Nov 23, 2024  
2019-2020 Academic Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

About this Catalog


The policies, regulations, and requirements published in this catalog are for informational purposes and are subject to continual review and amendment in order to serve the needs of the University’s students, faculty, and staff. The University reserves the right to change policies, regulations, and requirements at any time. The ultimate responsibility for knowing University policies, regulations, and requirements rests with the applicant, student or employee. For the latest up-to-date information please refer to the University website or contact the appropriate office. This catalog is not a contract, either expressed or implied, between any applicant, student, or employee and Florida Polytechnic University.

Catalog Year

When a student enters the University, the academic catalog in effect at that time represents an agreement between the institution and the student that so long as they continue at the University and adequately progress, the University will continue to offer the degree program the student has chosen to complete. Broadly, this includes the basic plan of study, but it is customary that changes to that plan will occur, substitutions be made, and other exceptions as allowable will result. Should the University’s Board of Trustees decide at any time during that student’s tenure at the institution that it will no longer offer a program, a reasonable teach-out program must developed and communicated with students.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites (courses that must be taken before advancing in the curriculum) do not follow a catalog. So, while a catalog establishes the expectation that a program will continue to be offered, it does not dictate that the plan of study will be offered in exactly the same way or that courses will be be delivered in the same way every year. This means that if it is determined that a prerequisite is required for a course that was not previously required, then all new offerings of that course will carry the new prerequisite requirement. In some circumstances, exceptions may be made. The prerequisite change is not arbitrary nor is it done lightly, but is a decision prompted by the program faculty who have studied student success and propose the change through an established university process for review and consideration before being approved. Such changes are done to ensure that the content of the course can be delivered at a level that meets expectations for accreditation, transfer to other institutions, and disciplinary and professional standards. When a course’s prerequisites change, the content of the course changes to presume that students entering the course will have the skills and knowledge circumscribed by the prerequisite. Institutions must have the ability to make these changes otherwise such things as continuous improvement or quality enhancement never occur.

4-Years and Out (the Plan of Study)

Florida Polytechnic University is committed to graduating students in four-years. All of our undergraduate degree programs are capped at 120 credits, which, if passed successfully according to the published plan of study will ensure a student graduates in four years.

When a student chooses a major, that student is agreeing to follow the plan of study outlined by the program and published in this catalog. In the event a student falls off of that plan due to personal or academic issues, the student should work closely with the Academic Success Center and, where necessary, the Department Chair to review their progress and “get back on track.” In the event of programmatic changes or difficulties with scheduled offerings, academic departments work with the University Registrar and with students to ensure that appropriate and sufficient substitutions or exceptions are made to maintain progress to completion in four years.

He and She and Everything in Between and all Around

We have tried our best to limit the use of gendered pronouns but you may still encounter a few places in the catalog where we failed. We hope that you can forgive us and not let this distract you from the important information we wish to communicate with you. It is not our intention to have a “he” vs. “she” exchange, but rather an “us” exchange.