Courses listed in this catalog are open to graduate students only. At least half of the credit hours applied toward a master’s degree must be from those courses numbered 600 and above. It is expected that courses applicable toward the education specialist and the doctorate degree will be numbered 600 or above.
The maximum full-time course load for graduate students is fifteen hours per semester. The minimum full-time load per semester is nine hours. The normal maximum load for graduate assistants is twelve hours per semester. Load limitations during summer school are listed in the Summer School Catalog.
Students employed full-time are limited to six hours per semester and twelve semester hours for the academic year. Any exceptions to these rules must be approved by the department and the dean of Research and Graduate Studies.
Class Attendance. Graduate students are expected to attend all class meetings. Specific attendance regulations are announced by the instructor.
The grades which may be assigned to graduate credit courses are as follows:
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Incomplete Grades. Instructors may give an incomplete grade when students are unable to complete a course for nonacademic reasons. An incomplete is not a satisfactory grade and may lead to an academic warning. All incomplete grades must be removed and a grade of A, B, C, F, S, or U must be submitted to the registrar by the last day of classes in the next semester, excluding the summer, an F being automatic if the student has not completed the coursework. A student may not register for the course again until the incomplete has been removed. All incomplete grades in courses taken as part of the degree program must be removed before graduation.
A grade of incomplete will be awarded only when there is a reasonable prospect that the student can pass the course by making up the work missed. The instructor is required to send to the department head a list of the conditions for removing the grade of incomplete. If the instructor is no longer in the employ of the university, the department head will remove the grade of incomplete upon completion of the stated requirements.
Grade Pending. An IP is assigned only for thesis research or similar courses to indicate that a grade is pending until the sequence of courses is completed. A grade of A, B, C, F, S, or U is then assigned to each course by the instructor.
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grading. The use of S/U (pass/fail) grading is limited to selected courses in which standard or traditional grading is rendered difficult by the nature and purpose of the courses. The courses are identified in the master class schedule and in the course descriptions in this catalog. S (satisfactory) and U (unsatisfactory) are the only grades assigned in courses approved for pass/fail grading.
Audit. A graduate student may audit a course if space is available and if prior permission of the instructor, the adviser, the head of the department offering the course, and the dean of Research and Graduate Studies has been obtained. A completed course audit form must be submitted. No credit is earned for auditing, but the audited course must not add hours in excess of the student’s maximum load. An auditor’s participation in class activities is optional with the instructor. Change from audit to credit or from credit to audit is permissible only during the regular schedule change period. An audited course will be noted on the student’s transcript.
Final Grade Changes. When a grade other than incomplete has been reported officially by an instructor at the end of a term, the grade will be recorded by the registrar and can be changed only if an error has been made in estimating or reporting the grade. The instructor will, with the approval of the department head, report the error in writing to his/her dean with a recommendation about the action to be taken. Only the instructor has the right to change the grade in a course except as provided in the incomplete grade policy.
Any request by a student for a change in a final grade must be submitted within 30 days of the mailing of the final grade report.
Grade Average for Graduation. An average of B (3.0 GPA) is required for all graduate degrees. Grades received in all graduate courses will be included in the graduate cumulative average.
Course Repeat Policy. A graduate student may repeat any course one time with the approval of the adviser, department head, and dean of Research and Graduate Studies. The original grade earned in the repeated course remains on the student’s transcript and is calculated in the student’s cumulative average.
Transcripts. Transcripts are furnished, either to the student or by mail, only after accounts are cleared and only upon the student’s written request, which must include the student’s signature and student identification number. Requests for transcripts should be addressed to the registrar. The university’s recommendation for teacher certification will be accompanied by a transcript. There is no charge for transcripts issued.
Academic Honesty Policy. Western Carolina University, as a community of scholarship, is also a community of honor. Faculty, staff, administrators, and students work together to achieve the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is a serious offense at WCU because it threatens the quality of scholarship and defrauds those who depend on knowledge and integrity. Academic dishonesty includes:
A. Cheating— intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, infor mation, or study aids in any academic exercise.
B. Fabrication—intentional falsification or invention of information or citation in an academic exercise.
C. Plagiarism—intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of some- one else as one’s own in an academic exercise.
D. Facilitation of academic dishonesty—intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help someone else to commit an act of academic dishonesty, such as knowingly allowing another to copy information during an examination or other academic exercise.
For specific information on procedures for cases involving allegations of academic dishonesty, see relevant sections in the Student Handbook.
Academic Dismissal. A student who accumulates three grades of C or any grade of F will automatically be dismissed from the Graduate School. A student who has been admitted provisionally and fails to meet the terms of the provisional admission will also be dismissed from the Graduate School. Once dismissed a student cannot register for graduate courses and may not be readmitted until the following spring or fall semester has elapsed. For readmission to the Graduate School, a student should petition in writing to the Dean of the Graduate School. A student may petition for readmission to the Graduate School only one time following the academic dismissal. Approval for readmission may be accompanied by additional requirements. Upon readmission the student must meet all requirements under the catalog in effect at the time of his/her readmission. A readmitted student who receives any additional grade of C or lower will be permanently dismissed.
Academic Appeal Procedure. Students who feel they have been treated unjustly by an instructor in any matter pertaining to academic work should appeal by taking the following steps:
1. Appeal verbally to the instructor. An appeal concerning a final grade must be made within 35 days after the end of final exams.
2. If the matter is not resolved satisfactorily, appeal verbally to the instructor’s department head.
3. If the matter is not resolved satisfactorily, appeal in writing to the dean of the Graduate School. If the appeal involves a grade, a written appeal must be received in the Graduate School within thirty days of the final conference with the department head. Students should be aware that only the instructor can change a grade. Within 30 days of receipt of the written appeal, the graduate dean convenes a committee comprised of two graduate faculty and one graduate student. This committee hears the student appeal, and makes a recommendation to the dean, who rules on the student appeal.
4. If the matter still cannot be resolved satisfactorily, the student may appeal to the provost, and finally to the chancellor.
A student who has been dismissed from the Graduate School for failure to meet the terms of provisional admission or for accumulation of excessive unsatisfactory grades will be notified by the dean of research and graduate studies. The student has two weeks from the date of the letter of notification of dismissal to appeal. The letter of appeal should be addressed to the dean of Research and Graduate Studies. The appeal will be considered by the Graduate Council, who will make a recommendation to the dean of Research and Graduate Studies. The student will be notified of the outcome of the appeal by the dean. If, after appealing to the graduate dean, the student is still dissatisfied or suitable action has not been taken, the student may appeal to the provost, and finally to the chancellor.
This page is maintained by Nancy Carden in the
Office of the Provost.
Last updated: 2/3/2006.
Copyright 2006 by Western Carolina University .