General Academic Policies and Regulations

TRANSFER CREDIT POLICIES
General Regulations
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi will consider for credit collegiate level work from regionally accredited institutions. However, work completed while an institution is a candidate for accreditation may also be considered. Course work transferred or accepted for credit toward an undergraduate or graduate degree must represent collegiate course work relevant to that degree, with course content and level of instruction resulting in student competencies at least equivalent to those of students enrolled in the relevant degree programs at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. College-level work posted on a sending institution’s transcript as the result of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and other credit-by-examination programs will be treated as transfer work. Remedial, high school, or duplicate work will not be transferred to the University. Acceptability of credit for transfer does not imply that it is applicable to the requirements of a particular degree program.

The student must provide official copies of transcripts from each institution attended. The records facility of the granting institution must mail such transcripts directly to the University. Hand carried documents will not be accepted for evaluation. Upon receipt, the documents become the property of the University and will not be yielded back to the student either as originals or as copies.

All transferred work (with accompanying grades or marks) will be translated into Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi terms. If an equivalency for an undergraduate course has not already been established, the Office of Admissions and Records will consult with the department that represents the course content to determine the course equivalency. If the content and level renders an equivalency impossible, the work will be given a generic title and number. Should the Director of Admissions and Records determine that a student has taken courses of similar level and content at more than one institution (duplicated work), the grade of the second course attempted will be the grade of record, and all others will be recorded without credit. Transfer work will become a part of the student’s record only after matriculation and then only when the student has established a courseofrecord.

The Office of Admissions and Records is responsible for the evaluation of undergraduate transfer credit. The Director of Admissions and Records will hear appeals of those decisions.

No more than 45 semester hours of undergraduate work may be transferred from among the following: military service, credit by examination, and vocationaltechnical courses (applicable only for OCTD programs). This limit applies to work completed prior to or after matriculation.

The holding of an associates degree from another institution does not affect the transfer of credit or the transfer policies and practices of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

Texas Common Course Numbering System
The University participates voluntarily in the Texas Common Course Numbering System, a program developed to facilitate transfer of academic course work between Texas public junior and senior institutions. This system is used as the basis for numbering most lower-division courses on campus. A lower-division course with a common course number equivalent will generally use the common number. The catalog section on Lower-Division Transfer Courses lists A&M-Corpus Christi courses that appear to be equivalent to courses in the common course numbering system.

Resolution of Transfer Disputes for Lower-Division Courses
Public institutions of higher education in Texas use the following procedures in the resolution of credit transfer disputes involving lower-division courses, as required by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

The Commissioner of Higher Education or the Commissioner’s designee shall make the final determination about a dispute concerning the transfer of course credit and give written notice of the determination to the involved student and institutions.

The Board shall collect data on the types of transfer disputes that are reported and the disposition of each case that is considered by the Commissioner or the Commissioner’s designee.

If a receiving institution has cause to believe that a course being presented by a student for transfer from another school is not of an acceptable level of quality, it should first contact the sending institution and attempt to resolve the problem. In the event that the two institutions are unable to come to a satisfactory resolution, the receiving institution may notify the Commissioner of Higher Education, who may investigate the course. If its quality is found to be unacceptable, the Board may discontinue funding for the course.

Military
Persons who have been granted honorable or general discharge from military service of the United States may request a review of service records for potential credit award. Such a review will only be provided after matriculation at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. The student must provide certified copies of DD295 or other applicable documents. American Council on Education guidelines will be used in the evaluation process and the ACE display must exactly match the student’s documentation for an award to occur. Test results that support the award must accompany all displays. CCAF, DANTES, USAFI, et al., must be displayed as transcripted data to the same standards as for a civilian school. Credit will be awarded only in areas offered within the current curriculum of the institution, and only when the course work is appropriately related to the student’s educational programs.

Foreign Institutions
Students who wish to transfer work from foreign institutions must present transcript copies rendered into standard English and certified as true copies by a translator approved by the Director of Admissions and Records. Originals must also be provided. In cases where it is impossible, practically, to obtain official transcripts, alternatives to translated transcripts may be considered.

The University requires students transferring work from foreign institutions to provide an evaluation from a professional source. A list of acceptable companies is available from the Office of Admissions and Records. The student will bear the cost of such service.

