4. Academic Policies and Procedures
Academic Advising
The University of Texas at Austin views sound academic advising as a significant responsibility in educating students. Academic advisers assist students in developing intellectual potential and exploring educational opportunities and life goals. Many people in the campus community contribute to the advising process, including faculty, staff, student, and professional advisers. Through the relationship established between adviser and student within a friendly, helpful, and professional atmosphere, a student has the opportunity to
- learn about educational options, degree requirements, and academic policies and procedures;
- clarify educational objectives;
- plan and pursue programs consistent with abilities, interests, and life goals; and
- use all resources of the University to best advantage.
Ultimately, the student is responsible for seeking adequate academic advice, for knowing and meeting degree requirements, and for enrolling in appropriate courses to ensure orderly and timely progress toward a degree. Frequent adviser contact provides students with current academic information and promotes progress toward educational goals. The University supports that progress and encourages effective academic advising campus-wide.
Credit Value and Course Numbers
The semester hour. The credit value of courses is expressed in semester hours. Most courses are designed to require approximately three hours of work a week throughout the semester for each semester hour of credit given; that is, for each hour a class meets, an average of two additional hours of preparation is expected of the student. The time requirement in the laboratory, field, or studio varies with the nature of the subject and the aims of a course, so there is no fixed ratio of laboratory to class hours.
Most courses meet three hours a week in the fall and spring semesters and have a credit value of three hours. In a six-week summer term, courses meet seven and a half hours a week for three semester hours of credit. Fall and spring semester classes that meet on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are scheduled for an hour (fifty minutes with a ten-minute interval between classes); classes that meet on Tuesday and Thursday are scheduled for an hour and a half (seventy-five minutes with a fifteen-minute interval between classes). Monday-Wednesday-Friday classes normally begin on the hour and are dismissed after fifty minutes; Tuesday-Thursday classes normally begin on the hour or half-hour as appropriate and are dismissed after seventy-five minutes. Summer session classes normally are scheduled every day for an hour and a half (seventy-five minutes with a fifteen-minute interval between classes).
Course numbers. Courses are designated by numbers, or by numbers with a capital letter following. The numbers indicate both the rank and the credit value of the course. Course numbers 201 through 299 denote a value of two semester hours, 301 through 399, a value of three semester hours, and so on. A zero as the first digit indicates that the course is noncredit. Except in the School of Law and the College of Pharmacy, the last two digits indicate the rank of the course; if they are 01 through 19, the course is of lower-division rank; if 20 through 79, of upper-division rank; and if 80 through 99, of graduate rank.
Two courses that have the same abbreviation and the same last two digits may not both be counted for credit unless the digits are followed by a letter. For example, Chemistry 610 and Chemistry 810 may not both be counted because they are substantially the same; however, English 325 and 325K may both be counted.
The letter A following a course number designates the first half of a course; B, the second half. For example, Music 612A is the first half of Music 612; Music 612B, the second half. The letter X following a course number designates the first third of the course; Y, the second third; Z, the last third.
General Information
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - The University
Chapter 2 - Admission
Chapter 3 - Registration, Fees, and Deposits
Chapter 4 - Academic Policies and Procedures
Chapter 5 - Student Affairs
Chapter 6 - Libraries and Other Academic Resources
Chapter 7 - The Texas Exes
Appendix A - Residency Regulations
Appendix B - Official Extracurricular Student Activities
Appendix C - Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities
Appendix D - Policy on Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment
Appendix E - Policy on Sexual Misconduct
Appendix F - Prohibition of Hazing
Appendix G - Policy on AIDS and HIV Infection
Appendix H - Prohibition of Sexual Assault
Appendix I - Nondiscrimination Policy
Appendix J - Prohibition of Campus Violence
Appendix K - Student Travel Policy for University-Organized or Sponsored Events
Appendix L - Student Travel Policy for Registered Student Organizations
Appendix M - Rules of Conduct for Students for Protecting the Confidentiality of Social Security Numbers
Appendix N - Use of E-mail for Official Correspondence to Students
Statistical Summaries
Related Information
Catalogs
Course Schedules
Academic Calendars
Office of Admissions
Office of the Registrar
University of Texas at Austin
17 August 2004. Office of the Registrar
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