Academic Regulations
East Carolina University is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants, students, or employees based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, creed, sexual orientation, or disability. East Carolina University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer that accommodates the needs of individuals with disabilities. Ordinarily, a student may expect to earn a degree in accordance with the requirements of the curriculum described in the official catalog in effect when he or she first entered the university or in any subsequent catalog published while he or she is a student, but the faculty of the university reserves the right to make changes in curricula and in regulations at any time when in its judgment such changes are for the best interest of the students and of the university. No student pursuing his or her first baccalaureate degree or double major will be permitted to graduate under a catalog issued more than five years prior to the date of his or her graduation. No student pursuing a second baccalaureate degree will be permitted to graduate under a catalog issued more than three years prior to the date of his or her graduation. Students should refer to the requirements of their respective college, school, or department for information about their programs of study and confer with their advisors whenever problems arise. The student is expected to follow the program outlined as closely as possible, particularly in the first two years when satisfying basic degree requirements and prerequisites for advance standing. Students may not be admitted to or change to a specified degree program before the degree program requirements have been published in the official catalog. Some courses listed in the catalog indicate an anticipated semester of offering; however, because of faculty availability and other constraints, there is no guarantee that courses will be offered at the specified times. Students should consult their advisor and departments concerning availability issues. While foundations curriculum credit is indicated for some courses, foundations curriculum credit may also be available for other courses. Courses in a student's major subject area may not count toward his or her foundations curriculum requirements.
During the period that the student is assigned to the General College, the university rule that a student adopt the catalog that is current whenever he or she changes his or her program does not apply. Except for the requirements for admission to certain programs, the catalog that was current at the time the student entered the General College will apply when he or she leaves the General College and declares a major unless (1) the student elects a later catalog, (2) the student changes his or her program after initial transfer from the General College, or (3) accreditation requirements for the university have been changed. Academic advisors will offer guidance to students in academic matters and refer students to those qualified to help them in other matters. The final responsibility for meeting all academic requirements for a selected program rests, however, with the student. The senior vice chancellor and provost for academic affairs has authority on all established curricular matters.
Each instructor shall determine the class attendance policy for each of his or her courses as long as the instructor's policy does not conflict with university policy. The instructor's attendance policy will be provided to the class on a syllabus distributed at the first class meeting. Class attendance may be a criterion in determining a student's final grade in the course if the instructor provides a written statement to this effect in the course syllabus. Students should consult with their instructors about all class absences. It is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor immediately about class absences, to provide appropriate documentation for an absence, and discuss any missed class time, tests, or assignments. Except in the case of university excused absences, it is the decision of the instructor to excuse an absence or to allow for any additional time to make up missed tests or assignments. Excused absences should not lower a student's course grade, provided that the student, in a manner determined by the instructor, is able to make up the work that has been missed and is maintaining satisfactory progress in the course. Student Health Services do not issue official written excuses for illness or injury, but will upon request at the time of the visit, provide a note confirming that the student has received care. In the event that the student is seriously ill or injured at the time of final examinations, Student Health Services on request by the student, may recommend a medical incomplete. A student who receives medical care from another licensed medical provider may take his or her instructor a note from that provider indicating that the student was too ill or injured to attend class, and listing the date(s) for which the student was unable to attend. The instructor may choose to accept these notes as evidence of excused absences. The Dean of Students may authorize a university-excused absence in the following situations:
Instructors are expected to honor valid university excused absences and to provide reasonable and equitable means for students to make up work missed as a result of those absences. Students who anticipate missing 10% or more of class meeting time as a result of university-excused absences are required to receive approval from the instructor at the beginning of the semester. Student experiences that cannot be made up should be discussed at the onset of the course to ensure that continued enrollment is feasible while there is still the opportunity to drop the course within the schedule change period. A student who believes that he or she has been treated unfairly concerning absences or has been misinformed by the instructor regarding that instructor's absence policy shall have the right to appeal. The appeal shall be in writing to the instructor's department chair or school director, and in the event the resolution is not satisfactory, the final decision rests with the academic dean.
An undergraduate student is not permitted to select courses more than one classification level above the student's own classification.
