ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES
SEMESTER HOURS
A semester hour, in its usual application, is one 50-minute period of recitation or lecture, or three such periods of laboratory work, each week for a semester of 15 weeks. The usual semester’s work in any one course gives three semester hours of credit. Each lecture or recitation hour presupposes an average of two hours of outside preparation on the part of the student.
A minimum of 124 semester hours is required for a baccalaureate degree in most majors, except in Engineering Science (129 semester hours), in Choral or Instrumental Music (132 semester hours), and in Music Performance or Composition (141 semester hours).
ACADEMIC WORKLOAD
Payment of full tuition permits an enrollment of 12-18 hours per semester. An undergraduate student is regarded as being enrolled full time if the student is registered for 12 semester hours of course work in the fall and spring semesters, or for six hours of course work in the summer. Students who wish to take more than 18 hours during one semester, or 36 semester hours in one nine-month academic year, must receive a waiver of the university policy from the Office of Academic Affairs (prior approval needed from faculty advisor).
An undergraduate student in the final semester prior to his or her graduation is regarded as being enrolled full time if the student is registered for one or more semester hours of coursework representing the remaining degree requirement.
To be considered full time for financial aid purposes, an undergraduate must be enrolled in at least 12 hours at the end of the add/drop period of each enrollment term (summer, fall, or spring), including the final semester prior to his or her graduation. Financial aid may be available for undergraduate students who enroll for fewer than 12 hours per term.
UNDERGRADUATE ENROLLMENT IN GRADUATE COURSES
Students who have nearly completed the requirements for a bachelor’s degree at Trinity are occasionally permitted to enroll for a limited number of graduate courses.
Undergraduate students at Trinity will be permitted to enroll in 5000-level courses and receive credit toward their baccalaureate degree under the following conditions: In order to qualify, a student must be within 30 hours of graduation, have an overall grade point average of 3.50, and an average of 3.75 in his/her major field. The student is required to have approval from the chair of his/her major department and also approval from the Vice President for Academic Affairs. If a student wishes to enroll in a course in a department other than his/her major field, additional approval from the chair of the department offering the course is needed. Students are limited to one 5000-level course each semester and are required to have separate approval for each semester in which they wish to take a graduate course. They are not required to apply for graduate admission. The graduate credit hours may not be applied to both the graduate and undergraduate degrees.
CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS
Students are classified on the following basis:
Graduate Completion or near completion of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree and admission to one or more graduate classes for graduate credit.
Senior A minimum of 88 semester hours on record.
Junior A minimum of 58 hours on record.
Sophomore A minimum of 26 semester hours on record.
First year Fulfillment of entrance requirements and less than 26 semester hours on record.
Postgraduate Baccalaureate degree and enrollment in undergraduate courses for undergraduate credit.
Special A student taking courses at Trinity with temporary permission and not a candidate for a degree from Trinity.
Noncredit Recipient of full instructional attention and participation in class without academic credit. No course taken as noncredit may subsequently count for credit unless the course is repeated.
GRADES
GRADING SYSTEM
The grading system at Trinity involves letter grades which are assigned a quality point value per semester hour of credit as follows:
A.................................................................... superior............................................................ 4.000
A-............................................................................................................................................. 3.667
B+............................................................................................................................................. 3.333
B..................................................................... good................................................................. 3.000
B-............................................................................................................................................. 2.667
C+............................................................................................................................................. 2.333
C..................................................................... average............................................................ 2.000
C-............................................................................................................................................. 1.667
D+................................................................... poor.................................................................. 1.333
D............................................................................................................................................... 1.000
F..................................................................... failure............................................................... 0.000
I...................................................................... incomplete
W.................................................................... withdrew from course
PP................................................................... passing in a pass/fail course
FF................................................................... failing in a pass/fail course
PR................................................................... in progress (thesis course only)
All A, B, C, and D grades are passing grades. A grade of W is not included in computing grade averages. Grades of I and PR are not included in the grade average. If the student is unable to finish the thesis during the second semester, the thesis advisor upon evaluation of the work the student has completed to date can change the first semester “PR” grade to “PP” or “FF”. Courses in which F and FF grades are received must be repeated at Trinity to receive credit.
