Admission
Advisors
Attendance
Auditing
Changing Curriculum
Classification of Students
Concurrent Pursuance of the B.S. and M.S. Degrees
Course Substitution
Credit
Credit by Examination
Cross Registration
Directed Research / Independent Study
Discipline and Suspension
Double Major
Drop / Add
Enrollment of Local High
School Students
Final Examinations
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Grade Replacement
Grade Reports
Grades
Graduate Courses
Graduation Requirements
Honors and Academic Awards
Involuntary Medical Withdrawal
Military Science /
Air Science
Night Examinations
November Completion
Operation Catapult
Overloads
Part-Time Student
Pass / Fail
Probation and Dismissal
Re-Admission
Registration
Repeating a Course
Summer Completion
Transcripts
Transfer Credit
Transfer Student
Tuition and Fees
Two Degrees
Withdrawal

 


GENERAL POLICY ON RULES AND PROCEDURES

All students, both undergraduate and graduate, and faculty are urged to read the following Rules Manual carefully. It is intended as a handy reference guide for Institute procedures, useful for both advisors and students. It also serves as a description of the student's academic rights and responsibilities and as a guarantee of equitable treatment for all students.


Each section clearly enumerates Stipulations or Limitations so you will not overlook important restrictions.


Each section describes Procedures as well as rules, so you may know not only what can be done but how to do it.

Each section contains, when necessary, words in UPPER CASE that refer you to other sections which apply to the particular rule under discussion.

Each section concludes with the name of the official or committee under whose jurisdiction that rule or procedure falls and to whom you may apply with questions or for exceptions.

The Institute maintains a strong commitment to take the individual needs of its students into account, so that, with proper cause, there is no rule to which exception cannot be made. By the same token, these rules have been developed from a careful consideration of the demands of the science and engineering curricula, tested through years of experience, and approved by vote of the entire Faculty. Exceptions, therefore, will not be granted casually.

Every attempt has been made to make these rules clear and concise and to keep the procedures up to date. Any person who finds a rule unfair, unclear, or unneeded is urged to direct suggestions for improvement to the Chairperson of the Rules and Discipline Committee.

NOTE:

This 2009 edition of the rules supersedes the 2008 edition. In general, all rules take effect immediately when they are approved by the Faculty and in no case later than the publication date of this booklet. A student who entered Rose-Hulman before September 2006 and who finds a change in the rules that will cause unusual hardship should appeal to the committee in charge of that rule to have the earlier version of it applied..

 

ABSENCE – See ATTENDANCE.

ACADEMIC ADVISORS – See ADVISORS.

ACADEMIC HONORS – See HONORS AND ACADEMIC AWARDS.

ADMISSION
General Policy. The criteria for admission may be found in the Bulletin of the Institute. The Faculty has the responsibility for determining these criteria, taking into account the changing educational trends in high schools and the needs of the curricula at Rose-Hulman.

Graduate Students. The policies governing the admission of graduate students are established by the Graduate Studies Committee. See the Graduate Bulletin.

Transfer Students. See TRANSFER CREDIT.
     See TRANSFER STUDENT.

Exceptions: Admissions and Standing Committee.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT - See CREDIT BY EXAMINATION.

ADVANCED STANDING - See CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS.

(back to top)

ADVISORS
Faculty Advisors to the freshman class are volunteer members of the faculty who, in addition to the usual responsibilities of course registration, also meet informally with their advisees throughout the academic year to discuss items of mutual interest or concern. The intent of the freshman advising program is to help students with the critical adjustment necessary for college success.

Transfer Students are assigned an ADVISOR in their chosen major field at the time their credits are evaluated.
     See TRANSFER STUDENT

Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors are assigned to an ADVISOR by the Head of their major department.

The Advisor's Role Each student must have a course schedule approved by that student's ADVISOR before REGISTRATION each term and may make no changes in it without the ADVISOR's approval. Mid-Term Reports for each student are made available to the ADVISOR, which provides an opportunity to discuss any problems the student may be having.

Changing Advisors. A student who wishes to be assigned a different ADVISOR should consult the Department Head. A student who changes majors will be assigned a new ADVISOR.
     See CHANGING CURRICULUM.

Related Services. The Institute's Counseling Services, located in the Office of the Dean of Students, offers help to students with personal or academic problems.

Consult: Dean of Students.

(back to top)

ATTENDANCE
General Policy. The cumulative nature, complexity, and fast pace of the courses at Rose-Hulman make regular classroom attendance a necessity. There are also important benefits to be gained from entering into classroom discussion, learning to express one's own ideas and to benefit from the ideas of others. The Faculty of Rose-Hulman

1.      agree that regular attendance is necessary,

2.      endorse the faculty member's right to require attendance,

3.      support the assessment of grade penalties, including failure in the course, for excessive absence, and

4.      expect each professor to give careful thought to and to announce attendance policy.

Stipulation. In each course, the instructor has the authority to determine and the responsibility to announce at the beginning of the course the extent to which any absence--excused or unexcused--or tardiness will affect the student's final grade. A student whose total absences in a course, excused or unexcused, exceed two per credit is liable to fail the course.

Excused Absences. Instructors will normally permit make-up work to be done when a student has legitimate conflicting obligations, such as illness or emergency, Institute-sponsored activities, or plant trips. These conflicts do not excuse the student from course responsibilities. The student is responsible for informing the instructor of any legitimate excuses and making arrangements for make-up work, if permitted, as soon as possible. Whenever possible, the student must discuss unavoidable absences with instructors in advance.

Group Activities. When more than one student will miss class because of a scheduled school activity, school policy requires that a notice be circulated to the Faculty.

The faculty sponsor for the activity must submit a roster of students involved, stating the purpose, time(s), and date(s) of absence, to the Dean of Students for approval. The sponsor is responsible for having this notice duplicated and distributed to the Faculty not later than one week prior to the anticipated absence.

Plant Trips. An Interview Plant Trip Form, available from the Placement Office, should be used by the student to notify instructors of an intended trip that will result in absence from class.

Exceptions: Dean of Students.

(back to top)

AUDITING
Auditing
, (taking a course without receiving credit), enables a student to sit in on a class which would be valuable but in which the student does not wish to enroll because of weak background, a desire to reduce course load, etc.

An audit does count as academic load. That is, if an OVERLOAD is incurred, the student must meet the minimum GPA requirements and will be charged accordingly.

A student's registration may be changed from credit to Audit or from Audit to credit, but may not do so later than the fifth day of classes in the term.

To Audit a course, the student must pick up an Audit Approval Form from the registrar’s office and check with the instructor who will determine if an Audit is permitted, what the criteria for 'successful completion' are, and what degree of participation will be expected or permitted. Then the student should consult the ADVISOR and return the signed form to the registrar’s office.

 A course successfully completed on an Audit basis does appear on the student's permanent record. It does not count toward graduation requirements, since no credit is given. It is assigned a “AU” rather than a credit GRADE, and if the instructor decides that the audit has been 'unsuccessful,' the instructor may direct that the “AU” not be awarded and the Audit will be removed from the student's record.

(A friendly note: many students who sign up to Audit a course later drop it or petition, unsuccessfully, to receive credit. Think twice before auditing).

Exceptions: Admissions and Standing Committee.

(back to top)

CHANGING CURRICULUM
A student who wishes to change curriculum, i.e., move from one major to another, should consult the Head of the new department in order to be assigned an ADVISOR. The student is responsible for transferring the student file to the new ADVISOR and must notify the Registrar immediately of the change in curriculum. The Registrar, in turn, will send official notification of the change to the appropriate Department Heads and to the Dean of Students.

     See COURSE SUBSTITUTION for a discussion of how courses in the old curriculum may be transferred to the new curriculum.

Consult: Registrar.

CLASS HONORS – See HONORS AND ACADEMIC AWARDS.

(back to top)

CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS
Regular Students.

1.      An entering freshman is a person who has never been enrolled as a full-time student at an accredited college or university. 

2.      A freshman is a student who has acquired less than 45 quarter-hour credits acceptable toward graduation.

3.      A sophomore is a student who has acquired at least 45 quarter-hour credits approved for the curriculum in which the student intends to receive a degree.

4.      A junior is a student who has acquired at least 95 quarter-hour credits approved for the curriculum in which the student intends to receive a degree.

5.      A senior is a student who has acquired at least 145 quarter-hour credits approved for the curriculum in which the student intends to receive a degree.

Special Student. A Rose-Hulman student who plans to transfer out of Rose-Hulman or who wishes to take courses for some special purpose may be classified as a Special Student. As such, the student is not a candidate for a degree and may enroll in courses of choice (subject to prerequisite requirements).

Credits earned while classified as a Special Student may be applied toward the requirements for a degree at a later date if the student petitions for and is granted reclassification as a regular student.

A student desiring classification or re-classification as a Special Student should submit to the Registrar a written petition to the Admissions and Standing Committee. If approved, student's records will show the classification and notification will be given to the student's ADVISOR and the Dean of Students.

If a student who has been granted Special Student classification departs from the established curricula and later petitions to become a regular degree candidate, the student may not use the Special Student option as a means of circumventing any of the usual degree requirements.
     See ENROLLMENT OF LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL OR NON-DEGREE STUDENTS

     See PART-TIME STUDENT.
     See TRANSFER STUDENT.

Exceptions: Admissions and Standing Committee.

CLEP EXAM - See CREDIT BY EXAMINATION.

CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT - See CROSS-REGISTRATION.

(back to top)

CONCURRENT PURSUANCE OF THE B.S. AND M.S. DEGREES
General Policy. A student who, by reason of CREDIT BY EXAMINATION, TRANSFER CREDIT, and/or OVERLOADS, etc., will have completed most of the requirements for the B.S. degree and would be carrying less than a normal load while finishing those requirements may elect to begin work toward the M.S. degree while still completing B.S. degree requirements. Provision for Concurrent Pursuance of the B.S. and M.S. degrees is designed for the student who is likely to enroll for more than 12 credit hours of graduate credit before completing B.S. requirements. Normally, a student may not transfer more than 12 credit hours into the graduate program, but this provision permits the student, within the limitations discussed below, to enroll in an M.S. program at Rose-Hulman while still completing a B.S. degree.

A student who wishes to take 12 hours or less for graduate credit should refer to the section entitled GRADUATE COURSES.

Limitations:

1.      The student's academic record at the time of petition for this program must meet the level of achievement necessary for admission as a candidate for the M.S. degree.

2.      The student must formally apply to the graduate program and complete a Concurrent Pursuance Application Form. On this Form the student in conjunction with the ADVISOR must propose a term by term plan of study, showing both the plan for completing the requirements for the B.S. degree and the proposed courses which are to apply only toward the M.S. degree. The proposed plan of study must be endorsed by the Head(s) of the department(s) concerned--i.e., of both the B.S. and M.S. programs--and approved by the Graduate Studies Committee. Application materials should be obtained from and returned to the Director of Graduate Studies.

3.      In case of schedule conflicts, courses for the B.S. degree take precedence, and COURSE SUBSTITUTION for required courses of the B.S. program will not be approved for the purpose of removing such conflicts.

4.      The student will be admitted no earlier than three quarters before the expected completion of B.S. degree requirements. Application should be made well in advance of the start of the quarter for which admission is sought.

5.      The student may request graduate financial aid (tuition grant or assistantship) at the time of formal application to the graduate program, but graduate aid can be awarded only for terms which follow the successful completion of the requirements of the B.S. degree.

