Academic Policies and Procedures


Previous Section  Table of Contents  Next Section


Ohio University Front Door -Undergraduate Catalogs- Graduate Catalogs

Precollege Orientation



As an incoming first-year or transfer student at Ohio University, you will participate in Precollege Orientation. You will meet with faculty, administrators, and other students who will acquaint you with University policies, academic requirements, and student services, as well as help you register for your first quarter classes. Precollege Orientation for fall quarter first-year students is held in one-and-a-half-day sessions during the summer. For transfer students, two one-day sessions are held in mid-summer. A one-day session is held in September for both transfer and first-year students who cannot attend during the summer. Your parents or spouse are also encouraged to attend. Information will be mailed to you in early May.

If you are entering the University in a quarter other than fall, an orientation and registration program will be conducted before the beginning of that quarter. Information will be sent to you from University College.

Further information about Precollege Orientation is available from University College, Chubb Hall 140, telephone 740-593-1951 or by visiting https://www.ohio.edu/precollege/..



Registration Information

Registration

As noted above, if you are an incoming freshman or transfer student, you will receive assistance with class preregistration along with other information during Precollege Orientation.

If you are a current or re-enrolling student at Ohio University, you should follow procedures for using either the Touch-Tone Registration and Information Processing System (TRIPS) or the Web registration system. Both procedures appear in the Schedule of Classes, available in the registrar's office approximately two weeks before the beginning of preregistration each quarter.

Late Registration

Registration is not permitted after the first 15 calendar days of the quarter (in the case of some individual classes, after the first day). All registration procedures should be completed by the 15th calendar day of the quarter.

Unless late changes are judged by the registrar as being delayed by the University, you will be charged a retroactive registration correction fee beginning with the third calendar week of each quarter. The fees are: third week, $40; fourth week, $60; fifth week, $80; and sixth week, $100.

Identification Card

When you register, you will be given information about obtaining an identification card, issued by Communication Network Services (CNS). This card, which is validated by your registration, gives you access to campus services including the meal plan, library privileges, and the Student Health Service.

The card is issued free of charge according to these guidelines:

  1. If you are a new student, you are issued a card free of charge.

  2. If you are a re-enrolling student returning after one year or more, your old card will be valid upon registration. If you no longer have your old card, you will be issued a new card free of charge.

  3. If your name or Social Security number has changed, you will be issued a new card free of charge provided you return your old card when the new one is issued.

CNS charges a card replacement fee under these circumstances:

a. You will be charged $10 to replace a card that is lost, stolen, or damaged within one year of your last quarter of enrollment. (A $5 refund will be issued if you find your old card and return it to CNS, located in the HDL Center 154, during the same quarter in which it was replaced.)

b. If your name or Social Security number has changed, you will be charged $10 for a new card only if you do not return the old card. If you return the old card when the new one is issued, you will not be charged.

Updating Personal Information

You must report any changes in your personal data to the registrar services windows, 1st floor, Chubb Hall. Requests for changes in name, social security number, or birthdate must be accompanied by a document verifying the correct information.

You must report address changes to the University. You may do so at most student services offices, including your dean's office and the registrar's office. You may make a change of address by using the form available via the World Wide Web at https://www.ohio.edu/registrar . Return the completed form to the registrar services windows in Chubb Hall or send information via e-mail to: address@.ohiou.edu.

You are responsible for any University communication sent to you at your Oak e-mail or at the adderss on file with the registrar.


Enrollment Information

All course credit earned at Ohio University is designated in quarter hours. Normally a quarter hour is the equivalent of one lecture or two laboratory periods a week throughout the quarter.

Student Standing (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior)

Your student standing--or year in college--is determined by your total number of quarter hours earned. Freshmen have completed 0 to 44 hours; sophomores, 45 to 89; juniors, 90 to 134; and seniors, 135 and over.

Course Load

As an undergraduate student, you will usually carry a course load of 16-20 quarter hours, even if you are on academic probation. For tuition purposes, a course load of 11-20 quarter hours is assessed full-time fees by the University. If you receive financial aid or veterans benefits, or are a student athlete, you must carry a minimum of 12 quarter hours to be considered eligible. If you receive a scholarship you must carry 12-16 quarter hours, depending on scholarship criteria.