I, PR, W, FF and PP grades carry no grade point average. Hours earned with PP grade will count toward the student’s total hours for graduation.
GRADE POINT AVERAGE
The student’s overall evaluation is stated in terms of a grade point average. This average is obtained by dividing the number of grade points earned by the number of hours of work attempted in courses which carry grade points. The student’s cumulative grade average is obtained by dividing all grade points earned throughout enrollment at Trinity University by the number of semester hours attempted in courses that carry grade points. Only grades in courses taken in residence at Trinity University will factor into the grade point average.
If a student repeats a course at Trinity, all grades for the course will be used in computing the grade average. Only courses that are specifically designated may be repeated for credit. All other repeated courses will be shown on the permanent record as repeated with grades listed and duplicate credit, if any, deleted.
GRADES IN MAJOR OR MINOR
As part of a student’s degree requirements, a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 is required on all courses taken in each of the student’s major or minor disciplines.
A course taken for a student’s major (minor) in which the student earns a grade of D (for example) satisfies the requirements for the major (minor), but the student must have an overall average on all courses for the major (minor) of 2.0. Should the student choose to repeat a course in which a grade of D (for example) was earned, both grades are included in determining the grade point average in the major (minor). If a student is a double major, each major is considered separately and without regard to the other major in determining whether graduation requirements are satisfied. If a course, such as a cross-listed course, is required for both majors, it is included in the grade point calculation for each major.
GRADES FOR PREREQUISITE COURSES
A student may satisfy the prerequisites for any course at Trinity only by receiving a grade of C- or higher in each of the prerequisite courses.
GRADE REPORTS
Reports of grades for all students are available online from the Trinity University website at the close of each semester. Hard copies of grade reports are available from the Office of the Registrar upon request by the student. Mid-semester grades of D and F are not permanently recorded but may be sent for information and guidance. The semester grades become a part of the student’s permanent record.
PASS/FAIL OPTION
A student may register for an elective course on a Pass/Fail basis and not be in competition with majors in that field for a course grade. This option is intended to encourage the student to explore new academic areas without endangering the student’s grade average.
Limitations on Pass/Fail registration are:
a. Only one course per semester may be taken Pass/Fail.
b. No course counted for the major or minor and no course being used to meet a Common Curriculum requirement may be taken Pass/Fail unless the course is offered exclusively on a Pass/Fail basis.
c. Pass/Fail courses must be listed at the time of registration and may not be changed after the date specified in the academic calendar (15 days from start of classes) to a letter grade basis; conversely, courses taken for a letter grade may not be changed subsequently to Pass/Fail after the 15th class day.
Not all departments permit Pass/Fail registration. Courses which may not be taken Pass/Fail are usually marked on the published class schedule.
INCOMPLETE GRADES
An I, meaning “incomplete,” indicates that a student has done work of a passing grade in a course but has failed to do some portion of the required work because of an emergency. An I grade may not be given solely to allow additional time to complete a course. It is the student’s responsibility to have this deficiency removed before the end of the first semester following the time of receiving the grade of I or the grade will be changed to F.
If no change has been made by the instructor after one semester has elapsed, the Registrar is authorized to change all grades of I to F.
If the instructor involved is no longer connected with Trinity University and the Registrar is unable to communicate with the instructor, the Registrar will record an automatic F.
For the purposes of determining scholastic probation, incomplete grades will not be counted as hours attempted.
REPEATING OF COURSES
Any student who fails a course at Trinity University and then elects to repeat that course must do so at Trinity University. All of the grades for repeated courses will be included in the cumulative grade point average. Credit will only be awarded once for repeated courses unless the course has been designed as “may be repeated for credit.”
