2015-2016 Undergraduate Academic Catalog

Course Load Assuming that proficiency requirements have been satisfied, a minimum of 128 semester hours is required for graduation. A student should average at least 16 credit hours each semester to graduate upon completion of the eighth semester. A normal course load is 15–18.5 hours each semester. Students working more than 20 hours per week are advised not to carry a full course of studies. A student’s academic load is subject to reduction or limitation by a school dean, the dean of undergraduate studies, or by the Vice President for Academics for poor scholarship or excessive work outside of school hours. Students who wish to take more than 18.5 credit hours must obtain permission through the following procedure: To request 19–21.5 credit hours The following students require advisor approval: • SENIORS with at least a 2.3 cumulative GPA • SOPHOMORES and JUNIORS with at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA • FRESHMEN with at least a 2.7 cumulative GPA • All students without a Cedarville University GPA who scored at least a 25 or equivalent on the ACT The following students require department chair or associate/ assistant dean approval: • Any student not meeting the criteria above • Any student whose advisor is not available To request 22 or more credit hours • All students require approval of advisor, associate/assistant dean or department chair, and dean of undergraduate studies. The following situation requires Vice President for Academics approval: • When dean of undergraduate studies is not available 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 U.S. 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 Course work 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 Courses 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 Student Life 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 Admissions. 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 registration instructions and course schedules for the semester, is prepared by the Office of the Registrar prior to each registration period. Information regarding 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 Student Planning registration process on the University website. This 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 Student Planning registration program are available on the Registrar’s website or from the Office of the Registrar. After the online registration process has been completed, the student’s confirmed schedule becomes an active registration in the administrative computer system. Page 26 2015–16 Undergraduate Academic Catalog Academic Information Distance Education