There are occasions, however, on which exceptions to this regulation may be deemed desirable and necessary by the student's advisor and/or dean. Under these circumstances, a student will be allowed to register for courses two or more levels above the student's classification if the registration or schedule change form contains the initials of the advisor and/or dean written on the line with the course that is involved in the regulation. Five-thousand-level (5000-5999) courses are graduate courses. Undergraduate students may be admitted to five-thousand level courses if they have completed the stated prerequisite(s) or with the written permission of the instructor, chair of the department, the director of the school, or the dean of the college in which the course is offered. Only students who have been admitted to pursue graduate work on a degree or nondegree basis will be permitted to enroll in courses numbered 6000 or above. A senior within six semester hours of graduation who has been admitted to a graduate degree program may take a 6000-level course while completing undergraduate degree requirements but only for graduate credit. Prerequisites are stated as integral parts of various programs, entrance requirements for degree programs, and sequential progression into subject matter. Students are not allowed to enroll in courses for which they have not met the prerequisites except by approval of the chair of the department or his/her designee. Elective courses in any curriculum may be taken from any field and are decided upon in consultation with the advisor.
The minimum number of semester hours required for a baccalaureate degree at East Carolina University is 120. Most degrees require 120 to 126 semester hours. (Any exceptions are indicated in the degree requirements listed in the undergraduate catalog.) Students who satisfactorily complete an average of 15-16 semester hours per semester should be able to obtain their degrees in four years or eight semesters. Some factors which may extend an individual student's time for completion of a degree are averaging fewer than 15-16 semester hours per semester, repeating courses, failing to meet course prerequisites, changing majors, taking unnecessary or inappropriate courses, withdrawing from school, dropping or failing courses, adding minors or double majors, and becoming academically ineligible to continue enrollment. Participation in internships, practica, cooperative education, and study abroad programs may or may not extend the number of semesters for graduation. Fall and Spring SemestersA student may take 18 semester hours of credit per semester without restrictions. With the approval of the advisor, chair, director, or dean, a student who has earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in all work may take 19 or 20 semester hours per semester. The approval for extra-hour load must be signed on the registration form by the advisor, chair, director, or dean concerned. A student desiring to enroll for more than 20 semester hours must secure, in addition to the above signature, approval from the Office of the Registrar.In the semester or summer term of graduation, a student with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 may take extra hours with the approval of the advisor, chair, director, or dean and approval from the Office of the Registrar. Summer TermsA student may take 7 semester hours each summer term or a maximum of 14 semester hours over the entire summer without restrictions. With the written approval of the Office of the Registrar, a student who has earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in all work may take extra hours.
Any deviations from the applicable published degree requirements must have the approval of the appropriate departmental chair, school director, or college dean and the Office of the Registrar as appropriate.
All independent study courses should be set up as a part of the departmental schedule of courses for the respective term. Independent study sections of normally offered courses should be appropriately noted by the section number.
Students who register during the early registration period are required to pay their fees and secure their official schedules during the stipulated period prior to registration day. Students who fail to pay fees by this date will have their schedules canceled.
During Schedule Change PeriodDuring the first five days of classes of the fall and spring semesters, a student may drop or add a course or courses to his or her schedule. The student should refer to the university calendar for specific dates. The student should discuss schedule changes with his or her advisor prior to making the changes. See below for instructions on requesting schedule changes after the scheduled change period. Course drops during this drop/add period do not count against a student's course drop allocation. (See course Drop Allocations, below.)During the summer, the schedule change period is limited to the first two days of classes each term. Course drops during this drop/add period do not count against a student's course drop allocation. (See course Drop Allocations, below.) After Schedule Change PeriodDuring the first 50 percent of the regularly scheduled class meetings of a course (including the meeting for the final examination), a student may drop the course. After consultation with his or her advisor, the student secures the signature of the advisor on the schedule change form and takes it to the Office of the Registrar for processing. Students enrolled in a Distance Education course must e-mail DEDrops@ecu.edu from their ECU e-mail account to request a course drop or withdrawal. The same 50 percent drop-period rule applies to block courses of other lengths as well. Ordinarily, a student may drop up to four courses or a smaller prorated number in pursuit of a university degree. (See Course Drop Allocations, below.) It is the student's responsibility to consult official university bulletin boards, documents, and/or the university calendar to determine the appropriate drop period for such block courses. Extenuating circumstances, however, can warrant consideration for drop by exception, as explained below.Petitions for drops after the deadline for course drops will typically be granted only for unforeseen and uncontrollable medical, psychological, or personal problems