Mar 29, 2024  
2020-2021 Academic Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Academic Information



Attendance

Students are expected to attend all of their scheduled University classes and to satisfy all academic objectives as defined by the instructor. The effect of unexcused absences upon a student’s grade is to be determined by the instructor; however, the University reserves the right to deal, at any time, with individual cases of non-attendance. It is the student’s responsibility to give the instructor notice prior to any anticipated absence and for arranging to make up work missed due to a valid, excused class absence, such as: illness, family emergencies, military obligation, court-imposed legal obligations, or participation in University-approved activities. After an unanticipated absence and within a reasonable period of time, ordinarily by the next scheduled class meeting, it is the student’s responsibility for arranging to make up work missed. For more information see FPU-5.0010AP.

Course Load

Undergraduate

A full-time undergraduate student is enrolled in 12 or more credit hours per semester. A part-time undergraduate student is enrolled in fewer than 12 credit hours per semester. The typical full-time undergraduate course load is 12 to 18 credit hours each semester. Students should take between 30 and 33 hours annually to graduate in four years. In the Fall and Spring semesters, the maximum number of credit hours in which an undergraduate may enroll is 18. During the Summer semester, the maximum number of credit hours allowed during a six-week term is 9, and the maximum number of credit hours allowed during a 12-week term is 15. The total of combined summer sessions cannot exceed 15 hours. Semester overload permission from the undergraduate student’s academic advisor is required to enroll for more than the maximum allowable hours. For additional information see FPU-5.0088AP.

Graduate

A full-time graduate student is enrolled in 9 or more credit hours during the fall and spring semesters and in 6 or more credit hours during a summer semester. Graduate students may not register for more than twelve (12) credit hours in the Fall and Spring or 6 credit hours in the Summer semesters without approval from their academic advisor or department chair. For additional information see FPU-5.0088AP.

Adding/Dropping a Course

Adding a course: Students may add courses or change sections of courses during the registration period and the drop/add period, as published in the Academic Calendar. Classes may be added during the registration period by accessing the registration tab in the student portal.

Dropping a course: Courses may be dropped during the registration and drop/add period, as published in the Academic Calendar through the student portal. Courses dropped during this period will not appear on the student’s academic record.  Withdrawing from individual courses after the drop/add period must be processed through the Office of the Registrar. These courses will remain on the academic record and are assigned a grade of W. A grade of W is not calculated in the student’s grade point average (GPA), but is counted in attempted credits.

Non-attendance in one or all courses or dropping all courses does not officially constitute formal withdrawal from the University. Refer to the Withdrawal section for information and procedures. A student is financially liable for all courses in which he or she is registered at the end of the drop/add period.

For additional information on course drop/add see FPU-5.0101AP.

Course Substitutions

Only under unavoidable and exceptional circumstances will substitution for or exemption from the prescribed curricula be permitted. If it becomes necessary to request deviation from the prescribed course of study, the student should consult their Department or Division Chair of the student’s major. Students transferring from other colleges who desire to substitute courses taken elsewhere for courses prescribed at the University should also consult their Department or Division Chair.

Any deviations from the applicable published degree requirements must have the approval of the Department or Division Chair and the Office of the Registrar as appropriate.  Contact the Office of the Registrar with any questions.

Change of Major (Undergraduate)

All undergraduate students desiring to change their major should consult with their academic advisor to have an informed discussion and understand the implications of the change. Some major changes may also require a change of catalog year. Making changes to your program may impact your expected term of graduation and could result in additional Excess Credit Hour fees.

To request a change in your program, complete the Program of Study Change form and collect all required signatures before submitting to the Office of the Registrar.

For additional information on change of major, see FPU-5.0091AP.

Academic Standing

 

Undergraduate Academic Standing

All students must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress for retention and continued enrollment at Florida Polytechnic University. Satisfactory academic progress includes, but is not limited to, successful completion of program requirements and positive continuous progression towards degree completion. The University reserves the right not to retain students who do not demonstrate satisfactory academic progress.

Academic standing is assessed at the end of fall and spring semesters. Summer semesters will reflect the prior spring (or prior fall if no prior spring enrollment) academic standing for system processing purposes only. Academic standing is included in a student’s academic record and on transcripts.

Grade changes will result in a recalculation of the GPA and a review of the current semester’s academic standing. This includes a change of incomplete and non-reported grades. A change to academic standing will only occur for the current term and one semester prior to the current term.

