Academic Policies and Regulations

Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

All students seeking the baccalaureate degree must complete the following requirements:

• A minimum of 120 credit hours.
• A minimum of 30 of the 120 credit hours at Fontbonne University to meet the minimum residency requirement.
• A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. A college, department, or program may require a higher minimum cumulative GPA for the degree and/or major requirements, certificate, etc. (See each college, department, or program for specific information.)
• A minimum of 42 credit hours of general education requirements (GER). All GER courses must be completed with a letter grade.
• All course requirements for the major, minor, or concentration as stipulated by the college or department in which the major, minor, or concentration is offered, including:
  • Completion at Fontbonne of a minimum of 50 percent of the credit hours required for the major, minor, or concentration;
  • Completion at Fontbonne of a minimum of 15 credit hours of the major requirements as upper division (300/400 level) coursework;
  • Completion of a capstone course/experience as part of the major;
  • Completion of each course required for the major, minor, or concentration with a minimum grade of C-; and
  • Completion of the minimum cumulative grade point average required for the major.
  • A minimum of one course in religion or theology as a graduation requirement. This course must be completed with a letter grade.
  • The completion at Fontbonne of the final semester of coursework, regardless of the number of credit hours taken.

General Studies with Disciplinary Emphasis Major

The general studies with (disciplinary) emphasis major offers students a path to graduation that combines generalized study with disciplinary focus, leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree. General studies with emphasis majors are advised in the department in which their emphasis is housed. This degree is not available in all programs.

Major requirements include:

• Residency, Major, General Education, and Graduation Requirements as described in the Fontbonne University Catalog.
• A minimum of 18 hours of course work in an area of emphasis, 15 hours of electives, as defined by departments, and a capstone experience.
• A minimum GPA of 2.0 in the major is required for graduation.

Please see specific department chairs to determine the availability of a General Studies with Emphasis degree is particular programs, and for the program-specific requirements for those degrees.

Second Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

A student who enters Fontbonne University with a bachelor’s degree may earn a second bachelor’s degree at Fontbonne by completing:

• A minimum of 24 credit hours in addition to the total number of hours earned for the first degree;
• All specific requirements for a second major; and
• All specific requirements for the second degree, including a course in religion or theology.
• A student pursuing a second bachelor’s degree at Fontbonne is not required to take the university placement tests or to fulfill the university general education requirements.

For a student to be admitted to Fontbonne, the college or department in which the student wishes to study must accept the candidate for pursuit of the second bachelor’s degree. The college or department will determine which courses from the first bachelor’s degree will be accepted toward fulfillment of the major requirements for the second degree.

A student is not officially accepted in the major for the second degree until the major approval process has been successfully completed. (See major approval in this section of the catalog.)

See the admission  section in this catalog for admission requirements.

Dual Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

A student may work simultaneously for two different degrees (e.g., BA and BS) provided the following requirements are completed:

• A minimum of 24 credit hours beyond the minimum of 120 credit hours for the first degree;
• All specific requirements for each of the two majors;
• All specific requirements for each degree.

Residency Requirements For The Baccalaureate Degree

An undergraduate degree-seeking student must complete, at Fontbonne University, a minimum of 30 credit hours of coursework toward a degree. A student may not take courses required for the degree at any other institution during the semester in which the degree is to be conferred. The only exception to this policy is an institution with which Fontbonne has an inter-institutional agreement; however, this is not recommended. The student may not take CLEP or apply for any externally granted credit through Prior Learning Assessment during the semester in which the degree is to be conferred.

Continuous Attendance Requirement

Fontbonne University requires a reasonable degree of continuity in attendance at Fontbonne for all students. The university reserves the right to establish time limits on degree programs and courses. Students who require a temporary break from their studies may pursue a Leave of Absence. Students returning after an extended period of time will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Fontbonne may invoke more recent degree and/or other requirements, such as:

• If considerable time has elapsed since the student achieved degree-seeking status.
• If the degree requirements have changed substantially since the student began the program.
• If the student leaves the university without an approved leave of absence and re-enters at a later date, the student must follow all requirements stipulated in the catalog in effect at the time of re-entry.

Waiver/Modification of Degree Requirements

A student may request a waiver or a modification of a degree requirement. The waiver/degree modification form must be obtained from the registrar’s office and be completed, providing a clear rationale as to why the requirement should be waived or modified. Waived credit does not count toward total degree requirements. The student must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.

Residency Requirements for Majors, Minors, Concentrations, and Certificates

A student must successfully complete, at Fontbonne University, a minimum of 50 percent of the credit hours required for a major, minor, or concentration (as defined under academic terminology in this section of this catalog). A student must successfully complete, at Fontbonne University, a minimum of 15 upper-division (300/400 level) credit hours of departmental coursework required for the major. A student must successfully complete, at Fontbonne University, all certificate requirements.

