Kent State University Catalog 2010 - 2011

Graduation Requirements (Undergraduate)

DESTINATION KENT STATE: FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE

The First Year Experience course is required of all undergraduate students who attend Kent State University campuses with the following exceptions:

Students attending the Kent Campus who are 21 years of age or older at the time of their initial college-level enrollment are not required to take the course. However, these students are encouraged to contact the Center for Adults and Veteran Services for information about special orientation programs for adult students.
Students who transfer 25 or more semester hour credits from another institution are not required to take the course.

Full-time students are expected to complete the First Year Experience course during their first semester of enrollment. Part-time students are expected to complete the course before they attain sophomore standing (30 semester hours). GO TO TOP

KENT CORE

Students in bachelor's, the Associate of Arts and the Associate of Science degree programs must complete a minimum 36 credit hours of the Kent Core in six categories: Composition (6 credits), Mathematics and Critical Reasoning (3 credits), Humanities and Fine Arts (9 credits), Social Sciences (6 credits), Basic Sciences (6-7 credits) and Additional (6 credits). Students in the Associate of Applied Science and Associate of Applied Business degree programs are expected to choose their general studies courses from the Kent Core. All exceptions must be approved by the students' academic advisor. Students in other associate degree programs who intend to earn a bachelor's degree also will be expected to fulfill this requirements. Individual programs and colleges may have modified these requirements, so it is necessary to review the specific Kent Core hour and course expectations described in the college and major requirements section of this Catalog. The availability of specific Kent Core courses varies by campus. No Kent Core course may be taken pass/fail. GO TO TOP

DIVERSITY REQUIREMENT

Students in bachelor's degree programs must complete two diversity courses, one with a domestic (U.S.) focus and one with a global focus. One course must come from the Kent Core; the second may be taken as a second Kent Core, within the major or minor or as a general elective; or, with dean's approval, by completing one semester of study in another country. GO TO TOP

WRITING-INTENSIVE COURSE REQUIREMENT

Students in bachelor's degree programs must complete at least one upper-division course designated as "writing-intensive" with a minimum C (2.00) grade. While the intent is that the requirement be fulfilled within the major, students may use a writing-intensive course in another discipline to fulfill the requirement if permitted by the department/school of their major. GO TO TOP

UPPER-DIVISION REQUIREMENT

Most specialization in bachelor's degree programs is pursued through upper-division coursework. Upper-division courses are numbered 30000–49999 and expect both greater familiarity with the subject matter and greater intellectual sophistication. Students must complete the appropriate prerequisites in specified lower-division courses before entering upper-division courses. In general, baccalaureate programs require the successful completion of minimum 39 upper-division semester hours of coursework. GO TO TOP

MINIMUM CUMULATIVE GRADE POINT AVERAGE

All undergraduate students graduating from Kent State University must attain a minimum 2.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) for all coursework taken at Kent State University. Candidates for the Associate of Applied Business and Associate of Applied Science degrees must attain a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in the technical courses. If students are required to take additional coursework to raise the GPA in the technical courses to 2.00, the course(s) must be in the technical area and will be selected in consultation with the program advisor and approved prior to registration. Additionally, some degree programs have higher minimum GPA requirements. GO TO TOP

MINIMUM HOUR REQUIREMENT

All students in bachelor's degree programs must satisfactorily earn (with passing grades) a minimum of 121 semester credit hours of coursework to graduate. As part of this requirement, all students must complete minimum 36 semester hours of the Kent Core.

Associate degrees are awarded for the successful completion of a minimum of 61 semester credit hours of coursework. They are designed to fulfill two major purposes: to permit students to complete the freshman and sophomore years of a baccalaureate program; or to prepare graduates for immediate employment in a technology field.

Some bachelor's and associate degree programs require more hours than the 121 and 61, respectively, as stated above. Associate degree students who are studying part time should expect to take more than two years to complete their programs. GO TO TOP

EXPLORATORY AND GENERAL MAJORS

Kent State offers the non-degree Exploratory major and generalist majors within each college and on all campuses to enable baccalaureate-seeking students to explore academic areas and/or meet minimum program requirements. Bachelor's degree students in these non-degree majors must declare a degree major by the time they have earned 45 semester credit hours. Students needing assistance with selecting a major must consult with their academic advisor. GO TO TOP

