2004-06 IUPUI Campus Bulletin

Academic Policies and Regulations

Graduate Credit Hours

Graduate-level courses are often completed for personal enrichment; the credits are generally not applied to the undergraduate degree program. However, with prior approval, a maximum of 6 graduate credit hours may be applied to the B.G.S. The application of more than 6 graduate credit hours must have the dean’s approval.

Remedial Course Work

Remedial courses are not college-level courses and therefore do not count toward the A.A.G.S. and B.G.S.

Minors and Certificates

Completing Optional Minors  Students completing their degree on an IU campus may earn a minor in conjunction with the B.G.S. Students must discuss this possibility and obtain written approval from the school or department awarding the minor. This approval is to be placed in the student’s file.

Completing Optional Certificates  While meeting degree requirements, general studies students may simultaneously fulfill requirements for certain certificates. For example, the certificate in hospital accounting may be completed by at-a-distance (non-campus-based) General Studies Degree Program candidates, as well as by students enrolled on any Indiana University campus.

Most Indiana University campuses offer additional certificate programs that may be completed by local on-campus students. For more information on earning certificates, students should consult their General Studies Degree Program counselors.

Program Planning and Counseling Guidelines

The experience of faculty, counselors, and successful students suggests the following guidelines for effective planning of undergraduate programs.

Requirements  Students should be thoroughly familiar with the school’s general requirements, competency and course requirements, and academic policies.

Counseling  Students consult with a General Studies Degree Program counselor as an integral aspect of the School of Continuing Studies enrollment process. The counselor assists students in formulating a plan of study, which includes the required and elective courses that students must take to earn their degree.

Students should discuss with their counselor the appropriate method to establish fundamental skills competency requirements: specific courses, self-acquired competency, College-Level Examination Programs (CLEP), Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) examination, departmental examination, or departmental exemption.

Students wanting to receive credit for self-acquired competency that also meets a fundamental skills competency requirement may use the portfolio review process (see “Credit for Self-Acquired Competency”).

Pass/Fail Option

A.A.G.S. students may enroll in a maximum of four elective courses taken with a grade of P (pass) or F (fail). B.G.S. students in good academic standing may enroll in a maximum of eight elective courses taken with a grade of P or F.

Courses taken pass/fail must be electives. They may not be used to satisfy any of the course distribution requirements nor counted as part of a student’s concentration area. The courses may be used to meet the B.G.S.’s 300- to 400-level course requirement and fundamental skills competency requirements.

Withdrawal from Courses

Because deadlines and procedures for withdrawal from courses may vary by campus and/or school, students should check with the appropriate campus’s current Schedule of Classes to verify deadlines and procedures.

Special Opportunities

Credit for Self-Acquired Competency

The School of Continuing Studies recognizes that students gain college-level knowledge through various life experiences that are equivalent to the subject matter of specific courses in the university curriculum or that may be recognized as general-elective credit. Students who believe they may be eligible for Self-Acquired Competency (SAC) credit should discuss their life experiences in detail with their General Studies Degree Program counselor.

In general, the following procedures and limitations govern the awarding of SAC credit:

1. Students must be admitted to the School of Continuing Studies, have completed 12 credit hours at Indiana University subsequent to admission, and be in good academic standing before credit for self-acquired competency may be evaluated.
2. A maximum of 15 hours of SAC credit may be applied toward the A.A.G.S. A maximum of 30 hours of SAC credit may be applied toward the B.G.S.
3. Students seeking either general-elective or specific-course credit for self-acquired competency must always do so in consultation with their General Studies Degree Program counselor. SAC credit must be carefully integrated with the total degree plan.
4. Learning must parallel courses in the Indiana University curriculum in order to be recognized as specific-course credit. Learning of college-level caliber that cannot be equated to a specific course is awarded as general-elective credit.
5. The General Studies Degree Program offices arrange for assessment of the SAC portfolio by faculty of the appropriate school or department.
6. The fee per credit hour recorded for self-acquired competency is the per-credit-hour fee charged for independent study university courses at the time the SAC credit is recorded on the official student record.

The SAC Portfolio  The careful development of a SAC portfolio can be a rewarding learning experience. The General Studies Degree Program offices conduct self-acquired competency classes for students who want to complete a SAC portfolio. An independent study course, Education F400 Development of the Self-Acquired Competency Portfolio, is also available for this purpose.

