________________________________________________ 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 for one semester or six hours for two semesters. In a six-week summer term, courses meet seven and a half hours a week for three semester hours of credit. Fall or 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). To facilitate movement 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. The last two digits specify the rank of the course; if 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. For example, Law 621XY means that the first two-thirds of the six-hour course Law 621 is being given during one semester. CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS Undergraduate students are classified as freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors based on the number of semester credit hours accumulated and accepted by the University, whether or not the hours are applicable toward a degree. Semester hours used to determine classification include coursework completed in residence, transferred credit, and credit by examination, extension, and correspondence. A student is a freshman until thirty hours have been accepted, then a sophomore until sixty hours have been accepted, a junior until ninety hours have been accepted, then a senior until graduation. Freshmen and sophomores are referred to as lower-division students, juniors and seniors as upper-division students. TEXAS ACADEMIC SKILLS PROGRAM The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) is a state-legislated program designed to improve student success in college. (V.T.C.A., Texas Education Code Section 51.306) The two components of the program are: (1) the TASP Test, to assess basic skills in reading, mathematics, and writing, and (2) developmental instruction, to strengthen those academic skills needing improvement. All nonexempt students entering Texas public colleges and universities are subject to TASP regulations. Nonexempt students who have accumulated nine or more semester hours of college-level credit, including posted credit by examination, from all Texas public colleges attended, must have TASP Test scores on file with the University to be eligible to register. Transfer and transient students must submit official documentation to the TASP Office showing compliance with TASP regulations before registering at the University. Effective the fall semester 1995, students who are blind or deaf will be subject to testing if they have not completed at least three semester hours of college-level credit prior to September 1995. Blind students will be required to take the TASP Test, with appropriate accommodations; deaf students will be required to take the Stanford Achievement Test. Nonexempt students who score less than 230 on the reading or mathematics subtests, or less than 220 on the writing subtest (including omitted subtests and canceled scores) are required to participate in developmental studies instruction until they are able to achieve the state standard on all three subtests. A student who scores below the state standard may not register for upper- division courses that, when completed, would give the student a total of sixty or more semester credit hours, including transfer credit. Students who qualify for an exemption from TASP requirements are responsible for providing documentation to the University to establish the exemption. A student who meets any of the following criteria is eligible for an exemption. 1. The student's composite score on the SAT I taken in April 1995 or later is at least 1180, and both the verbal and the mathematics scores are at least 550. To qualify for an exemption based on SAT (or SAT I) scores earned prior to April 1995, the composite score must be at least 1090, with a minimum of 470 on the verbal test and 530 on the mathematics test. (Standards are pending approval of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.) Exempting scores must be obtained in a single test administration. An exemption may not be based on scores earned more than five years ago. 2. The student's ACT composite score is at least 26, and both the English and the mathematics scores are at least 22. (Standards are pending approval of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.) Exempting scores must be obtained in a single test administration. An exemption may not be based on scores earned more than five years ago. 3. The student's scores on the TAAS Test are (a) at least 1780 on the writing subtest, (b) a Texas Learning Index of at least 86 on the mathematics subtest, and (c) a Texas Learning Index of at least 89 on the reading subtest. Each subtest must have been attempted only once. An exemption may not be based on scores earned more than three years ago. NOTE: Standards are pending approval of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. 4. The student earned three semester hours of college-level credit, including credit by examination, prior to September 1989. 5. The student has earned a bachelor's degree. Students seeking Texas teacher certification are required to pass all three TASP subtests, unless exempt on the basis of item 1, 2, or 3 above. TASP Test Schedule Postmark Deadline Late for Regular Registration Test Date Registration* Period** __________________________________________________________________ Sep 16, 1995 Aug 18, 1995 Aug 19-Sep 6, 1995 Nov 11, 1995 Oct 13, 1995 Oct 14-Nov 1, 1995 Feb 24, 1996 Jan 26, 1996 Jan 27-Feb 14, 1996 Apr 20, 1996 Mar 22, 1996 Mar 23-Apr 10, 1996 Jun 15, 1996 May 17, 1996 May 18-Jun 5, 1996 Jul 20, 1996 Jun 21, 1996 Jun 22-Jul 10, 1996 *The fee for regular registration is $26. **Late registration is available only by telephone at (512) 926- 8746 and requires a fee of $46. After the late registration period for each test date, registration is allowed for a limited time for a fee of $65. Registration to take the TASP Test is handled by National Evaluation Systems, Inc. The required form is included in Official TASP Registration Bulletins, available at Texas public colleges and most public high schools. Information and registration materials may be obtained on campus from the TASP Office, Flawn Academic Center, Room 33; the Measurement and Evaluation Center, 2616 Wichita Street; the General Information and Referral Service, Main Building, ground floor; and the Office of the Dean, College of Education, Sanchez Building 216. Further information is available at the TASP Office, (512) 471-8277. QUANTITY OF WORK RULE Maximum hours in the fall and spring semesters. An undergraduate student may not register for more than seventeen semester hours in any long-session semester without the approval of his or her dean unless the degree plan printed in The Undergraduate Catalog for the student's major specifies otherwise. In the School of Law a student may carry as many as sixteen semester hours each semester. In the Graduate School the maximum course load is fifteen semester hours; registration in excess of this maximum must have the recommendation of the graduate adviser and approval of the graduate dean. Maximum hours in the summer session. Except as permitted by his or her academic dean, no undergraduate student may register for more than fourteen semester hours in a twelve-week summer session (exclusive of credit by examination), not to exceed eight semester hours earned during either the first six-week term or the second six-week term. A student whose maximum period of summer registration is nine weeks may not register for more than ten semester hours except as permitted by his or her academic dean. The maximum course load for a graduate student is twelve semester hours in a twelve-week summer session or six semester hours in a six-week term; a student whose maximum period of summer registration is nine weeks may register for no more than ten semester hours. A heavier course load must have the recommendation of the graduate adviser and the approval of the graduate dean, and will be permitted only under exceptional circumstances. Minimum hours in the fall and spring semesters. An undergraduate student may not carry fewer than twelve semester hours of credit without the approval of his or her academic dean. Failure to obtain approval may jeopardize the student's continuance in school. A student who is a minor must present a written statement from a parent or guardian accepting the conditions under which permission to carry a reduced course load is granted. Graduate students are not subject to minimum course load requirements except as noted below. International students must have written permission from the International Office as well as their dean to carry fewer than twelve hours if undergraduate students or nine hours if graduate students. Minimum hours in the summer session. There is no minimum course load in the summer session. Assistant instructors, teaching assistants, and graduate research assistants. To be employed as an assistant instructor, teaching assistant, or graduate research assistant, a student must be admitted unconditionally to the Graduate School, be in good academic standing, and be making satisfactory progress toward a degree. Students employed in teaching or research positions must be registered for at least nine semester hours each semester and at least three semester hours in the summer term in which they are employed. In the fall or spring semester, the total of a graduate student's work appointments as a teaching assistant, assistant instructor, graduate research assistant, or assistant (graduate) may not exceed twenty hours a week during the first year and thirty hours a week in subsequent years. Forty-hour appointments are allowed during the summer session. Assistant instructors, teaching assistants, and graduate research assistants may not accept payment from a student for tutoring services except on the recommendation of the department chairman and with the approval of the dean. If approved, the graduate assistant may tutor only in a course with which he or she has no connection. Other student employees. An undergraduate student's combined University employment and semester-hour course load may not exceed forty hours a week in any semester or summer term. Any academic unit may require a lower work- study load of their students who are employed by the University than that described above. Any student who wishes to exceed the maximum work-study load set by his or her college must have the approval of the dean of the college. EVALUATION Faculty members are free to develop their own methods of evaluating the performance of students in their classes, both undergraduate and graduate, but are required to make the methods of evaluation to be used known in writing before the end of the fourth class day each semester and the second class day each summer term. Responsibility for