All students must give prompt attention to communications from faculty and staff members of the University. Most communications will be sent through the United States mail.Academic Dishonesty In addition to taking reasonable steps to discourage cheating, the faculty must accept a responsibility to clarify and interpret for the students' matters of dishonesty, such as cheating or plagiarism.
If an occurrence of academic dishonesty is detected, the instructor may adjust the grade as appropriate, ranging from a grade penalty on the test or assignment involved to an "F" in the course. When a penalty for academic dishonesty is invoked, the instructor is required to submit to the Vice President for Academic Affairs immediately following the occurrence (a) a statement of circumstances, (b) the name of the student(s) involved, and (c) the penalty imposed. The student(s) involved has the right to appeal the action through the "Procedures for Appeal of Student Academic Grievances" as adopted by the Faculty Senate on May 2, 1978.
Involving such activities as conspiracy or breaking an entering, is to be reported to the Vice President for Student Services for appropriate action through regular university disciplinary channels.
Academic Probation
Freshman students will be placed on academic probation whenever their semester grade point falls below 1.50 unless the cumulative grade point at Arkansas Tech is 2.00 or higher. Sophomore, junior, or senior students will be placed on academic probation whenever their semester grade point falls below 2.00 unless the cumulative grade point is 2.00 or higher. These criteria also apply to entering transfer students.Students may be removed from probation by completing a minimum of 12 semester hours with a grade point of 1.50 if a freshman; 2.00 if a sophomore, junior or senior; or, in each case, by raising their cumulative grade point to 2.00 or higher. Summer work at Arkansas Tech may be used to raise the cumulative grade point to 2.00 or higher. The Vice President for Academic Affairs, in certain circumstances, may waive the minimum hour requirement.
Students who in a probationary semester fail to remove themselves from probation but achieve a 1.25 grade point if a freshman or a 1.75 semester grade point if a sophomore, junior, or senior, may continue on probation for the following semester.
Academic Suspension
Suspension will be automatic for students who in a probationary semester fail to achieve a 1.25 semester grade point if a freshman; 1.75 semester grade point if a sophomore, junior or senior; or who fail to remove themselves from probation within three successive full semesters. Students may combine summer term grades at Arkansas Tech with those of the semester immediately preceding in order to establish eligibility for retention in college.Suspension means that the student may not attend Arkansas Tech the succeeding regular semester; after one regular semester the student may be eligible for readmission on academic probation. Students receiving a second academic suspension will be eligible to seek readmission one year from the date of suspension. Students who believe there are extenuating circumstances which would justify earlier readmission must appeal to the Vice President of Academic Affairs for a hearing with the Admissions Council. Students who meet the semester/year stipulation must file a request for readmission with the Registrar's Office.
Students on academic suspension who wish to transfer to Arkansas Tech must meet the eligibility standards for readmission to the last college/university attended before being considered for readmission to TECH.
Academic Standards for Students Receiving Financial Aid through Federally Funded Programs--Please refer to the Student Financial Aid section of this catalog.
Adding/Dropping Courses
The deadline for adding courses or changing courses or sections is given in the University calendar; thereafter, changing to audit or dropping a course are the only changes permissible. Courses officially dropped during the first ten weeks of a semester will be recorded as "W." Courses dropped during the next three weeks of a semester will be recorded as "WP" for students who present a written statement from the instructor that they are passing at the time. Otherwise, a "WF" will be recorded and the course will count in grade point computation. Courses dropped subsequent to this time will be recorded as "F." (See University calendar). Students may add, drop, or change sections of courses only by following the official procedure which requires that they obtain and return the necessary forms to the Registrar's Office after obtaining the formal approval of their academic advisor. Failure to complete this procedure can result in a grade of "F" being entered on the student's record. A fee of $5 will be charged except for changes made for the convenience of the University.Auditing Courses
Auditing of courses requires official admission to the University, approval of the Office of Academic Affairs and the instructor involved, and payment of the regular fee for the course. Audit will be on a "space available" basis. Students auditing courses are subjected to the same regulations as other students with regard to registration and attendance, but they do not take examinations nor receive credit for the course. A student accumulating an excessive number of unjustifiable absences in an audited course may be administratively withdrawn at the request of the instructor. Students may change from taking a course for credit to audit during the first ten weeks of the semester. Students enrolled for audit who do not wish to complete the course(s) must complete official drop/withdrawal procedures stated in this section of the catalog.Class Absence
Regular class attendance is considered essential if students are to receive maximum benefit from any course. Control of class attendance is vested in the teacher, who has the responsibility of defining early in each course his/her standards and procedures. A student accumulating an excessive number of unjustifiable absences in a course may be dropped from the course by the instructor with a grade of "F." A student who is dropped from three courses in a semester for unsatisfactory class attendance may be immediately suspended.Class Load Policy
A student can expect to spend 2-3 hours outside the class (for studying, homework, preparation, etc.) for each hour in the class. This means that a student can expect to spend 24-36 hours in studying for a 12 semester credit hour load. It is therefore recommended that a full-time student enroll in no more than 18 hours per semester (7 hours per summer session). Students working full-time are encouraged to take no more than 12 hours per semester. Students readmitted after academic suspension cannot take more than 12 hours per semester (3 hours per summer session). Students on academic probation must obtain approval from their advisor to enroll in more than 15 hours per semester.These totals include all courses for which students may enroll. Permission to take course loads above these maximums must be obtained in advance of registration from the dean of the school of the student's major.