College/Departmental and Major Requirements

An individual college or department may establish requirements (beyond general education and other institutional/graduation requirements) for students whose majors are in that unit. A college or department reserves the right to interpret requirements if questions arise. It is the student’s responsibility to know, understand, and fulfill the requirements of the major.

An academic department defines and administers the requirements for the majors, minors, concentrations, and certificate programs within that department.

A student must earn a minimum grade of C- in each course required for the major, minor, concentration, or certificate.

Double Majors

Since many Fontbonne major programs provide an opportunity for a student to choose electives, a student may work simultaneously toward majors in two different areas or disciplines. Both majors must lead to the same degree. The student must fulfill all requirements for both majors in addition to specific degree and graduation requirements.

A student who wishes to pursue two majors leading to different degrees (e.g., BA and BS) must take the additional 24 credit hours required for dual baccalaureate degrees. (See dual baccalaureate degree requirements above.)

Dual Undergraduate/Graduate Enrollment Requirements

A Fontbonne undergraduate student may be eligible to earn graduate academic credit for graduate level courses with permission from the department that is offering the graduate course.

To be eligible for dual enrollment, a Fontbonne undergraduate student must be classified as a senior (a minimum of 90 credit hours earned) and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Enrollment in graduate courses must be approved by the graduate program director, since preference is given to students enrolled in the graduate program.

Graduate credit hours may not be used toward the 120 hour requirement for an undergraduate degree. However, a maximum of nine graduate credit hours taken during dual enrollment may be applied to the total credit hours required for the master’s degree.

Undergraduate Certificate Programs

Undergraduate certificate programs are designed for undergraduate students and for individuals who have completed a baccalaureate degree but are not enrolled in a graduate program. A certificate is defined a narrowly defined set of disciplinary or interdisciplinary classes that constitutes a discrete body of knowledge as determined by the department(s) in which the certificate is housed. Requirements for the completion of a certificate:

1. A student must earn a minimum grade of C- in each course required for the certificate.
2. Completion at Fontbonne of a minimum of 50 percent of the credit hours required for the certificate, culminating in a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0. An individual department may establish a higher cumulative grade point average for a specific certificate program.
3. Courses that fulfill the requirements for a certificate may also be used to fulfill major requirements, but may not be used to fulfill requirements for a minor, concentration, or another certificate.

Fontbonne policies and regulations apply to certificate-seeking students.

Admission for Post-Baccalaureate Certification Only (Missouri Department of Education and Secondary Education/Council of Accreditation of Educational Programs) or Verification Only (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)

An applicant who already holds a bachelor’s degree may desire admission to pursue post-baccalaureate teacher certification (see the department of education/special education  in the graduate program section in this catalog and the teacher certification at Fontbonne University section immediately following the graduate program section in this catalog for information regarding programs which combine teacher certification with an advanced degree) or to meet the minimum academic requirements for receipt of a Verification Statement by the Accreditation Council for the Education of Nutrition and Dietetics, the accrediting agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. See the admission  section of undergraduate information in this catalog for admission requirements.

Admission as a candidate for pursuit of teacher certification or for completion of dietetic verification requirements is dependent upon the approval of the respective department. The department in which the student wishes to study will determine which courses from the first bachelor’s degree will be accepted toward fulfillment of the certification or verification requirements. The student is exempt from taking the placement test, from completing the Fontbonne general education requirements, and from the graduation requirement of a religion or theology course. The student must complete a minimum residency requirement of 24 credit hours at Fontbonne University. Students interested in receiving a Verification Statement in dietetics must also successfully complete a portfolio. A student contemplating either teacher certification or dietetic verification should check with an advisor regarding the various master’s degree programs at Fontbonne University which might be of added value.

Full information on teacher certification may be found in the section titled Teacher Certification at Fontbonne University following the graduate programs’ section in this catalog. This includes policies and procedures for students in teacher certification programs, acceptance into the teacher certification program, and final assessment information in teacher certification at Fontbonne University.

Authorization for Study at Another Institution

A student seeking approval to study at another institution while a student at Fontbonne University must complete the authorization for study at another institution form which may be obtained online. 

Policies Related to Transfer Credit After Entering Fontbonne University

1. A student may not take courses required for the degree at any other institution during the semester in which the degree is to be conferred. The only exception to this policy is an institution with which Fontbonne has an inter-institutional agreement; however, this is not recommended.
2. A student may not take CLEP or apply for any externally-granted credit through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) during the semester in which the degree is to be conferred.
3. All transcripts of previously earned coursework, CLEP, and internal PLA documentation must be submitted to the office of the registrar upon completion of the coursework, but at the latest by the midterm date of the semester in which the student will graduate.
4. A minimum of 30 credit hours must be completed at Fontbonne University (residency requirement).
5. A maximum of 64 credit hours will be accepted from a community college.
6. A student who has transferred in the maximum number of 64 credit hours to Fontbonne from a community college may “back out” from their academic record a maximum of 15 community college credit hours that do not meet general education or major requirements.

