Academic Policies and Procedures The 1997-98 University of Montana Catalog |
Index |
Registration |
The detailed instructions registration and the course offerings are published in the Class Schedule which is available for a nominal fee from the University Center Bookstore or the Bookstore in the College of Technology. Students must complete their registration during the scheduled registration period or be subject to payment of a late registration fee if they are allowed to register. Registration is not completed nor is any credit awarded until all fees have been paid. Students in the College of Technology who do not enroll for a semester or more (excluding summer) must reapply for admission through the College of Technology. Other students who plan to attend a summer session or an academic year semester and were not in attendance during the immediately preceding 12 months, must reapply for admission through the Registration Center in the Lodge. Students should reapply for the autumn semester by July 1 and for the spring semester by November 1. Students who have never attended before or who are changing admission status must apply to Admissions & New Student Services or the College of Technology. See the Admissions section of this catalog. All students currently enrolled for an academic year semester and students readmitted to the University may pre-register for the subsequent semester. Students with Disabilities Students with disabilities may obtain assistance with the registration process and the relocation of classes through Disability Services in 28 Corbin Hall, (406) 243-2243 VOICE/TDD. Dropping and Adding Courses or Changing Sections, Grading or Credit Status Students are expected, when selecting and registering for their courses, to make informed choices and to regard those choices as semester-long commitments and obligations. After registering and through the first fifteen (15) instructional days of the semester, students may use a touchtone telephone to drop and add courses or change sections and credits. Fees are reassessed on the fifteenth day of the term. Added courses and credits may result in additional fees. For courses dropped by the fifteenth instructional day, no fees are charged and courses are not recorded. (For deadlines and refund policy for withdrawal from all courses, see the Withdrawal sections of this catalog.) An instructor may specify that drop/add is not allowed by telephone. A drop/add form is used to make changes in these courses, if approved by the instructor. At the College of Technology the drop/add form is used to make all changes during the first fifteen instructional days. After adding a course, the pass/not pass grading option or auditor status may be elected on a form available in the Registration Center, Lodge 113. These options are not allowed for some courses as identified in the Class Schedule. Beginning the sixteenth (16) instructional day of the semester through the thirtieth (30) instructional day, students use paper forms to drop, add, and make changes of section, grading option, credit or audit status. The drop/add form must be signed by the instructor of the course and the student's advisor. The signed drop/add form must be returned to the Registration Center (or the Registrar's Office at the College of Technology)no later than the thirtieth instructional day. A $10.00 processing fee is charged for each drop/add form. Added courses and credits may result in additional fees. There are no refunds or reductions of fees for courses dropped and grades of W (withdrew) are recorded. Beginning the thirty-first (31) instructional day of the semester, students must petition to drop, add, and make changes of section, grading option, credit or audit status. The petition form must be signed by the instructor of the course and the student's advisor and, in the case of drops only, by the dean of the student's major. A $10.00 processing fee is charged for each petition. Added courses and credits may result in additional fees. There are no refunds or reductions of fees for courses dropped, and the instructor assigns a grade of WP (withdrew/passing) if the student's course work has been passing or a WF (withdrew/failing) if the course work has been failing. These grades do not affect grade averages but they are recorded on students' transcripts. Documented justification is required for dropping courses by petition. Some examples of documented circumstances that may merit approval are: registration errors, accident or illness, family emergency, change in work schedule, no assessment of performance in class until after this deadline, or other circumstances beyond the student's control. See the School of Law section of this catalog for the add and drop deadlines for law courses. Class Attendance/Absence Policy Students who are registered for a course but do not attend the first two class meetings may be required by the instructor to drop the course. This rule allows for early identification of class vacancies to permit other students to add classes. Students not allowed to remain must complete a drop form or drop the course by phone to avoid receiving a failing grade. Students who know they will be absent should contact the instructor in advance. Students are expected to attend all class meetings and complete all assignments for courses in which they are enrolled. Instructors may excuse brief and occasional absences for reasons of illness, injury, family emergency, military or public service, or participation in a University sponsored activity. (University sponsored activities include for example, field trips, ASUM service, music or drama performances, and intercollegiate athletics.) Instructors may establish absence policies to conform to the educational goals and requirements of their courses. Such policies will ordinarily be set out in the course syllabus. Customarily, course syllabi will describe the procedures for giving timely notice of absences, explain how work missed because of an excused absence