If you schedule fewer than 11 credit hours, you will be assessed part-time fees for the quarter. If you register for more than 20 hours, you will be charged an additional fee for each hour over 20. TRIPS and Web registration will not allow you to register for a course which causes the total hours to exceed the maximum. You must receive permission from your college services office or regional campus student services office to register for more than 20 hours in a quarter. If you are granted permission to exceed the maximum hours you will receive a Permission to Exceed Maximum Credit Hours form that should be returned to one of the registrar services window, 1st floor, Chubb Hall.

Veterans Benefits

If you are an undergraduate planning to receive Veterans Education Assistance, you must register for at least 12 quarter hours for full benefits to be awarded. For more information about veterans benefits, contact the Veterans Coordinator, registrar staff offices, 1st floor, Chubb Hall 108, 740-593-4186.

Student Athletes-Maintaining Eligibility

After your first academic year in residence or after one season of eligibility in a sport, your eligibility to participate in sports is based on (1)satisfactory completion of an accumulative total of quarter hours equivalent to an average of at least 12 hours per term of enrollment, (2)satisfactory completion of 36 quarter hours in the preceding three quarters, including summer quarter, with no more than 9 summer session hours included. Freshmen and sophomores must have a minimum accumulative g.p.a. of 1.8, while juniors and seniors must have a minimum accumulative g.p.a. of 2.0 to be eligible to compete.

You must declare a major by the beginning of your third year. You must be registered for at least 12 hours to practice or compete and not drop below that level.

In addition, a specific percentage of your degree program requirements must be completed. By the beginning of your third year of enrollment, you must have completed at least 25 percent of your specific degree program credits; by the beginning of your fourth year, 50 percent; and by the beginning of your fifth year, 75 percent. This provision also applies if you transfer from a two- or four-year institution, even if you have not completed a year in residence or a season of eligibility at Ohio University.

Declaring a Major

Normally you will declare a major when you apply as a freshman or transfer student by indicating the name and the six-character major code number on the application form. If you are unsure about a major, Ohio University allows you to enroll as an undecided major in University College or many other colleges.

Some programs of study have higher admission requirements than those set by the University in general, and admission to the University does not automatically grant admission into those programs. Consult the college in which the major is offered or the Office of Admissions for further information on limited or selective admissions policies for specific programs.

Changing Your Major or College

If you are classified as undecided and wish to declare a major, or if you would like to change your major, contact the college in which the major is offered to see if you meet the entry requirements.

Sometimes a change in major will necessitate transferring to another college (e.g., from Arts and Sciences to Communication). You then make application for transfer in the student services office of the college to which you would like to be admitted. If you are an Honors Tutorial or University College student, go to your current college before applying to the student services office of the college to which you would like to be admitted. The change must be processed through the student services office of both colleges within the first 15 calendar days of the quarter (the specific date is published in each quarter's Schedule of Classes), or you will remain enrolled in the initial college for that quarter. You must fulfill degree requirements of the college into which you transfer. You may, however, pursue programs in more than one college simultaneously. Consult your college's student services office about double degrees and dual major opportunities.

Changing Your Class Schedule After the Quarter Begins

You may add a class, drop a class, or correct your registration using the Touchtone Registration and Information Processing System (TRIPS) or Web Registration before the quarter begins. However, adding certain classes after classes begin requires special permission from the instructor, and dropping any class after the fifth week of classes is generally prohibited except by petition through your college's student services office. (See "Drops" below.)

Adds

You may add a class via TRIPS or via Web registration only during the first 8 calendar days of the quarter. However, please note that departments or individual instructors may close registration for their courses prior to the eighth day. After the eighth day of the quarter you may add a class only with instructor permission. For classes requiring the instructor's permission, you will need to obtain a permission slip from the instructor or departmental representative and then return the slip to the office indicated on the slip for final processing. You may add a class for which you have not met the prerequisite only by receiving the instructor's permission to take the class. Others may be added via TRIPS or via Web registration through the eighth calendar day of the quarter.

Drops

You may use TRIPS or Web registration to drop any class through the fifth week (defined as the 35th calendar day) of the quarter. Dropping a class is generally prohibited after the end of the fifth week, but under very exceptional circumstances you may petition your college in writing to drop a class. (Earning a low grade in the class is not considered such a circumstance.)