NO-CREDIT COURSES

Five courses that may be prescribed or recommended through placement testing—MATH 10020, MATH 10021, MATH 10022, US 10003 and US 10006—do not generate credit toward graduation. Although these courses will count toward the courseload for financial aid and other purposes, hours taken in these courses will be subtracted from the students' total before graduation. Other prescribed courses—including ENG 11001, MATH 10023 and MATH 10024—do count as credit toward graduation, but toward general elective hours only. None of the prescribed courses may be taken pass/fail. GO TO TOP

TRANSIENT WORK AT ANOTHER UNIVERSITY

Kent State University students who wish to take coursework at another accredited institution of higher education must receive the prior approval of the academic dean of the appropriate unit if the student intends to apply this coursework toward the Kent State University degree program. Transient work by students who are on probation, dismissed or in the last 30 hours of a degree program may be restricted by the students' college. All credits granted for transient work will be translated into semester hours. Grades received for transient work are not transferred; only credit hours are transferred. Generally, credit for non-remedial courses in which students have earned a minimum C (2.0) at an accredited school (as determined by the Transfer Center) will be considered for transfer. However, transfer credit earned fall 2005 and later from a regionally accredited Ohio college or university will be awarded for all non-remedial courses in which students have earned a minimum D (1.00) grade.

Students are reminded that no more than 18 semester hours of transient work may be approved. Approvals for transient attendance are valid for one term only (quarter, semester, etc.) at other institutions and are subject to all restrictions of the dean of their college. GO TO TOP

DUAL DEGREE / DOUBLE MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

In certain cases students may be able to complete the requirements for more than one academic major through either a double major or a dual degree program of study. A double major program of study combines two major fields of study within the same degree program. Students completing a double major program of study are awarded a single degree with two majors. Students pursuing a double major program for a bachelor's degree must complete a minimum 121 semester hours.

A dual degree program of study combines two majors from distinct degree programs. Any combination of major fields of study involving degree programs in more than one college is a dual degree program even if both degrees bear the same title. Students completing a dual degree program are awarded two distinct degrees. Students pursuing a dual degree program at the baccalaureate level must complete a minimum of 140 total semester hours. Students pursuing concurrent associate degrees must successfully complete all the requirements for both and a minimum of 15 credit hours beyond those required for the primary degree. Because of the similarity in program requirements, the Associate of Arts and the Associate of Science degrees may not be earned concurrently; nor may either be awarded as an additional degree when one or the other has been previously conferred.

Certain major combinations are not appropriate and are not permitted by the colleges. Students interested in a double major or dual degree program of study must consult the offices of the appropriate colleges and/or campus to determine whether the desired combination of majors is permitted. Students seeking concurrent associate degrees must be in good academic standing and enrolled officially for a first, or primary, associate degree. If the combination is permitted, the college offices will assist the students in formally declaring the degrees/majors and will provide the students with major sheets for both of the degrees/majors showing the course requirements to be satisfied for both majors. The students must complete all requirements for both degrees/majors.

Students who hold an associate, bachelor's or graduate degree and wish to pursue an associate degree may do so by successfully completing all program and residency requirements, in addition to a minimum 15 semester hours.

Students are required to file a graduation application for each degree/major program of study. Students must officially declare any degree/major in time to meet the graduation application deadline for the semester in which they expect to complete the program of study. GO TO TOP

COURSE OVERLOAD

Eligible students who meet the Kent State GPA guidelines may register for a course overload through an automated process. A course overload is considered as:

More than 18 credit hours in fall or spring semester.
More than 6 credit hours in a single five-week summer session; more than 10 hours in an eight-week summer session; more than 10 hours in overlapping summer sessions; or more than 12 hours for all summer sessions combined.

Kent State GPA guidelines for an automatic overload:

	Student GPA	Permitted hours over 18 for fall and spring semesters
	2.500 - 2.749	1
	2.750 - 2.999	1 -2
	3.000 - 4.000	1 - 3

Criteria for eligibility:

First-semester transfer students and freshmen without a Kent State GPA are excluded from qualifying for an automatic overload. They must seek approval from their advising office.
First-semester freshmen with a Kent State GPA are eligible for an automatic overload given the criteria above.
Students not meeting the above criteria or requesting more than 21 semester hours in the fall or spring semester (more than 12 hours in all summer terms) will be blocked from registering for an overload unless approval is granted from their advising office.
Students on academic probation may not register for more than 15 hours and may receive a prescription from the dean of the college that they further reduce the hours carried until removed from probation.

