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Texas State > Student Affairs > Dean of Students > Student Handbook > Rules and Policies > Academic Procedures and Policies

Academic Procedures and Policies

Academic Advising

Texas State encourages all students to seek academic advising before each registration and at other times when academic questions arise. In some departments, schools or colleges, and for some students, this advising may be mandatory. Students who are undecided about their major are advised through the University College, others through their major department and/or in the appropriate college advising center. Those seeking admission to the Emmett & Miriam McCoy College of Business Administration are also advised through University College, as are students enrolled in the Bachelor of General Studies Program. Advisors help students understand academic requirements and plan schedules to meet those requirements as well as address their choice of majors and career preparation issues.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Texas State uses the four-point system. The GPA is the total number of grade-points earned divided by the number of semester hours attempted. Semester grade symbols have the following values: A = 4 points; B = 3 points; C = 2 points; D = 1 point; F = 0 points. Neither hours nor grades are calculated for I, CR, PR, or W. To maintain an average of C, grade points divided by semester hours attempted must equal at least 2.0. The GPA for all work attempted at Texas State is used to determine whether a student is meeting minimum academic standards. The Texas State GPA is calculated by the procedures described in the section titled "Repeating Courses."

Grade Reports

Semester grades are based on the student’s written or oral work in a given course. Attendance may also affect the grade. Final grade reports are issued by the registrar via the university’s CatsWeb home page at the end of each regular semester and summer term.

Grade Symbols

Grades at Texas State are indicated by the following symbols: A = excellent; B = good; C = average; D = passing; F = failing or withdrawn failing; CR = credit. A grade of PR, which is temporary and non-punitive, may be assigned in selected courses where the required clock hours needed to complete requirements extend beyond the regular semester or summer session. The grade of I may be assigned when, due to unusual circumstances beyond the student’s control, a significant portion of a course, such as a term paper or final examination, has not been completed. If a student needs to repeat a course or a significant portion of a course, a W or F grade should be assigned according to regulations governing the assignments of such grades. A grade of W cannot be assigned if the student has not officially dropped the course within the semester deadlines. A grade of I from Texas State will not count as hours completed until another grade is assigned. Twelve months after a Texas State grade of I is assigned, it will automatically change to an F if the course work has not been completed. A grade of I transferred from another institution remains as an I on the Texas State record until an updated transcript is received from the other institution. A grade of W is assigned if a student drops a course by the Automatic W Drop/Withdrawal Deadline (see official university calendar). After the Automatic W Drop/Withdrawal Deadline, an F or W will be assigned depending on whether the student is passing (W) or failing (F) the course at the time the drop/withdrawal action is officially completed.

Probation and Suspension Regulations

Minimum Academic Standards

Students must meet minimum academic standards in work completed at Texas State. Those who fail to do so are placed on academic probation or academic suspension, as appropriate. In determining whether a student is placed on probation or suspension, only grades earned at Texas State are considered.

Academic Probation

Academic probation is an emphatic warning that the quality of the student’s work has not met Texas State’s minimum academic standards and that the quality must improve during the probationary semester in order for the student to continue at Texas State. A student will be placed on academic probation at the end of the fall or spring semester in which the Texas State GPA is less than 2.0. A student will be removed from academic probation at the end of any long semester or summer term if the Texas State GPA is 2.0 or higher.

Students placed on academic probation must raise their Texas State GPA during the first probationary semester, e.g., if a student is placed on academic probation because the Texas State GPA has fallen to 1.85, at the end of the first probationary semester, the Texas State GPA must be 1.86 or higher, or the student will be placed on first academic suspension. If the student raises the Texas State GPA at the end of the first probationary semester, but it is still less than 2.0, the student may continue for a second probationary semester. If the Texas State GPA is still less than 2.0 at the end of the second probationary semester, the student will be placed on first academic suspension.

Policies Governing First Academic Suspension

(Graduate students refer to the Graduate College Catalog.)

A first academic suspension will be for the first long semester following placement on academic suspension. Appeals for reinstatement, based on extenuating circumstances, may be made prior to the Monday of registration week to the student’s college dean or designee, who will render a decision on the matter. A student suspended from one college of Texas State may not be reinstated by the dean of another undergraduate college. Deans may, at their discretion, impose conditions regarding course load limits, work load limits, counseling, etc. If the dean denies reinstatement, the student may then appeal to the Suspension Appeals Committee. If reinstatement is allowed, the suspension notation will remain on the student’s transcript. The transcript will also show "Reinstated for___, Enters on Academic Probation."

