Academic Policies and Procedures

Academic Standing is determined by the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at the end of each semester/term (fall, winter, spring, summer). Appeals to academic standing are heard each June/July and January by the Admission Readmission Committee.

Undergraduates

• Good Academic Standing - Students whose SU cumulative grade point averages (GPAs) are at least 2.0. Students who are not in good academic standing are either on academic probation or on restricted status.
• Academic Probation - Students who are not in good academic standing, but who are still admitted and pursuing degrees. Such students have academic (and other) limitations placed upon them.
• Restricted Status - Previously admitted students whose admissions have been revoked because of poor academic performance and who are thereby neither admitted nor pursuing a degree. These students are allowed to register for up to eight credits as non-degree students.
• Dismissed Students - Previously enrolled students who are no longer allowed to attend the University.
• For additional information visit: Undergraduate Student Standards

Graduates

• To remain in good standing, graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 for all graduate courses. Students who receive more than six credit hours of C or C+ and have utilized their allowable course repeat option will be dismissed from the program regardless of their GPA. Students should consult the policies of their specific graduate programs for further information about program academic standards.
• For additional information visit: Graduate Student Standards

Students who leave the University with a poor academic record and have not attended the University for at least five years may wish to receive academic clemency upon their return. Clemency can be granted for up to 16 credit hours of D and/or F. To be considered for clemency, students must apply during the initial semester, term, or session that they return and register. If granted, courses will still show on the transcript but will be removed from attempted hours (AHRS), earned hours (EHRS), quality hours (QHRS) and the grade point average (GPA) calculations. The Academic Clemency Form is available from the Registrar's forms page.

Undergraduate: While 12 to 19 credits is considered full time for tuition purposes, 15 credits is considered by the University to be an average load for a fall or spring semester. Students registering for more than 19 fall/spring semesters, 8 summer terms and/ or 7 winter term credits must receive written approval of their advisor and the dean of the school housing their major by completing a Request to Enroll in More Than a Normal Load form from the Registrar's forms page.

Enrollment Limit

 

Graduate: Full-time status during the fall and spring semester requires enrollment in a minimum of 9 graduate semester hours (6 hours for graduate assistants). Full-time status in the winter and summer terms requires enrollment in a minimum of 6 graduate semester hours.

Overload requests for course loads in excess of 12 hours during the fall or spring semester, 9 hours during the summer term or 6 hours during the winter term, must be approved by the program director

A student may find it necessary to withdraw from a course or, in exceptional circumstances, for the entire term. Although this may occur for a variety of reasons (medical situation, psychological, family emergency, etc.), the process for withdrawal is the same.

Before withdrawing from a course or the entire term, students should understand any possible academic and/or financial consequences. Depending upon the time of the semester the withdrawal occurs, aid could be adjusted (e.g., a refund or a requirement to return funds already received). Make sure you review the Refund Policy and Refund Schedule. If you receive any type of financial aid (grants, loans, awards, scholarships), please consult the Financial Aid Office before an official withdrawal is submitted.

Withdrawing from a course or the entire term will result in grade(s) of W (withdrawal) appearing on the transcript. Grades of W have no impact on your GPA at Salisbury University. However, withdrawing from a course does count as an attempt in the course repeat policy and may adversely impact a student’s ability to retake the course or remain in a major/minor/certificate program.

How to Withdraw

To drop or withdraw from individual classes prior to the published Last Day to Drop a Class with a “W” (see Academic Calendar):

1. Click on the enrollment tile in GullNet
2. Select Enrollment: Drop Classes
3. Make sure to finalize it and then verify the course was successfully dropped by viewing your class schedule Student Center in GullNet

To withdraw from an entire semester:

1. Click on the enrollment tile in GullNet
2. Select Enrollment: Withdraw
3. You should receive an automated email confirming receipt of your request and a second email once it has been processed

After the published Last Day to Drop a Class with a “W” (see Academic Calendar), students can withdraw from the entire semester but not from an individual course.  Students can withdraw from the entire semester up through the second to last day of the semester. When this occurs, a grade of “WP” (withdraw while passing) or a “WF” (withdraw while failing) will be assigned for each course at the end of the semester. These grades do not affect the student’s GPA.

