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Academic Policies

ACADEMIC CALENDAR

DePauw University's academic calendar consists of two semesters, each with a 15-week primary term and an optional 3-week extended term. Semester I includes Fall Term and Winter Term; Semester II includes Spring Term and May Term. A limited number of courses and programs are also offered during the Summer Session. Degrees are awarded in May and December.

UNITS OF CREDIT AND COURSE LOAD

The unit of credit for standard classes is the course credit. One course credit is equivalent to four semester hour credits or six quarter hour credits. Some classes carry one-half or one-quarter credit.

Students in the Asbury College of Liberal Arts generally enroll in 4.0 course credits and students in the School of Music 4.5 course credits during the primary terms (Fall and Spring).  To be considered full-time, students in either school must be enrolled in at least 3.0 course credits (equivalent of 12 semester hours) in a primary term.

CLA students may enroll in a maximum of 4.5 course credits per semester; SOM in 5.0. This maximum is the sum of enrolled credit from the primary and its associated extended term. Above this maximum additional tuition fees may apply.

The Fall and Spring academic terms are 14 weeks long, with an additional week for final examinations. A one-credit course meets at least 180 minutes a week, for a total of 42 hours of in-class instruction during the semester.

Courses offered during the Winter or May extended terms are 3 weeks long and may earn up to one-half course credit. 

CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS

Students are classified under one of three groups: undergraduate, special or auditor.

Undergraduate students are candidates for degrees. Students who enter DePauw as first‐time degree seeking students are expected to complete their degree work in eight semesters. The classification of students is determined by the number of semesters completed and earned credit units. 

CLASSIFICATIONNUMBER OF SEMESTERS COMPLETEDCredits
First-Year 0 - 1 0 - 6.75
Sophomore 2 - 3 7 - 14.75
Junior 4 - 5 15 - 22.75
Senior 6 and over 23 or more

When a student earns fewer than three course credits in a semester, the Office of the Registrar will review the student’s academic record and determine the appropriate classification. Transfer students are assigned a class standing based on number of credits transferred and anticipated time to degree completion. Students may petition to have their class standing changed.

Special students are those not pursuing degree programs. Special students may take any subject for which they are eligible without regard to requirements for a degree. The Alpha Program enables selected juniors and seniors from Putnam County high schools to take courses for credit at a special fee of $200 per course.

Auditors are registrants who attend classes as listeners and do not receive credit or grades for their work. In order to audit a course, the student must first obtain the instructor's permission to register for the course as an auditor. At that time, the instructor and student agree on the amount of participation required in order for the student to have the audit appear on the transcript. If the class is not completed to the instructor's satisfaction, the class will not be recorded for degree students. Special and audit students who do not complete the class will receive a W (withdraw) grade. Students may only register for audit courses during the open registration period and must use a special permission access code (SPAC) that they have obtained from the instructor. Certain classes are not open to audit, such as music ensembles and applied music.

COURSE NUMBERING SYSTEM

001-099 Non-credit courses and physical education activity classes--open to all students
100-199 Introductory courses at the first-year level
200-299 Courses at the sophomore level
300-399 Courses at the junior level
400 Teaching methods courses at the senior level (open to juniors by permission)
401-499 Courses at the senior level
500-599 Courses at the graduate level - not a part of the regular undergraduate curriculum
900-949 Group music lessons in the School of Music

GRADES

A, A- Achievement of exceptionally high merit
B+, B, B- Achievement at a level superior to the basic level
C+, C, C- Basic achievement
D+, D, D- Minimum achievement that warrants credit
F Failure: the achievement fails to meet course requirements. The student receives no credit.
I

An incomplete grade (I) is to be used only when a student has not completed the requirements of the course for reasons beyond the student’s control, such as illness or equipment failure in the case of laboratory classes. In addition, the class must have been essentially completed so that only an examination remains or a paper or project already well underway needs to be completed. An I may not be given for failure to submit work on time because of inadequate planning or to extend time to improve a grade. Problems involving transportation, family occasions and/or jobs, for example, are also not sufficient grounds for assigning a grade of I.

The student must complete the work within the first two weeks (ten class days) of the following semester in which the student is enrolled at DePauw. Exceptions to the two week deadline may be granted by the Petitions Committee. When the student completes the work, a letter grade is recorded. If the I is not completed within the time limit and the student has not been approved for an extension, the grade becomes an F.