may be made up, and stipulate any penalty to be assessed for absences. The UM Faculty Senate encourages the faculty to accommodate students incurring an excused absence by allowing them to make up missed work when this can be done in a manner consistent with the educational goals of their courses. Students expecting to incur excused absences should consult with their instructors early in the term to be sure that they understand the absence policies for each of their courses. Withdrawal from the University Students who withdraw from the University while a semester is in progress must complete withdrawal forms which are obtained from the University College or the Registrar's Office in the College of Technology. Drop/add forms cannot be used to withdraw from school. International students must first contact the Foreign Student Advisor before withdrawing as visa status will be affected. Students who are withdrawing for medical reasons must contact the Student Health Service to withdraw. Students are allowed one medical withdrawal and a refund for textbooks at the UC Bookstore will be given only for medical withdrawal. See the Expenses section of this catalog for fee information relating to withdrawals. Students receiving financial aid who withdraw will not receive aid the next term of enrollment. A Reinstatement of Financial Aid form must be completed in the Financial Aid Office to request aid for any term subsequent to a withdrawal. Students who reside in a University residence hall or in family housing must notify the Residence Life Office or the Family Housing Office of the withdrawal. Students who purchase health insurance with registration will receive a refund and lose coverage if withdrawn during the first fifteen instructional days. Withdrawal after the fifteenth day will not result in a refund but coverage will continue through the remainder of the semester. When withdrawal forms are completed in University College or the Registrar's Office in the College of Technology before the last two weeks of the semester, grades of W (withdrawal) are assigned. Beginning two weeks from the end of the term, students may not withdraw from the University except for very unusual circumstances. Such late withdrawals are to be approved by the student's academic dean before the end of the semester. However, in exceptional cases, a student's academic dean may approve retroactive withdrawal for the last semester in attendance, provided the request is approved before the end of the student's next semester of enrollment. University Employees' Registration University employees who have applied and have been accepted for admission to the University may register with the approval of the employee's supervisor. Waivers of some fees are granted to some faculty and staff members who are at least three-quarter time salaried employees on the date of registration. Additional information and the necessary forms are available in the Office of Human Resource Services in the Lodge. |
Grading System |
The University uses two types of grading: traditional letter grades and pass/not pass grades. At the option of the instructors some courses are offered only on the traditional letter grade basis or only on the pass/not pass basis. Other courses are open to either type of grading, at the option of the student. Courses offered on the A-F basis only or P/NP only will be indicated in the Class Schedule. In the event a change in the published grading option for a course becomes necessary, the faculty member may make the change during the first ten class days of the semester. The students in the class and the Registrar's office must be notified of the change no later than the tenth class day. Grades followed by an R indicate remedial courses. Traditional Letter Grading A work of superior quality; B work better than average; C average work; D work below average, but barely passing; F failure. Other symbols used are: I incomplete; N work on the course may be continued in later semesters (when work is completed, the final grade assigned applies to all semesters of the course); NF no record of academic performance; W withdrawal from a course or course dropped after the fifteenth instructional day; WP course dropped after thirtieth instructional day with passing work; WF course dropped after the thirtieth instructional day with failing work; AUD auditor registration. (AUD is recorded for all students who register in courses as auditors, intending to listen to the courses without earning credit or being graded. The same fees are assessed as when registering for credit. Any attendance or participation expectations are established by the instructor of the course. If attendance expectations are not met, the instructor may request a notation be placed on the student's academic record indicating attendance was not satisfactory.) Pass/Not Pass Grading Student Option: To encourage students to venture into courses where they might otherwise hesitate because of uncertainty regarding their aptitude or preparation, they may enroll in certain courses on a pass/not pass basis. A freshman or sophomore with a grade-point average of 2.00 or better may elect one undergraduate course a semester on a pass/not pass basis. Juniors and seniors may elect more than one pass/not pass course a semester. An instructor may indicate that a particular course is not available under the pass/not pass option. Courses graded A-F only will be identified in the Class Schedule. No more than 40 pass/not pass credits may be counted toward graduation. The pass/not pass option does not extend to courses required for the student's major or minor, except at the discretion of the department concerned. The grades of pass or not pass are not formally defined in terms of their relationship to the traditional grades of A, B, C, D, or F; a P is given for work considered to be passing and therefore deserving credit, and an NP for work not passed. P and NP grades do not affect grade point average. Election of the pass/not pass