Academic Regulations and Policies

Graduation Requirements

It is expected that a substantial part of the coursework done by students who intend to graduate from IU South Bend, especially in their major field, be completed on the IU South Bend campus. Candidates ordinarily are not recommended to receive the bachelor’s degree from IU South Bend unless they earn 30 hours of credit at this campus. Specific academic program requirements for graduation should also be noted in the respective sections of this publication.
Degrees are conferred in December, May, and August. Commencement is conducted in May. Students who intend to complete their degree work within a given year must apply for graduation by the deadline. May, June, and August degree candidates must apply for graduation by October 1, while December degree candidates must apply for graduation by March 1.

Graduation with Distinction

Graduates whose minimum GPAs are 3.9 and who complete at least 60 credit hours at IU South Bend are graduated with highest distinction; those whose minimum GPAs are 3.8 and who complete at least 60 credit hours at IU South Bend are graduated with high distinction; and those whose minimum GPAs are 3.65 and who complete at least 60 credit hours at IU South Bend are graduated with distinction. These honors are noted on diplomas and in Commencement programs. Students who earn them are eligible to wear the cream and crimson fourragére at Commencement.

Some programs limit the number of students awarded distinction to the top 10 percent of the graduating class. Others may use different criteria for awarding distinction.

Incomplete Grades

A grade of I (Incomplete) may be given when a substantial amount of the coursework (75 percent) is satisfactorily completed by the end of the semester. The grade of I is given only when the completed portion of the student’s work is of passing quality. The grade of I is awarded only under circumstances of hardship, when it is unjust to hold a student to the time limits ordinarily fixed for completion of coursework.

A student must remove the I within a calendar year from the date of its recording or, if required by the instructor, in a shorter time period. The academic program head may authorize adjustments of this period in exceptional circumstances. If the student fails to remove the I within the time allowed, the grade is changed to F. Students may not register for credit in a course in which they have a grade of I.

These regulations do not apply to courses in which completion of the coursework is not usually required at the end of the semester. Incomplete work in those courses is denoted by R (deferred grade).

Independent/Correspondence Study

The Indiana University School of Continuing Studies offers interested individuals the option of taking university courses, both credit and noncredit, at home through the Indiana University independent study division. Credit earned in correspondence courses is not counted toward any graduate degree. It is possible, however, that such work may be used by the student to make up entrance deficiencies. For more information, call continuing education at (877) 462-4872, extension 4261; or off-campus programs at (800) 321-7834.

Official Academic Transcript

Official transcripts are available from the Office of the Registrar for a fee. Requests can be submitted online, in person, by mail, or by fax. The Office of the Registrar cannot accept e-mail or phone requests, as a signature is required. Transcript requests for enrollment prior to fall 1965 must be submitted to the IU Bloomington Office of the Registrar.

In Person

Print, complete, and sign the Transcript Request Form (available at registrar.iusb.edu/transcript, take it to the Office of the Bursar (Administration Building 100D) and pay the transcript processing fee. The cashier in the Office of the Bursar will stamp the form paid. Once you pay the fee you may bring the form to the Office of the Registrar in Administration Building 148X. A third party can pick up your transcript with your written permission.

Online

Current students, alumni, and previous students who still have active computing accounts are able to request their transcript online by following the steps below:

1. Log into OneStart using user name and passphrase.
2. Make sure you are looking at the Student Self Service tab. This tab should be brown.
3. Scroll down the page until the title eDocs is found.
4. Under this title click on the link Official Transcript Request (Online) and follow the prompts. Indicate a preferred delivery method of pick-up, expedited delivery through the PDF option, or U.S. Postal.
5. The transcript processing fee must be paid via credit card; personal information is protected.
6. If indicating that “pick up” the transcript is selected, it will be available the same business day in the Office of the Registrar, Administration Building 148X. Please allow at least 15 minutes for this request to be processed. Regretfully, the Office of the Registrar cannot   be held responsible for printing delays due to system technical difficulties.

