Academic Policies

Each instructor establishes his or her own grading policy based on classroom participation, homework, unannounced quizzes, etc., and states it clearly and in writing at the beginning of the course. Sufficient measures are built into each course structure to evaluate student achievement.

Final examinations normally do not count as more than one-third of any student’s final grade. Instructors may excuse any student with superior achievement (a grade higher than A-) from taking a final exam.

Grades and Grade Point System

The grade point average (GPA) is a comprehensive evaluation of a student’s academic standing. The grades and terms used to describe achievement are reported at the end of each semester as:

Not considered in computing GPA.

University policy accepts D- as minimum earned credit. There are certain general education and department major competency requirements that are satisfied only by a higher minimum grade. If a student earns less than this higher minimum grade in such a course, the credits will count toward earned credits but might not count toward completion of general education and department major requirements.

The semester GPA is the number of grade points earned in Millersville courses in a semester, divided by the number of credits in that semester for which grades calculated in the GPA were earned. Grade points for each course are calculated by multiplying the grade point value by the number of credits for the course.

The cumulative GPA (CGPA) is the total number of grade points earned in Millersville courses divided by the number of Millersville GPA credits. Credits from audited courses, subsequently repeated courses, advanced standing programs such as AP and CLEP, and transfer credits are not included in the CGPA.

The Millersville grade point average (GPA) is rounded to two decimal places.

Grades and Policies

Schedule Adjustment: Drop/Add

For fall and spring terms, students may drop or add courses online from the early-registration period until 11:59 p.m. EST, the eighth calendar day of the term, excluding holidays.

During the summer and winter sessions and for courses which have start and/or end dates outside of the regular semester length, the registrar will determine equivalent dates for no grade, W grade and regular grade periods. Refer to the registrar’s website for details.

Faculty signatures are not required to drop or add a course, unless faculty permission is specifically required. Courses that are dropped during the drop/add period will not be entered on the student’s record.

It is the student’s responsibility to make official changes to his/her schedule. There is no automatic drop policy for nonattendance.

Withdrew (W)

The notation made on a student’s record about a withdrawn course depends on when the student withdraws. Students who “drop” or withdraw by the end of the drop/add period have all references to that course deleted from their records. Students will be permitted to withdraw from a course and receive a grade of W up until the end of the 10th week of the semester. The W grade does not carry any quality points and will not be calculated in the student’s GPA. There will be no limit on the number of courses from which the student may withdraw. A student who withdraws from their last course is required to submit a form withdrawing them from the University or taking a leave of absence. See Leaving Millersville University for more information. After the 10th week of the semester and through the last day of classes, students who withdraw will receive an earned, non-W grade, which will be determined by the instructor, consistent with University policy.

The official date of withdrawal will be determined by the student’s last date of attendance in any registered course. Deadlines for withdrawal are strictly enforced. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain all required signatures (both the course instructors and advisors) in time to meet the deadline.

Failure to withdraw from a course properly may result in additional tuition fees as well as a failing grade. Financial aid may also be affected.

See the sections on Credit Load Policies and Tuition for more information.

During summer and winter sessions, the registrar sets equivalent deadlines for withdrawing from a course without a grade or with a W grade.

To withdraw from a course, access the withdraw form in MAX, on the web in the Student Forms Center, or contact the registrar’s office, Lyle Hall.

Military Withdrawal (M)

A grade of M may be assigned when a student or spouse must withdraw due to military obligation (called to active duty) and is unable to complete their courses. M grades are not applicable to students who withdraw from the University to complete basic military training. M grades are not used in the computation of cumulative grade point average.

Incomplete Policy

An incomplete (I) grade is used to denote coursework that is unfinished due to circumstances beyond a student’s control, such as personal illness, accident or death in the family. It is a privilege granted by the instructor because of circumstances, not a right to be expected by the student. A student may request that the course instructor assign an incomplete grade. The instructor may assign an incomplete (I) grade only if the student is passing the course and can complete the remaining requirements without attending additional classes. If class attendance is required to complete course requirements, the instructor must issue a final grade.

