ACADEMIC PROCEDURES AND REGULATIONS

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1 ACADEMIC PROCEDURES AND REGULATIONS A student is held responsible for a knowledge of regulations regarding scholastic requirements and should read carefully the information which appears in the catalog and on the schedule of classes. Students starting their collegiate training during the period covered by this catalog are subject to the curricular requirements as specified herein. The requirements herein will extend for a five-year period from the date of entry for baccalaureate programs. If students have not met their undergraduate educational objectives by that time, they will then become subject to current curricular requirements. REGISTRATION Registration covers all the steps necessary for admittance into classes. The time schedule of registration events is published under the University Calendar found in the front section of this bulletin. In planning a program of studies, each student has the personal counsel of a faculty advisor. Detailed procedures are explained to students when they present themselves for registration. Students who do not meet their financial obligations by the first day of classes or do not meet with the Student Business Services to discuss their financial status to remain in classes will be purged from their classes the day after the last day to register/add. A purged student wishing to remain in school must meet with Student Business Services and will be charged a re-registration fee. PROGRAM OF STUDIES DEFINITION OF UNIT OF CREDIT. The University year is divided into two semesters and a summer session of two terms. Credit is reckoned in semester hours. For example, a course pursued one hour a week for a semester carries one semester hour of credit; one pursued three hours a week for a semester carries three hours of credit, etc. A student who attends both semesters and the summer session each year may graduate in three years. STUDENT LOAD. Sixteen academic hours is considered the normal load each semester. Students with quality-point averages of 2.5 for their latest previous semester of residence may be allowed to take eighteen hours of academic work if they secure approval of their advisor. Students with quality-point averages of 3.5 for their latest semester of residence may be allowed to take more than eighteen academic hours if they obtain permission of the chair of the department in which they are majoring and the appropriate college or school dean. CHANGE OF SCHEDULE A program of studies should be chosen with extreme care. After a choice has been made, the student should exert every possible effort to carry the program selected and to complete its several courses. Fee penalties applicable to program changes are given in the section titled Financial Information, Special Fees. 50

2 The following regulations apply to change of program: 1. The last day to add a class is the sixth class day of a semester (second class day, summer term). (See University Calendar.) 2. To add or drop a course, a student must complete a Drop/Add form from the Registrar s Office. Failure to observe this regulation results in a recorded grade of F in the course. In order to ensure timely graduation, students are discouraged from dropping general education courses. To withdraw from required general education courses, a student must first secure the written authorization of the dean. 3. Courses dropped after the deadline printed in the University Calendar are recorded on the student s permanent record as W if the student s average grade is passing or F if failing at the time of withdrawal. 4. A course audit must be declared during the registration/add period. No course may be changed from Credit/Audit without permission of the instructor after the last day to register/add. (See University Calendar.) 5. The last day to withdraw from a course will be the 75% point in the semester. (See University Calendar.) WITHDRAWAL FROM THE UNIVERSITY Students wishing to withdraw from the University must confer with their advisor prior to completing the required withdrawal form offered by the Registrar s Office. Proper signatures from the Director of Student Financial Assistance, Director of Counseling, Director of Library Services, Dean of the appropriate college or school, Director of Housing and Residence Life, Vice President for Student Affairs, Registrar, and Student Business Services must be affixed to the withdrawal form. The completed form must be presented to Student Business Services before the student is officially withdrawn. When students withdraw, they are expected to vacate their rooms and turn in their identification cards on the day of withdrawal. Refund or any payment due is made in the Student Business Services Office. Honorable dismissal is withheld from those who do not conform to these regulations. A student who withdraws from the University after the fourth week of the semester and who is not passing at least nine hours is subject to Academic Probation or Academic Suspension. CLASS ATTENDANCE CLASS ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCE. Students who will not be present at the first class meeting must contact the instructor before classes begin. A student who pre-registers for classes and is unable to attend must remove these courses from the registration term. Failure to remove the registration or to notify the Registrar or Student Business Services will result in charges to the student account and financial obligations to the university. A student who registers for classes and never meets the classes will be reported to the Registrar s Office by the instructors as a No Show. No Shows are reported to the Financial Aid Office and may affect the student s current and future financial aid. A grade of NS will be posted for these courses. 51