Students who withdraw and return to campus more than a year (two semesters) following the incomplete may not complete the course. The grade will be converted to a W provided the student demonstrates that the original grade was for appropriate reasons.

Students may not graduate with an incomplete grade on their record.

W

Withdrawal (W) indicates that the student withdrew from a course before the end of the term; no credit is given. A student may withdraw with a grade of W through the Friday of the eighth week of classes in a primary term (Fall or Spring) or through the first week of classes of an extended term (Winter or May). The Petitions Committee will approve withdrawals after these deadlines only under extraordinary circumstances. A student must also have permission of the Petitions Committee to withdraw when doing so means changing to a part-time status or not completing a first-year seminar or competence course within the required time period.

Once an academic integrity charge has been initiated against a student, he or she may not withdraw from the course in question unless the charge is dropped by the faculty member or the student is found to be not responsible through a hearing or an appeal. A hold is placed on the student’s transcript until the charge has been settled.

L

Deferred (L) indicates that the final grade is deferred because evaluation is dependent upon work being done the succeeding term or semester. Permission to give an L in a course must be secured in advance from the Office of the Registrar. The should be changed to a final grade as soon as the subsequent coursework makes it possible to determine the grade. It may be changed to any grade from A to F.

P-D-F

A Pass (P) grade indicates that the student has done C- work or better in accordance with grade standards of the class. Pass/Fail courses are not counted in computing the student's scholastic average. A grade of D indicates work is of below average quality, but credit is granted for the class. A Fail (F) grade indicates that the student has not successfully completed the work in the class. The student receives no credit for an F, but it does not enter into computing the cumulative grade point average. See Pass/Fail for additional policies regarding P-D-F.

S-D-U Satisfactory (S), D or unsatisfactory (U) grades are reported for Extended Studies internships, independent projects and non-credit courses.
# # is recorded when no grade has been reported.
X An X indicates that a course has been taken for audit. There is no credit or other grade designation for a class taken as an audit.

A student's cumulative GPA includes all grades recorded on the transcript, except for grades in courses:

  • taken Pass/Fail or S-D-U
  • not applicable toward the degree
  • from approved off-campus programs
  • music ensembles

Change of Grades. Grades reported to the Office of the Registrar may be changed by one of two procedures.

  1. A grade of I, L or W may be changed as set forth in the preceding paragraphs.
  2. A grade of A, B, C, D or F may be changed only upon the instructor's request and with the approval of the registrar. Approval to change a grade will be made for such reasons as: calculation error or material that was turned in on time but was not considered. Students are not to be given additional time to complete or re-do work after the semester has ended to improve their grade.

GRADE REPORTS

Students may access their midterm and final grades through e-services. Students are encouraged to share their grades with their families. Staff in academic affairs, the registrar's office, student life, and academic life may discuss academic progress with parents or guardians of dependent students.

Midterm Grades. Instructors submit midterm grades the Monday of the seventh week of the Fall or Spring primary term. Midterm grades are not permanent or final but serve as a basis for advising students of their progress. 

Final Grade Reports. Students may access their final grades through e-services as soon as grade reports are processed, generally after 4:00 p.m. the day grades are due.

Grade Point Average. On the final grade report, the GPA for the term just completed and the cumulative GPA are calculated. Each A-F letter grade is assigned the following grade value:

A 4.00
A- 3.67
B+ 3.33
B 3.00
B- 2.67
C+ 2.33
C 2.00
C- 1.67
D+ 1.33
D 1.00
D- 0.67
F 0.00

The term and cumulative GPA is calculated by multiplying the grade value for each course by the number of course credits for the course to give the grade points earned. Grade points are then summed and divided by the number of course credits attempted to give the GPA. The GPA is truncated, not rounded, to the second decimal place.

COMPETENCE CERTIFICATION

DePauw students learn and demonstrate writing (W), quantitative reasoning (Q) and oral competence (S) by successfully completing designated courses across the curriculum. Certification in each of the competence areas will be recorded upon completion of the designated courses. The following designations will show on the student's record after the course credit:

W Writing Competence
Q Quantitative Reasoning Competence 
S Oral Communication Competence

ABSENCES/ATTENDANCE

DePauw is a residential college and students are expected to attend classes in-person. Regular attendance at class, laboratory and other appointments for which credit is given is expected of all students according to the guidelines established by individual faculty members. The university has no universal policy of “allowed cuts” or “free” absences from class sessions, although individual faculty members at their own discretion may make such policies in their respective courses. Faculty members may drop students from their classes or other appropriate action may be taken if absences are too frequent. Under certain circumstances all students enrolled in a course will be exempt from this in-person attendance requirement. For example, some courses are always offered remotely, such as internship courses and courses offered jointly with another college. The university may also make a temporary partial or complete shift to remote instruction, for example in response to inclement weather or community illness.