Course Overload
Students who enroll above the maximum loads without securing permission from the dean will be dropped from their classes. To be considered for a course overload, the student must submit a petition to the dean and should meet the following criteria:
- Have a 3.25 minimum grade point average in the preceding two summer sessions (minimum: 12 semester hours) or in the preceding fall or spring semester (minimum: 12 semester hours) at the university, or
- Be in good academic standing in the school if in the last semester before graduation.
The maximum overload permitted in any school by an approved petition is a load totaling 24 hours for a fall or spring semester, nine hours in a summer session I or II, and 15 hours for any combination of summer enrollments. Overloads over 21 hours will be subject to review by the Office of Academic Affairs.
Class Standing
Students with fewer than 30 semester hours are classified as freshmen, students with 30 through 59 semester hours as sophomores, students with 60 through 89 hours as juniors, and students with at least 90 hours as seniors.Clemency
In accordance with Act 1000 of 1991, a student who has not attended Arkansas Tech University for a period of at least three years may apply to have the grades and credits for one or more consecutive terms or semesters earned prior to the three year separation removed from his/her grade point average. Any undergraduate student who has previously attended Arkansas Tech University may qualify to request academic clemency providing the following criteria are met.After re-entering TECH following a separation of at least three years, a student may request academic clemency at the Office of the Registrar for approval by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The student must specify the term or consecutive terms for which academic clemency is desired. Any petition for academic clemency must be requested and granted prior to the beginning of the second semester of enrollment after returning to TECH. Academic clemency may be granted only one time and is irreversible. If the request is approved, Academic Clemency will cover all credits earned during the term or terms for which academic clemency is requested. The student's complete record will remain on the transcript with the added notation of "academic clemency granted" and the effective date.
For purposes of degree requirements, a student who received academic clemency must follow the provisions of the catalog in effect at the time of re- enrollment.
Academic clemency does not restore eligibility for student financial aid, scholarships or athletic eligibility.
Conduct
Arkansas Tech University expects its students to obey all the policies of the university and all federal, state and local laws. Each student, as a member of the TECH community, assumes an obligation to obey all rules and regulations made by properly constituted authorities. Failure to comply can result in disciplinary actions which may include disciplinary probation, suspension for a stated period of time, or expulsion which is permanent forced withdrawal. Conduct for which a student is subject to disciplinary action is published in the Student Handbook available in the Office of the Vice President for Student Services and in other official publications of TECH.Dean's List
Undergraduate students whose grade point at the end of each semester is 3.50 or better, based on a minimum of 12 semester hours of work, will be place on the Dean's list for outstanding scholarship. Recognition will be accorded these students through appropriate news media.Financial Obligation
Before any degree is conferred the candidate must have paid any debt owed the University.Grading and Examinations
Although Arkansas Tech University does not require fixed grade percentages in individual classes, equitable grading requires certain rough proportions which should, generally, approximate the normal grade curves. This system is more applicable to lower-level courses; upper-level courses will usually depart from this pattern.Final grades are reported to the Registrar's Office at the end of the semester. Midterm grades are reported for freshmen only. Midterm and final grade reports are sent to the student and student's advisor. A grade of "I" may be recorded for a student who has not completed all the requirements of a course because of illness or other circumstances beyond the student's control, provided work already completed is of passing quality. Beginning the first summer term, 1990, and thereafter, a grade of "I" will not be computed in the grade point average for the semester recorded; however, the "I" will be automatically changed to a grade of "F" for grade and grade point purposes at the end of the next regular semester (fall or spring) unless course requirements are completed and the final grade is reported before the end of the semester. A grade of "I" recorded prior to the first summer term, 1990, will be computed as an "F" for grade point purposes until the "I" is removed.
No grade other than "I" may be changed after it is recorded except if an instructor finds that a grade has been erroneously recorded. The instructor may correct the grade by submitting a written request and explanation of the error to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Grade points are awarded on the basis of: A, 4 points; B, 3 points; C, 2 points; D, 1 point; F, 0 points.