Academic Terminology

Undergraduate Program Criteria

Major: 33 to 64 credit hours in the student’s major college/department
Concentration: 15 to 21 credit hours in a specific discipline in the major college/department
Major and concentration: A maximum of 64 total credit hours in the student’s major college/department
Minor: A minimum of 18 credit hours outside the major discipline, providing contrast, enhancement, and/or parallel study to the major
Certificate: a narrowly defined set of disciplinary or interdisciplinary classes that constitutes a discrete body of knowledge as determined by the department(s) in which the certificate is housed.

Undergraduate Student Classifications

Degree-seeking: A student pursuing a degree
Unclassified: A student not pursuing a degree
Full-time: A student who carries 12 or more credit hours per semester
Part-time: A student who carries fewer than 12 credit hours per semester

Class Status

First-year: Fewer than 30 credit hours earned
Sophomore: 30 to 59 credit hours earned
Junior: 60 to 89 credit hours earned
Senior: 90 or more credit hours earned

Course Numbering Guidelines

First-year and sophomore level courses are designated by 100 and 200 course numbers and generally have no prerequisite. These courses are typically introductory to a discipline or subject and focus on general elements or principles. The 200-level courses may build on prior knowledge or skills in 100-level courses, be a second course in a sequence, and/or be an introduction to sub-disciplines or to special topics. These courses are concerned with knowledge and comprehension and may or may not have a prerequisite.

Junior and senior level courses are designated by 300 and 400 course numbers and usually have prerequisites. The 300-level courses focus on specialized content or skills, are the intermediate link between general introductory content and advanced content, and may be the third in a sequence of courses. The 400-level courses provide in-depth content, a synthesis or application of prior courses, may be the fourth course in a sequence, and include capstone, internship, and student teaching courses. These courses are concerned with application, analysis, and synthesis.

Ordinarily, a first-year student may not take courses at the 300 or 400 level.

Declaring Major Approval

A student is not officially accepted into a major until the student has declared a major and completed the major approval process. A first-year student must obtain major approval during the spring semester of the sophomore year, that is, after completion of 45 credit hours at Fontbonne. A transfer student or a student seeking a second degree must also declare a major and obtain major approval. Ordinarily, this is done after completing the equivalent of one full-time semester (a minimum of 12 credits) at Fontbonne.

A student pursuing two majors must declare both majors and obtain major approval from the college dean/department chair of each major in order to assure proper advising. The student must complete an application for major approval form (available in the registrar’s office) and obtain the required signatures. To receive and continue major approval the student must be in good standing and meet and maintain the college/department requirements for the major through degree completion. A college or department may choose to add acquisition of major approval as a prerequisite for a specific upper division course.

A student who does not meet or maintain the requirements for major approval may be accepted into the major or remain in the major with qualifications that must be met within a designated period of time as specified by the department chair and the college dean; or be designated by the department chair and the college dean as ineligible to complete the respective major requirements.

No department is obligated to approve a request for major approval merely because a student has accumulated the specified minimum number of credit hours in that area.

Change of Major/Concentration/ Minor/Certification

A student who wishes to change his or her major, concentration, minor, or certification must obtain a change of major/concentration/minor/certification form from the office of the registrar and complete the form in its entirety. The registrar’s office will notify the former advisor to forward the student’s file to the new advisor if a change of advisor occurs.

When changing a major, concentration, minor, or certification a student may be required to use the current catalog if different from the catalog in effect at the time of the student’s initial matriculation.

Pre-Registration/Registration Procedures

Each fall and spring semester Fontbonne schedules two weeks for pre-registration (including academic advising) and early registration for returning students. The scheduled dates are listed on the Registrar’s website. Before being able to register, a student must be advised and obtain registration clearance. 

Change in Registration

Any change in registration, including withdrawal from a course, must:

• Be made on the Change of Registration form available on the Registrar’s website;
• Be approved and signed by the academic advisor, the instructor, the Student Services Office and, if applicable, by the College Dean; and
• Be returned to the registrar’s office before the deadline specified on the academic calendar.

Early Progress Report

At the fifth week of every fall and spring semester, instructors report students’ unsatisfactory academic progress to the registrar’s office. The registrar’s office will notify instructors that early progress reports must be submitted via the web one week prior to the mid-semester date for students who show unsatisfactory academic progress. The names of students who have one or more unsatisfactory reports will be sent to the office of academic advising and to the student’s academic advisor for intervention. This policy assumes that instructors will give and grade at least one substantial assignment or multiple smaller assignments prior to the mid-semester date of each semester. Providing early feedback on student progress facilitates student success.