Credit by Examination

Equivalencies
For purposes of transfer, work taken on a trimester system will be converted to semester hours on a 1 to 1 basis. In the event that the work was taken on a class hour basis, 15 class hours will be equated to 1 semester hour. For conversion from quarter hours to semester hours, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi establishes the following equivalencies:

quarter hours	semester hours
1	0.7
2	1.3
3	2.0
4	2.7
5	3.3
6	4.0

This University will use the summation of the individual course equivalencies from a particular institution to compute grade point average and/or credits earned. For credit systems other than those listed above, the Director of Admissions and Records will determine an ad hoc mathematical relationship and apply it to the record in question.

NON-CREDIT ADMISSION (Auditing)
A student may attend classes for a course without receiving credit if he/she completes an application for admission, submits a course audit form at the time of registration, and has the permission of both the instructor of the course and the dean of the college in which the course is offered. The fee is the same as that required for registration for credit, but no credit will be awarded, no records will be kept and the student may be restricted from lab work and tests. A student will not be given permission to audit a course until the first day of classes. Students may not change from credit to audit status after the 12th class day during a long semester or after the 4th class day during the summer. No refunds are given on audits. Senior citizens (over 65) may audit on a space available basis only with all fees exempted except material or field trip fees. Under no circumstance may audit be converted to credit.

REGISTRATION
New students need to apply for admission through the Office of Admissions and Records prior to the term of enrollment. Former students may need to reapply for admission or reactivate their records in the Office of Admissions and Records prior to the term of enrollment. As a general rule, students who have previously attended classes at the University, but who have not been enrolled here for two consecutive long semesters, will have to reapply for admission. Specific information regarding dates, registration materials and course offerings may be found in the class schedule for each term (published during the preceding term).

ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT
Faculty members and advising specialists are available to assist students with course selection, degree plans, and other academic matters. Every freshman student is assigned a faculty adviser through the Academic Advising Center (AAC). Sophomores who have not declared their majors also receive advising through the AAC, as do students who are required to pass the TASP examination and have not yet done so. Other students, including sophomores who have declared their majors, receive advising through their colleges.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY
Each student is held responsible for knowing degree requirements, for enrolling in courses that fit into degree programs and for taking courses in the proper sequence to ensure orderly progression of work. The student must seek advice about degree requirements, and other university policies when necessary. The student is held responsible for knowing and abiding by University regulations regarding the standard of work required to continue in the University, as well as those dealing with academic integrity, scholastic probation, suspension, and dismissal. Additionally, the student is expected to comply with the rules in the Student Handbook and Student Code of Conduct, as well as the processes in the latter, which are administered by the Office of Student Affairs. See Student Handbook and Student Code of Conduct.

UNIT OF CREDIT
A semester hour is the unit of credit that is defined as the amount of credit given for one class hour a week for one semester. Each class hour generally requires two hours of preparation on the part of the student, though this may vary from one to three. Three hours of laboratory work are equivalent to one class hour. Most courses are for three semester hours of credit. Some have variable credit from one to three hours, others four to six hours.

CLASSIFICATION OF DEGREE-SEEKING STUDENTS
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi enrolls degree-seeking students in both undergraduate and graduate programs. An undergraduate student is one who has not yet received a degree. A graduate is a student who holds a baccalaureate degree.

A degree-seeking undergraduate is classified as a freshman (or first-year student), sophomore, junior, or senior according to the number of semester hours of course work earned, as follows:

Freshmen and sophomores are referred to as lower-division students; juniors and seniors, as upper-division students.

ENROLLMENT STATUS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
For purposes of financial assistance, enrollment status is defined below. (For rules applying to veterans benefits, however, please see “Veterans Assistance.”)

CLASS ATTENDANCE
Students are held responsible for class attendance and are advised that excessive absences may adversely affect their grades. Every instructor should make clear the policy on class attendance at the beginning of each course.
If students are absent from class on approved university business (e.g., intercollegiate athletics competition/travel, field trips, student research conferences, Board of Regents meetings), faculty members should count this as an excused absence and should not penalize the student for it. Students should be allowed to make up any required course work in advance or after their return to campus. Students are responsible for informing their instructors about the trip in advance so that the faculty members can make plans accordingly. If you have any doubt as to whether the activity in question is considered official university business, you should contact the Provost's Office.

