Summary
of Academic
Policies, Procedures, and Processes
Related
to Students
Academic Suspension After Grading: All students suspended at the end of a term who have pre-registered for classes will have their schedules deleted for the pre-registered term(s). Undergraduate suspended students who wish to appeal must contact the Records Office, Cope Administration Building 106, or access the MTSU web site at www.mtsu.edu/~records for appeal dates and an application. The completed application must be returned to the Records Office by the published deadline; otherwise the appeal will not be accepted. Graduate students who wish to appeal must contact the College of Graduate Studies or visit www.mtsu.edu/graduate
Conditions for readmission that the appeals committee might impose could limit a student’s enrollment hours to 8 or 14 for the term and/or require the student to see the college advisor. This committee’s decision is final and only applies to the term for which the student appealed. Readmission by the academic appeals committee does not imply reinstatement for financial aid, if applicable.
If you choose to attend another institution during your suspension from MTSU, please refer to the “renrollee” requirements in the current MTSU catalog. You will need to reenroll through the Admissions Office.
Community Standards and Expectations, Statement of: Middle Tennessee State University is committed to the ideal of developing and nurturing a community of scholars. The choice to associate or affiliate with the MTSU community is freely made by students, staff, and faculty; nevertheless, it is assumed that each person who joins the community will accept and practice the following core values and expectations:
1. Value of Honesty.
The notion of personal honesty and academic integrity is central to the existence
of the MTSU community. Community members will not engage in cheating, plagiarism,
or fabrications of any type. All members of the community will strive to achieve
and maintain the highest standards of academic achievement.
2. Respect for Diversity.
The MTSU community is composed of individuals representing different races,
ethnicities, sexual orientations, and cultures. The community embraces and celebrates
this diversity as a pillar of its strength.
3. Commitment to the Community.
Citizens of the MTSU community will be good stewards of the University’s
resources and will not engage in conduct which damages or exploits the community.
4. Freedom of Expression
The MTSU community is a marketplace of ideas and opinions. Community members
are
encouraged to freely communicate their ideas and opinions concerning issues
both within and outside the community.
Credit by Special Examination (Undergraduate): Students seeking credit by special examination should, on forms provided by the Admissions Office, request approval from the chair of the department or director of the school in which the course is offered. The method for designing, administering, and evaluating the special examination will be determined by the department/school. The examination shall be comparable in scope and difficulty to a comprehensive final examination in that course. The form for approval to post credit by special exam must be received in the Admissions Office no later than two weeks prior to the first day of final exams for a specified semester.
No student will be allowed to repeat a special examination in a given course within one year. All credit-by-examination scores are submitted to the Admissions office. The test results are evaluated and recorded on a student’s transcript if credit is earned. Semester hours of credit toward graduation are earned on the basis of these tests, but no grades or quality points are given. These credits will not affect a student’s academic average. A student may receive no more than 60 semester hours of credit by means of credit-by-examination, credit for service-related experience, and flight training.
For CLEP, the applicant must not have notation of the course on the official transcript for which credit is recommended. (This includes both MTSU and transfer records.) If a student has a ‘W’ or ‘F’ in a course or is currently enrolled and cannot drop without a grade, CLEP credit is not allowed. For more information, contact Counseling Services in KUC 329 or at 898-2863.
Drop/Add Policy: During designated days (see calendar in Registration Guide) of a term, students may add courses. Students who wish to add a class after the deadline to add must process a drop/add form in the Scheduling Center, JUB 123. Both the instructor and chairperson's signatures are required on the drop/add form if an exception to the policy is being approved.
Students who cease attendance but do not officially drop or withdraw will receive a grade of "F." Students will be allowed to drop or add courses provided they do so within the course drop/add period.
Students with registration holds on their records may not drop or add until the holds are cleared.
If attempting to drop a class after the deadline, the departmental chair AND instructor signatures are required if an exception to the policy is being approved.
The drop dates for courses that meet for a shorter time period than the normal term beginning and ending dates will be prorated based upon the course drop dates for the full term upon notification to the Scheduling Center.
Tennessee Board of Regents policy prohibits students from dropping ACT/COMPASS prescribed courses except under extenuating circumstances and with the approval of the director of Academic Enrichment. A student desiring to drop a course must contact the Academic Support Center at (615) 898-2339 (McFarland Building) to begin the process. Failure to comply will result in an automatic grade of "F."
Student athletes must obtain permission from the Student-Athlete Enhancement Center before processing drop/add forms in the Scheduling Center. International students should obtain permission from the International Programs and Services Office.