Other courses may be offered remotely (for some or all enrolled students) on a case-by-case basis with the approval of the VPAA and the faculty member teaching the course. Exceptions to the in-person attendance for individual students (as opposed to all students) are rare and occur only with the prior approval of the faculty member. Examples include accordance with ADA accommodations and/or appropriate communications from the CARE Team. In addition, in some classes, the curriculum and/or pedagogy, as determined by the instructor, may preclude this option entirely.

Absences for medical reasons: When an absence due to medical reasons will result in a student being unable to fulfill academic responsibilities--for example, papers and examinations--the student should notify the faculty member in advance. Each faculty member should let the students know how to give this notification. The faculty member and student should work out arrangements for possible extension or makeup work. In cases where students are hospitalized, the University physician will, with the student's permission, notify the Office of Student Affairs. It is the student's responsibility to contact the faculty member; in addition, the faculty member will be notified by Student Affairs personnel.

If a student misses two or more weeks of class for medical or other reasons beyond the student's control, the student's faculty members, in consultation with a member of the Academic Affairs staff, will decide whether the student may reasonably make up the missed work. As a general rule, students who miss two or more weeks of class may no longer be eligible to continue in the class. The final decision about whether a student may continue with a class rests with the faculty member subject to constraints set by other academic policies.

Absences for personal or psychological reasons: Occasionally Student Affairs staff will encounter students who must miss class for personal or emotional reasons. These cases include such events as death or illness of a family member or emergency psychological crisis. When possible, Student Affairs staff will ask the student to notify faculty members and indicate that faculty members may call Student Affairs staff for confirmation if such validation is deemed necessary. In some of these cases, the Student Affairs staff member has no real way to validate the student's statement. Maintaining such information over a period of time, however, could help determine possible patterns of dishonesty for an individual student. In some extreme emergencies, Student Affairs staff may notify faculty members directly.

Early departure or late return from breaks: Faculty members are expected to hold class on the days immediately before and after breaks. Students will not be excused from class attendance or from taking examinations at their announced time to accommodate travel schedules. It is the responsibility of students and their families to make travel arrangements accordingly.

Conflicts with other courses: Whenever possible out of class requirements should be specified in the syllabus and/or the schedule of classes and the faculty member should provide options, or an alternative time, for students who have another class obligation at the same time. If there is a conflict between two course-related activities, the faculty members should resolve it. The Dean of Students will be responsible for the resolution if an agreement is not reached.

ACADEMIC ADVISING

Students have primary responsibility for knowing graduation requirements and planning adequately to meet them. Faculty advisors work closely with students in planning their programs of study.

First-year students are advised by the faculty instructor of their first-year seminar (or by a faculty member closely associated with the seminar). Students normally work with their advisor through the first two years or until they choose a major, but they may change advisors at any time.

Students declare a major and choose a faculty advisor in the appropriate department by the sixth week of the second semester of the sophomore year.

Full-time faculty members are eligible to serve as advisors after they have been associated with the University for one year. Advisors confer with students individually each semester, provide academic advice consistent with the aims and obligations of a liberal arts education and help plan individual programs in keeping with each student's abilities, academic interests and aspirations.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

A university presupposes a basic integrity in its members as a foundation for the mutual trust necessary to its life as an academic community. For this reason, academic dishonesty in any of its forms is regarded as a serious offense against the University.

Forms of academic dishonesty and procedures for handling violations of academic integrity are set forth in the Student Handbook.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT

First-time degree seeking students may earn a maximum of eight courses through a combination of the following programs:

  1. Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board.
    Students who have passed the CEEB Advanced Placement (AP) examination with ratings of 5, 4 and sometimes 3 may enroll for those higher-level courses for which the department concerned determines them to be qualified. Any student who receives a score of 5 or 4 on an examination is granted one course credit toward graduation, except for studio art and economics. Students must take both microeconomics and macroeconomics in order to earn a full course credit in economics. In some cases, an additional course credit may be granted upon recommendation of the department concerned and the approval of the Office of the Registrar. Students with ratings of 3 may receive credit at the discretion of the department concerned. The full AP Policy is available at the Registrar's web site: Advanced Credit and Placement.