assuring adequate methods of evaluation rests with departmental faculties and is subject to administrative review. In courses with multiple sections, departments should provide for necessary coordination. Materials used in evaluating a student's performance must be collected by the instructor at or before the regularly scheduled final examination. The final examination is the most common method of final evaluation in courses. Grades This section applies to all undergraduate students. Graduate grades of scholarship, including incomplete grades (symbol X), are explained in the catalog of the Graduate School. A student's standing in academic work is expressed by grades earned on class assignments and examinations. There are five grades: A (excellent), B (above average), C (average), D (pass), and F (failure). To receive credit for (complete) a course, an undergraduate student must earn a grade of at least D. After a grade is reported to the registrar, it may not be changed unless an error was made by the instructor. Grades are given by semesters; however, in a course extending through two semesters, credit is not counted toward the degree until both semesters of the course are completed. A student is expected to complete a course, including self-paced courses, in a single semester, summer term, or summer session. If the course is not completed as expected, the student normally will not be given additional time to complete it, or to do additional work to achieve a better grade. In rare instances, for nonacademic reasons and subject to the approval of the instructor, a temporary delay of the final course grade, symbol X, may be given. If no final grade is reported by the end of the next semester, excluding any intervening summer session, a grade of F is recorded as the final grade in the course. Members of the staff are not authorized, without the academic dean's approval, to withhold a final grade or to defer reporting a final grade at the end of the semester other than by the use of the symbol X. If a grade is withheld without the dean's approval, the grade may not be added to the official records later without the written approval of the student's dean. Symbols Under specific conditions instructors may use symbols to report a student's standing in the semester's work. The symbol X is used to report a temporary delay of the final course grade for a student who has been given additional time to complete a course; the symbol Q, to indicate that a student has officially dropped the course; the symbol W, to indicate that a student has officially withdrawn from the University; and the symbol CR, to indicate that a student has completed a course on the pass/fail (or credit/no credit) basis. If a faculty member fails to report a grade for a student, the registrar will enter the symbol X to provide the student time to contact the faculty member and arrange for a final grade to be reported. If a final grade is not reported by the end of the next semester, excluding any intervening summer session, the X will be changed by the registrar to an F. An X also will be entered for a student who is given the symbol CR by the instructor when the student is not registered for the course on the pass/fail basis. In such a case the student should contact the instructor promptly so a letter grade may be reported to the registrar. The registrar will notify the student when a grade change is reported. SYMBOL X: TEMPORARY DELAY IN REPORTING THE FINAL COURSE GRADE This section applies to all undergraduate students. Graduate grades of scholarship, including incomplete grades (symbol X), are explained in the catalog of the Graduate School. Issuance of the symbol X, representing a temporary delay in reporting the final course grade, is approved under the circumstances described below and is at the discretion of the instructor. If an undergraduate student receives a symbol X in a course, the student must complete the requirements for the course and have the instructor report a final course grade on or before the last date for grade reporting in the next semester, excluding any intervening summer session, or an F will be recorded as the final grade in the course. The period for completion of the coursework may be extended only for unusual circumstances beyond the student's control, as recommended by the instructor and approved by the student's academic dean. A student who has received an X in a course may not register for that course again until a final grade has been recorded, unless the course is one that may be repeated for credit. If the symbol X appears on a student's record, the course for which the symbol is recorded is not used in the calculation of the student's University grade point average. When the instructor assigns the final course grade, and it is approved by the student's dean and reported to the registrar by the appropriate deadline, the grade is entered on the record and counted in computing the student's grade point average. The symbol X remains on the record. Approved uses of the symbol X. An undergraduate student may, with the approval of the instructor, be assigned the symbol X in a course for one of the following reasons: 1. Missing the final examination: The student is unable to take a final examination because of illness or other nonacademic reason. A physician's statement or other satisfactory verification is required. 2. Incomplete classroom assignment: The student has not been able to complete the required class or laboratory assignments for a reason other than lack of adequate effort. A request for temporary delay of the final course grade because of incomplete class or laboratory work can be made only if the student has a passing average on the classwork or laboratory work already completed and has taken and passed the final examination (unless a final examination is not given in the course or the student is unable to take the examination for reasons indicated in the previous paragraph). 3. Reexamination privilege: Only a student who has a grade of at least C on all classwork and laboratory work submitted before the final examination may request a temporary delay of the final course grade because he or she failed the final examination. The grade on the reexamination will be substituted for the grade on the original examination in determining the student's final course grade, provided the student earns at least a C on the reexamination. If the grade on the reexamination is less than a C, a final course grade of F must be recorded. Improper use of the symbol X. A student must not be assigned a temporary delay of the final course grade symbol to permit (1) time to prepare coursework in addition to that assigned the entire class, (2) time to repeat the entire course, or (3) opportunity to raise a grade for any reason other than the approved reasons cited above. The temporary delay of final course grade symbol is not issued for student or faculty convenience; it may be issued for the reasons cited above only in the case of compelling, nonacademic circumstances beyond the student's control. SYMBOL CR Pass/Fail A student who registers for a course on the pass/fail basis and earns a grade of D or better is awarded a symbol CR for the course. The grade point average for a student taking courses on the pass/fail basis is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the number of credit hours taken on the letter- grade basis provided the student passes the courses. If the student fails a course for which he or she is registered on the pass/fail basis, the grade of F will be used in calculating the grade point average and the number of hours failed will be included in the total number of hours attempted. Provided the following conditions are met, an undergraduate student may take a maximum of five one-semester courses, including correspondence courses, on the pass/fail basis as part of the hours required for the student's degree. NOTE: Students in the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Natural Sciences are permitted to take up to sixteen semester hours of classroom or correspondence credit in elective courses on the pass/fail basis. Plan II students may take up to nineteen semester hours of elective courses on the pass/fail basis. Only two courses a semester may be taken on this basis after a student has thirty semester hours of credit. 1. The courses must be in elective subjects outside the major field. 2. The student must have received at least thirty hours of college credit prior to registering for any course on the pass/fail basis unless the course is offered only on the pass/fail basis. 3. No more than two courses a semester may be taken on the pass/fail basis. 4. The option to take a course on the pass/fail basis may not be elected later than the last day for dropping a course or withdrawing from the University. 5. The basis of registration for a course may not be changed more than once. Other regulations may be imposed by the student's college or school. If a student decides to major in a subject in which he or she has taken a course or courses on the pass/fail basis, it is the prerogative of the department to decide whether or not the courses will count toward degree requirements. Course credit by examination may be accepted with the symbol CR in required subjects except in the College of Communication, where an eligible student must accept a letter grade rather than the symbol CR in the major. Acceptance of course credit by examination with the symbol CR will not reduce the number of elective courses for which a student may register on the pass/fail basis. Each department may offer as many as two courses in its major entirely on the pass/fail basis. Credit/No Credit Regulations regarding registration on the credit/no credit basis apply to all courses, both undergraduate and graduate, taken by graduate students. A graduate student may take no more than 20 percent of the hours for any master's degree on the credit/no credit basis, and no more than a comparable portion of the Program of Work for the doctoral degree. The option to take a course or courses on the credit/no credit basis must be approved by the graduate adviser and should be elected at the time of registration. A graduate student may not change the basis of registration in a course after the twelfth class day of the semester or after the fourth class day of the summer session. Dissertation, thesis, and master's report courses must be taken for a letter grade. Coursework requirements and methods of evaluation in a course must be the same for students registered on the credit/no credit basis as for those registered on the letter-grade basis. Performance at the level of C or above for an undergraduate or graduate course taken on the credit/no credit basis is required to earn credit (CR). Courses