Please also see the sections of the USCA Bulletin describing the major programs of study for any limitations on general education requirements.

Program of Study
Students are expected to follow the program outlined for their major as closely as possible, particularly within the first two years. When special problems arise, the student may consult the department chair/dean before consulting the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Students must pursue required courses in the prescribed sequence. Failure to do so may lead to scheduling difficulties. Students may find courses they wish to take either not available or closed to students without advanced standing.

Under current regulations, students who have failed to complete successfully all of the freshman requirements may not enroll in courses in their major field beyond the sophomore level. In this case, students may take electives until the deficiency is removed.

Students who enroll in classes for which prerequisites or other defined requirements have not been met may be removed from those classes.

Freshmen
The college experience provides an opportunity for exploration of many disciplines and fields of study. Therefore, students are not required to select a major upon admission to the university.

Students who have earned 30 semester hours and wish to continue their studies at the University should declare a major in a program for which they meet entrance or progression requirements. Undecided and change-of-major students should use the resources available in the Advisement Center and in Career Services to help them choose a major.

Students must complete a special admission process prior to the junior year for some programs (Business Administration, Education, and Nursing).

Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS)
The Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) is an advising tool used to produce student degree audits and to assist with transfer evaluations. Advisors may use DARS to review a student’s degree requirements. The individual degree audits will show the student’s progress by indicating the requirements that have been fulfilled and those remaining. DARS is available for students using any bulletin since the 2001-2002 bulletin was published.

Name Changes
Forms for changing a name are available in the Registrar’s Office. After producing legal proof of name change, the student should complete the form.

Address Updates
The Registrar’s Office also has the forms necessary for updating a student’s address.

It is the obligation of every student to notify the Office of the Registrar of any change in name or address. Failure to do so can cause serious delay in the handling of student records and in notification to the student of any emergencies at home.

Publications
Each semester students are urged to become familiar with the University’s Academic Calendar which is always published in the USCA Schedule of Classes Booklet for that semester. It is each student’s responsibility to know the last day to add or drop a class, the withdrawal deadline, when exams are scheduled and other important dates published in the calendar.

Each semester the Registrar’s Office also sends all currently enrolled students a newsletter called From the Registrar’s Desk. The newsletter provides a reminder of important dates on the academic calendar and an explanation of new procedures that may be implemented in the Registrar’s Office. Students are urged to read each newsletter primarily for priority registration.

Indebtedness
Every student is expected to discharge any indebtedness to the University as quickly as possible. No degree will be conferred on, nor any diploma, certificate, record or transcript issued to, a student who has not made satisfactory settlement with the Finance Office for all of his/her indebtedness to the University. A student may be prohibited from attending classes or taking final examinations after the due date of any unpaid obligation.

To be officially enrolled in the University, students must be academically eligible, complete the registration process with the Office of the Registrar, and possess a receipt for payment of current academic fees. USC Aiken offers the Visual Information Processing (VIP) system as a means of registration. A student may also use the Visual Information Processing (VIP) system to access grades, view current class schedule, review fees, process tuition bills, check for registration appointment time, update address, and change a PIN.

Some academic advisors have been trained to register students via Faculty Desktop Registration (FDR).

Students are expected to complete registration (including the payment of all required fees) by the dates prescribed in the university calendar to avoid paying a late registration fee of $5.00 per day ($50.00 maximum). After late registration, a $40 reinstatement fee will be charged in addition to all other fees.

Proxy Registration
Enrollment by proxy is allowed provided the student has been advised and has supplied his/her proxy with the necessary tuition and fees.

Academic Advisement
Students are responsible for seeing that they complete all requirements for their degree. Academic advisors and the department faculty in the major are responsible for evaluating progress toward the degree and for interpreting and applying major requirements. Normally students will be able to progress by accepting the advice of their academic advisor. Undecided students are advised by a special group of advisors.

Transient and non-degree students will not be assigned advisors but may consult with the Director of the Advisement Services Office about courses. To register, non-degree students must have a signed waiver from the Advisement Services Office.

Course Credit
The number of class meetings per week for one semester usually determines the credit value of each course. Two or three laboratory hours (one period) are equivalent to one class meeting. The semester hour credit for each course is included in each course description.

Course Load
To graduate within 4-5 years, a student should earn a minimum of 15 credit hours per semester in academic studies. A normal full-time academic load is considered five (5) academic subjects carrying 14-17 credit hours.

Course Overload
To register for 18 hours or more, students must obtain course overload approval. Permission is required for an overload even if part of the course load is on an audit basis. A continuing student who wishes to take 18 or more hours must also have earned a GPA of at least 3.0 for the preceding semester’s work (on a minimum of 12 semester hours). New students are eligible for 18 hours or more if they have a total score on the SAT of 1000 or higher. All students wishing overload permission must obtain approval from their advisor and dean/department chair on a "Course Authorization" form available from the advisor or dean/department chair.

Course Numbering
Courses numbered from 101 to 599 are available for undergraduate credit. Courses numbered 600 and higher can be taken only for graduate credit.

Course Descriptions
Course descriptions are listed immediately following the various program outlines in this Bulletin.

The elements of the course descriptions are as follows:

Auditing
Auditing a course entails attending classes and listening without actively participating in the class. A student who audits a class is not responsible for any assignments or examinations. No credit may be earned in an audited course by examination or otherwise. No audited course may be repeated for credit at a later date.

Students should submit the request for permission to audit a course to the instructional department concerned and should specify the semester when they wish to audit. The applicant must complete the prescribed procedure for enrollment through the Registration Center prior to the last day to add a class for that semester. A student must have been admitted to the University to be eligible to audit a course. If a student decides to take the course for credit, he/she may change from audit to credit by the published deadline to change a schedule for that semester. Auditors who are not enrolled as full-time students will be charged the current rate per credit hour.