option must be indicated at registration time on the registration form. After registration, but prior to the end of the 30th day of instruction, an undergraduate student may change a pass/not pass enrollment to an enrollment under the A-F grade system, or the reverse by means of a drop/add form. The University cautions students that many graduate and professional schools and some employers do not recognize non-traditional grades (i.e., those other than A, B, C, D, F) or may discriminate against students who use the pass/not pass option for many courses. Faculty Option: A faculty member may elect to grade an entire class on the pass/not pass basis. This method of grading is used in courses where more precise grading is inappropriate. Courses graded P/NP only will be identified in the Class Schedule. No Credit Grading Students enrolled in English 100 and 101 are graded by the traditional letter grades of A, B, C, D, F or are given NCR for no credit. The NCR grade does not affect grade point average. Policy on Incompletes It is assumed that students have the responsibility for completing the requirements of the courses in which they are enrolled within the time framework of the semester. Incompletes may be given when, in the opinion of the instructor, there is a reasonable probability that students can complete the course without retaking it. The incomplete is not an option to be exercised at the discretion of students. In all cases it is given at the discretion of the instructor within the following guidelines:
Computation of Cumulative Grade Average Quality points are assigned as follows: 4 quality points for each credit of A; 3 quality points for each credit of B; 2 quality points for each credit of C; and 1 quality point for each credit of D. The cumulative grade average is computed by dividing the total quality points earned by the total number of credits attempted, excluding courses assigned W, NCR, P, NP, I, AUD, or N grades and courses numbered under 100. Grades for courses transferred from other colleges and universities are not included in the calculation of the grade average for graduation. |
Undergraduate Scholarship Requirements |
Students will be placed on academic probation at the end of any semester if their cumulative grade average drops below 2.00. The effect of the academic probation is to serve notice to students that the quality of their work is below an acceptable level and that continuation of unsatisfactory work during their next semester of enrollment will result in academic suspension. Students who are placed on academic probation will find that fact noted on their grade slips. They should contact their advisors immediately to seek help. Academic Suspension Students will be academically suspended at the end of any semester if they were placed on academic probation during their last semester of attendance and their cumulative grade average is still below 2.00. Exceptions are made if they earn at least 2.00 grade average for the semester without raising their cumulative grade average to the required minimum. In such cases, students remain on academic probation. The effect of academic suspension is that students may not re-enroll at the University unless they have been reinstated. Academic suspensions are noted on grade slips. Reinstatement Following suspension, students will not be considered for reinstatement until at least one semester (other than summer) has passed. In order to be reinstated, students must receive the approval of the dean of the school or college in which they intend to enroll. Reinstatements are never automatic, and students' equests for reinstatement are unlikely to be approved unless the students offer carefully prepared plans which indicate how their academic performance will be improved. All students reinstated after suspension are reinstated on academic probation and will be suspended again unless they meet the requirements as explained under Academic Suspension above. A student denied reinstatement may appeal the denial in writing to the University President within ten days of receiving the notice of denial. The decision to deny reinstatement normally will not be reversed unless there is evidence the decision was made arbitrarily. Helping Services Many programs at The University of Montana-Missoula offer services to help students who are experiencing academic difficulty. Faculty academic advisors are a primary resource for such students as they are in a position to both give advice and make appropriate referrals. Students with declared majors secure advisors through the department advising chair, and general studies students secure advisors through the Office of Academic Advising in the University College. Several courses are taught to assist students who have deficiencies in their academic backgrounds. The College of Technology offers MAT005. The English Department offers basic composition and a writing laboratory. Help with study skills is available in the Curriculum and Instruction course 160. Financial needs, personal problems, and indecision regarding vocation often affect academic performance. The Financial Aids Office, the Counseling Center, the Student Health Service, the Career Planning and Placement Service and the Clinical Psychology Center can help in these areas. Two tutoring programs are available to students, one administered by the Educational Opportunity Program and the other by the University College; both are located in Corbin Hall. The Counseling Center offers workshops on a variety of topics designed to enhance student academic performance. The Academic Support Center offers a variety of services designed to increase the College of Technology students' academic success. Students are assisted in the development of speed-reading and study skills and tutoring in any subject area. Academic and career counseling, as well as help in adjusting to the transition from the workplace to school, is provided. For information about the Center's services and the Step Ahead program, contact the College of Technology (406) 243-7825. |