Examinations

Examinations are given at the discretion of the instructor. Ordinarily each instructor determines the value and importance of the final examination depending on the nature of the course and its objectives.

The final exam, whether unit or comprehensive, must be given at the time scheduled by the registrar’s office. If an instructor chooses not to give an exam, the scheduled exam time must be used for a class meeting. A student who has more than three exams on a given day should work with the instructors to petition for one to be moved to another day.

It is the responsibility of the instructor to determine whether a student may make up missed tests or examinations.

Grading and Evaluation

At the first class period of each semester/term, the instructor will inform the students of the factors taken into consideration for grading. Methods of grading and evaluations must be included in the course syllabus.

Grade Definitions for Undergraduate Courses

Grades and Quality Points

To express the quality of a student’s work in numerical form, letter grades are translated into quality points. Each grade carries a specific number of quality points. Fontbonne uses the following grades/quality points:

Grade Point Average

The grade point average (GPA) is computed by dividing the quality points earned by the credit hours attempted. The grade point average is figured on the basis of credit hours attempted, not credit hours passed. Grades of pass (P) and no pass (NP) and the incomplete (I) designation do not carry quality points and are not computed in the GPA.

Pass/No Pass (P/NP) Grading Option

A student who has a minimum of 30 credit hours may choose the pass/no pass (P/NP) grading option for selected courses, not to exceed six courses. This policy allows a student the opportunity to explore unfamiliar discipline areas. A student may not choose the P/NP grading option in courses required for the major, minor, concentration, or certificate unless the student first obtains approval from the department chair and college dean.

In some cases such as practicums and internships, Fontbonne may require P/NP grading for all the students in the course. When the university requires P/NP grading in a course, this course does not count as part of the six courses which a student may choose to take for a P/NP.

A course taken for P/NP cannot meet a general education requirement or the religion/theology requirement for graduation. Fontbonne University accepts grades of pass (P), in transfer, as elective credits, not to exceed six courses.

Incomplete (I)

If a student is earning a passing grade in a course, but does not complete the requirements of the course in a timely manner due to an extenuating circumstance beyond the student’s control that occurs within the last two or three weeks of the semester, the student may request an incomplete (I) for the course. Personal or immediate-family medical or non-medical issues, financial problems, trauma, and military deployment are examples of extenuating circumstances. The student must obtain the request for an incomplete (I) form from the registrar’s office, complete the form with the instructor, and obtain all of the required signatures before submitting the form to the registrar’s office.

An incomplete (I) will become an F if the procedures on the application form for an (I) are not followed. In extenuating circumstances, the chair may approve an extension of the incomplete, but not beyond two months.

Deferred Grade (X)

If, for some reason, the grade from a particular course cannot be reported to the registrar’s office in time for the semester report, the student will receive a deferred (X) designation. As soon as the instructor completes the change of grade form, the grade will be recorded on the student’s transcript.

Grade Change

Once a semester is over, a grade may not be changed because a student submits additional work or submits work that was due during the semester. A grade change should occur only under one of the following three conditions:

1. To convert an incomplete (I) to a letter grade. The required change of grade form, available in the office of the registrar, must be completed by the instructor according to the date listed in the semester course schedule. (See incomplete above.)
2. To convert a deferred grade (X) to a letter grade. The required change of grade form, available in the office of the registrar, must be completed by the instructor as soon as possible, generally within one week after grades are due. (See deferred grade above.)
3. To correct an incorrect grade awarded due to an instructor’s calculation or recording error. The required change of grade form, available in the office of the registrar, must be completed by the instructor by the end of first two weeks of the following semester.

Repeated Courses

An undergraduate student may choose to repeat a maximum of two courses in which the student has received a grade of C-, C, or C+. A student who earns a D or F grade in a course may be required to repeat the course as determined by requirements established by a specific academic department. The department chairperson will decide if or when a course from another institution may be used in lieu of a course repeated at Fontbonne.

If, upon repeating the course, the student makes a D or F grade when a higher grade is required, to take the course a third time at Fontbonne or at another institution, the student must obtain the written approval from each of the following: the advisor, department chairperson and dean overseeing the student’s major, the department chairperson and dean overseeing the course in question.

Both the original and the repeated course grades will appear on the transcript. Only the higher grade will be calculated in the GPA; the total credits earned will be incremented only once.

Note: Repeating a course may affect a student’s eligibility for federal financial aid. Students should contact their Financial Aid counselor for more information.

Auditing a Course

Auditing a course allows a student, for a fee, to participate in all the classroom activities of the course. Ordinarily a student auditing a course does not take tests and complete assignments unless the instructor specifies otherwise. The student accrues no credit for an audited course. The audit designation of AU will be listed on the student’s transcript. Generally courses with studio or laboratory classes are not available for audit. Tuition and/or fees for auditing a course are available in the undergraduate expenses section in this catalog and in the semester course schedules.