If you drop a class during the first 15 calendar days of the quarter, there will be no record of that class on your academic record. When you drop a class after the 15th calendar day of the quarter, your instructor will assign either a grade of Withdrawal Passing (WP) or Withdrawal Failing (WF), indicating your academic progress at the time the class was dropped. This grade will appear on your academic record, and subsequent DARS reports, in addition to your official transcript. It does not affect your g.p.a.

If you drop hours through the 15th day of the quarter, you are entitled to a 100 percent refund of the reduction if the change results in a reduction of registration fees. Changes made after the 15th day of the quarter will result in no refund. If you are receiving financial aid, a change in enrollment status may result in your having to repay programs from which you received aid. (See "Refund of Fees" for more information.)

After the first 15 calendar days of the quarter pass, your schedule becomes official. Your final tuition charges are based on your enrollment as of the 15th calendar day. If you withdraw after the 15th day, you must still pay the full tuition fees and your class(es) will remain on your academic record with WP/WF grade(s). Withdrawal during the first 15 days results in an 80 percent tuition refund.

Only in extreme instances in which circumstances beyond your control make you unable to have your registration in order by the 15th day will the University consider making an exception to this policy. Even then, such decisions are made by a special review panel and require that formal documentation such as a doctor's statement be submitted to the Review Panel. The student services office in your college can help you present an appeal to the review panel.


Cancelling Registration or Withdrawing From the University (Dropping All Classes)

Cancellation Before Classes Have Begun. Cancellation of registration is defined as dropping all classes before the first day of classes. You may do this by using TRIPS or Web registration, or you can call or visit the registrar's office or the student services office of your college to obtain a cancellation of registration form, which you then complete and return to the registrar's office. A refund of your registration fees is made according to the schedule in the Refund of Fees section.

Withdrawal After Classes Have Begun. Withdrawal from the University is defined as dropping all classes on or after the first day of classes and no later than the day before the last day of classes for the quarter or summer subterm. Withdrawl is not permitted on or after the last day of classes. To drop all classes means dropping all regular Ohio University classes in wich you are registered, whether on one campus or multiple campuses. This may not be done using TRIPS or Web registration. Apply for withdrawal by completing a withdrawal request form obtained from the student services office of your college. When the request has been approved by the academic college's student services office and housing, your withdrawal is processed by the registrar's office, which grants an official withdrawal after determining that all obligations to the University have been met. A refund of your registration fees is made according to the schedule in the Refund of Fees section.

Your change in enrollment status may result in your having to repay programs from which you have received financial aid. See the Refund of Fees and Financial Aid sections for further information.

Multiple Consecutive Withdrawals

Two or more consecutive withdrawals can be cause for placement of a registration hold on your record by the registrar or your academic dean. A petition to release this hold would be considered by your academic dean.

Withdrawing for Medical Reasons

In the event of serious physical or mental illness, you may arrange for a medical withdrawal from the university. Your withdrawal will be effective on the date you sought treatment from the Student Health Service for your illness or injury, or the last date you attended classes, depending on your particular circumstances. If you were treated by an outside physician who has recommended a medical withdrawal, that recommendation must be approved by the medical director of the Student Health Service.

To arrange for a medical withdrawal, contact the medical director of the Student Health Service (for physical health problems) or the director of Counseling and Psychological Services (for mental health problems). The director will make a written recommendation to your academic dean for a medical withdrawal.

It is possible to withdraw for medical reasons through the day before the last day of classes for the quarter or the summer subterm. After that, the appropriate director and the dean of your college must agree on the withdrawal.

If you are granted a medical withdrawal, you will receive notification in the mail from the medical director. A refund of fees, if applicable, will be based on the effective date of your withdrawal and will be made according to the schedule in the Refund of Fees section. A medical hold will be placed on your records, and to re-enroll you must request a medical clearance from the appropriate director. Once the clearance is approved, the hold will be released.

Class Attendance Policy

The weight given to class attendance in determining your grade is an academic matter; thus, all instructors are responsible for their own attendance policies. Though your instructor will state specific attendance requirements during the first week of classes each quarter, the University does expect you to attend classes regularly.

