Academic Policies

Academic policies have been legislated by the faculty and apply consistently to all students. Exceptions are approved only in truly extraordinary and extenuating circumstances, and primarily for documented health and medical reasons. Petitions for exceptions to Academic Policies are submitted to the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement. Appeals of the following academic policies are not normally accepted:

• re-appeal of a previous petition;
• off-campus study application deadlines;
• replacement of a course grade when repeating the course;
• changes to course registration beyond one semester;
• changes to academic transcript after graduation;
• “walking at Commencement” (GPA and credit requirements).

Academic Standing, Withdrawal, and Readmission

Class Standing

Class standing is determined by the Registrar at the beginning of the fall semester of each academic year. The minimum number of credits which must be satisfactorily completed for class standing are as follows: Sophomore - 7 credits, Junior - 15 credits, Senior - 24 credits. Entering students (other than transfer students) who by reason of approved Advanced Placement work or other credits have completed seven or more credits will be given sophomore class standing. The same rules apply to transfer students, and the minimum number of courses needed for sophomore standing at the start of the spring semester is 11 credits.

Satisfactory Academic Progress and Academic Notice

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for Financial Aid Recipients

Standards for satisfactory academic progress (SAP) are used to determine individual students’ academic standing at the College, as well as eligibility for financial aid. Federal regulations require the College to establish, publish and apply standards for monitoring each students’ progress toward degree completion. Students not meeting these standards are placed on academic notice, which has implications for financial aid. The College of Wooster evaluates student progress at the end of each semester.

Consistent with federal regulations, the College specifies a qualitative and a quantitative standard for determining SAP. Student must meet the minimum thresholds of both standards to meet the SAP standards and to remain eligible for financial aid. The College monitors academic progress (both qualitative and quantitative standards) at the conclusion of each semester.

Qualitative Standard (Grade Point Average)
College and federal regulations require a qualitative standard, represented by a student’s grade point average (GPA).

• GPA: A student must maintain both a semester GPA and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.

Quantitative Standard (Pace)

College and federal regulations also require a quantitative standard; the quantitative standard measures a student’s pace towards the successful completion of an academic program.

Students must make sufficient progress to graduate within 150% of the time required to graduate in their respective program to remain in good academic standing and eligible for financial aid. At Wooster, assuming consistent full-time status, most programs are designed to be completed in 4 years. Therefore, a student enrolled full-time at Wooster must maintain sufficient progress to graduate in 6-years.

• Pace: A student must complete at least 67% of credits attempted.

Definitions and Terms

The following definitions and terms apply to the qualitative and/or quantitative standards:

• Courses graded with a letter grade: All credits for courses in which a student receives a letter grade of ‘D’ or better are considered earned.
• Courses graded using a two-level system: All credits for courses in which a student receives a grade of ‘S’ is considered earned.
• Courses graded using a four-level system (Senior Independent Study 45200): All credits for courses in which a student receives a grade of ‘S’ or better are considered earned.
• Any repeated courses in which a student receives a ‘D’ grade or better, or a ‘S’ grade (or better in the case of 45200) are considered attempted and earned. Repeated courses with a letter grade of ‘F’ or ‘NC’ are considered attempted but not earned. Credit for a class will only count as earned one time (even if both grades are ‘D’ or better), and only the grade in the second course will count toward the cumulative GPA.
• Transfer credits from another institution that are accepted by The College are considered attempted and earned. Transfer credit is not used in the determination of the GPA.
• Incompletes are not factored into either the qualitative or quantitative SAP formulas until a grade is finalized.
• Students may withdraw from a class according to The College’s established withdrawal procedures. Withdrawals that are within these procedures are not factored into either the qualitative or quantitative SAP formulas. 
• If a student withdraws from a course after the last day of an official withdrawal period (after 6 weeks of regular classes), the associated credits will be considered attempted, and a grade of W will be recorded for the course. A student may only withdraw after the official withdrawal period (after 6 weeks of regular classes) by petitioning the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement, and such petitions are normally only approved in the context of specific, extraneous circumstances.

Notification

Students will receive an e-mailed letter from the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement office notifying them if they are not meeting the SAP requirements and are on Academic Notice/Continued Academic Notice.  The letter sent notifies students of their current Financial Standing for financial aid eligibility, as well as steps they need to take if they have lost aid eligibility and wish to appeal.

Good Academic Standing, Academic Notice, Withdrawal, and Readmission

Students’ academic performance can be negatively impacted by a variety of factors. To alert students, their advisors, and other relevant parties when academic performance falls below expectations and students do not hold Good Academic Standing, the college relies on the following designations: Academic Notice, Continued Academic Notice, Academic Withdrawal and Readmission.

Calculations

Grade Point Average (GPA): Calculated by dividing the total quality points earned by the number of graded credits.

