Academic Council
The Academic Council consists of the Vice-Provost of Academic Affairs as chairperson of the council, Registrar, heads of schools, and selected faculty/staff. The purpose of the council is to review and propose changes to academic policies, regulations, and procedures. The council also accepts appeals from students regarding academic matters.
Academic Office
The Registrar is responsible for confidentially retaining all academic records, including student profiles, academic calendars, timetables, course registration, course assessments, final grades, and graduation documents. The Registrar initiates and implements the graduation procedure, acting in a secretarial role for the Academic Council. The Registrar provides all necessary information to the Academic Council for students’ confirmation of graduation, also preparing printed academic documents and diplomas for students.
Registration
The academic calendar is published annually at the beginning of summer. The calendar includes all deadlines and important academic events. The Registrar publishes announcements regarding these deadlines and events, especially regarding student registration and graduation.
Students need to complete online registration before the beginning of the first day of classes, per the academic calendar. Late registrations may incur a fee from the Accounting Department. No late registration or changes to registration can be accepted after the second week of classes. Students may withdraw from a course after the second week, but may not receive a refund of tuition, dependent on the regulations announcement beforehand by the Accounting Department. No requests for withdraws can be accepted after the end of the fifth week of classes, except in special cases such as documented medical emergencies. Students having unforeseen disability or medical emergency and therefore requiring withdrawal from the course may submit their case to the Registrar for approval.
Students who wish to graduate need to complete and return a new graduation application package by the deadline, per the academic calendar. Any applications that are missing required documents may not be considered for graduation.
Academic adviser
The Registrar assigns a full-time faculty member to each student as an adviser. The adviser’s main responsibility is to ensure that the student has developed an academic pathway and registers for the most appropriate courses. (NOTE: Registration without an academic adviser is not possible. Please notify the Registrar if an adviser has not been assigned to you.) An adviser should meet with the student at least twice per semester, once at the beginning of registration and once at the end, nearing exam week.
Course implementation
At the beginning of each course, students receive a syllabus that details the desired learning outcomes and grading criteria of the course. (NOTE: If you do not receive a syllabus, please request one from your instructor or from the Registrar.) The grading system is as follows.
Letter grade / GPA
- A+ = 4.0 (exceptional work that is beyond the instructor’s expectations)
- A = 4.0 (exceptional work)
- A- = 3.7
- B+ = 3.3
- B = 3.0 (above average work)
- B- = 2.7
- C+ = 2.3
- C = 2.0 (average work; minimum passing grade for required courses)
- C- = 1.7
- D+ = 1.3
- D = 1.0 (below average work; minimum passing grade for electives)
- F = 0.0 (failing grade for all courses)
- W = withdraw, does not affect GPA
- I = for incomplete work due to a special case such as a documented medical emergency; becomes an F if not updated before the beginning of the next semester
- P = pass, no GPA
Course assessments
Assessments are at the prerogative of the teacher in charge, but must follow the the plan detailed in the course syllabus. (NOTE: If you do not receive a syllabus, please request one from your instructor or from the Registrar.)
The final assessment may be a written exam, speaking exam, or project as required by the degree program at the prerogative of the teacher in charge. Final summative assessments may not be more than 40% of the student’s final grade. The other 60% must be taken from quizzes, essays, laboratory reports, problem sets, research papers, presentations, or other projects that were completed during the semester.
Within two weeks of finishing the course, the teacher in charge has the responsibility of grading final assessments and sending them to the Registrar for recording and retrieval later, if necessary.
Appealing grades
Students may request the teacher in charge to review their work. The teacher may submit a written request to the Registrar to change a grade due to an error in data entry, an error in calculation, or due to overlooking completed work that the student submitted on-time. Only the grading code I (incomplete late work from student) can be changed to a real grade if the reason for the late work was due to a special case, such as a document medical emergency.
Students may appeal grades by submitting a written request to the Registrar for re-evaluation of their work. The Registrar is responsible for informing the respective head of school.
Academic integrity
Teachers and students are expected to maintain a character of integrity in all academic matters. This includes taking every effort to avoid plagiarism, cheating, and the appearance of discrimination or favoritism.
Plagiarism means copying the work of someone else and presenting it as your own. Depending on the severity and intent of the plagiarism, a student may receive as little as an F on the assignment, an F in the course, or at most expulsion from the university. Repeat offenses of plagiarism are not tolerated.
For research, Internet web pages may not compose more than 25% of the overall data in a student’s work. Use of the TTU Library, online journals, and original data collection methods is highly recommended and often required.
Cheating on an assignment results in an F. Cheating on an examination results in an F for the course. Repeat offenses result in expulsion from the university.
Faculty members have the obligation to report academic dishonesty to the head of the respective school, Registrar, or Vice-Provost of Academics. The heads of schools and the Registrar have the obligation to report the issue to the Vice-Provost of Academics. The report will remain in the student’s file until graduation.
All penalties for academic dishonesty are to be imposed by the Vice-Provost of Academics. Students may appeal disciplinary action through the Academic Council.
Academic probation
Students who achieve a cumulative GPA below 2.0 are given a warning. If the cumulative GPA does not improve by the next semester, the student is placed on academic probation and given remedial status to re-study until the cumulative GPA has improved.
Attendance
The teacher in charge of the course is responsible for maintaining an accurate attendance record. Students must attend 80% of the course in order be eligible for a final assessment or to pass the course. Absences from class may constitute a reduction in overall grade at the discretion of the teacher in charge per assessment criteria detailed in the course syllabus.
Excused absences for special circumstances, such as a documented medical emergency, must be documented and approved by the Registrar.
Extended leave of absence for medical reasons must be documented and approved by the Registrar. Students having unforeseen disability or medical emergency and therefore requiring withdrawal from the course may submit their case to the Registrar for approval.
Absence from a final exam or failing to submit work related to the final assessment by the due date results in an F, with the exception of extreme cases such as a documented medical emergency.
Students with an approved absence from the final exam or other final assessment may do a make-up exam or submit their work for other final assessments at the discretion of the dean of the respective school. The Registrar may help to investigate the issue with the dean’s request.
With an approved absence, the student may temporarily receive an incomplete grade (code I) until the exam or other work has been completed.