Students auditing a course are expected to attend classes per the instructor’s attendance and tardiness policies and maintain a respectful demeanor in the classroom. An auditing student may be withdrawn by the instructor at any time in the semester if the auditing student fails to meet these expectations.

Class Attendance

Responsibility for attendance at class rests on the individual student. Fontbonne University expects regular attendance. Faculty who use regular attendance as part of the course requirements for evaluation purposes will notify the students of the policy in writing on the course syllabus distributed at the beginning of the course.

Students are directly responsible to instructors for class attendance and for work missed during an absence for any cause.

If a student stops attending a class without officially withdrawing from the course by completing a change in registration (drop/add) form obtained from the registrar’s office, the student will receive a grade of AF for the course. Faculty members are responsible for reporting the last date of academic activity when assigning a grade of AF.

Class Attendance - Eight-Week Courses

A student athlete is not allowed to register for an eight-week face-to-face course during the season of the student’s sport without the written consent of the athletic director and the faculty athletic advisor.

Faculty Unannounced Absence/Lateness for Class

An instructor is encouraged to note the following policy on the course syllabus:

• For courses which meet two or more times per week, students must wait a minimum of 15 minutes before leaving a class for which the instructor has not arrived.
• For courses which meet only once per week, students must wait a minimum of 30 minutes before leaving a class for which the instructor has not arrived.
• One student in the class will assume responsibility for starting a dated attendance record for student signatures and for seeing that the attendance record is submitted to the registrar’s office immediately following the students’ leaving the classroom.

Leave of Absence

An undergraduate degree-seeking student who has a pre-determined need to leave Fontbonne for one or two semesters (not including summer session) with the expectation to return may request a leave of absence.

The student must complete a request for leave of absence form obtained from the registrar’s office.

The student with an approved leave of absence may return under the same catalog and general education requirements in effect at the time of the initial matriculation. If the student’s program curriculum has changed due to an accrediting/approval agency mandate, the student must follow the new requirements. To re-enter Fontbonne, the student may go directly to the registrar’s office for a change of status and registration materials, beginning at the time of pre-registration. The student must see an advisor and obtain the advisor’s signature and web clearance to be eligible to register.

Withdrawals

Withdrawal from a Course

A student who, with proper authorization, withdraws from a course (see changes in registration under the registration procedures in this section) before the date specified in the semester course schedule receives a designation of W. A student who stops attending at some point after the third week of class does not complete the authorized withdrawal process receives a grade of AF.

A student may not request a withdrawal after the date specified in the semester course schedule. However, a student with appropriate and verifiable documentation may request, from Office of Academic Affairs, an exception to this policy. (See Withdrawal for an Extenuating Circumstance below.)

Students should consult with the Student Services Office before withdrawing from any courses.

Note: A student should be aware that failure to attend class does not constitute a withdrawal and may affect the student’s federal financial aid status. A student must notify the student services office and registrar’s office immediately upon the student’s decision to stop attending a course.

Involuntary Withdrawal for Non-attendance

A student who registers for a course and never attends the course will be withdrawn from the course ordinarily after the third week of classes. The registrar’s office will notify the student in writing of non-attendance; the student will have one week to respond by either immediately attending the course or immediately withdrawing from the course.

Failure to officially withdraw from the course will result in the student receiving an involuntary withdrawal (WI). A student receiving a WI will be responsible for any incurred costs.

A student who receives a student refund must return the refund to Fontbonne University.

An involuntary withdrawal will result in a change in a student’s registration. Based on federal financial aid regulations, this may require a recalculation of the student’s financial aid package and adjustments to the student’s aid award. These adjustments may result in aid being removed from the student’s award and a balance due on the student’s account.

Withdrawal for an Extenuating Circumstance

A student may request to withdraw from Fontbonne University for an extenuating circumstance after the last date to withdraw as listed on the academic calendar. An extenuating circumstance is an unexpected or unusual situation beyond a student’s control which makes it impossible for the student to complete his or her coursework during the enrollment term. Personal or immediate-family medical or non-medical issues, financial problems, trauma, and military deployment are examples of extenuating circumstances.

An undergraduate student must obtain information, procedures, and forms concerning a withdrawal for an extenuating circumstance from the Office of Academic Affairs. Students seeking withdrawal for extenuating circumstances must initiate the process on or before the last day of regular courses, before the final exam period begins. At the latest, the withdrawal procedures must be completed and all documentation submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs within 30 business days following the last date of exams for that enrollment session.