Pass/Fail Option
Students may elect to take one or more free elective courses under the Pass/Fail option each semester. (See Grading System on page 39 for all regulations pertaining to Pass/Fail.) A Pass/Fail Option form must be completed and returned to the Registrar by the published deadline to elect the Pass/Fail option for a particular semester. The student will receive the hours earned if the course is passed, but the grade point average will not be affected by a course taken Pass/Fail.

Independent Studies
Advanced students may be afforded the opportunity to conduct independent study of a topic not covered in other courses under the guidance and supervision of a professor. Under normal circumstances a student may not take a regularly scheduled course on an independent study basis. All independent study courses must involve work which is clearly of an academic nature. The student must complete a significant body of work which is evaluated and graded.

All students taking courses on an independent study basis must have an approved independent study contract on file with the department and the Records Office. This contract must be completed by the instructor and the student and approved by the advisor and department chair/dean. Students must present their approved copy when registering for the course. The contract must include a detailed specification of the work the student is expected to complete and an explanation of how the student’s grade will be determined. Published academic calendar deadlines and the established grading system apply to independent studies.

Independent study courses are intended primarily for juniors and seniors who desire advanced intensive work on a specific topic and, therefore, do not count toward general education requirements.

Repetition of Course Work
Students may repeat courses they have failed or passed. All registrations will appear on the student’s permanent record and all grades will be computed in the student’s grade point average. Course credit for graduation will be given only once unless otherwise stipulated in the course description.

Correspondence Courses
Undergraduates may receive credit for only those correspondence courses taken through the Office of Independent Learning located on the Columbia campus. Students may request permission to enroll in such courses with the Request to Earn Credit Through Special Enrollment form available from the Registrar’s Office. The student must get the advisor and department chair/dean to sign the form and must return the bottom copy to the Office of Independent Learning with the application card. (Booklets describing all correspondence courses and how to enroll in them are available from the Registrar’s Office). Since such courses are offered in the USC system, they are calculated into the GPA; however, for purposes of graduation with honors, they do not contribute to the minimum number of hours in residence.

Telecommunications Courses
Each semester courses are offered either as closed circuit courses to be viewed at the University or open circuit courses to be viewed in homes on local S.C. ETV channels and by audio/videocassettes. To enroll in a telecommunications course, the student must obtain permission from his/her advisor on an advisement form and have the information entered in the Registration Center. Published academic calendar deadlines and the established grading system apply to telecommunication courses.

A brochure describing each semester’s offerings is available from the Office of Continuing Education.

Concurrent and Transient Enrollment
Concurrent enrollment means attending USCA and another USC campus or another college at the same time. Transient enrollment means leaving USCA for a semester or more to attend another USC campus or another college in-state or out-of state.

Permission for either concurrent or transient enrollment is obtained on a Request to Earn Credit Through Special Enrollment form available from the Office of the Registrar. Courses must be approved by the appropriate department chair/dean and the form must be signed by the student’s advisor and department chair/dean before it is submitted to the Office of the Registrar for processing. The Office of the Registrar will also confirm the USCA equivalent of each course taken in this manner based on transfer articulation tables developed by the Office of Admissions or as determined by the unit head of the academic area in which the course is housed. Students who wish to enroll in concurrent or transient work at another USC campus can usually register for those classes in Aiken.

Students wishing concurrent or transient enrollment at a college outside the USC system must remember the following:

USCA students who obtain credits as transient/concurrent students must have all official transcripts sent directly to the Office of the Registrar at USCA from each institution the student attends. This includes institutions the student attends during summers or while in transient or concurrent enrollment status, whether or not the student earns satisfactory grades or the credits apply to the degree sought. All grades earned will be included in the calculation of the collegiate GPA.

Transient/Concurrent Study at USCA
Students from another USC campus must obtain permission from their advisor or college dean/school head to take courses at USC Aiken by completing a Request to Earn Credit Through Special Enrollment. Many times, students may register on their home campus for USC Aiken courses. Once the work is completed, the grades automatically transfer and are calculated into the student’s GPA.

Students from outside the USC system must be admitted to USCA prior to taking courses. The Office of Admissions will send notification of acceptance as concurrent or transient students. Registration procedures and academic calendar deadlines must be observed by all transient students. Once their work is completed, students from outside the USC system must request that an official transcript be sent to their home college.

Senior Citizens
Senior citizens (legal residents of South Carolina who have attained the age of sixty) are allowed to take courses at the University free of charge, provided there is space available in the classroom. For this reason, they may not register until after the general student population has completed registration. During the fall and spring semesters, they may register on the third day of class. During the summer terms, they may register on the first day of class. To enroll in a course, senior citizens must first complete all the necessary paperwork required by the Admissions Office. Changes in enrollment status (i.e. changing from credit to audit or audit to credit) must be completed by the last day to change course schedule or drop without a grade of W being recorded, as published in the USCA Schedule of Classes.

Maymester
Maymester is a compressed term, usually two weeks in length held between the close of the Spring semester and the beginning of first Summer term. Although Maymester offers students a versatile schedule, complications can arise, especially for financial aid recipients. It is therefore very important to refer to the USCA Schedule of Classes Booklet for special course information, tuition deadlines, final examination schedule and grade reporting information.

Summer Sessions
The summer session consists of two terms. Any student regularly enrolled in the University may take work applicable to his or her degree program during the summer session. All regulations governing the regular academic year pertain to the summer session as well.