3 Regular and punctual attendance at all scheduled classes and activities is expected of all students and is regarded as integral to course credit. University policy holds that students must attend a minimum of 75 percent of all scheduled classes and activities. When, for any reason, a student accumulates absences greater than 25 percent of the scheduled meetings of class, the student receives a grade of F in the class. Particular policies and procedures on absences and makeup work are established for each class and are announced in writing at the beginning of the term. Each student is directly responsible to the individual professor for absences and for making up work missed. A student absent from class when a test is scheduled is entitled to a makeup test if evidence is presented to the instructor that absence was due to illness or death in the immediate family. Official absences are granted to students required to miss class for Universitysponsored events such as academic, athletics, performing groups, and student government groups. Commuting students are excused from classes during periods of time when the Weather Bureau has issued a weather advisory of hazardous driving conditions. For these absences, which must be authorized in advance by the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, students are entitled to make up any work missed. A student who has been reported as having excessive absences has the right to appeal to the Attendance Committee and may continue to meet class with the permission of the Committee during the appeal period. For more information about the appeal process, contact the Vice President for Academic Affairs. ATTENDANCE BY PERSONS NOT ENROLLED IN A COURSE The University has the right to determine who is enrolled in a class and to control the presence of the person who is not enrolled in the class. A non-enrolled person is allowed in the classroom only at the discretion of the instructor. The instructor should ask the non-enrolled person who attends a class against the express wishes of the instructor to leave. The instructor should ask such persons to identify themselves. If the person refuses to leave, the university police may be called. If the person is a student enrolled in the university but not enrolled in the class, disciplinary charges may be filed. EXAMINATIONS AND GRADING EXAMINATIONS. Examinations are given at the close of each semester and at such other times as instructors deem necessary. Absence from final examination, except in case of unusual emergency, is automatically construed and recorded as a failure. SYSTEM OF GRADING. The grading system for academic courses at Delta State University is on a five-letter basis and makes use of the following letters: A, excellent; B, good; C, satisfactory; D, poor; F, failure. To these marks, the following quality point values are assigned: A,4; B,3; C,2; D,1; F,0. These values are termed quality points per semester hour of credit. Grading policies specific to an individual course are found in the course syllabus. The letter I indicates that work is incomplete due to providential causes that kept the student from taking the final examination. A grade of I must be removed within twelve months. A grade of NS will be assigned to courses for which a student registers but fails to attend any class meetings. 52

4 A student may repeat a course for the purpose of improving a previous grade earned, but such repetition must be approved by the head of the department in the field in which the student is majoring and by the appropriate college or school dean. The last grade is the final grade. SCHOLASTIC HONORS DELTA SCHOLARS. The president s list of Delta Scholars is issued each semester and is made up of students whose quality point average is 3.8 or higher with no grade below a B. A student must be carrying at least twelve hours of academic work to be considered as a Delta Scholar unless he/she is student teaching. DEAN S LIST. The Dean s List, published at the close of each semester, is made up of students who have earned a quality point average of 3.5 to 3.79 for the semester. To qualify for the Dean s List, a student must be carrying at least twelve academic hours unless he/she is student teaching. HONORS FELLOWS. Students of high academic achievement or potential are asked to apply for the Honors Program. If admitted to the program, they are designated Honors Fellows and are eligible for scholarships as well as recognition on their transcripts and at commencement. As Honors Fellows, these students participate in honors courses and in interdisciplinary and/or intercultural events and programs. GRADUATION WITH HONORS. Students are honored with special recognition at graduation. Students who have completed at least 62 semester hours in residence at Delta State University are eligible for consideration for Latin Honors. Latin Honors are awarded to students with the following Delta State grade point averages: Summa Cum Laude, ; Magna Cum Laude, ; Cum Laude, ACADEMIC STANDARDS GOOD ACADEMIC STANDING. A student will be classified in good academic standing if the institutional grade point average on Delta State University work and the overall grade point average are 2.00 or greater at the end of each semester. Academic standing is noted on the student s permanent record and on student grade reports. Some programs may have higher grade point average standards for admission or completion of the program. ACADEMIC PROBATION. Academic probation serves as a notice that academic suspension from the university will follow unless the quality of academic work improves. Students are placed on academic probation under the following conditions: (1) at the end of any regular semester in which the institutional grade point average on Delta State University work or the overall grade point average is less than 2.00, or (2) at the beginning of the semester of readmission following academic suspension, or (3) at the beginning of the regular semester of admission for transfer students whose grade point average is less than

