Academic Regulations

Scale of Scholarship

Course work is graded as follows:

Failure. The grade of F: Failure indicates that the student has received no credit for the course.

Audit. The grade of AU: Audit is recorded for a student who registers for a course as an auditor. This student does not submit written assignments or take examinations. Once the student has enrolled as an auditor in a course, no change in the registration to earn credit may be made. Individuals seeking to audit a course must secure the written permission of the instructor or department before registering.

Auditors may register from the first day of class (but not earlier) through the add deadline. No auditor may hold a place in the class if needed for a credit student. Auditing is not permitted in studio courses in art, music or theatre; physical education courses; independent/directed study; service learning; or other courses as designated by the college.

Incomplete. The grade of I: Incomplete may be given to a student who has done work of a passing grade in a course but who has not completed that work. Incompletes awarded at the end of the fall semester must be removed by the end of the subsequent spring semester; incompletes awarded at the end of the spring and summer semesters must be removed by the end of the subsequent fall semester. At that time, the professor may report a grade within the ordinary scale of scholarship or a grade of NC: No Credit. If the professor does not submit a grade by the end of the subsequent semester, the registrar will automatically record a grade of F. In an exceptional case, a professor may petition the dean of the appropriate school before the end of the last week of classes for permission to extend the incomplete for another semester.

Repeating. Students may repeat at Dominican a course in which a D or F from a course taken at Dominican was previously received. Each grade is recorded on the permanent record but only the most recent grade is counted in calculating the cumulative grade point average. A student who repeats a course in which a D grade was previously earned is granted credit for the course only once.

Satisfactory/Fail. Students may elect four academic courses on the satisfactory/fail basis during the four years of college, with no more than two in an academic year. Students who receive an S: Satisfactory grade will receive credit for the course, but the grade point average will not be affected. Satisfactory is defined as C- or above. However, a grade of F: Failure will be counted when computing the grade point average. Students who request to have a course graded on the satisfactory/fail basis may not alter this request once it is made, nor may students make this request after the first two weeks of the semester. The satisfactory/fail option cannot be used for courses presented to fulfill requirements in the student’s major or minor field; for the core curriculum’s liberal arts and sciences seminar, area studies, or the writing foundation requirement; for study abroad courses; or for courses with the Education or Special Education prefix, with the exception of the clinical practice courses. Core curriculum foundation requirements other than the writing requirement may be taken satisfactory/fail.

No Credit. The NC: No Credit grade is an option only for the removal of an incomplete grade.

In Progress. The grade of IP: In Progress is given when a course spans more than one semester and a grade cannot be awarded until the course is completed.

Not Reported. The grade of NR: Not Reported is a temporary grade assigned by the registrar in those cases where it is not possible to obtain a student’s grade from the instructor.

Withdrawal. A grade of W: Withdrawal is recorded for a student who has officially withdrawn from a course. A student may withdraw from a course through the tenth week of the fall/spring semesters.

Administrative Withdrawal. The grade of WX: Administrative Withdrawal is recorded for a student who has had to withdraw from college due to serious illness or other extraordinary circumstances. This grade requires the written approval of the dean of the appropriate school.

Withdrawal for Non Attendance. The grade of WW: Withdrawal for Non Attendance is recorded for a student who either never attended a course for which the student registered or who ceased attending the course. The student failed to officially withdraw from the course.

Unofficial Withdrawal. The grade of WU: Unofficial Withdrawal is recorded for a student who stopped attending all courses by the end of the sixth week of the semester but who failed to officially withdraw and failed to respond to inquiries from the Office of the Registrar.

Change of Grade

Other than I (Incomplete) or IP (In Progress) grades, change in grades filed with the Office of the Registrar may be made only in cases of faculty or administrative error, and then only with the approval of the dean of the relevant school.

Credit

Prior to September 1971, all credits were reported in semester hours. From September 1971 to spring 1977, credit for study at Dominican University was recorded in units. For conversion purposes, the value of a unit was four semester hours. Beginning summer 1977, credit was once again recorded in semester hours.

