Academic Regulations

Degrees, Major, Concentration, Minor

The University offers undergraduate programs  of study leading to a baccalaureate or Bachelor’s degree. A Bachelor’s degree is the entire program of study including general education and major course requirements, and elective courses, totaling 120 credit hours, or more for some degrees. Some baccalaureate degrees and some majors require a minor.

A major is the student’s primary program of study and typically includes courses from a single discipline or a set of similar disciplines. Some majors require that students choose a concentration within the major. A concentration is a group of courses emphasizing one specialized area of study within a major.

Some majors require that students complete a minor as part of the graduation requirements. A minor is a secondary subject area of interest but not a subdivision of the major subject area. Students must complete all academic requirements, including those for the major and minor, from the same catalog year.

Declaring a Major

The University encourages students to declare a major before completing 42 credit hours. Students may declare a major by completing a form available in the Records Office, 109 Race Hall, or submit a request online at www.utc.edu/Administration/Records/forms.php.

Catalog Effective Dates

The catalog in effect at the student’s time of entry or reentry determines the requirements for the degree. Catalogs are valid for 10 years. Consequently, students must complete the requirements in accordance with a valid catalog. Students may also elect:

1. the current catalog at the time of reentry to UTC,
2. the catalog in effect when selecting a new major, or
3. a catalog reflecting a revised curriculum.

Transfer students must fulfill the degree requirements published in the catalog in effect at the time of entry to UTC but may elect to use the catalog in effect at the time of their first entry into college or first entry to UTC. Transfer students must complete the degree requirements in accordance with a valid catalog.

To request a change in catalog year, students must submit the Catalog Year Change Request form to the Records Office, 109 Race Hall. The form can be accessed through the UTC website at: www.utc.edu/Administration/Records/forms.php.

A student seeking the recommendation of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for initial teacher licensure or endorsement must satisfy the current UTC approved program requirements on file with the Tennessee Department of Education at the time of application for licensure.

Registration Classification

Students are classified as full time if they are registered for 12 credit hours or more. Students registered for 6 to 11 credit hours are classified as half-time students. Students with less than 6 credit hours are considered less than half-time.

Registration Limits and Excess Hours

Students may register for 20 or fewer credit hours each semester without prior approval of the Petitions Committee.

Exceptions to these restrictions must have advanced approval from the Petitions Committee.

Students requesting approval of the Petitions Committee to register for excess hours for a given semester must submit the petition to the Records Office no later than one week prior to the first day of class for each semester. The petition form can be accessed through the UTC website at www.utc.edu/Administration/Records/forms.

Drop/Add Policy

Students are responsible for processing their course registrations, additions, and drops. Students who register must pay fees unless they drop the courses before the first day of classes.

Failure to attend classes is not evidence of the student’s intent to drop classes or withdraw from the University. A student who does not attend classes will remain on the class rosters and will receive grades for these courses. Registration and drop dates for each specific term can be found on the University’s online calendar.

The instructor of record for each course assigns each student a course grade that indicates the student’s academic performance in the course. Course grades may not be changed after the instructor reports the grade to the Records Office except in cases of computational error or for removal of an incomplete. Students may not perform additional work, revise a paper, repeat an exam, or complete other assignments after the instructor reports the final grade in order to receive a change of grade.

The student must be enrolled in the course for the semester to receive a grade. Grades can only be issued for work completed during the semester.

The following table presents grades, their numerical value used for the calculation of GPA, and their relation to the student’s performance.

Grade Reports

Students may review their semester grades online through the secure link in MyMocsNet. Grades are posted to MyMocsNet account upon completion of the end of semester grade processing period and are usually available to students by Friday afternoon before Commencement.

Grades for the individual summer terms are usually available within 5 days after the end of the respective term.

Grade Point Average

The grade point average (GPA) is the total number of quality points divided by the total number of attempted credit hours, including hours for which the student received an F. The GPA does not include credit hours for courses in which grades of S, NC, I, and W have been earned. (Institutional credit is not included in the calculation of grade point averages for graduation or for honors.) Grade point averages are not rounded.

