Scholastic Dishonesty

Students must maintain a high standard of honesty in their academic work. They should avoid all forms of academic dishonesty, especially the following:

• Plagiarism. The appropriation of passages, either word for word (or in substance) from the writing of another and the incorporation of these as one’s own written work offered for credit.
• Collusion. Working with another person in the preparation of notes, themes, reports, or other written work offered for credit unless such collaboration is specially approved in advance by the instructor.
• Cheating on an examination or quiz. Giving or receiving, offering or soliciting information, or using prepared material in an examination or testing situation. On examinations and quizzes, students are expected (a) to remain in the examination room until the examination is finished, (b) to refrain from talking, and (c) to refrain from bringing notes, books, devices, etc. into the examination room unless otherwise instructed.
• Impersonation. Allowing another person to attend classes, take examinations or to do graded assignments for an enrolled student under his or her name is strictly forbidden.

A violator of any of the above offenses will incur severe disciplinary action ranging from suspension to expulsion from the University. Specific guidelines will be administered by each Dean.

Standard of Work

The minimum graduate grade point average (GPA) required by the University for awarding a graduate degree is 3.00 for all credit work taken by the student as part of an approved graduate program of study.

No more than six (6) semester hours of “C” work will be accepted toward the completion of the minimum semester hours of required courses in the master’s or doctoral curriculum wherein a student’s program of study has been approved. A grade of “C-” or lower is not acceptable toward the fulfillment of degree requirements for any course for any graduate degree program.

Regardless of the admission status, each student enrolled in the Graduate School is expected to maintain at least a 3.00 (B) grade point average in all graduate work.

If at the end of any semester or summer session the student’s cumulative graduate grade point average (GPA) for all graduate work is less than 3.00 (B), the student will be placed on probation (Academic Probation 1^st Time).

A graduate student on probation who fails to achieve a graduate grade point average of 3.0 or better during the next semester or summer session of enrollment and fails to achieve an overall graduate grade point average of 3.00 (B) will be placed on academic suspension through the next full semester (Fall or Spring - summer terms do not apply).

A graduate student on probation who achieves a graduate grade point average of 3.0 or better during the next semester or summer session of enrollment but fails to achieve an overall graduate grade point average of 3.00 (B) will remain on probation (Academic Probation 2^nd Time).

If a student on academic probation fails to raise his/her overall cumulative graduate grade point average to 3.00 (B) or better for two consecutive semesters or summer sessions of enrollment, he/she will be placed on academic suspension through the next full semester (Fall or Spring - summer terms do not apply).

A student who fails to achieve a 3.00 overall GPA in the next semester of enrollment following academic suspension will be disqualified as a degree-seeking student and will be dismissed from the Graduate School.

Regardless of overall graduate grade point average (GPA) a student who fails all graduate classes registered for during any given semester including summer sessions is automatically dismissed from the program and from the Graduate School.

A student may appeal for a one semester extension after suspension or dismissal. The student’s academic unit will decide whether or not to support the extension and forward it to the Graduate School. The decision of the Graduate School will be final.

After dismissal from the Graduate School, the student may petition for readmission consideration to the same graduate degree program. A student who has been dismissed must sit out a minimum of a full semester (Fall or Spring - summer terms do not apply) and can only be readmitted for a subsequent full semester (Fall or Spring - summer terms do not apply).

If readmission is approved by the Dean of the School or College housing the graduate degree program and the Dean of the Graduate School, the student will be readmitted with probationary status (Academic Probation 2^nd Time). Should the student fail to achieve the graduate GPA requirements during the first semester of readmission the student will be expelled from the program and dismissed from the Graduate School.

Schools and Colleges may have additional policies and procedures pertaining to satisfactory Academic Progression, and, for readmission from academic suspension or dismissal. These standards may be higher than the standards of the Graduate School, as set out above, but they may not be lower.

Course Numbers

Courses numbered 500 and above are graduate courses and, with rare exceptions, restricted to graduate students. Undergraduate courses, marked at the right of the course number by an asterisk, may be taken for graduate credit. At least 75% of the course work for the degree must be 500 level or above. No credit below the 500 level is acceptable for doctoral degrees.

In order to receive graduate credit for courses open to both undergraduate and graduate students, the graduate student must perform work of graduate quality and may be required to perform work in addition to that required for the undergraduate student.

The semester-hour requirement for specific degrees and for the professional certificate, where offered, is given in the departmental section of this bulletin.

Grading

The following grades and quality points apply:

GPA

Grade	Meaning	Grade or Quality Points Per Credit
A	Excellent	4.00
A-	Intermediate Grade	3.67
B+	Intermediate Good	3.33
B	Good	3.00
B-	Intermediate Grade	2.67
C+	Intermediate Grade	2.33
C	Satisfactory	2.00
C-	Intermediate Grade	1.67
D+	Intermediate Grade	1.33
D	Marginal	1.00
D-	Intermediate Grade	0.67
F	Failure	0
I	Incomplete	0
P	Passing	0
R	In Progress	0
S	Satisfactory	0
U	Unsatisfactory	0
W	Withdrawal	0

The grade “R”, meaning “In Progress”, is given only when the work in a course extends beyond the semester term. It implies satisfactory performance. The grade “R” will not alter the quality point average of the student inasmuch  as hours attempted,  hours earned, and quality points earned will not be entered in cumulative totals.

Dissertation or Thesis research courses receive grades of satisfactory or unsatisfactory only (S or U). Grades are assigned only after the defense of the dissertation or thesis. A successful defense and submission of the dissertation or thesis requires the supervising member of faculty to assign a satisfactory grade for the appropriate research courses.

An S grade will not factor into GPA computation.

The grade “W” is given for a course officially dropped by the student after the twelfth class day of a regular semester or the fourth day of a summer term and before mid-semester or midterm.

Incompletes

The grade of “I” is given only when a student’s work is satisfactory in quality, but because of reasons beyond his or her control, the work has not been completed. The missing work may be a major quiz, a final examination, a term paper, or other work. It is not given in lieu of an “F.” The instructor will stipulate, in writing, at the time the grade is given the conditions under which the “I” may be removed. This temporary grade of “I” is non-punitive, and semester hours for the course are not considered in the computation of the quality-point average. Removal must be within one calendar year after the “I” is assigned, or the “I” grade shall become an “F.” The grade “I” is not assigned if the student must retake the course. In the event a student who earns a grade of “I” decides to retake the course, the student is required to pay for that course a second time.