The University reserves the right to cancel any course in the event of inadequate enrollment. Registration in any course may be closed when the maximum enrollment has been reached.

Schedule Adjustments
Students may make adjustments to their schedules during the drop-add period listed on the schedule of class offerings for that semester. They must obtain permission on an advisement form to drop or add a class, to change credits, to change from audit to credit or to change from credit to audit. No permission from the advisor is needed for changing sections. No student should present him/herself for registration without an advisement form signed by the appropriate advisor. Students may also make schedule adjustments via VIP once advisor approval has been given. Failure to drop a course by the published deadline and through proper channels may result in the assignment of a grade of "F".

Dropping a Course
Students who drop a class or classes during the first week of a semester, the Schedule Adjustment Period, will have no record of the dropped courses on their permanent transcript. Courses dropped will not enter into the computation of hours attempted or the grade point average. Courses dropped after the Schedule Adjustment Period but prior to the last day to withdraw without academic penalty (as published in the University’s academic calendar) will receive a grade of W which will be recorded on the student’s permanent record but will not be used in computing his/her grade point average.

A grade of WF will normally be recorded for any course dropped after the first eight weeks (pro-rated for shortened and elongated semesters). If the drop date occurs during a break (such as fall break or spring break), the class day closest to the 8 week mark will be designated as the deadline. (See "Withdrawal from the University" later in this section for more details.)

If a student drops a class or classes and is due a refund, the paperwork will be processed by the Records Office and the Finance Office and a check will be mailed to the student. (See "Fees and Refunds" section of this Bulletin for more information.)

Changes in Programs of Study
Students desiring to change their program of study - whether that involves a change of major, advisor, or degree - must complete a USCA Program Change form available from the Advisement Center. When the student and the new advisor have signed the form, it should be returned to the Director of the Advisement Center.

Change of Major
Credits earned in one degree program may not be applicable toward other degrees. When a student changes major, he/she should obtain written verification of applicability of credits earned from the chair/head of the department/school in which the new degree or major is offered. Students should visit the Office of Academic Advisement to complete a change of major form.

Course Substitutions
Only under unavoidable and exceptional circumstances will the faculty permit substitutions for or exemptions from the prescribed curricula. When it becomes necessary to request a deviation from the prescribed program of study, students should consult the appropriate department chair/dean in which they are enrolled before proceeding.

Requests to deviate from the general education requirements after enrollment at USC Aiken must be presented on an Academic Petitions Form, available from the Registrar’s Office. The student must obtain the signature of the advisor and the dean/department chair before returning the Petition to the Registrar. The Registrar will submit the request to the Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee for approval/disapproval. If the petition is approved, it will become part of the student’s permanent record. If the petition is denied, the student will have the right to make a personal appeal to the Scholastic Standings and Petitions Committee at its next meeting. Should a student’s personal appeal be denied by the Committee, the student may then appeal to the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and, if necessary, to the Chancellor, whose response shall be final. Students should allow a minimum of one month for such requests to be reviewed.

Requests to deviate from the major requirements of a program of study must be approved by the school/department. The student should submit a memo describing the change and the rationale for the substitution. The memo must be signed by the advisor, dean/department chair, and the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and then returned to the Registrar’s Office.

Cancelled Classes
Occasionally a class will be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment or for some other reason. When this happens, the Records Office will automatically remove the students from the class and give them the option of either seeing their advisor and adding another class by the deadline to add classes, or taking a 100% refund. Students are not responsible for any paperwork in this instance unless they want to add a substitute class.

Enrollment Discrepancies
After mid-terms, instructors are sent mid-term class rolls and asked to forward to the Registrar’s Office any enrollment discrepancies in the class. Students may be enrolled in one section and attending another or be enrolled in a course that they thought they had dropped. Students who receive notice of an enrollment discrepancy must contact the Registrar immediately and present all advisement forms pertaining to that semester.

A student desiring to withdraw from the University for a semester should obtain a withdrawal form from the Records Office. Any refund the student may be due will be mailed to him/her by the Finance Office. If a student withdraws during the Schedule Adjustment Period, there will be no record of enrollment for that semester on his/her permanent record. If a student withdraws during the second through the eighth week of classes, he/she will receive a W in all courses for that semester. A grade of WF will normally be recorded for any course dropped after the first eight weeks of the term (pro-rated for shortened and elongated terms). If the drop date occurs during a break (such as fall or spring break), the class day closest to the 8 week mark will be designated as the deadline.

Withdrawal Due to Extenuating Circumstances
If a student needs to withdraw because of extenuating circumstances such as prolonged illness or debilitating accident after the first eight weeks of the term, the student must complete the regular university withdrawal form and an additional form for Withdrawal Due to Extenuating Circumstances. Both forms are available in the Records Office. A student seeking withdrawal due to extenuating circumstances must withdraw from all courses for that term. The student should present a written explanation along with supporting documents and forms to the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for initial approval. The student will then present the documents to the appropriate instructors. Each instructor must sign the form and assign the grade of W or WF. A W is assigned if the student was passing the class at the time of the extenuating circumstances. A W does not affect the student’s grade point average. A WF maybe assigned if the student was not passing the course at the time of the extenuating circumstances. The WF is calculated as a failing grade in the student’s grade point average. When all instructor signatures have been obtained, the form must be returned to the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for final approval and forwarding to the Records Office for processing.

Students have only one semester following the term for which they are seeking withdrawal for extenuating circumstances to complete the entire process including the paperwork. For example, a student who became ill during the spring semester would have until the end of the following fall semester to both request a withdrawal and process the paperwork. The Executive Vice Chancellor typically will not consider requests for withdrawal due to extenuating circumstances if the student completes the required work in a course and is assigned a letter grade or if a student is assigned some combination of passing and failing grades during the term for which the withdrawal is sought.