6.      Until the requirements for the B.S. degree are completed, the provisions on OVERLOADS apply.

Exceptions: Graduate Studies Committee.

CONSORTIUM - See CROSS-REGISTRATION.

COUNSELING - See ADVISORS.

COURSE LOAD   - See PART-TIME STUDENT, OVERLOADS.

(back to top)

COURSE SUBSTITUTION
General Policy. Course Substitution permits a student to substitute an equivalent course for a required course in the student's curriculum. Because of the strict requirements set for science and engineering curricula by accrediting agencies, such changes in curricular requirements cannot be made casually.

Substitutions may be approved in the case of a student who is changing curriculum and has already taken a course in the old curriculum that is equivalent to one required in the new curriculum. Substitutions may also be approved if compliance with some course requirement of a published curriculum would require unreasonable hardship for the student.

Procedure. The student must complete a Course Substitution Approval Form, available on the registrar’s web-site or in the registrar’s office. The completed form should be taken to the appropriate department head(s) for approval or referral to the Curriculum Committee and returned to the registrar’s office. If the course substitution request is referred to the Curriculum Committee, the registrar will take it to the Curriculum Committee for approval or denial. If there are two or more dissenting votes on the Committee, the petition must be brought before the entire Faculty for approval or denial.

Limitations:

1.      Approval for Course Substitution must be obtained prior to registration for the student's final term at Rose-Hulman.

2.      The course(s) substituted should generally be in the same or a related area and of the same or higher academic level as the one(s) for which the substitution is sought.

3.      It is not the intention of the Course Substitution provision to allow a student to circumvent a course which is part of the student's normal curriculum.

4.      A student who fails a required course must repeat that course and may not substitute another in its place.

5.      If a student has been granted classification as a Special Student and departs from the established curricula and later petitions to become a regular degree candidate, the student may not apply for Course Substitution for courses taken while a Special Student.

           See CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS: Special Student

6.      DIRECTED STUDY courses can not be used for Course Substitution.

Exceptions: Curriculum Committee.

(back to top)

CREDIT
The number of academic credits awarded for successful completion of a course in a given term is usually equal to the number of class meetings per week. This applies to lectures and recitation periods which are typically 50 minutes long and also to laboratory sessions which may be of two to four periods duration.

(back to top)

CREDIT BY EXAMINATION
Definition.
Credit by Examination (graduation credits earned by demonstrating knowledge of course subject material but without enrolling in the course) may be obtained in a number of ways, as described below. Entering students most often obtain Credit by Examination through National Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate examinations or by taking Placement Examinations offered by the various departments at Rose-Hulman. Students already in attendance may use Course Examination and By-Passing.

A student who receives Credit by Examination for a course may use it to satisfy graduation requirements and may enroll in more advanced courses. Note that Credit by Examination does not carry a grade and hence does not influence the student's GPA.

National AP Examinations. Students who receive a score of 4 or 5 on a national AP examination will receive credit by examination as described below. The decision whether or not to grant credit for courses other than those listed will be made by the appropriate Department Head.

AP EXAM CONVERSIONS FOR RHIT CREDIT

     
AP Score of 4 or 5

RHIT Cr

RHIT Equiv.
ART - DRAWING

4

IA142
ART - GENERAL

4

IA
ART HISTORY

4

SV
BIOLOGY

**

Score 4 = AB101, Score 5 = AB110
CALCULUS AB

5

MA111
CALCULUS BC

10

MA111 & MA112
CHEMISTRY
 

**
 

Score 4 = Elig CHEM Honors, CHEM112
Score 5 = 12 cr CHEM111,113,115
COMPUTER SCIENCE A

**

Eligible to enroll in CSSE Honors, CSSE 221 (4 credit hours). Upon completion of CSSE 221, 4 additional credit hours for CSSE 120 will be awarded
COMPUTER SCIENCE AB

12

Eligible for CSSE 230. Upon successful completion of CSSE 230, student is awarded 4 credits for CSSE 120 and 4 credits for CSSE 220.
ECON - MAC

4

SV151 (SV if granted SV151 for other econ exam)
ECON - MIC

4

SV151 (SV if granted SV151 for other econ exam)
ENG LANG/COMP

4

RH131
ENG LIT/COMP

4

IA
EUROPEAN HISTORY

4

GS
FRENCH LANGUAGE (FR)
 

**
 

Score 4 = 8 cr of foreign language
Score 5 = 12 cr of foreign language
FRENCH LIT

4

4 additional cr of foreign language
GERMAN LANGUAGE (GE)
 

**
 

Score 4 = GE111 and GE112
Score 5 = GE111, GE112 and GE113
GOV & POL COMP

4

GS161
GOV & POL US

4

SV166
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

4

GS291
INTL ENG LANG

0

no credit
LATIN - LIT
 

 **

4 = 8 cr of foreign language
5 = 12 cr of foreign language
LATIN - VERGIL

4

4 additional cr of foreign language
MUSIC THEORY

4

IA246
PHYSICS B

0

no credit
PHYSICS C - E&M

4

PH112
PHYSICS C - MECH

4

PH111
PSYCHOLOGY

4

SV171
SPANISH LANG (SP)
 

**
 

Score 4 = SP111 and SP112
Score 5 = SP111, SP112 and SP113
SPANISH LIT

4

4 additional cr of foreign language
STATISTICS

MA223
STUDIO ART:2D DESIGN

4

no credit
STUDIO ART:3D DESIGN

4

no credit
US HISTORY

4

SV
WORLD HISTORY

4

GS223

International Baccalaureate Examinations. In general, a student who receives a score of 5 or better on a higher level examination in the IB program will receive Credit by Examination for the corresponding course at Rose-Hulman.

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE CONVERSIONS FOR RHIT CREDIT

     
GROUP 1 (First language)
IB score of 5 or better


RHIT Cr


RHIT Equivalent
ENGLISH A1

4

RH131
     
GROUP 2 (Second language, incl. Latin and ancient Greek)
IB score of 5 or better

RHIT Cr

RHIT Equivalent
LANGUAGE A2

 

0

 

Must take placement exam
and receive "C" or better for credit
LANGUAGE B

4

GS
LANGUAGE ab

 

0

 

Must take placement exam
and receive "C" or better for credit
     
GROUP 3 (Individuals and Society)
IB score of 5 or better

RHIT Cr

RHIT Equivalent
BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT

4

Free Elective
ECONOMICS

4

SV
GEOGRAPHY

4

SV
HISTORY

4

GS
HISTORY: AMERICAS

4

SV
HISTORY: EUROPE

4

GS
HISTORY of ISLAMIC WORLD

4

GS
INFORMATION TECH in a
GLOBAL SOCIETY

**

**See Department Head
PHILOSOPHY

4

IA
SOCIAL and CULTURAL
ANTHROPOLOGY

4

SV
PSYCHOLOGY

4

SV
     
GROUP 4 (Experimental Sciences)
IB score of 5 or better

RHIT Cr

RHIT Equivalent
BIOLOGY

4

AB110
CHEMISTRY
 

0
 

A score of 5 or better is placed in Honors Chemistry
DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

**

**See Department Head
ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS

**

**See Department Head
PHYSICS

 

**

 

**See Department Head (Student may want to take a placement exam)
     
GROUP 5 (Mathematics)
IB score of 5 or better

RHIT Cr

RHIT Equivalent
MATHEMATICS METHODS

**

**See Department Head
FURTHER MATHEMATICS

**

**See Department Head
MATHEMATICS HIGHER LEVEL

5

MA111
MATHEMATICS STUDIES

**

**See Department Head
COMPUTER SCIENCE

4

Elig to enroll in CSSE Honors, CSSE 221 (4 credit hours). Upon completion of CSSE 221, 4 additional credit hours for CSSE 120 will be awarded
     
GROUP 6 (The Arts)
IB score of 5 or better

RHIT Cr

RHIT Equivalent
VISUAL ARTS

4

IA
MUSIC

4

IA
THEATER ARTS

4

IA

CLEP Examination. Some institutions offer credit for successful performance on the CLEP (College Level Examination Program) given by the College Examination Board. This exam tests for college level experience obtained primarily by non-traditional means, such as correspondence courses, courses taken at non-accredited institutions or in the armed services or in industry or by independent study. However, due to the strict accreditation requirements for the science and engineering curricula, these exams are not applicable at Rose-Hulman. The Institute will set its own examinations for entering students who feel that their previous experience would enable them to by-pass certain courses. (See below under "Course By-Passing.") The decision whether or not to grant credit for such exams is made by the appropriate Department Head.

Rose-Hulman Departmental Placement Examinations. An entering student who takes a departmental placement examination may receive Credit by Examination and be placed in more advanced courses in the following areas:

1.      Chemistry. Students (except those exempted on the basis of AP or IB credit) may take the online chemistry placement examination prior to enrollment.

A student with a sufficiently high score on the departmental examination will be given the option of enrolling in CHEM112, General Chemistry Honors, which carries 5 hours of credit. The student will then be exempted from the required chemistry sequence--CHEM111 and CHEM113, General Chemistry I and II--which carries 8 hours of total credit.

Upon completion of CHEM112 with a grade of A, B+, or B, the student will also be granted 3 additional hours of Credit by Examination, (so that the total of 8 credits represents the 8 credits normally earned in CHEM111 and CHEM113). A grade of C+ or lower means that the student enrolls in CHEM113 (if the academic major requires CHEM113).

2.      Foreign Language. A student who qualifies through the foreign language examination administered during Freshman Orientation Week will be permitted to enroll in the appropriate level of German, Spanish, or Japanese as determined by the foreign language faculty. Upon successful completion a quarter of more advanced language at Rose-Hulman with a grade of C or better, the student will be granted 4 hours of Credit by Examination for each quarter of language by-passed. (Note: a minimum of two terms of college language must be completed in order to receive Humanities credit.)

3.      Mathematics. A student may contact the mathematics department head well in advance of the start of classes to schedule a placement exam for one or more of the freshmen calculus sequence courses: MA111, MA112, and MA113. The exam will be administered during Freshmen Orientation week.

The Mathematics Department also offers a five-week intensive study of calculus during the summer for advanced students. For successful completion of this course, a student is granted 15 hours of Credit by Examination for MA111, MA112, and MA113 (the freshman year course).

4.      Military Science/Air Science. A U.S. veteran with one year's service and members of a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces may be given Credit by Examination for Basic Military/Air Science.
     See MILITARY/AIR SCIENCE.

5.      Physics. A student who qualifies through the physics placement examination administered during Freshman Orientation Week will be given 4 hours of Credit by Examination for PH111, Physics I.

Course Examination. A student may receive Credit by Examination through successful performance on a comprehensive examination covering the material of a course. The student must apply to the head of the appropriate department for such an exam and it is subject to the following limitations.

1.      The granting of Credit by Examination is normally limited to courses or areas available at Rose-Hulman or compatible with the curricula offered at Rose-Hulman.

2.      Credit by Examination cannot be used to make up a course failure (F or WF).

3.      Credit by Examination carries no grade and does not affect the student's GPA.

4.      Evaluation of special examinations will be made by the head of the department to determine whether a sufficient demonstration of knowledge of the particular course has been made to warrant Credit by Examination.