directly affecting the course(s) to be dropped. Students may petition the Student Academic Appellate Committee through the Office of the Registrar for drops by exception (drops after the 50 percent drop period, drops beyond student's allotted number, and drops not counted against the allotted number). Poor performance in course work; missed deadlines; change of major; or a course grade's adverse effect on the student's grade point average, probationary standing, or other eligibility is not in itself a sufficient basis for exception. The decision of the Student Academic Appellate Committee is final. Course drops for medical problems will be heard by Student Health Services and course drops for psychological problems will be heard by the Center for Counseling and Student Development. The written appeal must contain the rationale for the appeal and documentation of personal, family, or medical problems and how these problems affected the course(s) to be dropped. Student Health Services and the Center for Counseling and Student Development will not accept requests after the last regularly scheduled class meeting prior to the final examination for the course(s) in question except where earlier requests could not have been foreseen. Students whose petitions for drops are denied by Student Health Services or the Center for Counseling and Student Development may appeal the decision to the Student Academic Appellate Committee. The decision of the Student Academic Appellate Committee is final. Course Drop AllocationsDepending upon the student's classification at the time of admission, a student may drop up to four courses (outside the schedule change period). Students may use these drops between the schedule change period and the last day to drop term-length courses without a grade. Drops not used roll forward to the following term. The number of course drops is prorated for transfer students as follows:First Undergraduate Degree
Second Undergraduate DegreeA student who needs no more than
Courses offered in nontraditional formats, e.g., concentrated or abbreviated time periods, must be designed to ensure an opportunity for preparation, reflection, and analysis concerning the subject matter. At least one calendar week of reflection and analysis should be provided to students for each semester hour of undergraduate credit awarded. Credit will not be allowed for courses which substantially duplicate courses already completed.
Upon AdmissionA student transferring to the university from another regionally accredited college or university will have transcripts evaluated by the Office of Admissions during the admissions process. Credit will be awarded for all transferable courses for which a grade of C or better was earned. Students are allowed to request a re-evaluation of transfer courses by consulting with their academic advisor. It is only upon the review by the academic unit of the course being considered for re-evaluation that the student will know what additional courses are necessary to meet degree requirements. All courses and grades transferred become a part of the student's transcript. Although transfer grades are not counted in a student's ECU GPA, courses in which the student received a grade of D or F will be used in the calculation of the GPA for degrees with distinction.Military CreditStudents who have satisfactorily completed basic military training may receive credit for the exercise and sport science and/or health courses required for foundations curriculum upon submitting a DD-214, DD-295 or NOBE to the Office of the Registrar, Veteran's Affairs. Students who have completed service schools while on active duty with the military may request an evaluation prior to admission through the Office of Admissions. Credit will be awarded in accordance with the American Council on Education recommendations provided that the credit recommended is at the baccalaureate level. It is applicable to the foundations curriculum requirements, to the student's declared major field of study, or to the elective hours prescribed within the student's designated program of study; and is comparable to courses offered at East Carolina University.Permission to Take Courses at Another United States College or UniversityApproval must be granted in writing by the Office of the Registrar with permission from the designee of the academic unit offering the course at ECU prior to enrollment for transfer of any course taken at any other regionally accredited community college or senior institution. An official transcript must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar immediately upon completion of the course(s). Only courses in which the student earns a C or better will be accepted in transfer.
With specific authorization as indicated below, approval may be granted in the following instances:
Students should be aware that courses completed elsewhere and transferred in to ECU are not included for the calculation of the ECU GPA. Transfer semester hours are included when determining the student's retention requirements. All transferable course grades are used in the calculation of the GPA for degrees with distinction.
A grade change resulting from re-examination must be on file in the Office of the Registrar one week after the originally scheduled examination.
Grade points are computed by multiplying the number of semester-hour credits by four for courses in which a grade of A is earned, by three for a grade of B, by two for a grade of C, by one for a grade of D. No grade points are given for a grade of F, but hours attempted are recorded for each attempt of a given course. (See Grade Replacement Policy, below.) The GPA is obtained by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of semester hours attempted.
The Chancellor's List is composed of the names of all full-time undergraduates who make four grade (quality) points per credit hour (4.0) on all work taken with no incomplete grades. The Dean's List is composed of the names of all full-time undergraduates who make at least three and one-half grade (quality) points per credit hour (3.5) on all work taken with no grade below C and no incomplete grades. The Honor Roll is composed of the names of full-time undergraduates who make at least three grade (quality) points per credit hour (3.0) on all work taken with no grade below C and no incomplete grades.