How to Compute Grade Point Average (GPA)

Standard GPA Calculation:

1. Multiply the grade value for each course taken by the credit hours for that course. The product of this multiplication will be the quality points. Total the quality points and the credit hours.
2. Divide the total quality points by the total attempted hours.
3. Do not include the hours for S, or NC or I grades.

Example:

Divide 32 (Quality Points Column) by 16 (Credit Hours Attempted Column) to determine GPA: 32/16 = 2.00 GPA.

Grade Point Average Definitions

• Institutional Semester: includes UTC work for the current semester (excludes developmental course work).
• Institutional Cumulative: includes all UTC work posted to the student’s academic record—cumulative meaning more than one semester (excludes developmental course work).
• Transfer Semester: Includes transfer work for the current semester posted to the student’s academic record.
• Transfer Cumulative: Includes all transfer work posted to the student’s academic record—cumulative meaning more than one semester.
• Overall Semester: Includes UTC and transfer work for the current semester posted to the student’s academic record.
• Overall Cumulative: Includes all UTC and transfer work posted to the student’s academic record—cumulative meaning more than one semester.

Continuation standards are based upon the overall GPA for all students.

Developmental Credit

Developmental courses completed at another institution to meet specific course prerequisites do not apply to the hours required for graduation, major requirements, general education requirements, or electives. The grades earned in these courses are not included in the calculation of the grade point average for graduation or honors.

Academic Standards

Continuation Standards

Students will be in good standing if they maintain a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all attempted hours, excluding developmental courses.

Probation

Students on probation who do not enroll for one or more semesters and return are readmitted on probation. Students on probation who do not enroll for one or more semesters and return with transfer work will have the transfer work evaluated and the appropriate standing based upon overall GPA will be applied.

Suspension

Students on suspension who do not enroll for one or more semesters and return will be admitted on probation. Students who return after their period of suspension with transfer work must earn at least a 2.0 transfer GPA on all hours attempted in order to be eligible for automatic readmission to UTC. Students who are denied admission because the GPA on transfer work does not meet the required 2.0 transfer GPA must apply for readmission through the Admissions Committee. If readmitted, student will be on probation regardless of the overall cumulative GPA.

Dismissal

Students who were dismissed and return with or without transfer work must appeal for readmission through the Admissions Committee. Students who receive approval for readmission will be admitted on probation.

Academic Warning

Academic warning is a cautionary notice to the student that the semester GPA is 2.2 or below and that continued academic performance at this low level may lead to probation, suspension, or dismissal. Students may be placed on probation or may be suspended or dismissed without having received such a warning notice since these academic actions are linked to the overall grade point average. Academic warnings do not appear on the academic record.

Academic Probation

The University classifies a student as on academic probation when the overall cumulative GPA is less than 2.0. A student on academic probation may enroll in courses for the subsequent semester. If the student’s overall cumulative GPA for the subsequent semester is 2.0 or better, the student is reclassified as in good standing. If the student’s overall cumulative GPA remains below 2.0, but the student earns at least a 2.0 overall semester GPA, the probation status will be extended for another semester. If the student does not earn a 2.0 overall semester GPA their status is changed to academic suspension. If the student has been previously suspended they will be dismissed.

Academic Suspension

A student classified as on academic suspension cannot enroll at the university for one semester from the time he or she is suspended. The complete summer sessions, or the entire summer, constitute one semester for this policy. A student who wishes to resume an education at UTC after the suspension must complete the undergraduate admissions process outlined in the “Enrolling at UTC” section of this catalog.

A student who is suspended from another institution of higher education may not enroll at UTC until one semester after the suspension date.

A previously suspended student who is readmitted is placed on academic probation regardless of the overall cumulative grade point average at the time of readmission. If the student’s overall cumulative GPA for the subsequent semester is 2.0 or better, the student is reclassified as in good standing. If the student’s overall cumulative GPA remains below 2.0, but the student earns at least a 2.0 overall semester GPA, the probation status will be extended for another semester. A student who fails to achieve either of these requirements will be dismissed for an indefinite period and may not apply for consideration for readmission for one calendar year.

