Academic Regulations

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Guidelines

North Carolina Central University maintains various student records to document academic progress as well as to record interactions with University staff and officials. To protect the student’s rights to privacy, and to conform to federal law, the university has an established policy for handling students’ records. Interpretation of this policy is based on experience with educational records, and the policy itself may subsequently be modified in light of this experience. Notice of this policy and of students’ rights under federal law is given annually.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended, designates certain information related to a student as “Directory Information.” The FERPA gives the University the rights to disclose such information to anyone inquiring without having to ask a student for permission, unless the student specifically requests in writing that all such information not be made public without written consent.

North Carolina Central University has designated the following as “Student Directory Information”:

Name, local address and telephone number, permanent address, email address, date and place of birth, photograph or likeness, college, curriculum, enrollment status, classification, date of attendance at North Carolina Central University, awards and academic honors, degrees and dates awarded, most recent previous educational institutions attended, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and height and weight of athletes.

If students wish to withhold the disclosure of all Student Directory Information items, a request must be in writing and submitted to the Registrar’s Office. Within 24 hours of the submission of the written notification, the hold will restrict the release of all Student Directory Information in the North Carolina Central University Student Information System database. The written request must be received in the Registrar’s Office within 15 calendar days from the beginning of the semester. Submitting the written request after the 15th calendar day could result in your Student Directory Information being released to other university publications and databases. If the form is submitted after you have left the university (i.e. graduated, transferred, dropped out) the Student Directory Information hold will remain in effect until the Registrar’s Office receives a written request to release the hold.

Consider carefully the consequences of any decision made by you to hold your Student Directory Information as any future requests for such information will be refused. North Carolina Central University will honor your request to hold Student Directory Information but cannot assume responsibility to contact you for subsequent permission to release it. Regardless of the effect upon you, North Carolina Central University assumes no liability for honoring your instructions that such information be withheld.

Students’ records are generally considered to be confidential. Confidential educational records and personally identifiable information from those records will not be released without written consent of the student involved, except to other University personnel, or in connection with the student’s application for financial aid; or by submitting proof of dependency; or in response to a judicial order or subpoena; or in a bona fide health or safety emergency; or, upon request, to other schools in which the student seeks or intends to enroll; or to the U.S. Comptroller General, the Secretary of Education, the U.S. Commissioner of Education, the Director of National Institute of Education, the Assistant Secretary for Education, state educational authorities, or state and local officials were required by state statute adopted before November 19, 1974.

FERPA regulations also restrict North Carolina Central University from forwarding confidential information and/or documents received for admissions dispositions with other institutions. University personnel who have access to student educational records in the course of carrying out their University responsibilities shall not be permitted to release the record of persons outside the University, unless authorized in writing by the student or as required by a court order. Only the official responsible for the records has the authority to release them.

A student who believes the university has not complied with federal law or regulations may send a written complaint to:

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office
Dept. of Education, 400 Maryland, SW
Washington, DC 20202.

For additional FERPA information, visit the website at www.ed.gov.

Orientation

All new students (first-time college students and transfer students) are required to attend an orientation program after they are admitted to the University and prior to the semester they enroll. Orientation sessions, also known as Eagle Institutes, are scheduled for June and July for those enrolled for the fall semester and in January for those enrolled for the spring semester. The primary purpose of the Orientation program is to equip students and families with the necessary information to successfully transition into college life. They will have the opportunity to engage with the University community, register for classes, tour the campus, and receive answers to pertinent questions. Students will register for a particular session and will then be notified by mail confirming the arrival date, time, and location. This is an opportunity for New Eagles to get a flying start as they begin the next phase of their lives!

Academic Advising

Academic advising is an integral component of the educational experience at North Carolina Central University. In concert with the mission and goals of the University, Academic Advising is open to all students in all academic departments, schools, and colleges. One of the main purposes of academic advising is to assist students in reaching personal and professional goals. Students are expected to meet with advisors at least two times per semester. A signed contract between the advisor and student should provide guidance in terms of what the student needs to do in order to be successful in their academic pursuits. It is important that students sign in each time they meet with their advisor.

While academic advisors are available to assist students in making course selections as well as providing additional resources for student success, the student is ultimately responsible for his/her success. The University strongly expects students to become familiar with graduation requirements for their chosen major(s), meet with their academic advisor on a regular basis to discuss their academic progress, give their academic work the highest priority, and carefully plan their course selections and sequences. Carefully following these expectations and forming a strong working relationship with a student’s assigned academic advisor can ensure student success and graduation from NCCU.

Placement Testing

Academic skills assessment and course placement activities are designed to evaluate a student’s proficiency in reading comprehension, sentence skills, mathematics and foreign language.

All freshmen, and transfer students who do not transfer courses that are the equivalents to EDU 1110 and/or MATH 1100  , are required to take placement tests in English and mathematics before they can register for classes. Freshmen may be exempt from the English and/or mathematics placement tests if they score a minimum of 480 on the math portion and/or a minimum of 530 on the verbal portions of the SAT. Freshmen who take the ACT may also be exempt from the English and/or mathematics placement tests if they score a minimum of 20 on the math portion and/or a minimum of 22 on the reading portion of the ACT.

Except as herein provided, all new students who have taken two years or more of the same foreign language in high school are tested to determine their foreign language placement unless they choose to study a different foreign language. Students who have not taken two years or more of the same foreign language in high school or who choose to study a different foreign language must enroll in an introductory foreign language course. However, students who transfer foreign language credits equivalent to or above the first level in Spanish, French or German, are not required to take the foreign language placement test.

All new nursing students must take a biology placement test to determine their placement in beginning biology courses.

Registration

Students complete the registration process via Banner Self Service (SSB). Students use the Eagles Online (EOL) website to access Banner SSB. Banner SSB is available for registration during the period of time regulated by the Academic Calendar for each semester. Additionally, Banner SSB affords the opportunity for students to register, and to view class schedules, NCCU transcripts, student account information, financial aid information, and grades, and to track their academic progress.

Students are required to meet with their advisors to discuss curricula plans and course schedules. The Alternate Personal Identification Number (PIN) is used during the registration process. The Alternate PIN is the property of the University and faculty members, and advisors issue the Alternate PIN to the student once the student has been properly advised to complete the registration process. The Alternate PIN is changed each semester to ensure security and to encourage students and advisors to meet at least twice each academic year to review the students’ progress.

As designated by the Academic Calendar, the registration period officially ends on the day designated as the last day of late registration and schedule adjustments. Course schedules will be canceled for students who do not make satisfactory payment arrangements on or before the registration ending date.

Late fees for registration are imposed on the date indicated on the Academic Calendar. Classes may not be added or dropped after the last day for schedule adjustments as indicated in the Academic Calendar.

Course Loads

Regular (degree-seeking) undergraduates must carry a minimum of 15 credit hours per semester in order to be classified as full-time students; however, 16 credit hours per semester is necessary to guarantee graduation in four years. No regular undergraduate, therefore, will be permitted to carry fewer than 15 credit hours unless special permission to do so is granted by the dean of that student’s college or school or by the dean of the University College.

CAUTION: Carrying less than a full-time course load may affect financial aid eligibility. Students who plan to take less than a full-time load should check with the donor of their aid or with the NCCU Office of Scholarships and Student Aid. Aid may be withdrawn if the academic load is less than full-time. The student will then be responsible for the payment of any tuition and/or fees.

Students with a 3.0 or better cumulative grade point average may be allowed to carry a maximum of 21 semester hours with the approval of the dean of their college or school. Students with less than a 3.0 cumulative grade point average may not take more than 18.5 hours in a single semester. Under no circumstances will a student be allowed to register for more than 21 hours in a single semester.

Schedule Adjustments / Dropping and Adding Courses

During the late registration period, students may drop and/or add courses with the approval of the faculty advisor and the dean of their college or school. Students may drop classes online during the first week of the drop/add period and may add any class that is open. After the fifth class day, students may add classes only with a drop/add card signed by the advisor and the instructor and signed by the dean of their college or school, and submitted to the Registrar’s Office. Students are permitted to drop classes online until 4 p.m. of the last day of the drop/add period. After the end of the drop/add period, students may not add a class or change sections. Also, they will not receive a refund or adjustment for the amount owed or paid for classes dropped. Students may withdraw from individual classes with the permission of the academic advisor by presenting a signed withdrawal form to the Registrar’s Office until the last day for students to withdraw from classes without academic penalty as governed by the Academic Calendar. However, there will be no adjustment in bills if classes are withdrawn during this period. The grade received for these withdrawn courses will be “WC” (withdrawal from a course).