A formal grade appeal must be initiated by the student by the end of the twenty-first calendar day of the semester (not including summer sessions) following the award of the grade. The grade assigned by the instructor is assumed to be correct and the student appealing the grade must justify the need for a change of the grade assigned. A discussion with the instructor should be the first step to resolve differences between an instructor and student concerning a grade. If the instructor of record will not be available within one semester (not including summer sessions), the department chair or designee may act in lieu of the instructor of record for the purpose of grade appeals. If the instructor and student cannot resolve the appeal, and the student wishes to pursue the matter further, he or she must present to the chair of the department or designee in which the course is offered, a written appeal that includes the following:
The department chair or designee may request additional materials from the student as necessary. After receiving a copy of the appeal materials from the department chair or designee, the instructor has fourteen calendar days to respond in writing to the appeal. The department chair or designee will discuss this response with the instructor and will provide the student with written notification of the outcome of this step within seven calendar days after receiving the instructor's response. If there is no mutually agreed upon resolution between the student and the instructor, and the student wishes to pursue the matter further, he or she has seven calendar days to submit his or her written appeal to the college dean or designee. The college dean or designee will review the appeal, provide copies of all appeal materials to the instructor, and discuss the appeal with both the instructor and the student. The instructor has seven days to review the written appeal the student has presented to the dean and, if desired, prepare an additional written response. The college dean or designee will provide the student with written notification of the result of this step within fourteen calendar days after receipt of the appeal from the student. If this does not lead to a mutually agreeable resolution between the student and the instructor, and the student wishes to pursue the matter further, then a Grade Appeal Committee shall be formed by the college dean within ten calendar days. This committee shall include three faculty members from the college: one selected by the student, one selected by the instructor of record, and one appointed by the college dean. A majority shall prevail in the committee. The Committee shall elect its own chair. The function of the Grade Appeal Committee shall be to evaluate the appeal in terms of the stated grounds for the appeal. The Committee's decision may be to keep the assigned grade or to raise the assigned grade. The Committee shall provide a written justification to the college dean for its decision, including minority opinions when they exist, no later than twenty-one calendar days after the Committee's formation. The college dean shall inform the student and the instructor of the Committee's decision and provide both parties with copies of the Committee report. This grade appeal policy shall constitute the sole internal administrative remedy for a change in grade, except when the grade being disputed resulted from an alleged academic integrity violation or when a grade dispute involves an Office of Equal Opportunity and Equity discrimination complaint. If a grade dispute arises from an issue that is covered under the university's Academic Integrity Policy, the process for resolution that has been established for appealing academic integrity violations must be followed. If a grade dispute arises from an issue that is covered under the university's Equal Opportunity and Equity policies, the process for resolution that the Office of Equal Opportunity and Equity has established must be completed prior to the use of the university's grade appeal process.
The grade replacements will be automatically processed for courses worth 3 or more semester hours. The student must request a grade replacement for 1 or 2 semester hour courses by completing a grade replacement form and submitting it to the Office of the Registrar. The grade replacement form must be submitted by the last day of classes of the semester in which the student retakes the course in order for the grade replacement(s) to be reflected in the student's GPA and Academic Standing for the current semester. Although the original grade will not be used in determining the GPA of the student, the original grade will remain on the student's permanent academic record and will be included in the calculation for degrees with distinction. The replacement grade, or last grade, stands. Students receiving an F on the replacement grade must repeat the course if credit is required for graduation. In the event that the original grade was a D, no additional credit hours will be awarded. The grade replacement policy does not apply to courses taken prior to fall 1994.
A student who possesses a baccalaureate degree and who is working toward a second baccalaureate degree must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 on all work attempted on the second baccalaureate degree. Many academic programs require a GPA greater than 2.0 for admission. (See specific major requirements.) Please note that Academic Eligibility and Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid are not the same. Please contact Student Financial Aid for more information about Satisfactory Academic Progress for continuation of receipt of student financial aid at ECU (www.ecu.edu/financial/).
Grades are mailed to the student at the end of each semester and each summer term upon written request (for each semester/term) from the student. Academic difficulty is reported on a student's transcript in Banner Self Service. Notification of academic difficulty is provided to the student via e-mail to their ECU e-mail account. The report indicates the following academic standing codes as appropriate:
A student will be placed on academic probation if he or she does not meet the current academic eligibility standards. Students on probation are required to complete an online Academic Recovery Module prior to registration for the next academic term (fall or spring). A student will remain on academic warning or probation until the required GPA is obtained or the student is suspended.