A suspended student who enrolls in other colleges or in correspondence courses during their semester of suspension must earn at least a 2.0 average on all hours attempted during this period in order to be eligible for automatic readmission to UTC. A student not meeting the 2.0 requirement must apply for readmission through the Admissions Committee.

Dismissal

Students who have been dismissed for academic reasons may not enroll at the University for one calendar year from the time of dismissal. In order to appeal for reentry after one calendar year, they must explain in the supplemental readmission form why they can now achieve the grades necessary to meet UTC’s continuation standards. Students who have been dismissed from another institution of higher education may not enroll at UTC until one calendar year after the dismissal date.

Appeals from Suspension and Dismissal

Although the University believes it to be in the best interests of students who have been suspended or dismissed to remain out of school for a reasonable period, it also recognizes that in unexpected circumstances (e.g., incapacitating injury or serious illness of a family member) students may fall behind in their studies through no fault of their own. Students with extenuating circumstances may submit appeals for reentry prior to sitting out the required suspension or dismissal period. Suspension and dismissal appeals are due in the Records Office, 109 Race Hall, no later than one week (seven calendar days) prior to the first day of classes in any semester or summer term. The Petitions Committee will consider appeals for readmission, but it should be understood that exceptions to the suspension and dismissal period will be rare.

Honor Code

The Honor Code expresses the University’s expectation that students behave in an honest and responsible manner in all matters within the University community, and that education is a cooperative enterprise between student and teacher and among fellow students. Dishonesty violates and weakens this relation and lessens the value of the student’s education. Violation of the honor code may be recorded on the student’s academic record. The Student Handbook presents the Honor Code, and describes the Honor Court and its procedures.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when a person presents words, ideas, patterns of ideas, data, and other intellectual or creative work as the product of his or her effort. Plagiarism is a violation of the University’s Honor Code and can lead to specific penalties including classification on disciplinary probation, a failing grade for the course, or suspension or dismissal from the University. Each student assumes full responsibility for understanding the concept of plagiarism and the University’s policies.

The University encourages all its students to learn more about plagiarism and methods to appropriately present the work of others. Students should refer to the Student Handbook or to www.utc.edu/Administration/StudentDevelopment/handbook/academics.pdf to review the University’s Honor code and treatment of accusations of plagiarism.

Preamble

It is the prerogative and responsibility of each member of the faculty to determine the final grade for each student according to criteria clearly defined and explained in the syllabus.

Whenever a student feels that his or her rights and interests have been seriously jeopardized by way of unfair, arbitrary, or malicious exercise of faculty grading prerogatives and desires to appeal the grade, the following appeal procedures must be followed. (It is recognized that the following time frames are maximal, and that in cases where a failing grade prevents a student from continuing in the course, the appeals procedure can be accelerated.)