taken on the credit/no credit basis are not included when the grade point average is computed. SYMBOLS S AND U The symbols S (satisfactory) and U (unsatisfactory) are assigned only in developmental studies courses (DEV) and do not affect the calculation of a student's grade point average. Repetition of a Course The official grade in a course is the last one made; however, if a student repeats a course and has two or more grades, all grades and all semester hours are used to calculate the University grade point average and to determine the student's scholastic eligibility to remain in school. In the College of Business Administration, the College of Communication, the College of Engineering, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Natural Sciences, the School of Nursing, and the College of Pharmacy a student may not repeat for credit a course in which he or she earned a grade of C or better. Degree Candidate Grade Requests Special grade request forms for degree candidates are distributed to faculty who have graduating seniors in their classes. The course grade recorded on these forms must be the same as the grade recorded on the official grade sheet since the forms are forwarded to the student's dean and used to certify graduation. COMPUTATION OF THE GRADE POINT AVERAGE The cumulative University grade point average for an undergraduate student is calculated on the basis of all work undertaken at the University of Texas at Austin (including credit by examination, correspondence, and extension) for which a letter grade is recorded. Courses in which the symbol Q, W, X, S, U, or CR is recorded are excluded in calculating the grade point average. The grade point average for a graduate student is based on all courses undertaken while enrolled in the Graduate School except as noted in the catalog of the Graduate School. Grades earned in the School of Law are not included in computation of the student's grade point average. Grade scores. Although a grade of D is sufficient for an undergraduate to earn credit in a course, a cumulative University grade point average of at least 2.00 (C) is necessary for satisfactory progress toward a degree. In computing the grade point average, an A has a value of four points a semester hour; a B, three points; a C, two points; a D, one point; and an F, zero points. The symbols X (temporary delay of grade), CR (pass on the pass/fail basis), and S and U (for developmental courses) yield zero points. A course for which the symbol X, CR, S, or U is given does not count as hours undertaken for the purpose of calculating the grade point average, and no grade points are earned; a course taken on the pass/fail basis in which a grade of F is earned does count as hours undertaken and no grade points are earned. CORRESPONDENCE WORK BY RESIDENT STUDENTS Correspondence courses are not intended to be taken by students enrolled in residence except in unusual circumstances. A student enrolled in residence must have the prior approval of his or her dean to count correspondence work toward degree requirements. Correspondence courses taken from the University of Texas at Austin and used toward a degree at the University are subject to the same pass/fail rules that apply to courses taken in residence. A student who enrolls in the University of Texas at Austin must drop any correspondence work in progress or obtain the approval of his or her academic dean to continue the correspondence work. COURSE PLACEMENT AND CREDIT BY EXAMINATION Students at the University of Texas at Austin have the opportunity to determine course placement and to earn credit by examination. Some examinations are required for enrollment in certain courses, while others are optional; most serve as a basis for course credit. Any current, former, or prospective University of Texas at Austin student may attempt to earn credit by examination for any undergraduate course provided the student has neither passed nor failed that course. Credit by examination will not be given for a course the student previously passed or failed at the University or any other collegiate institution. (When a student transfers a course from another institution with fewer semester hours than the corresponding University course carries, the student may earn credit by examination for the University course, but only with the symbol CR.) Additional eligibility requirements may be established by the academic department awarding credit with the approval of the dean of the college or school. Information about additional requirements is available at the Measurement and Evaluation Center and at the academic department. Although prospective students may take examinations to establish their eligibility to receive credit, credit is awarded only to officially enrolled students or to former students. NOTE: Enrollment on the twelfth class day of a semester or the fourth class day of a summer term constitutes official enrollment. A student enrolled in college-level courses in the Division of Continuing Education may attempt to earn credit by examination under the same rules as students currently or formerly enrolled in resident credit courses at the University. At least one college- level course must be completed before credit by examination can be awarded. Credit by examination satisfies degree requirements in the same way as credit earned by passing a course, except that it does not count as credit earned in residence. Credit earned by examination does not jeopardize eligibility for scholarships that require freshman standing. The student's official transcript does not reflect unsuccessful attempts to earn credit by examination. A student becomes eligible for credit by examination by earning a grade of C, B, or A. Credit may be accepted by the student with either the letter grade or the symbol CR (credit only). Credit accepted with a letter grade is used in calculating the student's grade point average. Credit by examination is not reported to the registrar until the student advises the Measurement and Evaluation Center whether to report a letter grade or the symbol CR; a form for this purpose is available at the center. (NOTE: Credit by examination cannot be reported to the registrar for former students who are prohibited from enrolling in Texas public colleges and universities due to noncompliance with TASP regulations.) The choice of CR does not affect the number of semester hours for which a student may enroll on the pass/fail basis. Credit by examination may be accepted with the CR designation in both required and elective courses, except in the College of Communication, where an eligible student must accept a letter grade rather than the symbol CR in the major. After credit has been reported to the registrar, the choice of letter grade or the symbol CR may not be changed. A student's academic dean may approve an exception to the above policies for compelling academic reasons. Where the exception involves the student's eligibility to be tested or to receive credit by examination in a particular course, the exception must also be approved by the department in which the course is offered. The faculties of the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences encourage students enrolled in those colleges to earn credit by examination in as many subjects as possible, including the student's major. All tests administered at the University of Texas at Austin for course placement and credit by examination require a fee. To obtain information, including the testing schedule, eligibility requirements, test descriptions, sample questions, and the amount of test fees, send a self-addressed, business-sized envelope, stamped with two first-class postage stamps, to the Measurement and Evaluation Center, Box 7246, Austin, Texas 78713-7246. The academic subject, specific test, and other topics about which information is needed should be stated. The campus address of the center is 2616 Wichita Street; the telephone number, (512) 471-3032, Fax 471-3509. Examinations required for course placement. The following tests are normally given on the University campus immediately before each semester and the first summer term, during most summer orientation sessions, and at least once each fall and spring semester. The College of Communication Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test and the Department of Journalism Word Processing Test are not given during summer orientation. 1. Placement in rhetoric and composition. The College Board SAT II: Writing Test is required for placement at the appropriate level in lower-division rhetoric and composition courses. A student who makes a satisfactory score on the test is eligible to receive three semester hours of credit for the first rhetoric and composition course, English 306. Before enrolling in English 306, a student must have taken the SAT II: Writing Test, unless he or she has already earned credit for the course through the Advanced Placement Examination in English Language and Composition. Information about the SAT II: Writing Test and registration forms may be obtained from The College Board ATP, Box 6200, Princeton, New Jersey, 08541-6200, from most high schools, and from the Measurement and Evaluation Center. International students whose native language is not English must submit satisfactory scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for admission to a lower-division rhetoric and composition course. The TOEFL is administered by the Educational Testing Service. A student who scores at least 600 on the TOEFL must also take the SAT II: Writing Test. 2. Placement in foreign languages. Students with knowledge of a foreign language, however acquired, must take a placement test before enrolling for the first time in a course in that language at the University, except that: a. Students who transfer college credit in most foreign languages are not required to take the placement test, but are strongly encouraged to do so before enrolling in a course in the same language. b. Students who have not studied Spanish within the past three years are not required to take the Spanish placement test before enrolling in a Spanish course at the University. Foreign language placement tests serve not only to determine the level of work appropriate for students but also as the basis for credit by examination, which normally may be earned in as many as four lower-division courses. Credit by examination can be used to absolve a high school unit deficiency or to fulfill individual degree requirements. Credit that exceeds degree requirements often can be used as elective credit. The University uses the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Subject Examinations in French, German, and Spanish, a Russian Proficiency Test with a UT Austin Russian Grammar Achievement Test, and UT Austin Tests for Credit in Chinese and Japanese for course placement. Information about these tests and sample questions may be obtained from the Measurement and Evaluation Center. Students who have taken either a College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Examination or an International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher-Level Examination in French, German, or Spanish are not required to take the corresponding CLEP Subject Examination because their Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate Examination results can be used for placement. Tests in foreign languages not listed in this section are scheduled on an individual basis; students should contact the Measurement and Evaluation Center for information. 