Grading System

Calculation of Grade Point Average

Grades A, B, C, D, and F and the associated semester credit hours will be used to calculate grade point averages. The designations I, W, CR, and NC and the associated semester credit hours will not be used. Only grades and associated semester credit hours for courses taken in residence at UT Tyler will be used in the calculation of grade point averages.

If a student repeats a course and requests grade forgiveness, only the last grade earned and the last semester credit hours attempted are used to compute the grade point average. If grade forgiveness is not requested, then both grades will be calculated and used to compute the grade point average (See Repeating Courses and Grade Forgiveness Policy). If the student receives a W or I in the repeated course, then the previous grade continues to be used to compute the grade point average.

Credit/No Credit Option

Certain courses in the curriculum may be taken only on a credit/no-credit basis. Pre-professional students should note that many professional schools, e.g. law, count CR as a "C" and NC as an "F" in computing grade point averages. The following provisions apply to courses taken on a credit/no-credit basis:

1. Special form requiring the signature of the student’s advisor.
2. The designation CR will not be changed to a grade of A, B, C, or D.
3. The designation of CR and NC will not be used in calculating the grade point average.
4. The designation CR will be counted toward the total number of hours passed.

Incomplete Policy ("I" Grade)

If a student, because of extenuating circumstances, is unable to complete all of the requirements for a course by the end of the semester, then the instructor may recommend an Incomplete (I) for the course. The "I" may be assigned in lieu of a grade only when all of the following conditions are met: (a) the student has been making satisfactory progress in the course; (b) the student is unable to complete all course work or final exam due to unusual circumstances that are beyond personal control and are acceptable to the instructor; and (c) the student presents these reasons prior to the time that the final grade roster is due. The semester credit hours for an Incomplete will not be used to calculate the grade point average for a student.

The student and the instructor must submit an Incomplete Form detailing the work required and the time by which the work must be completed to their respective department chair or college dean for approval. The time limit established must not exceed one year. Should the student fail to complete all of the work for the course within the time limit, then the instructor may assign zeros to the unfinished work, compute the course average for the student, and assign the appropriate grade. If a grade has not been assigned within one year, then the Incomplete will be changed to an F.

Pass/Fail Policy

To register for a class on a Pass/Fall basis, a student must have the signatures of his/her advisor and the instructor for the course.

1. Students may take only one course per semester for P/F credit.
2. Students may take only three courses on a pass/fail basis during their graduate career at UT Tyler.
3. If you are on academic probation, you may not enroll in a course on a P/F basis.
4. A course cannot be changed from a P/F basis to letter grade or vice versa after the first five class days.
5. A final grade of P will not be changed to a grade of A, B, C, or D.
6. A final grade of P will be counted in the total number of hours passed.

Repeating Courses

A graduate student may repeat any graduate course previously taken at UT Tyler if the last grade received in the course was a C, D, F or NC. Repeated courses may not be taken on a CR/NC or P/F basis unless the course is only offered on a CR/NC or P/F basis. Students repeating a single course more than two times may be billed at a higher tuition rate. All grades will appear on the student’s official transcript. Once the graduate degree has been awarded by UT Tyler, a student may repeat a course taken prior to graduation, but the repeated course will not be used to recalculate the grade point average.

Grade Forgiveness

A master's student may receive grade forgiveness (grade replacement) for only two course repeats during his/her graduate career at UT Tyler. Grade forgiveness means that only the last grade and associated semester credit hours earned are used to compute the grade point average. However, all grades and associated semester credit hours will appear on the student’s official transcript.

Grade replacement/forgiveness may be requested for courses in which a grade of a C, D or F was earned. To request grade forgiveness/replacement a student must file a Grade Replacement Contract with the Enrollment Services Center by the Census Date (see the Academic Calendar for date). Failure to file a Grade Replacement Contract will result in both the original and repeated grade and associated semester credit hours being used to calculate overall grade point average.