Graduation
All degrees are awarded at officially scheduled commencements. Participation in commencement is required of all candidates for degrees or certificates except that in cases involving hardships the student may officially petition for the degree to be granted in absentia. Please refer to the section entitled "Graduation Requirements" for information pertaining to transcript evaluation, application for graduation, payment of graduation fees, and other graduation requirements.Graduation Honors
The bachelor's degree with honors will be conferred upon candidates who at graduation have earned a minimum grade point average on all courses taken (both transfer and residence credit) as follows: Summa Cum Laude 3.900 - 4.000, Magna Cum Laude 3.700 - 3.899, Cum Laude 3.500 - 3.699. A minimum of 30 hours of residence credit at Tech is required to qualify for a degree with honors. Students qualify for honors based on their grade point average on all college-level hours, including transfer hours whether or not accepted for credit. Graduation honors will be determined by work taken at Arkansas Tech if the cumulative grade point on work at Arkansas Tech is lower than the cumulative grade point on all college work. The associate degree with honors will be conferred upon candidates subject to the grade point average criteria listed above in the applied science programs only. This policy is effective to new students enrolling in the first summer term, 2000. Previously enrolled students should contact the Office of the Registrar for clarification of the policy.Junior Standing
To be admitted to junior standing a student must have a grade point average of 1.75 or better on 60 or more semester hours of acceptable credit.Late Registration
For registration after the period stated in the University Calendar, a fee of $25 is charged.Repeated Courses
Students may repeat courses they have taken at Arkansas Tech University for the purpose of grade point adjustments (1) only by re-enrolling in the same courses at Arkansas Tech University and (2) subject to the following provisions. For repeated 1000- and 2000-level courses, only the grade from the last attempt of the repeated course is calculated into a student's cumulative grade point although all grades and all attempts are recorded on the student's academic record. For repeated 3000- and 4000-level courses, all grades for repeated courses are calculated into the student's cumulative grade point and all attempts of the repeated course are recorded on the student's academic record. Students must notify the Office of the Registrar upon completion of a repeated course for appropriate adjustments to their cumulative grade point. Adjustments to cumulative grade points are not made for courses transferred from other colleges or universities. Note: students may repeat developmental courses only twice.Student Records
Student academic records are maintained in the office of the Registrar. Unofficial copies of academic records are available for guidance purposes to students and their advisors. All student records are maintained in compliance with the standards and guidelines of The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, Federal Law 93-380.The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 assures confidentiality of education records containing information directly related to a presently enrolled student, a former student, or alumni.The institution, according to the Act, may make public "directory information" about a student, e.g., name, address, date and place of birth, telephone listings, attendance, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, and the previous educational agency or institution attended unless the student specifically requests in writing that his/her prior consent be obtained.
A request to suppress from public distribution the above mentioned information must be made in writing annually, to the Vice President for Student Services, no later than September 15 of the academic year for which the information is being made public. Further information may be obtained from the Student Services Office.
All registrants shall abide by all traffic and parking regulations as outlined by a printed pamphlet available in the Doc Bryan Student Services Building, or at the Department of Public Safety office where vehicles will be registered. Registration shall be accomplished within a seven-day period immediately following the beginning of the fall or spring semester, or within the 48-hour period (excluding Saturday and Sunday) following acquisition of a vehicle during the school year.
Vehicle registration cards are available at the Student Accounts Office. When completely processed the cards show owner's name, state registration number, driver's license number, make, year, model, color, and insurance in force on vehicle to be registered and an emergency point of contact should the listed driver be unavailable.
Prior to reporting to the vehicle registration office, registrants should bring their completed registration card, driver's license and current TECH identification card to the official in charge of registrations. An official Arkansas Tech registration decal will be affixed to the vehicle, and the registration number recorded on the registration card to be filed at the traffic office. The registration fee and all penalties for traffic violations, as published in the Tech Traffic Pamphlet, will be charged to the registrant's account at the Student Accounts Office.
Withdrawals
A student who wishes to withdraw from school during a semester is required to follow the official withdrawal procedure which requires reporting to the Office of the Registrar. The student will be directed to the appropriate offices to complete the official withdrawal process. Students who withdraw without following this required procedure will have their grades recorded as "F." If a student withdraws officially, the procedure for recording grades is identical with that for dropping an individual course, as described in this section under the heading "Adding/Dropping Courses." If a student withdraws from school during the final two weeks of a semester, the Vice President for Academic Affairs may waive the requirement that grades of "F" be recorded if the circumstances forcing a withdrawal justify special consideration.University Policy
While every effort will be made to conform to catalog announcements, the University reserves the right to adapt its program as may be necessary.