Appeal to Withdrawal after deadline

Students are expected to withdraw from the semester according to the policies and procedures outlined by Salisbury University. In exceptional cases, a retroactive withdrawal may be granted based on documented requests in which extenuating circumstances significantly impaired the student's ability to complete the semester and officially withdraw by the established semester deadlines. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to, medical or psychological causes. The steps to complete this process are outlined on the University's website. A committee of University representatives reviews and determines eligibility based on submitted documentation.

FAQ

How can I ensure that I get all my money back if I need to withdraw?

Salisbury University has partnered with GradGuard™ to offer tuition insurance. The Tuition Protection Plan was designed with students and their families in mind. It can reimburse tuition payments, room and board fees, and other non-refundable college expenses if a student needs to withdraw from school any time during the semester for any covered reason such as illness, injury or psychological condition. This coverage strengthens and broadens the school’s existing refund policy.

What are the advantages to withdrawing?

Withdrawing from a class results in a “W” on the student’s transcript. The “W” has no effect on the student’s GPA (Grade Point Average). However, a withdrawal could have a financial impact. Please consult with the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible to consider all options.

What are the disadvantages of withdrawing?

Though there are valid reasons to withdraw from a course, you will need to investigate the financial and academic implications. Withdrawing from classes may have an impact on financial aid, tuition refunds, housing, and graduation plans.

What are things to consider before deciding whether to withdraw?

• Consult with your Academic Advisor regarding your educational plan
• Contact the Financial Aid Office to review the implications for financial aid
• If living on campus, contact Residential Life to discuss housing implications
• Consult with the University’s Case Manager in the Dean of Students Office for assistance in fully reviewing all options

How do I request a medical withdrawal?

Please review the website for the Dean of Students Office/SU CARES to get general information about withdrawing for medical reasons. Students may also contact the Student Affairs Case Manager in the Dean of Students Office to discuss any questions or concerns about the process. NOTE: All withdrawals are processed the same way, regardless of the reason. Federal requirements for loans and grants are handled based on policy. Students requesting exceptions to the withdrawal policy (particularly as it relates to withdrawals related to physical or emotional health reasons) should contact the Dean of Students Office for information on how to request a variance to current policy. The withdrawal request will need to include appropriate medical documentation for consideration. Withdrawal requests may be eligible for a reimbursement of tuition and fees paid by the student for the semester in which the student withdraws if it is verified that extenuating circumstances inhibited a student’s ability to complete the full semester.

What other options are available to me if I am unable to complete the coursework but wish not to withdraw from the course?

If you are close to finishing your coursework for the semester, you may contact your professor to inquire about receiving an incomplete (I) grade. See incomplete grade for reference.

If an incomplete grade option is not approved by a professor, withdrawing may be the best choice. Before deciding, review the sections above titled “Course/Term Withdrawal” and “Implications of Course/Term Withdrawal” and consult with your instructor and your academic advisor. You may also want to discuss your situation with the Case Manager in the Dean of Students Office.

How can I assist a family member who may need to withdraw from the semester but is currently unable to do so or who is unable to contact the university on their own behalf?

Salisbury University recognizes the important role that parents and family members play in supporting our students’ success. In extenuating circumstances, parents and families are encouraged to contact the Case Manager in the Dean of Students Office at deanofstudents@salisbury.edu or 410-677-0022. The Dean of Students and SU Cares staff can assist you and connect you with the appropriate campus resources.

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their educational records. An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution.

View the Registrar's FERPA webpage for more information.

