2008-2009 Academic Catalog

Academic Information Academic Information 2008–09 Cedarville University 27 A student may not test out of a course previously audited. Tests must be taken during registration week or during the first two full calendar weeks of the semester. Upon testing out of a course, a student must pay one-half tuition for the course credit. Credit for the course and a designation of test-out will appear on the student’s transcript with a grade of CE (credit by examination). This grade is not computed into the cumulative grade point average. Credits earned by test-out during a semester do not count toward the 12 semester hours required for full-time status. No student may earn more than 40 semester hours of test-out credit through tests administered at the University, CLEP, AP, IB, or any other recognized testing agency. Hours earned by test-out do not count as hours in residence toward graduation with honors. International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate (IB) is an internationally recognized program that enables students to follow a special curriculum and take specific examinations to fulfill secondary school graduation requirements. Students can earn up to 18 semester hours for IB Higher Level examinations on which they earn scores of five, six, or seven. A maximum of six credits is permitted in any one group. To receive credit, students should submit IB transcripts to the admissions office. Distance Education Cedarville University does not offer correspondence credits, and it does not accept correspondence credits from institutions that do not have accreditation from a recognized United States regional accrediting agency. In some unusual circumstances, the University may accept correspondence credits from regionally accredited institutions of higher learning, but a student may not utilize more than 10 semester hours of correspondence credits toward fulfilling degree requirements. Cedarville University does offer several online learning courses, and it does accept this type of course from institutions that are accredited by a US regional accrediting agency. Distance learning courses are subject to the same policies and restrictions as normal transfer courses. The University reviews and processes credits received for distance learning and correspondence study in the same manner as transfer credits. For additional information, contact the office of the registrar. Transient Study Coursework to be completed at other institutions by a student enrolled at Cedarville University must be approved before the course is taken by securing the signatures of the transfer coordinator, the student’s academic advisor, and the chair of the academic department governing the course requirement that the transferred course is to satisfy. Transient Study Applications are available in the office of the registrar. An official transcript must be received before transfer credit will be evaluated and recorded. Registration for Classes Continuing at the University The University assumes that a student will continue taking courses from semester to semester unless the student graduates, is asked to leave for academic or disciplinary reasons, or withdraws voluntarily. To assist in planning each academic term, the University asks each student to register for the upcoming academic term during early registration. This secures courses for the student and enables the University to make enrollment decisions for that term. A student who owes money to the University may not register for future academic terms. Enrolled students register for fall semester courses at the end of each spring semester. To retain these course selections and confirm the intention to enroll in the fall semester, each student must submit a reservation deposit of $250 by May 1. This deposit also reserves a place in college housing for single students under 25 years of age. The deposit is credited to the student’s account and may be used to help cover fall semester expenses. Should the student decide to withdraw from the University before July 1, $150 of this deposit is refundable. After July 1, the $250 deposit is nonrefundable. A student who does not register and submit the continuing student reservation deposit by June 1 or make other special arrangements with the student life office will be considered withdrawn. Any student who withdraws voluntarily or is involuntarily withdrawn must apply and be approved for readmission to return as a student to the University. Readmission forms and information are available from the admissions office. Course Registration Registration dates for each session are listed in the annual academic calendar. Early registration periods may be designated for currently enrolled students. During early registration, the University allows students to register for courses for the upcoming academic term. Students register for courses by academic classification and are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this early registration opportunity, rather than registering after the start of an academic term. Students who register early for a term but do not return the following semester must notify the office of the registrar of their change in status. Registration information, including printed registration instructions and course schedules for the semester, is distributed by the office of the registrar prior to the respective registration periods. Additionally, registration information, including available course offerings and sections, is available on the University website. Prior to processing a registration, each student meets with an academic advisor to discuss career direction, course options, and class schedules. While selecting courses, students and advisors should discuss alternative courses as a contingency for course closings and cancellations. Although each student has an academic advisor to help with scheduling, the student is ultimately responsible for the chosen class schedule and course of study. Students should become very familiar with the course requirements for their chosen major. Class schedules are selected using the online registration process on the University website. The online registration process may be completed from the academic advisor’s computer or from any other computer through which the student has internet access. Instructions for using the online registration program are available on the registrar’s website or from the office of the registrar. A registration access code is required to complete the online registration process. This code is assigned by the computer services office prior to each registration period and is given to the student’s academic advisor. The registration access code may be utilized by the academic advisor to complete the student’s registration during the advising process, or the advisor may give the code to the student to enable the student to complete the registration process from another computer. After the online registration process has been completed, the student’s confirmed schedule becomes an active registration in the administrative computer system. To finalize their registration, students must make financial arrangements for payment of the amount due listed on their billing invoice (see the financial section of the catalog for information concerning costs and payment plans).