Excused Absences

Although instructors' policies govern how excused absences will be handled in their classes, certain absences are considered legitimate by the University. These include illness, death in the immediate family, religious observance, jury duty, and involvement in University-sponsored activities.

If you are returning to class after a legitimate absence, you can expect your instructors' assistance (makeup work, excused absences, change of grade computation) within the limits of their established attendance policies. There are occasions when the size or the nature of the course makes it necessary to limit the number of excused absences or the availability of makeup work, particularly for examinations or such special events as field trips or outside speakers. Such limitations should be explained in the instructor's attendance policy at the beginning of each course. If you are involved in University activities that may conflict with your class schedule, check with your instructor as early as possible to make satisfactory arrangements. You may document reasons for your absence as follows:

If you are participating in an authorized University activity (departmental trip, music or debate activity, ROTC function, or athletic competition), you can obtain notification from the sponsoring office. If you are hospitalized at O'Bleness Memorial Hospital, you are not issued a notification of class absence. However, you may request that your instructor call the Student Health Service to verify your hospitalization. If you receive out-patient care at the Student Health Service, you will not be issued a notification of class absence. However, if you give written permission for the information to be released, you may request that your instructor call for verification that you received outpatient care. It is assumed that, whenever possible, you will visit the health service as an outpatient without missing class.

If you receive medical care from personnel or facilities other than the Student Health Service, you are required to provide verification of the dates you received care.

If your grade has been affected by a legitimate absence or absences that your instructor does not excuse, you may appeal through the normal grade appeal process (first through the instructor, then the department chair or school director, and then the dean of your college). If satisfaction is not achieved through this process, the dean will appoint a faculty committee of five members, including the chair or director of the department or school in question, to consider your case and render a decision. The decision of this committee is not subject to further appeal.

Two-Hour Rule

If you miss the first two contact hours of a class for which you have registered, the instructor has the option of not admitting you to the class. (This policy applies to the first two hours of a class, not to the first two class meetings.) If you miss the first two contact hours, check with your instructor to verify your status in the class. If you have not been admitted, you will need to drop the class through TRIPS or Web registration. (See "Change of Course Schedule.")

Note: If the instructor does not admit you to the class, you still must drop the class from your schedule using TRIPS or Web registration. Otherwise, you will receive an F, an FN (failure never attended), or an FS (failure stopped attending) for the class at the end of the quarter.


Auditing

You may register to audit classes, which allows you to preview or review courses without receiving a grade or credit hours, but the choice to audit must be made and identified at the time of registration. Changes from audit to credit or from credit to audit must be made during the first 15 calendar days of the quarter. Audited classes count in calculating tuition, but they do not carry credit or count toward financial aid eligibility. Audited courses will appear on your official transcript but will not affect your g.p.a. or hours earned. Auditing a class is not the same as taking it on a pass/fail basis.

Your instructor may set up specific requirements for auditing the class, and if you do not meet the requirements, you may be removed from the class at your instructor's discretion with a grade of WP or WF. Be sure to discuss your auditing status with your instructor at the first class meeting.

Visiting

You must be a registered student in order to attend classes at Ohio University. If you are a full-time student, you also have the privilege of visiting classes for which you haven't specifically registered if you obtain the instructor's permission ahead of time.

Taking Graduate-Level Courses

As an undergraduate student, you are not eligible to take graduate courses for credit unless you are in the Honors Tutorial College or participate in one of the following programs:

Departmental Honors. Students in a recognized departmental honors program may take a maximum of three graduate courses in their major department during their senior year (i.e., after earning 135 or more hours of credit). Hours earned in these courses will count toward total hours required for graduation and the grades will be calculated into the undergraduate g.p.a. Registration in graduate courses requires written permission from the instructor. Participation in this option is at the discretion of the department or school. Students process this special registration by obtaining permission from the departmental honors coordinator and submitting the approval form to the Registrar's Office for processing.