Exceptions to this rule must be approved by the appropriate college dean. GO TO TOP

COURSE REPEAT POLICIES

Students may repeat courses taken at Kent State University subject to the following provisions:

Students may repeat a course already passed for additional credit if it is identified as repeatable in the course description. Some academic units place a limit on the total number of credits that may be earned in a given repeatable course. For credit limits on specific courses, students should read the course descriptions or consult their advisor.
Students may repeat for credit any upper-division (30000- and 40000-level) courses they have failed. All grades earned are counted in the cumulative grade point average.
Students may repeat upper-division (30000- and 40000-level) courses already passed with the approval of the academic dean in order to meet specific graduation requirements; however, the hours earned the second time do not, under any circumstances, count toward graduation. All grades earned are counted in the cumulative grade point average.
Students may repeat lower-division (10000- and 20000-level) courses, and the university will use only the highest grade in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average. Lower-division course repeat with recalculation is subject to the following provisions:
1. The course must be repeated at Kent State University.
2. The course must be repeated for a letter grade, including satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U), but not pass/fail.
3. All grades will appear on the official transcript.
4. Only the highest grade received for the course will be used in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average.
5. Recalculation of the students' cumulative grade point average will occur automatically at the end of the semester in which students complete the repeated course.
6. All eligible courses will be included in the recalculation.
7. Courses taken as part of a completed associate degree may be repeated under this policy.
8. All course repeats for recalculation must be completed before conferral of the student's first bachelor's degree from any college or university.
9. All grades will be counted in determining grade point average for graduation with institutional honors and may also be counted for admission to or progression in specific programs, for admission to graduate programs or for admission to other institutions. These computations are independent of the cumulative grade point average as it appears on the transcript or student grade report.
10. Credit for a repeated course will apply only once toward meeting degree requirements.
11. The university is not obligated to offer courses so that students can repeat them.
12. This policy does not apply to variable content courses that are repeatable for credit, such as special topics courses, individual investigations, practicums, internships, etc.
13. This policy was effective with the spring 2008 semester. GO TO TOP

SCHOLASTIC STANDING

Because students must earn a minimum 2.00 cumulative (counting all work) grade point average (GPA) to graduate from the university, they must maintain that average throughout the undergraduate years. Students whose GPA falls below 2.00 should make a positive effort to improve their academic performance. Such students should devote their entire attention and energies to their studies by improving study habits and concentrating on such basic skills as composition, reading and mathematics.

President's List: In recognition of an extremely high level of academic excellence, a President’s List is compiled each academic semester. To qualify, students must have a 4.00 GPA in the semester and must have completed 15 or more credit hours (all of which must have regular letter grades) by the end of that semester. This notation will be printed on students’ official transcripts.
Dean’s List for Full-Time Students: In recognition of academic excellence, a Dean’s List is compiled each academic semester. To qualify, students must have a minimum 3.40 GPA in the semester and must have completed 12 or more regular letter-graded credit hours by the end of that semester. This notation will be printed on students’ official transcripts.
Dean’s List for Part-Time Students: A Dean’s List for Part-Time Students is compiled after spring semester grades are issued. To qualify, students must have a minimum 3.40 GPA in 12 or more regular letter-graded hours taken during the previous summer, fall and spring semesters. Such students must have registered for fewer than 12 hours in each of the semesters under consideration. This notation will be printed on students’ official transcripts.
In Good Academic Standing: Students with a minimum 2.00 GPA are in good academic standing. Students with a cumulative GPA below 2.00 are placed on academic probation. Good academic standing is not the same as eligibility for financial aid or for participation in other activities of the university such as athletics, student organization leadership, extracurricular activities, etc. For information about eligibility standards, students should contact the appropriate office or organization.
Midterm Warning: Students who earn a midterm GPA of less than 2.00 will be placed on "Midterm Warning."
Semester Warning: Students with a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA who earn a semester GPA of less than 2.00 in any given semester will be placed on "Semester Warning."
Selected Academic Program Warning: If a student's GPA does not meet the standards required for a selective program, the dean may place the student on "Selective Academic Program Warning." The student would be allowed to remain enrolled in the selective major while attempting to improve academic performance.
Not Permitted to Continue: If a student's GPA does not meet the standards required for a selective program, the dean may decide that the student is "Not Permitted to Continue" in that academic program. Unless the student's cumulative GPA also is below the dismissal standard, the student may continue at the university, but may either be asked to change to a "general" category in the college of the student's major (for exploration of other majors in the college) or be referred to another program (including those on the Regional Campuses) that does not have a graduation standard above the university minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA.
Academic Probation: Students who fail to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 will be placed on academic probation. This probation signifies that the cumulative performance is below the minimum university requirement for graduation. Students on probation will be notified by their dean's office. In addition, the following students will be placed on probation:
1. Students reinstated to the university after being dismissed because of poor scholarship.
2. Transfer students whose cumulative records at all previous institutions do not meet the minimum grade point average requirements of Kent State University.