DEAN’S LIST
In order to merit the honor of being placed on the Dean’s List, a student must have completed 15 or more grade point carrying hours of credit in one semester and have earned a grade point average of 3.65 or above. Names of students achieving this distinction are published at the close of each semester.
ACCESS TO RECORDS
The University complies with the provisions of Public Law 93-380, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Prescribed educational records of students are open to their inspection upon formal request, in accordance with federal regulations. Every effort is made, within the letter and the spirit of the law, to prevent release of data and records to third parties, except upon specific request of the student.
Requests to inspect records should be addressed to the appropriate University official as follows:
Academic records Registrar
Personal records of students Vice President for Student Affairs
Teacher education records Chair, Department of Education
Financial aid records Director of Financial Aid
Financial records Associate Vice President for Fiscal Affairs
Graduate personal records Chair of the department of graduate major
Letters of recommendation and student rating sheets supplied in the admission process are used as working papers only and do not become a part of the permanent educational record of the student.
TRANSCRIPTS OF CREDIT
Transcripts of credit will be issued by the Registrar to all students and former students requesting them, subject to certain conditions. One of these is that all amounts owed to the University must be paid. Official transcripts of credits will be forwarded directly to the student or to a recipient designated by the student.
Because of limitations posed by privacy laws, transcript requests should be made in writing.
As a courtesy to current and former students, official transcripts will normally be prepared at no charge. Transcripts usually require three full working days to be prepared and mailed. Rush delivery requests are accepted but will incur a service fee of $10 plus any additional postage. At the end of a term, ten working days after the date grades are due may be required to issue transcripts including current grades and graduation information.
GOOD STANDING
Good standing refers to the academic progress of students who are not on probation or on academic dismissal. The minimum requirements for academic good standing are as follows:
A. 1.80 cumulative GPA for first semester students who have attempted at least 12 semester hours.
B. 2.00 cumulative GPA for students beyond the first semester who have attempted more than 12 semester hours.
SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS
I. Students who carry a full load of courses are expected to make satisfactory progress toward completion of a degree within a reasonable time. The standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) are as follows:
A. Students must average at least 12 hours per semester.
B. Students must complete at least 24 hours per academic year unless on an officially approved leave.
C. Students who enroll mid-year must complete at least 12 hours prior to the start of the fall semester.
D. Summer hours earned after matriculation may be included in the calculation of SAP.
E. Credit by examination and transfer hours earned prior to matriculation may not be included in the calculation of SAP.
II. Student-Athletes
For students who officially represent the University in intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletics Association, Satisfactory Academic Progress will be evaluated by the Registrar once a year at the end of the Spring semester. To be eligible to participate in NCAA-sanctioned athletics during a given academic year, student-athletes must satisfy the standards for SAP prior to the beginning of the Fall semester and must also be enrolled for at least 12 hours during the semester in which competition takes place.
III. Transfer Students
A. A transfer student will be expected to fulfill the standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as stated above in Section I.
B. A transfer student’s academic good standing will be measured only on grades earned at Trinity University.
SATISFACTORY PROGRESS REQUIREMENTS FOR UNDERGRADUATE FINANCIAL AID RECIPIENTS
In order to receive financial assistance, a student must be making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree in accordance with policies established by Trinity University as required by the Department of Education. For a full definition of satisfactory academic progress for financial aid, please refer to the financial aid section of this Bulletin.
PROBATION AND DISMISSAL
Only students whose scholastic averages are maintained at or above good standing will be permitted to continue in the University.
Student records are reviewed by the Committee on Academic Standing at the end of each semester and the summer session. Students are placed on probation when grade averages drop below the following standards:
1.80 cumulative – for the first semester students who have attempted at least 12 semester hours.
2.00 cumulative – for students beyond the first semester who have attempted more than 12 semester hours.
Students will be placed on probation after two consecutive semesters in which less than a 2.0 semester average is achieved.