Senior for Graduate Credit. If you are an Ohio University student, or a well qualified senior attending another University and within nine hours of completing all requirements for a bachelor's degree, you may be eligible for graduate study as a senior. You must have an overall g.p.a. of at least 2.5 and obtain written permission from the graduate chair of each department offering the graduate courses and from your college dean. Permission to take such courses does not grant admission to a graduate degree program. If you are admitted as a senior for graduate credit, you will pay undergraduate fees and will not be eligible for graduate assistant or graduate scholarship support. Generally, no more than two graduate courses may be taken in this way, and graduate courses will not fulfill any undergraduate requirements. The graduate credit becomes part of your graduate record only; it does not affect your undergraduate hours earned or g.p.a.

Request this option through the Office of Graduate Student Services, Wilson Hall 304 (College Green) before registering. A $10 application fee is charged, and admission is granted for one quarter only.

Early Admission to Graduate Program. Based on superior undergraduate performance, you may qualify for early admission to a graduate degree program. You must have an overall g.p.a. of at least 3.5 and must have completed all undergraduate requirements, except the total credit-hour requirements, by the time you enter the graduate degree program. You also must obtain written permission from your department, the department's graduate committee, and the dean of your undergraduate college. Once admitted, you may enroll in graduate classes for graduate credit. These classes can be used to satisfy both graduate degree requirements and undergraduate total credit hour requirements, but the hours and grades are part of your graduate record only. Apply through the Office of Graduate Student Services before registering. If you qualify, you pay graduate fees and are eligible for graduate assistant or scholarship support.

Final Examinations

Final examinations for classes are held during a formal examination period at the end of the academic term. You are required to take the examinations according to the schedule published by the registrar's office in the quarterly Schedule of Classes .

Each final examination is scheduled for two hours. Final examinations are given in the regularly scheduled classroom unless the instructor is giving a combined sections examination. Instructors will notify students in courses having combined sections examinations of the time and location of the classroom where the examination will be given.

Students will not be required to sit for more than three final examinations in one day. Should a student be scheduled for more than three examinations in one day, the student may seek relief from the instructor with the examination scheduled latest in the day. This process must be initiated and completed by the ninth week of the quarter. The instructor will provide an examination for the student at a mutually agreed upon time during the examination week.

The final examination for departmental honors work must be taken before the opening of the regular examination period. Consult your departmental honors program coordinator for more information.


Grading Information

The basis for determining your scholastic standing is the grade-point average (g.p.a.). This average is determined by dividing the total number of grade points you have earned by the total number of quarter hours of credit you have attempted. For example, if you have earned a C (2.0) and a B (3.0) in each of two five-hour courses, first multiply the number of hours in each course by the point value for that grade (5 x 2 = 10 and 5 x 3 = 15) and add the grade points for each course together to find the total number of grade points (25). Then add the number of hours attempted (5 + 5 = 10) and divide the total number of grade points by the total hours attempted (25 + 10 = 2.5). Your g.p.a. after completing the two courses would be 2.5.

Your g.p.a. is figured only on credit hours attempted--courses for which you receive letter grades (A-F), FN (failure never attended), or FS (failure stopped attending). FN and FS have the same value as an F. Grades that are considered hours earned but are not figured into the g.p.a. are listed in the following section.

Grade Reports

At the close of a session or upon completion of a course, the instructor reports a final grade indicating the quality of your work in the course. Once grades are submitted, they are final and cannot be changed unless evidence of an error can be presented. Grades cannot be changed by arranging to complete additional work. Point values are assigned for each quarter hour of credit completed according to the following grading system:

A	4.00	B+	3.33	C+	2.33	D+	1.33
A-	3.67	B	3.00	C	2.00	D	1.00
		B-	2.67	C-	1.67	D-	0.67
						F	0.00
						FN	0.00
						FS	0.00

CR - Credit. A report of credit may be made for certain preapproved courses. This is credit without grade points, which means credit is added to the hours earned but not added to the hours attempted for grade-point calculation. Credit is to be used for certain courses and only by prior approval of the Curriculum Council or, in certain special cases, by the dean of the college. Some colleges may limit the number of CRs applied to major and degree requirements.

FN-Failure Never Attended

This grade is given when you do not officially drop a course for which you registered but did not attend. It counts as an F in your g.p.a. Like any other undergraduate grade in a nonrepeatable course, the FN may be replaced in your grade-point average by the last grade earned if you retake the course.