If a student repeats a course for grade forgiveness within two academic years of the original attempt, their academic standing for the term in which the original grade was awarded and each subsequent term will be reassessed to account for the exclusion of the original grade from the grade point average. This reassessment will not be conducted for repeats more than two years after the original grade was awarded.

If a student files a Grade Replacement Contract for a course but withdraws and receives an automatic “W,” the attempt counts against the grade forgiveness limit and the original grade remains. Students may, on or prior to the Census Date, request in writing to withdraw a Grade Replacement Contract by contacting the Enrollment Services Center.

A student may not exercise grade forgiveness for courses taken at UT Tyler and repeated at another college or university, nor may grade forgiveness be used when a course taken elsewhere is repeated at UT Tyler. The grade forgiveness option may not be exercised to remove a grade awarded in a case of academic dishonesty.

Once the degree has been awarded by UT Tyler, grade forgiveness may not be used to replace a grade taken before graduation.

Implementation

The grade forgiveness limit is not retroactive regarding grades already forgiven. The policy affects all students enrolled in Fall 2006 and thereafter, no matter when the course being repeated was originally taken. Academic standing reassessment for courses repeated within two academic years is effective beginning with the Fall 2015 term, with academic standing reassessments effective only for terms Fall 2013 and more recent.

Grade Appeals

Disputes regarding grades, must be initiated within sixty (60) days from the date of receiving the final course grade by filing a Grade Appeal Form with the instructor who assigned the grade. If the student is not satisfied with the decision, the student may appeal in writing to the appropriate Chairperson of the department from which the grade was issued. Grievances may then be appealed to the Academic Dean and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Grade Appeal Forms are available in each academic dean’s office.

Withdrawals/Drops

All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor and instructor prior to dropping a course. In addition, students should review the Academic Calendar located in the Schedule of Classes for “W” withdrawal/drop dates and the refund schedule. For more information regarding refunds, please see the Schedule of Refunds in this catalog. Students should be aware that dropping a course will affect their financial aid, and they should consult the Enrollment Services Center prior to withdrawal. Students are encouraged to maintain a copy of their Withdrawal Form.

Students must withdraw in writing by one of the following methods:

1. Fill out the Withdrawal Form available in the Enrollment Services Center, or
2. Send a written request for withdrawal to the Enrollment Services Center. Letters must contain the student's name, student ID number, the course(s) from which the student is withdrawing, the reason for withdrawing, and the student's signature. Letters may be mailed or faxed to the Enrollment Services Center. For mailed withdrawals, the effective date of withdrawal will be the date when the withdrawal is officially completed and recorded by the Enrollment Services Center. A copy of the withdrawal will be mailed to the student once the procedure has been completed. Emailed requests must be sent from the student’s Patriot email address. These requests must contain the student's name, student ID number, the course(s) from which the student is withdrawing, and the reason for withdrawing.

Dropping Courses Late

No course may be dropped after the published “Last Day to Withdraw” unless the Student Appeals Committee approves a late drop (see the Academic Grievances policy). The appeal must provide justification of extenuating circumstances that go beyond academic progress in the course.

Withdrawal for Active Military Service

If a student withdraws from an institution of higher education because the student is called to active military service, the institution, at the student’s option, shall:

1. refund the tuition and fees paid by the student for the semester in which the student withdraws;
2. grant a student, who is eligible under the institution’s guidelines, an incomplete grade in all courses by designating “withdrawn-military” on the student’s transcript; or
3. assign an appropriate final grade or credit, as determined by the instructor, to a student who has satisfactorily completed a substantial amount of coursework and who has demonstrated sufficient mastery of the course material. (See Excused Absences for Active Military Service)

A graduate or professional student who withdraws from or defers admission to perform active military service in a combative operation will be readmitted to their program; previously earned coursework will be applied toward the program; and any standardized test score previously submitted will be accepted. Texas Education Code, Section 51.844.