  2. College-level Courses Taken While a High School Student.
    If the student is attending classes on a college or university campus with students who have already matriculated and the course is taught by a regular college or university faculty member, DePauw will allow credit if the student receives a grade of C or higher and provided that subsequent testing at DePauw, when appropriate, indicates satisfactory learning.

    Unassigned, elective credit will be awarded for courses taken in a high school dual enrollment or early college program. To receive such credit the courses must be at a level equivalent to DePauw courses and the student must earn at least a B in the course. To receive assigned credit (i.e., credit that is assigned to a particular department and counts toward a major or minor) the student must meet with the appropriate department chair or program director who will review the course content and the student’s performance in it.

  3. Departmental Placement Examinations. 
    Students may qualify for admission to higher-level courses on the basis of departmental placement examinations given on campus during the orientation period. Departments have established examinations to evaluate the competence and preparation of new students in their respective fields and will assign them to courses on the basis of the examinations. In some cases credit for lower level courses will be awarded when the student completes the higher level course.

  4. International Baccalaureate. 
    (IB) credit may be awarded for subjects taken at the higher level upon departmental review and recommendation. A student normally receives at least one course credit for each higher-level examination with a score of 5, 6 or 7, subject to departmental approval. Students may receive one course credit for higher-level examinations with a score of 4 following further departmental examination. Advanced credit or exemption from requirements is also available through regular University placement and testing.

  5. International Advanced Placement Programs
    Credit for British A-Levels, French Baccalaureate, German Abitur and other international advanced study program is awarded based on individual review. In general, students may earn up to two course credits (8 semester hours) for each A-Level subject passed with a grade of C or better.

ASSESSMENT

DePauw University is committed to excellence in its academic programs. To assess and improve its academic programs, the University obtains periodic measurements of student perceptions and intellectual growth. Participation in assessment activities is expected of all students. The information obtained through these assessment procedures is used solely to improve the quality of the educational experience at DePauw.

COMMENCEMENT

The University awards degrees at the end of each credit-bearing term (Fall, Winter, Spring, May). Commencement exercises are held only in May at the end of the Spring Term.

Students who are within two course credits of meeting all graduation requirements may participate in commencement exercises. The diploma will be awarded at the end of the term following successful completion of the required course work.

Students whose financial obligations are not settled before commencement are ineligible to receive their diplomas at commencement and may not be eligible to participate in commencement ceremonies.

DEAN'S LIST

Eligibility is based on the completion of at least three courses in a primary term (Fall or Spring) with a 3.5 semester GPA or better with no incomplete or failing grades. Once Incomplete grades are completed, eligibility is reevaluated.

EXAMINATIONS IN COURSES

Instructors schedule all but the final examination in their courses. No hour examinations may be given the last five class days of the Fall or Spring term except for laboratory portions of final exams. (Note: If Thursday is the last day of classes, this period includes the previous Friday.) Only assignments that substitute for a final exam should be given a due date during finals week and no assignment may be given a due date that is after the end of finals week. In addition, during the Fall and Spring terms, instructions for paper and project assignments due in the last five days of class should be provided at least 14 calendar days prior to the due date.

Final examinations during primary terms. An examination period is provided at the end of each primary term for instructors to give such examinations as they deem proper to cover the course work. Normally, a final examination should not exceed three hours. Final examinations are not to be given at any time other than that announced in the official schedule, although the laboratory portion of final examinations in science courses may be given in a regularly scheduled lab period in the last week of classes. The Vice President for Academic Affairs must approve any requests to move an exam time for a whole class. Instructors may allow individual students with unusual circumstances (such as a death or serious illness in the family, postseason athletic events, or having three exams in one day) to take an examination at another time; problems involving transportation, family occasions and/or jobs, for example, are not sufficient grounds for changing an examination. No student may be excused from taking the final examination in any course in which an examination is a requirement for credit in the course.