FS-Failure Stopped Attending

This grade is given when you stop attending but do not officially drop a course for which you registered and attended at least once. It counts as an F in your g.p.a. In addition, the last day of attendance indicated is recorded on your permanent record. Like any other undergraduate grade in a nonrepeatable course, the FS may be replaced in your grade-point average by the last grade earned if you retake the course.

Removal of FN or FS from the record (treating the course, for tuition and grade purposes, as though it had been dropped by the 15th day of the quarter) requires action by the late course withdrawal review panel, as is the case with any other grade.

PR - Progress

This grade is primarily used at the graduate level and applies only to a few very specific undergraduate courses. This grade indicates that you have made progress in the course but have not finished the work required for a letter grade. It may extend longer than one quarter and is not calculated in the g.p.a.

I - Incomplete

Receiving an I means that you have not completed the work required for a regular grade. It is not counted in the g.p.a. You must have the instructor's permission to receive the Incomplete, and you must complete the work within the first six weeks of your next quarter of enrollment or the I converts automatically to an F. You may request a one-time extension to the end of the quarter from your instructor. He or she must then complete a request for the extension through the registrar's office.

When you apply for graduation, any Incompletes on your record will be calculated as F grades for the purpose of determining eligibility for graduation. If the I is not completed within six weeks after graduation, the grade converts to an F.

WP/WF - Withdrawal Pass/Withdrawal Fail

These grades designate courses dropped after the 15th day of the quarter. They do not count in the g.p.a.

Other grade reports that may appear on your grade slip but are not assigned by a faculty member:

AU - Audit

Indicates formal participation in a course, but not for credit or a regular grade. If you register for an audit, you are expected to attend and participate in classes according to the instructor's policy. Failing to do so can result in removal of the Audit from your record. (If this action results in a change of fees, the University policy on refund of registration fees will apply.) Audited courses are not computed in the g.p.a. or hours earned.

NC - No Credit

Conversion of freshman D, I, and F grades from Summer 1969-70 through Summer 1976-77 under ABC Grading System option. Also replaces all F grades under Segmented Transcript Policy (began Fall 1985-86) and in the Ohio Program of Intensive English (OPIE).

NR - No Report.This grade is assigned when:

  1. The instructor does not report the grade;

  2. The instructor reports the grade too late for processing; or

  3. The instructor reports an ineligible grade (for assigned grade eligibility code).

P - Pass. Conversion of grades A through D- under the pass/fail option. Credit is awarded, but the g.p.a. is not affected. The fail (F) grade counts in the g.p.a. the same as any F. Grades for these courses do not affect the g.p.a. Courses taken under the pass/fail option will not count toward graduation requirements but will count in total hours earned for graduation. There is a limit on the number of hours earned under the pass/fail option that may apply toward total hours required for graduation.

Repeating a Course

A repeatable course is defined as a course taken for additional hours of credit toward graduation requirements (i.e., MUS 340, PSY 490). Some departments place limits on the total number of credits that may be earned in repeatable courses.

Retaking a Course

A regular course with fixed content can be retaken to affect your g.p.a. Retaking the course removes the hours and the effect of the earlier grade from the calculation of the g.p.a. However, all grades are printed on your permanent academic record (transcript). The later grade is the one calculated in the g.p.a., even if it is lower than the first, and duplicated credit hours are not accepted toward the credit-hour requirement for graduation. Some graduate and professional schools will include all grades in their calculation of your g.p.a. when determining your eligibility for admission, even though Ohio University calculates only the last grade in a retaken course.

As a rule, a course designated as a prerequisite may not be retaken to affect the g.p.a. after you have completed higher-level coursework in the same subject area. Courses taken at Ohio University and retaken at another university are not eligible for grade point adjustment under this policy. Some departments limit the number of times a course may be retaken, so check with the student services office in your college regarding restrictions.

Retaking a course after graduation will not change your graduation g.p.a., honors status, or rank in class.

Pass/Fail Grading Option

Taking a course pass/fail is an option designed to encourage you to explore areas of study in a way that will not negatively affect your g.p.a. unless you fail the course. To be eligible, you must have a g.p.a. of 2.5 or better for your latest quarter of full-time enrollment, or have an accumulative g.p.a. of 2.0 or better. If you are a first-quarter freshman, you automatically qualify.