Plagiarism Warning |
Plagiarism is the representing of another's work as one's own. It is a particularly intolerable offense in the academic community and is strictly forbidden. Students who plagiarize may fail the course and may be remanded to Academic Court for possible suspension or expulsion. (See Student Conduct Code section of this catalog.) Students must always be very careful to acknowledge any kind of borrowing that is included in their work. This means not only borrowed wording but also ideas. Acknowledgment of whatever is not one's own original work is the proper and honest use of sources. Failure to acknowledge whatever is not one's own original work is plagiarism. |
General Information |
Generally, an undergraduate student should register for no more than 21 credits during a semester, including physical education activity courses, and courses which carry no credit such as Mathematics 005. Permission to enroll for more than the maximum credit load given above may be approved by the student's faculty advisor. Full-Time Student Defined An undergraduate student must register for a minimum of 12 hours credit a semester to be classified as a full-time student; however, in most baccalaureate programs a student must earn slightly more than 16 credits per semester to graduate in a four year period. One- and two-year programs usually require between 15 and 19 credits per semester. Classification of Undergraduate Students The undergraduate student is classified as a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior based on the number of credits earned. The student who has earned fewer than 30 credits is a freshman. The student who has earned at least 30 credits but fewer than 60 is a sophomore, and the student who has earned at least 60 credits but fewer than 90 credits is a junior. The student who has earned 90 or more credits is classified a senior. Dean's List (Honor Roll) To qualify for the Dean's List, students must be undergraduates, must earn a semester grade average of 3.50 or higher, and receive grades of A or B in at least 9 credits. No grades of C, D, F, NP or NCR are allowed. Repeating a Course All courses repeated remain on the permanent record but, when the $100.00 repeat fee is paid, only the last grade received is used to calculate the cumulative grade average unless the last grade is I, W, WP, WF, NP, N, NCR or AUD. These grades do not repeat other grades. If enrollment in a course is closed, a student who is repeating or auditing the course may be required by the instructor to drop the course. This rule grants enrollment preference to those students attempting to register for the course for the first time for credit. It is the responsibility of the student who is not allowed to remain in the course to formally drop the course to avoid a failing grade for that course. The repetition of a course in the School of Law is governed by a different policy. See the School of Law section of this catalog. University Omnibus Option for Independent Work Under the "University omnibus option" credit is allowed for independent work in topics or problems that are proposed by the student and approved both by the instructor or instructors under whose supervision the work is to be done and by the chairperson or chairpersons of the department(s) involved. Such independent work may require as many weeks as the instructor(s) shall stipulate. The work may be on campus or off campus, as the nature of the study requires, although prior approval of all arrangements and faculty supervision must be assured. All fees must be paid during a regular registration period in advance of beginning independent work. The student may not receive a larger number of credit hours than he or she is registered for, although a smaller number may be completed and credit obtained with the approval of the instructor or instructors. No more than 10 credit hours may be received in a single topic or problem. A maximum of 15 credit hours of independent work for a bachelor degree and 13 credit hours of independent work for an associate degree is permitted under the University omnibus option. For each course taken under the University omnibus option, the student's transcript will show the departmental prefix, the level of the course, the number of credit hours, and the exact title of the topic. Students obtain course request numbers through the departments. Credit By Examination Under certain circumstances, a currently registered student may receive credit by examination for a course in which he or she has not been regularly enrolled. The student must have a minimum cumulative grade average of 2.00 and an entering freshman must present a high school scholastic record equivalent to a 2.00 grade average to be eligible to earn credit by examination in any course. Each school or department may determine those courses, if any, for which credit may be earned by examination. The dean of the school or the chair of the department must approve any arrangements prior to testing for such credit. On the successful completion of an examination, the department notifies the Registrar's Office. There are no fees for this type of credit by examination and grading may be pass/not pass or traditional letter grade. For information regarding other types of credit by examination, consult the College Level Examination Program in this catalog. See index. Course Numbering System