It is important for students to understand that even if they are taking only one course per semester and wish to drop it, the proper procedure is to complete the paperwork for withdrawal in the Registrar’s Office. Failure to complete the withdrawal paper(s) may result in the loss of a possible refund and may result in the assignment of all F’s on a student’s permanent record for that semester.

When students enroll in a particular course, they obligate themselves to complete all the work which may be assigned. Punctual and regular attendance is vital to the discharge of this obligation. The faculty of each department or school will determine the attendance policy for courses taught under its authority. The department or school may establish one uniform policy for all of its faculty, may set unit policies for certain courses only, or may allow individual faculty members to determine attendance policy for their own classes. In the latter case the department or school will review the individual policies and modify them as the unit sees fit.

All instructors must include the policy they intend to follow in each course syllabus, which will be distributed to all students enrolled in the course.

Each policy, whether departmental or individual, will clearly explain the rules and limits regarding class attendance and absences. It may establish an allowable number of class absences which students may accumulate without penalty. If a policy limits the number of absences allowed, it should also list reasons for excused absences (for example, documented incapacitating illness, official representation of the University, death of a close relative, religious holidays, jury duty). Excused absences do not absolve a student of responsibility for the completion of all assigned work in the class. A student should inform the instructor of any anticipated absence. It is the responsibility of the student to complete any work missed during an absence.

In the event of an impasse between the student and instructor on whether an absence will be excused or on any other issue related to attendance, the student may appeal the instructor’s decision to the chair of the department or dean of the school in which the course is taught. If the conflict cannot be resolved at that level, the student or the instructor may appeal the decision through the established University appeals procedure.

Faculty Attendance
In the event that any instructor is prevented from meeting class at the appointed time, and in the absence of any information regarding class dismissal from another faculty member or the departmental administrative specialist, students are required to wait fifteen (15) minutes before assuming that class will not be held.

Student Deportment
It is the instructor’s right to dismiss from the class any student who disrupts or disturbs the proceeding of the class. If the student who has been dismissed causes similar disturbances in subsequent meetings of the class, he/she may be denied admittance to the class for the remainder of the semester and be assigned a grade of F.

Faculty should refer to the USCA Faculty Manual, 4.1-4 for further information regarding the University’s class attendance policy.

Regular final examinations for spring and fall semesters are held over a five-day period at the close of each semester. Summer term examinations are held during a two-day period at the close of each session. Maymester final exams are held for only one day. Examination schedules are made available as they are published on the web site and in the course schedule booklet. Final examinations for laboratory sections may be administered during the last scheduled meeting of the lab. No final examination for any other course may be held outside of the officially scheduled examination time without the special permission of the Executive Vice Chancellor.

By consent of the instructor, a student may be transferred from one examination section to another if the instructor teaches more than one section of the same course.

Any student who is scheduled to take more than two exams on the same day may take one of the exams on another day of the exam week. This change in the exam schedule must be coordinated with the appropriate department chair or dean.

Students who are absent from any final examination may be given the grade of F in the course if they have not offered an excuse acceptable to the instructor.

Re-examination for the purpose of removing an F or raising a grade is not permitted.

No early examinations are given for graduating seniors.

Transfer students are given credit for their previous college work by means of a Transfer Credit Summary. This is prepared by the Admissions Office after receipt of a student’s official transcript from any college previously attended. Each course will be evaluated by the appropriate department chair/dean to determine whether to award credit towards the student’s major. The total number of hours transferred from any and all colleges will appear on the USCA transcript; however, students must refer to their Transfer Credit Summary to determine how many of those hours have been applied to their major at USCA. Transfer credits from schools outside the USC system appear as hours earned only and do not compute into the USCA grade point average. See Graduation With Honors on page 43 for additional information.

Following admission to USC Aiken, if a student wishes to earn credits for coursework at another institution, he or she must complete a Special Enrollment Request and obtain approval from the academic advisor and the appropriate department chair/dean prior to enrollment.

Typically, only courses taken at an accredited institution and in which grades of "C" or better have been earned will be accepted for transfer. Please see the State policy regarding transfer credit from a two-year institution on the following page. As a general rule, the following kinds of courses do not transfer:

A maximum of 30 semester hours earned in correspondence courses, military service school, off-campus extension classes or while classified as a ‘special student’ may be accepted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for an undergraduate degree. USCA accepts only those correspondence courses offered through the Office of Independent Learning at the Columbia campus.

For additional information regarding transfer credit visit the following web site: www.usca.edu/admissions/transferstudents.html.

Transfer:  State Policies and Procedures

Background
Section 10-C of the South Carolina School-to-Work Transition Act (1994) stipulates that the Council of College and University Presidents and the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education, operating through the Commission on Higher Education, will develop better articulation of associate and baccalaureate degree programs. To comply with this requirement, the Commission upon the advice of the Council of Presidents established a Transfer Articulation Policy Committee composed of four-year institutions’ vice presidents for academic affairs and the Associate Director for Instruction of the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education. The principal outcomes derived from the work of that committee and accepted by the Commission on Higher Education on July 6, 1995, were:

 In 1995 the General Assembly passed Act 137 which stipulated further that the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education “notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, will have the following additional duties and functions with regard to the various public institutions of higher education.” These duties and responsibilities include the Commission’s responsibility “to establish procedures for the transferability of courses at the undergraduate level between two-year and four-year institutions or schools.” This same provision is repeated in the legislation developed from the Report of the Joint Legislative Study Committee, which was formed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor as Act 359 of 1996.