3. Placement in chemistry. The University of Texas at Austin Test for Credit in Chemistry 301 is required of students who intend to study for the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Physics, or Chemical Engineering, who studied chemistry in high school, and who do not have credit for Chemistry 301 or the equivalent. Information, including eligibility requirements and sample questions, is available from the Measurement and Evaluation Center. 4. Placement in mathematics. Most entry-level mathematics courses have as a prerequisite either a minimum score on the College Board SAT II: Subject Test in Mathematics Level I, or credit for a specified college-level mathematics course with a minimum grade. Course prerequisites are listed in the Course Schedule. Although the Level I test is preferred, a student may present a score on the Level IC or IIC test. These tests serve as a basis for credit by examination for Mathematics 305G. Information and registration forms are available from The College Board ATP, Box 6200, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6200, from most high schools, and from the Measurement and Evaluation Center. 5. Prerequisite for advertising and journalism. A satisfactory score on the College of Communication Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test is a prerequisite for Journalism 312. Students who transfer credit equivalent to Journalism 312 must present a satisfactory score on the test prior to enrolling in their first journalism skills course at the University. A student who believes he or she should be exempted from the Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test should contact the Department of Journalism. Undergraduate students must take the Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test before enrolling in certain upper- division courses in advertising. Eligible students who choose to graduate under a catalog of the College of Communication issued in 1991 or later may take the test a maximum of three times; eligible students who choose to graduate under an earlier catalog may take the test a maximum of five times. The test does not serve as a basis for course credit. In addition to the Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Test, the Department of Journalism Word Processing Test is required of students who wish to enroll in Journalism 312 or in a journalism skills course beyond Journalism 312. A student who believes he or she should be exempted from the Word Processing Test should contact the Department of Journalism. Optional examinations. The following optional tests serve as a basis for credit by examination at the University of Texas at Austin. 1. University of Texas at Austin tests for credit in biology, chemistry, computer sciences, history, Latin, management information systems, and physics. Eligible students can earn credit for specified courses in the fields named. Handouts describing the tests in each subject area and test schedules are available at the Measurement and Evaluation Center. 2. College Board SAT II: Subject Tests. In addition to the Writing Test and the Mathematics Level I, IC, or IIC Test, the University grants credit on the basis of the SAT II: Physics Test. The physics test is given at the University just prior to registration for each semester and the summer session. NOTE: College Board Achievement Tests in English Composition, Mathematics Level I, II, or IIC, and Physics taken before their discontinuation in May 1994, may be used in place of corresponding required and optional SAT II: Subject Tests. 3. College Board Advanced Placement Examinations. Credit is granted to students who have earned satisfactory scores on the College Board Advanced Placement Examinations in art (art history and studio art), biology, chemistry, computer sciences, economics, English, European history, French, German, Latin, mathematics, physics, psychology, Spanish, United States government and politics, and United States history. The advanced placement examination in government and politics is supplemented with local test items on Texas government; these additional items are administered only at the University of Texas at Austin. Advanced placement examinations are different from the College Board SAT II: Subject Tests and are offered only once each year in May in specific high schools across the country. Forms for requesting information about test center locations are available from AP Examinations, AP Services, Box 6671, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6671, by February 1 each year. 4. College Board College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) General Examinations: On the basis of the CLEP General Examinations, an unaffiliated student (one who has been out of high school or college for at least two years) may be eligible for credit without a grade in one or more subjects. Eligibility for credit depends on an evaluation of CLEP test scores in relation to college coursework, if any, in the areas covered by the CLEP General Examinations. Subject Examinations: The CLEP Subject Examinations in American Government, American Literature, Calculus with Elementary Functions, College Algebra, English Literature, French, German, Principles of Macroeconomics/Introductory Macroeconomics, Principles of Microeconomics/Introductory Microeconomics, Introductory Psychology, Introductory Sociology, and Spanish are used as the bases for credit by examination. Subject examinations are not restricted to unaffiliated students. The tests in American Government, American Literature, English Literature, College Algebra, and German are supplemented with items prepared by University faculty members; these items are available only on the Austin campus. Information about locally prepared items may be obtained from the Measurement and Evaluation Center. A registration guide for the CLEP Subject Examinations may be obtained from College Board CLEP, Box 6601, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6601. Most CLEP subject examinations used by the University for credit are given on campus immediately prior to registration for each semester and the summer session and at least once during the spring and fall semesters. The University also serves as a nationwide testing center offering the CLEP Examinations the third week of each month. 5. International Baccalaureate Higher-Level Examinations. Credit is granted by the University to students who earn satisfactory scores on the International Baccalaureate Higher-Level Examinations in anthropology, Arabic, biology, chemistry, Chinese, computer science, Danish, Dutch, economics, English, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, history (European and African concentrations), Italian, Japanese, mathematics, music, Norwegian, philosophy, physical science, physics, Portuguese, psychology, Spanish, and Swedish. 6. Other credit by examination. With the approval of the appropriate academic dean and department chairman or program director, a student may take an examination in any undergraduate course offered by the University for which he or she has reason to feel qualified. Applications must be approved by the program director or chairman of the department that offers the course and the student's academic dean. A candidate may apply to take course examinations only after registering as a student at the University. Examinations are given at the convenience of the administering department. A student who receives a satisfactory score on an examination will receive credit for the course. Application forms for course examinations are available at the Measurement and Evaluation Center. A student who intends to apply for an examination over a first-year course should obtain a course outline from the department that offers the course; only students who have the equivalent in knowledge or training of that presented in the outline should apply for the examination. MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION CENTER The Measurement and Evaluation Center coordinates University testing programs, including examinations for course credit and placement, and serves as a test center for many examinations offered on a worldwide basis, including the Graduate Record Examinations, the Law School Admissions Test, and the Graduate Management Admission Test. Information about academic placement and credit by examination as well as worldwide testing programs is available at the center at 2616 Wichita or P O Box 7246, Austin, Texas 78713-7246; (512) 471-3032, Fax (512) 471-3509. When writing for information, please include a daytime telephone number. In addition to the administration of testing programs, the Measurement and Evaluation Center conducts studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the University in achieving the goals of its educational programs. The center assists faculty members with the construction, processing, and analysis of tests and other measuring instruments, with system design and data processing services involving automatic document scanning, and with related data processing activities. By means of Course-Instructor Surveys, the center enables faculty members to obtain student opinions of their courses and their teaching methods. ADDING AND DROPPING COURSES NOTE: For fee adjustments resulting from adds and drops, see chapter 3. Procedures for adding and dropping courses are given in the Course Schedule. Each student is responsible for properly initiating and completing adds and drops. Adding Courses The addition of a course is governed by the following requirements: (1) the student must obtain all required approvals; (2) the student must be eligible to take the course and there must be space available in the course; and (3) the student must remain in conformity with the quantity of work rule given in the section "Quantity of Work Rule" above in this chapter. Subject to these requirements, a registered student may add a course through the twelfth class day of a long-session semester or the fourth class day of a summer