Grading Policy
To remain in good academic standing in the College of Arts & Sciences programs, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA. Grades are posted within 14 calendar days of the completion of each course.
All instructors enter their own grades into Genisys. A "Request for Incomplete" form completed by both students and instructors must be used to request an "I" grade. Students must initiate this request.
The following grading system is followed**:
| Grade | Percentage | Quality Points | Meaning of Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 93-100 | 4.00 | Superior |
| A- | 90-92 | 3.67 | |
| B+ | 87-89 | 3.33 | |
| B | 83-86 | 3.00 | Good |
| B- | 80-82 | 2.67 | |
| C+ | 77-79 | 2.33 | |
| C | 73-76 | 2.00 | Satisfactory |
| C- | 70-72 | 1.67 | |
| D+ | 67-69 | 1.33 | |
| D | 63-66 | 1.00 | Poor |
| D- | 60-62 | 0.67 | |
| F | 0-59 | 0.00 | Failing |
**PLEASE NOTE: This grading scale is unique to the College of Arts & Sciences. Instructors must ensure that this scale is properly built into the Grade Book in Blackboard. For assistance in adjusting the Blackboard Grade Book, please contact the E-Learning Specialist.
Incomplete Grades ("I")
A grade of "Incomplete" ("I") will be assigned only if proper arrangements have been made prior to the end of the course. The "Incomplete" grade is intended for use only in extraordinary circumstances beyond the student’s control, that prevent the student from completing the course on time. In this situation, a "Request for Incomplete form" 
must be completed by the instructor and approved by the Associate Dean of Academics before the end of the course. This form should be signed by both the student and the instructor; however, if the student is able to communicate with the instructor only by phone or electronically, the instructor may indicate this and sign for both. A grade of "Incomplete" ("I") will be given in a regular course only for legitimate deficiencies due to illness,
emergencies, or other extraordinary reasons acceptable to the professor and not because of neglect on the student’s part.
If an "I" grade is assigned, the student will be permitted six weeks from the last class session to submit course assignments for grading by the instructor in order to replace the "I" with a letter grade. If more than six weeks elapse, a grade of "FX" will be assigned and the student must re-register and pay the appropriate tuition to re-enroll in the course the next time it is offered. A student who acquires two concurrent grades of "Incomplete" will not be permitted to enroll in additional courses until the "Incomplete" grades are resolved. This may delay the student’s completion of the program.
The issuance of an "I" grade may have a direct impact on a student’s receipt of a grade for tuition reimbursement purposes and may directly affect the student’s eligibility for and receipt of financial aid. It is imperative that students contact the Financial Aid Office at Regent University immediately upon receiving an "I."
Information Research and Resources Course
The University Library offers an information research and resources course on campus and online twice a term. The course is noncredit and required for all College of Arts & Sciences' students. Students graduating from Regent University must demonstrate that they possess basic competencies in the use of computer and related information technology research and resources, including use of the Library. No student will be allowed to graduate or participate in commencement without having completed the information research requirements. Students who demonstrate proficiency in the competencies will not be required to take the course. The Library provides a list of the course competencies and a guide as to how the competencies must be demonstrated and at what level. The Library will certify to the Dean of each school and the Registrar when students have passed the information research course and will certify that those students have demonstrated the competencies of the course through a challenge exam. Students should demonstrate the competencies during the first term of enrollment, either through the challenge exam or by passing the research course. If they do not, they will be automatically reenrolled in the course in the second term. The Registrar’s Office will include on each student’s transcript the course name and a grade of "P" for successful completion.
"In-Progress" Grades ("IP")
In-progress grades shall be given for courses in which the completion of course requirements for all students in the class extends beyond the formal class sessions scheduled for the course. In-progress grades are only appropriate for use in the School of Undergraduate Studie's Research Seminars classes.
The issuance of an "IP" grade may have a direct impact on students’ receipt of a grade for tuition reimbursement purposes and may directly affect their eligibility for and receipt of financial aid. It is imperative that students contact the Financial Aid Office at Regent University immediately upon receiving an "IP."
Outcomes Assessment Requirement
In order to maintain a high level of academic excellence and to ensure that Regent University complies with mandates imposed by the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and other accreditation agencies, the College of Arts & Sciences has developed a plan to assess the quality of its academic programs. As part of the assessment plan, all undergraduate students are required to take tests and surveys designed to measure achievement related to the general education and major program outcomes and other student learning.