Course By-Passing. A student might, by reason of previous experience, be challenged little by a particular course. In such a case, the student may, with the approval of the ADVISOR, the head of the department in which the course is offered, and the instructor concerned, enroll in the succeeding course in the same subject and, on completing that course with a grade of C or better, be granted Credit by Examination for the course(s) by-passed.

Consult: Head of the appropriate department.
Exceptions: Curriculum Committee.

(back to top)

CROSS REGISTRATION
General Policy. Cross Registration permits a Rose-Hulman student to enroll simultaneously at Indiana State University or St. Mary-of-the-Woods College. This provision is designed to aid the student who desires a wider range of electives.

Limitations:

1.      Normally, permission for Cross Registration will be granted only when the course(s) taken can be applied to the student's graduation requirements at Rose-Hulman.

2.      The usual regulations for OVERLOAD apply. If the combined academic load will exceed the stipulated limits, the student must petition the Admissions and Standing Committee in advance of enrollment.

3.      The usual regulations for TRANSFER CREDIT apply.

Procedure: At least two weeks prior to the first day of classes at the other institution, a Rose-Hulman student wishing to take a course there must obtain the necessary application form from the Rose-Hulman Registrar. The form must then be approved by the Dean of the Faculty, the Registrars of both institutions, the appropriate Department Heads, ADVISOR, and the course instructor before the beginning of classes at the other institution.

Tuition and Fees. Under the present Cross-Registration arrangement, a full-time Rose-Hulman student pays no additional fee for courses taken at I.S.U. or at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College during the regular school year (excluding summer sessions).

     See COURSE SUBSTITUTION.
    
See TRANSFER CREDIT.

Consult: Registrar.

DIRECTED RESEARCH/ INDEPENDENT STUDY
In order to increase the breadth and flexibility of course offerings, many departments offer courses under the designation Directed Research/ Independent Study. A student who desires a course not normally offered or not available during a given term should approach the instructor in whose discipline the course would normally fall to discuss the possibility of Directed Research/ Independent Study. If the instructor agrees, a written proposal may be required from the student, specifying the reading and/or research to be undertaken, reports or tests to be used for grading purposes, number of meetings per week, number of credits to be awarded, etc.

Procedure: The student should pick up and complete a Directed Research/ Independent Study form, available in the registrar’s office. The completed form should be returned to the registrar’s office.          

Limitations:

1.      Directed Research/ Independent Study courses may not be used to replace a failed course.

2.      Directed Research/ Independent Study courses may not be used for COURSE SUBSTITUTION.

3.      All Directed Research/ Independent Study courses must receive the approval of the appropriate Department Head.

Person in Charge: Department Head.

(back to top)

DISCIPLINE AND SUSPENSION

     See also  INVOLUNTARY MEDICAL WITHDRAWAL

(back to top)

I: GENERAL DISCIPLINE POLICY

An Overview.

1.      The sections that follow discuss the discipline policies of the Institute in detail. This section summarizes those policies, showing the areas of jurisdiction and the levels of appeal. The major focus in this document is on the procedures of the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee, since rules governing general student conduct are discussed in the appropriate student handbooks.

2.      There are two major areas of jurisdiction. The Dean of Students and the Dean's staff handle cases of Non-Academic Misconduct. Individual faculty members and the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee handle cases of Academic Misconduct. All cases of misconduct must be reported to the Dean of Students.

3.      Whenever a student is charged with Non-Academic Misconduct, a disciplinary conference will be scheduled with the Dean of Students.

4.      Any student charged with misconduct is urged to consult with the Dean of Students or the Chairperson of the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee to be informed of the procedures that will be followed and to receive assistance in preparing a defense.

General Policy.

1.      The Institute values its reputation for moral leadership as much as its reputation for academic excellence and expects all persons associated with it to maintain this reputation. The Institute's Code of Ethics is simple and direct:  Rose-Hulman expects its students to be responsible adults and to behave at all times with honor and integrity.

2.      All students are expected to abide by this Code and to aid in its enforcement by reporting violations of it.

3.      All Institute administrative officials, faculty, and staff are authorized to enforce the rules and policies of the Institute, are expected to report any violations thereof to the appropriate disciplinary agencies, and will be given full legal support for Institute-related disciplinary actions they may take, on or off campus.

4.      All Institute personnel are urged to be both firm and fair in taking disciplinary action and to do so in consultation with other Institute personnel to avoid illegal actions.

Authority.

1.      The Board of Trustees has granted authority to the President of the Institute, in an instance of major disturbance or civil disobedience, to immediately dismiss any student or employee who refuses to leave the scene of the disturbance.

2.      The Board has granted authority to the Faculty to admit and dismiss (suspend) students and the responsibility for all matters involving student discipline.

3.      The Faculty has delegated to the Dean of Students and to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee the authority to dismiss a student, i.e., to impose temporary or permanent suspension.

(back to top)

II: NON-ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT

Procedures and Appeals in Cases of Non-Academic Misconduct.

1.      Non-Academic Misconduct includes action such as theft, damage, or unauthorized use of Institute property, the disruption of Institute activities on or off campus, disorderly conduct on Institute property or in off-campus fraternity or sorority houses, or violations of Institute regulations as set forth in the Student Handbook.

2.      Jurisdiction in such cases lies with the Dean of Students and instances of such misconduct witnessed by Institute students, faculty, or staff should be reported to the Dean.

3.      Routine problems in the residence halls are handled by the Resident Assistants with the help of professional members of the Student Affairs staff (the Associate Dean or the Director of Residence Life).  A student may appeal their rulings to the Dean of Students.

4.      Whenever a student is charged with Non-Academic Misconduct, a disciplinary conference will be scheduled with the Dean of Students. If the facts of the case and the penalties to be imposed can be agreed upon, the Dean of Students and the student will sign a Statement of Agreement.  This Statement of Agreement, when signed, will constitute a waiver of the right to a hearing or any appeal and an acceptance of the findings and penalties imposed.

5.      If an agreement cannot be reached regarding both the facts of the case and the penalty to be imposed (i.e., a Statement of Agreement has not been signed) and the Dean of Students has determined that suspension from Rose-Hulman may be warranted, then the Dean of Students has the authority to suspend the student or refer the case to the Rules and Discipline Committee.  If the Dean of Students determines that suspension is not an appropriate penalty, and a Statement of Agreement has not been signed, the student must select one of the following three committees to hear the case. The chair of the chosen committee must be contacted within five business days. If none of the chairs are contacted within five business days, then the Dean of Students will issue a ruling which is final.

a.       A hearing by the Student Judicial Council. The Student Judicial Council is a committee of students appointed by the Student Government Association to handle cases of non-academic misconduct. The student may have counsel with him or her (a current student, faculty, or staff member).  Appeal of any sanctions assigned by the Student Judicial Council may be made to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee if initiated within five business days. If the chair of the Rules and Discipline Committee is not contacted within five business days, then the decision of the Student Judicial Council will be final. The appeal to the Rules and Discipline Committee will be final.

b.      A hearing by the Student Affairs Judicial Board.  The Board consists of three members of the professional Student Affairs staff and cannot include the Dean of Students.  In all cases the student may have counsel (a current student, faculty, or staff member) with him or her. Appeals of sanctions assigned by the Student Affairs Judicial Board may be made to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee if initiated within five business days. If the chair of the Rules and Discipline Committee is not contacted within five business days, then the decision of the Student Affairs Judicial Board will be final. The appeal to the Rules and Discipline Committee will be final.

c.       A hearing by the Rules and Discipline Committee.  This is a committee consisting of faculty, staff, and student(s) that hears cases of academic and non-academic misconduct. A Committee decision to suspend may be appealed to the Faculty (see below, "V: Appealing a Suspension to the Faculty"). In all other cases the decision of the Committee is final. An appeal of suspension by the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee decisions must be initiated within five business days by contacting the chair of the Rules and Discipline Committee. If the chair of the Rules and Discipline Committee is not contacted within five business days, then the decision of the Rules and Discipline Committee will be final.

Suspension by the Dean of Students.

1.      The Dean is specifically delegated by the Faculty the authority to suspend a student, temporarily or permanently.  The student may appeal such a decision to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee within five business days and should be informed of the right to do so by the Dean.

2.      The Dean may, in consultation with the President of the Institute, invoke summary suspension, barring a student from the Institute immediately.  This may be done when required for the well-being of the student, of other persons, or of the Institute.  The student must comply with this ruling, but may appeal to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee within five business days.

3.      A suspension ruling will be recorded on the student’s academic record, unless the case is successfully appealed.  In the case of temporary suspension, this record will be removed at the end of the suspension period.  In the case of permanent suspension it will remain permanently.

4.      The Dean of Students shall report all instances of suspension of a student by the Dean of Students at the next regular Institute Meeting.

The following flowchart gives an overview of the procedures described in this section. In case of discrepancies, the text of the procedures takes precedence over the flowchart.

Click here for flowchart.

III: ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT

Actions by an Instructor.

1.      Academic Misconduct includes actions such as cheating, plagiarizing, or interfering with the academic progress of other students.

2.      In such cases, the instructor may choose to give reduced credit or no credit for work dishonestly done. This may result in a lowering of the student's course grade.

3.      In addition, the instructor may appropriately levy some further penalty, since the student has violated the Institute Code. Penalties include but are not limited to a warning, (further) lowering the course grade, failure in the course, or turning the case over to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee. If the penalty levied by the instructor is "failure in the course", a student forfeits the right to withdraw from the course with a grade of "WS" or "WF".                                                                        

     See also  DROP/ADD

4.      The student has the right to appeal the instructor's decision to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee. The instructor should inform the student of this right of appeal at the time the decision is discussed with the student.

5.      In all instances, the instructor shall submit a brief written report of the case and any action taken to the Dean of Students, the Head of department, and the student. In case a penalty course grade (F, D, or D+) has been assigned, a copy of the report shall also be submitted to the Registrar. These reports will be kept on file until the student graduates, at which time the records will be destroyed. If the case is successfully appealed, the records will be expunged unless the student requests that they be retained. For example, they may be retained in an instance where the course grade has been lowered by the instructor but the Committee subsequently exonerated the student. (See: "Hearings Before the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee: Committee Actions.")

Bringing a Case to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee.

1.      If a student accused of Academic Misconduct feels that an instructor has been unfair or has imposed a penalty too severe the student may appeal to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee.

2.      An instructor, who would like a recommendation of what further penalty should be assessed or would like a penalty that carries the weight of faculty action, may bring the case to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee. This should be done particularly if the instructor feels that the case is serious enough to warrant suspension from the Institute. In turning the case over to the Committee, the instructor should indicate what actions have already taken in the case to aid them in judging what further penalty, if any, is appropriate. The instructor should also be prepared to abide by the recommendation of the Committee, whatever it might be.

3.      If the Dean of Students finds a student involved in more than one instance of Academic Misconduct, the Dean may bring the case to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee.

4.      If a Board of Inquiry finds evidence of Academic Misconduct, it will bring the case to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee. (See Below.)

Board of Inquiry.

1.      A student or any other person connected with the Institute who witnesses Academic Misconduct or who has reason to believe that it has occurred should discuss this with the instructor, the Department Head, or the Dean of Students. They may bring the case directly to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee or, if more investigation is required, they will bring the matter to the Dean of the Faculty who, in consultation with the Dean of Students, will appoint a Board of Inquiry.