Multiple or Conflicting Exam Policy. No student may be required to take more than two in-class final exams on the same day or choose between exams offered at the same time. Any student with three final exams in one day is responsible for trying to reach a solution by talking with the professors involved at least two weeks before the beginning of the final exam period. If none of the professors involved voluntarily agrees to give the student his/her exam on another day, the professor whose exam is scheduled second in the day will offer an alternative date for the exam. The student should obtain a multiple exam form from the Office of the Registrar to provide written verification to the professors involved that three final exams are actually scheduled and being given on the same day. When a student is in two courses whose designated final examination periods conflict, the student is responsible for trying to reach a solution by talking with the professors involved at least two weeks before the beginning of the final exam period. If neither of the professors involved voluntarily agrees to give the student his/her exam on another day or time, the professor whose course carries the lesser credit will offer an alternative time for the exam. If both courses carry the same credit, then the professor of the course that meets latest in the week will offer an alternative time for the exam.

GRADUATION HONORS

Graduating seniors who have excellent academic records at DePauw University may earn the baccalaureate degree with honors, summa cum laude, magna cum laude and cum laude. To be eligible for graduation honors, students must complete at least 15 courses at DePauw University with the required scholastic average for the DePauw work. Approximately 20 percent of graduates in the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) and in the School of Music earn Latin honors. The minimum grade average for the honors for each of the schools follow:

 COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTSSCHOOL OF MUSIC
Summa Cum Laude 3.8 3.9
Magna Cum Laude 3.7 3.8
Cum Laude 3.5 3.7

PASS/FAIL

Students who have junior or senior classification may take one class each term on a Pass/Fail basis up to a maximum of three registrations. In addition, ENG 120 may be taken Pass/Fail, regardless of the student's classification.

The credit received applies toward the degree for which the student is working as elective credit only, and, with the exception of PE activity courses, does not fulfill any specific graduation requirement. Grades for a Pass/Fail enrollment are on a P-D-F scale, with P indicating performance at the C- level or above, D passing performance below the C- level, and F failure.

Students indicate the work to be done on a Pass/Fail basis at the time of registration. Courses may be designated as Pass/Fail or changed from Pass/Fail to a grade through the eighth week of classes of the primary terms or the first week of classes during the extended terms.

Pass/Fail courses may not be taken in a student's major or minor area, to satisfy distribution requirements or to earn competence certification. Students may not take courses over the required number of elective courses in the major or minor area Pass/Fail. Pass/Fail courses are not counted in computing the student's scholastic average.

PETITIONS

A student has the right to request approval from the Petitions Committee for any of the following that is not in accord with regular practice:

  • to deviate from the normal student course load;
  • to carry a normal course load when registering late;
  • to make an adjustment in registration after the adjustment deadline;
  • to modify graduation requirements;
  • to deviate from other academic regulations.

Petition forms are available from the Office of the Registrar or on DePauw's Web site and should be submitted to the Office of the Registrar (Registrarsoffice@depauw.edu). The Student Handbook has additional information about petitions.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

The Office of the Registrar produces a Schedule of Classes for each term that summarizes registration procedures and lists the courses offered, class meeting times, room assignments, and instructors. The final exam schedule is also available as a part of the Schedule of Classes. See my.depauw.edu/e/reg/soc-view.

Students who have not paid tuition and fees by the designated date may not be allowed to register for classes or may forfeit their class enrollment for the next semester. Students must receive permission from the Petitions Committee to begin classes after the first week of class and may be limited in their course loads. No student may enroll after the second week of classes. The act of registration indicates that the student intends to comply with the University regulations.

The University reserves the right to change a course and cancel any course for which enrollment is fewer than five students or for which satisfactory arrangements cannot be made. Most classes have enrollment limits to facilitate learning.

Adjustments in Registration. Students are responsible for the accuracy of their course registrations. They may check their class schedule at any time on Student e-Services. Students, in consultation with their advisors, make changes to their course schedule within the deadlines specified as follows:

  • The add/drop period extends through the first six class days of the Fall and Spring primary terms. During this period, students may add or drop courses. The add/drop period for Winter and May term runs through the first day of classes.
  • Adjustments involving withdrawal from a course after the add/drop period or changes in the grade or credit status (grade to pass/fail, pass/fail to grade) may be made until the end of the eighth week of classes for the Fall and Spring terms. For Winter and May terms this adjustment deadline is the end of the first week of classes.
  • The deadline for adjustments in seven-week courses is the end of the fourth week of classes. 

Adjustments after the above deadlines may be made only under extraordinary circumstances with permission of the Petitions Committee and a late adjustment fee may be assessed.

Prerequisites. Prerequisites follow course descriptions and are in italics. A prerequisite defines conditions under which a student may enroll in a course.