Students on probation or suspension are not permitted to enroll in summer courses at Florida Polytechnic University. Students will be removed from all summer courses and housing notified. Students are allowed to apply as a transient student to facilitate transfer approval, but acceptance is at the host institution’s discretion.

Academic standing of probation or suspension may limit your involvement in running or holding institutional office or committee leadership positions, and participation in a commencement ceremony, any university-sponsored clubs, organizations, meetings, or activities.

Good Standing: An undergraduate student who possesses a cumulative and semester GPA of 2.00 or above is considered to be in good standing at the University.

Academic Probation: A student at Florida Polytechnic University shall be placed on academic probation if his/her fall or spring semester or cumulative GPA at the end of any fall or spring semester is less than a 2.0. The student will not be allowed to register in more than 12.0 hours without the approval of an advisor in any subsequent semester until reinstated to good standing.

A student on academic probation shall be removed from that standing and placed on good standing at the end of the first subsequent fall or spring semester in which the student achieves a semester and cumulative GPA equal to or greater than 2.0.

Academic Suspension: A student on academic probation who withdraws from all courses in the immediate subsequent semester shall be placed on academic suspension. Mitigating withdrawals will be considered on an individual basis.

A student on academic probation shall be academically suspended from the University when the student’s semester and cumulative GPA are less than a 2.0.

Readmission: A student who is academically suspended from the University for the first time is not eligible to enroll for at least one fall or spring semester. A student who is academically suspended for the second time is not eligible to enroll for at least one year. A third academic suspension is considered terminal and cannot be appealed. The student may not reapply to Florida Polytechnic University.

A student suspended a first or second time by this rule must apply to the Registrar’s Office where the student’s case will be heard by a Readmissions Committee. Readmission is not guaranteed and the committee’s decision is final. Any student who gains readmission is readmitted on probation and is subject to stipulations in effect as a condition of readmission.

 

Graduate Academic Standing

A student must remain in good academic standing in order to continue in his or her graduate program of study.

Good Standing: A graduate student who possesses a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above is considered to be in good standing at the University.

Academic Warning: A student whose cumulative GPA is below a 3.0 for the first time in the student’s academic career as a graduate student at the University will be issued an academic warning by the Office of the University Registrar.

Academic Probation: A student on academic warning status whose cumulative GPA is below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation and notified by the Office of the University Registrar. The Department in which the student is enrolled will determine any additional conditions that the student must meet for continued enrollment and will provide written notice to the student of those conditions

Academic Dismissal: There are two different circumstances that result in an academic dismissal from the University. Only one needs to be met for academic dismissal and the student will be notified by the Office of the University Registrar.

  • A student on academic probation whose cumulative and semester GPA is below a 3.0 will be automatically academically dismissed from the program and the University, or
  • A student who earns more than one F while enrolled at the University as a graduate student, will be automatically academically dismissed from the program and the University.
  • Readmission: If a student is academically dismissed, the student may apply for readmission to the University after a minimum of one calendar year has elapsed since the student was academically dismissed. To apply for readmission, a student must follow the graduate admission procedures as outlined in University regulations FPU-2.001 Admission to the University and Appeal Process-General and FPU-2.008 Graduate Admissions. Upon readmission, the course catalog in effect on the student’s date of readmission will apply.

For additional information see FPU-5.0074AP.

Grade Point Average Calculation

Florida Polytechnic University’s grading system includes the following grades:

Grading System

Grade

Definition

Quality Points Per Semester

A

 

4.00

A-

 

3.67

B+

 

3.33

B

 

3.00

B-

 

2.67

C+

 

2.33

C

 

2.00

C-

 

1.67

D+

 

1.33

D

 

1.00

D-

 

0.67

F

Failure

0.00

AU

Audit

**

CR

Credit (Thesis/Dissertation Only)

**

IP

Continuation (Thesis/Dissertation Only)

**

NR

Grade Not Reported

**

S

Satisfactory* (Internship/Prof Experience Only)

**

U

Unsatisfactory (Internship/Prof Experience Only)

**

W

Withdrawal without academic penalty

**

WM

Withdrawal - Mitigating Circumstances

*

It is the option of the division, department or instructor to use all, some, or none of the plus/minus grades in assigning student grades in a course, as long as the grading system is communicated to students via the course syllabi at the beginning of the course. Numerical ranges corresponding to letter grades are established for each course according to the professional judgment of the instructor.  There is no official policy on the relation between the letter grade and the percentage grade. Each faculty member may determine the equivalency and must notify his or her students. Faculty members must clearly note the grading policy on the course syllabus.