Percent Complete: Calculated by dividing the credits earned by the credits attempted.

• Credits attempted include all credits enrolled in after the drop deadline.
• If a course is repeated to replace a grade, both instances count as attempted but only the second can count as earned.
• If credit is brought into Wooster through AP, IB, CCP, or transfer work those credits are considered both attempted and completed.
• If a course is taken elsewhere but does not qualify to transfer to Wooster, then those credits are not included in this calculation at all.

Good Academic Standing applies to all students who meet or exceed a cumulative GPA of 2.00 and have a cumulative percent complete of at least 67%.

Academic Notice occurs when a student’s:

• cumulative GPA is below 2.00 OR
• cumulative percent complete is below 67%.  

Students placed on Academic Notice are expected to return to Good Academic Standing within two semesters.

A student on Academic Notice will be withdrawn the following semester if the student:

• earns a semester GPA below 2.00 OR
• earns a semester percent complete of less than 67%

Any semester GPA below 1.00 will automatically result in Academic Withdrawal unless this occurs in a semester when the student earns credit for Senior I.S. (45100 or 45200).  Thus, a student may bypass Academic Notice and be placed on Academic Withdrawal if the semester GPA is below a 1.00.

Continued Academic Notice is designated when a student who is on Academic Notice is successful in achieving a semester GPA equal to or above a 2.00 and a semester percent complete of at least 67%, but did not raise the cumulative GPA to a 2.00 or the cumulative percent complete of at least 67%

Students on Continued Academic Notice are expected to return to good academic standing at the conclusion of the semester.

Academic Withdrawal occurs when any of the following occur

• A student on Continued Academic Notice does not return to Good Academic Standing at the end of the semester
• A student on Academic Notice earns a semester GPA below 2.00 and/or
• Any student earns a semester GPA below 1.00 unless this occurs in a semester when the student earns credit for Senior I.S. (45100 or 45200).  Thus, a student may bypass Academic Notice and be placed on Academic Withdrawal if the semester GPA is below a 1.00.

A student placed on Academic Withdrawal will be removed from the College for a period of one semester. Students may apply for Readmission after this semester.

Appeal of Academic Withdrawal Decision

A student who has been placed on Academic Withdrawal may submit an appeal to Committee on Academic Standards. This appeal must be submitted within five business days of the student’s notification of Academic Withdrawal. The appeal will be reviewed by the Committee on Academic Standards. All decisions are final and there is no higher appeal.

Readmission can occur when an academically withdrawn student once again becomes eligible for enrollment. Students being readmitted after academic withdrawal will be readmitted on Academic Notice and must return to Good Academic Standing within two semesters.

Students who are applying for readmission will need to demonstrate readiness to return. This can be done through work, substantive volunteer experiences, and/or earned academic credits at another institution.

Financial Aid Standing

Federal regulation and Wooster’s institutional merit financial aid policy mandate that students receiving federal and/or institutional merit financial aid must maintain satisfactory academic progress as determined by the Committee on Academic standards. Failure to do so will result in the student being placed on Academic Probation, and therefore Financial Aid Warning, for the following semester.

Financial Aid Warning

Students on Financial Aid Warning will remain eligible for federal and institutional merit financial aid during this semester. Students who do not re-establish satisfactory academic progress by the end of this semester will lose their federal and institutional merit financial aid eligibility for the following semester.

Loss of Financial Aid and Appeal Process

When on Academic Notice for two consecutive semesters, a student will lose their federal and/or institutional merit financial aid eligibility. Students should follow the appeal procedures, as outlined in the notification, and submit to the Dean of Curriculum and Academic Engagement/Academic Affairs and request to be placed on Financial Aid Probation.

Appeals should be completed as soon as possible, but no later than October 1st for the fall semester, March 1st for the spring semester. Please contact the Academic Affairs at (330) 263-2008 or via email at academicaffairs@wooster.edu with any questions.  If the deadline is missed, students may appeal for a one-time extension.  Any subsequent appeals must be submitted by the deadline.

Financial Aid Probation

If the appeal is approved, the student is placed on Financial Aid Probation and will remain eligible for federal and/or institutional merit financial aid during this semester. If the student makes satisfactory academic progress by the end of the semester and is removed from Academic Probation, they will be removed from Financial Aid Probation and continue to remain eligible for federal and/or institutional merit financial aid.

Appeal

Students who have lost their need-based financial eligibility by failing to maintain satisfactory academic progress may appeal, in writing, to the Committee on Academic Standards through the Dean of Students Office.