2.      This Board will consist of two faculty members who are not members of the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee.

3.      If the Board finds sufficient evidence of misconduct it will bring the case to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee.

(back to top)

IV: HEARINGS BEFORE THE INSTITUTE RULES AND DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE

Types of Cases Heard by the Committee.

1.      A student may appeal a disciplinary action of an individual instructor.

2.      A student may appeal a suspension ruling by the Dean of Students.

3.      A faculty member, the Dean of Students or other Institute official, or a Board of Inquiry may bring a case against a student.

General Procedures.

1.      The party requesting a hearing shall submit a complete written statement to the Chairperson of the Committee, who will distribute copies to all persons involved and to the Dean of Students. The Chairperson shall invite the other parties involved to submit written rebuttal statements. The Chairperson shall schedule a hearing date and notify all parties, calling the procedures herein described to their attention so that they will be aware of their rights and of the conduct of the hearing. All this shall be accomplished as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a few days.

2.      At the hearing, the student may be accompanied by a faculty member or other person affiliated with the Institute to serve as counsel. The Chairperson shall contact the student prior to the hearing to ascertain whether counsel is required and, if necessary, shall assist in the selection.

3.      The accused has the right to hear all testimony, to examine all evidence, to question all witnesses, to present evidence, and to ask that witnesses be called on the accused's behalf. The student also has the right to remain silent and a decision to do so will not be taken as an admission of guilt.

4.      Witnesses may be requested to appear before the Committee by the Chairperson if desired by the accused, by the person bringing charges, or by the Committee itself.

5.      Any member of the Committee directly involved in the case under consideration or who, for any reason, would be biased in the case, will be excused from the hearing by the Chairperson. The accused and the accused's counsel may petition the Chairperson to excuse a Committee member whom they believe holds a serious bias in the case.

6.      Guilt or innocence in a case shall be determined solely on the merits of that case. The Committee shall not review the previous disciplinary record of the accused before the hearing, or permit such information to be introduced in the hearing, or allow such knowledge as they may have to bias their judgment.

7.      Any finding requires concurrence by a majority of Committee members taking part in the hearing.

8.      A recording of the hearing will be made.

9.      After the close of the hearing, the Committee will privately consider the case, call additional meetings if necessary, reach a decision, notify all parties of the decision, and prepare a brief written statement. Copies of this statement will be sent to all parties and to the Dean of Students to be made a part of the student's personal (not academic) record.

10.  The intent of the foregoing procedures is to make clear to all parties what will occur during the hearing and to safeguard the rights of the accused. It is also their intent to make the hearings as relaxed as possible and to permit free interchange of information between the accused and the Committee in an effort to ascertain the relevant facts of the case.

Committee Actions.

1.      In the case of a student appealing the disciplinary action of an instructor, the Committee may uphold the action of the instructor, may decide that the student is innocent, or may decide that the student has been too severely penalized. Accordingly, it may recommend that the instructor reconsider actions (such as lowering a grade) that have been taken. However, because of the limitations of academic freedom, the Committee is not empowered to change any grade. If the instructor chooses not to follow the Committee's recommendation the Committee will prepare a written statement of its findings for inclusion in the student's personal records. It is hereby specifically noted that, in cases of student appeal, the Committee may not recommend penalties in addition to those which the instructor has already imposed.

2.      In the case of a student appealing a suspension by the Dean of Students, the Committee may affirm the suspension, may mitigate the suspension (changing permanent suspension to temporary suspension or reducing the terms of suspension), or may remove the suspension and recommend that the Dean substitute other penalties or that no penalties be assessed. The Committee may not levy additional penalties. The Committee is not empowered to review other disciplinary actions of the Dean, such as removing a student from the Residence Halls, which may be appealed to the President of the Institute.

3.      In the case of a hearing initiated against a student, if the Committee finds the student innocent it may recommend, but cannot require, that any penalties previously assessed be removed. Its report shall include its determination of innocence and shall direct that all written reports of the case be expunged from the student's personal record unless the student requests that they be retained. For example, they may be retained in an instance where a course grade has been lowered by the instructor but the Committee subsequently exonerated the student.

4.      In the case of a hearing initiated against a student, if the Committee renders a finding of guilty, the Dean of Students will then review the student's previous disciplinary record, if any, to aid the Committee in its decision as to the penalty. Penalty options include, but are not limited to, a reprimand, a recommendation to the instructor that the student's grade be lowered or that the student be failed in the course, suspension of the student from extra-curricular activities, a referral of the case to civil authorities, or suspension of the student from the Institute. The Committee will not seek to devise 'novel' penalties or forms of restitution unless they seem clearly appropriate and do not constitute 'cruel and unusual punishment'.

5.      A decision to suspend may be appealed to the Faculty. (See below.) In all other cases, the decision of the Committee is final; that is, no further appeal is permitted by the student and no penalties beyond those recommended by the Committee should be assessed by the instructor.

Suspension by the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee.

1.      Should the Committee decide to suspend the student from the Institute, it will notify the Dean of Students, the Registrar, and the Chairperson of the Admissions and Standing Committee of the suspension. A student choosing to appeal the decision to the Faculty, may remain enrolled and in attendance at the Institute until the appeal has been heard, unless the Committee shall decide on immediate dismissal for reasons relating to the well-being of the student, of other persons, or of the Institute.

2.      The Committee may stipulate suspension for one, two, or three terms. After the suspension period the student will normally be permitted to submit a written petition to the Dean of Students who will review it. After the review, the Dean of Students will submit a recommendation to the Admissions and Standing Committee for final action.
     See PROBATION AND DISMISSAL and RE-ADMISSION.

In unusual cases, such as repeated misconduct, personal injury, or serious violations of law, the Committee may impose permanent suspension, thus ruling out readmission.

3.      A suspension ruling will be recorded on the student's academic record, unless the case is successfully appealed. In the case of temporary suspension, this record will be removed at the end of the suspension period. In the case of permanent suspension it will remain permanently.

4.      A student who is suspended forfeits all rights to a refund of any portion of fees paid and will remain liable for all monies owed.
     See TUITION AND FEES.

5.      The Committee may stipulate that the Institute will not accept TRANSFER CREDIT earned at another school by a student during the period of suspension from the Institute.

6.      The Chairperson shall report all instances in which the Committee has suspended a student at the next regular Institute Meeting.

V: APPEALING A SUSPENSION TO THE FACULTY

Overview.

The grounds for appeal will generally be (but are not limited to):

a.       That the hearing was not fair (because of biases of members of the Rules and Discipline Committee, etc.)

b.      That the findings of the hearing were not accurate (because evidence was overlooked or improper evidence taken into account.)

c.       That the findings were accurate but the penalty too severe (because mitigating circumstances were not taken into account.)

d.      That the student accepts the findings and the penalty as just but wishes to plead for special consideration.

General Procedures.

1.      A student who is suspended and wishes to appeal this ruling to the Faculty must submit a written appeal to the Chairperson of the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee within five business days of the Committee's ruling.

2.      The Chairperson will provide the student with a copy of the minutes or a recording of the hearing.

3.      Within five business days of receiving the minutes or recording, the student must make a written appeal to the President of the Institute, who will distribute copies to the Dean of Students, the Chairperson of the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee and other persons involved.

4.      The case will be heard at either a regular or special Institute Meeting at the discretion of the President, who will preside at the appeal.

5.      All parties in the case will be permitted to appear at the hearing to make statements and answer questions. The student may be accompanied by a faculty member or other person affiliated with the Institute whom the student selects to serve as counsel.

6.      The proceedings will begin with a report by the Chairperson of the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee, summarizing the previous hearing(s). Then the parties involved shall make their statements of appeal and answer questions from the Faculty. Since this is an appeal and not a re-hearing, witnesses will not be re-heard nor evidence reviewed. The focus will be on errors in the previous hearing, unfairness, or mitigating circumstances.

7.      With all parties dismissed, the Faculty shall discuss its decision. Any faculty member directly involved in the case will be excused from this final deliberation. The decision shall be arrived at by simple majority vote. At the request of any faculty member, the vote will be by secret ballot.

8.      The decision will be announced to all parties and a written report will be prepared by the Institute Secretary, with copies to all parties and a copy to the student's personal record in the Office of the Dean of Students.

The Chairperson will provide the student with a copy of the minutes or a recording of the hearing.

9.      Since the Board of Trustees has granted authority to the Faculty to dismiss students, the Faculty's decision shall be final. 

Faculty Action Options.

1.      The Faculty may affirm the action to suspend.

2.      The Faculty may mitigate the penalty, changing permanent suspension to temporary suspension or reducing the terms of suspension.

3.      The Faculty may substitute another penalty for suspension.

4.      The Faculty may remand the case to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee for re-sentencing (i.e., specifying that a penalty other than suspension be assigned).

5.      The Faculty may remand the case to the Institute Rules and Discipline Committee for re-hearing (in cases where there seem to have been serious improprieties in the hearing).

6.      The Faculty may remove all penalties.

7.      The Faculty may not levy penalties in addition to those already imposed.

Committee in Charge: Rules and Discipline Committee.

DISMISSAL - See PROBATION AND DISMISSAL as well as INVOLUTARY MEDICAL WITHDRAWAL

DOUBLE DEGREE - See TWO DEGREES.

(back to top)

DOUBLE MAJOR
General Policy. A qualified student who completes all the requirements for a degree in one discipline and all the departmental courses (including prerequisites) of another discipline will be graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree with a Double Major. OVERLOADS will probably be required.

The order of specifying the majors will be, first, the curriculum which was completed in its entirety and, second, the curriculum in which only departmental (and prerequisite) courses were completed.

Procedure. Proposals for double majors and two degree programs should contain the following four elements and follow these formatting guidelines:

1.      A cover page (available on the Registrar’s website) with signature/date lines, requesting approval of the program and noting any special circumstances such as course substitutions, minors, or certificate programs.  Specifically there should be a check box on the form that may be checked by anyone in the approval process if they believe the request should be brought before the curriculum committee.  It is the responsibility of the student and their advisor to specifically state what exceptions are being sought and supply appropriate documentation.  Common exceptions might be non-standard course substitutions or prohibited two degree/double major programs.  If there are exceptions, the proposal must go to the Curriculum Committee (CC) for approval.  The required signatures are:

·        The Student and his/her Advisor

·        Department Heads of all programs in the proposal (usually two)

·        Program advisor if appropriate e.g., economics advisor or the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology advisor

·        Humanities and Social Sciences Department Head

·        Dean of the Faculty

·        The CC chair will initial the statement on exceptions on the cover page if the proposal is not being brought to the CC and pass the proposal on to the Registrar.     

2.      A complete program schedule, by quarters, which includes the credit hours for each course, the total credit hours for each quarter and the total credit hours.

3.      A table showing how all degree program requirements of the first major are satisfied, in a format acceptable to that major’s department. The table should show the quarter taken, the grade achieved (if known), and the total number of credit hours taken.

4.      A similar table showing how all the named requirements of the second major are satisfied, again in a format approved by the second department.  If the proposal is a two degree program, the full program details must be given for the second degree.  For additional majors or degrees, add more tables as appropriate.

The proposal must be submitted to the Registrar’s office not later than the end of the first term of the candidate's junior year. Courses required for the first major/degree have precedence in scheduling over those required for the second major/degree.

Limitation. A double major in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering is prohibited.