1. Conversation with the Instructor
   The student who desires an appeal must seek an appointment with the faculty member who awarded the grade within five working days of the day when the final course grades were posted. The purpose of this appointment is to request clarification of the basis for the evaluation. If the student is unable to locate the faculty member personally, the request may be presented to the head of the department in which the course is offered. During these conversations, the student shall have access to all his or her exams and papers that have not previously been returned to the student for the period covered by the grade. Provision of material returned to the student is the responsibility of the student. A faculty member who chooses not to return papers to the student should keep graded exams and papers for a minimum of the next regular semester following the completion of a term. If the complaint is not resolved by way of such discussions and the student is still convinced that the grade is arbitrary or unjust, a formal appeal may be made to the Faculty Grade Appeals Committee.
2. Appeal to the Faculty Grade Appeals Committee
   Within five working days of the conversation with the faculty member who awarded the grade (or the department head, if necessary, as described above), the student desiring to proceed with a formal appeal shall present in writing the reasons on which the appeal is based, together with any and all supporting documents. Such appeal shall be addressed to the Faculty Grade Appeals Committee and personally delivered to the head of the department in which the course in question is offered. Check the UTC web site or departmental office for the required form.
   1. Procedure
      Upon receipt of a formal appeal, the head of the department (or the dean, if the department head is the faculty member whose grade is being appealed) involved shall notify the faculty member who awarded the grade and shall immediately appoint two members of the department faculty to serve as observers at the appeals hearing and as informational resources for the Faculty Grade Appeals Committee. The head shall forward those names, and the written appeal, together with all relevant material and information concerning the case, to the dean of the college or school. The dean shall then meet with the student to counsel the student and discuss the appeals process. If the student wishes to continue with his or her appeal the dean, with the cooperation of the Committee chair, will call, as soon as possible, a meeting of the Faculty Grade Appeals Committee.
   2. Composition
      The Faculty Grade Appeals Committee shall consist of three (3) faculty members and two (2) alternate faculty members (who can be called on if one of the three regular members is unavailable or is in the same department as the appealing student) elected annually by the Faculty Senate. In addition, two (2) faculty members shall be selected at the time of an appeal by the head of the department (or dean of the appropriate college) in which the appealed course is offered to serve as observers at the appeals hearing and as informational resources for the Committee. These faculty are invited to answer questions asked them of the Committee, but otherwise are observers only, and will be excused before deliberations begin. The student may also invite up to two observers, but they are to be observers only. The dean of the academic unit involved shall convene the meeting but the Committee chair shall run the hearing. Should the dean be the course professor involved in the appeal, the Provost will serve in place of the dean. The dean shall not vote on an appeal except in cases of a tie vote. A quorum for this committee will consist of three (3) members of the Grade Appeals Committee.
   3. Responsibilities of the Committee, Department Head and Dean
      1. The responsibility of the Grade Appeals Committee is to hear undergraduate student appeals whenever students feel that their rights have been seriously jeopardized by way of unfair, arbitrary, or malicious exercise of faculty grading prerogatives and desire to appeal the grade. The committee reviews grades after a student who is appealing has followed the current published procedures.
      2. As soon as possible after the complete appeal is received in the Dean’s office, the dean shall inquire of the student and the faculty member involved whether either desires a hearing before the committee. If no hearing is requested within 5 business days, the committee shall determine the appeal and issue its ruling on the basis of the record. If either party requests a hearing within 5 business days, such a hearing shall be held within 10 working days of the request, at which time both the student and the faculty member shall be afforded the opportunity to present further evidence. Within five working days after the hearing, the committee shall, on the basis of all the material before it, determine the appeal and issue its ruling as it deems appropriate, either upholding the grade or requesting the faculty member to change it accordingly. As soon as possible after this ruling is made, the Dean (or Provost, if appropriate) shall notify the faculty member and the student about the Committee’s ruling, by email and hard copy. Either party shall have the right to appeal the committee’s decision to the Chancellor of the University.
   4. Grade Appeals Committee Guidelines
      If a student appeals a grade to the Grade Appeals Committee, the following guidelines will be used in he appeal process:
      1. The burden of proof in the appeal lies with the student. Instructors should maintain, however, documents related to the assignment of grades for a period of at least one semester to facilitate the investigation of improperly assigned grades. If requested, instructors shall make copies of all relevant documents available to the student, following FERPA guidelines. If the student requests the hearing but fails to appear at the hearing without sufficient cause the grade appeal will be denied and cannot be refiled.
      2. Grade appeals may be warranted in the case of deviations from the syllabus. This constraint should not be interpreted to mean that instructors may not change grading criteria during the course of the semester, as long as all students in the class are notified of these changes in a timely manner. Events may necessitate such changes.
      3. Grade appeals should never be based upon a student’s individual needs or circumstances; students do not have the right to appeal a grade because of their health, anxiety, family circumstances or other such circumstances. Grades should only be based upon student performance.
      4. Instructors have a right to set standards for a course consistent with department parameters including the number and types of exams, amount of outside work required, attendance policies, class discussion requirements, exam time limits or any other grading criteria. It is the responsibility of the instructor to clearly outline these standards in the syllabus. Students may not use the issue of an instructor’s standards (e.g., “an instructor was too hard”) as the basis for a grade appeal.
      5. Students may not use the grade appeal procedure as a bargaining mechanism. Grade change recommendations will be based on already completed course work.
      6. Student claims of unjust assignment of grades based upon the perception that an instructor did not like or was biased against the student must still stand the burden of objective proof. If proof can be provided that the instructor was biased or disliked a student, then the possibility of arbitrary or capricious assignment of grades may result in a successful appeal.
      7. The outcome of a grade appeal is a recommendation only. If the Grade Appeal Committee finds with the student, the instructor may request the committee to explain its decision in writing. If the instructor refuses to change the grade, a copy of the committee’s rationale shall be provided to all administrators who are part of the appeals process. The student may appeal to the Chancellor.
3. Appeal to the Chancellor
   Within five working days of the decision of the Faculty Grade Appeals Committee, the student or the faculty member may present, in writing, a request for review by the Chancellor of the University. In such event, the Chancellor shall immediately request the complete record of the case from the Faculty Grade Appeals Committee and shall make a decision on the basis of the record. The Chancellor has the ultimate authority on this campus to decide whether the grade will be changed and to effect such a change. In the event that a decision of the committee against the student is upheld by the Chancellor, that decision shall be final. If the Chancellor upholds a decision of the Faculty Grade Appeals Committee against the faculty member, the faculty member shall be requested to change the grade in accordance with the committee’s ruling.

