Policies

Complete all-University policies are found at University Senate Policy Library.

Advisor Approval to register - advisor approval is required for registration and annual planning for students with fewer than 60 credits.
CA April 13, 1998

Athletic Eligibility
Students entering UMM with no prior post-high school college experience are eligible to play athletics for their first two semesters of attendance. Transfer students are eligible to lay for their first semester at UMM if and only if they would have been eligible at their former institution. For all other students, eligibility is based on maintaining a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. CA, May 2007

Credits - All credit awarded by the University of Minnesota, regardless of the type of instruction, shall count toward the credit requirements for the degree.

D Limit - The limit on the number of D's that can be applied to the B.A. degree was removed.
CA, November 25, 2005

Deadlines - Students are expected to meet the published deadlines concerning their registration and schedule. This includes changing grade basis A/F or S/N.

Dean's List Criteria - In order to qualify for the Dean's List a student must: earn a GPA of 3.67 for the semester under consideration; be registered for a minimum of 12 credits for the semester; have taken at least two-thirds of these credits on the A-F grading system; have completed all credits for which they were registered during the semester.
CA approval April 6, 2000. Amended by University Senate in spring 2005: "the minimum gpa for the Dean's List was changed to 3.666 to better align with transcript information."  Effective date for UMM: Fall 2006. SC October 6, 2006

Exceptions - the Scholastic Committee has jurisdiction over exceptions in general education and college regulations. The faculty in the disciplines have jurisdiction over exceptions in the majors.
UMM Constitution

Exemptions
College Writing - Students who have completed the College Writing requirement at another college are exempt from CW. Students who score at least a 3 on either AP English test, score at least a 5 on the IB higher level English test, or who have an ACT score of 27 in the English subcategory are exempt from the requirement. Students may submit a portfolio to the English discipline for review and possible exemption.
2001, SC interpretation December 6, 2006

First Year Seminar - The goals of this requirement are designed to be met by students with no previous experience as a full-time, regular student. Consequently, transfer students who have earned 12 credits after high school graduation are exempt from the FYS requirement. Students who enter UMM in spring term or former PSEO students who earned 12 credits as a full-time, regular student at a 4-year institution are exempt from the requirement.

Foreign Language - Students who demonstrate proficiency equivalent to completion of Beginning Language II (1002) are exempt from the FL requirement. Students whose native language is not English are exempt from the FL requirement. CA

Examination Policies
Final Examinations - During final examination week, faculty members are not free to deviate from the official final examination schedule. Where special circumstances exist, approval for departure from the final examination schedule must be sought from the appropriate division chair. These regulations are not intended to prohibit faculty from accommodating the special needs of students by offering an exam that would normally be given during the final examination period at an alternative time. However, if a final examination is given at an alternative time, it must also be offered at the regularly scheduled time. According to the Senate Committee on Educational Policy:

• The final exam is the last exam of the term, whether or not it is cumulative. The intent of the rule is to avoid significant exams during the last week. While a unit exam during the last week of class plus a cumulative final during finals week is discouraged, it would be acceptable.
• Lab practicums may be given during the last week of classes.
• Exams in the last week of class may not be scheduled in lieu of an exam in finals week.
• Term papers, take home tests and other out-of-class work that is assigned before the last week of class can be expected to be due the last day of the regular class.
• Take-home final exams may not be handed out and due during the last week, which is in effect the same thing as having a final exam the last week. Out-of-class work is due on the day of the scheduled final exam, if no final exam is scheduled.
• The intent of the above rules is that work during the last week of class and during finals week is spread out as much as possible.
  
  Exams during the term - Examinations during the term (e.g., midterms) shall be given only during the regular class sessions, and may not be held at times other than the regularly scheduled class period, subject to the following conditions:
• Exceptions may be made by instructors only for the purpose of giving make-up exams.
• Any examinations outside of regular class time during the term must be approved by the dean of the college.
• Any examinations to be held outside of regular class time must be listed in the published class schedule.
• Accomodation must be provided to any student who encounters an academic conflict, such as between an examination scheduled outside of regular class time and the regular class period of another course, or it two exams are scheduled to be held simultaneously outside of regular class time.
• Take-home examinations, by their very nature, are specifically exempted from this policy.