The pass/fail option is subject to the following restrictions: (1) No course taken pass/fail may be used to fulfill any graduation requirement (college, school, or department) other than the total hours requirement. For example, courses taken pass/fail cannot be used to satisfy distribution requirements, minor or certificate requirements, requirements of courses above a specified level, a specific course established as a major requirement, or any other such requirements. (2) You may take no more than one course per quarter or summer session by pass/fail. (3) You may complete no more than 20 quarter hours under this option. (4) The instructor is not to know who elects his or her courses on the pass/fail option. A letter grade will be turned in and then converted to a P or F on the transcript. The original letter grade cannot be retrieved.

To initiate the pass/fail option you should register for the class via TRIPS or Web registration, then contact your academic dean's student services office or regional campus student services offices in your college or regional campus student services offices (during the first 15 calendar days of the quarter ONLY) to request that a course be taken pass/fail. Pass/fail requests by regional campus students are reviewed by the student's college dean's student services office on the Athens campus and may be denied if an inappropriate choice has been made. You cannot process pass/fail applications through TRIPS or Web registration.

Segmented Transcript Policy

The segmented transcript policy was developed as a way to allow students who leave the University with low grades and re-enroll after an absence of six or more years to begin coursework without the threat of academic probation. Under this policy, all of your courses will be reflected on your transcript, but the grades you have earned earlier will be temporarily changed to CR and NC, which removes them from the calculation of your accumulative g.p.a., while the hours earned will be carried forward.

The new g.p.a. after segmentation will be used for determining your probationary status and liability of being dropped (see the Academic Probation section). The new g.p.a. also may be used, at the discretion of relevant officials or committees, to determine your eligibility for entrance to academic programs or for scholarships and honor societies, although they also have the option of using both the current and previous g.p.a.

However, the g.p.a. for determining the 2.0 minimum overall g.p.a. for graduation and in the major, as well as honors status at graduation, will be based on all hours attempted at Ohio University, including those attempted before segmentation. Upon your graduation, all grades are returned to the originals and recalculated into the g.p.a.

Subsequent gaps of six or more years will not result in further segmentation of your transcript.

You must petition your college dean to have your transcript segmented; further information about and application forms for the segmented transcript policy are available from your student services office in your college.


Academic Status

Dean's List

The Deans List, compiled quarterly, includes the names of all students whose g.p.a. for the quarter is at least 3.3 on a minimum of 16 quarter hours of credit earned, including at least 12 hours attempted for letter grades that are used to calculate your g.p.a.

Academic Probation

To avoid academic probation, you must maintain an accumulative g.p.a. of at least 2.0. At the close of each quarter in which you are a full-time student, your record will be reviewed to verify your g.p.a. If you are a part-time student, the review will take place at the close of the quarter in which your accumulative number of hours of enrollment since your initial enrollment, or since your last review, exceeds 10.

Probation and Continuation

If at the time of the review you do not have the required 2.0 minimum g.p.a., you will be placed on academic probation. If you are already on probation, you may be allowed to continue at the niversity until the next review if, in the opinion of the dean, you are making adequate progress toward attaining a 2.0 g.p.a. A continuance can be granted a maximum of three times; thus, there is a limit of four consecutive quarters on academic probation if you are a full-time student.

Normally, adequate progress is based on reducing, or at least not increasing, the number of deficiency points you have, which is determined by multiplying your total number of hours attempted by two and subtracting this from all points earned. For example, if you have attempted 40 hours and have earned 65 grade points for those hours, first multiply hours by 2 (40 x 2 = 80). Then subtract the number of grade points (80 - 65 = 15 deficiency points). Increasing your grade points for additional hours can decrease your deficiency points and show that you are making adequate progress. This can be done by earning grades of C+ and above in the hours you attempt.

Some colleges require higher standards of performance than the University's 2.0 minimum. If you have been dropped from a college because of failure to meet such additional standards but are not subject to dismissal according to the University rules below, you are still eligible for admission to other programs in the University.

Removal from Probation

Removal of probationary status is automatic at the close of the quarter of review for both part-time and full-time students when your accumulative g.p.a. rises to 2.0 or above. Part-time students may be on probation between quarters of review even though their g.p.a. is 2.0 or higher.

