To be recommended for the Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts in Counseling degree, and the Master of Athletic Training degree a student must satisfy all requirements prescribed by the relevant program with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 within the published time limit and be in good academic standing. All students maintaining continuous enrollment will be held to the catalog requirements in effect at the time of their first coursework taken toward their graduate degree. Students may also elect a more recent catalog for their graduate degree requirements. The only curriculum exceptions relate to prerequisite changes, licensure changes, and accreditation standards.
Academic Standing
To remain in good academic standing, the graduate student must:
- Achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 3.000 once the student has completed nine credit hours and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.000 for all graduate work completed at Heidelberg University.
- Not have received any grades of F.
- Not have received more than one unattended grade of C.
An “unattended C” means the following:
When a student receives a course grade of C+, C, C-, hereafter designated by C, the student may repeat the course. If the student does so AND receives a course grade of B-, B or better, the C is said to be “attended.” When a student does not repeat a course in which he or she received a C, or, does repeat a course and again received a grade of C, the C is “unattended.” This would mean that the second C would constitute grounds for dismissal from the program. In addition to these standards, the Director of each program will retain some flexibility in determining when a student is not in good academic standing. (See “Evaluation of Graduate Students’ Non-Academic Performance in the Graduate Counseling Program” for the Master of Arts in Counseling.) For more information on repeating a course, see the “Repeat Course Grade” policy.
Probation
A student who fails to comply with any conditions of good academic standing at any point in the graduate program can be either put on probation, suspended from the program, or dismissed. When a student is suspended or dismissed from the program, he or she can appeal the action to the Graduate Studies Committee. When a student is put on probation, he or she cannot appeal the action.
The student can be put on probation under any of the following conditions:
- The student’s cumulative GPA falls below 3.000 in any given semester once the student has completed nine credit hours.
- The student’s behavior does not meet the standards of the profession as documented by the Program Director or the Vice President for Academic Affairs. (See “Evaluation of Graduate Students’ Non-Academic Performance in the Graduate Counseling Program” for the Master of Arts in Counseling.)
When the student is put on probationary status, the director of the graduate program will communicate in writing to the student: (a) the reasons for probation and (b) conditions (including deadline) that the student must meet to return to good academic standing. A student is permitted to take not more than two courses per semester (or term) while on probation.
The general conditions for changing one’s probationary status in a program are as follows:
- The student’s GPA must be at an acceptable level.
- There must be an improvement in the student’s professional behavior to an acceptable level as evaluated by the Program Director. (See “Evaluation of Graduate Students’ Non-Academic Performance in the Graduate Counseling Program” for the Master of Arts in Counseling.) Individual Program Directors may impose additional or different restrictions (from those stated above) on students in their programs, including mandatory registration requirements, limiting the number of hours, or specifying retaking of particular course(s) before continuing the regular sequence. These will be communicated to the student in writing by the Program Director, and a copy will be forwarded to the Registrar, the student’s file, and the Provost.
Suspension
The student will face suspension for at least one term or semester if the student has not met the conditions of return to good academic standing by the deadline communicated in the letter from the Program Director.
When the student is suspended from the program, the decision and the conditions to return to good academic standing will be communicated by the Program Director to the student, and a copy will be forwarded to the Registrar, the student’s file, and the Provost. While suspended, the student will not be able to enroll in any program coursework at Heidelberg University. The student has the right to appeal to the Graduate Studies Committee.
The general conditions for changing one’s suspended status in the program are as follows:
- Student has met the conditions communicated in the letter from the Program Director.
- Student has won an appeal to the Graduate Studies Committee. (If the appeal is granted, then the conditions must be stated in a letter from the Graduate Studies Committee to the student, and copies of this letter will be forwarded to the Registrar, the Provost, the Program Director, and the student’s file.)
Dismissal
The student will be dismissed from the program for the following reasons:
- The student has received two unattended C’s.
- The student received a grade of F or WF.
- The student did not meet the conditions for remaining in the program.
- The student is placed on probation a second time (after returning to good standing).
If a student compromises the academic dishonesty standards and integrity, he/she is at risk for dismissal.
When the student is dismissed from the program, the Program Director will communicate this decision to the student and copies will be forwarded to the Provost, the Registrar, and the student’s file. The student has the right to appeal his or her dismissal to the Graduate Studies Committee.
When the decision is communicated to suspend or dismiss the student from the graduate program, the student has the right to appeal to the Graduate Studies Committee. The student must make this appeal in writing, no later than ten business days after the letter is received, and sent by mail or fax to the Provost.
If and when the appeal is granted, conditions for reinstatement in the program (in the case of a suspension) or readmission (in the case of a dismissal) will be outlined in a letter from the Program Director.
Reinstatement
Students may petition the Graduate Studies Committee for reinstatement to the program that issued the dismissal after one calendar year from the date of dismissal (form available from the Registrar’s office). The petition must be submitted no later than fifteen business days prior to the first day of classes. If reinstated, the student will be placed on academic probation with conditions to return to good academic standing, which will be determined by the Program Director.
A student who is dismissed from one of Heidelberg’s graduate programs may apply and be admitted to one of Heidelberg’s other graduate programs without waiting for one calendar year to pass. Applications will be submitted to and evaluated by the appropriate program director. All admissions decisions are final. Students who are admitted under these circumstances will be admitted on probationary status.
Graduation/Commencement
Graduation is the completion of all degree requirements as recorded on the official transcript. Commencement is the ceremony that celebrates the completion of a degree. Participation in the commencement ceremony does not imply that a student officially graduated. The diploma is a commemoration of your achievement. Official certification of your degree is made only through the official transcript or through the certification service of the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC).
Conferral also known as degree completion is evaluated on a rolling basis and once completion is certified, the completion date will be recorded on the student record. Diplomas are distributed three times per year. There is one commencement ceremony at the conclusion of the full Spring Semester. Diploma distribution deadlines are August 20, December 20 and the last day of the semester prior to commencement exercises. For further information on the required documentation, please contact the Office of the Registrar or see the website at Inside Heidelberg/registrar.
All graduate students who have taken a course within the last year will be contacted regarding graduation intent in early fall by the Office of the Registrar. It is the responsibility of each student to submit his/her graduation application by the deadline indicated. Official audits are conducted after the application is received and areas of concern will be communicated via the student’s Heidelberg email account.
A student who is within 12 graduate semester hours of fulfilling all requirements for graduation (has registered for such credits during the Summer Semester and been audited by the Registrar) by the Friday of the week prior to the May Commencement, then he/she may participate in Commencement as a summer graduate. This 12 semester hour limit includes any grades of PR or incompletes. Students may only participate in one commencement. All financial obligations to the University must have been met to participate and for receiving diplomas.
Transient Student Permission
Students may be permitted to take coursework off-campus while enrolled in a graduate program. Students are encouraged to complete a Transient Student Permission Form prior to course enrollment at the alternative location. When a course has been approved, documentation will be made available by the Program Director and copied to the Office of the Registrar. When the course is complete, an official transcript must be sent to the Office of the Registrar directly from the institution. The course must meet the transfer policy in each program to be applied.
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