Undergraduates in Graduate Courses Undergraduate students with senior standing who have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 may petition to enroll in 500 level courses for undergraduate credit. The petition form must be signed by the course instructor, chair of the department or coordinator of graduate studies, and the graduate dean. Credit Credit is defined in terms of semester hours. In general, 1 semester hour credit is allowed for 1 hour of lecture each week of the semester, or an average of 2 hours of laboratory each week of the semester. Prerequisites and Corequisites "Prereq.." indicates the course or courses to be satisfactorily completed before enrollment in the course described. "Coreq." indicates a course which must be taken concurrently with the course described. Cross-listed and Equivalent Courses Some courses are offered jointly by two or more departments. Thus, the notation "Same as Ling 373," included in the course description for Anthropology 373, indicates that Anthropology 373 and Linguistics 373 are the same course. A student may enroll for such a course under the department in which she or he wishes to receive credit, but credit is not allowed toward a degree for both courses. In certain cases, a course description indicates credit is not allowed for that course and for another course offered by a different department. These courses are very similar in content, although offered separately, and credit is not allowed toward a degree for both courses. Technical Courses Courses in the College of Technology with a course number suffix of "T" are primarily technical in nature and apply to the certificate programs and associate of applied science programs in the College but generally do not apply toward the associate of arts or baccalaureate degrees. Refer to vocational-technical credits in the Admissions section or Credit Maximums in this section. See index. Cancellation of Courses The University reserves he right to cancel any course for which fewer than five students are enrolled as of the beginning of the course. Final Examinations Except in the College of Technology, the final examinations for the semester are scheduled in two-hour segments, one for each course. The segments should be considered as class meetings to be treated by the instructor as he or she thinks educationally appropriate. Final exams in the College of Technology usually are given within the regular class meeting times of the final week of the semester. The time scheduled for final examinations is the only time period during which final examinations are to be given. If an instructor elects not to give a final examination, under no circumstances are final examinations to be given during the week preceding the scheduled final examination days. Students may seek relief from writing more than two examinations during the same day. Students who are scheduled for more than two examinations may contact the appropriate faculty to arrange an alternate testing time during the scheduled final examination period. If satisfactory arrangements cannot be made, the student should seek the assistance of his or her dean. Transcripts of Academic Records Transcripts of the academic record of a student may be obtained from the Registration Center of the Lodge or the Registrar's Office in the College of Technology upon the written request of the student. In compliance with federal and state laws designed to protect privacy, transcripts are not released without the student's authorizing signature. Transcripts are usually available within two to five working days after receipt of the request. There is a charge of $3.00 for each official transcript. Payment must be received before transcripts are released. Transcripts are withheld if the student owes a debt to the University. Faxed and overnight transcripts are $10.00 to cover special handling. |
Degree/Certificate Requirements |
Catalog Governing Graduation Students in College of Technology programs may graduate fulfilling requirements in the catalog under which they first enrolled or the latest catalog, provided they have been in continuous attendance (excluding summers). If attendance has been interrupted, requirements in the catalog that are current at the time of readmission must be fulfilled. Students in the other schools and colleges of the University may graduate fulfilling University and departmental requirements in any University of Montana-Missoula catalog under which he or she has been enrolled during the six years prior to graduation. University or departmental requirements may change, however, to comply with accreditation requirements, professional certification and licensing requirements, etc. The student may meet major and minor requirements under different catalogs than the catalog under which she or he is meeting University requirements. Pharmacy students should consult the Professional Pharmacy Curriculum section in this catalog. Applying for Certificate and Degree Candidacy To become a candidate for a degree, the student must file formal application in the Registration Center the beginning of the semester preceding the semester in which he or she expects to graduate. Deadline dates are specified in the Class Schedule. In the College of Technology, candidates for certificates and degrees must file a formal application with the Registrar's Office in the College at the beginning of the semester in which they expect to graduate. Credits Required for a Certificate of Completion See the specific course and credit requirements for certificate programs listed in the College of Technology and Linguistics sections of this catalog. See index. In addition, students in the College of Technology must complete successfully:
Credits Required for a Degree Associate of Applied Science See the specific course and credit requirements for the associate of applied science programs in the College of Technology section of this catalog. See index. In addition, students must complete successfully:
Associate of Arts A total of 65 credits is required for graduation with an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree. The minimum grade average for graduation is 2.00 in courses taken on the traditional letter grade (A-F) basis. To receive an Associate of Arts degree all students must complete in addition to any other requirements, the following General Education Requirements: A. Associate of Arts Competency Requirements:
B. Associate of Arts Distributional Requirements: Students must complete successfully three credits in each of the following six perspectives.