Undergraduate Grading System

The following grades are used to indicate undergraduates’ achievement in individual courses:

• A - Excellent
• B - Very good
• C - Satisfactory
• D - Passing
• F - Failure
• I - Incomplete
• PS - Pass
• NP - No Pass
• S - Pass
• U - Unsatisfactorily
• AU - Audit
• W – Withdrawal (Official withdrawal from a course during the schedule adjustment period.)
• WP/WF - Withdrawal Passing/Withdrawal Failing (Official withdrawal from a course after the schedule adjustment period, denoting passing or failing status at the time of the withdrawal.)
• NR - Grade Not Reported by Instructor
• IP - In Progress
• X - Clemency Grade

Undergraduate Grade Point System

Only courses completed at Salisbury University or through certain approved cooperative programs, and assigned grades of A, B, C, D and F, are used in the grade point average (GPA) calculations.

Quality points are assigned to letter grades, such that A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1 and F=0. Quality points for individual courses are computed by multiplying the quality points assigned an individual letter grade by the credit hours received for the course.

The cumulative GPA is calculated by dividing the total quality points earned (QPTS) for all semesters by the total applicable credit hours (QHRS).

Graduate Grading System

A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on all graduate work taken at the University is required for graduation. Grades will indicate academic achievement as follows:

• Requests to be added to a course after the drop-add period require signatures from the instructor, chair, and Academic Advising Center and are then processed by the Registrar’s Office.
• Appeals for a Retroactive Withdraw are submitted through the Academic Advising Center and reviewed by the deans.
• General Policy Waivers are submitted through the Registrar’s webpage and are reviewed by the Academic Affairs Office.

Undergraduate

Unless otherwise indicated in the course description, undergraduates may not receive credit more than once for courses covering the same or similar content or topics.

Students repeating a course covering the same or similar content will receive credit for the last occurrence of the course only, provided the course is graded A, B, C, D, F or I. Repeated coursework is noted as such on the student record, remains in the student’s attempted hour calculations, and is removed from the earned hour, quality point and GPA calculations.

Henson School of Science and Technology and School of Health Sciences Course Repeat Policy

Students may repeat courses offered by the Henson School of Science and Technology and the School of Health Sciences one time at SU without special permission. This policy applies to all undergraduate courses with the following prefixes: AHPH, ATTR, BIOL, CHEM, COSC, DSCI, ENGR, EXSC, FTWL, GEOG, GEOL, HLSC, HLTH, MATH, MDTC, PHYS, RESP and URPL.

Perdue School of Business Course Repeat Policy

Pre-professional courses in the Perdue School of Business may only be repeated one time. If a student fails to satisfactorily complete the course or does not reach the minimum gate GPA for admission, the student may not continue in the business program. Courses repeated to fulfill a Perdue School major or minor requirement must be repeated at Salisbury University.

Graduate

While students may not receive credit more than once for courses that cover the same content, it may be possible for students to repeat courses in order to improve their grade point average. However, the last grade received for a course (whether the grade is higher or lower than the original grade) is used to compute a student’s cumulative grade point average.

All graduate programs have strict limitations on the number of courses that may be repeated. No program permits more than two course repetitions for the purpose of grade improvement. Some permit fewer than two. Students should consult their specific graduate program for policies concerning the repeating of courses.

In some instances, students may repeat special topics courses offered under like course codes if allowed by the department.

Salisbury University has established the Student Academic Grievance Policy to give students a forum in which to address concerns related to academic matters (e.g., grade disputes and professional program dismissals when they do not involve an academic integrity violation). For additional information visit: Student Grievance Policy | Salisbury University.

The Tuition Residency Office is responsible for determining the eligibility of current and prospective students to be billed at the in-state tuition rate. The office is located in the Admissions House at 1200 Camden Avenue and has normal operating hours of 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Policy on Student Classification for Admission, Tuition and Charge-Differential Purposes is used for tuition residency decisions. For additional information, visit: Tuition Residency Office | Salisbury University.