Academic Regulations

All courses in the 1000 series are freshman courses, all in the 2000 series are sophomore courses, all in the 3000 series are junior courses, and all in the 4000 series are senior courses. All 4xx7 courses are for undergraduate credit, but may include students who are taking the class for graduate credit under a 5xx7 number. Graduate students shall be required to do specified work over and above that required of undergraduate students in these courses. All in the 5000, 6000, and 7000 series are graduate courses.

Undergraduate students may not enroll in courses numbered higher than one year above their current classification. For example, a sophomore may enroll for junior courses, but may not enroll for senior courses. This policy does not apply in the College of Business and Technology, where 3000 and 4000 level courses are open only to juniors and seniors who have completed the appropriate course prerequisites. Enrollment in the 5000, 6000, and 7000 series is limited to graduate students. At least 70 percent of all courses taken in a master’s program must be in the 5000 series; at least one-half of all courses taken on the doctoral level must be in the 6000 and 7000 series.

Courses numbered below 1000 are offered through the Division of Developmental Studies and are not credited toward the degree.

A “major” is the curriculum for a particular field of study a student wishes to pursue in earning a degree. The minimum number of credits for a major is 24, but the total varies according to the area. An “area” concentration” is a specialized area of study within a major. Most majors require a “minor.” A minor is a secondary area of study which requires a minimum of 18 credits. Students should consult this catalog to determine the major and minor requirements for specific areas of study. They should meet regularly with an academic advisor in the major to select courses needed to complete a degree.

Undergraduate students must declare a major no later than the first term after they complete 60 semester credit hours. Transfer students who transfer more than 60 semester credit hours must declare a major by the end of their first semester at ETSU. This policy also applies to students in preprofessional programs. Students seeking a second bachelor’s degree must declare a major at the time of application.

ETSU assigns numerical values to letter grades to permit calculation of grade point averages. A four-point system is used, which includes plus/minus grading.

A student may appeal a course grade if the student has evidence that the grade was assigned in a malicious, capricious, erroneous, or arbitrary manner. Students may obtain grade appeal forms from the school or college deans, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, or the Vice President for Health Affairs. The grade appeal process is outlined in Spectrum (the ETSU student handbook), which is available online at www.etsu.edu/students/spectrum/pfp.htm. Students wishing to appeal a grade must begin the process within 21 days after the beginning of the next term, excluding summer school.

ETSU provides grades to registered students online via GoldLink. Students may obtain a printed copy of their grades by clicking Request Grade Mailer on the grade viewing screen in GoldLink. Requests for printed copies of grades must be submitted within two (2) weeks after the end of the term.

Academic departments retain grade documentation for a period of one (1) year. Student concerns regarding academic records will only be addressed within one (1) academic year from the date when the grades in question were posted.

To qualify for the Dean's List an undergraduate student must meet the following criteria for the term:

The pass/fail (P/F) grading option allows qualified undergraduate students to explore, in a limited manner, their interests and abilities by receiving a pass or fail grade instead of a regular letter grade in a course.

This section describes the P/F grading option available to individual students. The regulations cited here do not apply to the use of non-letter grades in entire courses.

Student Qualifications: Undergraduate students pursuing degrees must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 to take a course on a P/F basis. All ETSU credits plus any credits earned elsewhere and accepted by ETSU for transfer are counted when calculating the GPA for this purpose. There is no GPA requirement for undergraduate students not pursuing degrees. However, if a student later decides to pursue a degree, the GPA requirement then applies.

Courses Excluded and Included: Undergraduate students pursuing degrees may not take general education core courses or courses in the major or minor on a P/F basis. If a student changes majors or minors and a completed P/F course is then in the new major or minor, the student may petition the dean of the college or school offering the newly declared major or minor to have the original letter grade earned substituted for the previously earned P/F grade.

Undergraduate students not pursuing degrees may take any course P/F, to a maximum of 12 semester credit hours. However, courses taken at ETSU and graded P/F which are then brought into a degree program at ETSU are subject to the regulations governing students pursuing a degree.

Registration Process: Undergraduate students pursuing degrees or not pursuing degrees must request the P/F grading option at the time of registration. Students may register for no more than one P/F course in a semester. Registration for the P/F option in a course must be approved by the student’s department or college advisor, who must sign the drop/add form to certify review of qualifications and other applicable limitations.

Students may not request the P/F option for a course that is added after the first week of classes. The regular letter option cannot be changed to P/F, nor can the P/F grading be changed to regular grading after the first five days of the semester.