IMPORTANT NOTE: See OVERLOADS. The fact that a student is pursuing a Double Major is NOT a sufficient reason for approving an overload when the student's GPA is low.

     See also TWO DEGREES.

Exceptions: Curriculum Committee.

(back to top)

DROP/ADD
Enrollment. Students other than entering freshmen and entering transfer students normally enroll in classes during the sixth week of the preceding term.
     See REGISTRATION.

The following procedures are used to make schedule changes thereafter.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Any change in a student's schedule which would result in enrollment for fewer than 12 credits, exclusive of Military Science/Air Science, must be approved by the Admissions and Standing Committee.
See PART-TIME STUDENT.

Changes before the term begins. If the Registrar's Office discovers a problem in a student's enrollment, e.g., a section overfilled, a course canceled, it may be necessary to move a student to another section of a class. If so, the change will be made automatically and the student will be notified.

If the student finds it necessary to make a schedule change, a Drop/Add Form must be obtained from the Registrar and the change must be approved by the ADVISOR.

Changes in the first week. The first five days of classes in a term are designated Drop/Add week and are used to make last-minute changes in schedule (as in the case of a student who must repeat a course). The student obtains a Drop/Add Form from the Registrar and must first obtain the signature of the ADVISOR, indicating approval, and then the signatures of the instructor in the course being added and the instructor in the course being dropped, indicating that they have been notified of the change. The student then returns the Form to the Registrar.

Note that adding a course is permitted only through the fifth day of classes in the term.

Changes after the first week.

1.      Up until the end of the sixth week of a term, a student may withdraw from a course by obtaining a Course Drop Request Card from the Registrar. The student must first obtain the signature of the ADVISOR, indicating approval, and then the signatures of the instructor, the Dean of Students (or designated representative), and the Registrar (as representative of the Dean of the Faculty), indicating that they have been notified of the change. The student then returns the Card to the Registrar.
The student's grade in the course will automatically be recorded as "WS," a non-penalty grade.
     See GRADES.

2.      If a student withdraws from a course after the sixth week, the withdrawal will automatically be recorded as "WF," which counts as an "F" in calculating GPA.
     See GRADES.

3.   If the penalty levied by an instructor in a case of academic misconduct is failure in the course, the student forfeits the right to withdraw from the course with a grade of “WS” or “WF”.   

4. Changes in a student's schedule necessitated by illness, Military Service, or other exigencies beyond control, may be made without penalty at any time upon approval of the Admissions and Standing Committee.

Exceptions: Admissions and Standing Committee.

FAILING A COURSE - See REPEATING A COURSE.

FEES – See TUITION AND FEES.

(back to top)

ENROLLMENT OF LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL OR NON-DEGREE STUDENTS
General Policy. An academically talented student who lives at home, attends a local high school, and has written permission from parents or legal guardian and the high school, or other members of the community have two options regarding the possibility of attending classes at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Neither of these options includes or implies admission to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology as a regular degree-seeking student.

Under the first option, the student may take a course for graded credit by filling out a "Non-Degree Student" application to be submitted to the Rose-Hulman Committee on Admissions and Standing for approval. After the application is approved, the student pays the prevailing per-credit-hour tuition, and a permanent Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology academic record is generated for the student. This procedure is followed each quarter the student wishes to take a class (or classes) at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. In the case of a local high school student, the Rose-Hulman Registrar sends a copy of the completed and approved "Non-Degree Student" application to the high school.

The Second option is less formal in that the student contacts the head of the department teaching the course in which enrollment is desired and asks the department head for permission to attend class. If the head of the department approves the request, the student fills out a "Guest Student" application and submits it to the Registrar, who forwards a copy to the high school if applicable. Under this option, the student pays no tuition, and no official records are generated. Generally, this option is not available for courses which include laboratories. This procedure is followed each quarter the student wishes to take a class (or classes) at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. A student may not change their enrollment status in a course from "Guest Student" to "Non-Degree Student".

     See CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS.

(back to top)

FINAL EXAMINATIONS
General Policy. Final examinations at the end of each term are an integral part of the academic program at Rose-Hulman. Certain courses may be more equitably tested by problem sets, project reports, term papers, etc., and are treated accordingly as the instructor chooses.

Scheduling. Scheduling of final examinations is accomplished by the Registrar's Office. All changes in the schedule, including times and rooms, must be reported to and approved by that Office.

No final examinations may be scheduled by anyone at any time prior to the regularly scheduled starting time for final examinations as published. Exceptions to this rule may be made only by vote of the Faculty. This rule does not preclude examinations being given during regularly scheduled class time.

The Faculty has agreed to minimize the use of tests, quizzes, and examinations during the last week of regularly scheduled classes in each term, especially in classes which have final examinations.

Scheduling Problems. A schedule of final examinations is made available each term. A student who is scheduled to take two final examinations at the same time or is scheduled for more than two final examinations on the same day should immediately consult with the instructors involved about re-scheduling.

Graduating Seniors. In order to facilitate the necessary administrative work for seniors graduating at the end of the spring term, no examinations will be scheduled for them after the last day of classes. The instructor of a spring term class which contains graduating seniors should arrange the testing of the seniors commensurate with the deadline for submission of grades for graduating seniors.

     See GRADUATION: Deadline.

Exceptions: Dean of the Faculty.

FINAL GRADES - See GRADE REPORTS.

GRADE CHANGES - See GRADE REPORTS.

(back to top)

GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA)
Term Grade Point Average.
At the end of each term, each student's academic achievement is measured by a numerical index called the Term GPA. This is computed by dividing the number of grade points earned in that term by the number of academic credits attempted in that term.
     See GRADES.

Cumulative Grade Point Average. The student's grade report each term also shows the Cumulative GPA, which is obtained by dividing the total accumulated grade points by the total number of academic credits attempted.

Grade Point Average in Major. After a student has earned 95 quarter hours of credit, the GPA in the student's major appears on the grade report. Each academic department determines which courses are used to calculate GPA in major.

GPA Requirement. The student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.000 and a GPA in major of at least 2.000. If not, the student may be permitted to enroll for additional courses to remove this deficiency. The overload policy applies.
     See GRADE REPLACEMENT.
    
See PART-TIME STUDENT.
    
See PROBATION.
    
See TRANSFER CREDIT.
    
See OVERLOADS.

Exceptions. In a number of cases, credit can be earned in ways that do not carry a grade and hence do not enter into the GPA.

     See CREDIT BY EXAMINATION.
    
See REPEATING A COURSE.
    
See PASS/FAIL.
    
See TRANSFER CREDIT.

Grade Replacement. In some cases, a student who has received a low grade in a course may repeat the course. If the student receives a higher grade, the Term and Cumulative GPA's will be re-calculated, using only the higher grade.
     See GRADE REPLACEMENT.

Probation. See PROBATION AND DISMISSAL.

Person in Charge: Registrar.

(back to top)

GRADE REPLACEMENT
General Policy.
The Institute recognizes that some students may have deficiencies in their background that may necessitate their repeating certain named required courses. The Grade Replacement provision allows them to remedy these deficiencies without grade penalty. It is also intended to encourage students who have received a marginal grade (D or D+) in a core course to repeat the course before proceeding to more advanced work.

Stipulations: If a student receives a penalty grade (F, D, or D+) in a named course required in the first two years of the curriculum and repeats the course, then only the higher grade in the course will be used in calculating the cumulative GPA. (In effect, the cumulative GPA will be re-calculated, dropping out the lower grade.)

This procedure may also be applied to not more than two named required courses of the junior-senior curriculum.

Limitations:

1.      All grades will be recorded; that is, the prior penalty grade will not be removed from the student's permanent record.

2.      If the penalty grade was an F, the student must repeat the course prior to taking any other course for which the repeated course is a prerequisite.

3.      Grade replacement cannot be used for a course in which a penalty grade was assigned for disciplinary reasons.

Procedure. The student simply registers as usual for any courses for which Grade Replacement applies.

If a student, after registering, finds that a course must be repeated (e.g., after final grades have been reported), a DROP/ADD Form must be obtained during the first week of classes in the next term.
     See REPEATING A COURSE: Failed Courses.
    
See DROP/ADD

Exceptions: Admissions and Standing Committee.

(back to top)

GRADE REPORTS
Mid-Term Grades
for each student are submitted to the Registrar at the end of the 5th week of the term. These grades are made available to the ADVISOR and the student. Usually, this is on Monday of the 6th week. The Mid-Term Grade reflects the performance on the graded work during the first five weeks of the term but does not necessarily represent half of the final grade in the course.

Final Grades for each student, along with term and cumulative GPA, are made available to the student by the Registrar, usually within a week after the end of finals. Students whose grades place them on PROBATION will also receive a letter from the Registrar at this time.

The Final Grade Reports are filed with the Registrar’s Office and made available to the student's ADVISOR and the Dean of Students. At the beginning of the next term, the student is expected to confer promptly with the ADVISOR about scholastic progress.

Grade Change Report. If a student completes the work to remove an Incomplete grade from the academic record, or if a grade assigned in a course is to be changed for other reasons (e.g., an error made by the instructor in calculating the grade), a Grade Change Report listing the reason for the grade change must be filled out by the instructor and sent to the Registrar through the Dean of the Faculty. A copy of the Grade Change Report or a revised Grade Report may be sent to the student or the change may simply be reflected in the next term's cumulative GPA. If the grade change is not reflected in the next term's cumulative GPA, the student should verify with the Registrar's Office that the change has been recorded on the permanent record.
     See GRADUATION: Deadline.

Person in Charge: Registrar.

GRADE SUBSTITUTION - See GRADE REPLACEMENT.

(back to top)

GRADES
Letter Grades. For each course in which a student is enrolled, for which academic credit is given, the instructor will report to the Registrar a letter grade evaluating the student's performance. The table below indicates the grade-point value for each of the letter grades.

Grade

Grade Point Value

Credit Granted

A

4.000

yes

B+

3.500

yes

B

3.000

yes

C+

2.500

yes

C

2.000

yes

D+

1.500

yes

D

1.000

yes

F

0.000

no

WS

0.000

no

WF

0.000

no

S

0.000

yes

U

0.000

no

I

0.000

no

N

0.000

no

AU

0.000

no

Grade Descriptions. Grades in a course are determined by comparing a student's performance with that of classmates and also with the performance of students in that course in previous years. The following definitions are used as a guide.

"A" is an honor grade. It is awarded as a mark of outstanding performance and for achievement clearly of a higher order than average. It indicates that the student has demonstrated not only the ability to work successfully, but also the ability to do some creative thinking or problem solving in the field. It will not be given for routine performance of the assigned work in the course.

"B" and "B+" indicate very good performance, definitely above a satisfactory level, but not as good in analytical thinking and originality as that required for the grade of "A." Thorough competence to do excellent work in the field is required for the grades of "B" and "B+" which will not be given for mere compliance with the minimum essential standards of the course.

"C" and "C+" are the grades given for satisfactory performance. They indicate compliance with the standards set for successful completion of the course and minimum performance acceptable for graduation from the Institute.

"D" and "D+" are penalty grades. They are recorded to show that the student's performance has been below a satisfactory level, deficient in quality and/or content, and not of a standard high enough in this field to meet graduation requirements. They may be used to indicate that, in the opinion of the instructor, the student is ill-prepared to proceed with the work either in a continuation course or in one for which the course in question is a prerequisite. They are the lowest passing marks.
     See GRADE REPLACEMENT.