By Mail

Print, complete, and sign the Transcript Request Form. All transcripts are sent regular first class mail within two to three business days. If special handling is required the university requires authorization from the student to use his or her credit card information for the charges. FedEx overnight service is the provider that will be used and the student will need to provide the preference of priority or standard. Be aware that FedEx will not deliver to a post office box address.

If you are paying by check or money order, make it payable to Indiana University and write your university ID number in the memo section. If you are paying by credit card, include your card information on the Transcript Request Form. Visa, MasterCard, and Discover cards are accepted as payment.

Send the form and payment to:

Office of the Registrar  /  Transcript Request
Indiana University South Bend
1700 Mishawaka Avenue
Post Office Box 7111
South Bend, IN 46634-7111

By Fax

Print, complete, and sign the Transcript Request Form.

Fax requests require credit card payment. Include your card information on the Transcript Request Form. Visa, MasterCard, and Discover cards are accepted as payment.

Fax the form to (574) 520-4868. Official transcripts cannot be sent via fax.

Pass/Fail Option

During the undergraduate program, a student in good standing (not on probation) may enroll in up to a maximum of eight elective courses to be taken with a grade of P (Pass) or F (Fail). The Pass/Fail option may not be taken when otherwise restricted by academic program regulations.

The Pass/Fail option is open for a maximum of two courses per year, including summer sessions; for this option, the year is defined as August 15 to August 14. A course selected for Pass/Fail must be an elective; it may not be used to satisfy academic program requirements. Part-time students may select two Pass/Fail courses per 30 credit hours.

A student must file a Pass/Fail option request by the end of the third week of class. This is done by consulting the student’s academic program and completing an option form. Once the option request has been processed, it is final and cannot be reversed. At the end of the course, the letter grade given by the instructor is converted by the records office into a final grade of either P (A, B, C, or D) or F. A grade of P cannot be changed subsequently to a grade of A, B, C, or D. A grade of P is not counted in computing GPAs; the grade of F is included.

Readmission

In special cases, a student who was dismissed may petition a faculty committee, through the head of the appropriate academic program, for readmission. Because petitions must be submitted sufficiently in advance of the semester or session to which readmission is sought, students must consult with the appropriate academic program head as early as possible.

Religious Observances

Indiana University respects the right of all students to observe their religious holidays and makes reasonable accommodation, upon request, for such observances. Refer to the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct for details. Visit www.dsa.indiana.edu/code to view a copy on the web.

Satisfactory/Fail Courses

A number of IU South Bend courses are offered with an S/F (Satisfactory/Fail) option. For a given semester, the course is graded either S/F or with regular letter grades (A, B, C, D, F). All students in the course must be graded under one or the other options. A grade of S cannot subsequently be changed to a regular letter grade, nor can a regular letter grade be changed to an S. S/F graded courses are not counted as part of a student’s Pass/Fail option. S/F graded courses are noted in the Schedule of Classes. A grade of S is not counted in computing GPAs; the grade of F is included.

Second Degree

Normally the holder of a bachelor’s degree who wishes to pursue further education is encouraged to become qualified for admission to graduate study. In certain cases, however, a student is admitted to candidacy for a second bachelor’s degree. When such admission is granted, candidates normally must earn at least 30 additional credit hours in residence and meet the requirements of the academic program in which they are candidates.

Semester Load

A typical full-time undergraduate academic load is 12 to 18 credit hours with an average of approximately 15 credit hours for the fall or spring semesters. Full-time enrollment in either the fall, spring, or summer semesters is a minimum of 12 credit hours.

An undergraduate student expecting to carry more than 18 credit hours should have a CGPA of B (3.0) average or have earned a B (3.0) average in the last full semester.

Social Security Number

Students or applicants are advised that the requested disclosure of their Social Security number to designated offices is voluntary except in regard to the financial aid application. Students have the right to refuse disclosure of this number or request its removal from records without penalty. The student’s Social Security number is not disclosed to individuals or agencies outside Indiana University except in accordance with the Indiana University policy of release of student information.