An incomplete grade issued to a student on academic probation will not prevent or delay academic action for dismissal. A student’s cumulative grade point average will be calculated based on all completed coursework.

A student is encouraged to complete the required work as soon as possible. The deadline for making up an incomplete is at the end of the 10th week of the subsequent regular semester (fall or spring); however, an instructor may establish an earlier deadline. At the deadline, one of the following actions will occur:

• The instructor submits a final grade on the change-of-grade form.
• The instructor recommends an extension.
• The grade of “I” converts to an F.

A faculty member may petition the school dean for a retroactive administrative withdrawal (W) from a course in which an incomplete grade cannot be resolved due to extraordinary circumstances (e.g., disability or death of the student or faculty). If the petition is approved, the dean will notify the registrar to record an administrative withdrawal for the course.

Students will not be graduated with unresolved incomplete grades. Degree candidates are notified of the outstanding degree requirements. The degree is not conferred until all requirements have been met.

Pass/Fail Courses (P, F)

In order to stimulate and/or satisfy intellectual curiosity, students are encouraged to engage in challenging study on an elective basis. The pass/fail option provides the opportunity for a student to enter a course that he/she might ordinarily avoid. Accordingly:

1. A student may enroll in no more than a total of two courses pass/fail.
2. The student needs to have passed 60 or more credits before electing a course pass/fail.
3. The student must have a minimum GPA of 2.80 or obtain permission of the instructor.
4. The pass/fail option is ordinarily restricted to courses numbered 300 or above. However, a 200-level course may be taken pass/ fail with the prior approval of the instructor.
5. Courses taken to satisfy degree requirements for the major, whether offered by the department of the major or offered by other departments as required-related courses, may not be taken pass/fail.
6. Departments may designate which of their course offerings beyond degree requirements their majors may not take pass/fail.
7. Professional education requirements may not be taken pass/fail.
8. Courses taken to satisfy requirements for the minor may not be taken pass/fail.
9. No course used to satisfy general education requirements may be taken pass/fail, but if students take the same courses for other than general education purposes, they may take them pass/fail.
10. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis will be counted toward the total credit-hour requirement for graduation, but those courses that are passed will not be included in the GPA computation on which academic honors and academic standing are based. Courses failed under the pass/fail option will be included when computing the GPA.
11. The minimum grade a student must earn in order to be awarded a “pass” grade is D-.
12. The option to take a course on a pass/fail basis may be exercised until the end of the add period. Contact the registrar’s office, Lyle Hall, for the appropriate form. Having properly registered for a course on a pass/fail basis, a student still has the option to take a letter grade instead of a pass/fail grade, provided that the decision to change is filed with the registrar the week prior to finals week.
13. The pass/fail option is limited to students not on probation at the time of registration.

Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory (S, U)

These terms describe achievement in student teaching and other field experiences.

Audit (AU)

Auditing a course allows a student to attend classes and participate in discussions without the pressures of taking examinations, writing papers or fulfilling other requirements generally associated with earning credit. An audited course is reported on the student’s record with the designation AU. It cannot be used to satisfy graduation requirements, nor is it considered in computing GPAs. Standard tuition and fees apply.

To register to audit a course, contact the registrar’s office, Lyle Hall, for information and to obtain a permission form, and submit it by the end of the add period. The audit privilege may not be changed to credit status. Audit privileges are ordinarily limited to one course per semester.

Proficiency in Progress (X)

This grade reflects progress toward, but not achievement of, proficiency in precollege developmental courses.

Z Grade (Z)

A grade of Z is treated the same as a grade of F in calculating the student’s GPA. The Z grade may not be removed and can only be excluded from the GPA by the student registering for and satisfactorily completing the course. The receipt of a Z grade shall not entitle a student to a refund of fees. This grading procedure is intended to apply only to those students for whom there is no adequate evaluation for the determination of a grade. In those cases in which the faculty member does not assign any grade, the registrar may assign the Z grade if the student has officially registered for the course.