Credit by Examination at Indiana University

Students who want to pursue credit by examination at Indiana University should consult with their General Studies Degree Program counselors and the appropriate department(s) at their local campuses.

Credit Awarded through Nondepartmental Examinations

Indiana University awards credit for Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations, College-Level Examination Programs (CLEP), Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) examinations, and ACT-PEP Regents (Excelsior) College examinations on the basis of policy established by faculty at the campus where students will pursue their degrees. Students should consult with their General Studies Degree Program counselors as to the options available through nondepartmental examinations.

Students will not receive credit by taking DANTES, CLEP, or ACT-PEP Regents (Excelsior) College examinations for courses for which they have already received credit. Credits awarded on the basis of CLEP and DANTES scores will not be considered as after-admission or Indiana University credit hours.

Students should request that official transcripts of their AP, CLEP, DANTES, and ACT-PEP Regents (Excelsior) College examination scores be sent directly to the office to which they are applying.

Credit Awarded for Educational Programs in Noncollegiate Organizations

The School of Continuing Studies will consider the evaluation and credit recommendations of the following two publications when awarding credit to students who have successfully completed noncollegiate or in-company sponsored programs/courses:

1. American Council on Education, The National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs
2. The University of the State of New York, A Guide to Educational Programs in Noncollegiate Organizations

Students must request that official records of program/course completion be sent directly from the awarding organization. Students must also submit a complete description of the program/course, preferably a copy of program/course literature or an explanatory letter on the organization’s letterhead stationery. For assistance with requests for transcripts or program/course descriptions, students may contact their General Studies Degree Program counselor.

Military Service Credit

Indiana University adheres to the American Council on Education’s Guide to Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services in granting students credit on the basis of education gained through military service, schools, and experience. To receive credit for their military service background, students must submit copies of their official discharge (DD214) or Army ARTS, Community College of the Air Force, or Defense Language Institute transcripts.

Academic Standing of Students

Candidates for Degrees in Good Standing

Students are considered to be candidates in good standing for a general studies degree when they have

1. been officially admitted to degree status by the Office of Admissions.
2. earned a minimum academic GPA of 2.0 for the last semester’s work.
3. earned a minimum after-admission GPA of 2.0.
4. earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Graduation Certification

Candidates for graduation initiate the certification process by filing an Intent to Graduate form. For the specific procedure, students should consult with their General Studies Degree Program counselor at the time they enroll for their final semester/course.

Degrees Awarded with Distinction

The School of Continuing Studies recognizes outstanding performance in course work by awarding degrees with three levels of distinction: distinction, high distinction, and highest distinction. The level of distinction is determined by the overall GPA of each graduating class.

In order to graduate with distinction, students must have successfully completed 30 graded Indiana University credit hours for the A.A.G.S. and 60 graded Indiana University credit hours for the B.G.S. Remedial courses and courses taken on a pass/fail basis, as well as self-acquired competency (SAC) credits, are not counted.

Dean’s List

General studies students are placed on the School of Continuing Studies Dean’s List when they have:

1. Completed—after admission to the School of Continuing Studies—at least 12 credit hours of graded course work. (Grades of FX, I, P, R, S, and SAC are not counted in the 12 credit hours.) The course work must have been completed during the prior academic year (from August 1 to July 31). Note: Independent study courses must be completed by August 31 for Dean’s List consideration.
2. Earned a minimum grade point average of 3.5 for applicable credit hours. For part-time students, all course work completed during the prior academic year (from September 1 to August 31) is included in calculating the GPA. For full-time students, one semester (or both summer sessions) in which a minimum of 12 credit hours is completed may be considered in calculating the GPA.

Students placed on the Dean’s List receive a letter and certificate signed by the dean and the division representative.

Academic Probation

Students are automatically placed on academic probation whenever their GPA for a full-time semester or a 12 credit hour unit of work is below 2.0. Students’ academic performance—and the academic performance of students who have been admitted on probation—will be evaluated upon completion of an additional 12 credit hours at Indiana University. Students will be removed from probationary status if their GPA for these 12 credits is at least 2.0 and if their cumulative GPA is at least 2.0. If a probationary student’s GPA for the additional 12 credits is 2.0 but the cumulative GPA remains below 2.0, probationary status will be continued for another 12 credit hour unit of work; the cumulative GPA must be raised to at least 2.0 during this time, or probationary students will be dismissed (see below).

