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| UNDERGRADUATE
CATALOG 2002-2004 |
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Degree Requirements
Time Limit
Credits
Class Standing
Course Load
Grades
Credit/No Credit Policy
Minimum Grade Requirements
Student Records
Courses
Withdrawal
Graduation
Degree
requirements are those in effect on the date of a student's first registration for credit
after admission. Students may, however, choose to complete a particular major, minor,
or two-year program under the requirements of the most recent catalog.
Students who change a major, minor, or two-year program must meet the
requirements of the new program as stated in the catalog current when the change is made.
There is no specific time limit for
the completion of undergraduate degrees, but the university reserves the right to review
coursework that is more than seven years old. Furthermore, the university is neither
obligated nor committed to continue courses or programs so that students can take more
than the normal four or five years to complete bachelor's degrees or more than two years
to complete associate degrees.
Class standing and grade-point
averages at Ball State University are determined on the basis of semester credits.
Generally, one hour of class time a week equals one credit. For example, most classes at
Ball State carry 3 credits, and they meet for approximately three hours each week.
Undergraduate
students are designated as freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and
seniors during their academic careers at Ball State. Students
who have earned fewer than 30 semester credits are
freshmen. Students who have earned 30 credits or more
but fewer than 63 credits are sophomores. Students who
have earned 63 credits or more but fewer than 96 credits are
juniors. Students who have earned 96 credits or more are
seniors.
The normal course load in a semester
is 12 to 18 credits; in a five-week summer term, the normal load is 6 to 9 credits.
(During a semester, 9 to 11 credits is considered a three-quarter-time load; 6 to 8
credits is considered a half-time load.) A total of twelve credits in a semester is
considered a full course load for undergraduate students. Freshmen are not eligible to
register for more than 18.0 credits unless they have met the following conditions:
1. They have earned previous
residence credit at Ball State University.
2. They have accumulative grade-point
averages of at least 3.0.
3. They have successfully completed
all of their scheduled courses in the preceding semester or term.
Students who are on academic
probation may not register for more than 18.0 credits in a semester or 9 credits in a
five-week summer term.
The university reports and records
grades using the plus/minus letter system. Quality points are allocated to each recorded
grade according to the following scale:
|
| A = 4.00 |
B+ = 3.333 |
C+ = 2.333 |
D+ = 1.333 |
F = 0 |
| A- = 3.667 |
B =
3.000 |
C =
2.000 |
D =
1.000 |
|
| |
B- = 2.667 |
C- = 1.667 |
D- = 0.667 |
|
Programs requiring C or better
grades will not accept a C- grade (unless specified otherwise). A student's
grade-point average (GPA) is calculated by dividing the total number of quality points by
the total number of credits attempted.
A grade of F is recorded when
a student fails a course or withdraws from a course after the second withdrawal period
unless, in the judgment of the dean of the instructor's college, the reasons for
withdrawing a course warrant a W. Students who quit attending classes for which
they are registered will receive F's unless they officially withdraw from the
courses by obtaining the appropriate
signatures.
CR is recorded for students registered under credit/no-credit provisions who do work that is
average or above average.
NC is recorded for students registered under credit/no-credit provisions who do work that is
below average.
EC represents continued enrollment in a course that normally extends over two or more grading
periods.
I represents incomplete work and is given only when it is determined that the student should
be given an opportunity to finish the work. The instructor, along with the department
chairperson, decides whether to award an incomplete grade in a course and outlines the
requirements and time limit for completing the work. The maximum time permitted for
completion of such a grade is one year. If an I is not removed within the time agreed
upon, it automatically becomes an F.
NR represents a grade not properly reported by an instructor. The instructor must assign a
grade by the fifth week of the next term. Notification of an NR grade is sent by the
Registrar's Office to the department and to the instructor. If an NR grade is not removed
by the fifth week of the following (academic year) term, the Registrar's Office will
automatically change the grade to F or to NC if it is a credit or no-credit course.
W represents an official withdrawal from a course.
Students who want to take courses
without credit to apply toward a degree (auditors) sign waivers for the specific courses.
Students earn no credit for auditing classes. Such classes are represented by the entry
AU
on the student's transcript. The instructor, however, may determine that an audit class is
not to be posted on a student's permanent record.
At the close of each semester or
term, students are sent reports of their grades. Any correction in a grade already
reported must be made by the instructor on the proper form and approved by the dean of the
instructor's college before it is filed in the Registrar's Office. Any such change must be
completed within one year of the close of the session for which the grade was due.
Dean's List.