Repeat Policy

A student, in consultation with the advisor, may repeat a course to improve their GPA, to meet minimum competency requirements or to satisfy graduation requirements. Students only need to repeat a failed course if it is specifically required for graduation. Students may repeat courses for which they have received a grade of C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F, W, Z or U.

Courses failed at Millersville must be repeated at Millersville in order to earn course credit and credit toward graduation. Students may not transfer credit for any course taken at another institution that is the equivalent of a course previously taken at Millersville; this policy applies whether the course was passed or failed at Millersville University. Students may repeat courses at Millersville for which they have received transferred credit, but they will forfeit the transfer credit.

Once the course is repeated, the new grade, credits and grade point value replace those earned previously in calculating the cumulative GPA. The earlier grade remains on the student’s record even though it is no longer included in the computation of credits or cumulative GPA. In consultation with their advisors, students who find it necessary to repeat a course will be informed of, and expected to use, support services available to them through the Office of Learning Services.

An undergraduate student may not take an undergraduate course of record more than three times. A course of record is defined as a course in which a student receives a grade of A, B, C, D (including + and -), F, U, Z or W. The academic department offering a course may drop a student from a course if the student attempts to take a course more than three times. Undergraduate students will be limited to a maximum total of six repeats during their academic career.

Grade Changes

Students are responsible for reviewing grade reports as soon as they are available and contacting their instructor about any grade in question. Grade changes may be made only by the instructor issuing the grade, with the approval of the department chairperson and the school dean. Please refer to the Other Academic Policies section of the catalog for details.

Course Prerequisites

Courses may have a series of prerequisites (satisfactory completion of a prior course, minimum GPA or earned credits, placement test scores, etc.). Students who do not meet the stated prerequisite(s) may be removed from a course at the discretion of the professor. The professor will notify the registrar and student by the end of the drop period. The registration system will also remove a course due to the lack of proper prerequisites; review your schedule frequently to check for changes to your schedule.

Taking a Less Advanced Course

Students do not receive credit for a less advanced course if they have already demonstrated competency by passing a more advanced course. For example, MATH 100 Survey of Mathematical Ideas and MATH 101 College Algebra may not be taken for credit after MATH 161 Calculus 1 , and FREN 201 Intermediate French 1 may not be taken for credit after FREN 202 Intermediate French 2 . Students who wish to review less advanced material may do so on an audit basis.

Academic Standards, Probation, Dismissal and Appeal

Academic Standards

The registrar determines the academic standing of all students at the end of each semester and session. Academic standing is based on:

1. The student’s cumulative grade point average (CGPA).
2. The total number of Millersville University credits for which the student has enrolled prior to the review. Credits for audited courses, transfer credits and advanced standing credits are not included.

Students with a CGPA of 2.00 or greater are in satisfactory academic standing. Students with less-than-satisfactory academic standing are subject to academic warning, probation or dismissal as follows:

Students on probation at the end of a summer or winter session will be continued on probation for the following semester and cannot be dismissed. A student cannot be dismissed at the end of any fall or spring semester in which he/she has earned a 2.00 or greater semester GPA, even if the CGPA remains less than 2.00.

Academic Probation

Students on probation are limited to registering for no more than 13 credits per semester unless they have the written permission of their academic advisor, their department chairperson, the Chair of Academic Student Development, or an appropriate designee for each.

A student on probation will return to satisfactory academic standing at the end of the semester or session in which he/she earns a 2.00 or greater CGPA.

Academic Dismissal

A student dismissed for the first time is not permitted to register for or attend classes offered by the University for one semester. A student dismissed for the second time is not permitted to register for or attend classes offered by the University for two semesters. A student dismissed for the third or greater time is not permitted to register for or attend classes offered by the University for three years. A student’s dismissal number accrues each time the student is dismissed, regardless of the outcome of any appeal.

Dismissed students are not permitted to register for or attend courses offered by the University during intervening winter or summer sessions. However, students who have registered for winter or summer 1 courses prior to being dismissed may attend said courses. If such winter or summer 1 coursework results in a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or greater, the student returns to satisfactory academic standing.