Act 137 directs the Commission to adopt procedures for the transfer of courses from all two-year public to all four-year public institutions of higher education in South Carolina. Proposed procedures are listed below. Unless otherwise stated, these procedures became effective immediately upon approval by the Commission and were to be fully implemented, unless otherwise stated, by September 1, 1997.

Statewide Articulation of 86 Courses
1. The Statewide Articulation Agreement of 86 courses approved by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education for transfer from two- to four-year public institutions will be applicable to all public institutions, including two-year institutions and institutions within the same system. In instances where an institution does not have synonymous courses to ones on this list, it will identify comparable courses or course categories for acceptance of general education courses on the statewide list.

Admissions Criteria, Course Grades, GPAs, Validations
2. All four-year public institutions will issue annually in August a transfer guide covering at least the following items:

3. Coursework (individual courses, transfer blocks, statewide agreements) covered within these procedures will be transferable if the student has completed the coursework with a “C” grade (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or above, but transfer of grades does not relieve the student of the obligation to meet any G.P.A. requirements or other admissions requirements of the institution or program to which application has been made.

Transfer Blocks, Statewide Agreements, Completion of the AA/AS Degree
5. The following Transfer Blocks/Statewide Agreements taken at any two-year public institution in South Carolina will be accepted in their totality toward meeting baccalaureate degree requirements at all four-year public institutions in relevant four-year degree programs, as follows:

6. Any “unique” academic program not specifically or by extension covered by one of the statewide transfer blocks/agreements listed in #4 above must either create its own transfer block of 35 or more credit hours with the approval of CHE staff or will adopt either the Arts/Social Science/Humanities or the Science/Mathematics block. The institution at which such program is located will inform the staff of the CHE and every institutional president and vice president for academic affairs about this decision.

7. Any student who has completed either an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree program at any public two-year South Carolina institution which contains within it the total coursework found in either the Arts/Social Sciences/Humanities Transfer Block or the Math/Science Transfer Block will automatically be entitled to junior-level status or its equivalent at whatever public senior institution to which the student might have been admitted. (Note: As agreed by the Committee on Academic Affairs, junior status applies only to campus activities such as priority order for registration for courses, residence hall assignments, parking, athletic event tickets, etc. and not in calculating academic degree credits.)

Related Reports and Statewide Documents
8. All applicable recommendations found in the Commission’s report to the General Assembly on the School-to-Work Act (approved by the Commission and transmitted to the General Assembly on July 6, 1995) are hereby incorporated into the procedures for transfer of coursework among two- and four-year institutions.

9. The policy paper entitled State Policy on Transfer and Articulation, as amended to reflect changes in the numbers of transfer blocks and other Commission action since July 6, 1995, is hereby adopted as the statewide policy for institutional good practice in the sending and receiving of all course credits to be transferred. (Contact the Division of Academic Affairs for copies of this report.)

Assurance of Quality
10. All claims from any public two- or four-year institution challenging the effective preparation of any other public institution’s coursework for transfer purposes will be evaluated and appropriate measures will be taken to reassure that the quality of the coursework has been reviewed and approved on a timely basis by sending and receiving institutions alike. This process of formal review will occur every four years through the staff of the Commission on Higher Education, beginning with the approval of these procedures.

Statewide Publication and Distribution of Information on Transfer
11. The staff of the Commission on Higher Education will print and distribute copies of these Procedures upon their acceptance by the Commission. The staff will also place this document and the Appendices on the Commission’s Home Page on the Internet under the title “Transfer Policies.”

12. By September 1 of each year, all public four-year institutions will place the following materials on their internet websites:

13. By September 1 of each year, the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education will place the following materials on its internet website:

Credit by Examination

A student who is currently enrolled may receive credit by examination in one of the following ways:

Challenge Exams
In some instances, currently enrolled students may receive credit for a course by requesting a challenge exam and earning a B or better on the exam. Credit will appear only as hours earned and will not affect the grade point average. Departments and schools determine which of their courses may be challenged and the number of challenge exams that may be applied to major course requirements. Department chairs/deans should be consulted for individual unit guidelines.

Challenge exams are not permitted under the following circumstances:

Also, if appropriate faculty are not available to develop and/or administer the exam, the department chair/dean may decline or postpone the request. Challenge exams are not typically administered in the summer. Any student who wishes to challenge a course should take the following steps:

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
The University awards credit by examination to CLEP subject examinations only. By attaining an acceptable score, a student may receive credit equal to that normally earned in the comparable University course. Applications for CLEP examinations may be obtained by calling 1-800-922-9755, ext. 2782. After the exam is taken, CLEP will send the student a score report which should be forwarded to the Registrar. The department chair/dean will decide whether to award credit based on the score.

Grading Symbols

Grade            Explanation                Points

A                   Excellent                     4.0

B+                 Very Good                 3.5

B                   Good                         3.0

C+                 Above Average         2.5

C                   Average                     2.0

D+                 Below Average         1.5

D                   Poor                         1.0

F                   Failure                       0.0

T                   In Progress                0.0

No minuses are used in the University’s grading system.

S and U indicate, respectively, satisfactory (passing) and unsatisfactory (failing) performance in courses carried under Pass/Fail or non-credit options. The S/U designation is used also for research courses, workshops and seminars in which regular academic grades are not used. The use of the Pass/Fail grading option in such courses is indicated in their bulletin descriptions. No course carried under the Pass/Fail option will affect a student’s grade point average or the evaluation of suspension conditions.