"F" is a penalty grade. It indicates failure and entirely unsatisfactory performance. It carries the requirement that to obtain credit, the entire course must be repeated. The grade of "F" stands on the student's record and cannot be removed by subsequent satisfactory work.
     See GRADE REPLACEMENT.

"WS" indicates "Withdrawal Satisfactory," and is ignored in computing GPA. It is assigned automatically when the student withdraws properly between the beginning of the second week through the end of the sixth week of a term.
     See DROP/ADD.

"WF" indicates "Withdrawal Failing" and is averaged into the student's GPA as an "F." It is assigned automatically when a student withdraws after the sixth week of a term unless there is special exigency.
     See DROP/ADD.

"S" indicates "Satisfactory" performance in a course taken on a PASS/FAIL basis. The student receives credit, but this grade does not influence GPA.
     See PASS/FAIL.

"U" indicates "Unsatisfactory" performance in a course taken on a PASS/FAIL basis. The student does not receive credit for the course. This grade does not influence the student's GPA.
     See PASS/FAIL.

"I" indicates "Incomplete." If a student's work in a course is generally of passing grade but some of the requirements have not been met due to circumstances beyond the control of the student, an Incomplete may be given. An Incomplete shall be recorded as an "F" if the work is not completed within the time fixed by the instructor, at the latest by the end of the next term (excluding summer term). Extension of an Incomplete beyond one term requires approval of the Admissions and Standing Committee.

(Note: Whenever an "I" is given to a student, the instructor should give the Registrar a memorandum indicating the requirements for obtaining a passing grade in the course and an estimate of the grade on the work completed so far.)

"N" indicates "No Report" and is used when insufficient information is available to allow a letter grade to be assigned or for a course in which credit is to be carried over in a continuation of the same course, such as graduate thesis credit or a senior seminar.

"AU" indicates successful "Audit" in a course the student has registered for without receiving credit. If the audit has been 'unsuccessful,' (e.g., if the student did not actually attend class), the instructor may direct that the "AU" not be awarded and the Audit will be removed from the student's record.
     See GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA)
    
See GRADE REPORTS.

Person in Charge: Registrar.

(back to top)

GRADUATE COURSES
Graduate courses are included in the section of Course Descriptions in the Bulletin. For a description of the program leading to a Master of Science Degree at Rose-Hulman, see the Graduate Bulletin.

An undergraduate student who wishes to take 12 hours or less of graduate courses may do so, subject to the following conditions.

1.      The student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.000 or better.

2.      The class must be included in the list of courses approved by the Graduate Studies Committee for graduate credit (see Graduate Bulletin).

3.      The course may not be used to satisfy requirements for the B.S. degree.

4.      The student must request permission to receive graduate credit prior to enrollment in the course. To do this, the student must obtain a Graduate Credit Enrollment Form from the Registrar's Office and fill it out. The Form must be submitted for endorsement by the student's ADVISOR, the instructor, and for approval by the Director of Graduate Studies. A separate form should be submitted for each course in which the undergraduate desires to enroll for graduate credit. The student, the ADVISOR, and the instructor will be notified of the decision of the Director of Graduate Studies by the Registrar.

The student's official graduate transcript will show that the course was taken for graduate credit at Rose-Hulman. However, it must be understood that this does not constitute acceptance to any graduate school, nor does it guarantee that the course will be accepted for graduate credit toward any graduate degree plan.
An undergraduate student who wishes to take more than 12 hours of graduate courses must enroll in the graduate program.
     See CONCURRENT PURSUANCE OF THE B.S. AND M.S. DEGREES.

Committee in Charge: Graduate Studies Committee.

(back to top)

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
To become a candidate for graduation with the Degree of Bachelor of Science in one of the published curricula, a student must fulfill all the requirements below. The final responsibility for seeing that all graduation requirements are met belongs to the student.

Academic Requirement. The student must have completed all of the required work of the course of study and have accumulated the total number of credits as specified in the Bulletin. Changes in published curricula are made only with the approval of the Curriculum Committee, and in some cases only with the approval of the entire Faculty.
     See COURSE SUBSTITUTION.

Petitions for Exception. Any student requesting an exception to graduation requirements must petition the Curriculum Committee no later than 60 calendar days before the end of the term in which graduation is expected. If the petition is submitted after this deadline, the student will not be able to graduate until the end of the following term at the earliest. (In the case of a student scheduled for graduation in spring term, this would mean graduation in August at the earliest.) No petition for exception may be brought to the entire Faculty until the Curriculum Committee has made its recommendation.

Deadline. Any senior who has a required course for graduation for which no final grade has been submitted to the Registrar by 9 a.m. Monday following the last day of classes will be classified as SUMMER COMPLETION.

GPA Requirement. The student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.000. If not, the student may be permitted to enroll for additional courses to remove this deficiency. The overload policy applies.
     See GRADE REPLACEMENT.
    
See PART-TIME STUDENT.
    
See PROBATION.
    
See TRANSFER CREDIT.
    
See OVERLOADS.

GPA in Major. The student must have a cumulative GPA in major of at least 2.000. The courses which are used to compute the GPA in major are determined by each academic department.

Residence Requirement. The minimum residence requirement shall be two years with all required courses of the senior year to be taken at Rose-Hulman. Residence is defined as enrollment as a full-time student.
     See PART-TIME STUDENT.

(back to top)

HONORS AND ACADEMIC AWARDS
General Policy.
The awards described here are presented annually at the Honors and Awards Ceremony, with the exception of the Heminway Gold Medal, the John T. Royse Award, and the Moench Commendation, which are presented at Commencement.

General Qualifications.
A student must be currently enrolled at Rose-Hulman and maintain full-time status in each term to receive class awards in a given year. The spring term permanent record is used as a basis for determination of class awards. Exceptions to these rules will be considered on a case-by-case basis, with the Honors & Awards committee reporting to the Faculty and Professional Staff under what circumstances exceptions are recommended. Possible exceptions include but are not limited to: co-op experiences, international study, credit by examination, and early graduation. Elimination from consideration for class awards can occur by but is not limited to: social probation, academic misconduct, and part-time status. Year in residence is defined as full-time enrollment in courses which meet on-campus, in at least two terms in a given academic year (excluding courses taken on a pass/fail or audit basis).
 

Class Awards.
Recommendations for Class Awards are brought to the Institute Meeting by the Honors and Awards Committee. The recipients are chosen by vote of the Faculty and Professional Staff.

  1. The Heminway Gold Medal, established by the late Mrs. Sarah A. Heminway, is awarded to that graduating undergraduate student with the highest grade point average. In the event of a tie duplicate awards are given.
     
  2. The Carl Wischmeyer Award, a sterling silver medal, is given to that undergraduate student with the highest grade point average at the end of the third year in residence who will not graduate in that year. In case of a tie in grade point average, all those students will be recognized as Carl Wischmeyer Scholars. The medal will be given to that scholar who also has the highest number of graded hours at Rose-Hulman. If there is still a tie, multiple awards will be presented.
     
  3. The Paul N. Bogart Prize, a Nordic Bronze Medal and cash award, is given to that undergraduate student with the highest grade point average at the end of the second year in residence who will not graduate in that year. In case of a tie in grade point average, all those students will be recognized as Paul N. Bogart Scholars. The prize will be given to that scholar who also has the highest number of graded hours at Rose-Hulman. If there is a tie, multiple prizes will be presented.
     
  4. The Heminway Bronze Medal, a copy of the Heminway Gold Medal, is awarded to that undergraduate student with the highest grade point average at the end of the first year in residence at Rose-Hulman. In case of a tie in grade point average, all those students will be recognized as Heminway Scholars. The medal will be given to that scholar who also has the highest number of graded hours at Rose-Hulman.

Special Awards.
The John T. Royse Award, consisting of a bronze medal and cash honorarium, in honor of John Tuller Royse, is presented to that senior who, on the basis of academic achievement, student leadership, participation in extracurricular activities, and citizenship is considered by the Faculty and Professional Staff to be the most outstanding graduate.

The Moench Commendation may be given to a senior in the upper half of the graduating class who, in the opinion of the Faculty and Professional Staff, has demonstrated exemplary character including honesty, self-discipline, compassion, and moral conviction, for all of which the student must be respected by student peers. The student must be dedicated to serving the Rose-Hulman community and the service must be distinguished as a commendable influence on the members of that community. If, in the opinion of the Faculty and Professional Staff, there is no qualified candidate, the Moench Commendation will not be awarded.

Class Honors.
A student who is enrolled full-time in a given academic year and who completes that year with a grade point average of 3.300 or more shall be awarded Class Honors for that year.

Degrees with Distinction.
A student who has completed all the requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.900 or more shall be awarded the degree summa cum laude. A graduating student with a cumulative GPA of 3.600 or more shall be awarded the degree magna cum laude. A graduating student with a cumulative GPA of 3.300 or more shall be awarded the degree cum laude.

Committee in Charge: Honors and Awards Committee.

INCOMPLETES - See GRADES.

INDEPENDENT STUDY - See DIRECTED RESEARCH/INDEPENDENT STUDY.

(back to top)

Involuntary Medical Withdrawal

Subject to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s duties under the “Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990and “Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973”, a student may be administratively withdrawn involuntarily from the Institute.

Purpose. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology seeks to establish and maintain a community environment that promotes education, research, and service.

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is particularly concerned with the health and safety of its students, faculty, and staff in an environment that is conducive to personal and intellectual growth.

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology desires to create a procedure separate from the student Discipline and Suspension policy for those students engaged in certain inappropriate behaviors (as described below) resulting from medical reasons.

Process. The Involuntary Medical Withdrawal process will be initiated and a student may be administratively withdrawn from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology when, in the judgment of the Vice-President for Student Affairs, the student’s medical condition involves one or more of the following:

1.      A significant danger or imminent threat of harm to self, others, or property.

2.      Behavior that signifies a chronic or repeated threat of harm to others property.

3.      Behavior that is disruptive to the Rose-Hulman community in that the behavior disturbs the academic pursuits or infringes upon the rights, privileges, health, or safety of others.

4.      The student cannot be effectively treated medically while a member of the academic community.

Any member of the Rose-Hulman community who has reason to believe that a student may meet one or more of the above circumstances may contact the Office of Student Affairs.  The Vice-President for Student Affairs will review any information provided and consult with the counseling staff and/or the attending physician or psychiatrist regarding the health of the student (as permitted by FERPA guidelines). The student may be directed in writing and/or orally (depending upon the urgency of the situation) to attend a meeting with the Vice-President for Student Affairs.  The Vice-President for Student Affairs will meet with the student at the earliest possible time to discuss the student’s condition. 

Potential Outcomes of Such a Meeting

1.      No action taken.  The student is permitted to remain at Rose-Hulman subject to no special conditions.

2.      Conditional enrollment letter outlining specific actions required by the student to continue at Rose-Hulman.

3.      Withdrawal from Rose-Hulman.  Withdrawal can be immediate.

4.      The Vice-President for Student Affairs may invoke a summary suspension that will result in the student’s immediate withdrawal from the Institute. (This may be necessary for the well-being of the student, other persons, or of the Institute.)  The student must comply with this decision, but may proceed with the appeal process within the 48 hour appeal period.