The instructor will not know the identity of students enrolled on a P/F basis and will record letter grades for all students, which the Office of the Registrar will convert to P/F. P/F courses may be repeated for regular letter grades.

Credit Hour Regulations: Undergraduate students pursuing degrees may count no more than 12 credit hours earned on a P/F basis at ETSU toward graduation. Courses with P/F grades cannot be applied toward a major or minor.

P/F graded courses will be counted as degree credit hours earned. Failing grades (F) are computed in the student’s GPA. Pass grades (P) are not computed in the GPA. P/F grades awarded for departmental challenge exams or other advanced standing examinations are not counted as credit hours earned.

Henry Campbell Black defines plagiarism as “The act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts of passages of his writing, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind” (Black’s Law Dictionary, West Publishing Company, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1968, p. 1308). In other words, plagiarism involves using someone else’s words or ideas without giving proper credit to the original author. Even if one does not copy the words exactly or even if one copies only a small part of someone else’s work, one must cite the name of the original author and provide a reference to that person’s work (e.g., title of work, year of publication, and name of publisher) using a format based on the publication manual of a nationally recognized scholarly association, such as the American Psychological Association or the Modern Language Association. One should enclose an exact quotation in quotation marks or indent the quotation, depending upon the style manual used. A page number or numbers must be cited for each quoted passage. Even if one does not use an author’s exact words, if one uses an author’s ideas one must provide documentation to give credit to the author. These standards apply to print and non-print media and include the Internet.

Credit earned by correspondence or extension from a regionally accredited institution may be accepted toward the completion of a degree at ETSU, provided that the total hours earned by correspondence or extension or a combination of the two does not exceed one-fourth of the hours required for the degree.

Freshman	(FR)	0	-	29.9 credit hours earned
Sophomore	(SO)	30	-	59.9 credit hours earned
Junior	(JR)	60	-	89.9 credit hours earned
Senior	(SR)	90		and up credit hours earned

Master’s Candidate (MS): A student who has been formally accepted to graduate school for the purpose of pursuing a master’s degree.

Specialist in Education Candidate (SED): A student who has been formally admitted to graduate school and the college of education for the purpose of pursing a specialist degree.

Doctoral Student, Early Stage (DE): A student formally admitted to a doctoral graduate program of study whose major academic endeavor consists of formal coursework directed toward fulfilling requirements for a doctorate.

Doctoral Candidate, Late Stage (DL): A doctoral graduate student who has passed the doctoral qualifying examination and whose principal academic endeavor consists of work toward completion of the doctoral dissertation.

Postdoctoral Student (PD): A student who has an awarded doctoral degree and is engaged in advanced academic study or specialty training beyond the doctoral degree.

Visiting Graduate Student (SPG): A formally enrolled graduate student, from another institution, whose coursework will be transferred back to the student’s home institution.

Graduate Non-Degree: A post-baccalaureate student who is not pursuing a graduate degree, is not a post-doctoral student, and is enrolled in graduate courses.

Undergraduate Special Student (SPU): A student who is not working toward a degree and is enrolled in undergraduate courses.

Visiting Undergraduate Student (SPU): An undergraduate student who is taking work to transfer to another school.

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Class Load
Fall and Spring Semesters

Standard Load: To be able to graduate in the traditional four-year time frame, students should plan to take a course load of 15-17 hours per semester. The minimum course load for full-time enrollment is 12 semester hours. The maximum course load is 19 semester hours, unless permission for an overload is approved.

Overload: The academic advisor and the dean of the student’s college or school must approve registration for an overload. Following completion of 45 semester hours, students with a cumulative 3.0 GPA may be approved for a load of up to 21 semester hours. Graduating seniors who do not have grade point average deficiencies may be approved to enroll for up to 21 semester hours in order to complete graduation requirements during that semester. Audit enrollment is used in determining class loads

Probationary Load: Any student on academic probation at the time of registration may not enroll for more than 13 hours, including audits, except by approval of the student’s advisor and college/school dean.

Summer Term: The maximum course load for the entire summer term is 17 hours, which is apportioned to each summer session as follows:

Pre-Summer: Three (3) credit hours

First five-week session (Term 1): Seven (7) credit hours

Second five-week session (Term 2): Seven (7) credit hours

Overloads in summer term, up to a maximum of 21 semester hours, must be approved by the academic advisor and the college/school dean.

Exceptions: Exceptions to the class load policy require approval of the academic advisor, the college/school dean, and the Vice PResidnet for Academic Affairs (or designee).