STUDENT ABSENCES ON RELIGIOUS HOLY DAYS
In accordance with Texas Education Code 51.911, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi will allow a student who is absent from classes for the observance of a religious holy day to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the 15th day after the first day of the semester or term, the student notifies his/her instructors of the planned absence. Notifications of planned absences must be in writing and must be delivered by the student either (a) personally to the instructor of each class, with receipt of the notification acknowledged and dated by the instructor or (b) by certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the instructor of each class. The instructor may appropriately respond if the student fails to satisfactorily complete the assignment or examination within a reasonable time after the absence. Such provisions will be communicated to the student when the student notifies the instructor of the planned absence.

“Religious holy day” means a holy day observed by a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property taxation under Section 11.20, Tax Code.

GRADES AND GRADING

1. Written reprimand;
2. Requirement to re-do work in question;
3. Requirement to submit additional work;
4. Lowering of grade on work in question;
5. Assigning grade of “F” to work in question;
6. Assigning grade of “F” for course;
7. Recommendation for more severe punishment.

If the faculty member determines that assigning a grade of “F” to the course is the appropriate penalty and this disciplinary action occurs prior to the deadline for dropping courses, the student forfeits his/her right to drop the course in question.

The faculty member may file a record of cases of academic dishonesty, including a description of the disciplinary action taken, along with any materials involved, with his or her college dean and the Office of Student Affairs. The office of the academic dean of the college in which the offense took place will maintain records of all cases of academic dishonesty reported for a period of not more than two years.

Any student who has been penalized for academic dishonesty has the right to appeal the judgment or the penalty assessed. The Appeals Procedure will be the same as that specified for grade appeals. The grade appeals procedure may be found in the University Rules manual.

ACADEMIC RECORDS
Permanent academic records are maintained in the Office of Admissions and Records. Admission and matriculation information, including transcripts received from other schools, are also filed in this office.

When a transcript or other document has been submitted to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, it becomes the property of the University and will not be yielded back to the student either as an original or as a copy.

Academic files and degree plans are maintained in the offices of the college deans. The college deans are responsible for certifying that students receiving degrees have satisfied all college degree requirements. The Director of Admissions and Records, the college deans, and the Director of the University Core Curriculum Program have specific responsibilities in certifying that University minimum requirements have been satisfactorily completed.

CHALLENGE TO AN ACADEMIC RECORD
A student who wishes to challenge the accuracy of the academic record established at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and held in his/her behalf, must notify the Director of Admissions and Records in writing and explain in detail the nature of the error. The Director of Admissions and Records will study the challenge and the contents of the student’s file, and consult with the appropriate academic personnel. The Director of Admissions and Records will reply to the student within 20 working days.

The student has one calendar year from the date that the datum becomes a fact of record to initiate a challenge. If a challenge is successful and affects the student’s GPA, honors status or similar rubric, the historical record will be altered accordingly.

Application of this policy is not intended to abridge, supplant or supersede other deadlines. The University reserves the right to correct or amend an academic record at any time that an error may be detected. In each case, the student will be given written notice of the change.

CHANGE OF NAME OR ADDRESS
Changes of name must be filed in the Office of Admissions and Records. Address and/or telephone number changes may be processed through the Office of Admissions and Records or through the web using the Student Academic Information Link (SAIL).

STUDENT RECORDS POLICY
The University accumulates data and keeps records to enable staff and faculty to plan educational opportunities to meet the needs of individual students, to better understand students, to counsel them more effectively, and to assist them in placement in graduate education or employment after graduation.

The University maintains student records in several locations, including the Office of Admissions and Records, Office of Student Financial Assistance, Business Office, offices of academic deans and faculty, Office of Student Affairs, Office of the Director of the University Core Curriculum Program, Office of Graduate Studies and Research, Office of Public Affairs, Career Planning and Placement Center, Health Services, University Counseling Center, and Alumni Office. Provisions are made in these offices for students, and the parents of dependent students, to review and challenge the accuracy of records when appropriate and upon request.

The University complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and with the Texas Public Information Act. FERPA is a federal law intended to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the rights of students to inspect and review their education records and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading information through informal or formal hearings.

