Undergraduate Academic Policy and Regulations
Graduation Requirements for Undergraduates
The academic requirements outlined in the catalog at the time of a student's matriculation into a program of study are generally normative for graduation. If a student withdraws or is dismissed from the University and subsequently reenters, he/she must observe the catalog requirements in effect at reentry.
Although academic advisors are available to assist students in fulfilling major and graduation requirements, the ultimate responsibility for these matters rests with the student.
All undergraduate students entering the University fall semester 1995, or after, must fulfill the following general requirements:
| 1. | A minimum of 120 credits for a baccalaureate-level program and 68 credits for an associate-level program. For specific credits see program requirements listed under each degree/major. The minimum required credits are normally arrived at by a defined combination of: |
| a. | University core requirements - to explore important college themes, develop crucial skills, and prepare for lifelong learning. |
| b. | Program, or professional requirements - to complete curricula established by the academic department responsible for the major area of study. |
| c. | General elective credit - to encourage additional study in areas of interest and to accumulate credits required for a degree. |
| 2. | Satisfactory completion of the course standards and specific requirements in the student's major program. See specific degree/major requirements in this catalog. |
| 3. | Fourth (senior) year in residence. |
| 4. | Submission, by the student, of a Request for Degree no later than January 15th prior to intended commencement. |
| 5. | Satisfaction of all Business Office obligations. |
| 6. | Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. Higher grade point requirements may apply in certain programs. Refer to departmental and degree/major requirements. |
| Notes: | |
| A fourth-year student who expects to complete degree requirements by the conclusion of the following fall semester with two courses (typically 6-8 credits*) or less of outstanding degree requirements may opt to: | |
| a. | Participate in the May commencement prior to his/her last semester (diploma to be issued after completion of studies); or |
| b. | Participate in the May commencement following his/her last semester. * A student might have greater than 6-8 credits if the two courses involve clinical, practicum, or internship study. |
| Learning Assistance Center and developmental mathematics courses do not carry degree credits for fulfillment of graduation requirements, with the exception of the courses Peer Tutor Workshop and Peer Tutor Practicum. | |
Petition to Graduate and Receipt of Diploma
In the last year of enrollment, students who anticipate completion of all degree requirements must submit a petition to graduate. The Petition to Graduate form is available in the registration office, or on the website for this purpose. The completed form sets into motion all final processing towards: verification of the degree completion, correct spelling of name on the diploma, correct mailing address, and indication of plans to participate in the commencement ceremony.
If a mailing address should change after submission of the form, the student is responsible for notifying the Registration Office (University Campus) or the Student Registration and Financial Services Center (Westbrook College Campus) of a new address. It is the goal of registration services to verify/post degree completions and mail out diplomas within four weeks of a student's completion of studies.
Commencement is held at the end of each spring semester (usually May) and students scheduled for participation in the ceremony or completion of degree requirements per academic policy are considered to be in the "Class of...[that particular year]." Student names must be approved, on recommendation of the faculty, by the Board of Trustees prior to being authorized a degree and diploma from the University of New England.
Under some circumstances, documentation of early graduation may be possible for students who complete all of their degree requirements in a semester prior to the planned "Class of ..." ceremony. In these cases the degree will be dated at the end of the semester in which the requirements are completed. Board approval must still be obtained, so all petitions and verifications must be completed in a timely manner. Guidelines for submission of the petition form are as follows:
|
If graduation is anticipated by the end of: |
Submit the petition to graduate by: | |
| Summer Semester |
June 30th | |
| Fall Semester |
September 30th | |
| Spring Semester |
January 15th |
The degree awarded date will correspond to the term where the last course requirement was completed and graded. The exception is where one or more courses are completed late (after the end of the term in which the course was provided). In the case of late completion of course requirements (e.g due to an "Incomplete" grade), the degree will be awarded in the current term (in progress) when the final course requirements are completed. This practice is consistent with graduation reporting to external sources.
Further information regarding graduation procedures can be obtained through the credentials evaluator at the Office of the Registrar.
Residency Requirements
Any course offered for credit by the University of New England is designated as residence or campus credit. This may include University sponsored off-campus experiences including internships, distance learning, exchange programs, and consortium courses.
Associate Degrees: For an associate degree, a student must complete at least 20 of the last 25 credits in residence at the University of New England.
Bachelor’s Degree: For a baccalaureate degree, student must complete at least 45 of the last 60 credits in residence at the University of New England.