REPETITION OF A COURSE

Students may repeat one time a course in which the original grade is a D+ or lower provided:

  • the advisor and department concerned approve the repeat;
  • the repeated course is taken for a grade, if that is the way the original course was taken; and
  • the course is repeated at DePauw.

In the case of repeated courses, only the second grade counts toward the cumulative GPA. The original grade and credit remain on the students' academic record, however. If credit was already earned in the course, no additional credit is given.

With the permission of the Petitions Committee, students may also repeat a grade of C- if it is needed to raise the major GPA to a 2.0. The above policies apply.

Transfer students who are required, on the basis of placement tests or official recommendation, to repeat courses for which they have credit elsewhere receive the credit and grade earned at DePauw. The original credit is rescinded. Courses voluntarily repeated carry the original credit and grade points.

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS FOR FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY AND ACADEMIC STANDING

At the end of each term, student performance is reviewed for satisfactory academic progress. There are four academic progress statuses: satisfactory, warning, probation and suspension. The status determination takes into account quantitative measures (credit earned) and qualitative measures (grade point average). 

To be in satisfactory standing, students must meet the qualitative and quantitative benchmarks for the semester completed--e.g., a student who has completed three semesters should have at least a 1.9 cumulative GPA, have earned at least 9 course credits and have passed 75% of the enrolled courses.

Students who fall below these benchmarks are placed on warning. If they fail to meet the next benchmark, they are suspended. They may appeal the suspension to the Academic Standing Committee. If successful, they are placed on probation, with a plan in place for returning to satisfactory academic progress.

Any full-time, degree-seeking students who fail to earn at least two course credits and a 1.0 GPA in a primary term (Fall or Spring) are suspended, no matter their prior standing. They may appeal to continue on probation.

Satisfactory Academic Progress is used to determine financial aid eligibility and academic standing. More information on the process and standards may be found in the Student Handbook and Financial Aid (https://www.depauw.edu/offices/financialaid/policies/sap).

SEMESTER COURSE LOAD

The number of course credits carried each term constitutes the student's course load, even if courses do not apply toward a degree or are Pass/Fail. The normal course load for a primary term is four course credits. The course load may vary from three to four and one-half courses for College of Liberal Arts students and three to five courses for School of Music. To be considered a full-time, students must be enrolled in at least three course credits in the primary term (Fall and Spring). 

Normally, first-year students should limit their registration to courses numbered 100-199 unless they have prerequisite preparation for advanced courses. 

Students will be charged additional tuition for all courses over the maximum 4.5 course credits per semester for the College of Liberal Arts and 5.0 course credits for the School of Music, including dance courses, and Extended Studies courses. Please note that the maximum course load before overload charges applies to the whole semester, which includes the primary and associated extended term. Some courses, including music ensembles, some courses and experiences in the Honors and Fellows Programs, and University service courses do not count into the overload calculation.

Students who are determined to be behind in credit, as determined by the University's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy, may be eligible to take a credit-bearing Extended Studies course without incurring tuition overload fees. Eligibility for the Extended Studies Catch-Up program is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Students who wish to take more than 5.5 course credits in a semester must receive permission from the Petitions Committee. All students, except last semester seniors who need less than three course credits to graduate, must petition to enroll in fewer than three course credits or to withdraw from a class that reduces the course load to below three course credits in a primary term.

TRANSCRIPT OF CREDITS

Upon official request, the Office of the Registrar furnishes a transcript of credits that includes all the information on the student's record: credit, grades, degrees received and dates awarded. Transcripts also include any transferred credits accepted, but not grades.

Normally, transcripts should be sent directly to potential employers and graduate schools upon request of the student. The cost of transcripts may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar.

The University does not release transcripts or official statements of student records until all student accounts are paid.

TRANSFER CREDIT

GENERAL POLICY

DePauw students who take part of their work at another institution with the intention of transferring the credit to DePauw should obtain advance approval. The Transfer Credit Approval Form is available in the Office of the Registrar. Final transfer credit evaluation will be made only after DePauw has received an official transcript of the coursework directly from the issuing school.

