Academic Advisor

Academic advising is a connecting point for all FHSU students. At FHSU, we believe in the importance of academic advising, so each of our students has been assigned an advisor. An advisor is a faculty member or trained professional with whom you have the opportunity to meet with and talk to one-on-one about your academic program and your career/life goals - but you need to take the initiative. Your advisor helps you plan your course of study and makes suggestions in your program planning. He or she may help you with investigating careers. An advisor may refer you to other faculty or offices for help.

You should contact your advisor when you have academic related questions or issues. Advisors can be reached during office hours by e-mail, phone, regular mail or you can check with the department office to see when your advisor is available. Faculty advisors also teach classes and work on academic research, so advisement hours may be limited. If you are unable to make contact with your advisor, you may want to send a note or call your advisor to set up an appointment.

Academic Dean

The academic dean is the head of a college within the University. A dean reports directly to the Provost, who is the chief academic officer of the University. The dean of the college from which you plan to get your degree is responsible for academic decisions relating to your program.

Academic Policies/Procedures

Students are expected to provide academic work that represents their ability without inappropriate assistance. The University has developed policies and procedures regarding cheating, plagiarism, collusion, abuse of resource materials, and computer misuse. Sanctions may range from a warning, loss of credit for the examination or assignments in question, failure of a course, suspension or expulsion from the University. For more information concerning academic policies and procedures, consult the Student Handbook.

Academic Probation and Suspension

Students are expected to perform at a level which will lead to graduation.

A minimum of a C average (2.00) is required for graduation, although specific fields may require more than the minimum (see, for example, elementary and secondary education). If grades reflect that students are not making progress towards a degree, they are placed on academic probation or academic suspension.

If a student is placed on academic suspension, it is in the student’s best interest to take at least one semester to reconsider and re-evaluate career plans. An “Online Application for Academic Reinstatement” may then be filed. Reinstatement is not automatic; each application will be evaluated on its own merit. A student can also appeal the academic suspension if extenuating circumstances contributed to the suspension. The student should submit an “Application for Academic Reinstatement” to appeal. There is, however, no right to reinstatement. For assistance, a student should consult with the Director of Academic Advising.

Add

Students may officially add open, full-semester courses up to and including the 14th calendar day of classes with instructor permission. Students are required to remit payment for additional tuition and fees owed at the time of adding the course. All full-semester classes (16-weeks) will officially close 14 calendar days after the start of each semester.

Courses offered that meet for less than a full semester will follow the guidelines at: https://www.fhsu.edu/registrar/Adding-Semester-Course/.

Auditor

An auditor is admitted to the university, registers in the course, and is permitted to participate in the course without receiving credit or a traditional grade. An auditor’s university transcript includes a notation indicating the course was audited. An auditor can complete assignments, exams, etc., but they are not required to do so. Instructors may choose to grade any assignments, exams, etc., if completed by the auditor, but that is at the discretion of the instructor.

Auditors shall be required to pay regular tuition and fees per credit hour, except that auditors who are Kansas residents and 60 years of age or older shall be permitted to audit eligible courses with no requirement for payment of regular tuition and fees in accordance with, and subject to, the Kansas Board of Regents policy on auditing undergraduate and graduate courses, which may be found in Chapter II, Section B.1 of the Board Policy Manual.

Subject to the terms herein, anyone may audit an eligible course at FHSU if space allows, but preference will be given to students taking the course for credit. Auditors must be admitted to the university (degree-seeking or non-degree-seeking student), and they are subject to all other university policies and procedures in accordance with their designation as degree-seeking or non-degree seeking. Permission to audit a course must be granted by the instructor and the relevant department chair. Registration status (for-credit, audit, etc.) may not change once selected. An auditor may be withdrawn from a course at the option of the instructor, subject to an ability to appeal the withdrawal within three (3) days to the relevant department chair, whose decision shall be final.

Certain courses are ineligible for auditing due to specialized settings, equipment, consumable materials, etc. (e.g., field trips, laboratory courses, cabinet construction, etc.) because they teach physical skills (e.g., swimming, golf, etc.), or because of program admission requirements. Course eligibility for auditing is a determination made at the discretion of the instructor in consultation with the department chair. (updated: January 2020).

Certificate Programs

Undergraduate certificates are designed to recognize thematically organized learning and thereby to add value to students' traditional degrees and programs. Certificates shall typically be nine or more credit hours of coursework. The coursework may be outside of a major or minor program, or the coursework may partially fulfill requirements of a major, a minor, or the General Education program. The certificate curriculum can be either within a single academic discipline or interdisciplinary. All classes leading to a certificate must be taken for credit.

Classification

One’s classification is the level or class of a student. Informally, a first-year student is a freshman, a second-year student is a sophomore, and so on. Officially, however, the number of credit hours earned determines classification:

• Freshman: 1-29 credit hours
• Sophomore: 30-59 credit hours
• Junior: 60-89 credit hours
• Senior: 90 plus credit hours
• Graduate: holds a baccalaureate degree

Cognate Course

A course related to a discipline (yet not within the major) which is required for completion of a degree program.