Official Withdrawal from the University

A student who wishes to withdraw from all courses must go through the Withdrawal Process. Students must first visit the Registrar’s website where they will find all student forms. Click on the link for Withdrawal Process to find the withdrawal survey which begins the process. At the end of the survey students are directed to the Withdrawal Form which must be completed with all the necessary signatures. The form must be turned in to the Registrar’s Office before the last day to withdraw from the semester.

The purpose of completing an official withdrawal form is to ensure that the student receives a withdrawal (W) from the courses rather than an F and that all financial arrangements and required loan exit interviews are complete.

A student who withdraws from courses within the first 50 percent of the fall or spring term may be entitled to some refund. The refund policy and the complete schedule of percentages of refund are published in each semester course schedule.

Probationary Status and Dismissals

The Undergraduate Academic Committee reviews the academic status of all full and part-time degree seeking students at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Each undergraduate student must maintain a minimum Fontbonne (FBU) cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 to remain in good standing at Fontbonne. The University reserves the right to assign Probation status or Dismiss students who do not maintain the minimum academic standards.

Probationary Status

Probation is defined as an FBU cumulative GPA lower than 2.00 on the semester immediately following a semester in good standing. Continuing Probation (CP) is defined as the semester GPA greater than or equal to 2.00 immediately following the Probation semester, yet the cumulative GPA remains lower than 2.00.

The University reserves the right to require mandatory academic support activities, including a maximum course load and/or specific courses, when a student is on Probation or CP. Students on Probation (first-time probation) are automatically enrolled in a one credit hour course, INT 103 Pathway to Achieving Student Success (PASS). Students on CP are automatically enrolled in a one credit hour independent study, INT 104, Strategies for Self-Directed Learning. A student who is on Probation or CP is also required to repeat failed courses (if available) in the semester of Probation or CP status. A student who is on Probation or CP is ineligible to participate on a sports team, or to hold a leadership position as president, vice-president, secretary or treasurer in a student organization, association or club.

Academic Dismissal

Students earning an FBU cumulative GPA below 1.00 will be dismissed for academic deficiencies without first being placed on Probation. Dismissal letters will include a process for guiding the student during the appeal process.

Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.00 after returning to Good Standing will be dismissed. Student on CP failing to earn a cumulative GPA of 2.00 after two semesters of CP will be dismissed. A student who is dismissed may appeal the decision by sending a letter of appeal to the Office of Academic Affairs within the timeline of the dismissal letter. The dismissed student may apply for readmission to Fontbonne University one full calendar year after dismissal. The student must apply to the Office of Admission for readmission consideration by the Undergraduate Academic Committee. Students who have been dismissed, appealed, and readmitted to the university twice may not appeal a third dismissal.

Probationary Status and Dismissals in Intensive English Program

Students in the Intensive English Program (IEP) must achieve a grade of PASS in each class to be considered to be in good standing. If a student achieves a grade of NOT PASS in a class, the student is allowed to repeat the class. If the student receives a grade of NOT PASS a second time for the same class, the student will be is reviewed by the IEP academic review committee. The committee reviews the student’s entire academic record in the IEP Program. Upon review, if the committee determines that the student’s NOT PASS grade is due to a lack of attendance or failure to do the required work, the student is dismissed. If it is determined that the student’s grade is not due to lack of attendance and/or failure to do the required work, the student may be allowed to enroll in the class a third time. If after enrolling in the class a third time, the student does not achieve a grade of PASS, the student will be dismissed from the Intensive English Program and the university.

The academic status of students in the ESL Program is subject to review by the undergraduate academic committee at the end of the fall and spring semester, and is subject to the same policies as are all degree-seeking students. (See the university’s policies on probationary status and dismissals in the academic policies and regulations section of this catalog).

Non-Academic Dismissal

A student may be dismissed at any time from Fontbonne University for a variety of non-academic offenses. These include, but are not limited to, behavior or attitudes unworthy of a good campus citizen, an unsatisfactory financial record, or violation of any policy of Fontbonne University. For further information, refer to the Griffin Scratch Student Handbook.

Academic Appeals Process

An undergraduate student, who wishes to petition the academic appeals committee for a hearing for a final grade appeal or for a hearing for an academic matter other than a final grade, must consult with Office of Academic Affairs which will provide the student with a copy of the academic appeal policy, procedures, and timelines.

The academic appeals committee, comprised of five elected faculty members and eight students selected by the office of academic affairs in consultation with department chairs, serves to offer a fair hearing to the student. Three faculty and three undergraduate students are selected from the committee to serve with the committee chair at any hearing.

Appeals ordinarily are not heard in the summer session.

Academic Appeal Regarding Matters Other Than Grades

If an undergraduate student wishes to appeal an academic issue other than a recorded final grade, the student must consult with the Office of Academic Affairs as to the appropriate process to follow as it relates to the appeal issue. Within one calendar week following this consultation the student must provide a formal letter of appeal to the Office of Academic Affairs, which will then direct the letter to the appropriate individual/committee for resolution.