Some divisions, departments, and programs have established minimum grade requirements. In these instances, for example, C- does not satisfy the requirement of a minimum grade of C.

The grades of D, while considered passing for undergraduate students, may not be acceptable for some courses (see program requirements). Refer to course descriptions and the prerequisites to determine what grade a prerequisite course requires.

Earned credit hours are not assigned in courses with grades of F, AU, I, IP, NR, W, and WM (see definitions). A grade of NR is posted for grades not reported by the instructor.

An NR grade will be converted to an F at the end of the following semester. This conversion may affect financial aid. For additional information see FPU-5.0071AP.

Incomplete Grade

A student may be temporarily assigned an incomplete (“I”) course grade, with the written approval of the course instructor, if the student is passing the course but has not completed all the required work due to exceptional circumstances that exist beyond the control of the student. An “I” grade cannot be assigned to a course if the student fails to attend the course, drops the course after the drop/add period, or withdraws from the University. A student who registers for a course but fails to meet the course requirements will receive an “F” grade in that course unless the student has officially dropped the course.

In order to be eligible for an “I” grade assignment in a course, the student must have completed at least 75 percent of the course with a passing grade. An “I” grade is not to be used to allow students to complete extra work to raise the grade earned. The “I” grade indicates a grade deferral in the event of extenuating circumstances and must be changed to a final evaluative grade within a specified time frame, not to exceed one calendar year from the ending date of the semester during which the student was enrolled and prior to the student’s graduation.

A student may not re-enroll in the same course to make up an “I” grade, nor may the student enroll in any courses that designate the course for which the student is assigned an “I” grade as a prerequisite.

It is the student’s responsibility for making arrangements with the course instructor for timely completion of the missing academic work. Once the student completes the required work, the instructor will evaluate the work and complete a Grade Change Form. The instructor must submit the Grade Change Form to the Office of the University Registrar for approval and processing.

Incomplete (I) grades that are not changed within the maximum time limit (not to exceed one calendar year from the ending date of the semester during which the student was enrolled and prior to the student’s graduation) will automatically convert to the course grade designated in the Incomplete Grade Agreement. Once an “I” grade is converted to a final evaluative grade, that course grade may not be subject to further adjustment nor may it be converted back to an “I” grade. Exceptions due to University error may be approved by the Provost (or his/her designee) with supporting justification attached to a Grade Change Form.

Requesting an Incomplete Grade:

1. The student must contact the instructor of the course prior to final grades being due, as noted on the academic calendar, to inform the instructor of the exceptional circumstances that justify requesting an “I” grade. The decision to assign an “I” grade is at the sole discretion of the course instructor.

2. If the instructor agrees to temporarily assign the student an “I” grade for the course, the student and instructor shall complete the Incomplete Grade Agreement Form. The form will set the expectations for course completion and should include the following information:

  • Document the exceptional circumstances
  • Specify the academic work the student is missing
  • State the deadline for completion of that work
  • The grade that will be assigned if the work is not submitted on or before the deadline.

3. Once completed, the form must be signed by both the student and the instructor and submitted to the Office of the University Registrar prior to the semester deadline for reporting final grades.

For additional information see FPU-5.00712AP.

Grade Forgiveness

The Grade Forgiveness Policy is a method by which undergraduate and non-degree students may repeat a limited number of courses, provided the initial grade earned for the designated course is less than a “C”, to improve their grade point average (GPA).

Undergraduate degree and non-degree students may be eligible for a grade forgiveness upon meeting the following requirements:

  • Grade Forgiveness may only be granted for courses taken and repeated at Florida Polytechnic University.
  • Original course grade of C- or lower has been recorded on the individual’s academic record.
  • The repeated grade must be higher than the recorded original course grade.
  • The student must complete and submit the Grade Forgiveness form no later than the designated graduation application deadline date as stated in the Academic Calendar for the semester the student intends to apply for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to apply for Grade Forgiveness upon the student’s completion of the repeat course or by the graduation application deadline if they are in their final semester.

Additional Conditions for Grade Forgiveness Eligibility:

  • Grade Forgiveness is limited to two (2) courses (a single time per course) during a student’s undergraduate career.
  • Only 1000-4000 level courses are considered eligible for Grade Forgiveness.
  • All course grades remain on the student’s academic transcript. Grade Forgiveness granted courses will be appropriately designated by an official comment on the student’s transcript.
  • Courses in which a student has received an academic dishonesty penalty are not considered eligible for grade forgiveness.