Undergraduates who earn at least a 3.5 grade-point average for 12 or more credits of
graded course work during a semester or for 6 or more credits of graded course work during
a summer term will be named to the dean's list for that semester or term. This designation
will be placed on students' academic transcripts.
Students may choose to earn up to
15 credits under the credit/no-credit option; if a course is offered only for
credit/no-credit, it will not be counted in the fifteen-credit allowance. Students who
have taken a course for a grade cannot take it again on a credit/no-credit basis. Courses
taken on a credit/no-credit basis will not count toward the academic major, minor, or any
University Core Curriculum requirements, except for student teaching,
internships, and courses offered only for
credit/no-credit. If a student has taken courses in a particular
subject for credit/no-credit and then decides to major or minor in that subject, not more
than two of the courses will count toward the major or minor requirements. Students on
academic probation may not use the credit/no-credit option. With these exceptions,
departments must allow students to take courses for credit/no-credit.
Students
who fail to earn a grade-point average of at least 1.0 during the first semester of the freshman year
will be dismissed from the university.
Undergraduates
will be placed on academic probation if their cumulative grade-point average falls below
2.0. Students completing one semester or attempting 9 credits (whichever comes first)
should have a grade-point average of at least 1.9. If the cumulative grade-point average
falls below 1.9, the student must increase it to 1.9 in the next term of enrollment, or
must earn at least a 2.0 each term until the cumulative grade-point average reaches 1.9.
Otherwise, the student will be subject to academic dismissal.
Freshmen on
academic probation may be required to repeat courses, enroll in no more than 12 credits,
take courses in reading and study skills, attend academic progress meetings sponsored by
the Office of Registration and Academic Progress, attend workshops and seminars on
academic success, obtain advisor's approval to make schedule changes, and enroll in class
sections that offer supplemental instruction. Students who are informed by the registrar
that they have been placed on academic probation should immediately meet with an academic
advisor to discuss plans for improvement.
Students who have completed 30
credits (including transfer and other earned credit) must maintain a cumulative
grade-point average of at least 2.0. If the cumulative grade-point average falls below
2.0, it must increase to 2.0 in the next term of enrollment, or a grade-point average of
at least a 2.1 each term must be earned until the cumulative grade-point average reaches
2.0. Otherwise, the student will be subject to academic dismissal.
Transferred credits from other
colleges and universities will be included in determining the number of completed credits.
The grades from those institutions will not be used in figuring the cumulative grade-point
average. Transfer students who fail to earn a grade-point average of at least 1.0 for 9 or more attempted
credits during the first semester of attendance may be dismissed from the university.
Students dismissed from Ball State
for academic reasons cannot be reinstated for at least two semesters (summer is
considered a semester). To be reinstated, students must complete an application form
available from the Office of the Registrar and submit it to the Office of the Registrar
for review by the Committee on Admissions and Credits by the appropriate date established
by the registrar's office. The request cannot be presented to the Committee on Admissions
and Credits if a "university hold" has been placed on all student records or if
the university has not received official transcripts of grades from all other schools
attended since the last semester of attendance at Ball State. Reinstatement to the
university does not ensure admission to a particular college or program.
Ball State is not obligated to
reinstate students who have been dismissed. Students granted reinstatement must show that
they have sufficient aptitude to pursue their intended program of study. They must also
show signs of increased maturity, increased commitment to education, and adequate
financial resources to attend Ball State without excessive employment. Students may not
apply for reinstatement more than once in a twelve-month period. Normally, students who
have been disqualified will not be reinstated more than once in a three-year period.
All degree programs require that
students earn a grade-point average of at least 2.0 overall and in each area of
concentration. Some programs--for example, teacher education--have higher minimum
requirements.
Academic
Clemency. Undergraduate
students who were not enrolled at Ball State University for a five-year period may
petition the Committee on Admissions and Credits to have grades and credits earned before
that period removed from the calculation of their cumulative grade-point average. Students
participating in the program are specifically required to comply with the following
provisions:
* Students must certify that they
were not registered in any
capacity at Ball State University for a period of at least five
years.
* For students who qualify for
academic clemency, all
previous Ball State University course work with grades of
C or
above will be counted for credit only. However,
students will lose credit for all courses
with grades below
C and resume their academic program with no cumulative
grade-point average.
* The student's academic records will
be inscribed with the
note "Academic Clemency Granted (date)."
* Academic clemency may be used only
one time by a Ball
State University student.
* Academic clemency is final and
irreversible.
* All other policies of Ball State
University apply.
Call the Office of the Registrar,
(765) 285-1725, for more information on the deadlines for applications for reinstatement
or academic clemency.