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Class Attendance Policy

Class attendance is a contract between faculty and students. It is expected that students will attend class regularly and provide the faculty with a reason for any absence. Failure to attend class regularly can affect students’ grades and financial aid. ETSU does not specify a fixed number of class absences as university-wide policy, but each academic department has the right to set a maximum number of absences permitted during an academic term, including absences due to illness or participation in university activities. Departmental class absence policies are subject to approval by the dean of the college/school. At the beginning of the course each faculty member must provide a written attendance policy (including laboratory/clinical sessions where applicable) so that all students may be fully informed of their attendance responsibilities and penalties that may be imposed for failing to meet these responsibilities. If a student is not in attendance during the class meeting in which the attendance policy is distributed, it is the student’s responsibility to ascertain the policy in that course.

Absences Occasioned by University-Sponsored Activities: University-sponsored activities include those sponsored by a university department or by a student organization officially recognized by the university. Course instructors must excuse absences occasioned by university-sponsored activities as long as the number of absences does not exceed the number prescribed in an established and previously announced departmental policy and the instructor has been informed in advance of the intended absence. An excused absence means only that students must be allowed a reasonable opportunity to complete all assignments and tests missed because of the excused absence. It is the responsibility of the student and of the faculty or staff sponsor of the activity to inform the course instructor of the upcoming absence. This information should be provided by giving a Class Absence Authorization Form to the instructor. Class Absence Authorization Forms can be obtained from the Office of Student Affairs. However, it is not necessary to obtain permission for absences from the Office of Student Affairs, nor does the office inform instructors of expected absences.

Absences Due to Emergency, Special Circumstances, or Illness: In case of an emergency (e.g., death in the family or illness) absence from class may be excused, and the student allowed reasonable opportunity to complete all assignments and tests missed. In such cases it is the responsibility of the student to explain the situation to the faculty member as soon as possible. The faculty member may require verification of the emergency situation or illness from the student. Students confined at home or in a hospital for an extended period of time should notify instructors from whose classes they will be absent so that arrangements can be made for completion of assignments, if feasible. The number of such absences may not exceed stated policy for the class, and the student must make arrangements to complete missed assignments.

Appeal of the Faculty Member's Decision: If a student has evidence that an instructor has not excused an absence that should have been excused within the guidelines stated here, the student may appeal the instructor’s decision to the chairperson of the department and/or dean of the college or school in which the course is offered.

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Repeating a Course

The following regulations apply to repeating courses:

A course in which an undergraduate student has earned an 'A' or 'B' grade may not be repeated.

If a course in which the undergraduate student has earned a 'C', 'D', or 'F' grade is repeated, only the most recent attempt (excluding 'I', 'W', or 'WF' grades) will be used in calculating the grade point average (GPA). However, all grades earned in the third and subsequent attempts will be used in calculating the summary line (GPA).

Note: All courses attempted count in hours attempted and all attempts will continue to show on the student's record.

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Incomplete Grades

The incomplete grade indicates that a student was passing the course at the end of the semester, but due to circumstances beyond the student’s control, was unable to complete a courses requirement such as a term paper, outside reading assignment, projects, or an examination. It also indicates that the student received consent from the instructor to complete the work for which an ‘I’ grade was given. The ‘I’ grade is not to be used to allow a student to do additional work to raise a deficient grade or to repeat the course.

Following consultation with the student, the instructor will determine the date by which the incomplete shall be removed, but in no case will the date exceed one calendar year or the time of graduation, whichever is earlier. After this period, the incomplete grade becomes an ‘F’ and is recorded on the student’s academic record. Incomplete grades are not removed until the new grade is recorded in the Office of the Registrar.

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Auditing a Course

Students are permitted to enroll in regular university courses as auditors. Registration fees are the same for audit as for credit. Audit enrollment will not be considered part of the 12-hour minimum required for a full-time load but will be counted in determining overloads. Regular attendance is required. Unsatisfactory class attendance may result in being administratively dropped from the course.

After the published “Last Day to Add a Course” students may not change their enrollment status in a course from credit to audit or from audit to credit.

Adding and Dropping Courses

Adding a Course: A course(s) may be added during the late registration/late add period without special permission, unless the course has reached the established maximum enrollment. To add any class that has reached the enrollment limit requires permission of the instructor and department chair. After the late registration/late add period, special permission must be obtained from the instructor, the department chair, the dean, and the registrar.