Classification

A student will be classified as a sophomore if 28 semester hours have been completed, as a junior if 60 semester hours have been completed, and as a senior if 90 semester hours have been completed. A cumulative grade point average of 2.00 is required for graduation.

Quality points indicate the caliber of work done and are computed as follows: one semester hour with the grade of:

Graduation Audit and Application for Graduation

Students must make an appointment in the Office of the Registrar for a graduation audit after successful completion of at least 90 semester hours; students should be registered for their final semester prior to scheduling their appointment. The purpose of the graduation audit is to confirm that the student has fulfilled his or her responsibility to satisfy all degree requirements: a thorough audit is made of the student’s record, the current schedule, degree requirements, total hour requirements, and all major and minor requirements. An application for graduation is filed at this time. A graduation audit is required of all undergraduate students no later than one semester prior to the one in which they intend to graduate.

Dean’s and Honors Lists

As a stimulus to academic achievement and in recognition of it, a dean’s list and an honors list are posted each semester. These lists are generated immediately following the posting of grades for the term. Students with a semester grade point average of 3.80 based on 12 graded hours qualify for the dean’s list, and those with a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 based on 12 graded hours in the current semester qualify for the honors list.

Probation and Dismissal

Students are placed on probation if their Dominican cumulative grade point average falls below 2.00, at which point students are not in good academic standing. Normally, students are dismissed if they are on probation for two consecutive semesters. Students who have been dismissed must wait at least one semester before applying for readmission. Other restrictions may apply. Further details are available in the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences Advising Office. Neither the university nor any of its officers shall be under any liability whatsoever for the actions of probation or dismissal.

Withdrawal

Students who wish to withdraw from the university must inform the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences Advising Office in person or in writing. No refund is given for unauthorized withdrawal. Upon notification that the student has withdrawn from the University, grades of W will be recorded for all courses from which the student withdrew. When the student accounts office has received notice of withdrawal from the advising office, refunds, if appropriate, will be made in keeping with the schedule outlined on the Admission and Financial Aid  page.

Satisfactory Progress

Full-time students are expected to maintain an average rate of progress during each academic year of 12 earned credit hours per semester of registration. The university reserves the right to deny further full-time enrollment to a student who falls below this standard. Neither the university nor any of its officers shall be under any liability whatsoever for such denial. While 12 hours per semester are necessary for satisfactory progress, a student taking no more than 12 hours per semester will need more than ten semesters to complete the 124 hours required for a degree.

Course Numbering System

Courses numbered 100 to 299 are ordinarily freshman and sophomore courses, and 300 to 499 are ordinarily junior and senior courses. Courses numbered below 100 do not apply toward graduation requirements. Students with senior standing are in some instances allowed to enroll in 500-level courses that would serve to fulfill undergraduate credit hours as well as graduate level credit hours in the approved graduate program.

Changes in Class Schedule

The university reserves the right to cancel classes for insufficient enrollment.

Exception to Normal Course Load

While the normal course load for full-time students is not fewer than 12 semester hours nor more than 18 semester hours, in an exceptional case it may be advisable for a student to take more than a normal load. In such a case, the student must first secure the permission of the advisor and then the permission of the dean of the appropriate school. In rare cases, the dean may approve up to 21 semester hours for the fall or spring semester and up to 12 semester hours for a Dominican University summer session.

A student who has previously been placed on probation may petition for an overload only after having been in good academic standing for two full semesters.

There is a charge for an overload of 19 hours or more for a full-time student. The charge is equal to the part-time tuition rate per semester hour (see Admission and Financial Aid .)

Changes in Registration

A course may be added or dropped no later than the sixth class day of the semester. A late registration fee may be charged to all students who register after the scheduled beginning of the semester. Students may add or drop courses online or by completing an add/drop form (complete with advisor’s signature) and submitting it to the Office of the Registrar by the deadline.

Students may withdraw from a course through the tenth week of the semester by filing proper notice with the registrar. Before withdrawing from a course, a student is expected to consult with an academic advisor. The signature of the academic advisor must accompany the withdrawal form, which the student then files with the registrar. Upon proper filing, the registrar will record a grade of W: Withdrawal for the course. Financial aid and/or scholarship recipients should consult the Office of Financial Aid before withdrawing from a course.