At the
close of each semester or term, enrolled students will be sent a grade report showing
attempted credits, earned credits, quality points, grade-point average for the semester or
term, and cumulative grade-point average. Permanent academic records are kept in the
registrar's office.
Midterm
Evaluation of Freshmen
Freshmen
students in danger of receiving a C-, D+, D, D-, or F in a 100- or 200-level
course will be sent a notice to that effect during the eighth week of the semester. This
midterm evaluation will be sent to the student and the student's academic advisor and
residence hall director. The purpose of this evaluation is to give advance notice that a
student's course performance might result in a semester grade of less than a C. It
is ultimately the student's responsibility to respond appropriately to this information.
Even if a notice is not sent, a
student may still receive a grade of less than a C in the course. The midterm
evaluation is merely a notice of poor performance at that time.
An
undergraduate student may repeat a course once in order to replace a course grade of C
or below. The original and second grade will remain on the student's academic record, but
the second grade the student receives will be used in figuring the student's grade-point
average. The grade of W will not replace a previous grade. If it is necessary to
take a course to meet program requirements, the student may do so as many times as
necessary. However, all grades except the first one received in any course the student
repeated will be used in computing the grade-point average for the student. A student's
academic record and transcript will show all grades that the student received, but a
notation will appear if courses are repeated. The credits for the course will count only
once toward the student's graduation requirements. Colleges may limit course repetitions
even further; students should become familiar with college policies. The university is not
obligated to offer courses so that students can repeat them.
The university reserves the right to
modify or cancel courses when necessary because of accreditation requirements,
insufficient enrollment, lack of staff members, or for financial or other reasons. In
addition, the chairperson of a department can transfer students from one section of a
class to another section of the same class.
Departments can substitute courses to
meet major and minor requirements as long as the substitution does not reduce the number
of credits required in the program. Either a student or a department can request a course
substitution before the alternate course is taken. The department chairperson must sign a
copy of the approval of the substitution; the form must then be submitted to the
appropriate advising center.
Students who need to change their
class schedules can do so any time after their initial registration and until the fifth
day of a semester or the third day of a summer session. There is no charge for changes
made until the fourth day of a semester or during a summer session. A fee is charged
for the fourth and fifth days of drop/add or any late change of a course.
Distance Education Courses
Distance
education courses include correspondence courses and the range of courses taught primarily
through electronic media to students at remote locations.
Students enrolled in
distance education courses are entitled to the support services of University Libraries and
University Computing Services. Access to other services and facilities are only available
to students who have paid all necessary fees.
Ball State students enrolled in any
distance education Courses will only receive residency credit for those courses that
originate at Ball State University.
The course period for
correspondence courses will not exceed nine months without extensions of
time. Incompletes will not be issued for these courses. Students who do not complete or
officially withdraw from the correspondence course by the end of the nine-month period
will receive a failing grade.
Correspondence enrollments after January 13,
1997, earn residence credit. For students pursuing a degree at Ball State
University, there may be a limit to the number of correspondence credit hours
that will count toward a major or minor. To inquire about the limitations
governing degree programs, contact the academic department responsible for the
major or minor.
A
student's official course program is regarded as a contract with the university. Since
full performance requires, in part, regular and punctual class attendance, students are
expected to attend all classes for which they are registered. Faculty will establish
attendance policies for their courses and communicate those policies through course syllabi or outlines.
Students who know they must be absent
from a class should notify the instructor or departmental office. Courtesy requires that
students speak to the instructor and preferably present a signed and dated memo briefly
stating the reasons for absence.
Faculty members are responsible for keeping records of attendance of all students
registered in each class. Students are responsible for
completing any work they have missed. The faculty member is not required to do extra
teaching to help students "catch up."
Students will be excused from class in the
event of the death of a member of the student's immediate family or household,
including: father, mother, husband, wife, son, daughter, grandfather,
grandmother, grandchild, brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in-law,
daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, and
stepdaughter. The number of excused absences allowed is determined by the
distance of funeral services from Muncie, Indiana, as follows:
Three work days-within 150 mile radius of Muncie;
Four work days-Between 150-300 mile radius of Muncie;
Five work days-Beyond 300 mile radius of Muncie;
Seven work days-Outside of North America.
In the event of the death of a student's
brother-in-law, sister-in-law, uncle, aunt, nephew, and niece, students will
be allowed one work day.