5 The probationary status may be removed by achieving an institutional grade point average and an overall grade point average of at least 2.00 at the end of the next regular semester of enrollment. Students who achieve an institutional grade point average of at least 2.00 at the end of the next regular semester but whose overall grade point average remains less than 2.00 may enroll in the University but will remain on probation. For the purpose of this standard, the summer session is not considered a regular semester. It is strongly recommended that students on academic probation take no more than 12 semester hours credit. The student will be expected to use the resources of the University for assistance in returning to good standing. ACADEMIC SUSPENSION. Students on probation are suspended for one term at the end of any term in which a QPA of at least 1.6 for freshmen, 1.8 for sophomores, and 2.0 for juniors and seniors is not achieved. Students having two academic suspensions are suspended for two regular semesters. Students readmitted after suspension will be placed back on probation. REINSTATEMENT. Suspended students who have met the conditions for readmission should contact the appropriate college or school dean regarding reinstatement. Students with extenuating circumstances who wish a hearing should also contact the appropriate college or school dean. ACADEMIC DISMISSAL. Students having three academic suspensions are dismissed from the University. They may appeal to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs for readmission after a period of three years. GENERAL REGULATIONS REGARDING GRADUATION 1. At least one year of residence or the equivalent is required for the completion of a degree program. A minimum of 25 percent of credit semester hours must be completed at Delta State University. In addition, the successful candidate for an undergraduate degree must have earned a quality point average of 2.0, which must include a minimum of 2.0 quality point average on all courses attempted at Delta State University and on all courses in the major. Some degree programs have higher grade requirements. 2. Two bachelor degrees are not granted to students until they have met the requirements for the second degree and have earned a minimum of twenty four semester hours in addition to the requirements for the first degree. 3. Candidates for graduation shall make application at least two semesters in advance, and such candidates must be approved at the beginning of the semester in which graduation is expected. 4. Candidates must have completed all courses required for graduation prior to the date of graduation and been enrolled in residence in all courses necessary for the completion of degree requirements during the semester in which graduation is proposed. Several majors require a grade of C or better in each course in their major/field of concentration. These are identified under the appropriate divisions or departments. (See major requirements beginning on catalog pp 60). 5. Candidates for degrees must pass either ENG 300 (the Writing Proficiency Examination) or ENG 301 or receive a score of 3 or higher on the CAAP 54

6 Writing Essay Examination. Teacher Education candidates who pass the Praxis PPST/C-PPST Writing Exam meet the University s writing proficiency requirement. Students who are enrolled in the first semester of their junior year should take ENG 300 (the Writing Proficiency Examination) administered by the Division of Languages and Literature. Students whose performance on the Writing Proficiency Examination is below reasonable standards must enroll in ENG 301. Students who receive a grade of NC (no credit) on the exam may not take it again; however, appeals for reconsideration may be made through the University Writing Proficiency Examination Appeals Committee. Candidates for the Bachelor of Social Work degree who enroll in ENG 301 must earn at least a grade of C. Students with an earned degree from an accredited four-year college or university are exempted from the Writing Proficiency requirement. 6. Before any student may be approved as a candidate for graduation at the end of a designated semester, such student must have earned prior to the beginning of this semester an average of C in scholastic grades in the major field and must maintain this average during the final semester. A student may repeat a course for the purpose of improving a previous grade earned but such repetition must be approved by the chair of the department in the field in which the student is majoring and by the dean of the appropriate college or school. The last grade in the repeated course is the final grade. 7. The successful candidate for a bachelor s degree must have earned in residence at least 24 of the last 30 hours. This regulation does not apply to students in medical technology, premedical, and predental curricula. 8. Students preparing to teach in the high school should choose, under the guidance and direction of the departments concerned, their fields of teaching. Students meeting requirements in a second teaching field must take at least six semester hours in that field at Delta State University. 9. A student who transfers to Delta State University should note that in the curricula for the high school teacher a minimum of nine hours in a teaching field must be earned at Delta State University. 10. A student who transfers to Delta State University should note that for the Bachelor of Arts degree, the Bachelor of Science degree, and the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, a minimum of nine hours in a major and six hours in a minor must be earned at Delta State; for the Bachelor of Business Administration degree, a minimum of nine hours in the area of concentration must be earned at Delta State University. For the Bachelor of Social Work degree, the second and third methods courses and the two field experience courses must be completed at Delta State University. For the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, all upper level ( ) nursing courses must be completed at Delta State University, unless approval for nursing courses transferred from another institution has been obtained prior to admission to the School of Nursing. The last half of the total hours applied toward graduation must be earned at a senior college. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the college or school dean. 11. A minor may not be taken in the same field as the major for the Bachelor of Arts degree or for the Bachelor of Science degree. 12. Candidates for the Bachelor of Science in Education degree may not offer more than thirty-two semester hours in education without approval of the dean of the appropriate college or school. 55