W may be assigned in exceptional cases to a student who is performing satisfactorily but who withdraws after the withdrawal deadline due to extenuating circumstances. A "W" is assigned primarily in cases of approved withdrawal from the University. Assignment of a "W" requires the approval of the instructor and of the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. A grade of W will be treated in the same manner as a passing grade in the evaluation of suspension conditions. A "W" is not computed into the GPA.

WF will normally be recorded for any course dropped after the first eight weeks of the term (pro-rated for shortened and elongated terms). If the drop date occurs during a break (such as fall break or spring break), the class day closest to the 8 week mark will be designated. A "WF" is treated as an F in the evaluation of suspension conditions and is computed as an F into the student’s GPA.

I, or Incomplete, indicates satisfactory attendance and performance, but failure, due to extenuating circumstances, to complete some portion of the assigned work at the end of the semester. By permission of the instructor and the dean/department chair, the student will have a time not to exceed 12 months in which to complete the work before a permanent grade is recorded. A deadline of less than 12 months may be stipulated if agreed upon by both the instructor and the student. It is the responsibility of the student to insure that all required work is completed by the deadline stipulated in the contract for the incomplete. Students are not allowed to return to the classroom to complete this work, nor are they allowed to "sit in" on a subsequent section of the course.

An incomplete grade contract must be signed by the student, the instructor and the dean/department chair and be on file in the Registrar’s Office at the time the I grade is recorded. Incompletes are not computed in the GPA until the final grade is assigned. If an incomplete has not been made up by the end of the 12 month period, the I grade will become an F on the permanent record. In situations where the student has missed a majority of the semester for documented reasons, it is more appropriate for the student to seek withdrawal due to extenuating circumstances from the Executive Vice Chancellor.

AUD indicates a course was carried on an audit basis.

NR (No Report) is assigned by the Office of the Registrar only in situations when the submission of the normal Incomplete Contract and assignment of an I is not possible by the grade deadline. It is a temporary mark on the transcript and must be replaced by a grade. The instructor should notify the Registrar that a student has a problem that will prevent completion of an Incomplete Contract. The Office of the Registrar will then notify the student that the NR grade will be assigned and remind the student to contact the instructor to make arrangements to fill out an Incomplete Contract or complete the work, normally within four weeks after the date of the letter. If replacement of the NR does not occur before the last week of the spring or fall semester immediately following the term for which an NR was recorded, a grade of F will be automatically assigned. The NR does not affect the grade point average.

T (In Progress) Courses numbered 799 are restricted to thesis work (variable credit, 1-5 hours). Satisfactory progress in the thesis will be indicated by the grade of T. Unsatisfactory progress in the thesis will be indicated by the grade of U. Completion of the thesis will also be indicated by the grade of T. In addition, a Clearance Recommendation for Graduate Degree Applicants form will be submitted to the Office of the Registrar to indicate successful completion (oral defense and final written paper) of the thesis.

Pass/Fail Grading
The Pass/Fail option is designed to encourage undergraduate students to investigate fields outside of their major curriculum without affecting their grade point averages. Specific provisions of the Pass/Fail program are as follows:

Grade Point Average
The grade point average (GPA) is the average of the grades a student earns at the end of a semester. The GPA is obtained by dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of credit hours attempted. The GPA is computed on the basis of all semester hours attempted for credit, except for credit hours carried under the Pass-Fail or audit options. Courses in which grades of S, U, T, AUD, NR, or W are earned are not considered in computing the GPA.

The GPA is calculated as follows:

Example:

GPA = 31.0 (Total Grade Points)
             13 (Total Credit Hours Attempted = 2.39

Grade Reports
Grades are available through the Visual Information Processing (VIP) system. Grade reports include a cumulative summary of all course work taken in the USC system. Students are encouraged to keep copies of their current grade reports.

In the event a student suspects a grade has been miscalculated or entered incorrectly, he/she should report the problem to the professor within thirty (30) days of receipt of the course grade. If an error has indeed been made, the professor should contact the Office of the Registrar for a Course Grade Change form as soon as possible so the grade can be changed and the student’s records promptly amended. Should an impasse between professor and student occur, the student should refer the problem to the dean/department chair supervising the professor.

Enrollment Certification
Certification of enrollment is based upon the total number of credit hours for which a student is registered at the time of certification request. Beginning and ending dates reported in enrollment certification conform to the official USCA academic calendar dates for the term requested. An undergraduate student who is enrolled in 12 semester hours or more in a regular semester is considered full-time (disabled students may be eligible for modified full-time status; see Disability Services on page 15 for further information). During a regular summer session an undergraduate student must be enrolled in six semester hours or more to be considered a full-time student. Full-time fees are calculated on 12 semester hours or more. Full-time benefits for veterans are determined by the Veterans Affairs Office.

Transcripts
A transcript of a student’s record carries the following information: admission data; current status; a detailed statement of the scholastic record showing courses pursued with semester hours carried, semester hours earned, grades, grade points and system of grading. All failures, incomplete grades, and penalties such as probation, suspension or other restrictions are also indicated.

Requests for transcripts must be in written form and sent to: University Registrar; University of South Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina 29208. Transcripts are $8.00 each.

Forms for requesting transcripts are available in the Registrar’s Office at USCA, but the actual transcript comes from the Records Office at USC Columbia. No transcript will be issued to a student who is indebted to any office on any University of South Carolina campus.

In accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, USCA students have the right to review, inspect and challenge the accuracy of information kept in a cumulative file by the institution unless the student waives this right. The Act also ensures that records cannot be released in other than emergency situations without the written consent of the student, except in the following situations:

Questions concerning this law and the University’s policy concerning release of academic information may be directed to the Registrar’s Office.