Appeals of SuspensionA student who wishes to appeal his or her suspension must appeal in writing to the Student Academic Appellate Committee. Continuing students who have served a portion of their suspension and who wish exemption from the remainder may also submit an appeal to resume attendance. The completed appeal packet must be received in the Office of the Registrar by 5:00 p.m. on the fourteenth day prior to the first day of classes for the fall or spring semester in which the student wishes to attend.The Student Academic Appellate Committee normally will not approve an appeal unless it is based on personal, medical or psychological problems of an extreme nature that were unforeseeable and uncontrollable and the student provides evidence that the situation has been remedied. The written appeal must contain the following information:
In considering appeals for readmission for the fall semester, the committee normally expects students to attend summer school to demonstrate academic improvement. The decision of the Student Academic Appellate Committee is final. A successful appeal of academic suspension does not also grant an appeal to Student Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress standards. Please contact Student Financial Aid for more information (www.ecu.edu/financial/).
Following SuspensionStudents must apply for readmission to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Eligibility to apply for readmission after suspension does not guarantee acceptance as the university must adhere to enrollment restrictions.Following an initial suspension of one semester and readmission to the university on academic probation, the student who fails to meet the required GPA while on probation will be suspended from the university for two semesters unless he or she earns at least a 2.5 GPA on a minimum of 12 attempted hours in the current probationary semester or attending both summer terms, has a total quality point deficit of five or fewer for the retention period and hours attempted, or is readmitted by the Student Academic Appellate Committee. Following the second suspension and readmission to the university on academic probation, the student who fails to meet the required GPA will be suspended from the university for an indefinite period of time, not less than three academic years, unless he or she earns at least a cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a minimum of 12 attempted hours in the current probationary semester or attending both summer terms, has a total quality point deficit of five or fewer for the retention period and hours attempted, meets the required GPA by attending summer school at ECU, or is readmitted by the Student Academic Appellate Committee. A student may remove academic deficiencies only by attending ECU. Quality points do not transfer. Readmission Under Forgiveness PolicyFormer East Carolina University students who have not been enrolled at ECU for a minimum of three consecutive academic years (six semesters, summer sessions excluded) may request readmission under the Forgiveness Policy. Such requests must be submitted on the application for readmission according to application deadline dates as specified above.Students who have been enrolled at another regionally accredited college or university since their last enrollment at East Carolina University must submit to the Office of Admissions official transcripts indicating that a minimum cumulative 2.5 average has been earned in all transferable courses attempted. Subsequent East Carolina University-based GPAs of students readmitted under this policy will be computed without inclusion of previous course work in which a grade below C was received; credit toward graduation will not be allowed for such course work. Student should be aware, however, that all ECU grades, including those earned prior to readmission under the forgiveness policy, will be included in calculations for consideration for degrees with distinction. A student may take advantage of the readmission under the Forgiveness Policy only one time. Those readmitted under this policy are on academic probation for the first 19 semester hours of attempted course work. At the end of the term in which the nineteenth semester hour is attempted, a minimum cumulative C average must have been earned at East Carolina University on all course work attempted since readmission under forgiveness. Failure to meet this stipulation will result in the student being ineligible, except for summer school, until such time as the C average is obtained. Students should be aware that the Readmission under Forgiveness Policy is an ECU policy that is not recognized in the US Department of Education's calculation of financial aid eligibility. Students who plan to apply to or receive financial aid should contact the financial aid office. Cashier accounts must be cleared of any outstanding balance, if any, prior to registration for the term of readmission. Students should also be aware that a substantial tuition surcharge may be applied in accordance with the rules established by the Board of Governors or other appropriate legislative body.
During the first 50 percent of regularly scheduled class meetings, a student may withdraw from school without receiving grades for courses in which he or she is enrolled. After 50 percent of regularly scheduled class meetings, a student withdrawing from school shall receive no grade, nor credit, for the courses in which he/she is passing at the time of withdrawal. A student will receive a grade of F for all classes which he/she is failing at the time of withdrawal. Students may appeal to the Student Academic Appellate Committee if the failures were caused by unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances. Students withdrawing for medical/counseling reasons should complete the procedure within thirty days after the last class attendance. All other students withdrawing should complete this procedure immediately after the last class attendance. After classes have ended, no withdrawal, except in the case of severe medical emergency, can be filed. To withdraw, distance education students should notify dedrops@ecu.edu.
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