Undergraduate students may not withdraw from courses after the date designated in the Academic Calendar as the last day to withdraw from a course. Students who do not attend classes after the last date for withdrawing from courses are withdrawn from the unattended classes and will receive the grade of “NF,” which is the equivalent of an “F” when calculating a student’s grade point average.

CAUTION: Withdrawals from courses may affect eligibility for financial aid, regardless of the grade assigned to the withdrawn course. Students should check with the donor of their aid or with the NCCU Office of Scholarships and Student Aid before withdrawing from a course.

Students may change their status in a course from credit to audit only before the end of the official drop/add period. Any course not declared as an “audit” course by the last day of drop/add will count as a credit course on the student’s academic record. See “Auditing Courses” for the complete procedures to declare an audit.

The appropriate North Carolina Central University officials may remove a student from class or authorize enrollment in additional classes when such changes are necessary to conform with North Carolina Central University or the University of North Carolina policies. A scheduled class may be canceled if a sufficient number of students does not register for the class. The meeting time for previously scheduled classes may be changed with proper authorization. Students affected by such changes will be given the opportunity to move to another class or will be allowed to drop any affected classes during the first week of the fall and spring semesters, or the first two days during a summer session, after receiving notice of such changes without penalty.

Transfer of Credit

All work accepted for transfer credit must be at least a “C” grade and will be treated as semester hours earned. The grades a student earned on transferred work will not be recorded on the academic transcript of the student’s work at NCCU and will not count toward the student’s grade point average. However, the transferred hours will count toward the maximum of 168 semester hours that a student may attempt as an undergraduate.

Students transferring from a two-year institution may receive up to a total of 64 semester hours of academic credit from all institutions attended. Extension courses, advanced placement, CLEP credit, and military service credit are included in this maximum.

Students who transfer from a four-year accredited institution may receive any number of semester hours of academic credit from all four-year institutions attended. These students, however, must meet the 30-semester hour residency requirement before receiving their degrees from North Carolina Central University.

Students who transfer to NCCU and who request financial aid must also submit for evaluation an official financial aid transcript from all schools attended previously.

Academic Support Services

In keeping with the mission of the University, Academic Support Services provides assistance and support, and gives students an opportunity to achieve maximum success during matriculation. These services are designed to assist students in enhancing their academic performance in all subject areas. The foci of the services provide students the opportunity to enjoy an enabling and helping relationship with counselors, faculty, tutors, supplemental instruction leaders, peer mentors, librarians, and other resource people on the campus. Students will receive encouragement to internalize and apply learning experiences to classroom assignments and everyday living. Positive images are portrayed through the use of positive approaches to teaching and learning to improve academic skills and the acquisition of knowledge. All students may avail themselves of the following services: individual and group tutorial sessions, intrusive academic advising, electronic tutoring, transfer students’ services, individual and group study programs, “How to Study” programs, supplemental instruction, engagement sessions, curriculum monitoring, computerized learning programs, counseling services, developmental skills programs, and class attendance monitoring. Students availing themselves of these services will have an instilled sense of pride and responsibility to maintain satisfactory progress with the ultimate goal of graduation from North Carolina Central University in a timely manner.

Academic Honor Code

Undergraduate Student Code of Academic Integrity

North Carolina Central University is dedicated to instilling in its students the highest principles of integrity and responsibility. In this regard, students are expected to demonstrate respect for these principles in the performance of their academic activities. Academic dishonesty, which is a violation of academic integrity, will be dealt with according to the provisions of the Student Code of Academic Integrity.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty is defined as any conduct that is intended by the student to obtain for him/herself or for others an unfair or false evaluation in connection with any examination or other work for academic credit. Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and complicity are examples of conduct that is academically dishonest.

Cheating is the unauthorized use of materials in connection with an examination or other work for academic credit, including, but not limited to: (1) the use of books, notes, outlines, etc., during an examination where the instructor has not authorized use of such materials or information; (2) seeking unauthorized materials or information from others in connection with an examination; (3) giving or attempting to give unauthorized assistance to a person in connection with an examination; (4) obtaining or attempting to obtain unauthorized copies of examinations; (5) bringing to an examination, or attempting to use during an examination, unauthorized answers that have been prepared before the examination period; (6) copying or attempting to copy from the work of another student during an examination; (7) the use of electronic equipment or media to provide unauthorized assistance to oneself or others; and (8) submitting for evaluation in a course, part or the whole of a work for which credit has been given previously.

Fabrication is the intentional invention, counterfeiting, and/or alteration of quotations, data, procedures, experiments, sources, or other information for which the student claims authorship in an exercise that he or she submits with the expectation of receiving academic credit. Plagiarism is the intentional use of the ideas, words, or work of another without attribution, when the information they provide is not common knowledge, either in content or form, and includes, but is not limited to: (1) quoting from the published or unpublished work of another without appropriate attribution; (2) paraphrasing or summarizing in one’s own work any portion of the published or unpublished materials of another without attribution; and (3) borrowing from another’s work information that is not in the domain of common knowledge.

Complicity is the intentional giving of assistance or the attempt to give assistance to another for the purpose of perpetrating academic dishonesty.

Penalties for Academic Dishonesty

The imposition of the penalty for academic dishonesty shall be made by the instructor responsible for assigning the final grade in the course within the guidelines set forth in subsections (a) through (c) below. The instructor will determine the appropriate penalty in relation to the gravity of the offense, the type of academic exercise on which the offense occurred, and the weight of that exercise in the computation of the final grade, consistent with the following:

1. For an act of academic dishonesty committed in an exercise counting for up to 10% of the final grade, the penalty will be the grade of F/zero for the entire exercise or parts of it.
2. For an act of academic dishonesty committed in an exercise counting for between 11% and 24% of the final grade, the penalty will be the grade of F/zero or a reduced grade for the exercise.
3. For an act of academic dishonesty committed in an exercise counting for 25% or more of the final grade, or for final examinations and papers, the penalty may be as severe as the grade of F for the course.

However, the penalties for refusing to respond or failing to respond within 48 hours to the formal charge of academic dishonesty will be an automatic F/zero for the exercise in cases of category (a) or (b) above, and an automatic F/zero for the course in cases of category (c). In addition, the charge of academic dishonesty will stand and will be recorded on a student’s academic transcript.

The dean of the school shall check the records of all students reported for academic dishonesty and refer all cases involving a second offenses of academic dishonesty to the Academic Integrity Board.

The penalty for a second act of academic dishonesty committed any time before the offender’s graduation may be as severe as suspension or expulsion.

Policy Regarding Student Academic and Disciplinary Records

So as to maintain appropriate records regarding its students, North Carolina Central University follows the policy and procedures described below. They are designed to guide the University’s efforts in maintaining information about students’ academic performance at the University while treating it ethically, and appropriately safeguarding their privacy. For purposes of this policy, the following definitions apply:

Academic Performance

Beginning Fall 2012, anytime a student’s GPA drops below a 2.0, the student shall be dismissed from the University. Students who are dismissed in either the fall or spring semesters shall be permitted to attend summer school immediately following their dismissal from the University in an effort to increase their GPA. Students who successfully increase their GPA to a 2.0 or more during summer school shall be readmitted to the University. Students who do not obtain a minimum 2.0 GPA at the end of Summer Session I or II will no longer be permitted to take classes at the University.

(Unsatisfactory earned grades, violation of the undergraduate class attendance policy, and withdrawal from large numbers of courses resulting in a deficiency in earned credit hours may contribute to academic performance deficiencies.)

Academic Misconduct - Any violation of the “Undergraduate Student Code of Academic Integrity” for undergraduate students or any violation of the comparable policy for the graduate or professional program in which the student is enrolled.

Non-Academic Misconduct - Any misconduct that is non-academic in nature and that violates the Student Code of Conduct in force at the time of the infraction.