Course Repeat and Grade Replacement Policy

Students may repeat any UTC or transfer course.

1. Provided prerequisites are met, students may replace a total of three grades. The first three grades in one or more subjects may be replaced; the total number of replaced grades cannot exceed three. Effective Fall 2010, developmental studies courses will not be included in the grade replacement limit. Grades of S, NC, and W will not count in the allotted number of replacement grades.
2. All grades, except the three replaced grades, will be used in the grade point average computation.
3. Courses in which a grade of A was earned cannot be repeated except for “r” courses. If an A is repeated, the repeated course will be changed from credit to audit.
4. In any repeated course, excluding “r” courses, a student forfeits the first earned hours, if any. Previous grades and credit do not count; only the last grade counts.
5. For a transfer student, a “course” is interpreted as any course listed separately in an individual term on the transcript, regardless of the number of such courses needed to equate to a UTC course.
6. When a student is repeating more than one course in a term and is nearing the permissible limit of three replacement grades, the following order will determine replacements: 4 hour Fs, 3 hour Fs, 2 hour Fs; 4 hour Ds, 3 hour Ds, 2 hour Ds; 1 hour Fs, 1 hour D; 4 hour Cs, 3 hour Cs, 2 hour Cs, 1 hour Cs. In the case of a tie, a grade in a course within the student’s major will be replaced first.

After a semester or summer term begins, students are expected to attend all classes until or unless the class(es) is (are) officially dropped online or in the Records Office, 109 Race Hall.

During the first two weeks of a semester, a student may officially withdraw without prejudice from any class, and no grade will be recorded. After the first two weeks of the semester and up to the final drop date, a student who officially withdraws will receive a grade of W. Comparable periods apply to each of the individual summer terms. Specific withdrawal deadlines for each semester or summer term are noted in the academic calendar.

Students may not withdraw from a course after the final drop date for the semester. The withdrawal date is published each semester in the academic calendar posted on the Records Office website at www.utc.edu/Administration/Records/calendars.php.

Exception to the Withdrawal Policy

A student experiencing a serious illness, injury, or unusually difficult personal circumstances may request an exception to the withdrawal policy by submitting documentation of these circumstances to the Records Office. The student will receive a W for all courses for which withdrawal is approved. Requests for exemptions must be submitted in writing within one calendar year of the end of the semester in question.

Failure to Withdraw from Classes

Failure to attend scheduled class meetings is not evidence of the student’s intent to withdraw from a course. Students wishing to withdraw from courses must withdraw online or submit a Registration Drop/Add form to First Place during the official drop period. Students cannot withdraw from a course either online or in the Records Office after the official last day to withdraw for the semester or summer term. Failure to withdraw officially from any course will result in a grade of F if the student has not successfully completed the assigned work.

Students who are receiving Title IV financial aid and have stopped attending UTC classes without withdrawing officially will have their change in enrollment status reported to the U.S. Department of Education as required. The grade of F will remain on the student’s transcript.