Readmission

A formal request for readmission is required whenever a student fails to register for three consecutive semesters or has an approved leave of absence for twelve or more months. To resume studies, students must submit a new graduate school application at http://www.uttyler.edu/graduate.

Readmission is not automatic and will be reviewed carefully by the Office of Graduate Admissions and the academic program prior to making a recommendation.

If a student is readmitted, the applicable catalog is the one in effect at the time of readmission.

Excused Absences

Excused Absence for Religious Holy Days

An institution of higher education shall excuse a student from attending classes or other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day, including travel for that purpose. A student whose absence is excused under this subsection may not be penalized for that absence and shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment from which the student is excused within a reasonable time after the absence.

Any student seeking to be excused for religious observance, must provide written notification to the instructors at least two weeks* prior to the date of the planned absence. At that time the instructor will set a date and time with the student when any make-up assignment or equivalent work will be completed. Make-up work will be mutually arranged; however, availability of the instructor will be given priority in setting the arrangements.

It is expected that students will not abuse the privilege of being absent from class for religious observance.

*Events scheduled within the first month of an academic term may require a shortened lead time.

Excused Absence for Active Military Service

Any student who has been called up for military service after a semester begins should immediately provide the Registrar’s Office and course instructors a copy of the military orders. Such students are excused from attending classes, turning in assignments, taking examinations or participating in any other required activity if the absence is for no more than 25% of the total number of class meetings (excluding final examination period). If the absence is for more than 25% of the class meetings, please refer to the policy on Withdrawal for Military Service.

Within 5 days of the student returning to UT Tyler from active service, he or she shall notify the Registrar’s Office and course instructors. The student will be allowed to complete all assignments and examinations within a reasonable time as agreed upon by the course instructors and under the same requirements in effect when the student enrolled in the course.

Should any dispute arise as to the student’s inability to complete assignments or examinations within a reasonable time after the absence, the student should first seek informal resolution with the faculty member, the department chair and then the dean of the college in which the course or courses are located. If an informal process is not successful, the student may institute a grade grievance process after the final course grade is recorded.

Discrimination Complaints

Please see the Complaints and Grievances Process in the Student Affairs section of this catalog.

Student Records

Please see the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) policy in the Undergraduate Policies Section of this catalog.

Probation/Suspension for Master's Students

The policy below is the minimum policy for graduate students at the University of Texas at Tyler. Individual programs may have stricter criteria for probation and/or suspension from a program.

Graduate Academic Probation

A graduate student who has a cumulative grade-point of less than 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. For the purposes of determining compliance with the policies of academic probation, the three summer sessions are treated as one semester.

Students on academic probation must earn a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 or above in subsequent semesters until the cumulative grade point deficiency is removed. Failure to do so results in academic suspension. A student on academic probation should not register for more than nine hours (or fewer, at the discretion of the academic department) and must obtain his/her advisor’s approval on a Graduate Student Probation Petition for Readmission form to register. The form is available on the Registrar's Office website: http://www.uttyler.edu/registrar/forms/index.php.

Grade points earned at other institutions are not used in computing the grade-point average and may not be used to remove a deficiency. A student who leaves the University on academic probation will be readmitted on academic probation even if he or she has attended another institution in the interim.

Graduate Academic Suspension

A graduate student will be suspended from the University for one semester or full summer for failure to meet the terms of academic probation. A student suspended from the University for the first time must receive approval for readmission from the program advisor and the appropriate dean.

A student admitted to the University after having been suspended must complete a Graduate Student Suspension Petition for Readmission form, with signatures from both their academic advisor and the appropriate college dean, to register.

A second academic suspension will be for at least twelve months. Students wishing to reenroll at the University after the mandatory period of enrollment ineligibility must reapply via the website http://www.uttyler.edu/graduate. Submission of a completed Graduate Student Suspension Petition for Readmission to the Enrollment Services Center is also required as part of the readmission process and as a requirement for enrollment. This form requires the signature of the student’s academic advisor and the appropriate college dean.