Final Grade Appeal

If an undergraduate student wishes to challenge a recorded final grade, the student must begin the appeal process no later than three weeks into the next fall or spring semester.

Students should attempt to resolve a grade complaint in conversation with the professor before beginning a formal appeal. If the matter cannot be resolved, the student should begin the appeals process, as described below.

The appeal process begins as the student must put into writing the reasons he or she believes the grade is incorrect. The student must then provide this rationale to the instructor of the course. If the instructor changes the grade to the student’s satisfaction, the process ends there. If the instructor does not agree, then the instructor will put into writing his or her explanation for the grade. If the student chooses to continue the appeal, he or she will bring the written documentation of the student and instructor to the department chair. If the department chair changes the grade to the student’s satisfaction, the process ends there. If the department chair does not agree, then the department chair will also put into writing his or her explanation for the denial. If the student wishes to continue the appeal, he or she will then bring all the written materials collected thus far to the dean of the college in which the course is offered. If the dean changes the grade to the student’s satisfaction, the process ends there. If the dean does not agree with the student, he or she will put into writing his or her reasons for the denial. If the student chooses to continue the appeal, he or she should then bring all the existing written documentation-from the student, the instructor, the chair, and the dean-to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs will then convene the Academic Appeals committee.

The Academic Appeals committee will consider the student appeal at its next scheduled meeting. The Appeals committee normally meets once per semester. If the Appeals committee finds against the student, the decision is final. People at each level of responsibility in the appeal are expected to respond in a timely manner-normally within a week.

Readmission with a New Start

A returning Fontbonne undergraduate degree-seeking student may petition to participate in the New Start program with the following stipulations:

• The student has not been enrolled for five consecutive years at Fontbonne University.
• The student may petition for the New Start program after returning to Fontbonne and completing 12 consecutive credit hours with a minimum grade of C- in each course and a 2.0 GPA.
• Previous credits and grades from a maximum of six courses with grades of D and/or F may be removed from the grade point average, but not from the transcript.
• All previous courses and grades will remain on the transcript. Previous grades of C- or better will count in the grade point average and the credits will be carried forward.
• The grade point average will be recalculated.
• The transcript will indicate New Start.
• The student participating in the New Start program is ineligible for Latin honors at graduation. (See Latin honors in this section of the catalog.)

To petition to participate in the New Start program, a student must obtain a new start program petition form from the registrar’s office, complete the form, and return it to the registrar’s office.

The Dean’s List

The dean’s list is published at the end of fall and spring semesters. To be considered for the dean’s list a student must:

• be a full-time undergraduate student earning a bachelor’s degree.
• earn a minimum of 12 undergraduate credit hours in the semester. (The grades for courses that end after the last official day of the semester will not be calculated for consideration for the dean’s list.) Since P, NP, and I grades are not computed in the GPA, any credit hours graded P, NP, or I will not count toward the required minimum of 12 credit hours. However, students who successfully complete required courses that are offered only on a P/NP basis and who have completed at least six graded credits are eligible.
• achieve a semester GPA of 3.7 or above.

Latin Honors

A Fontbonne undergraduate student who is seeking a first baccalaureate degree may earn Latin honors which are conferred at graduation. Latin honors reflect the academic excellence of all of the undergraduate coursework taken in preparation for the undergraduate degree.

To calculate Latin honors, Fontbonne uses the grades for all courses taken at other colleges and universities, as well as all courses taken at Fontbonne.

Latin Honors will be calculated for the May commencement ceremony based on the GPA at the end of the previous semester and will be considered provisional until all grades are received and it is ascertained that all graduation requirements have been met. The correct Honors category will be noted on the student’s diploma and transcript based on the final GPA calculation.

All transcripts/grades to be considered for the calculation of Latin honors, including any outstanding grades, must be received in the registrar’s office no later than September 30 for the December graduation, January 31 for the May graduation, and May 31 for the August graduation.

Latin honors are as follows:

Cum laude: 3.7 to 3.79 cumulative grade point average
Magna cum laude: 3.8 to 3.89 cumulative grade point average
Summa cum laude: 3.9 or above cumulative grade point average

Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence

The Dean’s Award is presented to graduating seniors who achieve a Fontbonne cumulative grade point average of 3.7 or above on a minimum of 60 credit hours taken at Fontbonne. A Dean’s Award recipient is not eligible for Latin honors due to transfer coursework which results in a combined cumulative grade point average below 3.7.

Honors Convocation

Each spring the university recognizes outstanding students in various categories, such as academic department/program honors and awards, honors program awards, honor society awards, and Latin honors. This recognition is publicly acknowledged at the honors convocation.