Probation is an emphatic warning to the students that the quality of their academic performance must improve if they are to obtain the minimum grades required for graduation. Students on probation must show considerable improvement in their academic work or they will be dismissed from the university. Students on probation must reduce their course load as prescribed by the dean. The students also should reduce participation in social and extracurricular activities. Students are removed from probation only when they have achieved a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA. GO TO TOP

DISMISSAL AND REINSTATEMENT

Dismissal: Students whose academic performance indicates a limited chance of obtaining the minimum grades required for graduation will be subject to dismissal from the university.

The provost may dismiss:

Students on probation if the student's cumulative grade point average (GPA) is within the following ranges*:
1. 16-29 GPA hours: below 1.50 cumulative GPA
2. 30-59 GPA hours: below 1.70 cumulative GPA
3. 60-89 GPA hours: below 1.80 cumulative GPA
4. 90 or more GPA hours: below 1.90 cumulative GPA
A student who fails to make adequate progress toward completion of the program of study (including, but not limited to, excessive complete term withdrawals, course withdrawals or NF/SF grades).

* The provost may choose not to dismiss a student within the stated ranges if circumstances warrant.

The provost will not dismiss a student on probation if any of the following conditions apply to that student:

It is the student's first semester of enrollment at Kent State University (including first-semester freshman or first-semester transfer student).
The student has 15 or less GPA hours at Kent State University.
The student was in good academic standing at the end of the preceding term of enrollment.
The student earned a minimum 2.00 term GPA (unadjusted for recalculation provisions in the course repeat policy).

A student who is dismissed should expect to be away from the university for a minimum 12 consecutive months. A dismissed student may not register for any coursework at any campus of Kent State University. The notation of academic dismissal will be printed on the student's official transcript.

For further information concerning the conditions of probation and dismissal, students should contact their college or campus advising office.

Guidelines for Appeals of Dismissal: A student who is dismissed has the right to appeal the decision. Appeals must be made in writing to the college or campus at which the student was enrolled at the time of the dismissal.

The appeal letter must be composed, typed and signed by the student. The appeal letter may be delivered personally or sent by mail, and must include original documentation. Appeal letters also may be sent by fax or as an e-mail attachment from the student's Kent State e-mail address, but must be supplemented by submitting original documentation. Appeal letters for a dismissal made at the end of the falls semester must be received by the Friday before spring semester begins. Appeal letters for a dismissal made at the end of the spring semester must be received by June 15.

Appeals must be based on recent circumstances that were beyond the control of the student. Appeal letters must include the following:

An explanation of the extenuating circumstances, such as personal illness/injury, critical family illness or other situations of sufficient severity that they may have adversely affected academic performance. These circumstances must be documented by providing physician statements or other appropriate official documents.
Proof of consistent satisfactory academic performance prior to the occurrence of the circumstances believed to be the cause of the dismissal. These efforts must be documented by course instructors, and their statements must be submitted on university letterhead or sent from each instructor's Kent State e-mail address. If errors have occurred for one or more reported grades, the course instructor must verify that a grade change has been submitted.
An explanation of why action such as course withdrawal, complete term withdrawal, request for an incomplete grade, etc., was not taken before the end of the semester.
A detailed plan of action for achieving academic success for any future enrollment at Kent State University.
The student's full name, Banner ID number, current and permanent mailing addresses, current and permanent telephone numbers and Kent State e-mail address.

Appeals that do meet these guidelines will not be reviewed.

Reinstatement: Reinstatement after dismissal from Kent State University is neither automatic nor guaranteed. A student may be reinstated only if the student provides convincing evidence of probable academic success if permitted to return to the university. A dismissed student who has previously accumulated a substantial number of credit hours and/or an excessively low GPA should expect that reinstatement is not likely to be approved. For programs with selective admission requirements, specified certification standards or additional program and graduation requirements, reinstatement may be impossible.

Application for reinstatement after the required period of time away from the university should be to the dean of the college or Regional Campus that houses the major program the student wishes to enter. The application should include convincing evidence of the student's motivation to continue and of the student's specific efforts during the period of dismissal to eliminate previous weaknesses. After evaluating the application for reinstatement and all supporting materials, the dean will inform the student of the reinstatement decision.