A dismissed student who wishes to be admitted to the University after his/her dismissal period must apply for admission through the Admissions Office. Students who seek readmission to the University following the completion of their third or greater dismissal sanction must submit a written letter detailing the changes they have implemented in an effort to foster academic success upon readmission. The Director of Admissions seeks the recommendation of the Academic Standards Committee (ASC) on third or greater dismissal applicants.

Academic Dismissal Appeal

Students who have been dismissed will receive a Notice of Dismissal from the University. That notice will describe the procedures for appealing the dismissal. It is the student’s responsibility to keep abreast of his/her academic standing and to be proactive in any appeal process.

Students who have been dismissed and believe extenuating circumstances affected their academic performance may submit a formal letter of appeal and supporting documentation to the ASC in care of the Registrar’s Office. In order to be considered, letters of appeal must be received within eight business days of the date that appears on the Notice of Dismissal.

Students who are dismissed for the first time have the option to appeal in person before a subcommittee of the ASC, in addition to submitting the required written appeal. Students who are dismissed for the second or greater time may only appeal in writing. The academic decision of the ASC subcommittee is on behalf of the entire ASC, and is therefore final and not subject to further review. The Chairperson of the ASC or his/her designee will provide the appellant with a letter stating the decision of the ASC and terms (if any) for future action. Examples of such terms include a reduced credit load, the repeat of coursework and the active seeking of assistance from student-support services. Under no circumstances will the Chairperson or subcommittee of the ASC modify the duration of a dismissal period prescribed herein.

After the ASC’s decision, if an appellant believes the appeal process was not administered as prescribed herein, the appellant may pursue an appeal of the process, but not the academic decision, in writing, to the Associate Provost for Academic Administration. Such an appeal must be made within ten business days from the date of the decision letter from the Chairperson of the ASC. The appellant is advised to provide as much written documentation as possible, describing why the process was not administered as prescribed herein, and any supporting materials. The decision of the Associate Provost for Academic Administration regarding the process appeal is final and not subject to further review.

Semester Credit-Load Policies

Full-Time/Part-Time Status

To be considered full-time, undergraduates must be registered for at least 12 credits by the end of the drop/add period. Audited courses are included in the computation of semester credit load.

Recommended Credit Loads

The normal semester load for undergraduates is 15 credits during the first year, and 15 or more credits in subsequent years. Students with GPAs below 2.00 are strongly advised to take fewer than 15 credits; students on academic probation are limited to 13 credits per semester.

Students who have completed fewer than 80 credits may not register for more than 17 credits. Additional courses may be added at the beginning of the semester during the drop/add period.

More than 18 credits will require additional payment at the current charge per credit hour.

Students may not register for more than 21 credits in one semester.

During the semester in which a student is enrolled in student teaching, one additional course may be taken, provided the course does not conflict with the student-teaching assignment.

Students should recognize that some programs require more than 120 credits. Completing these programs or a second major or minor may require carrying semester loads above 15 credits, attending summer school and/or taking more than four years to complete a degree.

Summer and Winter Sessions

The recommended course load during any summer session (I, II, III) or winter session is two courses. Students should consult their academic advisor before registering for more than two courses in any session.

Overloads

Normally, students may not carry more than 21 credits in any one semester. Students enrolled in student-teaching courses may enroll for one additional course if it does not conflict with the student-teaching assignment.

Leaving Millersville University

Students who wish to leave Millersville before graduating may take a temporary leave of absence or withdraw completely.

Leave of Absence

Students who wish to interrupt their studies at Millersville for up to two consecutive semesters may request a leave of absence. This allows them to register for courses upon their return without applying for readmission. To be eligible for a leave of absence, a student must be enrolled in degree status and have a minimum CGPA of 2.00.

To request a leave of absence, complete an official Leave of Absence form, available from the registrar’s office (Lyle Hall) or on the Millersville website in the Student Forms Center. Contact the registrar’s office for information on the effects of a leave of absence.