Academic Transcripts

Academic transcripts are permanent records documenting courses and degree programs completed at the University and student performance in them. Transcripts are maintained in the Office of the Registrar and printed on authentic tamper-protected paper; they are official documents of student matriculation, course work, and degrees completed at the University. Transcripts will be transmitted to third parties only in strict accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and only for those students who have no outstanding financial balances with the University. Official transcripts contain notations regarding grades for academic work undertaken at the University, transfer credits accepted, academic probation and academic suspension, administrative withdrawal, degrees earned at North Carolina Central University, and appropriate identifying biographical information. Notations of academic misconduct and non-academic misconduct shall not be recorded on transcripts or retained by the Office of the Registrar except for notice of expulsion. Notations of academic performance deficiencies shall remain on transcripts.

Internal University Student Files

Official files regarding disciplinary actions will be maintained in the Office of the Dean of Students. As with academic transcripts, a student’s disciplinary file will be released to third parties in a manner consistent with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Notations regarding academic misconduct and non-academic misconduct, except for expulsion, shall be removed from all academic transcripts.

Class Attendance

Students are expected to be present and on time at all regular class meetings and examinations for the classes for which they are registered. Each instructor is required to withdraw a student from the class roll when that student has been absent from class for the number of class meetings that equals a two-week period. Students representing the University on official business that will require absences beyond the two-week period must make pre-arrangements to be absent from classes at the specific request of their University sponsor. For classes that meet two times a week, this means after four absences, the student is withdrawn from class and assigned the grade of “NW” (withdrawn for non-attendance) or “NF” (non-attendance failing). For classes that meet three times a week, this means after six absences, a student is withdrawn from classes and assigned the grade of “NW” or “NF.”

The calculation of absences will begin at the date that the student officially registers for the class. Withdrawal grades for non-attendance are “NW” and “NF.” A student who is withdrawn from a course after the last day to withdraw from courses will receive a grade of “NF,” which is treated the same as “F” in determining credit hours and grade point averages.

The student has the right to appeal through the Grade Appeal Policy the decision of the faculty member to withdraw him/her from the class roll, as well as the assignment of the “NF” or “NW” grades.

Absences will not be designated as “excused” or “unexcused”; therefore, administrators from Student Health Services and the Division of Student Affairs will no longer write excuses for students’ absences. Extenuating circumstances will be handled on an individual basis by the Division of Student Affairs, the Student Health Services, and academic deans.

Withdrawal Policy

Undergraduate Student Withdrawal

North Carolina Central University recognizes that the enrollment of some students may need to be discontinued for reasons beyond the control of the student. The purpose of the policy on withdrawal is to provide guidelines for establishing the basis for such withdrawals and for determining the course grades, eligibility for refunds, and satisfactory progress for financial aid in such discontinuations.

Institutional Withdrawals

Students who wish to withdraw from the University for personal, medical, or academic reasons at any time during the semester must complete the Official University Withdrawal Form, which may be obtained from the Office of the Dean of Students and the Registrar’s Office. After the form has been completed and approved by the Dean of Students Office, the Dean’s Office will distribute copies of the completed form to the respective offices indicated on the form. Students who leave the University without completing the Official University Withdrawal Form will forfeit their eligibility for refunds of tuition and fees.

Students who are unable to appear in person may notify the Office of the Dean of Students by letter of their intention to withdraw. (It is conceivable that the letters may sometimes be sent to deans when the withdrawal is of an academic nature. The dean would then collaborate with the Office of the Dean of Students.) Withdrawals are effective upon receipt and processing of the letter by the Office of the Dean of Students. The student identification card must be submitted with the withdrawal letter before refunds are made for tuition and fees.

Class Withdrawals

Grades received as a result of officially withdrawing from classes are “WC” or “WF.” Withdrawal from classes prior to the date listed in the Academic Calendar as the last day for undergraduates to withdraw from a class without penalty will result in a grade of “WC” being recorded on the student’s transcript. No grade points or hours are counted for a grade of “WC”; however, the “WC” grade counts in the attempted hours. Withdrawal from classes after the last day for undergraduates to withdraw from courses without penalty will result in a grade of “WF” being recorded on the student’s academic transcript. A grade of “WF” is computed in the grade point average the same as “F.” Students abandoning courses without initiating withdrawal procedures shall receive failing grades if they do not officially withdraw from the courses prior to the last day for withdrawing from courses. Classes from which a student withdraws after the drop/add period count as attempted but not earned hours. Therefore, withdrawing from classes after the drop/add period will negatively affect students’ ability to satisfy the hours earned standard.

Audited courses count as attempted but not earned hours. Therefore, auditing classes will negatively affect a student’s ability to satisfy the hours earned standard.

When a student repeats a course, the total attempted hours will increase with each repeat, but the student may only earn hours for a successfully completed course once. Therefore, repeating courses may negatively affect a student’s ability to satisfy the hours earned standard.

Accepted transfer credit will count as both attempted and earned hours.

Administrative Withdrawals

The University may approve the withdrawal of a student from a course or courses for circumstances such as health, psychological counseling, administrative requirements, or other conditions beyond the control of the student. Such action is called an Administrative Withdrawal and is not punitive. The student must complete an Official University Withdrawal Form, include any supporting documentation and submit the completed form and supporting documentation to the student’s academic advisor or the dean of the student’s college or school. A grade of “W” is recorded on the student’s transcript if the student is granted an Administrative Withdrawal by the appropriate academic dean upon a recommendation from the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. The action of the dean is final and must be rendered either prior to the end of the semester or as soon as the official documentation is received. Student fees are adjusted for any withdrawal based on the University’s regular policy governing refunds (see “Student Expenses ” section). Exceptions to the refund policy will be considered only upon the recommendation and approval of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Auditing Courses

Students may audit courses without credit with the permission of the advisor. The forms to audit a course are available in the Office of the University Registrar, Room 102 Hoey Administration Building, and must be completed and submitted to the Registrar before the end of the official drop/add period. Individuals not regularly enrolled as students in the University who wish to audit courses must apply for admission as special students and will be required to pay the regular tuition and fees for the courses audited as is charged for credit courses. NCCU students in regular status will be permitted to audit courses and must pay the same tuition and fees as required for credit courses.

Audited courses will not count as credit for any degree program.

Students who wish to audit a course must complete a Declaration of Audit form in the Registrar’s office before the end of the official drop/add period as indicated in the Academic Calendar.

Challenging Courses for Credit by Examination

Institutional Challenges

North Carolina Central University subscribes to the belief that learning can occur in places other than the classroom and through measures other than those practiced in the regular classroom setting. NCCU subscribes also to the principle that undergraduate students should be provided opportunities to demonstrate that skills and knowledge they have acquired outside their normal classroom operations are equivalent to the competencies they attain through their regular classroom activities.

Based on these principles, the University adheres to the following policy on challenge of undergraduate courses for undergraduate credit:

Subject to the limitation stated in the following Challenge Procedures:

• Undergraduate students may challenge for credit any course in the General Education Curriculum  that has been approved for challenge by the GEC Advisory Council.
• Undergraduate courses not in the General Education Curriculum  may be challenged only with the consent of the department or school in which the courses are housed.

Challenge Procedures:

1. Only currently enrolled students may challenge courses, unless the challenging students are members of an official North Carolina Central University program that explicitly includes such challenges as part of the curriculum.
2. Students may not challenge courses in which they have previously made a grade other than “W.”
3. Students carrying 15 hours but less than 21 hours in a regular term may challenge, without extra charge, enough eligible courses to make their total hours (enrolled and challenged) equal to 21.
4. Students carrying 15 hours but less than 21 hours may challenge enough eligible courses to make their total of enrolled and challenged hours exceed 21 hours in a regular term, but they will be charged the regular credit hour rate for all challenged hours above 21 hours.
5. Students carrying fewer than 15 hours may challenge eligible courses, but they will be charged the regular credit hour rate for all challenged courses between the number they are taking and 15 credit hours. If the number of challenged hours and enrolled hours exceeds 21, they will be charged the regular credit hour rate for the challenges between the number enrolled and 15 hours, plus the same rate for all hours over 21 hours.
6. If the challenge is conducted through a standardized, externally supplied test, the students will pay the cost of the test and/or the cost of administering and scoring the test, in addition to the cost, if any, of the credit earned by the challenge.
7. Challenge examinations may be by department-authorized standardized test or by department-developed test. If the test is a department-developed test, the test must be department-approved and withstand the test of reliability and validity.
8. During each semester or summer session in which faculty resources are available, challenges must be completed by 5 p.m. of the 12th business day following the first day of classes.
9. Department and schools may, in order to administer challenges efficiently, establish deadline dates for applications for challenges. The departments and schools should publish such deadlines at the beginning of the pertinent semester or summer session when faculty resources are available. The notice should include both the deadline for application and the date of the examination itself.
10. A student may challenge a given course only one time.
11. Passing grades for challenges are A, B, and C only and are reported to the Registrar through channels designated by the appropriate dean. Grades below C will be reported as unsuccessful challenges, but will not appear on the student’s transcript or other grade reports. Departments and schools will keep a record of each challenge attempt in order to enforce the provision of No. 10 above. Standardized external test score results will be interpreted from predetermined criteria by individual schools and departments, and reported as A, B, or C grades. Passing grades for challenges will have all the same qualities of the same grades the students earn in regular classes. Passing grades for challenges are counted for any purpose for which similar regular classroom course grades are counted. Grades earned through challenges will be so designated on the student’s transcript in order that changes may be ascertained whenever the total of enrolled and challenged hours exceed 21.
12. Challenges are a purely academic matter; hence, all disputes about permission to challenge courses, appeals from grades in challenged courses, and other procedural or substantive questions about the challenge process will be handled through the same procedures and structures established by the appropriate dean for handling such questions for the regular classroom courses.