Students enrolled at USCA are provided with a standard, formal process for seeking a resolution when, in the student’s judgment, he or she has been treated unfairly or improperly. This includes a situation in which a student’s academic progress has been adversely affected due to problems in the instructor’s ability to write or speak English. Information regarding grievances and the grievance procedure is contained in the USCA Student Handbook.

Students enrolled in USCA off-campus programs, once a Change of School Form has been completed, shall be entitled to relief from any academic complaint or grievance through the student grievance procedure established in the applicable USC Regional Campus Student Handbook. After a judgment has been rendered on that campus, an appeal to the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at USC Aiken and a subsequent appeal to the USC Aiken Chancellor may be made.

Classification Of Students
Academic classification is based on the total number of semester credit hours earned. A student must have earned:

Students are classified at the beginning of each semester.

Probation and Suspension Designations
The probation and suspension policy described below went into effect in Fall 1991 and was revised in Spring 2001 and Spring 2006. It applies to all USCA students regardless of the year when they first started attendance at the University. Probation and suspension are based on the system cumulative GPA, which is calculated using only grades earned at USCA or other USC System campuses. The following chart shows the various levels of grade point hours and GPA’s for both probation and suspension.

GPA Hours    Probation Levels*    Suspension Levels

0-14 Below 1.2 CGPA Not applicable

15-30 Below 1.4 CGPA Below 1.0 CGPA

31-45 Below 1.6 CGPA Below 1.4 CGPA

46-89 Below 1.8 CGPA Below 1.6 CGPA

90-105 Below 2.0 CGPA Below 1.8 CGPA

106 or more Not applicable Below 2.0 CGPA

Probation
Probation is a warning to the student that great effort should be taken to improve the cumulative system GPA in the next semester. Students on probation are jeopardizing their chances of graduating in a reasonable time. It is quite likely that students on probation will eventually be placed on academic suspension unless they take their period of probation seriously. There is no separation from the University involved with probation, but stipulations are imposed upon students on probation. Students placed on probation will be notified in writing by the Registrar’s Office and that notice will include these stipulations.

Students who fail to make the necessary adjustments to meet these stipulations will face cancellation of their schedules.

Suspension
Suspension means a student may not attend the University during the time of his/her suspension. Students should be aware that once they are placed on suspension from the University they are no longer making satisfactory academic progress as required for the continued receipt of financial aid (see page 26). Students petitioning for reinstatement to the University under the procedure listed below must file a separate appeal through the Financial Aid Office in order to regain financial aid.

First suspension is for one regular semester; second suspension is for two regular semesters; and third suspension is indefinite.

FIRST SUSPENSION:  Students may attend summer school in the attempt to improve the cumulative system GPA. Only summer work taken at USCA or another USC campus is used to calculate this grade point average. Students on first suspension may also petition the Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee (SS&P) to have the suspension lifted prior to serving it. If the student is not successful in either summer school work or in petitioning SS&P and subsequently exhausts all means of appeal, he/she must sit out the semester of suspension. When the student wishes to return to USCA, he/she must complete an application for readmission in the Admissions Office and petition the Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee (SS&P). See reinstatement petition process below for details.

SECOND SUSPENSION:  Students may still attend summer school (only USCA or USC system campuses) in the attempt to improve the cumulative system GPA to the required level. Even if the GPA does improve to the necessary level, students on second suspension must still petition SS&P prior to their return to have the suspension lifted. If a student on second suspension is not successful in summer school work, fails to have a reinstatement petition approved and exhausts all means of appeal, he/she must leave the University for a period of two regular semesters. After this time has been served, the student must complete an application for readmission in the Admissions Office and petition the Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee (SS&P). See reinstatement petition process below for details.

THIRD SUSPENSION:  This is indefinite suspension from USCA. Students on third suspension may attend summer school only if it can be mathematically proven that it is possible to improve the GPA to the required level during that time. This option is available only during the summer immediately after the indefinite suspension was issued.

Reinstatement Petition Process
The procedure for filing for reinstatement is the same for all students, regardless of their type of suspension:

USCA honors the suspension and probation policies of other USC campuses and those campuses honor ours. If a student is placed on first suspension by USC Columbia, for example, and is later suspended by USC Aiken, the suspension from USC Aiken will be considered the student’s second one.

Academic Forgiveness for Former Students
Academic Forgiveness was designed for former USC System students whose GPAs during previous enrollments in the system are so low that the 2.00 system GPA required for graduation would be mathematically impossible for them to attain. Such students were placed on academic suspension at least once during that former enrollment.

Academic Forgiveness means that students’ past failures are forgiven to allow them to resume their college careers with a realistic possibility of completing a degree. In essence, the program will allow the calculation of a grade point average (GPA) based on the student’s performance in courses taken after being granted forgiveness.

A student who meets all of the following conditions may apply for academic forgiveness:

A student who has met these conditions and desires to receive academic forgiveness must submit the application for Academic Forgiveness for the evaluation and signatures of the student’s advisor and dean/department chair. After obtaining these signatures and evaluation, the student must submit the petition to the Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee. If the student’s written petition for academic forgiveness is denied, the student may make a personal appeal before the Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee at its next regularly scheduled meeting. If the student’s appeal is denied, the student may appeal in writing to the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. If the petition is again denied, the student may appeal to the Chancellor, whose decision is final. After final action on the petition for academic forgiveness, the Chair of the Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee shall inform the Registrar that academic forgiveness has been granted to the student.

Once academic forgiveness has been granted, the following rules apply to the student’s academic record:

Honor Lists
The President’s Honor List recognizes students who, in the previous semester, earned a GPA of 4.0 on a minimum of 12 semester hours.