Dismissal (Drop) and Reinstatement

If you are denied continuation of probation, you will be dropped from the university. A status of "Drop I" means you were dropped because of an increase in deficiency points. "Drop L" means you reached the limit of four probationary quarters. If you have been dropped, you are not able to enroll for regular courses on any Ohio University campus.

You may petition the dean of your college for reinstatement, but normally a petition will not be considered for at least 12 months after your dismissal. As a condition for reinstatement, the dean of your college may suggest remedial steps you can take, usually in the form of courses to be taken at other institutions or through Independent Study by Correspondence or Course Credit by Examination. However, such steps will not constitute sufficient grounds for waiving or shortening the waiting period for reinstatement.

If you have been dropped from the University for a second time, reinstatement is possible only under extraordinary circumstances and cannot be considered for at least 24 months after the second dismissal.

Academic Misconduct

All forms of academic misconduct are prohibited by the Student Code of Conduct. Academic misconduct refers to dishonesty in assignments or examinations (cheating); presenting the ideas or the writing of someone else as your own (plagiarism); or knowingly furnishing false information to the University by forgery, alteration, or misuse of University documents, records, or identification. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, permitting another student to plagiarize or cheat from your work; submitting an academic exercise (written work, printing, sculpture, computer program) that has been prepared totally or in part by another; acquiring improper knowledge of the contents of an exam; using unauthorized material during an exam; submitting the same paper in two different courses without the consent of your professors; or submitting a forged grade change slip.

If you have committed any act of academic misconduct as determined by the judgment of a faculty member or by the procedures of the Office of University Judiciaries, serious action -- which may include failure of work undertaken, failure in the course, and formal disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion -- will be taken against you.

In cases of academic misconduct, a faculty member has the authority to administer a failing grade. If your course grade is lowered by an instructor who has accused you of plagiarism, you may appeal this grade first through the instructor, then the department chair or school director, and then the dean of your college. If satisfaction is not achieved through this process, the dean will appoint a faculty committee of five members, including the chair or director of the department or school in question, to consider your case and render a decision. The decision of this committee is not subject to further appeal. The faculty member also has the discretion to refer your case to the director of judiciaries. The director of judiciaries, the University Hearing Board, and the University Appeal Board have the authority to take formal action that includes, but is not limited to, suspension or expulsion from the University. However, the director of judiciaries, the University Hearing Board, and the University Appeal Board have no authority to modify a grade given by a faculty member.

If you wish to appeal an action of University Judiciaries or the University Hearing Board, such as suspension or expulsion, you can take the matter to the University Appeal Board. Details of appeal procedures are included in the Student Handbook.

Further information on academic misconduct is available from the Office of University Judiciaries, telephone 740-593-2626.


Student Records Information

Students Records Policy

Consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, all of Ohio University's policies and practices governing the collection, maintenance, review, and release of student records will be based upon the principles of confidentiality and your individual right to privacy. The specific policy is detailed in the Appendix of this catalog.

Obtaining Transcripts

To order an official transcript of your academic record, submit a signed release form (available from the registrar's office in Chubb Hall and the registrar's Web site) or a letter of request, along with payment, to the registrar's office. To find out more about the various processing, application, and delivery options available, go to the registrar's Web site at https://www.ohio.edu/registrar/transcri.htm, or phone the Registrar's Office, 740-593-4206, or e-mail to transcripts@ohiou.edu.

Replacement of Diploma

To obtain a replacement diploma, file a notarized affidavit attesting that the original diploma has been lost or destroyed, or verification of a name change, to the registrar's office along with a request for a new diploma. In the case of a name change, you also must return the original diploma. Instructions for verifying a name change are available from the registrar's office. The fee for diploma replacement is $15.

The replacement diploma will carry current titles and signatures of University officers and the notation "official replacement." Allow four to six weeks for delivery.


Previous Section  Table of Contents  Next Section


Ohio University Front Door -Undergraduate Catalogs- Graduate Catalogs



University Advancement and Computer Services revised this file (https://www.ohio.edu/catalog/01-02/colleges/policy.htm) on December 6, 2001.

Please E-mail comments or suggestions to "ucat@www.ohiou.edu."