term. Through the fourth class day of the semester or the second class day of the summer term, the approval of the chairman of the department offering the course may be required; after these dates the approval of the chairman is required. In some colleges and schools, the approval of the student's adviser and dean are also required. The student must consult the regulations of his or her college or school before adding a course. Although a college or school may permit the addition of courses through the twelfth class day of the semester or the fourth class day of a summer term, the student is expected to be settled in his or her courses by the fourth class day of the semester or the second class day of the summer term. After the twelfth class day of a long-session semester or the fourth class day of a summer term, the student may add a course only in rare and extenuating circumstances as approved by the student's dean and the chairman of the department offering the course. Dropping Courses: Rules for Undergraduate Students Subject to the conditions below, an undergraduate may drop a course through the midsemester deadline in a long-session semester or the last class day in a summer term; the midsemester deadline is given in the official academic calendar, available from the Registrar menu in Gopher. The student must remain in conformity with the quantity of work rule (see the section "Quantity of Work Rule," above in this chapter) and must obtain all required approvals. Dropping a course through the twelfth class day. The following rules apply from the first class day through the twelfth class day of a long-session semester and from the first class day through the fourth class day of a summer term. To drop a course during this period, the student must have the approval of the chairman of the department offering the course. In some colleges and schools, the student must also have the approval of his or her adviser and dean; each student must consult the regulations of his or her college or school. If the student is allowed to drop the course, the course is deleted from his or her academic record and applicable fees are refunded. Normally, the approval of the chairman of the department during this period is routine, and the student may initiate the drop on the telephone registration system (TEX). However, in some circumstances a department may disapprove requests to drop certain courses. If a drop request is not accepted by TEX, the student should consult the department that offers the course for more information. Dropping a course through the fourth week of classes. The following rules apply from the thirteenth class day through the twentieth class day of a long-session semester and from the fifth class day through the tenth class day of a summer term. To drop a course during this period, the student must have the approval of the chairman of the department offering the course and the student's adviser and dean. If the student is allowed to drop the course, the symbol Q appears on his or her academic record to indicate a drop without academic penalty. No refund is given. Dropping a course after the fourth week of classes. The following rules apply from the twenty-first class day through the midsemester deadline in a long-session semester and from the eleventh class day through the last class day of a summer term. To drop a course during this period, the student must have the approval of the instructor, the chairman of the department offering the course, and the student's adviser and dean. If the instructor approves the drop, he or she will assign the symbol Q or a grade of F. The symbol Q indicates that the student has a grade of at least C in the course, that no grade has yet been assigned, or that no academic penalty is in order because of the student's performance and the nature of the course. In compelling circumstances, the student's dean may assign the symbol Q for nonacademic reasons. Dropping a course after midsemester. After the midsemester deadline for dropping courses in a long- session semester, an undergraduate may not drop a course except with the approval of his or her dean and then only for urgent and substantiated, nonacademic reasons. International students must obtain written permission from the International Office, in addition to other required approvals, to drop a course. On the recommendation of the instructor, and with the approval of the student's academic dean, a student may be required to drop a course at any time because of neglect or for lack of preparation. Dropping Courses: Rules for Graduate Students With the approval of his or her graduate adviser, a graduate student may drop a course through the last class day of the semester or summer term; after the twelfth class day of the semester or the fourth class day of the summer term, the graduate dean's approval is also required. If the student drops the course by the twelfth class day of the semester or the fourth class day of the summer term, the course is deleted from the student's academic record and applicable fees are refunded. If the student drops the course from the thirteenth through the twentieth class day of the long-session semester or from the fifth through the tenth class day of the summer term, the symbol Q appears on his or her academic record to indicate a drop without academic penalty. No refund is given. After these dates, the course instructor assigns the symbol Q, a grade of F (if the student is registered on the letter-grade basis), or the symbol NC (if the student is registered on the credit/no credit basis). A student who is in warning status for failing to maintain a B average may not drop a course without the recommendation of his or her graduate adviser and the approval of the graduate dean. International students, in addition to obtaining the required approvals, must be advised by the International Office before dropping a course if their remaining course load will be fewer than nine hours. Students employed as assistant instructors, teaching assistants, and graduate research assistants may not reduce their course load to fewer than nine hours during a long-session semester without the written recommendation of the graduate adviser and the approval of the graduate dean. CHANGING COURSE REGISTRATION TO OR FROM THE PASS/FAIL BASIS OR THE CREDIT/NO CREDIT BASIS An undergraduate student may change registration in a course from the pass/fail basis to the letter-grade basis or from the letter- grade basis to the pass/fail basis no later than the last day for dropping a course or withdrawing from the University (approximately one week after midsemester). The basis of registration for a course may be changed only once. A graduate student may change the basis of registration in a course (from letter grade to credit/no credit or credit/no credit to letter grade) through the twelfth class day of the long-session semester or the fourth class day of the summer session. WITHDRAWAL A student who wishes to withdraw from the University after completing registration for a semester or summer session must secure the dean's approval. If a minor, the student must present a written statement from a parent, guardian, or sponsor indicating that the responsible person knows of the student's intent to withdraw. In addition, international students must have permission from the International Office prior to withdrawing. The dean's permit to withdraw must be submitted to the registrar, where the student may request a refund of fees in accordance with University policy. No fees will be repaid to anyone other than the payer, except on the payer's written order. The student's identification card must be turned in to the registrar at the time of withdrawal. After the last day for withdrawing (approximately one week after midsemester), an undergraduate student may petition for withdrawal only for urgent, substantiated, nonacademic reasons. Nonmedical withdrawal by an undergraduate student on scholastic probation may affect the student's scholastic standing. (See the section "Scholastic Probation and Dismissal," below in this chapter.) A graduate student in good standing may withdraw through the last class day of the semester. A graduate student who is in warning status may not withdraw without the recommendation of the graduate adviser and the approval of the graduate dean. A student who withdraws as a result of being called to active military service may choose (1) to receive a refund of tuition and fees for the semester; (2) to be assigned an incomplete (temporary delay of final course grade, symbol X) in all courses if eligible; or (3) as determined by the instructor, to be assigned a final grade in courses where he or she has completed a substantial amount of coursework and demonstrated sufficient mastery of the course material. Medical withdrawal. A medically ill student whose illness precludes class attendance may be withdrawn from the University effective the date and under the conditions specified at the time of the withdrawal. A student who requests medical withdrawal must submit adequate written documentation from the treating physician to the associate director for clinical services of the Student Health Center who will instruct the registrar to withdraw the student under specified conditions. CLASS ATTENDANCE This section applies to undergraduate students. Regular attendance at all class meetings is expected. Instructors are responsible for implementing attendance policy and must notify students of any special attendance requirements. A student who is absent from a class or examination for the observance of a religious holy day may complete the work missed within a reasonable time after the absence, if proper notice of the planned absences has been given. Notice must be given before the absence and no later than the fifteenth class day of a semester, or the fifth class day of a summer term; it must be personally delivered to the instructor and signed and dated by the instructor, or sent certified mail, return receipt requested. A student who fails to complete missed work within the time allowed will be subject to the normal academic penalties. Special regulations of colleges and schools, required by the unique nature of their programs of study, may be enacted through the normal legislative process and printed in The Undergraduate Catalog. These special regulations may not conflict with University regulations on class attendance and absence. EXAMINATIONS This section applies to all students, both undergraduate and graduate. The final examinations for each semester and summer term are scheduled by the registrar. An index of examinations is printed in the Course Schedule each semester, and the complete examination schedule is distributed to academic offices and published as an insert to the