No minimum score or level of achievement is required on these tests for graduation. Assessment results will remain confidential and will be used for the sole purpose of improving the College of Arts & Sciences’ programs. Failure to participate in these assessment activities may preclude the student’s right to register for future terms and/or receive the baccalaureate degree. The College of Arts & Sciences’ administration will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that students have ample notice of and opportunities to take required assessments.
Registration Processes
- Auditing a Course
Students who wish to enroll for a credit course on a noncredit basis are classified as auditors. Auditors must be admitted to Regent University via regular admission procedures. Audited courses appear on the transcript but do not have associated credits. Students taking courses for credit shall be given enrollment priority over auditors. Students auditing a course will pay one-half the tuition as those taking it for credit. Financial aid will not be applied to audited courses. - Repeating a Course
Students wishing to repeat a course must re-register and pay the standard College of Arts & Sciences tuition per credit in effect during the fiscal period in which the course is retaken. When a course is repeated, the last grade points and semester credit hours earned replace the previous grade points and semester credit hours in computing the GPA. However, all grade entries on the transcript remain a part of students’ permanent academic record. If the course being repeated is offered under a different course number than when the student first took the course, the student must indicate that it is a repeated course at the time of registration. - Adding, Dropping or Withdrawing from a Course
Students may add or withdraw from a class during the first week of classes without a permanent notation to their records and without a financial penalty. After the first week and through the end of the fourth week of classes, students will receive a grade of "W" if they officially withdraw with the Registrar’s office. In this case, students need to complete the "Add/Drop" request form, sign it, have the instructor sign it, and return the form to the Registrar’s office before the end of the last business day in the fourth week of class. The "Add/Drop" form used in the College of Arts & Sciences is available from the student’s academic advisor or from the Assistant Director of Admissions and Advising.
After the fourth week and up to the end of the seventh week, students who discontinue class but who complete the proper form requesting withdrawal from class, following the procedure described above, will receive a grade of "WF." Withdrawals are not permitted the last week of class. Students who discontinue the class but who fail to withdraw properly receive a grade of "F" for the class.
Financial penalties apply for grades of "W" and "WF," as described under the refund policy. Students need to verify with the Business Office how the withdrawal and grade of "W" or "WF" will affect their account balance before they initiate a withdrawal process. Courses carrying a grade of "WF" receive no credit but are counted towards hours attempted and may negatively affect the students’ GPA. The issuance of a "W" or "WF" grade may have a direct impact on students’ receipt of a grade for tuition reimbursement purposes and may directly affect his or her eligibility for and receipt of financial aid. It is imperative that students contact the Financial Aid Office at Regent University before receiving a "W" or "WF."
Statement of Academic Freedom
Academic freedom at Regent University is framed by the context of the University’s mission statement and statement of faith and is consistent with the standards and norms stated in the academic freedom policy. Each faculty member is free to pursue truth within his or her discipline by research, discussion, and other forms of inquiry. This freedom carries a responsibility to truth, to scholarly integrity, and to one’s students. The full policy is published in the Universities Faculty and Academic Policy Handbook.
Student Records Confidentiality
Regent University protects the confidentiality of the educational records of current and former students. This policy is in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as amended. At its discretion, the institution may provide directory information to include: the student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student, photograph, and participation in officially recognized activities. Students may withhold directory information by notifying the Registrar’s Office, in writing, within two weeks of the posting of the annual notice that advises students of their rights. The full text of this policy, including procedures for inspecting and amending one’s education records, are printed in the Student Handbook.
Transcripts and Verification of Enrollment
All requests for official copies of transcripts from Regent University must be made in writing to the Registrar’s Office. Three copies of a transcript will be given to students upon completion of graduation requirements. Current students and alumni will be charged a fee for transcript orders of two or more per semester. Transcripts will not be released for current or former students who have unresolved financial accounts with the university. Requests by students for copies of their transcripts from other educational institutions are not honored. Requests of letters verifying enrollment at Regent should be made directly to the Registrar’s Office.
Withdrawal from the College of Arts & Sciences
Occasionally, students voluntarily decide to withdraw from the undergraduate program. In such cases, the following guidelines and policies apply:
- A voluntary withdrawal will be granted if students request it in writing from their advisor. In addition, students must meet with the Assistant Director of Student and Alumni Services for approval to be granted.
- Students who have not attended classes, or distance students who have not participated in instructional events, will, by the end of the drop/add period (the end of the first week of the session)—in accordance with University practice—be assumed to have unofficially withdrawn from the University and will be administratively withdrawn. Students who leave the University during a term without officially withdrawing will be administratively withdrawn and will forfeit fees or deposits paid to the University.