Dismissal

Students are subject to academic dismissal when they fail to make satisfactory progress toward their degree. Students will be dismissed whenever their GPA for a full-time semester or a 12 credit hour unit of work is below 1.0 and their cumulative GPA is below 2.0.

Probationary students will be dismissed if their GPA for the additional 12 credit hour unit of work is below 2.0. Students whose probationary status has been continued for a second 12 credit hour unit and who fail to achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0 will also be dismissed.

Readmission to the School of Continuing Studies

The director of General Studies may consider petitions for readmission from students who have been dismissed. The director may recommend re-entrance without delay if warranted by exceptional circumstances and if the director believes the student will make satisfactory progress toward the degree. Students dismissed a second time may not be admitted for the next regular semester, but they are eligible to submit a petition for readmission after at least one regular semester has elapsed.

Academic Forgiveness

Upon successful completion (minimum GPA of 2.0) of 12 credit hours in the General Studies Degree Program, the following policies take effect:

1. At a student’s option, grades of D or F earned at Indiana University five years or more before admission to the School of Continuing Studies may be deleted from the internal School of Continuing Studies record. The cumulative GPA on the Indiana University transcript will not change.
2. Students may request forgiveness of an unsatisfactory semester or 12 credit hours of part-time work at Indiana University if the semester/12 credit hours is/are within a five-year period before admission to the School of Continuing Studies. Although all Indiana University courses remain on a student’s permanent record, the school can exclude all credits attempted and grade points earned during this unsatisfactory semester/12 credit hours when computing a student’s School of Continuing Studies GPA. Note: If students exercise this option, none of the grades and credits earned during the unsatisfactory semester/12 credit hours may be applied to a general studies degree. Therefore, students are advised to consult with their General Studies Degree Program counselor about this policy’s advisability.

Note: Although the options above allow unsatisfactory grades to be removed from the School of Continuing Studies’ internal record, the grades remain on the official record maintained by the Indiana University Office of the Registrar.

Scholarships

School of Continuing Studies Scholarships

The School of Continuing Studies offers several scholarships for general studies degree students. Available to both full- and part-time students, the scholarships are based on financial need and academic merit, and usually range from $500 to $750 per academic year. The scholarships may also be eligible for the matching program at the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA), doubling their actual value. Scholarship applications may be obtained from any general studies office until March 15, the application deadline.

General Studies Degree Program Offices

University-Wide General Studies Degree Office

Director of General Studies
Indiana University Bloomington
Owen Hall 101
790 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405-7101
Phone: (812) 855-2292
Toll-Free Phone: 1-800-334-1011
Fax: (812) 855-8680

Bloomington

Director of Continuing Studies
Indiana University Bloomington
Owen Hall 202
790 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405-7101
Phone: (812) 855-4991
Fax: (812) 855-8997 or (812) 856-5139

Columbus

Assistant Director, Student Services
Indiana University–Purdue University Columbus
4601 Central Avenue
Columbus, IN 47203-1769
Phone: (812) 348-7217
Fax: (812) 348-7257

Fort Wayne

Director of General Studies Degree Program
Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne
Kettler Hall 145
2101 Coliseum Boulevard East
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499
Phone: (260) 481-6828
Fax: (260) 481-6949

Gary

Division Chairperson for Continuing Studies
Indiana University Northwest
3400 Broadway
Gary, IN 46408-1197
Phone: (219) 980-6828
Fax: (219) 980-6653

Indianapolis

Director of Continuing Studies
Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
Union Building 244
620 Union Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5171
Phone: (317) 274-9840
Fax: (317) 274-5041

Kokomo

Director of Continuing Studies
Indiana University Kokomo
2300 S. Washington Street
P.O. Box 9003
Kokomo, IN 46904-9003
Phone: (765) 455-9395
Fax: (765) 455-9476

New Albany

Manager of Credit Programs
Indiana University Southeast
Knobview Hall 225
4201 Grant Line Road
New Albany, IN 47150-6405
Phone: (812) 941-2315
Fax: (812) 941-2588

Richmond

Director of Continuing Studies
Indiana University East
2325 Chester Boulevard
Richmond, IN 47374-1289
Phone: (765) 973-8249
Fax: (765) 973-8287

South Bend

Director of Extended Programs
Indiana University South Bend
1700 Mishawaka Avenue
P.O. Box 7111
South Bend, IN 46634-7111
Phone: (574) 237-4260
Fax: (574) 237-4599

World Wide Web Address for the General Studies Degree Program

scs.indiana.edu