A third suspension will result in permanent dismissal from the graduate program and the University.

Graduate Restart

The Graduate Restart procedure is designed to allow returning students who performed poorly in their initial attempt at graduate studies to have a fresh start toward meeting graduation requirements for a degree or credit-granting certificate.

A graduate student who has not been enrolled at UT Tyler for at least 12 months prior to readmission may petition the Dean of the Graduate School to remove from his/her graduate cumulative grade point average all grades earned during the student's prior enrollment at the University. Thus, the student who re-enrolls under Graduate Restart automatically forfeits the right to use any of the previous graduate course work, including transfer work, toward the current degree requirements. Only courses attempted following readmission will be applied to the degree requirements.

Restart petitions may be filed for readmission to a program in which a student was not previously successful or for admission to a different graduate program. Restart petitions must be approved by the graduate program advisor, the dean of the college and the Dean of The Graduate School.

If readmission is granted under Graduate Restart, the following will apply:

1. Enroll within one year (12 months) of the granting of the petition.
2. Earn no grade lower than a "C" in any course attempted.
3. Maintain a graduate grade point average of 3.0 or better each semester regardless of the number of hours attempted.
4. Failure to meet grade requirements will result in dismissal from the University. In other words, the policies on probation and suspension do not apply to Graduate Restart students.

All hours attempted and all grades earned before and after Graduate Restart will remain on the student's official, permanent academic record (transcript). Graduate Restart affects only the cumulative graduate grade point average. It will not remove evidence/documentation of the student's overall academic history at the university.

A student may exercise the Graduate Restart option only once, regardless of the number of times the student enters/attends a graduate degree program at UT Tyler.

To be considered for Graduate Restart, students must submit a petition for reinstatement to the advisor of the graduate program and provide a compelling justification for reinstatement. Students should explain how circumstances that impeded one's success in graduate school have improved. Petition forms are available at http://uttyler.edu/graduate/forms/restart.pdf.

Students must submit all materials required for full admission to the program (GRE scores, recommendation letters, statement of purpose, etc.) Students must be fully admitted to a program to participate in Graduate Restart; no provisional or conditional admission is allowed.

A student should carefully review this information to make sure that the terms of the program are understood. If the student agrees to the provisions of Graduate Restart, s/he should sign the petition form and submit it to the advisor for the graduate program. All required documents to support the application for admission must be submitted as well. For the Graduate Restart applicant, the catalog in effect at the time of the Graduate Restart application is effective. The Graduate Restart option is tied to the admission process and may only be requested at the time of readmission.

Thesis

Several graduate degree programs at UT Tyler require a thesis. A student seeking a degree should consult the appropriate section of this catalog to determine if a particular degree requires a thesis.

Guidelines and Procedures

Students considering enrollment in a thesis course should obtain a copy of the Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Guidelines (and Sample Pages) at The University of Texas at Tyler. These guidelines describe procedures for typing, formatting, and submitting the thesis. Thesis guidelines also may be found on the University website at the following address: http://www.uttyler.edu/graduate/students/thesis_dissertation.php.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Federal regulations and University policy require that all investigations using animal or human beings as subjects of research be reviewed and approved by the appropriately constituted committees before such investigations may begin.

Data cannot be collected for any dissertation based on the use of animals or human beings as subjects without prior review and approval in accordance with university procedures. More information can be found online at: http://www.uttyler.edu/research/compliance/.

Even if a student believes that his/her research may be "exempt", the proposed research must still be reviewed prior to initiating collection of data.

Enrollment

Students required to write a thesis for their degree must register for a thesis course each semester, after research has commenced, until the thesis has been accepted.