Students have the right to inspect and review their education records, except for the following:

1. Financial records of the student’s parents.
2. Confidential records and statements of recommendation, which were placed in the education records prior to January 1975.
3. Confidential records and statements of recommendation, which were placed in the student’s education records on or after January 1, 1975, if the student has waived the right to review the letters or statements.

Education records, as defined by FERPA, do not include the following: a personal record of a University faculty or staff member that is in the sole possession of the individual who made it and that has never been revealed to any other person except the maker’s temporary substitute; student health records; certain employment records; and records maintained by a University law enforcement unit that were created by that unit for the purpose of law enforcement. (However, the University may release to an alleged victim of a crime of violence the results of a University disciplinary proceeding concerning the alleged perpetrator of the crime.)

The University maintains two types of student education records: directory information and other student records. Directory information is considered public information and will be released by the University upon request, in accordance with existing law. This public information includes: name; home address; local address; local telephone number; e-mail address; date of birth; field of study; enrollment status (full-time, part-time, undergraduate, graduate, etc.); classification (fr., so., jr., sr.); dates of attendance; degrees, certificates, and other awards received (if any); the type of degree received; date of graduation; name of most recent previous institution attended; and similar information. A student who does not wish this public information to be released must complete the appropriate form and submit it to the Office of Admissions and Records.

With the exception of directory information, the University will not permit the release of personally identifiable information in education records without the prior written consent of the student, except as follows:

1. To appropriate University personnel who need access to educational records to perform their legitimate educational duties.
2. To officials of other schools in which the student seeks to enroll, provided the student is notified of what is being released and is given a copy if desired.
3. To federal, state, or local officials authorized by law.
4. In connection with a student’s application for, or receipt of, financial aid.
5. To organizations conducting educational studies, provided that these organizations do not release personally identifiable data.
6. To accrediting organizations.
7. To the parents who certify that a student is carried as a dependent for federal income tax purposes.
8. To appropriate persons, in an emergency, if the knowledge of such information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons.
9. To individuals requiring such information by means of a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena, provided a reasonable effort is made to notify the student in advance of compliance.
   The University does not maintain records of membership in organizations or of political, racial, or religious affiliations.

The acquisition and dissemination of information for records is based on a respect and concern for the privacy and protection of the individual student. However, the obligation of confidentiality may lapse when the common welfare of the community or the welfare of the individual demands revelation such as in the case of suicidal preoccupations, expressed homicidal thoughts or actions, commission of a felony, or similar circumstances. Evaluation and interpretation of a student’s records shall be done only by a professional and qualified staff person.

INCAPACITATION OF A STUDENT
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi allows a currently enrolled student to be administratively withdrawn from the University, as a result of a prolonged illness or a serious, incapacitating injury. The student should request this action in writing through the Office of Student Affairs.
After receiving confirmation in writing from a competent authority (e.g., attending physician, licensed psychologist/psychiatrist, etc.), the Office of Student Affairs takes the following steps:

1. Notifies the appropriate faculty, academic dean, and the Provost.
2. Notifies the Director of Admissions and Records to set all grades for the current term to a nonpunitive mark of “W.”
3. Notifies the Business Office to determine if a refund is applicable. State law sets the criteria for granting refunds. Please see “Refund of Tuition and Fees” for information on refunds.
4. Notifies the Financial Assistance Office, if the student is a recipient of financial assistance.
   

A severely incapacitated student who was unable to request administrative withdrawal during the semester in which the illness or accident occurred may request that grades for that semester be changed to a nonpunitive mark of “W.” The time limit for making this request is the end of the next long semester.

This policy, however, in no way supersedes State and Federal laws.

DEATH OF A STUDENT
When the death of a currently enrolled student is reported, the Office of Student Affairs is notified immediately. After confirming the death, the Office of Student Affairs takes the following steps:

1. Notifies the President, the Provost, the appropriate faculty and academic dean.
2. Notifies the Director of Admissions and Records to set grades for all current courses to a nonpunitive mark of “W” and to update directory data to block mailings to the deceased.
3. Notifies the Business Office of the effective date of the assignment of the mark.
4. Notifies the Financial Assistance Office.
   

POLICIES SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Although every effort has been made to provide complete and accurate information in this catalog, changes may occur at any time, without notice, in academic policies and regulations.