The appeal must explain the special circumstances why the student failed to meet satisfactory academic progress standards-illness or injury, for instance, or the death of a close relative-, what has changed to allow them to now meet satisfactory academic progress standards, and provide an academic plan showing how the student will re-establish satisfactory academic progress by a pre-determined specific point in time. If the Committee on Academic Standards accepts the student’s appeal, the student is placed on financial aid probation and remains eligible for federal, state, and College need-based financial aid during that semester and subsequent semesters if the student meets the requirements specified in the academic plan. If a student wishes to appeal the Committee on Academic Standards’ decision on their appeal request, the student should submit the appeal, in writing, to either the Dean of Students or Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement.

Re-Establishing Student Aid Eligibility

Students will be considered in good standing in regard to need-based financial aid and non-need based merit award eligibility when they again meet the minimum satisfactory academic progress and good academic standing standards as described in this policy statement, or upon acceptance of their appeal by the Committee on Academic Standards. Withdrawal or hiatus from the College for any period of time will not affect a student’s satisfactory academic progress standing. Students who apply for re-admission are required to submit an appeal in order to determine financial aid eligibility.

Withdrawal and Leave of Absence

See Expenses - Withdrawal . Also see Admission - Implications of Admission and Registration .

Readmission

A student who has voluntarily withdrawn or has been required to withdraw from the College is eligible to apply for readmission upon completion of a formal application for readmission; the form for this may be obtained from the Office of the Dean of Students. Please consult the Scot’s Key for more detailed information about readmission under various circumstances.

Audits

Auditing Courses

• Full-time students are permitted to audit one course without charge in any semester.
• In the case of majors in the Music Department, this course could be a regular course carrying 1.000 credit or a combination of partial credit courses adding up to 1.000 credit, with the exception that a student may not audit any more than one half-hour applied lesson in each semester.
• The deadline for adding a course for audit is the end of the second week of classes in any semester. Once the audit status is declared for a particular course, it cannot be changed to the credit option.
• The deadline for changing registration in a course from credit to audit is the end of the sixth week of classes.

Community Audit Program

The College of Wooster provides the opportunity for local residents to audit one course each semester at no cost. The purpose of this program is to provide the opportunity for the continued growth and development of community members, strengthen the relationship between the community and the College, and enrich the learning environment at the College. To be eligible to audit classes an individual must:

• Complete a brief application;
• Be accepted as an auditor by the Registrar at the College;
• The Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement and the Dean of Student’s continued approval is required.

To enroll as an auditor in a specific course:

• There must be room in the class after all current students have registered;
• The professor’s continued approval is required; and
• The Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement and the Dean of Student’s continued approval is required.

The costs of all materials and textbooks are the responsibility of the auditor. No college credit will be awarded for audited courses. Individuals are responsible for knowing and abiding by all policies and procedures outlined in The College of Wooster Catalogue, the Code of Social Responsibility, and the policies in The Scot’s Key.

Commencement

To graduate from The College of Wooster, a student must meet all College requirements, including the following:

• The student has completed all requirements in the major.
• The student has a minimum of 32 course credits.
• The student has a cumulative GPA of 2.000 or higher.
• The student has a major GPA of 2.000 or higher.
• The student is in good standing under the Codes of Academic Integrity and Social Responsibility as administered through the judicial system of the College.

Students will be eligible to participate in Commencement (“walk at Commencement”) if:

• they have completed all graduation requirements, or
• the anticipated completion date of all graduation requirements falls within the same calendar year as the May ceremony (i.e., a viable academic plan is in place for the student to complete all degree requirements by December of the same year as the Commencement exercise). In such instances, neither degrees nor Latin Honors (if applicable) will be conferred until all graduation requirements have been met, or
• for students engaged in an approved dual degree program- they are making satisfactory progress in their post-Wooster program. Such students may participate in Commencement exercises with the rest of their entering class. Appropriate documentation, such as transcripts, must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office to verify that the student is making satisfactory progress. The Wooster degree will not be conferred until the terms of agreements for the dual-degree program have been completed.

Additional notes about Commencement and the Commencement exercise:

• Students may only participate in one commencement exercise.
• Participation in the Commencement exercise is not equivalent to graduating from the College.
• When all requirements are not completed by the date of the exercise, The Commencement program will include a notation that the student has not yet completed the degree.
• Any exceptions to these policies are not normally approved. 

Students who have completed eight semesters of college-level coursework, including at least 16 College of Wooster course credits, and who have met all of the College’s degree requirements will be awarded the appropriate degree at the next scheduled Commencement. (See Admission - Transfer Credit and Graduation Requirements.) Students who finish degree requirements mid-year or in absentia must confirm their status for graduation and intentions for the May Commencement in writing with the Registrar by February 1. Students may participate in only one Commencement ceremony.

Grade point averages at the time of graduation will be recorded on the permanent transcript. Records of any courses taken at Wooster subsequent to graduation will appear on the transcript, but grades will not affect the grade point average at the time of graduation.