Appeal Process. The student may appeal the Vice President of Student Affairs’ decision to the committee consisting of the Rules and Discipline Committee and the Director of International Student Services and Special Programs. Any appeal must be submitted to the chair of the Rules and Discipline Committee in writing within 48 hours of the Vice-President’s determination.

An appeal meeting will be scheduled to allow the student to present relevant information concerning the matter.  A representative (a student, faculty, or staff member from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology) may be present to assist the student throughout the formal process.

At the conclusion of the meeting with the Committee, all information will be considered and a letter will be furnished to the student and the Vice-President for Student Affairs containing the committee’s conclusions regarding the appeal.

Re-Admittance. If an involuntary medical withdrawal occurs, conditions for re-admittance may be imposed by the Vice President of Student Affairs at the time of the withdrawal. As the result of an involuntary medical withdrawal under this policy, a student may be asked to submit, prior to resuming classes or on-campus residence, a letter to the Vice-President for Student Affairs from a licensed health care professional stating that the student is capable of resuming academic course work and adhering to the responsibilities of living in a residence hall community.  In addition, the student will schedule and attend a meeting with the Admissions and Standing Committee as a condition of readmission.  This meeting can be arranged through the assistance of the Vice-President for Student Affairs or the Registrar’s Office.  The Admissions and Standing Committee will determine whether the student shall be readmitted.

Refunds. A student withdrawn from classes under this policy is eligible for tuition and fee refunds and residence hall refunds according to the Rose-Hulman Student Handbook.

M.S. DEGREE - See CONCURRENT PURSUANCE OF THE B.S. AND M.S. DEGREES.
     See the Graduate Bulletin.

MID-TERM GRADES – See GRADE REPORTS.

(back to top)

MILITARY SCIENCE/AIR SCIENCE
Basic Military Science. All students may choose to enroll in Basic Military Science/Air Science as specified in the Bulletin. Credit for Basic Military Science/Air Science may be granted for one of the reasons below.

1.      A veteran will be granted two hours of CREDIT BY EXAMINATION by the Professor of Military Science/Air Science for Basic Military Science/Air Science upon presentation to the Registrar of satisfactory evidence of the completion of not less than one calendar year of active military service in any component of the Armed Forces of the United States of America (U.S.).

2.      Members or former members of the Reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces, who have completed the equivalent of Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training, are eligible for the same credit as veterans.

Elective Military Science/Air Science. A student may elect to enroll in Military Science/Air Science courses with the approval of the Professor of Military Science/Air Science as described in the Bulletin. Such courses count as “free elective” credit toward graduation and are included in the student's GRADE POINT AVERAGE.

Person in Charge: Professor of Military Science/Air Science.

(back to top)

NIGHT EXAMINATIONS
Faculty members wishing to give examinations outside of the normal ten-period academic day must so advise the Dean of the Faculty in writing at least ten days in advance of the scheduled examination. This may be done either by letter or by the form which is available in department offices.

(back to top)

NOVEMBER COMPLETION
Seniors who expect to complete graduation requirements at the end of a fall term may petition the Registrar to attend the preceding Spring Commencement and be recognized as a "November Completions." (That is, if they are a quarter 'behind' in their work, they might wish to participate in the ceremony where their classmates graduate.) They should have, as of the end of the spring term, 24 hours or less of course requirements to complete and be able to demonstrate that they can reasonably fulfill all requirements by November. (If they have 12 hours or less to complete, they qualify for SUMMER COMPLETION.)

NOTE: November graduates, regardless of which Commencement ceremony they choose to participate in, are normally considered members of the class that graduates in the spring of that calendar year.

Exceptions: Admissions and Standings Committee

(back to top)

OPERATION CATAPULT
Students who successfully complete the Operation Catapult summer program are granted two hours of free elective credit when they matriculate at Rose-Hulman.

(back to top)

OVERLOADS
Normal Academic Load.
The maximum academic load is 18 credits in any term, excluding Military Science/Air Science and College and Life Skills. (See Fees, below) A student wishing to take more than the maximum normal load must petition the Admissions and Standings Committee, except as noted below.

Overload Policy. With the approval of the ADVISOR, a student who is not on academic PROBATION may schedule credits in addition to the maximum normal load according to the following table:

Cumulative GPA

Maximum Overload

Less than 2.600

No overload

At least 2.600

4 credits

At least 3.300

6 credits

Procedure. A student whose GPA meets the stipulated limit for the Overload may simply register as usual.

A student whose GPA does not meet the stipulated limit must request an Overload by submitting a letter to the Registrar explaining why the exception is needed, how the additional work load will be handled, and indicate which course(s) are considered to be the Overload.

The Admissions and Standing Committee will meet to consider these requested Overloads, usually after the final grades for the current term are in. The Committee will notify students of its decision normally during the second week of classes.

The fact that a student is pursuing a double major or two degrees is NOT a sufficient reason for approving an Overload for a student who does not meet the GPA requirement.

If the petition is denied, the student will be informed and the Overload course(s) will be dropped.

Fees. Students pay an additional fee for each credit over 18 in a term, exclusive of College and Life Skills. Consult the Registrar's Office.

Exceptions: Admissions and Standing Committee.

(back to top)

PART-TIME STUDENT
Definitions.
Enrollment in at least 12 credits of course work in any one term constitutes being a Full-Time Student. A student enrolled for fewer than 12 credits of course work in any one term, exclusive of Military Science/Air Science, is classified as a Part-Time Student or Special Student.
     See CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS.

Procedure. A student who wishes to register for fewer than 12 credits in a term or who, in the course of a term, wishes to reduce the academic load below 12 credits must petition the Admissions and Standing Committee.

Consult: Registrar.

Guidelines

1.      A senior who needs only one or two courses to complete graduation requirements in the final term will generally be permitted to enroll as a Part-Time Student.

2.      A student planning to transfer from Rose-Hulman may be granted permission to enroll as a Special Student.
     See CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS.

3.      Other students may be denied permission to reduce their course load, even though they are having academic difficulties. Experience has shown that carrying a lighter course load does not necessarily improve academic performance and may actually impair it. Also, the Institute considers it a possible dilution of the quality of its degree to award it to students who have not, in the main, shown themselves capable of carrying the full, normal course load.

4.      Normally, a student will not be permitted Part-Time or Special Student status for more than one term.

Limitation. A student on academic PROBATION who enrolls for a term as a Part-Time Student will normally be permitted to remain in school if the student's GPA is raised sufficiently, but the PROBATION will not be removed. PROBATION can only be removed for satisfactory work as a Full-Time Student. The student may be dropped from the Institute if academic progress is unsatisfactory.

Exceptions: Admissions and Standing Committee.

(back to top)

PASS/FAIL
General Policy.
The Pass/Fail provision is designed to encourage students to take elective courses that they feel might be useful or interesting but in which their performance might be only marginal because of a heavy schedule, lack of background, etc. A course taken on a PASS/FAIL basis is graded on the basis of Satisfactory (S) (the student receives credit) or Unsatisfactory (U) (the student does not receive credit). Neither grade influences the student's GPA.

Stipulations.
(NOTE: Some courses are routinely graded on a Pass/Fail basis. Courses designated Pass/Fail by the Curriculum Committee are not subject to these stipulations.)

1.      The student must have the permission of the ADVISOR and the instructor in the course.

2.      The course may only be used to fulfill a Free Elective requirement or a course beyond the stated graduation requirements.

3.      No more than 8 credits may be taken Pass/Fail.

Procedure. To take a class "Pass/Fail" a student must pick up a "Pass/Fail" form from the Registrar's office and obtain signatures of approval from the ADVISOR and the instructor. The completed form must be submitted to the Registrar's office no later than the end of the fifth day of classes.

The student would be well advised to consult with the instructor in advance to determine what will constitute "Satisfactory" and "Unsatisfactory" work in the course.

With the approval of the ADVISOR and the instructor, the student may change from Pass/Fail grading to regular grading, but in no case may this be done after the fifth day of classes in the term. A form for executing this change may be obtained from the Registrar's office.

Exceptions: Admissions and Standing Committee.

PRE-REQUISITES – See REGISTRATION.

(back to top)

PROBATION AND DISMISSAL
Academic Probation
. At the end of any term, a student whose term GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA) or cumulative GPA falls below the level shown in the following table will be placed on Academic Probation for the succeeding term. A TRANSFER STUDENT assumes the GPA requirements of the class the student enters.

 

Minimum

Minimum

Terms

Term GPA

Cumulative GPA

1-3

1.800

1.800

4-12

2.000

2.000

If a student's term GPA falls below the required level, the student acquires one probation. If a student's cumulative GPA falls below the required level, the student acquires one probation. It is thus possible for a student to acquire a maximum of two probations in one quarter.

Any student placed on probation in a given term can be required to appear before the Admissions and Standing Committee as a condition of remaining in the Institute.

Removal of Academic Probation. At the end of any term (excluding summer), a full time student whose term GPA and Cumulative GPA meet the minimum level as shown in the table above, will be removed from academic probation. All courses must be taken for graded credit, and may not include courses on the Audit or Pass/Fail basis.

Dismissal for Academic Deficiency.

1.      A student who acquires a total of three probations in immediately successive terms will be dropped from the Institute.

2.      A student who acquires three probations will be allowed to remain in school for one term if the student's term GPA is 2.500 or better. The student must be enrolled as a full-time student and all courses must be taken for graded credit, and may not include courses on the Audit or Pass/Fail basis.

Part-Time Student. The Admissions and Standing Committee may permit a student on Probation or one who has been dismissed and re-admitted to enroll as a PART-TIME STUDENT. If sufficient GPA improvement is achieved, the student may be permitted to remain in school, but the probationary status will not change. Probation can only be removed for satisfactory work as a Full-Time Student.
     See RE-ADMISSION.
    
See WITHDRAWAL.

Exceptions: Admissions and Standing Committee.

PROGRESS REPORTS – See GRADE REPORTS.

(back to top)

RE-ADMISSION

Procedures. Any student who has been dismissed for academic reasons or who has withdrawn voluntarily from the Institute and wishes to be re-admitted must make a personal appearance before the Admissions and Standing Committee. The student must contact the Registrar regarding meeting times and dates. The Admissions and Standing Committee will determine whether the student shall be readmitted.

Any student who has been suspended for disciplinary reasons and wishes to be readmitted at the end of the suspension period must submit a written petition to the Dean of Students who will review it. After the review, the Dean of Students will submit a recommendation to the Admissions and Standing Committee. In addition, the student will schedule and attend a meeting with the Admissions and Standing Committee as a condition of readmission. The student must contact the Registrar regarding meeting times and dates. The Admissions and Standing Committee will determine whether the student shall be readmitted.

     See also Involuntary Medical Withdrawal.

Stipulation. The student may not appear before the Admissions and Standing Committee until all outstanding financial obligations to the Institute are settled.

Degree Requirements. Students re-admitted after an absence of one year or more must complete all requirements in effect at the time of re-admission.

Consult. Registrar.

REDUCED LOAD – See PART-TIME STUDENT.

(back to top)

REGISTRATION
Definition.
Registration consists of completing academic enrollment and paying TUITION AND FEES.

General Stipulations.

1.      For all students except entering freshmen and entering TRANSFER STUDENTS, registration normally takes place in the 6th week of the preceding term.

2.      All students will register for classes at the appointed time and date specified by the Dean of the Faculty and the Registrar.