Thesis Committees

Committee Composition

A student who has been advanced to the thesis or dissertation stage is responsible for forming a thesis committee. Members of the committee must review and approve the student’s research proposal. The student must keep the committee informed of the scope, plan, and progress of the thesis research and manuscript. Note the following policies regarding committee composition:

Committee Size & Potential Members

Thesis committees must be comprised of at least three members. The majority of the committee should be faculty from the student’s graduate program. Appropriately qualified faculty may serve on a committee at the request of the student and the graduate program. Categories of graduate faculty membership are described online at http://www.uttyler.edu/graduate/gradfaculty/credential.php.

Thesis chairs must complete and submit the Appointment of Thesis Committee form to gradforms@uttyler.edu for Graduate School approval before the student is eligible to enroll in thesis hours. The form is available online at http://www.uttyler.edu/graduate/students/thesis_dissertation.php.

Committee Chair

The chair is responsible for directing and guiding the student’s research and writing activities. He or she should possess expertise in the student’s chosen research topic. It is the responsibility of the student to select an appropriate topic and to ensure that a faculty member with expertise in the topic is available and willing to serve as chair. The Committee Chair must be appropriately qualified for his/her role on the committee. It is possible to have co-chairs on a committee.

Oral Defense of Thesis

An oral defense of a thesis is scheduled in consultation with the committee chairperson/advisor. The oral defense should be held only after all members of the committee have had adequate opportunity to review a draft of the master’s thesis. The advisor is responsible for determining that the draft is in an appropriate form for committee evaluation. If substantial revisions are necessary, they should be completed before the final oral defense is scheduled. The committee may, at the time of the final oral but no later, require alterations and corrections, but these should constitute relatively minor changes agreed to by a majority of the committee members. The advisor is responsible for verifying that the changes required by the committee have been made.

All committee members are expected to be present at the defense. The final oral may be open to the public. A thesis is accepted only after the approval of a majority of the examining committee members. If there are co-chairs of the committee, both must indicate approval of the thesis defense.

After the oral defense is passed and the thesis is deemed ready for publication, all members of the committee sign the Thesis Signature page. When the student submits the final copy to the academic department for signatures, they must also email gradmanuscripts@uttyler.edu and copy their advisor, thus notifying The Graduate School that the manuscript has been delivered to the academic department for signatures. The student sends the completed manuscript including the signed signature page to gradmanuscripts@uttyler.edu for final formatting approval. Detailed instructions are available here: http://www.uttyler.edu/graduate/students/thesis_dissertation.php.

Failure of Examinations

A master’s candidate who fails the oral defense may not take the examination a second time until at least three months after the first attempt. A student who fails an examination for the second time becomes ineligible for further graduate work. Upon request from the student’s advisor and chairperson of the department, the Dean of The Graduate School may grant a student a third and final opportunity to take the oral defense.

Thesis Submission Deadlines

The final PDF copy of the thesis, prepared under standards as defined in the Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Guidelines must be submitted via email to gradmanuscripts@uttyler.edu for a technical review no later than two weeks before the last day of final exams of the semester of intended graduation. The PDF version must include a scanned copy of the signature page with all signatures present. After making any required changes, a PDF of the entire thesis/dissertation (including scanned copies of any signature pages) should be submitted via email to gradmanuscripts@uttyler.edu. After final formatting approval, students will receive a signed Thesis/Dissertation Approval Form and Electronic Thesis/Dissertation Submission Form, as well as information on author rights and instructions for submitting the thesis/dissertation in electronic format to the Robert R. Muntz Library.

No late manuscripts are accepted. Failure to meet the deadline will delay graduation by one semester.

Theses are regarded as publications and will be made available to the public once they are approved and submitted to The Graduate School.

Grading Policy

A student registered for thesis who does not submit the approved thesis to the dean or graduate coordinator of the appropriate college before the thesis deadline for that semester will receive an incomplete “IP” grade. Once the thesis has been accepted, previous “IP” grades for thesis work will be changed to credit “CR”. A maximum of six semester hours of thesis credit may be applied to the masters degree.

Approval

The completed thesis must be approved by the thesis advisor, the college dean, and the thesis reviewer before the student will receive final certification for the degree.