Unless other special conditions are imposed by the dean or the Suspension Appeals Committee, students granted reinstatement and re-admitted on academic probation must raise their Texas State GPA at the end of the first probationary semester or be placed on academic suspension. If students raise their Texas State GPA at the end of the first probationary semester, but it remains below 2.0, they may continue their studies for a second probationary semester.

In addition to any special conditions imposed by the dean or the Suspension Appeals Committee, students must meet the conditions under "Academic Probation" explained above. At the end of the second probationary semester, if the Texas State GPA is less than 2.0, the student will be placed on second academic suspension.

Students who are placed on first academic suspension from Texas State at the end of the spring semester will be reinstated on academic probation for the following fall semester if they (1) attend both summer terms at Texas State, (2) pass nine semester hours, and (3) earn a 2.0 GPA on all work attempted in both terms or the student will be removed from probation if the Texas State GPA is 2.0 or greater at the end of the second summer term.

Readmission Following a First Academic Suspension

At the end of the one semester period for a first academic suspension, students are automatically reinstated and may register for the subsequent semester. Following an absence from Texas State of one year or more, students may apply for readmission to Texas State (refer to Program D in the Admissions section). Students who reenter Texas State following an academic suspension do so on academic probation. For specific regulations, refer to paragraph on "Academic Probation." If the Texas State GPA is not raised at the end of the first probationary semester, or is less than 2.0 at the end of the second probationary semester, the student will be placed on second academic suspension.

Policies Governing Second Academic Suspension

Students who fail to meet the minimum academic standards defined above will be placed on academic suspension for a second time, for a period of two calendar years. If there are extenuating circumstances, students may appeal prior to the Monday of registration week to the appropriate college dean for reinstatement. If reinstatement is denied, students may then appeal to the Suspension Appeals Committee. If the appeal is approved, students may return to Texas State on academic probation, subject to special conditions imposed by the dean or the Suspension Appeals Committee regarding course load limits, work load limits, counseling, etc. If reinstatement is allowed, students may apply for readmission to Texas State. The suspension notation will remain on the student’s transcript, which will also show "Reinstated for ___, Enters on Academic Probation." In addition to any special conditions imposed by the dean or the Suspension Appeals Committee, students must meet the conditions under "Academic Probation" explained previously. At the end of the second probationary semester, if the Texas State GPA is less than 2.0, the student will be placed on academic suspension.

Readmission Following a Second Academic Suspension

At the end of the two-year period for a second academic suspension, students may apply for readmission to Texas State.

Effect of Suspension on Correspondence or Extension Courses

While on suspension, students may complete a correspondence course in which they enrolled prior to suspension. Students may not enroll in an extension or correspondence course from Texas State while on suspension.

Registering at Another Institution During Suspension

Students who have been placed on academic suspension are not prohibited from registering at another institution; however, such academic work will not change the GPA used for calculating probation and suspension, since only those grades earned at Texas State are calculated in determining probation-suspension status. Students who enroll for 30 or more semester hours at another institution while on suspension from Texas State will be considered transfer students if they return and will be required to have a 2.25 GPA in that work for readmission.

Exceptions

Cases in which the circumstances are not covered by the above regulations shall be handled at the discretion of the Director of Undergraduate Admissions and the college dean.

Registration Instructions

Registration instructions, dates, fee schedules, and a list of classes offered with meeting days, times and locations are available on the Web. Also included are instructions on dropping a class or withdrawing, refund schedules and other information that will be needed throughout the semester. This information, along with the most current class offerings, is available at www.txstate.edu/registrar.

Dropping a Class/Withdrawing from the University

Dropping a class is an official action whereby students inform Texas State, via the Web, that they will cease attending a class in which they are enrolled while remaining enrolled in at least one other course. Students must process their drop via the Web at: https://catsweb.txstate.edu/app/auth?/app/selfregistration.

Withdrawing is an official action whereby students inform Texas State, in writing, that they will cease attending all classes. Withdrawal instructions and forms are available at: http://www.registrar.txstate.edu/registration/withdraw-from-classes.html.

The deadline for dropping classes or withdrawing from Texas State is available at: http://www.txstate.edu/registrar/Academic_cal_all.htm.

Courses officially dropped on/before the 12th class day during fall and spring semesters and fourth class day during summer sessions are not recorded on the student’s Texas State transcript. For all other course periods refer to www.sbs.txstate.edu/students/refunds.html for current deadline information.
The deadline for automatic “W” grades is the first 60 percent of the semester. The most current information will be listed on the academic calendar at: http://www.txstate.edu/registrar/Academic_cal_all.htm.