Students are referred to the section on General Education Requirements. To be used for General Education credit, a course must be approved in the Class Schedule for the semester a student registers for it. Bachelor Degrees A total of 120 credits is required for graduation with a bachelor degree; except a greater number is required in teacher education programs, pharmacy, physical therapy and the Bachelor of Applied Science. See the School of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences section of this catalog. Students may elect to earn two or more bachelor degrees. Those deciding to earn two or more degrees must complete all the requirements of the majors for each degree. In addition, students must earn for each degree a minimum of 30 credits beyond the number required for the first degree. The degrees may be earned concurrently or at different times. Upper-Division Requirement All students must complete a minimum of 39 credits in courses numbered 300 and above to meet graduation requirements for the first baccalaureate degree.Upper- division credits transferred from other four-year institutions will count toward the 39-credit requirement. Residency Requirements for Degrees/Certificates University of Montana credit is the credit earned in any course which has been approved to be listed in The University of Montana-Missoula catalog and which has been approved for offering by the department chair and dean of the school or college in which the course is taught. University of Montana-Missoula credit may be offered at any location. Requirements for College of Technology Certificate of Completion and Associate of Applied Science Degree A minimum of 51% of the required number must be earned from The University of Montana-Missoula. Requirements for the Associate of Arts Degree A minimum of 30 credits of the required number must be earned from The University of Montana-Missoula. Requirements for the First Bachelor Degree A first bachelor degree is defined as any bachelor degree earned by a student who has not previously earned a bachelor degree from The University of Montana-Missoula. Thus, the requirements below also apply to any student who previously earned a bachelor degree at another institution and now is seeking a bachelor degree from The University of Montana-Missoula.
Requirements for the Second Bachelor Degree In regard to residency requirements, a second bachelor degree is defined as any bachelor degree earned by a student who previously had earned a bachelor degree from The University of Montana-Missoula. A minimum of 20 credits of the required 30 credits must be earned in study on The University of Montana-Missoula campus. Credit Maximums The amount of credit which may be counted toward the minimum credit requirements for the bachelor and associate of arts degrees is limited in certain areas: Maximum Credit Applicable: |
Total | For Bachelor Degree | For AA Degree |
Technical courses (course number suffix of T.Up to 10 credits may be requested by petition) | 0 | 0 |
Physical education activity/skills courses (DRAM 385, HHP 100-179, MS 203 and 315) | 4 | 4 |
Coaching courses (HHP 310-317) | 2 | 2 |
R.O.T.C. courses (contracted students may present 24 credits) | 6 | 6 |
Performance music (Mus 100A, 101, 201, 301, 401, 151, 251, 351, 451, 115A, 116A, 117A, 215, 216, 217, 218)(Music majors and minors may present more) | 6 | 6 |
Ensemble music (Mus 106A-110,A 122A-124 and 140A-141A) (Music majors and minors may present More) | 8 | 8 |
Pass/Not Pass credits | 18 | 18 |
Omnibus credits | 15 | 13 |
Correspondence credits | 6 | 6 |
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