Daily Texan. Classes that meet at the same time during a semester also have a common examination time. Examinations should begin promptly at the scheduled hour and should not continue beyond the three hours allocated in the official schedule. No final examinations may be given before the examination period begins, and no change in time from that printed in the official schedule is permitted. An instructor with a compelling reason to change the time of an examination must obtain the approval of the department chairman and the dean of the college or school in which the course is taught before announcing an alternative examination procedure to the students. No examinations may be given during the study days (no-class days) included in the final examination period. A change in the room assignment for an examination may be made only with the approval of the registrar. With the approval of the department chairman, an instructor may choose not to give a final examination. However, if an examination is given, all students must take it and no exemptions may be allowed except pursuant to a uniform exemption policy announced to the class. For good cause, an instructor may give a student permission to take an examination with a different class section than the one in which the student is registered. For good cause, a student may petition his or her academic dean for permission to change the time or place of an examination from that specified in the official schedule. If permission is given by the dean and the instructor, no penalty (such as a reduction in grade) may be assessed. In a course extending over two semesters, when the subject matter is continuous, the second-semester final examination may include the subject matter of the first semester. A student may address complaints related to the final examination procedures in a course to the chairman of the department or the dean of the college or school in which the course is offered, or to the Office of the Ombudsman. The following instructions govern the conduct of final examinations as well as other examinations given during the semester: - Students must be informed that all written work handed in by them is considered to be their own work, prepared without unauthorized assistance. - Students should be asked to cooperate in maintaining the integrity of examinations and encouraged to inform the instructor, without specifying the offenders, when cheating goes on in class. - Instructors are responsible for advising students of the rules governing examinations and for supervising examinations in their respective classes. They, or their representatives, must remain in the examination room and take necessary actions to ensure an orderly examination and minimize the temptations and opportunities for cheating. - Students are expected to (a) remain in the examination room until the test is completed; (b) refrain from talking; and (c) leave all notes and books where they are not accessible during the examination unless otherwise directed by the instructor. - An instructor who suspects academic dishonesty must report the case to the Office of the Dean of Students. SEARCHES General searches of a student's personal papers and belongings may be conducted at the discretion of an instructor only when there is reasonable suspicion that the student has engaged in misconduct in violation of the "Student Discipline and Conduct Code" (chapter 11 of the Institutional Rules). In addition, the instructor must believe that the search is necessary to maintain the academic integrity of an examination or to maintain an environment in which learning can occur. AVAILABILITY OF CLASSWORK TO STUDENTS A student has the right to have all written materials that are submitted to meet the requirements of a course returned or made available for review. To be "made available" does not ensure the right to a photocopy, but the materials may be examined in the office of the faculty member or the academic department. Written materials that are not returned to the student must be retained by the faculty member or the department for at least one long-session semester following the completion of the course. REPORTS Semester reports from the registrar. Grade reports are sent to all students, except students in the School of Law, at the end of each semester and summer session. Reports are mailed to the student's permanent address on file in the Office of the Registrar. Intrasemester reports from the deans. NOTE: This section applies to undergraduate students. About the middle of each semester (but not in the summer session), the faculty report undergraduate students doing work below the passing grade (D) to the deans, and the offices of the deans forward the reports to each student. SCHOLASTIC PROBATION AND DISMISSAL Undergraduate Students Scholastic probation and dismissal regulations apply to all undergraduate students except provisionally admitted freshmen until they have met the requirements for regular admission. A student must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) at the University of Texas at Austin to remain academically eligible to register for the subsequent semester or summer session. The minimum average required varies with the total number of college credit hours attempted at the University of Texas at Austin and at other institutions. Table of scholastic standards for continuance. The cumulative University grade point average is calculated on the basis of all work undertaken at the University of Texas at Austin, including credit by examination, correspondence, and extension, for which a letter grade is given. (The symbols Q, S, U, X, W, CR, and NC are not considered in calculating the grade point average.) Grades earned at any institution other than the University are not used in calculating the University grade point average, but semester hours of transfer credit accepted by the University are added to hours taken at the University to determine the total college hours undertaken. Table of Scholastic Standards Total College UT Austin GPA for UT Austin GPA for Hours Undertaken Scholastic Probation Scholastic Dismissal ________________________________________________________________ Below 15 less than 2.00 less than 1.50 15-44 less than 2.00 less than 1.70 45-59 less than 2.00 less than 1.85 60 or more less than 2.00 less than 2.00 Probation and dismissal. Rules governing scholastic probation and dismissal, as well as exceptions permitting continuance and special college regulations, are given below. 1. Change of scholastic status. Scholastic status is determined when grades are reported at the end of each fall and spring semester and at the end of the entire summer session. Although a student's cumulative grade point average may change between these grade-reporting periods (e.g., by recording a final grade in place of an X), the student's scholastic status is not changed until the next official grade-reporting period during which the student is enrolled at the University. 2. Effect of grades in courses repeated. All grades earned in University courses, whether repeated or not, count in a student's grade point average. However, in counting grade points for any semester, a student who earned a grade of at least C in a course taken in a previous semester may not use grade points earned in that same course in the current semester to meet minimum requirements for continuance without written permission from the dean. 3. Scholastic probation. (a) A student whose cumulative University grade point average falls below 2.00 at the end of a grade- reporting period is placed on scholastic probation. Probationary status is reflected on the student's permanent academic record. (b) Any student returning to the University after a period of scholastic dismissal is on scholastic probation. (c) Under exceptional circumstances, the director of admissions may admit a student to the University on scholastic probation. 4. Quantity of work while on scholastic probation. A student on scholastic probation must maintain at least twelve semester hours in a long-session semester unless the student's dean approves a reduced course load in writing before the student registers. Permission to take fewer than twelve hours is based on extenuating circumstances and is not routinely granted. 5. Removal from scholastic probation. A student on scholastic probation who achieves a cumulative University grade point average of at least 2.00 at the end of a grade-reporting period during which he or she is registered at the University is removed from scholastic probation. Removal from probation is reflected on the student's permanent academic record. 6. Effect of summer school on probationary status. No minimum course load is required of a student in the summer session. A student on scholastic probation who achieves a University grade point average of at least 2.00 at the end of the summer grade- reporting period is removed from probationary status. No student will be placed on scholastic dismissal at the end of a summer session unless the dismissal is the result of a previous condition prescribed by the student's academic dean. 7. Scholastic dismissal. Under the conditions stated below, a student is subject to scholastic dismissal at the end of a long- session semester. A student is not placed on scholastic dismissal at the end of a summer session unless the dismissal is the result of a previous condition prescribed by his or her academic dean. Scholastic dismissal is reflected on the student's permanent academic record. a. Any beginning student, freshman or transfer, who has not earned previous credit in residence at the University of Texas at Austin and who fails twelve or more semester hours of coursework in a long-session semester is subject to scholastic dismissal without a prior probationary period. b. To be subject to scholastic dismissal a student, except those beginning students described above, must first be placed on scholastic probation. A student on scholastic probation is subject to scholastic dismissal under either of the following conditions: i. At the end of a long-session semester, a student on scholastic probation who fails to attain the required cumulative grade point average as shown in the "Table of Scholastic Standards" will be dismissed from the University. ii. A student on scholastic probation who withdraws from the University after the first four weeks of classes in a long-session semester will be placed on scholastic dismissal, unless the withdrawal is under exceptional conditions approved by the student's dean. c. When a student who has been dismissed from the University returns, he or she reenters on scholastic probation and may be subject to dismissal under the policies stated above in items (b)(i) and (ii). 