Concentration/Minor

A subset of 24 credit hours or less of coursework within a major or degree program (e.g., Bachelor of General Studies) with a focus on a particular topic or field (sometimes called a minor).

Co-requisite

A course/laboratory/activity required to be taken at the same time as another course/ activity.

Course

A unit of academic work designed around a content area that involves a purpose, various activities, and ways of measuring success; a course is usually one semester long for which credit toward graduation is awarded; courses numbered 000-099 do not count for degree credit.

Course Numbering System

Course levels are identified by the first-digit catalog course number as shown below:

• 000-099 For undergraduate students: non-degree credit courses.
• 100-299 For freshman-sophomore students; undergraduate, lower-division courses.
• 300-499 For junior-senior students; undergraduate, upper-division courses.
• 500-699 For undergraduate, upper-division students primarily.
  • Graduate I students registered in 600G-699G level courses will be expected to produce a greater quantity and quality of work that clearly demonstrates their mastery of the subject matter which surpasses that of undergraduates registered in the same course.
• 700-799 For Graduate and upper-division students. For master's students primarily, with limited enrollment by undergraduate students.
• 800-899 For Graduate I students; graduate credit only.
• 900-999 For Graduate II students; graduate credit only.

Graduate I: Courses and thesis for masters students who have accumulated less than 31 graduate hours.

Graduate II: Courses for specialist and doctoral students who have completed more than 30 graduate hours.

Credit by Examination

Pre-approved credit by examination options are offered through Advanced Placement (AP), Fort Hays State University Local Examinations, the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and UExcel Exams Military Service Credit.

Credit Hour

A unit of credit earned for courses meeting as follows:

• one 50-minute class per week = 50 minutes x 16 = 800 minutes = 1 credit hour;
• two 50-minute classes per week = 100 minutes x 16 = 1,600 minutes = 2 credit hours;
• three 50-minute classes per week = 150 minutes x 16 = 2,400 minutes = 3 credit hours;
• four 50-minute classes per week = 200 minutes x 16 = 3,200 minutes = 4 credit hours;
• five 50-minute classes per week = 250 minutes x 16 = 4,000 minutes = 5 credit hours;
• two 75-minute classes per week = 150 minutes x 16 = 2,400 minutes = 3 credit hours.

Three-credit hour courses meet three 50-minute periods per week; a laboratory, studio, or similar types of courses may require more than 50 minutes of contact time to earn one hour of credit.

Degree

An academic title Fort Hays State University is authorized by the Kansas Board of Regents to confer on individual students as official recognition for completion of a degree program; a student may receive more than one degree.

Degree Program

A prescribed academic plan of study consisting of no less than 120 credit hours, at the undergraduate level, in which a student usually pursues at least one major or area of concentration (e.g., the Bachelor of General Studies).

Degree Seeking

A student who desires to earn a doctoral, graduate, baccalaureate or associate degree at the university.

Department

An administrative unit in the university’s academic affairs division, responsible for organizing, coordinating, and delivering educational services; a department can administer more than one program.

Electives

A course selected by a student with or without an advisor’s consultation; electives are usually within a major or special program (e.g., general education); a course not required for any program or special requirement is known as a “free elective.”

Fifth Year Student

A student who has earned a baccalaureate degree and is pursuing post-baccalaureate studies at the undergraduate level; fifth year students are not permitted to enroll in graduate courses for graduate credit.

Full-time Student

An undergraduate student registered for 12 or more credit hours, or any graduate student registered for 9 or more credit hours.

Grade Point Average

The grade point average is determined by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of credit hours in which grade points are recorded.

Grades and Grade Points

An evaluation of a student's work is given in terms listed below. Final grades for a course will be recorded in letter grades.

The grade point average is determined by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of credit hours in which grade points are recorded. The GPA is carried out to two digits past the decimal point (example 1.00). No rounding shall be done to arrive at the GPA.

A = Superior Achievement: 4 grade points per credit

B = Good Achievement: 3 grade points per credit

C = Average Achievement: 2 grade points per credit

D = Minimum Passing Achievement: 1 grade point per credit

U = Unsatisfactory Achievement: 0 grade points per credit

I = Incomplete: Assigned at discretion of instructor when work is of otherwise passing quality but incomplete, usually for reasons beyond the student's control. (See Removing an Incomplete.)

W = Withdrawal

WP = Withdrawal Passing (effective Fall Semester 1997 through Fall Semester 2008)

WF = Withdrawal Failing (not used in calculating GPA) (effective Fall Semester 1997 through Fall Semester 2008)

WC = Cancellation (non-payment of fees)

P = Pass

CR = Credit

NC = No Credit

Graduate

A student who has earned a baccalaureate degree and is pursuing non-degree, post-baccalaureate graduate studies, master’s education specialist or doctoral degree studies.

