Academic PoliciesUniversity Policies Governing EnrollmentAppealsUnder extenuating circumstances, the student's academic dean may present appeals for re-admission and other exceptions to academic policies to the Virginia Tech Academic Appeals Committee on behalf of the student. Students presenting appeals based on medical reasons must request recommendations from the Student Health Evaluation Committee. Auditing CoursesA student may enroll as an auditor in any class other than laboratory classes and studio courses, with the permission of both their academic advisor and the class instructor. The lecture portion of laboratory-linked courses and courses with computation periods may be designated as eligible for audit at the request of the academic department head (of the course in question) and on the approval of the student's academic dean. Auditors may not add or drop an audit option after the last day to enter classes. Students will not be allowed to register for credit in any course previously audited. Class LevelA student must have received credit for at least 30 hours to be classified as a sophomore, at least 60 hours to be classified as a junior, and at least 90 hours to be classified as a senior. Course Prerequisites (University Policy on)Students are permitted to take courses without having the specified prerequisites only upon obtaining the consent of the instructor. Students who enroll in a course for which they clearly have not satisfied the prerequisites or equivalent or obtained the appropriate permission may be dropped from the course. Deliberately false statements testifying to the satisfaction of prerequisites constitute a violation of the honor code. Students have the right to appeal a decision about prerequisites to the head of the department offering a course. Students should recognize that 3000 and 4000 level courses assume a certain level of academic maturity and general background regardless of the stated prerequisites. The course instructor can be consulted regarding the implications of this expectation for a specific course. The pass/fail option provides students an opportunity, with the instructors' permission, to enroll in courses for which they may not have the prerequisites. Enrollment, Semester HourMinimum full-time enrollment for undergraduate students is 12 hours per semester in regular A-F option or P/F option. For each summer session, the minimum is 5 hours. Audit hours are not used in establishing minimum full-time enrollments. Full-time enrollment for graduate students is 9 hours or more in regular A-F option, P/F option, or equivalent credit. For each summer term, the minimum is 3 hours. Neither the payment of full fees nor compliance with maximums established as a condition of employment or appointment is a basis for deviation from the definition above. Graduation With DistinctionA student who has completed at least 60 credit hours of undergraduate level course work at Virginia Tech may be graduated with distinction under the following conditions:
In computing eligibility for graduation with distinction, only undergraduate level work attempted at Virginia Tech will be used. Students may not use hours earned at Virginia Tech as an associate, professional, or graduate level as part of the 60 semester hours required. The notation of distinction on the diploma and on the transcript is independent of the notation of a degree in honors, if applicable. (See section on "The Honors Program" for information about graduating in honors.) Limits on Acceptable Credits for DegreesNot more than 6 credit hours earned from extension courses, radio courses, television courses, and intensive courses (e.g. taken while in active military service, etc.) will be accepted for undergraduate degree credit. Thirty-eight hours of advanced placement credit may be accepted towards the undergraduate degree. Please consult your academic dean for further information and/or refer to Commission on Undergraduate Studies report, "Undergraduate Credit at Virginia Tech," (February 1989), which is available from the University Registrar. (See section on "Hours Passed" for other limitations with regard to counting credits for graduation.) Readmission through the University Registrar or Academic DeanFormerly enrolled students who have greater than the 2.0 GPA may seek readmission via web course request form if they are eligible to return. During fall semester, students returning from academic suspension should consult their academic dean's office for readmission procedures. (These procedures vary from college to college within the university.) Formerly enrolled students in good academic standing who resign for personal reasons, do not continue enrollment at Virginia Tech, and later complete course work at another college or university are required to submit their transfer transcripts to their academic dean prior to or during their first term of re-enrollment. ResignationsA student may resign without academic penalty by completing an official Virginia Tech resignation form on or before the published resignation deadline for each term. The student can request this resignation form from either the University Registrar's Office or the Dean's Office. The student's grade report and permanent record will show that he/she was enrolled for the term and that he/she resigned on the specific effective date. A student who resigns after the stated deadline without written authorization for resignation-without-penalty by the respective academic dean will receive automatic "F" grades in all courses in which the student is enrolled. The transcript will carry the notation, "Suspended by committee action for unauthorized resignation," and the hours for which "F" grades were received will be included in the cumulative GPA for both academic eligibility and graduation requirements. In the case of authorized resignations after the deadline, grades will not be assigned, and the academic dean will determine the student's academic status (whether or not he/she is eligible to return) based on the student's previous record. Satisfactory ProgressUniversity policy requires that all students meet the following minimum criteria to be certified as making satisfactory progress toward a degree.
Colleges and departments may impose additional requirements. It is the student's responsibility to become familiar with the requirements of his or her college. Transfer Work while on SuspensionInquiries concerning probation and suspension should be directed to the student's academic dean. A student may not receive credit for course work taken at another college or university during any period in which the student has been placed on suspension by Virginia Tech for academic or disciplinary reasons. Undergraduates Taking Graduate CoursesUndergraduate students may enroll in graduate-level course work in the senior year, provided they have an overall GPA of 3.0 or above and the written approval of the department head and the Graduate School. To enroll in graduate-level course work, the undergraduate student must apply to the Graduate School as a dual registrant. Each term that a student is dually enrolled, he or she must fill out a form in the University Registrar's Office to indicate which courses are being counted for undergraduate credit and which for graduate credit. If graduate courses are used to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements, they cannot be used to satisfy any advanced degree requirements at Virginia Tech. Graduate courses may not be taken without prior written approval from the Graduate School.
|