College-level Examination Program (CLEP) General Examinations

The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) gives students the opportunity to receive college credit for what they already know by earning qualifying scores on up to 33 college-level placement examinations. Students may earn credit for knowledge acquired through independent study, prior course work, on-the-job training, professional development, cultural pursuits, or internships.

North Carolina Central University is an approved national CLEP Testing Center through which students may arrange to take examinations in Composition and Literature, Sciences and Mathematics, Foreign Languages, History and Social Sciences and Business.

Baccalaureate students will be granted college credit for each test in the battery (five tests) in the award of up to six semester hours of credit in the areas covered by the tests; the total amount of credit granted for all five tests will not exceed 30 semester hours of credit or the equivalent of one academic year.

Credits awarded through CLEP by accredited institutions will be accepted on the same basis as other transfer credits from those institutions.

Credit will be awarded on the basis of minimum scores. Scaled scores range from 20, the lowest, to 80, the highest, for each 90-minute General Examination. To learn more about CLEP scores and semester credit hours please visit http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/scores.html. The scores that appear in the table are the credit-granting scores recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE). North Carolina Central University accepts the score recommendations of ACE for credit-granting purposes.

For additional information on the CLEP examinations that are available, contact the University Testing Center at 919-530-7367 or visit the CLEP website at http://clep.collegeboard.org.

Taking Courses Off Campus

Students who wish to enroll in courses at other institutions and apply credit for those courses toward a degree at North Carolina Central University must obtain prior written approval of the advisor, the department chairperson, and the appropriate dean before registering for the course. This permission must be filed in the Registrar’s Office before the course is taken. Credit will not be granted for courses taken off campus for which prior permission to take the course was not obtained.

Forms to obtain permission to take a course at another institution may be obtained from the advisors or the appropriate dean.

Credit for courses taken at another institution, except through the inter-institutional program as outlined below, is treated the same as any other transfer credit. Credit is given for any approved course work on which a grade of “C” or better was earned.

However, the grade received at the institution where the work was completed does not appear on the student’s NCCU academic record nor does it figure into the student’s cumulative grade point average. Only credit for completing the course appears on the NCCU transcript.

Inter-Institutional Courses

Students regularly enrolled in a full-time degree program at North Carolina Central University may enroll by inter-institutional registration through NCCU for a course or courses at Duke University, North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, or the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Before enrolling in a course at Duke, N.C. State, UNC-G, UNC-CH, or UNC-Charlotte, the student must receive certification from the appropriate dean that the course is relevant to the student’s degree program, and that the equivalent course is not available at NCCU.

Enrollment by inter-institutional registration during a regular term is limited to one course per semester for an undergraduate student, provided that the student is registered for the balance of his/her normal full-time load at NCCU and is limited to two courses per semester for a graduate (or professional) student, provided that he/she is also registered for at least three credit hours at NCCU. A Summer School student must be enrolled in at least one summer school course at NCCU in order to enroll by inter-institutional registration at the other institution.

A student taking a course at Duke, N.C. State, UNC-G, UNC-CH, or UNC-Charlotte through inter-institutional registration will be billed by NCCU for all courses taken. There is no additional charge for any fees associated with taking the course. Grading for a course taken by inter-institutional registration will be in accordance with the grading system of the institution where the course is taken. The grade will appear on the student’s transcript and will be counted the same as though the course had been taken at NCCU.

Students who desire to complete a course via the inter-institutional program must: (1) register for the required number of courses at NCCU; (2) complete the Inter-institutional Approval Form and the Approval for Inter-Institutional Registration Form; (3) obtain approval signatures from either the department chair or advisor and the dean in the student’s school or college; and (4) submit the approved forms to the NCCU Inter-Institutional Coordinator in the Registrar’s Office. The Registrar’s Office will then fax the Inter-Institutional Approval Form to the visiting university’s registrar’s office.

Credit and Grades

North Carolina Central University uses the semester hour credit and the grade point system in determining student achievement. A semester hour is the amount of credit earned for the satisfactory completion of one-hour-a-week lecture or recitation or two-hours-a-week laboratory practice throughout one regular semester. No student will be allowed credit for any course in which he or she was not officially registered at the end of the official drop/add period.

At the end of each semester, a student is given a grade in each course in which he or she is registered. This grade represents the quality of work done by the student in the course. The grade symbols used are: 

Grades given for excessive absences from a course are “NW” if the student is dropped before the last day to drop a course without evaluation, and “NF” if the student is dropped after the last day to drop a course without evaluation. Pluses (+) and minuses (-) are given for law courses only.

Calculating the Grade Point Average (GPA)

While the semester hours measure the quantity of work done, the grade point system is a measure of the quality of work a student performs. Grade points are assigned as follows: 4 for a grade of “A,” 3 for a grade of “B,” 2 for a grade of “C,” and 1 for a grade of “D.” No grade points are assigned for any other grades. The following formula is used to compute the GPA: Total Quality Hours (QHRS) divided into Total Quality Points (QPTS) = GPA. Thus, a student enrolled in six (6) three- semester-hour courses who earns “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” “WC” and “NF” would earn a GPA via the following computation: 

Incomplete Grade

Students who desire to receive a grade of “Incomplete” should submit a written request to the instructor. Students may be given a grade of “Incomplete” (I) at the discretion of the instructor when not all of the work required in the course has been completed for reasons beyond the control of the student. All “Incomplete” grades must be completed according to the agreement between the student and the instructor within the deadline established by the instructor, not to exceed one calendar year from the end of the semester in which the student was enrolled in the course. Any “Incomplete” grade remaining on the student’s record one year from the end of the relevant semester becomes a grade of “F,” and the student must retake the course in order to receive a grade other than “F.”

Receiving Grades

Grades will be available each term to all students who have no financial or other holds on their account. Students may receive their grades at the end of each semester or summer term in any of the following ways using the term code, their student ID number and their personal identification number (PIN):

• On the Internet: Midterm and final grades may be accessed through Eagles online at http://eol.nccu.edu, at the University website.
• In person: Students may also report in person to the Office of the Registrar in Hoey Administration Building, Room 102, and request a copy of their grades for the last enrolled term (photo ID required).
• Complete instructions for receiving grades are available each semester in the NCCU online class schedule or from the Registrar’s Office.

Undergraduate Grade Repeat Policy and Grade Point Average

Students may, for a variety of reasons, elect to repeat a course. However, repeating courses often delays and adds to the cost of students’ education. Students are, therefore, urged and counseled to do well in all courses and to select them carefully so that they can graduate in a timely manner. If students elect to repeat a course, the following policies, effective Fall 1999 for new undergraduate students, will govern the awarding of credit and the computation of their GPAs.

Credit hours earned in a particular course will not be awarded more than one time, i.e., if a course in which hours have been earned is repeated, additional hours will not be awarded.

A student is allowed a maximum of five course repeats without penalty. The lower grade in the five repeats is exempted from the GPA computation. After five course repeats, all grades will be calculated in the GPA.

Undergraduate students who receive a grade of “C” or better in a course may not repeat the course but may audit it without credit.