Student Record Access

An implicit and justifiable assumption of trust is placed in the university as custodian of personal data submitted by a student entering the university or generated during enrollment. This mutual relationship of trust between the university and the individual student requires that such data be held in confidence. The university responds to requests for confidential data (that is, information not normally available to the general public) in compliance with the amended Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

Indiana University’s annual notification of student rights:

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their educational records. These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s educational records within 45 days of the day the university receives a request for access. Students should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The university official makes arrangements for access and notifies the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the university official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s educational records that they believe are inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the university to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They must write the university official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the university decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the university notifies the student of the decision and advises the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedure is provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s educational records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the university has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Indiana University Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the university may disclose educational records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. Finally, public information may be released freely unless the student files the appropriate form requesting that certain public information not be released. This form is available at the Office of the Registrar. Public information is limited to name; address; telephone; major field of study; dates of attendance; admission or enrollment status; campus; school, college, or division; class standing; degrees and awards; activities; sports; and athletic information.
4. The right to file a complaint with the United States Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Indiana University to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

Tobacco-Free Campus

IU South Bend is a tobacco-free campus. Indiana University has determined that all campuses will be smoke free in order to promote the health and well-being of employees, students, and others on campus.

In brief, the policy for IU South Bend states that the use and sale of tobacco and tobacco products is prohibited on university owned-, operated-, or leased-properties. The parking lots and garage owned by the university are included in the ban. However, the use of tobacco products in personal vehicles is allowed, provided users make a reasonable effort to contain smoke and smoking materials inside the vehicle.

Withdrawal

Withdrawal from the University

Students must notify the head of their academic program if they intend to withdraw from school during the semester. Students who fail to officially withdraw receive grades of F in all courses in which they are enrolled at the time of their unofficial withdrawal.

Students who withdraw during the first ten weeks of a regular semester or during the first four weeks of a summer session automatically receive a grade of W on the date of withdrawal. The only exceptions are:

• Courses dropped during the first week of classes do not show on the student’s permanent record.
• The automatic withdrawal period for courses that do not meet for the full regular semester or summer session is prorated at approximately 60 percent of the course duration.
• Students in music ensembles or applied music should contact the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts for information on withdrawals.

After the tenth week in spring and fall semesters and the fourth week in summer sessions withdrawal requires extraordinary situations beyond the student’s control. Appropriate forms for processing withdrawals must be obtained by the student from the Gateway Information Center or the office of their academic program. In addition to the signature and assigned grade of

W or F by the instructor, the student must obtain the signature of their academic program head. Poor performance in a course is not considered grounds for a late withdrawal. Additional details and dates are outlined in the Schedule of Classes. No withdrawal forms will be processed in the Office of the Registrar after the last day of classes. Requests for withdrawal after the last day of classes must follow the grade appeal process.

Students with financial aid must contact the Office of Financial Aid and Student Scholarships prior to withdrawing from any course due to possible financial consequences.

Note: Termination of class attendance does not constitute official withdrawal and results in a grade of F. Students must officially withdraw from the course.

Withdrawal for Reserves Called to Active Duty

Any student called to active duty may withdraw from all courses and receive a 100 percent refund of tuition and fees. Alternatively, with the permission of the instructor(s), a student may receive an incomplete or a final grade in the courses taken. Either alternative may occur anytime during the semester through the end of final examinations. If the withdrawal is processed after the first week of classes, the grade of W is assigned initially. Students receiving financial aid are subject to refund policies as provided for by the agencies sponsoring the aid. The request to withdraw must be made within one week of being called to active duty and may be made by either the student or other responsible party who has the student’s military information.

Students who wish to withdraw from courses as a result of being called to active duty must provide a copy of their orders to the Office of the Registrar along with a signed note asking to be withdrawn. These materials may be delivered in person, through the mail, or faxed to the Office of the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar notifies the student’s instructor, school, and other campus offices. Students or other responsible parties may wish to call the Office of the Registrar first to begin the withdrawal process, with the understanding that a copy of the orders must be forthcoming.

Work Done at More Than One Indiana University Campus

Students who plan to earn a degree through a degree-granting program on one Indiana University campus and who plan to take a substantial number of hours on one or more of the other Indiana University campuses in partial fulfillment of degree requirements must have their programs of study approved in advance by the degree-granting program. The residency requirement must be met on the campus where the degree-granting program is located.