrew Unsatisfactory
S Satisfactory, given for a practicum and a
thesis and other designated courses
U Unsatisfactory, given for a practicum and a
thesis and other designated courses
To be official,
drops and withdrawals must be formally approved and filed in the Registrar's
Office.
Graduate credit
accepted in fulfillment of the requirements for a graduate degree shall average
not lower than 3.00, and no credit toward the degree shall be granted for a
grade of “@F”,”F”,”U”,”WF” or “WU”.
Coursework reported "Incomplete" must be completed within a
semester of the official ending of the course. Any extension of this period
must be approved by the appropriate dean
and the Registrar. The grade of D is not given in Graduate School and graduate
students may not elect the Pass/Fail option.
A grade of “F” or “U” is assigned to a student who arbitrarily
discontinues meeting a class or who withdraws without making proper
arrangements with the Registrar’s Office.
Faculty members are urged
to exercise extreme care in evaluating students and in reporting grades. In all circumstances, except those stipulated
below, the grades recorded shall be those assigned by the professor. Any action taken by the university to
withhold transcripts for any reason shall not involve any changes in the
recorded grade.
In the event that a
professor has not turned in a grade or grades on time, and if the professor
cannot be located, an interim grade of "NR" (Grade Not Reported) will
be assigned by the Registrar's Office.
If a graduating student is involved, the departmental chairperson may,
with the concurrence of two other departmental faculty members, assign a letter
grade.
In the event that a
professor becomes incapacitated prior to the time grades should have been
assigned, the departmental chairperson, along with two other departmental
faculty members, shall jointly decide the action to be taken.
In the event that a grade
change is necessary, the faculty member must secure the form for changing a
grade from the Registrar's Office, and all grade changes must be approved by
the Registrar and are subject to review by the dean of the college. Except for changes from "I"
(Incomplete), the only admissible reason for a grade change is an error on the
part of the faculty member in computing or in reporting the student's grade.
Final semester grades are
reported to the Registrar's Office not later than
Degrees are
conferred at the close of each academic term (fall, spring, summer). Formal graduation ceremonies, however, are
held only at the close of the Fall and Spring terms. Candidates for baccalaureate degrees and/or
At the beginning of
each term, the Registrar's Office will notify all seniors ostensibly eligible
to graduate -- i.e., those currently enrolled for a sufficient number of hours
to meet the University requirement -- of the required procedure and deadline
date. Exceptions to the deadline date
would be made ONLY by the Registrar's Office.
All candidates for
degrees are expected to be present to receive their degrees in person unless
arrangements to graduate in absentia have been made with the Registrar, for
undergraduate students, or with the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, for
graduate students.
Faculty expected to
be present at a commencement exercise are determined by their respective
departments.
Commencement
"Walkers"
Commencement
"walkers" should be allowed to participate in commencement ceremonies
but ONLY if they meet the following criteria:
1. Persons who wish
to participate in the spring commencement must:
1) apply for graduation, and 2)
have completed all graduation requirements or be able to complete graduation
requirements by the end of the summer sessions.
2. Persons who wish
to participate in the December commencement must: 1) apply for graduation,
and 2) have completed all graduation
requirements or be able to complete graduation requirements by the end of that
fall semester.
To be eligible for
graduation with honors, an undergraduate student must complete, in residence at
Appalachian, a minimum of either four semesters in full-time attendance
(defined as twelve or more credit hours per semester), or a total of 58
semester hours. (Note: Credit for which a grade is not awarded will
not be used in the determination of honors -- e.g., APP, CLEP, credit by
examination, credit for military service, credit for prior learning, etc.) A grade-point average of 3.45 is required for
graduating cum laude; a grade-point average of 3.65 is required for
graduating magna cum laude; and a grade-point average of 3.85 is
required for graduating summa cum laude.
All graduate students must maintain grade-point averages of 3.0 or
above, and all are considered to be honor graduates.
GRADUATION WITH HONORS FOR
STUDENTS SEEKING SECOND DEGREE
In determining
qualification for graduation with honors for Appalachian State University
students seeking two degrees or a second degree, all work taken at Appalachian
must be considered in the calculation of their respective GPA.
Students who have
completed one degree at another institution and are seeking a second degree at
Appalachian must complete, in residence at Appalachian, a minimum of either
four semesters in full-time attendance or a total of 58 semester hours to be
eligible to graduate with honors from Appalachian State University.
All nominees for an
honorary degree must meet one or more of the following criteria to be
considered:
1. Must have made a
notable contribution to society and the welfare of mankind.
2. Must have
achieved distinguished success in chosen career field or profession.
3. Should have made significant
contribution to Appalachian State University through service,
leadership and/or financial support.
Active members of
the university staff or faculty who are under retirement age are deemed to be
ineligible to receive an honorary degree.
In no case will a degree be conferred upon an individual to enhance her
or his chances for promotion, job tenure or salary consideration.
The procedure for
the accepting, screening and approving of nominees and the awarding of honorary
degrees is as follows:
1. Nominees must
meet established criteria.
2. Individuals may
be nominated by faculty, staff, students, alumni
or friends of the university.
3. Nominations may
be received by the Chancellor of the University or any member
of the Administrative Cabinet.
4. All nominations
will be acknowledged and filed by the Vice Chancellor for
Development.
5. The Vice
Chancellor for Development will assume responsibility to
check the credentials and eligibility of nominees.
6. The Vice
Chancellor for Development will report names of nominees to the
Administrative Cabinet. The Chancellor will
recommend nominees to the development committee of the Board
of Trustees.