Classification of Students

Undergraduate students are classified as freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, or special undergraduates. Special undergraduates are those conditionally admitted to take courses, but not admitted to a degree program, and are not permitted to take more than 12 cumulative hours of course work. The classifications of freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior are based on the number of semester hours a student has completed and earned credits for.

The following credit hour classification is used:

Curricula plans require a minimum of 124 hours for graduation and a maximum of 128.

Beginning Fall 2012, students will be expected to maintain a GPA of 2.0 or greater. Anytime a student’s GPA falls below a 2.0, the student will be dismissed. A student who is not successfully completing courses at the minimum levels is not making satisfactory progress. This policy has been established to enable a student to complete his/her undergraduate work within a reasonable period. A student expecting to graduate in eight semesters (four years) must average 15 to 16 completed hours each semester.

Unit Grade Appeals Board

A Grade Appeals Board shall be selected by each of the following degree-granting and other academic units: The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, The College of Liberal Arts, The College of Science and Technology, The University College, Biomanufacturing Research Institute of Technology Enterprise (BRITE), The Department of Nursing, The School of Education, and The School of Business. Faculty representatives will be selected by the respective deans from a list of nominees prepared by the Faculty Senate. Student representatives will be selected by the Student Government President from students in each of the respective units.

Each board will consist of seven voting members, four faculty, three students and one non-voting member, the Appeals Counselor. Each board member will serve a one-year term, with the option of being appointed to a second one-year term at the discretion of the appointing dean or SGA President.

A chairperson for the Appeals Board shall be elected from among the faculty members. A secretary shall also be elected from among the board members.

A quorum shall consist of five board members, including at least three faculty members and two students.

Appeals board members are necessarily excluded from deliberations in which:

1. The board member is related to one of the two principals,
2. The board member is a departmental colleague of one of the principals,
3. The board member is enrolled in a course taught by one of the principals, or
4. The board member is one of the two principals involved.

All questions of scheduling and satisfying deadlines shall be adjudicated by the chair of the Appeals Board.

All records of the Appeals Board shall be kept in a file maintained and preserved by the chair of the Appeals Board.

The Appeals Counselor

A Grade Appeals Counselor shall be selected by each of the following degree-granting and other academic units: College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science and Technology, Biomanufacturing Research Institute of Technology Enterprise (BRITE), Department of Nursing, University College, School of Education, and School of Business. Each degree-granting unit will select an Appeals Counselor and an alternate. The Appeals Counselors, and their alternates, will be chosen by the students of the unit from a list of four nominees prepared by the Dean of each unit. The University College will select two members to serve as appeal counselors. Both persons will serve a one-year term. The Appeals Counselor will be an ex-officio non-voting member of the Appeals Board. The president of Student Government will be responsible for convening the students of each unit for the purpose of electing the Appeals Counselors. These meetings should take place during the first full week of classes during the fall semester, with the Appeals Counselor assuming the responsibilities of the office immediately upon election.

Grade Appeals Procedures

The grade appeal policy is intended to provide a standardized, formal process for undergraduate students to resolve instances of alleged unfair or improper treatment in academic matters. The policy seeks to protect both students and faculty from acts of caprice, while preserving the integrity of the teaching/evaluation process. The policy is written to be consistent with the University’s concern for due process through a system of appeals.

A student is allowed to remain in class during an appeal except in cases where the student’s remaining in class would endanger human life or the integrity of the academic program.

Step 1: A student who believes that he or she has been graded unfairly or improperly must first schedule a conference with the concerned faculty member to attempt to arrive at a mutual understanding and to resolve any differences in an informal, cooperative manner. The student must express the appeal clearly, in writing, and listen to the instructor’s rationale. The meeting should be scheduled within 10 class days of the incident or two weeks after the student could reasonably be expected to be informed of the assigned grade.

Step 2: If consultation with the instructor is impractical, or if the student is dissatisfied with the results of the initial conference with the instructor, the student must seek the assistance of the department chair within five class days of meeting with the instructor. If the instructor involved is the department chair, or if a satisfactory solution is not reached, the student should seek the assistance of the Appeals Counselor. This contact should be made within five days of the meeting with the department chair. The Appeal Counselor’s role is to guide the student through the remaining steps of the appeals process. In no way is the role of the Counselor to be construed as that of advocate for either the student or the instructor.

Step 3: A student may choose to file a formal grievance; however, a formal grievance may be filed only after conferring with the Appeals Counselor. The grievance must include the following: (a) date of incident; (b) date of first meeting with instructor; (c) reasons for which the student contends that the assigned grade is improper or unfair; (d) reasons for which the student believes that the grade should be changed or why other corrective action should be taken; and (e) copies of any and all pertinent examinations, papers, and other relevant materials.

Step 3a: To file a formal grievance, the student must submit four copies of the formal grievance to the Counselor. This formal grievance should be submitted on the form designed for that purpose. The grievance must be filed with the Counselor within 20 class days of the initial meeting with the instructor (Step 1). (In cases of doubt concerning time limits, the Appeals Counselor will determine whether proper procedures have been followed.) Failure to meet these deadlines forfeits the right of appeal under this policy. Further, it is understood that only issues documented in the grievance statement will be considered at the hearing that follows.

Step 4: After a formal grievance has been filed, the Appeals Counselor must, within two class days, forward a copy of the student’s grievance to the instructor, the instructor’s immediate supervisor, and to the chairperson of the unit’s Grade Appeals Board.

Step 5: The chair of the unit’s Grade Appeals Board shall convene a meeting of the Board not sooner than five and no later than 10 class days after receipt of the grievance statement. In a closed hearing, the student shall present the grievance, including any additional supporting evidence and pertinent arguments.

Decisions by the Appeals Board shall be determined as follows:

A vote concerning the student’s grade appeal shall be taken by the faculty board members and a separate vote shall be taken by the student board members. If a majority of the faculty group or a majority of the student group vote against the student’s appeal, the student’s appeal is denied. If a majority of either group votes in favor of the student’s appeal, the Appeals Board shall recommend that the student’s appeal be granted.

Step 6a: If an appeal is determined to be unfounded at the hearing, the chair of the Appeals Board shall provide written notification of that fact to the student, the faculty member, and the immediate supervisor. Students appealing grades should contact the appropriate dean of the college or school in which the course is offered.

Step 6b: If an appeal is deemed valid, the Appeals Board shall forward its recommendation to the appropriate dean, including a written account of its deliberations and its recommendations for redress. The dean shall take whatever action is deemed appropriate.

Step 7: Should either the student or the faculty member be dissatisfied with the decision of the dean, a formal, written appeal may be made to the Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, who will review all written material and make final disposition of the appeal. This final appeal must be filed within five class days of notification of the decision of the dean.

Exceptions to the procedure

If a student is unable to file an appeal because of the end of classes for the spring semester or a summer session, the student must, within 20 days of the end of the session, notify the concerned instructor and department chair, in writing, of an intention to appeal a grade when classes resume in the fall. The timetable described in section C is initiated by the beginning of classes in the fall semester.

In the event that the aggrieved student is a graduating senior, a separate process designed to expedite the matter will be followed. The latter process is described as follows:

Step 1: Conference with instructor.

Step 2: Conference with department chair or Appeals Counselor.

Step 3: Meeting with Appeals Board. To expedite the matter, the Appeals Board will arbitrarily establish a time to hear any grievance for which redress is sought. Such a time for hearings should be set not less than 24 hours before the graduation ceremony is scheduled to begin.

Final Examinations

Final examinations periods are scheduled for each semester. The schedule is released about mid-semester and provides that examination periods be three hours in length and that no student should take more than three examinations within a single day. A student who has more than three examinations scheduled for the same day should first try to make arrangements with his/her instructors to have one of the examinations rescheduled. If unsuccessful in this attempt, the student should contact the dean of his/her college or school no later than the last day of classes. The dean will make arrangements for one of the examinations to be rescheduled. All new freshmen, sophomore, and new transfer students will contact the Dean of the University College.

Final examinations must be given at the time indicated on the Final Examination Schedule unless rescheduling has been approved by the appropriate dean before the last day of classes for the semester. Some undergraduate courses have final examinations scheduled at a common time for all sections of the course. Whenever a student has a regularly scheduled final examination at the same time as the common examination, the common examination has precedence over the regularly scheduled examination. The instructor of the class with the regularly scheduled examination must make arrangements for that student to take that final examination at another time.