All courses, regardless of content, are used to determine classification although only those courses carrying grade points are used in determining averages.
To remove the probation, the student must earn a 2.0 semester average the following semester and continue to maintain the required cumulative average. Students who earn a satisfactory semester average (at least 2.0) and make substantial progress toward achieving the required cumulative average (usually 2.0) in the next semester will be continued on probation. Students who fail to remove probationary status and do not satisfy the requirements to be continued on probation within one semester will be placed on temporary dismissal from the University for one semester. Exceptions to this policy may be granted in extenuating circumstances on appeal from the student to the Academic Standing Committee.
Students placed on temporary dismissal must apply to the Office of the Registrar for readmission at least one month before the start of the semester for which they want to re-enroll. If readmitted, the probationary student has one more semester of enrollment to achieve good standing or to make substantial progress toward achieving good standing allowing an additional semester of enrollment.
A student dropped from enrollment a second time for scholastic deficiency is permanently barred from the University.
Students on probation may enroll for no more than 13 semester hours of courses carrying grade points.
Probation may not be removed by study done at another college. Students barred from Trinity University for scholastic reasons may not transfer credit earned at another college or university during the time they are barred from Trinity, unless they receive special written permission from the Vice President for Academic Affairs to take the work they propose to transfer.
A student dropped from the University for any duration by the Committee on Academic Standing may appeal the decision, but the appeal must be made in writing by the student within ten days of the decision, stating reasons for the appeal and explaining any extenuating circumstances. The appeal should be addressed to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Students should request their faculty advisors to submit a recommendation regarding their appeal.
If readmitted, the student will be notified in writing and the conditions of reinstatement will be stated in the notification.
DISMISSAL FROM A CLASS AND STUDENT ATTENDANCE
The University expects regular class attendance by all students. The instructor in each course is expected to state an attendance policy in the course syllabus. Each student is expected to familiarize himself or herself with this policy at the beginning of each course.
Instructors then have the prerogative of informing the Registrar to drop or withdraw a student from a course for nonattendance within the published deadlines for such actions. After the last date to withdraw, a student dismissed from the class roll for excessive absences will receive an F in the course.
Absence from class does not constitute official withdrawal from the class or from the University. A student must initiate withdrawal from the class or from the University in the manner prescribed for “Withdrawal from a Course” or “Withdrawal from the University” in this bulletin.
POLICY REGARDING DISRUPTION OF CLASS
Students will not be permitted to behave in such a manner as to disrupt the orderly conduct of classroom activities. When such behavior occurs, it is the responsibility of the instructor to discuss the matter with the student involved, warning the student that continuation of such behavior may result in dismissal from the class. If the behavior continues, the faculty member may drop the student from the class. Notification of such action shall be communicated in writing to the student, the student’s faculty advisor, the department chair, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. This notification must include a statement of the reasons for the decision and a summary of the appeal procedures. The student has a period of two school days in which to file a written appeal with the Vice President for Academic Affairs. If the student files an appeal within the time specified, the matter will be referred to the Committee on Academic Integrity for action in accordance with the procedures set forth in the University’s Academic Integrity Policy. A copy of the dismissal notification will remain in a file created for this purpose in the Office of Academic Affairs; the copy will be destroyed when the student is graduated. If the dismissal from class occurs before the published deadline for withdrawal from a class, the student will receive a grade of “W” in the class; if it occurs after the deadline, the grade will be “F.”
REPRESENTATION OF THE UNIVERSITY BY A STUDENT
Any student who represents the University in any public manner as a member of a music or dramatic organization, delegate to any association meeting or convention, or as an officer of any of these organizations must be enrolled as a full-time student, must have a passing grade in at least 9 of these semester hours, and must have earned 9 semester hours of credit during the last semester attended.
Candidates for the athletic squads must be accepted and registered students before they may compete in intercollegiate sports. Eligibility is carefully checked at the time of acceptance and reviewed at the end of each semester in the same manner as all other students, in accordance with NCAA regulations.