7 13. A maximum of thirty hours of non-traditional credit is accepted from approved institutions. Twenty-four hours of the thirty hours of non-traditional credit may be taken by independent study through correspondence and applied toward a bachelor s degree. However, no more than six hours of independent study can be taken during the last thirty hours. Students taking independent study courses for credit toward a degree at Delta State University must meet the regular admission requirements of the University. Admission to independent study does not constitute admission to Delta State University. Furthermore, any correspondence work taken after a student has entered Delta State University must be approved by the student s advisor and the dean of the appropriate college or school. 14. Courses are divided into lower level, numbered 100 and 200, and upper level, numbered 300 and 400. Candidates for a degree must offer at least forty hours in courses numbered 300 or above; these courses must have been completed at a senior college. 15. The date of the bulletin by which requirements are checked may not be more than five years earlier than the date of the issuance of the degree (including the current edition), and a student may not check by a bulletin dated earlier than the time of entrance into a university or college. ACADEMIC HONESTY Delta State University expects all students to adhere to the highest moral academic standards. Unethical and dishonest behavior will not be tolerated and could invoke severe penalties. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, forgery, and/or any misuse of university documents whether academic or administrative, tampering with any admission requirement documents to gain entrance into the university under a false pretense, selling or distributing written or oral information, and stealing, buying, or selling any administrative or academic document. Cheating and Plagiarism DEFINITIONS Cheating - taking credit for work which has been completed by another person, or assisting others in the misrepresentation of their academic work. Examples include, but are not limited to the following: * taking answers from another student's paper or allowing answers to be taken from one's own paper during an examination or quiz; * the use of notes or any other aid not specifically allowed or approved by the instructor; * unauthorized access to an un-administered examination or quiz and dissemination of the same; * collaboration on take-home examinations unless specifically approved by the instructor; * receiving editorial assistance on a course assignment beyond that expressly allowed by the instructor; * collaborating with another person in the preparation of any assignment offered for credit when such collaboration is prohibited by the instructor; and * submitting the same work for credit in more than one course, regardless of whether or not such submission occurs within the same term. An exception may be granted if the student receives written permission in advance from his/her instructor(s). 56

8 Plagiarism - the appropriation of ideas, facts, phrases, or additional materials (such as maps, charts, artwork, or computer programs) from any source without giving proper credit or offering appropriate documentation. Any material in a paper, report, artwork, or computer program which is not acknowledged is understood to be the original work of the author, unless the material is considered general knowledge. Students who are unsure whether they have used and documented source material correctly should consult with their instructor prior to submission of the assignment. PENALTIES FOR DISHONESTY * If it is believed that an academic honesty violation has occurred, the instructor should schedule a conference with the student to present the violation and evidence. If, following the consultation, the faculty member still believes the student has committed an act of academic dishonesty, the faculty member may recommend an appropriate sanction, such as a grade of zero on the test, examination, or paper in question, retake of a test or examination, extra work, failure in the course, suspension, or a combination of these sanctions. The faculty member shall inform the student of the recommended sanction. The faculty member then shall submit a written report of the matter (including Cheating/Plagiarism Document) to the department/division chair, the dean of the school/college in which the course was offered, and, if different, the student's academic dean, and the Provost, with a copy to the student. In the case of a graduate student, the dean of the Graduate Studies shall be given a copy. This notification will remain confidential in compliance with policies protecting student privacy. If the recommended sanction is dismissal, the provost shall inform the president, and the president shall direct the registrar to inform the student of the recommendation of the dismissal. In each case, copies of the notification of a recommended sanction shall be sent by the registrar to the faculty member, the department/division chair, the dean of the school or college in which the course was offered, and if different, the student's academic dean. STUDENT APPEAL OF RECOMMENDED SANCTION The student may appeal the sanction recommended by a faculty member by following the appeal process already in place in the Delta State University Undergraduate and Graduate Bulletins. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT ACADEMIC GRIEVANCE POLICY Formal student grievances regarding the actions of an instructor shall proceed as follows: 1. The student will discuss the problem with the instructor and seek a solution. If the problem is not satisfactorily resolved in conference with the instructor, the student is entitled to submit an appeal in writing (with documentation) to the department/division chair. Upon receiving a student appeal, the department/division chair submits a written request for a response in writing (with documentation) from the instructor. The department/division chair notifies the student and faculty member in writing of his/her decision, within fifteen working days from the date the appeal is received. 2. If the problem is not satisfactorily resolved, the student is entitled to resubmit the appeal in writing to the college/school dean with administrative responsibility for the department in which the appeal originated. The college/school dean reviews the student appeal and the corresponding response from the faculty member. The college/school dean notifies the student and faculty member in writing of his/her decision with a copy to the division/department chair, within ten working days from the date the appeal is received. 57