Grades for the semester are due 48 hours after each final examination is given.

Enrollment of Seniors In 5000-level Courses

Seniors in their final semester may obtain special permission to register for 5000-level courses only if they lack no more than nine semester hours of undergraduate credit. This privilege applies ONLY during the final semester of the student’s undergraduate work, and permission is extended ONLY if the student has maintained a grade point average of at least 3.0 in his/her major.

Seniors wishing to register for a 5000-level course should obtain permission from the dean of their college, school or academic unit, and must present this permission at the time they are registering for the class. A student’s total registration (undergraduate and graduate credit) may not exceed 15 semester hours.

Graduate credit for course work completed under this arrangement will be granted upon the student’s admission into a graduate program only if the course or courses did not count toward fulfilling the 124 hours minimum required for the bachelor’s degree and if the course or courses were not used to fulfill the hours or requirements of the undergraduate major.

Academic Progression Policy

Effective Fall 2012, students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.000 or greater. If a students’ cumulative GPA falls below a 2.000, the student will be dismissed. A student who is not maintaining a minimum 2.000 cumulative GPA is not making satisfactory academic progress. This policy has been established to enable students to complete his/her undergraduate work within a reasonable period of time. Students expecting to graduate in eight semesters (four years) must average 15 to 16 completed hours each semester.

Academic Progression Appeals Process Conditions for Possible Appeal

The University recognizes that there may be extenuating circumstances beyond a student’s control that impacted his/her inability to meet the GPA requirements stipulated by the Academic Progression Policy. To that end, the University will permit a student to appeal his/her dismissal from the University when that dismissal is directly attributable to extenuating circumstances that occurred during the fall or spring semester immediately preceding the student’s dismissal from the University.

Definition of Extenuating Circumstances

An “extenuating circumstance” is defined by the University as a situation that is beyond the student’s control and that could not have been prevented by the student. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:

• a car accident that causes serious injury to the student resulting in hospitalization and/or creating health challenges that prevent the student from being able to meet academic requirements;
• a serious, life-threatening, or life-altering illness to the student or an immediate family member for whom the student must assume legal responsibility due to the condition;
• an official documentable military deployment;
• a natural disaster that negatively affects the student’s well-being due to total destruction of home or other essential familial provisions.

Authentic Appropriate Documentation

• The University reserves the right to consider other situations in addition to those enumerated herein in determining whether or not the alleged extenuating circumstance(s) directly affected the student’s ability to maintain the required GPA.
• A student must have official written documentation that explicitly substantiates and corroborates the assertion of the extenuating circumstances.
• An extenuating circumstance is not one that is characterized by a repeated pattern of behavior that has compromised the student’s academic standing over time.
• An extenuating circumstance should be an exceptional one-time occurrence.

Procedures for Filing an Appeal

A student may elect to appeal the dismissal decision by submitting a written petition to the Dean of their School or College within seven calendar days of receiving formal notice of dismissal from the University. A student’s appeal must include the following:

• a completed Academic Progression Appeals Policy form;
• a clear and concise petition personally typed and developed by the student to delineate the appeal and the extenuating circumstances that will justify the request;
• an official/authentic/formal document providing proof of the extenuating circumstance(s) that the student contends caused his/her inability to maintain the required GPA;
• a letter of support from the student’s department chair;
• a letter of support from the student’s academic advisor.

Protocol

1. Upon receipt of the complete appeals packet including all five of the above documents from the student, the Dean shall conduct a thorough review and render a decision in the case.
2. The Dean shall decide to either “approve” or “deny” the dismissal. The Dean will submit this decision in writing, with her/his signature affixed, to the Provost’s Office within seven calendar days following the date of the student’s submission of the appeals package. Only the Dean is authorized to make the decision and sign the documenting attesting to that determination. No designee can sign for the Dean (i.e. Associate Dean, Department Chair, etc.)
3. Once received by the appropriate official in the Provost’s Office, the Dean’s decision will be formally communicated to the University Registrar’s Office for implementation.
4. Each Dean must submit a narrative “Summary Report” that provides details of the student appeals submitted, a brief description of the extenuating circumstances that were considered in each case, decisions rendered in each case, as well as specific student profile information (i.e. GPA, classification, major, number of credit hours earned thus far, etc.).
5. A student who is allowed to be readmitted to the University will be required to adhere to a formal “Academic Improvement Plan” developed collaboratively with his/her academic advisor, signed by the student, and kept on file in the Dean’s Office for periodic review and possible institutional audit.
6. A re-admitted student may be dismissed from the University if the student fails to increase his/her GPA by the end of the semester immediately following the decision to re-admit. Students are required to maintain their GPA in accordance with the provisions of the educational plan pursuant to the Academic Progression Policy.
7. A student is permitted ONLY ONE APPEAL. No exceptions!

Readmission

Students who leave the University in good academic standing will be eligible for readmission. Readmission is completed on-line on the University website.

Tuition Surcharge

The General Assembly amendment (Section 9.10.(a) of Session Law 2009-451) instituted a 50% tuition surcharge. This surcharge goes into effect Fall Semester 2010 and applies to all undergraduates seeking a baccalaureate degree. The Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina shall impose a 50% tuition surcharge on students who take more than 140 degree-credit hours to complete a baccalaureate degree in a four-year program or more than 110% of the credit hours necessary to complete a baccalaureate degree in any program officially designated by the Board of Governors as a five-year program. Courses and credit hours taken include those taken at that constituent institution or accepted for transfer. In calculating the number of degree-credit hours taken:

1. Included are courses that a student:
   
   1. Fails.
   2. Does not complete unless the course was officially dropped by the student pursuant to the academic policy of the appropriate constituent institution.
2. Excluded are credit hours earned through:
   
   1. The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program, CLEP examinations, or similar programs.
   2. Institutional advanced placement, course validation, or any similar procedure for awarding course credit.
   3. Summer term or extension programs.

No surcharge shall be imposed on any student who exceeds the degree-credit hour limits within the equivalent of four academic years of regular term enrollment or within five academic years of regular term enrollment in a degree program officially designated by the Board of Governors as a five-year program.

The undergraduate credit hours to be counted in the calculation of the tuition surcharge include:

1. All semester (fall and spring) academic credit hours attempted (includes repeated course work and failed course work); and
2. All transfer credit hours accepted by North Carolina Central University, including those hours accepted as electives and not applicable to the student’s program of study.

The Tuition Surcharge Guidelines as required by the North Carolina General Statute § 116-143.7 as codified by Section 9.10(a) of Session Law 2009-451 are available on the University of North Carolina website: www.northcarolin.edu/policy/index.php?tag=1000.1.5%5BG%5D.

Tuition Surcharge Waiver

Upon application by a student, the tuition surcharge shall be waived if the student demonstrates that any of the following have substantially disrupted or interrupted the student’s pursuit of a degree: (1) a military service obligation, (2) serious medical debilitation, (3) a short-term or long-term disability, or (4) other extraordinary hardship.

Tuition Surcharge Waiver Request Procedures

The student must complete and submit to the Office of the Registrar a Tuition Surcharge Waiver Request Form within 30 business days of receiving written notification of a tuition surcharge fee from the Office of Student Accounting. The Registrar’s Office will forward the request to the Tuition Surcharge Waiver Committee for a decision.

1. The Tuition Surcharge Waiver Committee has four members.
2. The Committee will review all pertinent documents relative to the Tuition Surcharge Waiver Request Form in determining a decision.
3. A favorable or unfavorable decision will require a majority vote by the Committee.
4. The student shall be notified in writing by the Committee of the decision within 30 business days.
5. The Office of Student Accounting and the Office of the Registrar shall be notified in writing by the Committee of the decision within 30 business days.

Excessive Credit Hours

Any student who has attempted more than 168 hours toward a single undergraduate degree will be dismissed from the University. Attempted hours include courses graded “WC,” “NW,” “NF,” and “I.” Students who are working toward two undergraduate degrees simultaneously may register for hours in excess of 168 only with special permission from the appropriate dean. Deans also may make exceptions in cases where students have transferred more than 44 hours from other institutions. In these cases, only transfer hours that apply toward the NCCU major will count toward the 168 hours attempted.