Number of Drops Allowed

In 2007, the Texas Legislature enacted Senate Bill 1231 which provides that, except for several specific instances of good cause, undergraduate students entering as first time freshmen at a Texas public institution of higher education in fall 2008 or later will be limited to a total of six dropped courses during their undergraduate career.

Under the new law (Texas Education Code, Sec. 51.907), "an institution of higher education may not permit a student to drop more than six courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education." SB 1231 applies to courses dropped at public institutions of higher education in Texas, including community and technical colleges, health science centers that offer undergraduate programs, and universities.

Some courses will not count against the six-drop limit. These include courses dropped at independent or private Texas institutions, courses dropped while the student is still enrolled in high school, developmental courses, non-funded courses or courses dropped at colleges in other states.

For the purposes of this law, a "dropped course" is defined as a course that is dropped after the census date (12th class day), but before the last day to drop.

Change of Grade

An individual course grade may be changed when the involved faculty member certifies to the Registrar that an error was made in computing the original grade. The grade change must be approved by the department chair/school director and the appropriate college dean.

Students who wish to protest a grade earned in a course should first discuss the grade with the instructor. If no resolution is reached, the student may appeal the grade to the department chair. If no satisfactory conclusion can be reached at this level, the student may appeal to the college dean, whose decision is final. In accordance with Texas State’s records retention policies, a student appeal for a change of grade must be filed no later than two years after the grade is issued.

Religious Holy Days

In accordance with Texas Education Code § 51.911, the university allows students who are absent from classes for the observation of a religious holy day to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for the day within a reasonable time after the absence.

Coordinating Board rules now provide for an appeal of a disagreement between the student and a faculty member over an absence related to a religious holy day. If a student and an instructor disagree about the nature of the absence being for the observance of a religious holy day, or if there is disagreement about whether the student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the president or her designee. The president or her designee must take into account the legislative intent of Educational Code § 51.911. The student and instructor shall abide by the decision of the president or her designee.

Repeating Courses

Students may repeat a course, but they cannot receive credit for the course more than once unless the course description in the catalog specifically provides that the course may be repeated for credit. When a course is repeated more than once, the second grade (first repeat) and all subsequent grades (repeats) are included in computing the Texas State hours attempted, grade points earned and GPA. Grades of W and I grades are excluded. A course taken at Texas State must be repeated at Texas State to be counted as a repeat. A course taken for transfer credit must be repeated as transfer credit to count as a repeat.

The first time that a course is repeated it will be calculated as if it were the first repeat of the course. Any additional repetitions will be counted as second or greater repeats. If the last grade in a repeated course is lower than an earlier grade, the last grade is used to determine whether the course fulfills university requirements.

Courses repeated prior to fall 1991 will follow the repeat policy enforced at the time the courses were taken. Prior to fall 1991, the last grade of a repeat counts; grades of W and I excluded. If the last time a course is taken is from another school, that course will meet degree requirements, but the last grade at Texas State counts towards the Texas State GPA.

Syllabus for Class

It is important for each student to obtain a course syllabus for every class from the professor or instructor of that particular class. The syllabus provides information about items such as course objectives; required and recommended texts; due dates for major exams and projects; and policies concerning attendance, tardiness, labs, grades, writing deficiency and makeup exams, if any.

Transcripts

Texas State transcripts separate transfer course work from Texas State course work. Transfer work listed chronologically will be listed first and will show the number of hours transferred; no GPA will be printed. Texas State course work listed chronologically will follow any transfer course work. The transcript will show Texas State hours attempted, Texas State hours passed, Texas State grade points and Texas State GPA.

Tuition and Fee Payments

Students are expected to meet financial obligations to the university within the designated time allowed. Registration fees are payable at the time of registration. Students are not entitled to enter classes or labs until their fees and deposits have been paid. Failure to pay the amount owed in the allotted time, or payments made with checks that are returned to Texas State unpaid by the bank may result in any or all of the following:

dismissal from the university
withholding of future registration privileges
withholding the issuance of an official transcript
withholding the conferring of a degree, and/or
invalidation of meal card (There will be no refund for meals missed during the time the ID is invalidated.)

Please consult the schedule of classes for information on policies concerning current registration payment, refunds, withdrawals, drops and returned checks.

When it is necessary for students to make payment to the university after normal registration processes are ended, transactions occur at the Cashier’s Window, General Accounting Office, J.C. Kellam Building. Such payments might include: drop fees, room and board fees, or tuition and fee installment payments. Installments for room and/or board and tuition and fees are due on specific dates that are printed on your registration receipt and posted at various locations on campus.

Student Affairs

Dean of Students