Second Bachelor’s Degree: Students who are pursuing a second bachelor’s degree must complete at least 45 semester hours in residence once the first degree is finished. If the first degree is from the University of New England, the same requirements apply as the first bachelor’s degree.
A waiver of residency requirements may be obtained by written request to: Registrar’s Office, University of New England, 11 Hills Beach Road, Biddeford, Maine 04005. The student’s advisor and the appropriate College Dean’s Office will carefully review each request. Requestors should receive written notification of the decision within one month of submission.
Academic Load
An undergraduate student's normal academic load ranges from 12 to 18 credit hours during the fall and spring semesters. Students must obtain advisor permission to enroll in 19 or 20 academic credits per semester, and must obtain academic dean's permission to enroll in greater then 20 credits. A student must register for a minimum of 12 credits per semester in order to maintain status as a full-time student. A student attempting more than 18 credits during a semester will be subject to an overload charge at the part-time per credit tuition rate.
Registration and Enrollment Confirmation
Students matriculated in any undergraduate program must be pre-approved to register for courses, or change course registration, through their advisor. Advising liaisons in CAS are also available in each department to approve courses. In CHP, students may contact their program director or coordinator for this purpose. First-time students will register on appointed dates and will go through a new student orientation . Returning students can preregister for courses at dates established in the University's Academic Calendar.
Course registration must be confirmed through the Office of the Registrar. This is accomplished only after matriculated students have cleared all other offices on campus, i.e., Student Accounts, Financial Aid, Health Center, Security, or other offices through which arrangements must be made in order to become fully enrolled at the University. On-campus students must confirm their enrollment at the beginning of each semester within certain time lines by methods identified by registration services. Instructions regarding enrollment confirmation are e-mailed to each student. Students who do not confirm their registration within the announced time limits are subject to a $75 late confirmation fee.
Course changes are allowed during a designated add/drop period only, as specified on the current academic calendar. Detailed instructions as well as designated time lines regarding the add/drop process are e-mailed to each student. Tuition and/or financial aid may be adjusted, depending on number of credit hours enrolled.
Transfer students should note that they must meet all University of New England requirements to qualify for an associate, bachelor, or master degree. Adherence to this policy should be discussed fully with the faculty advisor and the Registrar before registration is completed.
A pre-matriculated student who wishes to make the transition to matriculated status must first obtain permission from the appropriate dean. The student's academic record will then be evaluated by the Registrar who will make a determination as to the student's classification. All courses are open to qualified students who have met the necessary prerequisites.
Classification
Student-level, or classification, is pertinent to financial aid eligibility, class year, student organizations, information systems, and other post-secondary related institutions or nomenclature. The chart below is intended to clarify student classification:
Minimum Credits Earned Towards UNE Degree:
|
Year |
Terminology |
Credits |
| First-Year |
Freshman |
1-23 |
| Second-Year |
Sophomore |
24-56 |
| Third-Year |
Junior |
57-89 |
| Fourth-Year |
Senior |
90-120 |
| Fifth-Year |
Fifth-Year |
* |
| *Beyond Baccalaureate Degree |
|
A |
4.00 | |
|
A- |
3.75 | |
|
B+ |
3.50 | |
|
B |
3.00 | |
|
B- |
2.75 | |
| C+ | 2.50 | |
| C | 2.00 | |
| C- | 1.75 | |
| D | 1.00 | |
| F | 0.00 | |
| Note: Students may not elect to take a course that satisfies a core requirement on a pass/fail basis. |
| First Year |
1.70 | |
| Fall of Second Year |
1.70 | |
| Spring of Second Year |
1.80 | |
| Fall of Third Year |
1.80 | |
| Spring of Third Year | 1.90 | |
| Fall of Fourth Year | 1.90 | |
| Notes: A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 is required for graduation. Higher levels of minimum acceptable semester and/or cumulative GPA may be established by individual departments or academic programs. | ||
Student Enrollment Status
The University of New England classifies student load status for purposes of financial aid (FA), loan deferments, and/or Veterans Administration (VA) educational benefits. The following table applies credit hour enrollment to full-time, 3/4 time, or half-time status:
| Classification | Financial Aid/Deferments | V.A. Benefits |
| Undergraduate | ||
| Full-time | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| 3/4 time | 9.0 | |
| Half-time | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Post-baccalaureate Certification | ||
| Full-time | 6.0 | |
| 3/4 time | 4.0 | |
| Half-time | 3.0 |
Student Records and Transcripts
Academic Records - Complete records and related documents are maintained in the Office of the University Registrar, Decary Hall. Under the terms of the Buckley/Pell Amendment to the Family Educational and Privacy Act (FERPA), students have the right to review and inspect all official records, files, and data, including all material that is incorporated into each student's cumulative record folder. However, the Department of Health and Human Services has said that clarifying amendments provide that letters of recommendation submitted on the basis of a pledge of confidentiality prior to January 1, 1975 need not be shown to students, and that a student may be allowed but not required to waive his/her right of access to letters of recommendation received after that date. Under the terms of the Buckley/Pell Amendment, post-secondary institutions must provide students not only access to official records directly related to them, but also an opportunity for a hearing to challenge such records on the grounds that they are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise inappropriate. It is the right of students to file a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services concerning an alleged failure by an educational agency or institution to comply with section 438 of the Act that guarantees such rights. University students wishing to review their records may do so by providing a written request to the Office of the University Registrar at least 48 hours in advance of the desired appointment.