Departments may have further restrictions; therefore, the student should discuss their eligibility for Grade Forgiveness with their academic advisor. Applications for Grade Forgiveness can be obtained from online or in the Office of the Registrar. For more information see FPU-5.0006AP.

Final Grades

Official grades are available only in the student portal. Canvas is not the official grade and may not match the actual final grade posted to a student’s academic record. The University does not mail final grade reports. Students may print unofficial copies.

Honors Recognition

Each semester the University takes the opportunity to recognize those degree seeking undergraduate students who have met certain high academic standards. Eligible undergraduate students who achieve the required grade point average for courses taken in the fall or spring semester will be placed on a President’s List or Provost’s List that is published after the end of each semester.

In order to be eligible for consideration for the lists, an undergraduate student must have been enrolled in and completed a minimum of 12 credit hours during the semester and have no incomplete grades for any courses taken during the semester.

  • An eligible undergraduate student whose grade point average is 3.90 to 4.00 for the semester will be placed on the President’s List.
  • An eligible undergraduate student whose grade point average is 3.50 to 3.89 will be placed on the Provost’s List.

Once a list is published, there will be no changes to the list based upon grade changes or the removal or change of incomplete grades.

For additional information see FPU-5.00741AP.

Graduation with Honors

Undergraduate students may graduate with honors upon meeting the following requirements at the end of the final semester for the baccalaureate degree:

  1. Completion of a minimum of 30 credits at Florida Polytechnic University
  2. Achieve a cumulative grade-point average as follows:

Summa Cum Laude: 3.90 and above Magna Cum Laude: 3.75 to 3.89

Cum Laude: 3.50 to 3.74These distinctions are recorded on the student’s permanent record and diploma.

For more information see FPU-5.0017AP.

Graduation Requirements, Baccalaureate

The following are minimum requirements for awarding the baccalaureate degree:

  1. Satisfactory completion of the applicable program degree requirements and established curriculum in the student’s chosen major;
  2. Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 120 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all coursework attempted at Florida Polytechnic University. Departments may have requirements that exceed these minimums.
  3. Satisfy general education requirements (36 hours of required and elective coursework in prescribed areas; see General Education  section).
  4. Satisfactory completion of an additional six (6) credit hours designated as “writing intensive” (W) by the University.
  5. Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 48 hours of upper division coursework (courses numbered 3000 and above).
  6. At least 25% of the coursework required for the degree and thirty (30) of the last sixty (60) hours must be earned at Florida Polytechnic University.
  7. All students entering Florida Polytechnic University with fewer than sixty (60) semester hours of credit are required to earn at least nine (9) semester hours of credit prior to graduation by attendance during one or more Summer terms. The University may waive the application of this rule in cases of unusual hardship (See BOG 6.016 Summer Session Enrollment Regulation).
  8. Satisfy State of Florida foreign language admission requirement.
  9. Satisfy State of Florida Civic Literacy requirement (students initially entering a state college or university fall semester 2018 or thereafter).
  10. Apply for graduation by the deadline indicated in the Academic Calendar.

For more information see FPU-5.0094AP.

Graduation Requirements, Graduate-level

All work used to meet degree requirements, including coursework and the successful defense of a thesis, if applicable, must be completed within the six-year period immediately prior to degree conferral. An approved leave of absence does not increase or alter the time limits for degree completion.

In order to be awarded a Graduate degree, a student must meet all of the following requirements:

  • Satisfactory completion of the applicable program degree requirements and established curriculum in the student’s chosen program;
  • Satisfactory completion of 30 credit hours of approved coursework with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better;
  • Earn at least two-thirds of the credits applied towards the graduate degree through the University;
  • Completion of any pre-requisites or deficiencies as identified by the Faculty Advisor and/or Department Chair; and
  • Submission of a completed application to graduate by the deadline indicated in the Academic Calendar.

For more information see FPU-5 .0096AP .

Residency Requirement for Graduation

At least twenty-five percent of coursework for the degree must be earned at Florida Polytechnic University. Thirty (30) of the last sixty (60) hours must be earned at Florida Polytechnic University to receive a baccalaureate degree from Florida Polytechnic University.

A graduate student must complete at least eighteen (18) credits at Florida Polytechnic University.