Dropping a Course: A course(s) may be dropped during the first eight calendar weeks of a regular semester. Courses dropped during the first four weeks will not appear on the student’s permanent record. Students who drop a course after the fourth full week of classes through the eighth calendar week will receive the grade of ‘W.’ (During the summer session, or when courses do not conform to established term dates, this schedule is adjusted appropriately to fit the condensed time frames.)

Developmental Studies courses cannot be dropped without written permission.

After the eighth week, a student may not drop a course except where verifiable, extenuating circumstances can be demonstrated. Verifiable extenuating circumstances are reasons beyond the control of the student, such as illness or accidental injury. Poor performance in a class is not an extenuating circumstance.

Students seeking permission for late drops must present a petition to the dean of the college or school in which they are majoring as of the beginning of the semester. Students whose majors are undecided must apply to the Office of Undergraduate Student Advisement located in the D. P. Culp University Center. If a late drop is approved, the student will receive a grade of ‘W’ (Withdrawn) or ‘WF’ (Withdrawn-Failing), as assigned by the instructor of the course.

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Withdrawing from the University

Students withdrawing from the university during the first eight weeks of classes will receive grades of ‘W’ in all courses. Withdrawals from the university after the eighth week will be recorded with ‘W’ or ‘WF’ at the discretion of the instructor. (During the summer session or other shortened terms, this schedule is adjusted appropriately to fit the condensed time frame.) All requests for withdrawal from the university must be received in the Office of the Registrar no later than the close of business hours two days before the last day of classes of any academic term. Under no circumstances will a student be permitted to withdraw from the university after that date.

A student who does not withdraw by the official procedure will receive an ‘F’ for each course.

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Student Proficiency in English

By the end of the freshman year, every student enrolled at ETSU is expected to have a command of the English language that is commensurate with the quality of speech and writing of educated adults.

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Academic Probation and Suspension Policies

Baccalaureate degree students who do not maintain the cumulative grade point average indicated on the following table, based on credit hours attempted, will be placed on academic probation during the next term (including summer session) in which they are enrolled at ETSU. Developmental Studies courses are included in calculating the GPA for this purpose.

Semester Credit Cumulative GPA			Hours Attempted Standard
0	-	29	1.4
29.1	-	45	1.7
45.1	-	59.9	1.9
60	+		2.0

Students seeking a second baccalaureate degree must maintain a 2.0 GPA each semester, regardless of the number of semester hours attempted.

Students may enroll in up to 13 credit hours of classes during a term in which they are on academic probation. If, at the end of the term of academic probation, a student has not attained the cumulative GPA standard or a 2.0 GPA for the term, the student will be suspended. A student who attains a 2.0 GPA for the term but does not meet the cumulative GPA standard will remain on probation during the next term of enrollment.

Period of Suspension: A student on probation who does not meet minimum GPA standards will be suspended from the university for one semester. The summer session does not count as a term of suspension. If a student is suspended for a second time for failure to meet minimum GPA standards, the suspension will be for two semesters or longer, and the student must follow the appeal procedure for reinstatement.

Appeal Procedure for Reinstatement following Suspension: Where extenuating circumstances are established as primary factors relating to low grades, a student may petition to waive or end the period of suspension. This petition must describe verifiable, extenuating circumstances, which may include illness as evidenced by medical documentation; personal problems, such as divorce or serious domestic problems; accidental injury; or other circumstances beyond the student’s control.

Upon the receipt of the written petition, a current academic transcript, and any supporting documents, a preliminary decision will be made as to whether there are satisfactory extenuating circumstances to warrant a formal appeal hearing. If a hearing is granted, the student will be notified of the time and place of the appeal hearing before the Academic Status Appeals Committee, which includes representatives of the Office of Student Affairs and the dean’s office of the college or school in which the student is majoring. If the request for a hearing is not granted, the student may contact the dean for a review of the decision.

Work in Other Institutions: If credits earned at other regionally accredited institutions during a period of academic suspension from ETSU are found to be acceptable for transfer and if such credits are sufficient to remove a student from academic probation, the student may be readmitted as a transfer student by the Director of Admission.

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The ETSU Honor Code

East Tennessee State University is committed to developing the intellect and moral character of its students. To that end, all instances of plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic misconduct shall be punished in accord with Tennessee Board of Regents policy. Any knowledge of conduct of this nature should be reported to the proper authorities. Not reporting instances of academic misconduct represents a fundamental break with honor code policy, and although this offense is not punishable, reflects a callous disregard for yourself, your classmates, and your professors.

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East Tennessee State University Office of Registrar

East Tennessee State University
Office of Registrar