Students who take a leave of absence to study at another institution during the fall or spring semester should also complete an Authorization for Transfer of Credit form, available from the registrar’s office or on the web in the Student Forms Center.

A leave of absence is cancelled, and the student considered withdrawn, if the student fails to return by the established ending time or is dismissed by the University.

Military Leave of Absence

Students who are called to active duty must contact the registrar’s office for assistance with arranging a leave of absence and their subsequent return to the University. A copy of the student’s military orders must be presented to the registrar. Students who expect to return to class within the current semester to complete their coursework, or who are called to duty after completing a significant part of the course requirements, should contact their faculty regarding missed work. Students who cannot complete the current semester will be granted a leave of absence for military duty and will be allowed to return for the next semester without penalty.

Withdrawing from the University

Students who wish to withdraw from the University must complete an official Withdrawal form, available from the registrar’s office or on the Millersville website in the Student Forms Center. This applies to all students, whether withdrawing during or between semesters, regardless of reason for withdrawal. Failure to complete this form will jeopardize a student’s chances of future readmission.

Students who have officially withdrawn from the University and wish to return should contact the admissions office, Lombardo Welcome Center, for an application for readmission. See the Admissions section for more information.

Other Academic Policies

Review of Programmatic Standards

The University’s programmatic and assessment standards are established by the respective college and monitored by the college dean. A student may discuss issues related to these standards with the school dean. The college dean(s) and the University’s provost, however, maintain ultimate authority to determine whether a student has successfully satisfied the programmatic and assessment standards, including preliminary, qualifying and comprehensive examinations.

Faculty members are charged with the responsibility of evaluating a student’s academic performance in accordance with the faculty member’s professional and academic judgment. The deans of the University’s colleges establish the programmatic standards for their respective colleges and will review any issues related to those standards. The following procedures must be followed by students challenging these academic determinations or those encountering a problem with an academic affairs process. Appeals dealing with Academic Dismissal from the University, violations of the Academic Honesty Policy or violations of the Student Code of Conduct are handled by separate processes.

Academic Appeals

Academic Determination

When a student disagrees with an academic determination by a faculty member, the student and the faculty member must meet, within 30 days of the release of the academic determination, to discuss the disputed issue and attempt, in good faith, to resolve the matter. The student has the responsibility to contact the faculty member so that the meeting can be arranged. If the student and faculty member are unable to meet within the specified time period, the student must contact the faculty member’s department chair within 10 calendar days of the above time period to move to the next phase of the appeal.

If the student and the faculty member are unable to mutually resolve the dispute, the student must file a written appeal with the faculty member’s department chair within 10 calendar days of the student/faculty member discussion. The student is advised to set forth in detail the basis for the appeal and provide written documentation in support of the appeal. The department chair will request a written statement from the faculty member and may meet with the faculty member as well. The department chair will review the appeal and any supporting documentation and then meet with the student. The department chair will notify the student and the faculty member of his or her decision within 10 calendar days of receipt of the appeal.

If the department chair’s decision does not resolve the dispute, the student may submit a written appeal with the appropriate college dean within 10 calendar days from the date of the department chair’s decision. The student should include any written documentation in support of the appeal. The college dean will request a written statement from the faculty member and may meet with the faculty member as well. The college dean will review the appeal and any supporting documentation and will meet with the student. The college dean will notify the student, the department chair and the faculty member of his or her decision within 10 calendar days of receipt of the appeal. The decision of the college dean is final and not subject to further review.

Academic Affairs Process

When a student encounters a problem with an academic process at the University (e.g., transfer of credit from another institution, missing or incomplete information in a student record, etc.), the student should attempt to resolve the problem by contacting the staff member, or appropriate administrative office, within the division of Academic Affairs within 30 days of identifying the error. The student and the staff member must discuss the disputed issue and attempt, in good faith, to resolve the matter.