8. Student responsibility. A student who is dismissed from the University after completing registration for the next semester will have his or her registration canceled and may not attend classes. The student is responsible for knowing his or her scholastic status and may not appeal the cancellation of registration based on lack of such knowledge. 9. Length of scholastic dismissal. a. First dismissal--one long-session semester and any intervening summer session. b. Second (and subsequent) dismissal--three calendar years, and readmission must be approved by the student's dean. A student dismissed for the third time will not normally be readmitted. A student dismissed for the fourth time is not eligible to apply for readmission. 10. Effect of scholastic dismissal on correspondence courses or registration in another institution. A student who is dismissed from the University for scholastic reasons is not prohibited from taking courses by correspondence or from enrolling in another institution. The period of dismissal will not be decreased as a result of coursework completed while on dismissal. 11. Exceptions permitting continuance in the University. Normally, a student subject to dismissal will be dismissed; however, each college and school within the University has an appeals procedure administered by the Office of the Dean. A student who wishes to appeal should contact the office of his or her academic dean for procedures and deadlines. In unusual circumstances a student may be allowed to continue subject to conditions prescribed by the dean. Approval to continue will not be given, regardless of the circumstances, unless the dean believes that the student has a reasonable chance of attaining a degree. 12. Special college regulations. Each college and school in the University determines its own policies regarding the minimum academic standards required of its students. Any college or school may require a higher minimum grade point average than is required to avoid scholastic probation under University-wide rules. In addition, a college or school may restrict enrollment because of the limitation of instructional resources. A student may be ineligible to continue in a particular college or school while remaining eligible to transfer to another; however, no student on scholastic dismissal from the University may be enrolled in any academic program of the University. Graduate Students Registration in the Graduate School beyond the first semester or summer session depends on two factors: (1) satisfactory progress in absolving any admission conditions and (2) maintenance of a grade point average of at least 3.00. A graduate student whose overall grade point average falls below 3.00 at the end of any semester or summer session will be warned by the Office of Graduate Studies that continuance in the Graduate School is in jeopardy. The student must attain an overall average of at least 3.00 during the next semester or summer session he or she is enrolled or be subject to dismissal; during this period the student may not drop a course or withdraw from the University without the approval of the graduate adviser and the graduate dean. A graduate student who has been dismissed may be readmitted for further graduate study only by petition of the Graduate Studies Committee in the student's major area or by the Graduate Studies Committee of another program that will accept the student. The petition must be approved by the dean of graduate studies. Academic dismissal is reflected on the student's permanent record. HONORS Except as noted, the following programs, scholarships, and organizations are open to all qualified undergraduates. Honors available through the colleges and schools are described in chapters 2 through 12 of The Undergraduate Catalog. Honor Societies for Freshmen Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma are national honor societies that recognize scholastic attainment during the freshman year. New members are selected each fall and spring. Membership is offered to students who earn a grade point average of at least 3.50 during the first semester of their freshman year while completing at least twelve semester hours of coursework. Students who do not qualify during the first semester may become eligible by earning a grade point average of at least 3.50 for the first two semesters of work combined. Phi Beta Kappa Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and best known honorary society in America, was founded by students at the College of William and Mary in 1776. The Alpha of Texas chapter was organized at the University in 1904. Eligibility is limited to upper-division students of the Colleges of Fine Arts, Liberal Arts, and Natural Sciences who achieve distinguished scholastic records while taking the Bachelor of Arts; the Bachelor of Arts in Art, Dance, Drama, or Music; or the Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Computer Sciences, Geological Sciences, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics, or Zoology. The student must have completed at least sixty semester hours of coursework at the University. Elections to Phi Beta Kappa are held in the fall and spring each year. Alumni members are occasionally selected from among graduates of at least five years' standing who have won appropriate distinction since graduation; honorary members are selected for special merit. Phi Kappa Phi Phi Kappa Phi is a national honor society recognizing academic achievement in all fields. Members are selected twice a year. Upper- division undergraduates are eligible for membership if they have completed at least one year of coursework at the University and have a University grade point average of at least 3.70. Juniors must have completed at least seventy-five semester hours of college coursework and must be in the top 5 percent of their class; seniors must have completed at least ninety semester hours of college coursework and must be in the top 7 percent of their class. Graduate students are also eligible for membership. Leadership and Service Organizations Mortar Board and Omicron Delta Kappa recognize and encourage scholarship, leadership, and service. Members of Mortar Board are chosen each spring; members of Omicron Delta Kappa are selected in the fall and in the spring. Marshall, Rhodes, and Truman Scholarships Marshall scholarships are for single United States citizens under the age of twenty-six on October 1 of the year of participation. Each scholarship offers two years or more of postgraduate study at any British university. Applications are due to the College of Liberal Arts in mid-September. Rhodes scholarships are for single United States citizens between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four on October 1 of the year of application. Each scholarship offers two years of postgraduate study at the University of Oxford. Applications are due to the College of Liberal Arts in mid-September. Harry S Truman Scholarships are awarded on merit to students who will be seniors the following academic year. Candidates must plan to pursue a career in public service. Each scholarship covers tuition, fees, books, and room and board, to a maximum of $3,000 for the student's senior year. In addition, Truman Scholars will receive $13,000 yearly if enrolled in a two-year graduate program or $9,000 yearly if enrolled in a three-year graduate program. Applications are due to the College of Liberal Arts early in November. Junior Fellows Program The Junior Fellows Program provides recognition for outstanding students who have completed four semesters, or approximately sixty semester hours of coursework. Chosen annually from about the top 1 percent of the student body, junior fellows are given the opportunity to do independent study and research with distinguished professors of their choice and to have that research supported by small grants, if necessary. The program is administered by the College of Liberal Arts, but undergraduates in all colleges and schools are eligible to take part. Students who wish to be considered should apply in February. Application forms are available in the office of Liberal Arts Interdisciplinary Programs. College Scholars On Honors Day each spring, the University designates outstanding students as College Scholars. To be designated a College Scholar a student must meet the following requirements: 1. The student must be registered as an undergraduate for at least nine semester hours of coursework, unless he or she lacks fewer than nine hours to complete degree requirements. Students who hold an undergraduate degree are not eligible. 2. The student must have been registered at the University at least once during the preceding calendar year. 3. The student must have completed at least thirty semester hours of coursework at the University, excluding credit by examination, and at least sixty semester hours of college coursework, including transferred work and credit by examination. 4. The student must have a University grade point average of at least 3.50. Students eligible for recognition receive invitations to the Honors Day convocation approximately three weeks before Honors Day. Graduation with University Honors To be eligible to graduate with University honors, an undergraduate must have completed at least sixty semester hours at the University of Texas at Austin. Graduation with University honors is based on the average of all grades earned in courses taken at the University, whether the courses were passed, failed, or repeated. Courses taken pass/fail are counted in the sixty-hour minimum, but only letter grades (including Fs in pass/fail courses) are used to determine the grade point average. The faculty of each college or school determines the percentage of the graduating class of that division to receive honors, high honors, and highest honors and the minimum grade point average for each category, subject to the following requirements: 1. No more than 20 percent of the May graduating class of each college or school may receive honors, high honors, and highest honors. 2. No more than 6 percent of the class may receive high honors, and no more than 4 percent may receive highest honors. 