Academic Forgiveness Policy for Undergraduate Students

Philosophy

Students often drop out of college after a semester or more of poor academic performance. Upon attempting to resume their education at a later date, they find their previous academic performance hinders their admission to programs, application for scholarship(s), and overall grade point average. Academic forgiveness seeks to respond to those students who want an opportunity to start over with a clean slate and those who can demonstrate they are now prepared to be academically successful.

Definition

Academic forgiveness is the process by which undergraduate students may seek to remove the impact of unsatisfactory grades earned at North Carolina Central University. Once academic forgiveness is granted, all grades earned by the student prior to the point of readmission will not be calculated in the student’s GPA; however, these grades shall remain a part of the student’s permanent academic record.

Eligibility

Any student who desires to be readmitted to seek academic forgiveness: (a) must have been absent for at least five years; (b) must be readmitted for the sole purpose of seeking academic forgiveness; (c) must apply for academic forgiveness at the end of the first semester of readmissions; (d) must be enrolled as a full-time student during the first semester the student is readmitted; (e) must earn a minimum cumulative 2.500 GPA during the first semester the student is readmitted; and (f) meet a 100% satisfactory completion rate (grade of C or better) of courses enrolled.

General Information

1. Academic forgiveness shall only apply to grades obtained at NCCU; it does not apply to course work from other postsecondary institutions.
2. A student may only receive academic forgiveness once. Academic forgiveness is non-reversible. After receiving academic forgiveness, a student cannot later request that the University include the grades earned prior to receiving academic forgiveness in the calculation of his/her GPA.
3. Students must be enrolled in courses during the fall or spring semester when they apply for academic forgiveness.
4. Academic forgiveness does not apply to individual courses; rather, academic forgiveness will be applied to all grades earned by the student prior to receiving approval for academic forgiveness. A student will not be permitted to request that academic forgiveness only be applied to unsatisfactory grades. Academic forgiveness will also be applied to any satisfactory grades earned during the period for which academic forgiveness is requested.
5. Course work completed by the student prior to being readmitted to the University will not count toward admission to or completion of his/her current or future degree programs.
6. Students will be denied academic forgiveness if they have not met the eligibility requirements stated above, and will be dismissed from the University.

Procedure

1. The student must first obtain an application for Academic Forgiveness, a degree audit, and a copy of his or her transcript.¹
2. After obtaining the above documentation, but no later than one week following the ending of the final exam period of the first semester of the student’s readmission to the University, the student must then take the completed application, the degree audit, and a copy of his/her transcript to his/her advisor.
3. The advisor shall review the student’s degree audit and transcript. The advisor will make a recommendation to the student regarding whether he/she should apply to receive academic forgiveness. The academic advisor shall complete an advisor’s approval/disapproval form regarding the student’s application for academic forgiveness and indicate whether he/she approves or disapproves of the student’s request for academic forgiveness. If the advisor and the student agree that academic forgiveness would be beneficial to the student, the student will forward the academic forgiveness application to the department chair and/or dean of the college or school in which the student is enrolled for approval.
4. Upon receiving approval from the department chair and/or dean, the student must submit the completed academic forgiveness application to the Chair of the Admissions Standards Committee. The student must include the academic advisor’s approval/disapproval form with his/her academic forgiveness application, which is provided to the Admissions Standards Committee. The Admissions Standards Committee will send its recommendation regarding the student’s academic forgiveness application to the Provost for approval. The decision of the Provost is final.

¹The application for Academic Forgiveness, degree audit and transcript may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar.

Amendments to the Student’s Transcript

When academic forgiveness is approved, the Office of the Registrar will make the following adjustments to the student’s transcript:

1. The transcript will be divided into two sections indicating the point of academic forgiveness. The transcript will clearly show the: (a) course work completed by the student prior to academic forgiveness; and (b) course work completed by the student after receiving academic forgiveness.
2. The words “Academic Forgiveness” will be included on the transcript.
3. All previous course work, whether completed at NCCU or at another institution, will remain on the student’s permanent record.
4. The student will not receive credit for any course completed at NCCU prior to the point of readmission. However, the course titles and grades from these courses will remain on the transcript.
5. Calculation of the student’s cumulative GPA will include only courses taken following his/her readmission to the University and after the approval of academic forgiveness.

Honors

Students who complete a minimum of 15 hours in a given semester and who make an average of 3.0 or above for that semester, without any grade lower than “D,” are considered “Honor Students.” The Honor Roll is divided into two groups. Those students who have a grade point average for the semester of 4.0 are on the “A Honor Roll” while those students who have an average of 3.0 to 3.99 are on the “B Honor Roll.”

The Dean’s List is composed of all juniors and seniors on the Honor Roll for the semester who also have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

The University Honors Program

The University Honors Program is an academic program within the Department of Academic Affairs at North Carolina Central University. The University Honors Program is designed to enroll, reward, and prepare academically gifted students, and encourage them toward intellectual initiative and independence. These students, selected for their outstanding academic achievements, and monitored throughout a rigorous four-year matriculation, will be prepared to pursue advanced degrees in highly competitive graduate or professional programs and to assume leadership roles in their professions and in society. The University Honors Program enriches the learning experience by providing the student every possible opportunity for reaching a level of maturity, independence, and scholarly achievement that might not be possible without such a program. The University Honors Program is specifically committed to preparing globally astute and engaged community leaders.

Student completing the University Honors Program will 1) develop effective community leadership skills from dynamic, innovative, and exceptional faculty; 2) demonstrate effective problem solving of contemporary issues through critical thinking, analysis, and collaboration; 3) identify and engage global issues, their context and ramifications in our world; and 4) develop refined research, writing, and communication skills through rigorous preparation.

High-achieving students are encouraged to apply to the University Honors Program. High school applicants must have either a 1500 on the SAT or a 23 on the ACT. Current college and transfer students are also encouraged to apply and must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3.

Undergraduate Research Program

The University Undergraduate Research Program is intended to provide a select number of talented and highly motivated students with one-to-one mentorships with faculty members. The purpose is to promote scholarly activity by providing enhanced opportunities for structured, definitive, and meaningful research involvement. Interested students who have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 should contact the Deans of the Behavioral and Social Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science and Technology, School of Education, School of Business, or the Director of Undergraduate Research Program for additional information.

Academic Awards and Prizes

There are numerous academic awards and prizes given by the University and its departments. These awards are presented at the annual Honors Day Convocation, usually the first Friday in April. All students, faculty, and parents are invited to this event to honor the University’s most talented students.

Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence

The Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence is the University’s top academic award and is given each year during Honor’s Convocation. The recipient must be eligible to complete the requirements for graduation during the current academic year, must have completed at least seven consecutive regular semesters at NCCU as a full-time student (enrolled in a minimum of 15 semester hours each term), and must have earned a GPA of at least 3.8. The GPA will be calculated using only work completed at NCCU. The award will be made to individuals whose character and academic achievement demonstrate the capacity for real service to the nation.

University Award for Academic Excellence

The University Award for Academic Excellence is given each year during the Honors Convocation Program. The recipient must complete the requirements for graduation during the current academic year and complete at least 50 credit hours at NCCU. The recipient must have attended NCCU for at least four consecutive regular semesters and earned a cumulative GPA of 4.0. while carrying a minimum load of three courses or nine credit hours. The GPA will be calculated using only work completed at NCCU. The student named for this award must meet all qualifications listed above.

Requirements for Graduation

Students may meet the requirements for the bachelor’s degree by successfully completing:

1. The General Education Curriculum requirements;
2. The approved course of study in a major area;
3. A minimum of 124 semester hours of course credit (some programs may require up to 128 hours); and
4. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0.
5. In most degree programs grades of ”C” or better are required for all courses in the major.
6. The Community Service requirement for graduation is 120 hours. (See “Academic Community Service Learning Program .”)

Since requirements vary from major to major, students should consult the sections of this catalog pertaining to their specific area of interest for the precise degree requirements of that academic area.

Undergraduate students seeking North Carolina licensure and majoring in Education, including Health Education and Physical Education, must also complete a second major in an approved academic program. Students should consult the “Health Education,” “Physical Education ,” and “School of Education ” sections of this catalog for listings of approved academic second majors.

The final 30 semester hours of course credit must be completed at North Carolina Central University.