Student Conduct Records - Student conduct records and related files are maintained by the Office of the Dean of Students in the Student Affairs offices on each campus. Student conduct records/files are maintained under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Student Access and Annual Notification
FERPA (see above) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:
Directory Information and Disclosure
The University normally will not supply non-related organizations with personally identifiable student information, including directory information. One exception to this policy is the result of a federal law known as the Solomon Amendment which requires the University to release directory information to military recruiters upon request. For this purpose, directory information is defined as: name, address, email, telephone listing, date and place of birth, level of education, academic major, degrees received, and educational institution in which a student most recently was enrolled. Information not required or permitted by the Solomon Amendment and not considered directory information under FERPA will not be released without written permission of the student.
Active students who wish to have directory information withheld from release must do so in writing on a per-academic-year basis. Request forms are available in the Office of the Registrar (University Campus), Student Registration and Financial Services Center (Westbrook College Campus) or Student Affairs Offices at either campus. Requests must be submitted prior to September 30th (if first-time enrollment for academic year is fall semester) or January 30th (if first-time enrollment for academic year is spring semester) to affect a withhold status.
Please remember: active students must renew a request for non-disclosure each year to keep such requests in effect. The University may disclose directory information about former students without meeting notification requirements; however, at the last opportunity as a student (just prior to departure from the University), written requests for non-disclosure will remain in effect until a written request to change non-disclosure status is made by the student.
Response Time and End-of-Term Processing
Due to production demands in registration services (both campuses), requests for student records services cannot be processed on demand. Students are advised to plan on a three-to-five-day turn-around on requests.
At the end of each fall and spring semester, registration offices must process significant volumes of grades, completions, and verifications after all final grades are submitted by instructors. This end-of-term processing is not finished for a minimum of two weeks after the last final exam.
For students graduating at the end of spring semester: degree verification, posting, and diploma printing/mailing must be done after end-of-term grades are processed. Diplomas are not normally mailed for a minimum of four weeks after the last final exam. Students are advised to anticipate waiting these periods of time, and should plan ahead when working with employers, graduate schools, agencies, or licensing bureaus when ordering transcripts, grade reports, or degree verifications.
Transcripts
No official transcript will be issued until all financial obligations have been met.
Transcripts are issued only at the written and signed request of the student. The purpose of this policy is to protect the privacy of the individual concerned and to minimize the possibility of the use of another's transcripts by an imposter. Students are advised to plan on a three-to-five-day turn-around on requests.
Official transcripts are normally issued directly to other educational institutions or prospective employers designated by the student. Official transcripts issued to the student for purposes of transport to another party can be provided in a sealed envelope but will be considered unofficial if opened by the student. Unsealed transcripts issued directly to students are considered unofficial and are stamped Issued to Student.
Notice and Responsibilities Regarding this Catalog
This Catalog documents the academic programs, policies, and activities of the University of New England for the 2006-2007 academic year. The information contained herein is accurate as of date of publication August 1, 2006.
The University of New England reserves the right in its sole judgment to make changes of any nature in its programs, calendar, or academic schedule whenever it is deemed necessary or desirable, including changes in course content, the rescheduling of classes with or without extending the academic term, canceling of scheduled classes or other academic activities, in any such case giving such notice thereof as is reasonably practicable under the circumstances.
While each student may work closely with an academic advisor, he or she must retain individual responsibility for meeting requirements in this catalog and for being aware of any changes in provisions or requirements.