3. Honors graduates must have a University grade point average of at least 3.30. The faculty may adopt college- or school-wide standards or may designate grade point average and percentage requirements for each program within the college or school, but the percentage of the college or school class receiving honors, high honors, and highest honors may not exceed those above. Percentage requirements are not applied to August and December graduating classes. The grade point averages established for May graduates are applied to the following August and December classes to determine honors, high honors, and highest honors. ________________________________________________________________________ COLLEGE HONORS HIGH HONORS HIGHEST HONORS OR SCHOOL Rank GPA Rank GPA Rank GPA ________________________________________________________________________ Architecture top 20% 3.30 top 6% 3.30 top 4% 3.30 ________________________________________________________________________ Business see see see Administration below 3.50 below 3.65 below 3.80 ________________________________________________________________________ Communication top 20% 3.465 top 6% 3.665 top 4% 3.865 ________________________________________________________________________ Education top 20% 3.50 top 6% 3.65 top 4% 3.80 ________________________________________________________________________ Engineering top 20% 3.30 top 6% 3.30 top 4% 3.30 ________________________________________________________________________ Fine Arts top 15% 3.30 top 6% 3.60 top 2% 3.85 ________________________________________________________________________ Liberal Arts top 20% 3.30 top 6% 3.667 top 4% 3.867 ________________________________________________________________________ Natural Sciences top 20% 3.30 top 6% 3.667 top 4% 3.867 ________________________________________________________________________ Nursing top 20% 3.30 top 6% 3.30 top 4% 3.30 ________________________________________________________________________ Pharmacy top 20% 3.30 top 6% 3.30 top 4% 3.30 ________________________________________________________________________ Social Work top 20% 3.30 top 6% 3.30 top 4% 3.30 ________________________________________________________________________ Each grade point average in the table above is the minimum required for graduation with honors, high honors, or highest honors. A student may need a higher average to rank in the indicated percent of his or her graduating class. In the College of Business Administration, highest honors are awarded to the top 4 percent of graduates whose grade point average is at least 3.80; high honors are awarded to the next 6 percent of graduates whose overall grade point average is at least 3.65; honors are awarded to the next 10 percent of graduates whose grade point average is at least 3.50. To graduate with University honors, a student in the College of Communication must have completed at the University at least sixty semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree. To graduate with University honors, a student in the College of Fine Arts must rank in the indicated percent of students graduating that semester from his or her major department (art and art history, music, or theatre and dance) and must have no outstanding delay of grade (symbol X). He or she must have completed at least sixty semester hours of coursework in residence at the University. A student may receive only one bachelor's degree with University honors from the College of Fine Arts. TEACHER CERTIFICATION Students who complete teacher certification programs must meet the requirements enacted by the Seventieth Legislature and recorded in sections 13.036 through 13.039 of the Texas Education Code. To be recommended for a certificate to teach in elementary or secondary schools, an undergraduate student must earn a degree as well as complete an approved teacher certification program. The following requirements for approved programs are to be completed in conjunction with degree requirements: (1) Enrollment. Students seeking secondary certification must earn a degree from the college or school that houses the academic program in their prospective teaching field. Students should be advised by the teacher preparation adviser in their academic department and should confirm that the courses for which they register are applicable to their certification program. Students seeking certification to teach at the elementary school level must register in the College of Education and major in an interdisciplinary program, Applied Learning and Development. (2) Admission to the professional sequence. Approval of a formal application, due by a specific deadline, is required before a student may take professional education courses. Admission requirements include the completion of seventy-two semester hours of college credit including certain prerequisite courses, a University grade point average of at least 2.50 and a cumulative grade point average on work taken at other institutions of at least 2.50, a passing score on the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) Test (unless exempt on the basis of SAT, ACT, or TAAS Test scores), and the submission of a complete application, including an essay. (3) Exit test. An individual seeking certification, including one who holds a valid out-of-state certificate, is required to achieve a satisfactory level of performance on the Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET) to be approved for the provisional or professional teacher's certificate, for additional teaching fields or areas of specialization, or for endorsements. (4) Legal questions. In accordance with article 6252-13c, Texas Civil Statutes, the commissioner of education may suspend or revoke a teaching certificate, or refuse to issue a teaching certificate for a person who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor for a crime that directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of the teaching profession. Information about other legal questions and about approved programs in teacher certification may be obtained from the teacher certification officer, Sanchez Building 216, (512) 471- 3223. PLACEMENT SERVICES There is no centralized placement service at the University, but placement offices have been established in the Colleges of Business Administration, Communication, Education, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Natural Sciences, and Pharmacy; the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Geological Sciences; the School of Law; the Graduate School of Library and Information Science; and the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. The College of Fine Arts provides career services through the Office of the Dean; the School of Nursing, through the Student Affairs Office. In addition, a number of departments have placement advisers. TRANSCRIPTS With proper identification, a student may purchase an official transcript in person or by mail for $5 a copy. A transcript may be ordered by telephone, provided the caller's identification can be established, for $10 a copy. The transcript includes only the academic record accumulated at the University of Texas at Austin. Unofficial copies of transcripts from other institutions are furnished by the registrar in accordance with the Texas Open Records Act, for a fee of $5. A transcript is a comprehensive record of an individual's academic progress at the University; it contains all the significant facts about a student's admission, academic level, and scholarship. No partial or incomplete record (e.g., with grades of F omitted) will be issued. A student who owes a debt to the University may not be able to obtain an official transcript until the debt is paid. V.T.C.A., Education Code Section 4.29 provides for a fine up to $1000 and confinement in county jail for up to one year for conviction of fraudulent acquisition or attempted fraudulent acquisition or alteration or fraudulent use of a transcript or similar document. DIPLOMAS A graduate of the University may purchase a diploma to replace one that has been lost or destroyed. If purchased more than one year after the original diploma was issued, the replacement will bear the reissue date below the date the degree was awarded. The signatures of University and University of Texas System officials may not be the same as those on the original diploma since the signatures of former officials are not maintained on file. Additional copies of an original diploma also may be purchased at the time of issue. Orders should be submitted to the Office of the Registrar with a $10 fee for each diploma. A student who requests a new diploma based on a change of name must pay the fee unless the name change was submitted by the deadline set by the registrar or a postponement of the deadline was granted. PERSONAL RECORD INFORMATION Name change. University policy is to maintain educational records under the student's full, legal name. Official documents such as diplomas and transcripts will not be issued bearing any other name. A currently enrolled student may change the name on his or her permanent academic record by presenting a certified copy of the appropriate documentation to the registrar. To correct the spelling or the proper sequence of the name requires a copy of the student's birth certificate. To change the name, the student must present a notarized request and a copy of the signed court order showing the new legal name. To assume the spouse's name by repute following marriage, a student must present a notarized request and a copy of the marriage certificate. A student who wishes to discontinue use of the married name and resume use of the original family name, or another name, must present a divorce decree or signed court order showing restoration of the original, or other, name. The University maintains student records under the name the student had when last enrolled. A former student may not change the name on his or her permanent academic record except by presenting a notarized request and a certified copy of the signed court order showing the authorized name change. Change of address and/or telephone. The student must give correct local and permanent addresses and telephone numbers to the Office of the Registrar and to the office of the student's dean and must notify these offices immediately of any changes in address or telephone number. Official correspondence is sent to the address last given to the registrar; if the student has moved and failed to correct this address, he or she will not be relieved of responsibility on the grounds that the correspondence was not delivered. SUMMONS TO ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES A summons to the office of any administrative officer must be observed. Failure to respond to a summons may result in suspension from the University. In most colleges and schools a summons to the dean is sent by mail, so it is important that the student keep both the dean and the registrar informed of current address information. OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE UNIVERSITY Students are expected to attend to business matters with the University during regular working hours, Monday through Friday. A student who is unable to conduct business personally should contact the appropriate office by mail or telephone. For purposes of proper identification and clarity, written communications should include the student's name, social security number, and local address (if applicable).