Grades on PipelineMT:
To access your grades online:
Access your PipelineMT account
Select the RaiderNet tab
Click on the Student tab
Click on Student Records and select Final grades
If you owe a student account balance which prevents release of your grades,
RaiderNet will provide an option to allow you to pay your current term balance
by e-check, credit card, or check card (VISA or MasterCard) so that you can
view your grades. The hold is not removed until overnight so you will have to
call the Business Office or wait until the next day to view your grades.
Graduation Requirement
(Undergraduate)
Undergraduate students may be required, as a prerequisite to graduation, to
take one or more tests designed to measure general education achievement and
achievement in their major for the purpose of evaluating academic programs.
Unless required by an individual program, no minimum score or level of achievement
is required for graduation. Major field testing is required of students in selected
programs. All graduating seniors are required to complete a general education
exam. The students will be notified about the test (s), testing dates, and testing
locations via mail sent to their campus/local addresses and MTSU e-mails. A
$25 fee is charged for a make-up exam. Please call 494-8803 if a make up exam
is required. Additional information can be found at http://www.mtsu.edu/~iepr/test.htm
and http://www.mtsu.edu/~iepr/gened.htm.
Retention Standards—Suspension of Students:
Undergraduate
The minimum cumulative quality point average required to achieve the baccalaureate
degree is 2.00 on all degree credit courses. A student not meeting one of the
following standards during any term will be placed on academic probation for
the subsequent term:
1. Attain a 2.00 GPA for
current term, OR
2. Meet one of the following retention standards:
00–29.99 quality hours 1.50
30–49.99 quality hours 1.80
50 or more quality hours 2.00
A student on academic probation who does not meet either the current term GPA or cumulative GPA in the above standards during the next term in which enrolled will be suspended. This includes students admitted on probation. Students previously suspended are not eligible for probationary status.
Graduate
The minimum grade point average (GPA) required to be eligible to receive a graduate
degree is 3.00 for master’s and specialist in education students and 3.25
for doctoral students. A graduate student failing to meet the applicable minimum
cumulative GPA retention standard as listed on the retention scale in the Graduate
Catalog or whose cumulative graduate GPA is less than 3.00 for three consecutive
semesters will be placed on academic probation for the subsequent term.
Probation in itself has no serious consequences other than to alert the student of potential academic problems and the requirement to (re)establish satisfactory academic status. Conversely, however, suspension is quite serious. Should a suspended student not be readmitted, it would result in termination of the student’s graduate status.
In addition to minimum GPA standards, degree-seeking students are expected to take appropriate graduate courses toward their degree objective, as determined by the graduate program. Nondegree-seeking graduate students are expected to take graduate courses. In addition to the retention guidelines, the two-course repeat policy may result in a dramatically increased GPA.
Six semester hours of “C” grade coursework may be applied toward a master’s or specialist in education degree. No courses with a “C” grade are acceptable toward the doctor of arts degree and no more than seven (7) hours of “C” grade may count toward the doctor of philosophy degree requirements.
Courses with a grade lower than “C” will not be applied toward any graduate degree requirements but will be included in the student’s GPA computation unless otherwise exempted by the University repeat policy. Go to this address for additional information: www.mtsu.edu/graduate
Selective Service: All male U.S. citizens and noncitizens who take up residency in the United States of America, ages 18–25, must register with Selective Service prior to registering for classes at MTSU. This requirement does not apply to veterans and others exempt by federal law.
Student Load and Enrollment Status: A student’s enrollment status is determined by the number of credit hours taken per term according to the following:
Undergraduate:
Full-time - 12 hours
One-half time - 6 hours
Graduate:
Full-time - 9 graduate hours
One-half time - 5 graduate hours
Veterans Deferment: Service members, veterans, and dependents of veterans who are eligible beneficiaries of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits or other governmentally funded educational assistance, subject to the conditions and guidelines set forth in Tennessee Code Annotated 49-7-104 as amended, may elect, upon formal application, to defer payment of required tuition and fees until the final day of the term for which the deferment has been requested. Application for the deferment must be made no later than 14 days after the beginning of the term, and the amount of the deferment shall not exceed the total monetary benefits to be received for the term. Students who have been granted deferments are expected to make timely payments on their outstanding tuition and fees balance once education benefits are being delivered, and eligibility for such deferment shall terminate if the student fails to abide by any applicable rule or regulation, or to act in good faith in making timely payments. This notice is published pursuant to Public Chapter 279, Acts of 2003, effective July 1, 2003.
Withdrawal from the University: Students finding it necessary to withdraw from the University after having selected classes for a future term should use RaiderNet via PipelineMT to drop all classes; or initiate the withdrawal process in Cope Administration Building 205D (615-898-2808).
Dates may vary from term to term concerning whether the withdrawal should be accomplished by RaiderNet via PipelineMT or through the University Withdrawal Office.
See Policies and Procedures on the Records & Scheduling website, http://www.mtsu.edu/~records/.