DePauw generally accepts course credits earned at accredited institutions as elective credit if the grades are C or above and the subject and level are appropriate for a DePauw liberal arts degree. However, the University does not accept credit awarded at another institution by national tests or departmental examinations. Other transfer credit policies are:

  • Courses are evaluated on the basis of equivalent course offerings at DePauw. Department chairs determine those courses that meet major requirements. In general, transfer credit or credit earned through off-campus study may not be used to satisfy distribution area or competency requirements.
  • DePauw records, without credit, physical education activity courses taken if an institution does not give credit for those courses.
  • The University may accept courses taken Pass/Fail, if the grade P indicates that the student has done C work or better in accordance with the grade standards of the institution or if the student can prove through the institutional authorities that the course performance was a C grade or above. A grade of P in PE activity courses is accepted up to the equivalent of one course credit.
  • With approval of the Registrar and the chair of the relevant department, students who transfer to DePauw may transfer courses and the equivalent credit toward distribution requirements in the areas of Arts and Humanities, Science and Mathematics, and Social Sciences. A maximum of four distribution requirement credits may be earned by transfer credit.
  • Students transferring to DePauw from another school at which January or interim session courses are a part of the regular curriculum that is offered during the academic year may receive credit for the courses. DePauw students wishing to attend another school that gives credit for a January or May interim session may receive a maximum of .5 course credits if the course is also counting toward the Extended Studies requirement. Exceptions allowing for credit transfer may be arranged through the Office of the Registrar.
  • DePauw accepts course credits from junior or community colleges when the quality and extent of the work prove to be the equivalent of DePauw work.
  • When credit allowed for work taken at another institution is not justified by the quality of subsequent DePauw work, the credit may be rescinded.
  • Students may not earn transfer credit from courses offered concurrently with their DePauw enrollments except by permission of the Petitions Committee.

ONLINE AND DISTANCE LEARNING TRANSFER CREDIT

Online courses with a fixed beginning and end date which allow regular interaction with the class members are treated the same as other transferred classes. For correspondence or open-ended online courses, a maximum of one course credit may be earned. All policies governing transfer credit apply to courses taken online or by correspondence: they must be sponsored by an accredited institution and be accepted for credit by that institution toward its own bachelors degree; they must be on a liberal arts topic; and they must be pre-approved by the chair of the department into which the course transfers, the student’s academic advisor, and the Office of the Registrar. Normally, the University does not award credit for language or laboratory science courses taken online. Students may not earn transfer credit from online or correspondence courses offered concurrently with their DePauw enrollments except by permission of the Petitions Committee.

TRANSFER CREDIT APPROVAL

DePauw students should complete the transfer credit approval form, available in the Office of the Registrar, prior to enrolling in any course of study intended for transfer credit. This includes summer school courses, summer study abroad programs, and online courses. This form requires the signatures of the department chair or program director in the academic area in which the course will count, the student’s academic advisors, and the university registrar, who will approve the amount of credit to be awarded.

CREDIT FOR COLLEGE COURSES TAKEN IN HIGH SCHOOL (DUAL ENROLLMENT, EARLY COLLEGE)

If the student is attending classes on a college campus with students who have already matriculated at that college and the course is taught by a regular college faculty member, DePauw will treat this as regular college transfer credit (see above).

For courses taken in a high school dual enrollment or early college program, unassigned, elective credit may be awarded. To receive credit the courses must be at a level equivalent to DePauw courses and the student must earn at least a B in the courses. Unassigned credit is listed as University Studies (UNIV) credit and is applicable to the credit required for graduation but not to majors, minors, competence and distribution requirements. To receive assigned credit (i.e., credit that is assigned to a particular department and counts toward a major or minor) the student must meet with the appropriate department chair or program director within the first semester. He/she will review the course content and the student’s performance and make the determination about awarding assigned, departmental credit. A maximum of eight course credits (32 semester hours) may be awarded through dual enrollment, early college, and advanced placement programs.

CREDIT FOR TRAINING IN ARMED FORCES

In the evaluation of credit for training and educational experiences in the armed services, the University considers the recommendations in the American Council on Education Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services and the appropriateness of the work toward a liberal arts degree.

One course credit may be granted for the completion of a specific military program in the Reserve Officers Candidate Schools. The University does not give credit for such a program in addition to credit for military service and/or ROTC.

WITHDRAWAL FROM THE UNIVERSITY

All students, except graduating seniors, who plan to leave the University or need to apply for medical withdrawal are requested to notify personnel in the Office of the Registrar or Student Affairs.

Any student who has received student loans must complete an online exit interview with the Student Loan Office prior to withdrawal.

IT accounts of students who withdraw from the University will be disabled immediately upon the effective date of withdrawal. The accounts will be removed after twelve months or after the completion of the next academic year, whichever is longer.