Credits Earned Elsewhere

Permission of the dean of the appropriate school is required if students wish to take courses at other institutions and have the courses credited toward the Dominican degree. Students must file a special transfer credit approval form in the Office of the Registrar that reflects this approval. For an upper division major course, permission of the major advisor is also required. Grades earned in courses completed elsewhere are not included in the Dominican cumulative grade point average when determining graduation honors and honor society enrollment. Grades earned in courses completed elsewhere are included in the cumulative grade point average for teacher certification purposes.

Class Attendance

Responsibility for attendance rests with each student. In general, it is the university policy to expect students to attend all of their classes. Matters of class attendance are dealt with by the individual instructor as deemed advisable. In the case of prolonged absences because of health or other serious reasons, the student must notify the dean of the appropriate school, as well as the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences Advising Office. Please consult the Student Handbook and Planner, the Faculty Handbook, or the Student Athlete Handbook for specific attendance policies pertaining to student athletes.

Academic Integrity Policy

Students of the university must conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity. Failure to maintain academic integrity will not be tolerated. The following definitions are provided for understanding and clarity.

Definitions of Plagiarism, Cheating, and Academic Dishonesty

Student plagiarism is the presentation of the writing or thinking of another as the student’s own. In written or oral work a student may make fair use of quotations, ideas, images, etc., that appear in others’ work only if the student gives appropriate credit to the original authors, thinkers, owners, or creators of that work. This includes material found on the internet and in electronic databases.

Cheating entails the use of unauthorized or prohibited aids in accomplishing assigned academic tasks. Obtaining unauthorized help on examinations, using prohibited notes on closed-note examinations, and depending on others for the writing of essays or the creation of other assigned work are all forms of cheating.

Academic dishonesty may also include other acts intended to misrepresent the authorship of academic work or to undermine the integrity of the classroom or of grades assigned for academic work. Deliberate acts threatening the integrity of library materials or the smooth operation of laboratories are among possible acts of academic dishonesty.

Sanctions for Violations of Academic Integrity

If an instructor determines that a student has violated the academic integrity policy, the instructor may choose to impose a sanction, ranging from refusal to accept a work project to a grade of F for the assignment or a grade of F for the course. When a sanction has been imposed, the instructor will inform the student in writing. The instructor must also inform the student that she/he has the right to appeal this sanction and refer the student to the academic appeals process described in this bulletin. The instructor will send a copy of this letter to the dean of the school in which the course was offered. The dean will note whether a student, in her or his undergraduate course work, has committed multiple violations of the academic integrity policy over time. In such cases, the dean may impose further sanctions, including warning/reprimand, failure of a course, suspension or expulsion, with written notification to the student and instructor when appropriate. The student may appeal the dean’s sanction to the committee of that dean’s college or school responsible for overseeing educational policies.

Academic Appeals Process

Any disagreement with regard to academic procedure, including individual cases of alleged violation of academic integrity and final grades, should be first taken up with the instructor. If this does not settle the matter satisfactorily, the matter should be taken up with the department chair, if appropriate. If the issue cannot be resolved at the department level, it should then be presented to the dean of the school in which the course was offered. If the issue is still not resolved, the student has the right to present the issue in writing to the committee of that dean’s college or school responsible for overseeing educational policies. The committee will request a written response from the instructor and may, at its discretion, seek further clarifications from the student, instructor, and/or dean. The committee will evaluate the student’s appeal and vote to approve or deny it. A written response will be sent directly to the student presenting the appeal, including grade adjustments if appropriate, with a copy to the faculty member. In the event of a successful appeal of an alleged violation of academic integrity, the original letter of notification from the instructor will be expunged from the dean’s file. Students wishing to file an appeal based on fall courses must do so no later than the end of the subsequent spring semester. Students wishing to file an appeal based on spring or summer courses must do so no later than the end of the subsequent fall semester.