A student may contact the Office of the Dean of
Students to request that an informational notice (without verification) be
sent to the student's instructor(s). The student will provide documentation to
each instructor. Given proper documentation, the instructor will excuse the
student from class and provide the opportunity to earn equivalent credit for
assignments missed. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome, he or
she may appeal as outlined in the Ball State University's Procedure for
Student Bereavement Appeals.
Field
trips consistent with the purpose of the course should be planned at the beginning of the
semester. Absence caused by field trips in a course or by official university
responsibilities will be announced in advance to the instructors of the course(s) in which
the student is enrolled. Students obtain these notices through the department
chairperson's office and take them to their instructors at least three days in advance of
the absence. No field trips, travel, or other special events involving students are
scheduled during the first week or the last two weeks of a semester. Exceptions will be
granted only after consultation with and approval by the Provost and Vice President for
Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Student Affairs. Whenever possible, trips
should be scheduled for weekends.
Field trips are voluntary, but a
course grade may be lowered if students do not go on a field trip and do not complete
adequate make-up work as assigned.
The
university encourages student internships and practica. Internships and practica are
defined as supervised practical experience in a student's field of study. In order to be
recorded on the student's academic transcript, the internship or practicum must have an
academic component. Academic supervision must be conducted by faculty in the student's
major or minor course of study in collaboration with a supervisor at the internship or
practicum site. Academic internships and practica must be approved by the department
chairperson or a designated representative of the student's major or minor course of
study.
The
first course withdrawal period is usually the sixth day of classes to the twenty-third day
of classes in a semester, the sixth to the fifteenth day in a summer semester, or the
fourth to the seventh day in a summer session. During this period students can withdraw
from a course with no penalty. Students should discuss the withdrawal with their
instructor and get a withdrawal form and instructions from the departmental or registrar's
office. Students must complete the form and submit it to the registrar's office by 4 p.m.
on the last day of the first course-withdrawal period. A W will appear on the
student's record for the course.
The second
course-withdrawal period is from the twenty-fourth to the forty-fifth day of classes in a
semester, the sixteenth to the thirtieth in a summer semester, or the eighth to the
fifteenth day in a summer session. During this period, students can withdraw from a course
only with the instructor's approval. The instructor can choose to enter a W on the
student's record if the course grade at the time of withdrawal is above failing, if the
student has a certifiable health problem; if extenuating circumstances make withdrawal
desirable; or if the student withdraws completely from the university. If the course grade
at the time of withdrawal is a failing grade, an F will be entered on the student's
record. If the grade is NC, that will be entered on the record.
To withdraw during the second course-withdrawal period, a student must get a withdrawal form and instructions from the
departmental office, discuss the withdrawal with the instructor, and have him or her sign
the withdrawal form. The form must be submitted to the registrar's office no later than 4
p.m. on the last day for withdrawals.
No refund is made for withdrawal from
a single course.
Withdrawal
after the Second Course-Withdrawal Period
If
there are verifiable extenuating circumstances that justify a student's withdrawal, the
appropriate college dean can grant exception to the rules for withdrawal. The course
instructor will determine the student's grade.
Withdrawal
from All Classes
To
withdraw from all classes after the semester or term begins, a student first obtains a
withdrawal form from the Student Ombudsperson/Assistant to the Vice President for Student
Affairs Office. Complete the form and return it to that office. If a refund is warranted,
the amount will be determined by the date of withdrawal, which is the date the completed
withdrawal form is submitted by the student to the Student Ombudsperson/Assistant to the
Vice President for Student Affairs Office.
Students must continue to attend
classes until they have submitted a completed withdrawal form. Students who stop going to
classes before that time will likely receive an F in the course or courses from
which they are withdrawing. For more information about withdrawal from all classes, call
the Office of the Student Ombudsperson, (765) 285-1545.
Students
must apply for graduation. Application forms are available in the advising
centers and must be submitted early in the appropriate school year, before the deadline printed on the back of
the application form.
Students
completing all university requirements for graduation with a grade-point average of 3.9 or
higher will graduate summa cum laude. If the grade-point average is between 3.8 and
3.899, students will graduate magna cum laude. If the grade-point average is
between 3.6 and 3.799, students will graduate cum laude.
The grade-point average upon which
graduation honors are determined includes all work at Ball State University completed
for graduation. In addition, transfer students must have
earned a minimum of 63 semester credits at Ball State University to be eligible for
honors.
Associate
Degrees with Academic Distinction
Students
graduating with associate degrees who maintain at least a 3.6 grade-point average will
receive a designation of Associate of Arts/Science with Academic Distinction on their
academic transcripts. Transfer students must have earned a minimum of 30 semester credits
at Ball State University to be eligible for Academic Distinction.
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