The Dean’s Honor List recognizes freshmen who earned a GPA of 3.25 or higher and upperclass students who earned a GPA of 3.50 or higher in the previous semester on a minimum of 12 semester hours.

No correspondence course or course carried on a Pass/Fail basis will be counted toward the 12 hours required for the President’s or Dean’s Honor List.

Honors Program
For information on the USC Aiken Honors Program, see page 46.

Graduation with Honors
Graduation with honors is based on a cumulative GPA calculated on the basis of all work in the student’s college career, including any transferred from other institutions. This calculation will include all courses attempted, not just those submitted to satisfy graduation requirements.

Transfer students must show, in courses taken within the USC System, a GPA which meets the level specified for honors being sought in order to qualify for this distinction. Transfer students must also have at least 60 hours in residence within the USC system to qualify for graduation with honors in a bachelor’s program. Courses taken by a transient student at another institution by correspondence, by examination, or by exemption are not considered "in residence." Courses taken under the pass-fail option meet "in residence" requirements; however, courses taken under the "audit" option are not used since no credit is given. Finally, for transfer students the transfer GPA is averaged into the system GPA to determine the collegiate summary.

The following designations indicate a consistently high level of academic achievement throughout a student’s entire academic career.

For Bachelor Degrees:
Summa Cum Laude: A cumulative collegiate GPA of 3.95 or higher
Magna Cum Laude: A cumulative collegiate GPA of 3.75-3.94
Cum Laude: A cumulative collegiate GPA of 3.50-3.74

Students who have specific questions concerning graduation
with honors should direct those questions to the Registrar.

Recognition of Honor Organizations at Commencement
Only academic honor organizations will be recognized at Commencement. Recognition of the academic honor organizations may include the right of organization members to wear a designated honor symbol such as a cord, and/or a brief description in the program of the honor organization with reference to its honor symbol. A one-time approval for recognition or for changes in the form of recognition must be obtained by the honor organization from the Campus Life Committee prior to March 1st of the academic year in which recognition is to be given.

Students wishing to receive a degree from the University must complete a degree application in the Office of the Registrar by the published deadline for that semester. When the form is complete, the Registrar will attach a printout of the student’s academic work so that the student can take the application and academic record to his or her advisor for review. After the initial review by the advisor, the form is given to the respective department chair/dean for approval, pending any course work to be completed that semester.

The senior year of work (30 semester hours) must be completed in residence at the University and at least 12 hours of the student’s major courses must be earned at the University. At least 25 percent of semester credit hours applicable toward the degree must be earned at USCA. A minimum of one hundred twenty semester credit hours with a minimum system GPA of 2.0 are required for all baccalaureate degrees. Some degrees require more credit hours and/or a higher cumulative GPA.

Students who wish to participate in either the May Commencement or the December Convocation must have a minimum system GPA of 2.00 in addition to any GPA requirements of the major at the time of the ceremony.

Degree candidates whose degree application has received preliminary approval may attend the graduation ceremony. Diplomas are mailed after official verification that all degree requirements have been met.

Second Undergraduate Degree
A student may earn a second baccalaureate degree provided that the additional requirements for the second degree include a minimum of 24 semester hours beyond those required for the first degree and a minimum of 144 semester hours total. In all cases the student must fulfill the complete degree requirements for both degrees (this stipulation includes all general education and major requirements plus the rising junior writing proficiency portfolio). A double major will not necessarily lead to the conferral of a second degree. The student may apply for two degrees at one time or separately. The student may receive 1) two B.A. degrees; 2) two B.S. degrees; or 3) a B.A. and a B.S. degree.

Double Major
To graduate with a double major, a student must fulfill all requirements for one degree and all of the major course requirements of a second. A double major does not lead to a second degree. If one or both of the student’s two major programs normally requires a cognate or minor, that requirement is met with the second major. All requirements for the double major must be completed before graduation. The diploma and the baccalaureate degree will be awarded for the program for which all of the degree requirements have been met.

Any student who wishes to pursue a double major must come by the Advisement Services Office to complete a change of program form so that he/she may be assigned an advisor in each major area.

Academic assessment is the process of evaluating the extent to which students have learned and mastered the skills, knowledge, and values necessary for success in today’s dynamic global environment. Measurement of these "learning outcomes" occurs throughout university classes, in co-curricular activities, in capstone projects, major field tests, student surveys, and in many other areas. The results of assessment are used for curricular improvements and adjustments as well as overall institutional improvement.

Faculty in each academic program have the primary responsibility for determining the appropriateness of these educational outcomes, which extend beyond student performance as registered by final course grades, as well as the methods and instruments for evaluating the level at which the outcomes have been accomplished. Because assessment methods should be chosen to evaluate the extent to which educational outcomes are achieved, different methods of assessment may be appropriate for different programs. Academic units are also responsible for assessing the extent of learning outcomes in general education courses delivered by their unit.

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness assists faculty, staff, and administrators in gathering data to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and services at USCA as they promote student learning and advance the institutional mission. To this end, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness in conjunction with the Academic Assessment Committee:

Student participation in assessment activities is mandatory. Information pertinent to the assessment of the major or area of concentration is provided to students by the department from which the degree will be granted.

Students will be notified about times, dates, and locations of required assessment procedures. If a student fails to participate in a required assessment activity, a "hold" will be placed on that student’s record. The "hold" will indicate that the student may not register for classes and/or that no diploma, certificate, grade report, or enrollment verification will be issued to or for the student. This "hold" will be removed after the student completes the required assessment(s).

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