Application for Degree

All students who wish to apply for a degree to be conferred must file their applications in the registrar’s office by August 1 for December conferral of degree, December 1 for May conferral of degree, and May 1 for August conferral of degree. Commencement ceremonies are held in May.

Commencement/Conferring of Degrees

Fontbonne University confers bachelors’ and masters’ degrees at the annual commencement ceremony in May. Undergraduate students with nine or fewer hours left to complete their degree and who have enrolled in those courses necessary to complete the degree by the August conferral date are allowed to participate in commencement the May preceding their August completion. All graduate students who will complete their degree in August and who have enrolled in the courses required to do so are eligible for participation in the commencement ceremony the May preceding their August completion. All other students who wish to participate in commencement before completing all requirements may direct an appeal to walk in the commencement ceremony to the Office of Academic Affairs. Students may only participate in one commencement ceremony.

Record of Work and Transcripts

A student receives a semester grade report online after the close of each semester, and can access unofficial copies of their transcript through the student portal. A student may request official copies of the transcript for a fee. Additional information can be found at www.fontbonne.edu/transcripts.

To protect the right to privacy of a student, a student must make a written request for transcripts. A request should be submitted at least one week in advance of the time the transcript is needed. Fontbonne will not issue any transcripts until all indebtedness to the university has been settled in full.

To be considered an official transcript, a transcript must include the institution’s seal and be either received directly from another institution or sent directly to another institution.

Fontbonne will not release official transcripts from other institutions filed for the purpose of admission to Fontbonne. These become the property of Fontbonne University.

Academic Integrity/Honesty

According to its mission, Fontbonne University is committed to graduating students who are prepared to think critically, to act ethically, and to assume responsibility as citizens and leaders. Fontbonne University expects the highest standards of integrity from its students.

A violation of academic integrity includes, but is not limited to, any act of cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, dissimulation, and any act of aiding and abetting academic dishonesty. In cases where academic integrity is in question, the following definitions and policies will apply.

Cheating is a purposeful deception in the preparation and/or submission of papers and assignments and the taking of exams, tests, or quizzes.

Plagiarism is the representation of the words and ideas of another as one’s own in any academic exercise. Plagiarism includes failing to give a citation for using work from another person or source. Modifications and rephrasing do not reduce the requirement for giving a citation. This also applies to information obtained electronically, such as from the Internet.

Fabrication is the deliberate falsification or invention of any information or citation in any academic exercise, such as making up a source, giving an incorrect citation, misquoting a source.

Dissimulation is the disguising or altering of one’s own actions with the intent to deceive another about the real nature of one’s actions concerning an academic exercise. Examples include fabricating excuses for such things as missing classes, postponing tests, handing in late papers, turning in a paper for one class that was originally written for another class (when original work is requested).

Individual instructors will set specific policies regarding academic integrity. In general, students may expect to receive a zero (0) on any assignment, exam, test, or quiz and perhaps fail a course when a violation of academic integrity has occurred.

Broader violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to:

Abuse of resources is the damaging of any resource material or inappropriately limiting access to resource material that is necessary for academic work. Abuse includes hiding library materials; removing non-circulating material from the library; hiding or stealing another person’s textbook, notes, or software; failure to return library materials when requested.

Forgery of academic documents is the unauthorized changing or construction of any academic document, such as changing transcripts, changing grade books, changing grades on papers which have been returned, or forging signatures. Other examples include completion of an application for any academic program that omits or falsifies any requested information. Such violations can result in the revocation of the application even if approval was previously granted on the basis of fabricated information.

Sabotage is the damaging or impeding of the academic work of another student. Sabotage includes ruining another student’s lab work; destroying another student’s term paper.

Aiding and abetting academic dishonesty is knowingly facilitating any act defined above.

Violations of academic integrity have a broad impact on the university and will result in university review and action. Faculty who observe violations of academic integrity are asked to report all violations to the office of academic affairs where records of violations will be maintained for five years. University review and action may include tutorials on the appropriate use of materials, academic probation, or expulsion, depending on the nature of the offense. All procedures for disciplinary action are detailed in the Griffin Scratch and Fontbonne policy manuals.

Assessment

To ensure the continuing quality of a Fontbonne degree, the university regularly collects data on academic programs, advising, student activities, and campus climate. Examples include course evaluations and advising evaluations which all students are expected to complete.

Student participation in periodic assessment, such as surveys and achievement tests, is expected and may be required for graduation. Because of the random sampling methods used to identify participants, not all students will be required to participate in the same assessment activities. Along with formal assessments, student work samples from individual classes may also be collected to provide authentic artifacts for internal and external program review.

The assessment program is designed to assist faculty, staff, and administrators in improving student learning, as well as the delivery of all campus services. Academic programs and student services are reviewed and revised based on a regular analysis of the data obtained from the assessment process. In this way, both the individual student and the institution benefit from assessment.