3.      Arrangements for the payment of TUITION AND FEES must be made prior to 4:00 P.M. on the Friday preceding the first day of classes in the term. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the Dean of Students or the Director of Financial Aid.

4.      No credit will be given for any course for which the student has not registered, the one exception being CREDIT BY EXAMINATION.

Deadline for Late Registration. Registration must be completed prior to 4:00 P.M. on the third day of class of the term for which the student is enrolling. Exception to this rule may be granted only by the Admissions and Standing Committee (or the Registrar as the Committee’s designated representative).

Student's Course Schedule. A student's schedule of courses for each new term must be approved by the ADVISOR before Registration and may not be changed without the ADVISOR's approval. The schedule should be in agreement with the requirements for that term in the published or prevailing curriculum in the field of the student's major. Exceptions are permitted for uncompleted required courses, which should take precedence. Other exceptions are strongly discouraged due to ultimate scheduling difficulties that will arise in future terms, since the "Schedule of Classes" for each term is made up in accordance with the published curricula.

Departures from the established curricula are permitted for those classified as Special Students.
     See CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS: Special Student.

Prerequisites. No course may be scheduled by a student unless the established prerequisites for that course have been satisfied. For an exception to this policy, the student must complete a “Prerequisite Exception Approval Form” available in the Registrar’s office.
     See CREDIT BY EXAMINATION: Course By-Passing.

Registration Day Procedure. Exact details of the Registration Day procedure are contained in the "Schedule of Classes," distributed each term prior to Registration.

Exceptions: Registrar.

REMOVAL OF COURSE REQUIREMENTS - See CREDIT BY EXAMINATION.

(back to top)

REPEATING A COURSE
Overlapping Material.
In some instances, with the approval of the ADVISOR, a student may elect to take a course which essentially repeats material in a course already taken and for which credit has been received. In such cases, no additional credits or grade points will be recorded unless the second course carries more hours of credit. In that case, credit and grade point will be recorded to the extent by which the total number of credits for the second course exceeds those recorded for the original course.

The exception to this is GRADE REPLACEMENT.

Failed Courses. A student who has received an "F" or "WF" in a course must repeat the entire course in order to obtain credit, either by enrolling for it again at Rose-Hulman or by TRANSFER CREDIT. It is particularly important to note that:

1.      CREDIT BY EXAMINATION may not be used to obtain credit for failed courses;

2.      The "F" or "WF" will remain on the student's permanent record and cannot be removed by subsequent satisfactory work. (This is true even in the case of GRADE REPLACEMENT where the "F", although no longer averaged into the student's GPA, still remains on the academic record.)

Exceptions: Admissions and Standing Committee.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS – See GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS.

SATISFACTORY/UNSATISFACTORY GRADES - See PASS/FAIL.

SPECIAL STUDENT – See CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS.

STANDING - See CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS.

(back to top)

SUMMER COMPLETION
Definition.
A senior who, at the end of spring term, will be only a few courses short of completing graduation requirements and who can reasonably expect to fulfill those requirements over the summer will be listed in the Commencement Program as a "Summer Completion," that is, the student will graduate in August.

Stipulations.

1.      A graduating senior for whom a grade in a required course is not submitted before the stipulated deadline will become a "Summer Completion."
     See GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS: Deadline.

2.      A student who completes requirements for graduation prior to the first day of classes of the fall term at Rose-Hulman will be granted an August degree. Thereafter, the degree will be dated as of the end of the term in which the requirements were completed.

Limitations.

1.      No more than 12 credit hours in total may be transferred after the last term in residence. These credits must be given prior approval by the Head of the student's major department and by the Head of the department in which those credits apply.

2.      No more than 8 credit hours in named, required courses of the student's major may be transferred after the last term in residence. These credits must have prior approval of the Head of the student's major department. The Department Head shall have the responsibility of determining the acceptability of courses taken at other institutions.

3.      All the limitations under TRANSFER CREDIT apply.

4.      A student desiring exception to any of the above provisions must submit a written petition to the Admissions and Standing Committee who will, in turn, submit it, along with the Committee's recommendation for approval or disapproval, to the entire Faculty for its vote.

Exceptions: Admissions and Standing Committee.

SUMMER COURSES - See TRANSFER CREDIT.
                                    
- See SUMMER COMPLETION.

SUSPENSION - See DISCIPLINE AND SUSPENSION.

(back to top)

TRANSCRIPTS
All Transcripts are issued by the Registrar's Office. There is no charge for students in residence or alumni. There is a charge for transcripts of former students who did not graduate.

 A student who withdraws from school or is suspended, and fails to pay all financial charges assessed (e.g., laboratory breakage, tuition payment, outstanding loans, exit interviews) will be denied all requests for Transcripts until such charges are paid.

Person in Charge: Registrar.

(back to top)

TRANSFER CREDIT
Definition.
Transfer Credit is credit earned by enrollment in, and successful completion of, a course at another institution; this credit is then applied toward graduation requirements at Rose-Hulman.

The limitations below apply to all students who are transferring credit--both TRANSFER STUDENTS and Rose-Hulman students who wish to take a course at another institution. Seniors who plan to transfer credits to Rose-Hulman after their last term in residence should be aware of special limitations that apply in addition to the ones listed below.
     See SUMMER COMPLETION.

For the procedure used to evaluate credits transferred by students entering Rose-Hulman, see TRANSFER STUDENT.

Limitations:

1.      Transfer Credit is accepted only from accredited colleges and universities.

2.      The grade earned for a course taken at another institution must be equivalent to a grade of "C" or better.

3.      Transfer Credit will not be granted for a course taken on a Pass/Fail basis.

4.      Normally courses taken by correspondence, online, or as a video course are not accepted. In cases where it is accepted, full documentation of the course will be required and a personal interview with the Department Head may be required.

5.      Grades earned in Transfer Credit courses are not recorded on the student's Rose-Hulman permanent record and are not averaged into the cumulative GPA.

6.      A student who plans to take a course elsewhere and transfer the credit to Rose-Hulman must have the approval of the head of the department in which that course normally would be offered or which is most nearly related. The student should seek this approval prior to enrolling in the course.

7.      In the case of a student who is suspended from Rose-Hulman, the Rules and Discipline Committee may stipulate that the Institute will not accept Transfer Credit earned by the student at another school during the period of suspension.

See DISCIPLINE AND SUSPENSION.

Procedure: The student must complete a “Transfer Credit Evaluation Form” available in the Registrar’s office.

Exceptions: Curriculum Committee.

(back to top)

TRANSFER STUDENT
Definition.
A Transfer Student is one who has been enrolled as a full-time student for at least one term at an accredited college or university. Transfer Students are subject to all academic and non-academic rules and regulations of the Institute.

General Policy. A student may be admitted to the Institute as a Transfer Student provided that the official transcripts of the work at other accredited institutions clearly indicate that the student is in good academic standing and has been accorded an honorable dismissal from the previous institutions attended.

Procedure. A student who applies for admission as a Transfer Student may be required to provide the catalogue descriptions and the title and author of the text(s) used in each course for which TRANSFER CREDIT is sought. The applicant's record and transcripts will be examined by the Admissions Office, which will give the student a preliminary evaluation of which courses are likely to transfer.

Evaluation of Credits. Normally, a meeting for Transfer Students is held prior to the beginning of the term to evaluate TRANSFER CREDITS. Each course for which the student seeks Transfer Credit will be evaluated in writing by the Head of the department (or designated representative) in which that course would be offered or, if the course is one not normally offered at Rose-Hulman, by the department most nearly related. This evaluation will include a statement of the course(s) at Rose-Hulman for which the Transfer Credit is acceptable.

These evaluations will be forwarded to the Registrar and become part of the student's academic record. They will also be used by the student and the ADVISOR to formulate a proposed plan of study and a tentative date of graduation.

Limitations.

     See TRANSFER CREDIT: Limitations.
    
See CREDIT BY EXAMINATION.
    
See GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS: Residence Requirement.
    
See TRANSFER CREDIT.

Military Science/Air Science. Special provisions apply with regard to the Military Science/Air Science courses in the case of Transfer Students.
     See MILITARY SCIENCE/AIR SCIENCE.

Exceptions: Admissions and Standing Committee.

(back to top)

TUITION AND FEES
General Policy.
All tuition, fees, and other financial indebtedness shall be paid prior to 4:00 P.M. of the Friday preceding the first day of classes or satisfactory arrangements made with the Financial Aid Office to take care of these financial matters. Students who fail to make arrangements for payment will have their REGISTRATION canceled and will not be permitted to attend classes.

Overload Fee. Students pay an additional fee for each credit hour over eighteen taken in a term, exclusive of Military Science/Air Science and College and Life Skills.

Refunds. Rules regarding refunds of tuition and fees are published in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Suspension. A student suspended for disciplinary reasons forfeits all rights to a refund of any portion of the fees paid and will remain liable for all monies owed.
     See TRANSCRIPTS.

Consult: Dean of Students.

(back to top)

TWO DEGREES
General Policy.
A student who completes all the requirements of two curricula may be granted two Bachelor of Science degrees. OVERLOADS or more than four years of academic work will probably be required.

The plan of study must include all requirements of both departments and must contain at least 32 quarter hours of work more than the requirements of either department curriculum alone. The additional credits may be earned during summers (including TRANSFER CREDIT), by OVERLOADS during the academic year, or by additional terms of enrollment at Rose-Hulman.

Procedure. Same as that for DOUBLE MAJOR.  -  See DOUBLE MAJOR

Limitation. Some two degree program combinations are prohibited. In particular, two degree programs are prohibited if they do not automatically require 32 hours in addition to the requirements of either degree alone after all common courses (including routine substitutions) are utilized. For example, two degree programs in Mathematics & Computer Science, Mathematics & Economics, Optical Engineering & Physics, Computer Engineering & Computer Science, and Computer Engineering & Electrical Engineering are prohibited. Upon petition, the Curriculum Committee may grant exceptions to these prohibitions for exceptionally well thought out programs which meet the 32-hour rule by including elective upper level courses from the majors in question.

IMPORTANT NOTE: See OVERLOADS. The fact that a student is pursuing a Two Degree Program is NOT a sufficient reason for approving an overload when the student's GPA is low.

     See also DOUBLE MAJOR.

Exceptions: Curriculum Committee.

(back to top)

WITHDRAWAL

     See also  INVOLUNTARY MEDICAL WITHDRAWAL

Withdrawal from a Course. See DROP/ADD.

Withdrawal from the Institute. To officially withdraw from enrollment at the Institute, a student should obtain a Withdrawal Form from the office of the Dean of Students. This Form contains a clearance from the Dean of Students, the Dean of the Faculty, the ADVISOR, and various departments of the Institute which may have financial charges against the student. No financial settlement can be made until this Form is completed.

In the event a student withdraws, any unpaid charges will be noted in the academic file and no requests for TRANSCRIPTS or re-admission or re-enrollment will be acted upon until such charges are paid.

Grades. For a student withdrawing from the Institute, the usual DROP/ADD provisions apply with respect to grades. That is, if withdrawal occurs before the end of the 6th week, all grades will be recorded as "WS"; if withdrawal is after the 6th week, grades will be "WF", unless a waiver is granted by the Admissions and Standing Committee because of special exigency.

Refunds. See TUITION AND FEES.

Re-Admission. See RE-ADMISSION.

Person in Charge: Dean of Students.

(back to top)