If the student and the staff member are unable to mutually resolve the dispute, the student must file a written appeal with the staff member’s supervisor within 10 calendar days of the student/staff member discussion. The student is advised to set forth in detail the basis for the appeal and provide written documentation in support of the appeal. The supervisor will request a written statement from the staff member and may meet with the staff member as well. The supervisor will review the appeal and any supporting documentation and then meet with the student. The supervisor will notify the student and the staff member of his or her decision within 10 calendar days of receipt of the appeal.

If the supervisor’s decision does not resolve the dispute, the student may submit a written appeal to the University Provost within 10 calendar days from the date of the supervisor’s decision. The student should include any written documentation in support of the appeal. The Provost will request a written statement from the staff member and may meet with the staff member as well. The Provost will review the appeal and any supporting documentation and will meet with the student. The Provost will notify the student, the supervisor and the staff member of his or her decision within 10 calendar days of receipt of the appeal. The decision of the Provost is final and not subject to further review.

Class Standing

Class standing is based on total credits earned, including those transferred from other colleges and earned through advanced standing programs, such as CLEP, as follows:

Class Attendance Policy

The University supports departmental and faculty class attendance policies that are reflective of and consistent with University-approved guidelines. Faculty will include their class attendance policy in their syllabi given to all students in their classes at the start of the semester.

1. Students are expected to attend all classes. It is the student’s responsibility to complete all course requirements even if a class is missed. If a student misses class for an officially excused reason, then he/she is entitled to make up the missed work, but only at the convenience of the faculty member. Responsibility for materials presented in, assignments made for, and tests/quizzes given in regularly scheduled classes lies solely with the student.
2. The University policy is that faculty will excuse absences for the following reasons:
   1. personal illness
   2. death or critical illness in the family
   3. participation in a University-sponsored activity
   4. jury duty
   5. military duties
   6. religious holidays

   Course Number System

   Millersville University uses the following course-numbering system:

   Course Number System

   Course Numbers	Description
   000-099	Precollege developmental courses.
   100-199	Courses primarily designed for first year students.
   200-299	Courses primarily designed for sophomores.
   300-399	Courses primarily designed for juniors and seniors.
   400-499	Courses primarily designed for seniors.
   500-599	First-level graduate courses (these courses may be taken by advanced undergraduates).
   600-	Graduate-level courses.

   The following course numbers are reserved:

   Course Number System

   Course Numbers	Description
   300, 400, 500	Cooperative Education experiences.
   179, 279, 379, 479, 579, 679	Experimental courses.
   489	Honors courses.
   498	Independent study.
   499	Departmental honors/thesis/University Honors College thesis.

   Dean's List

   A student is eligible for the dean’s list after a given semester if he or she has:

   1. Earned a semester GPA of 3.50 or higher, and
   2. Attempted at least 12 credits of undergraduate coursework in that semester, excluding those courses not used to compute the GPA.

   Graduation Honors for a Baccalaureate Degree

   Students who have earned consistently superior grades in their coursework at Millersville University are recognized for their achievements at graduation with the designation of graduation honors. The student’s diploma and University record carry the appropriate honors designation:

   • Cum laude for a cumulative GPA between 3.50 and 3.74.
   • Magna cum laude for a cumulative GPA between 3.75 and 3.94.
   • Summa cum laude for a cumulative GPA between 3.95 and 4.00.

   Eligibility for graduation with honors is determined based on the Millersville grade point average. Neither transfer work nor in-progress courses are included in the honors GPA. For students who have been awarded academic amnesty, the preamnesty work is not included in calculating the honors GPA.

   Changes in the eligibility for, or the level of, honors following the posting of grades for the final semester at Millersville will be reflected on the student’s diploma and Millersville transcript.

   To qualify for graduation honors, students must:

   1. Earn a GPA of 3.50 or higher in work done at Millersville, and
   2. Complete at least 60 credits of Millersville coursework.

   Graduation Honors for Associate Degree Candidates. To qualify for the designation “with honors” on their diploma and University record, associate-degree candidates must:

   1. Earn a GPA of 3.50 or higher in work done at Millersville, and
   2. Complete at least 30 credits with grades A through D- of Millersville coursework.