- The School’s policies and deadlines for grades of "W" (Withdraw) and "WF" (Withdraw Failing) apply to students wishing to withdraw from the University (see the information under "Academic Information"). The regular refund policy applies for a student suspended for disciplinary reasons.
- When students have been absent for one year, the University will assume that students have permanently withdrawn from the College of Arts & Sciences. Students wishing to be readmitted must submit an Application for Readmission.
Students must contact the Financial Aid Office as soon as they withdraw or are withdrawn from the College of Arts & Sciences.
Students may be withdrawn because of financial reasons. Such students are prohibited from continuing in course work and attendance in classes until all financial obligations to the University are met. Possible causes of such action may result from failure to complete necessary financial aid paperwork in a timely fashion or as a result of delinquency of payment to the University for any outstanding balance students have incurred. When students are notified that their withdrawal status has been removed, they must contact the College of Arts & Sciences’ Office of Admissions and Advising to re-register for subsequent coursework.
Withdrawing and Returning from a Withdrawal
Returns from a withdrawal have the following stipulations:
- Financial clearance must be granted from the Business Office before the return.
- Withdrawals require a petition for re-admittance prior to confirmation of registration. Students must submit a written explanation of their ability to return to the program.
- Courses carrying a "F", "W", "WF," or "I" must be completed before students are officially re-admitted to regular status in the program.
Students are responsible for the tuition rate in effect at the time they re-enroll.
- Should students withdraw after attending any part of the course, the appropriate charges for partial class attendance will be assessed (see Refund Policy).
- If students are not enrolled for more than one year and are later readmitted, they must meet the degree requirements current at the time of readmission.
ACADEMIC PROGRAM
The two foundational parts of the academic program in the College of Arts & Sciences are the general education core curriculum and the academic major. All students are required to complete the general education requirements, at least one major course of study, and enough electives to total 120
semester hours of credit. Students may choose to minor in one or more disciplines or to complete the requirements for a second major. Courses numbered below 100 are considered pre-college, thus they do not carry college credit.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACCALAUREATE DEGREE
Diplomas will be issued and degrees posted on transcripts when the office of the Registrar and the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences have certified that all graduation requirements have been met. In order to graduate with the bachelor degree, a student must:
- Earn a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit, including satisfactory completion of all course requirements of the College of Arts & Sciences.
- Complete at least 30 credit hours of instruction at Regent University for the bachelor’s degree, including Religious Studies (RELS) 107, "Worldviews."
- Meet all general education requirements as listed in the general education section of this catalog.
- Meet all requirements for an academic major as specified in this catalog.
- Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 (A = 4.0) in all coursework attempted and in the major, and a minimum of C- in each course that will be applied to the major.
- Complete all required examinations and surveys related to the university’s learning assessment program.
- Pay all University financial obligations.
The following requirements apply to the major and minor:
- Students who receive a grade below "C-" in any course applied to the major must repeat that course in order to graduate.
- For a second major in the College of Arts & Sciences, at least seventy-five percent of the required coursework for the second major must be unique to that major program.
- For undergraduate academic minors, fifteen (15) credits of the minor must be unique to that minor program. Fifteen (15) credits of the minor must be completed at Regent University. Courses applied to the minor must carry a minimum of a C-.
Although the academic advisor participates actively in the student’s planning and helps to monitor the student’s progress towards graduation, responsibility for fulfilling all graduation requirements rests upon the individual student. Students should acquaint themselves with the requirements described in this catalog and plan their course of study carefully so as to fulfill graduation requirements. Students are subject to the academic requirements set forth in the Catalog in use during the year they entered the university.
The General Education Core Curriculum
Serving as a core experience for undergraduate students at Regent University, the general education core curriculum is intended to foster students’ personal, spiritual, and academic growth as Christian leaders who can change the world. Specifically, the general education program challenges students to develop and embrace a perspective on the world that is rooted in Christ and enlivened by the Holy Spirit. With this foundation, students are further challenged through the general education curriculum to develop the knowledge, skills, and values central for effective leadership in today’s world as they gain awareness of themselves and the needs of others. Students encounter a liberal arts experience that prepares them to think, to inquire, to seek, and analyze information. This educational experience, grounded in Christ and shaped within a caring community, prepares students for today’s complex world, equipping graduates to be effective, service-minded leaders.