A student who is reinstated is automatically placed on probation until good academic standing (minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA) is attained. Academic requirements will be determined by the Catalog-in-force at the time the student re-enrolls at the university. If a student under dismissal intends to enroll in coursework elsewhere before applying for reinstatement to Kent State University, advising should first be obtained from the appropriate college or campus advising office. Coursework taken elsewhere may not be applicable to specified Kent State University degree programs, and enrollment may affect the student's potential use of the Academic Forgiveness Policy or limit the the advantages of recalculation provisions in the university's Course Repeat Policy. For further information concerning reinstatement, students should consult their college or campus advising office. GO TO TOP

ACADEMIC FORGIVENESS POLICY

Purpose: The Academic Forgiveness Policy pertains only to former Kent students returning to the university as undergraduate students after a significant absence. It provides them an opportunity to have their academic standing reflect the increased maturity and improved level of academic performance gained since the interruption of studies at Kent State. Specifically, once the returning students have demonstrated the ability to sustain a satisfactory level of academic performance following their return, all grades of C-, D+, D, F, NF, SF, M and U earned during the previous Kent State enrollment will be disregarded in the cumulative calculations of hours attempted, quality points earned and grade point average.

Eligibility: The Academic Forgiveness Policy is available to returning students who meet one or more of the following criteria:

Former students who have not been enrolled at Kent State University for a period of at least two calendar years during which time the students have been enlisted in the U.S. Armed Services, as documented by a copy of DD 214 (available to students returning fall 1974 or later).
Former students who have not been enrolled at Kent State University or any other accredited institution of higher education for a period of at least three calendar years (available to students returning spring 1975 or later).
Former students who have not been enrolled at Kent State University for more than three calendar years who may have taken credit coursework at another institution of higher education, but for whom there are at least three consecutive calendar years during which the students were not engaged in study at an institution of higher education (available to students returning fall 1979 or later).

Procedure: The established university and collegiate procedures and criteria for readmission or reinstatement apply to all students, including those who may be eligible for the application of the Academic Forgiveness Policy. Prior to the completion of 15 hours of graded academic coursework since their return to Kent State, former students who meet one of the three eligibility criteria indicated above may request the application of the Academic Forgiveness Policy to their academic record by submitting a written petition to the dean of the college or independent school in which the students enrolled upon returning to Kent State. The records of the students will then be reviewed by the appropriate dean at the conclusion of each term following the students' return.

If the students maintain a GPA of at least 2.00 through the term that encompasses the 15th hour of graded coursework after returning to the university, the Academic Forgiveness Policy shall be implemented and the following steps taken with regard to the students' academic record:

All courses in which grades of C-, D+, D, F, NF, SF, M or U were received in the previous period of Kent State enrollment will be retained on the academic transcript with the notation of an "E" in the repeat column, which denotes courses excluded from GPA calculation, and the official grade will be changed to X* (e.g., XC-, XD, etc.), which denotes academic forgiveness.
All cumulative calculations of hours attempted, quality points earned and cumulative GPA also will be adjusted.

If the students fail to maintain a 2.00 average for the first 15 semester hours of graded coursework following return to the university, the eligibility period shall be extended to the term which encompasses the 30th semester hour of graded academic coursework after the students' resumption of study at Kent State. If, at this point, the students' GPA since their return has attained the 2.00 level, the Academic Forgiveness Policy will be implemented; if not, eligibility for the Academic Forgiveness Policy shall have expired.

Exceptions/Explanations: The Academic Forgiveness Policy is non-selective. It applies to all grades below C (2.00), with the exception of courses taken on a pass/fail basis, that were earned in the previous period of Kent State University enrollment, or to none. In the event that a course for which the students previously had received a "passing" grade of C-, D+ or D is required for the degree program the students are pursuing, the students must retake this course unless the dean of the college in which the students are enrolled approves a suitable substitution. The original GPA (unadjusted by the application of the Academic Forgiveness Policy) will be used in determining eligibility for university, collegial, departmental or professional honors or other recognition based upon the entirety of students' undergraduate academic career and record of academic performance. Former students returning to the university may request the application of the Academic Forgiveness Policy to their record only once in their career at Kent State and within only one of the criteria of eligibility.

The Academic Forgiveness Policy applies only to coursework formerly taken at Kent State University and only to the students' Kent State transcript. It is available only to undergraduate students and applies only to a student's standing toward an undergraduate degree program of the university. The dean of the college, independent school or Regional Campus in which the students are enrolled at the time of initial eligibility for application of the Academic Forgiveness Policy (the term which encompasses the 15th hour of graded coursework since returning to Kent State) shall determine all questions as to eligibility for, and application of, the Academic Forgiveness Policy. GO TO TOP