2011-2012 Undergraduate Academic Catalog

Page 30 2011–12 Undergraduate Catalog Introduction Admissions Academic Information Academic Departments Course Descriptions Financial Information Appendix Index Internships Many of the major fields of study include opportunities to receive credit for supervised, on-the-job activities. Interested students should contact the respective department chair for details. Out-of-Class Courses In order for students with irreconcilable conflicts to be able to complete graduation requirements on schedule, it is sometimes necessary to allow instruction in an out-of-class setting. To take a course out of class: 1. The course must be 2000-, 3000-, or 4000-level. 2. Students must obtain approval from the department chair, the faculty member teaching the course, and the advisor. Out-of-class course approval forms are available in the office of the registrar. Exceptions to the course level requirement listed above must be approved by the respective faculty member, advisor, and department chair. Course Numbers and Designations The course numbers are designed to help students select courses at the appropriate level. The University uses the following system: 1. The first number indicates the year in which the course is usually taken. Freshmen normally take 1000-level courses; sophomores, 1000-level or 2000-level courses; juniors, 2000-level or 3000-level courses; and seniors, 3000-level or 4000-level courses. Courses beyond the student’s classification should be taken with the consent of the instructor and academic advisor. 2. The alphabetical prefixes in the course designations indicate content divisions within academic departments. For example, the prefix “BETH” indicates that the course is a theology course in the department of biblical and ministry studies. The semester that the course is offered is shown following the course title as follows: Fa – fall; Sp – spring; and Su – summer. The number to the right of the course title indicates credit given in semester hours. The University reserves the right to offer or withhold any of the courses listed. Alternate Year Courses Some departments offer courses on alternate years. These are designated as “even years” or “odd years” based on the first school year number. Example: 2011–12 is an odd year. Grading System A Recognizes excellent achievement. It is indicative of superior quality work and reveals a thorough mastery of the subject matter. The student receiving this grade should demonstrate enough interest to do some independent investigation beyond the actual course requirements. B Indicates work and achievement that are well above average. The student receiving this grade should be capable of doing advanced work in this field. The quality of the work should be considered better than that achieved by the average student. C Indicates average achievement and a satisfactory meeting of requirements. D Reveals inferior accomplishment and is generally unsatisfactory from the standpoint of course requirements. This is the lowest grade for which credit can be earned. F Failing grade. It indicates very unsatisfactory work. No course credit is earned. AU Given when a course is audited. To receive this notation, the student must attend and participate in the course. No credit is earned. CR Given when credit has been granted. It also applies to the credit/no credit program in which credit is received for satisfactory (“C” average or higher) performance in the course. A course in which a CR has been earned counts toward the total graduation requirements but is not used in the computation of GPAs. CE Credit for the course has been earned by an examination administered by the University or another recognized testing agency or program. I Signifies an incomplete and is a temporary grade given when a student is unable to complete the coursework on time because of extraordinary circumstances, such as illness, emergency, or other reasonable cause. This temporary grade does not influence the student’s GPA. To be considered for an incomplete, the student must be passing the course and have completed the majority of the coursework. The instructor giving the incomplete will establish an appropriate completion date with the student. This date may extend to the end of the semester following the one in which the course was taken. If the work is not completed by the designated date, the “I” will be changed to an “F” and will be calculated as such in the student’s GPA. INC Indicates a permanent incomplete, a grade assigned in special situations by the faculty member with the approval of the academic vice president. This permanent grade does not influence the student’s GPA. To receive a permanent incomplete, the faculty member should submit the appropriate form to the registrar identifying the circumstances warranting this special grade. If a permanent incomplete is awarded, the grade may not be changed at a future date. To receive credit for the course, the student must again register for the course and complete the course requirements. K Signifies credit and accompanies courses transferred from other colleges or universities. It has no effect upon cumulative GPA. NC Indicates no credit has been earned. Credit hours for which an “NC” has been earned are not used in the computation of GPAs. NP Indicates that the student did not pass a course where the credits do not count toward the graduation requirements. Basic English and Intermediate Algebra are examples of such courses. NR Indicates that the faculty member did not submit the grade in time for it to appear on the grade card. P Indicates that the student performed satisfactory work (“C-” average or better) in a course where the credits do not count toward graduation, such as Basic English or Intermediate Algebra. W Indicates that the student withdrew from the course between the second and ninth weeks of the semester. WP Indicates that the student is passing when a course is dropped during the tenth and eleventh weeks of the semester. WF Used during the tenth and eleventh weeks of the semester if the student is failing at the time of withdrawal. Z Indicates that the student did not complete the course but did not officially withdraw. A “Z” is treated in the same manner as an “F” grade when figuring the GPA. Credit/No Credit Program The grade designation “credit/no credit” may be assigned by faculty members in courses such as student teaching, laboratories, independent studies, electives, and one-hour courses in physical education and music. The opportunity to take elective courses on a credit/no credit (CR/NC) basis offers students the opportunity to develop background in new areas of study without threatening cumulative GPAs.