2013-2014 Undergraduate Academic Catalog

Grade Points and Point Averages Cedarville University uses the “four-point system” to determine academic averages. Grade points are awarded as follows: Grade Grade Points A 4.0 A- 3.7 B+ 3.3 B 3.0 B- 2.7 C+ 2.3 C 2.0 C- 1.7 D+ 1.3 D 1.0 D- 0.7 F 0.0 The GPA is computed by dividing the total grade points earned by the total hours attempted. Grades are issued at the end of each semester. The student is responsible for discussing their academic achievement with their instructor. Academic Progress, Warning, and Suspension To satisfy the minimum graduation requirements, a student must earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0. The minimum cumulative GPA needed to maintain good academic standing is also 2.0. The University recognizes that some students may have difficulty earning and/or maintaining the minimum cumulative GPA required for good standing and for graduation. To assist them, the following academic progress chart outlines the minimum cumulative GPAs needed according to the credit hours earned. Academic Progress Chart Credits Minimum Cumulative Minimum Cumulative Attempted GPA for Academic GPA for Academic Probation Warning 0–18.99 1.00 1.45 19–36.99 1.25 1.60 37–64.99 1.50 1.75 65–96.99 1.75 1.90 97–112.99 1.90 _ 113–128.99 1.95 _ Some academic programs have stricter academic progress requirements than those listed above. Students should check academic department sections of the catalog for the specific grade point requirements of their majors. Students who are not in good academic standing will be notified by the Assistant or Associate Academic Vice President of their college. First-semester freshmen who do not meet the 1.0 average will usually not be academically suspended in order to provide some additional time for them to make the adjustment to college life. Any student who does not meet the minimum cumulative GPA required for academic probation will be suspended for at least one semester. Any student on academic probation for two successive semesters who is not making satisfactory academic progress is subject to academic suspension. Any student whose term GPA is not above 1.0 for two successive semesters and who is not making satisfactory academic progress is subject to suspension. The Assistant or Associate Academic Vice President of a college may make exceptions to the academic progress guidelines when appropriate. A student receiving veterans benefits who is on academic probation for two successive semesters without making satisfactory progress will be reported to the Veterans Administration. The veterans benefits for such a student will be terminated unless the student is making progress toward meeting the minimum academic requirements for graduation. Faculty members and other counselors are available to discuss student progress. The student experiencing academic difficulty should utilize these personnel, as well as resources available in the academic assistance center, to help find solutions to academic problems. Students on academic warning or probation may be required to take a special study skills course as a condition for continuing at the University. Academic warning may preclude involvement in certain University activities. Students facing academic warning or probation should consult with the coaches, advisors, or directors of their activities to learn of academic requirements or restrictions that may apply to those activities. A student must maintain satisfactory academic progress to receive financial aid. Students receiving aid should check the financial aid section of the catalog to obtain the academic progress requirements that pertain to particular aid programs. A student suspended for academic reasons may apply for readmission during any semester in the regular academic year following the semester of suspension. A student who is subject to suspension for a second time may be permanently dismissed. Repeating Courses While adjusting to academic life at Cedarville, some new students earn grades they consider to be unsatisfactory. Consequently, any first year freshmen students who earn an unsatisfactory grade in their first two regular semesters of enrollment may repeat the course at Cedarville University before the end of their fourth consecutive semester of enrollment. Under this freshman repeat policy, the cumulative GPA will be recalculated using the second grade instead of the first. A similar policy applies to a transfer student. Under the transfer repeat policy, courses taken during the first semester of attendance may be repeated within the succeeding two regular semesters. The cumulative GPA will be recalculated using the second grade instead of the first. Under these repeat policies, any course may be repeated. Although the first grade is no longer calculated into the cumulative GPA, the course and grade information does remain on the student’s transcript. In all other cases when a student repeats a course, both grades are calculated into the cumulative GPA. However, credit hours for a repeated course may count only once toward the credits needed for graduation. Academic Honors Dean’s Honor List Until final awards are announced at commencement, the highest academic honor possible to attain at Cedarville University is to be included on the dean’s honor list. This list of high-ranking students is published at the end of each regular semester. Lists are not published following the summer sessions. The requirements for the dean’s honor list are as follows: 1. A student must have a 3.75 GPA or higher for the semester. 2. A student must have no grade for the semester lower than a “B.” 3. A student must carry a minimum of 12 semester hours, excluding CR hours. Exceptions are made for those enrolled in field experiences or internships granting credit/ no credit, provided they take at least two regularly graded courses. Page 27 2013–14 Undergraduate Academic Catalog Academic Information Academic Honors