Graduate Courses

Courses 600G-699G may be taken as Graduate I credit. Graduate students enrolled in 600G-699G level courses will be expected to produce a greater quantity and quality of work that clearly demonstrates their mastery of the subject matter surpasses that of undergraduates enrolled in the same class. 800-899 are for graduate students only; 900-999 are for students in specialist or doctoral degree programs.

Hours

Sometimes referred to as semester credit hours, or semester units, unless specifically stated otherwise.

Incomplete in a Course

The instructor will determine the conditions to be met for removal of an incomplete (I) for undergraduate courses. These conditions will specify the work to be completed and the time allotted for its completion; however, effective Spring 2020, the maximum length of time for fulfillment of requirements to remove an incomplete grade shall be two years or two years after release from active duty for those students who are members of activated military reserve units.

If the work is not completed within this time, the incomplete will revert to a grade of "NC" (or a grade of "U" if taken Fall Semester 1997 through Summer Term 2001). Prior to this issuance of an "NC," a student may request additional time by submitting a written petition to the Registrar. This additional extension will also require the approval of the instructor or, in the absence of the instructor, the department chair. If the student does not receive an extension, the incomplete grade will revert to a grade of "NC" (or a grade of "U" if taken Fall Semester 1997 through Summer Term 2001). Once an "NC" grade has been issued, a student may improve that grade by using the procedure for Improving a Grade.

This rule with regard to time limit shall not apply to students admitted to the Graduate School for graduate credit in courses centered on individual study such as theses, problems, readings, research, seminars, practicum, and independent study (or any other arranged courses). It will apply to all other courses in the Graduate School in which class work is ordinarily completed in the process of the regular semester. However, incompletes will not revert to an "NC" for courses for graduate credit that are not completed within two years and will remain permanently incomplete after two years.

Intersession

An enrollment period that runs between the fall and spring terms.

Laboratory

A course involving supervised experimentation or practice related to an academic

Lower-Division Courses

Courses numbered 100-299 ordinarily taken by freshmen and sophomores.

Major

An undergraduate academic program/plan consisting of 30 or more credit hours in which a student concentrates disciplinary coursework; most undergraduate degrees require a major for graduation.

Master’s Degree

A prescribed academic plan of study consisting of no less than 30 hours and generally requiring 1 or 2 years of study beyond the bachelor’s degree.

Matriculation

Enrollment in the University. An admitted student does not matriculate until actually enrolled in classes.

Mid-term

Halfway point in the academic semester.

Minor

An academic program consisting of at least 20 but no more than 24 credit hours of coursework taken by students outside their chosen major(s); students cannot have minors within their majors.

Prerequisite

A course/requirement to be successfully completed or a condition to be met before a student may enroll in a specific course, laboratory, program, etc.

Program

A system of courses (curriculum) and learning opportunities (co-curricular and extracurricular) arranged in a coherent, comprehensive pattern to produce a well-defined, measurable, and desired set of learning outcomes; an academic plan to foster students’ academic development; programs are commonly administered by a department or director.

Provost

The Provost is the Chief Academic Officer of the University. The Deans of the colleges report to the Provost.

Required Course

Coursework or courses within a specific department/program which must be completed by students who have selected the program (e.g., major, minor, concentration, area of emphasis); a course can be specified in a program or be unspecified and selected from a listing of required courses.

Semester

Normally a semester is 15-16 calendar weeks.

Sequence

Some courses must be taken in a specific order of sequence because each serves as a prerequisite for the next course in line. If a student’s degree program includes any sequences, they should begin early enough to ensure that the sequence can be completed in time for graduation. A student’s academic advisor can help plan for such courses.

Sub-baccalaureate degree

An award granted for the successful completion of studies requiring an academic plan of 2 years or less; typically known as associate degrees or certificates.

Summer Session

The enrollment period that begins after the spring semester ends.

Syllabus

A written description of the course, assignments, grading policy, exams, etc., which is provided by the instructors at the beginning of each course. It is advisable for students to thoroughly read their syllabus to understand what is expected of them in the course.

Symbols

* General Education Course

+ Course may be repeated

# Lab required

PERM Permission

PR Pre-requisite

Upper-Division Courses

Courses numbered from 300-499 ordinarily taken by Juniors and Seniors; courses numbered from 600-699 may also be taken by Juniors and Seniors as undergraduate credit. Students must earn 45 credit hours of upper-division courses to complete graduation requirements.

Withdrawal

Students may drop full-semester (16-week) courses through 11:59:59 PM CT on the 28th/29th calendar day of the semester. Students dropping during this time period will not receive any notation on their transcript. Students who withdraw after this period and through 11:59:59 PM CT on the 70th calendar day of the semester will receive a notation on their transcript of withdrawal (W). No withdrawals allowed after the 70th calendar day of the semester. Students who drop/withdraw completely will receive a notation on their transcript of the date dropped/withdrawn. Students receiving financial aid have additional responsibility and should contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance in Picken Hall, 785-628-4408. Additional information can be found at: https://www.fhsu.edu/registrar/Semester-Course-Drop-and-Withdrawal-Policy/