Academic Recognition and Honor Societies

The University recognizes scholarly achievement in a number of ways.

Dean’s List

The dean’s list includes the names of all students who achieve an institutional semester GPA of at least 3.2 with a registration of a minimum of six graded hours or more each semester. Developmental courses do not count toward the determination of GPA for graduation or honors.

General University Graduation Honors

To be eligible for Latin honors at UTC, students must have a minimum of 60 earned hours at UTC. The University grants graduation honors to students with distinguished academic records. The graduation honors are:

Graduation honors will be inscribed on the diplomas. Institutional credit will not be counted in the grade point average for graduation or honors. Grade point averages are not rounded. These standards apply to all undergraduate degree candidates, regardless of the catalog under which they entered.

Honors Societies

Academic achievement, either in general or in specific fields, is recognized by a number of organizations:

Alpha, the scholastic honor society of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, elects to membership seniors who have maintained a very high scholastic average (3.75 or higher). Election is by vote of the faculty members of Alpha.

Alpha Lambda Delta, national honor society for women and men, elects to membership those freshmen who have a 3.5 institutional cumulative average on at least 12 graded hours in the first semester or an institutional cumulative average of 3.5 at the end of the freshman year.

Golden Key, is a national honor society for all juniors and seniors, either full or part time, who have been at UTC for one year and who have maintained at least a 3.3 institutional cumulative grade point average.

Mortar Board, a national honor society for senior women and men, elects to membership those who at the end of their junior year have a minimum institutional cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and who have demonstrated outstanding ability in leadership, scholarship, and service to the University.

Phi Eta Sigma, national honor society for men and women, elects to membership those freshmen who have a 3.5 institutional cumulative average on at least 12 graded hours in the first semester or an institutional cumulative average of 3.5 at the end of the freshman year.

Honor societies in specific areas include:

Alpha Kappa Delta (sociology)
Alpha Mu Alpha (marketing)
Beta Alpha Psi (accounting)
Beta Beta Beta (biology)
Beta Gamma Sigma (business)
Delta Omicron (music)
Delta Tau Omega (geology)
Financial Management Association (finance)
Gamma Sigma Epsilon (chemistry)
Kappa Delta Pi (education)
Kappa Omicron Phi (home economics)
Kappa Tau Alpha (communication)
Lambda Alpha Epsilon (criminal justice)
Lambda Iota Tau (literature)
Omicron Delta Epsilon (economics)
Phi Alpha Theta (history)
Pi Delta Phi (French)
Pi Gamma Mu (social sciences)
Pi Mu Epsilon (mathematics)
Pi Sigma Alpha (political science)
Psi Chi (psychology)
Scabbard and Blade (military science)
Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish)
Sigma Iota Epsilon (business management)
Sigma Pi Sigma (physics)
Sigma Theta Tau (nursing)
Sigma Xi (sciences)
Tau Beta Pi (engineering)
Upsilon Pi Epsilon (computer science)

Departmental Honors

The Departmental Honors Program allows exceptional students to receive special recognition for their academic achievements. Departmental honors is bestowed upon students who have maintained high academic standards in their course work, completed an acceptable two-semester, four-hour thesis project, and passed an oral examination. Graduation with departmental honors is recorded on the academic record and on the diploma. The departmental thesis project allows each honors candidate to deepen knowledge and increase skills in a particular discipline. Typical thesis projects include original research or literary analysis, scientific experimentation, or artistic expression. Admission to departmental thesis requires an institutional cumulative grade point average of 3.2 and a grade point average of 3.5 in the major. Any student with an institutional cumulative grade point average of 3.5 and a grade point average of 3.75 in the major may become a candidate for highest honors. The requisite GPA is required at the time of graduation for a student to be awarded Departmental Honors.

Application for departmental honors is usually made during the third semester before graduation. Forms and a full accounting of procedures and policies can be found in the current Departmental Honors Handbook, obtainable online at www.utc.edu/Administration/DepartmentalHonors/.

Enrolling in Graduate Courses