Graduation exercises are held semi-annually, in May and December, and diplomas are awarded only at those times. However, graduation will be certified at the end of the term in which all academic requirements are completed and that term will appear on the student’s transcript as well as the diploma.

Application for graduation must be filed in the Office of the University Registrar on or before the dates specified in the University Calendar of Events. Applications received after the deadline will not be handled until the next term, and diplomas will be delayed accordingly.

Faculty advisors, deans, and the registrar try, in advising and registering students, to make certain that every student who intends to graduate from North Carolina Central University registers for the courses required for the student’s intended degree. However, the final responsibility for meeting the graduation requirements as set forth in the University catalog rests with the student.

A student who is admitted into a degree program at North Carolina Central University during any academic year and who earns credit for work done during that year will graduate under the academic requirements of the student’s major listed in the University catalog in effect at the time of the student’s matriculation, unless otherwise indicated. A student who is readmitted after an absence of one academic year, or who changes majors, will graduate under the provisions of the University catalog in effect at the time of readmission or change of major.

Policy on Student Participation in Commencement Exercises

In as much as the annual Commencement exercises at North Carolina Central University are held in recognition and celebration of the earning of degrees, only those persons who have satisfactorily completed all of the requirements for their respective degrees, including all financial obligations, and who have been officially certified for graduation will be allowed to participate in the traditional May and December Commencement exercises.

Requirements for a Double Major

Undergraduate students may major in two separate disciplines with the permission of the chairperson of each of the departments and the appropriate dean(s), and on the condition that they meet the requirements for each major. Students who meet the requirements for a double major will receive a diploma for each degree. At the time of graduation, the official transcript will indicate both majors.

Requirements for a Second Baccalaureate Degree

A student who already holds a bachelor’s degree may receive a second baccalaureate degree if he/she fulfills all requirements for the second degree and completes a minimum of 30 hours in residence beyond the requirements of the first degree.

Latin Honors

Baccalaureate

North Carolina Central University awards Latin honors to graduating students based on the completion of requirements for the baccalaureate degree as follows:

Cum Laude – a cumulative grade point average of 3.2-3.499

Magna Cum Laude – a cumulative grade point average of 3.5-3.799

Summa Cum Laude - a cumulative grade point average of 3.8-4.000

First degree transfer students, who have earned a minimum of 60 semester hours at NCCU, and meet the cumulative GPA requirements stated above, will be awarded Latin honors.

First degree transfer students, who have earned between 30 and 59 semester hours at NCCU, will be awarded Latin honors if the average of GPAs from all institutions previously attended, and at NCCU meet the cumulative GPA requirements stated above.

Second degree students, who have earned a minimum of 30 semester hours at NCCU, and meet the cumulative GPA requirements stated above, will be awarded Latin honors.

Transcripts

Copies of a student’s academic transcript are available upon payment of a $5 fee and a signed written request to the Office of the Registrar. Request forms are available in the Registrar’s Office or requests by mail may be sent to:

Office of the Registrar
North Carolina Central University
1801 Fayetteville Street
Hoey Administration Building Rm 102
Durham, NC 27707

Transcripts are mailed within three working days of receipt of the request (except during times of registration and graduation when the processing time may be five to six working days). Upon request and the payment of an additional $5 fee, a transcript will be faxed to the recipient. However, students should be aware that not all institutions will accept a faxed transcript as official. If an official, follow-up transcript is required, the student must pay another $5 fee.

Student Indebtedness

All indebtedness to the University, including requirements of any loan programs in which the student participated, must be satisfactorily settled before a diploma or transcript will be issued to the student. Continuing students who have an outstanding balance on their student accounts will not be permitted to pre-register, register, or receive grades until the balance has been paid in full.

Change of Name or Address

Each student is required to notify the Office of the University Registrar in writing of any change in name or mailing address for grades, bills, registration information, and other materials.

A student’s name is changed only upon presentation of an official document such as a marriage license, birth certificate, or court order. For historical reasons, a student’s name is not changed on his/her records for any reason after that student is no longer enrolled at North Carolina Central University or on any records for which that student has already received a degree.

NCCU Policy on Excused Absences for Religious Observance

Directive:

Effective academic year 2010-2011, the University of North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation requiring the Board of Governors to instruct each constituent institution to adopt a policy that would authorize a minimum of two excused absences each academic year for religious observance.

Motion:

On behalf of the Committee on Educational Planning, Policies, and Programs, the following motion was made: 

Proposed NCCU Policy:

Pursuant to the University of North Carolina General Assembly directive to establish and implement appropriate policy governing excused absences for Religious Observance, North Carolina Central University hereby declares the following policy effective immediately (academic year 2010-2011 inception):

Students will be allowed two excused absences per annum for religious observances required by the faith of the student. For the purposes of this policy, religious observance is defined as an established religious holiday or holy day observed by a student’s religion and occurring concurrent to or in conflict with the established course or university calendar and consequently resulting in student absence(s) from class. Students are responsible for providing advance written notice of an applicable absence within **two weeks of the first day of class for a given semester or term. Instructors are responsible for affording the student an opportunity to make up any tests or other work missed due to the absence(s).

**Because the policy is being implemented more than two weeks after the start of the Fall 2010 semester, Instructors will allow students to provide notice of an applicable absence no later than September 30, 2010.

Implementation Guidelines:

1. Faculty members are expected to act in complete compliance with this policy and to provide students an opportunity to do work that is reasonably equivalent to the work missed due to the absence(s).
2. Students are expected to provide written notice of the planned absence(s) within the first four weeks of the first day of the class to formally request that the absence(s) be deemed excused.
3. Since undergraduate student attendance is mandatory at NCCU, faculty members are expected to regularly document student attendance and specifically track students’ absences which occur due to religious observance. The documentation should include, though need not be limited to, the student’s written request and the agreement between the student and instructor regarding acceptable make-up work or examinations.
4. While attendance is not mandatory at NCCU for graduate students, faculty members are expected to track student absences which occur due to religious observance. Similarly, the documentation should include, though need not be limited to, the student’s written request and the agreement between the student and instructor regarding acceptable make-up work or examinations.
5. Faculty members are expected to include the established policy on course syllabi and/or as an addendum provided to students in hard copy and also via blackboard notification immediately in the initiating semester of the 2010-2011 school year.
6. For all subsequent semesters including the Spring 2011 term, Faculty are expected to include the policy on the syllabi given to students on the first day of class.
7. For the current Fall 2010 semester, notification of this new policy will be posted on the university website and emailed to the NCCU community via the All Campus listserv (Student, Faculty, and Staff).
8. The policy will be mailed out in formal correspondence from the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to all academic units.
9. Each department, school, college, and university unit will affirm and acknowledge receipt of the policy and appropriate adherence to the same by mailing a signed copy of the policy back to the Provost and Vice Chancellor to be filed appropriately in the Office of Academic Affairs
10. Additionally, the policy shall be included in all future editions of the Student Handbook, Faculty Handbook, as well as the Graduate and Undergraduate Student Catalogs.
11. Also, the new policy will be included in future orientation programs for all students, faculty, administrators, and staff.

Current NCCU Class Attendance Policy (Undergraduate Catalogue 2008-2011, page 88)

Students are expected to be present and on time at all regular class meetings and examinations for the classes for which they are registered. Each instructor is required to withdraw a student from the class roll when that student has been absent from class for the number of class meetings that equals a two-week period. Students representing the University on official business that will require absences beyond the two-week period must make pre-arrangements to be absent from classes at the specific request of their University sponsor. For classes that meet two times a week, this means after four absences, the student is withdrawn from class with grade of “NW” or “NF.” For classes that meet three times a week, this means after six absences, a student is withdrawn from classes with the grade of “NW” or “NF.”

The calculation of absences will begin at the date that the student officially registers for the class. Withdrawal grades for non-attendance are “NW” and “NF.” A student who is withdrawn from a course after the last day to withdraw from courses will receive a grade of “NF” which is treated the same as “F” in determining hours and grade points.

The student has the right to appeal the decision of the faculty member to withdraw him/her from the class roll as well as the assignment of the “NF” or “NW” grades through the Grade Appeal Policy.

Absences will not be designated as “excused” or “unexcused.” Therefore, administrators from Student Health Services and the Division of Student Affairs will no longer write excuses for students’ absences. Extenuating circumstances will be handled on an individual basis by the Division of Student Affairs, the Student Health Services, and academic deans.