Expiration of quarter and catalog requirements -- see Sunset Policy below

First Year Seminar - Failure to complete. Students who are not exempt but do not successfully complete IS 1001 must complete an additional course in the Human Diversity category of the Global Village area (increasing the number of courses required in Global Village to 3).
SC October 29, 2002; CA Information May 3, 2006

Grades
Grade Point Average (GPA) - The cumulative GPA required for graduation shall be 2.00 and shall include all, and only, University of Minnesota course work. All majors, minors, or areas of concentration require a minimum GPA of 2.00 (or higher as indicated by the discipline) in order to graduate. (Note: this excludes transfer courses from other institutions and includes "transfer" courses from other campuses of the University of Minnesota.) Any course that carries University credit in one college will carry University credit in all other University colleges, at least as an elective.
USenate 1997; SC clarification Fall 2004; CA November 28, 2006

Changing Grade Base -Requests to change grade base after the first two weeks are not approved. Studentswho registered S/N for a course required by the major must ask the discipline to waive the restriction on S/N grading in the major for the course in question. Since decisions concerning the major belong to the faculty, it is appropriate that decisions regarding A/F-S/N grading in the major be made by the faculty in the disciplines. If approved, the discipline will notify the Registrar of the exception, and the student's record will be marked accordingly. The credits will count towards the major, but the S/N grade will not be calculated as part of the student's major GPA.
SC interpretation Fall 2005

Degree GPA - Once the degree is posted, the work that is submitted for the degree is frozen on the transcript and cannot be tampered with.

• You have earned your degree through the Morris campus of the University of Minnesota . 
• When the degree clears, a degree GPA is posted on your transcript. 
• That GPA is frozen at the time the degree is awarded.
• Credits earned after the degree, appear as new work on the University of Minnesota transcript.
• Even if courses are taken over again after the degree has been earned, the work for the degree is not tampered with.  The work that applied toward the degree is left intact on the transcript as a record of work that was submitted as part of the original degree.

Grading Policy - Students may petition the Scholastic Committee about this policy up to one calendar year after the grade was assigned.
USenate Fall 1997

Participation in Commencement Ceremony - Students who are within 15 credits of the 120 required for graduation, and who can verify registration in courses that will complete all outstanding credits and requirements, may participate in the ceremony as a graduating senior.
SC Fall 1991; interpretation Fall 2005

Prequisites - Some courses require prerequisite coursework or advanced class status for entrance while others do not. Students should plan their programs carefully to complete courses in the proper sequence. Students who have not successfully completed the prerequisite course(s) may be administratively dropped from a course .

Repeating Courses - Students maya repeat a course once. However, students who receive a grade of S, C or higher may repeat a course only if space permits. Transfer courses from other U of MN campuses that are the same or essentially equivalent courses may be considered repeat courses for purposes of grade replacement. Introductory courses from within the University system will be reviewed by the Registrar with faculty consultation. Advanced courses must be approved by the faculty in the discipline of the course.
CA, November 23, 2004

Residency -
Students must earn at least 30 semester credits from the University. Of the last 30 credits earned before graduation, at least 15 must be awarded by UMM. Credits earned through University of Minnesota, Morris Continuing Education classes are considered residence credits. SC, Campus Assembly May 2007

Sunset Policy - quarter and catalog requirement expiration
Any student who had all General Education requirements completed, under any previous catalog, may complete the B.A. degree using those requirements. Major requirements are under the jurisdiction of the faculty. All other degree requirements-- total credits, residency, GPA calculation, etc.-- will follow semester standards and current policies.

Exception: Students in elementary education and secondary education must complete licensure requirements and apply for licensure within seven years from the time of admission to the licensure program. After seven years, all education courses previously taken become void and must be retaken for licensure (MN State Board of Teaching Requirement).

Exception: Degree applications on file with balance sheet, old APAS reports, and correspondence that defines requirements to be completed will be honored and reasonable effort will be made to allow students to graduate based on this agreement.

III. Clarification: Faculty can allow major requirements under an expired catalog to be completed.

IV. Previous petitions and business practice: There are approved Scholastic Committee petitions on file allowing students to complete degree requirements using expired General Education. This is used as guideline for granting similar requests.
Campus Assembly approval May 2006

Time Conflict -
Overlapping Classes
No student shall be permitted to register for classes that overlap. Classes that have any common meeting time are considered to be overlapping, as are any back-to-back classes that have start and end times closer together than the standard change period for that campus.
Only under extenuating circumstances shall petitions for overrides for such conflicts be permitted, and shall require the signatures of all faculty members involved. The decision to approve or disapprove such a petition for override is entirely discretionary with each faculty member involved.
Senate POLICY ON CLASSES, SCHEDULES, AND FINAL EXAMINATIONS For Semesters

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