Honors

Academic Honors

The Dean’s List includes students meeting the following criteria during a semester: 

1. Earn a semester GPA of 3.65 or higher.
2. Have no final grades of I (Incomplete) or NC (No Credit).
3. Earn letter grades in at least 4 full-credit courses with the following exceptions:
   • I.S. (45100 or 45200) counts as a full-credit letter grades course for Dean’s List.
   • Fractional credit courses may be added together to meet up to 2.0 credits of this requirement, with the exception of PHED Activity courses which cannot be used to meet this requirement.
   • Up to 1.0 credits of this requirement can be met with course(s) that are not offered for a letter grade (those only offered as S/NC).

Courses beyond those in criteria 3 may be taken S/NC as long as an S is earned.

Departmental Honors are awarded at graduation to students who meet the following standards: (1) a grade of “H” on the Senior I.S. Thesis or unanimous vote of the department; (2) a major GPA of 3.500 for all courses taken in the major department even if a specific course is not counted toward the major; (3) a cumulative GPA of 3.200 for four years at Wooster.

Latin Honors, first awarded in 1998, are awarded at graduation based on overall grade point average in Wooster-graded courses: Summa cum laude for 3.900 to 4.000; Magna cum laude for 3.750 to 3.899; and Cum laude for 3.500 to 3.749. To graduate Summa cum laude, a student must receive a grade of “H” on the Senior I.S. Thesis. Latin Honors are not a substitute for Departmental Honors.

Honor Societies

Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest national society for the recognition of high scholarship, has a chapter, the Kappa of Ohio, at Wooster. The student membership is made up of those seniors who are first in academic rank, a few being elected at the beginning of the senior year on junior standing, and others at the end of the year.

Other national honorary societies that have chapters at Wooster are Alpha Kappa Delta (Sociology); Alpha Psi Omega (Theatre and Dance); Beta Beta Beta (Biology); Delta Phi Alpha (German); Eta Sigma Phi (Classics); Lambda Alpha (Anthropology); Lambda Pi Eta (Communication); Omicron Delta Epsilon (Economics); Phi Alpha Theta (History); Phi Sigma Iota (Foreign Languages); Phi Sigma Tau (Philosophy); Pi Kappa Lambda (Music); Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science); Psi Chi (Psychology); Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish); Sigma Tau Delta (English); Pi Mu Epsilon (Mathematics).

Majors and Minors

Majors

A liberal arts education should help students to appreciate the nature of the academic disciplines as intellectual tools that enable us to think in structured and systematic ways, and for the depth of inquiry they allow. Students will come to understand a particular field of inquiry in depth and develop a basis of knowledge and methodological ability that will enable them to participate actively and significantly in a disciplinary community. By coming to know at least one discipline in depth, students will equip themselves to become scholars engaged in the creation of knowledge. A student must declare a major in February of the sophomore year prior to registration for the junior year.

Double Majors

With the approval of the chairpersons of the two relevant departments and the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement, students are permitted to declare double majors. Requirements for each major in a double major are the same as those for a single major with the exception that, subject to the approval of both departments, a joint Senior I.S. project may be done on a topic that incorporates materials and approaches from both disciplines and fulfills the requirements of both departments. Each major in a double major must include at least six courses (except Senior Independent Study 45100 and 45200) that do not count in the second major. Students who declare double majors must complete two separate Junior Independent Studies courses (40100, etc.) - one in each major department. Students who declare double majors must register for Senior Independent Study in one major during fall semester and in the second major in spring semester. Students who wish to pursue a double major must declare their intention to do so no later than October 1 of the junior year. Students may not declare a double major in any of the following combinations of closely related disciplines: Sociology/Anthropology, Sociology/Archaeology and Anthropology/Archaeology.

Students enrolled in dual degree or pre-professional programs may not double major. Double majors are not permitted in: Global and International Studies and its participating departments (Economics, History, Political Science), Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and its participating departments (Biology, Chemistry, Neuroscience), Chemical Physics and its participating departments (Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics), Neuroscience and the following programs (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemistry, Psychology), and Statistical and Data Sciences and the following programs (Mathematics and Computer Science).

A Student-Designed Major may declare a double major (subject to approval by the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement), if (1) there is no course overlap between any of the courses in the two majors; (2) the second major is an existing major in one of the established academic departments; and (3) Junior Independent Study is completed in each major. Senior Independent Study may be combined between the majors, if the proposal clearly demonstrates that it can be done. All other requirements and deadlines for declaration are the same as any other double major.

Independent Study is completed in each major. Senior Independent Study may be combined between the majors, if the proposal clearly demonstrates that it can be done. All other requirements and deadline for declaration are the same as any other double major.

Student-Designed Major

Some students may find their educational objectives best served in a curricular pattern other than the normal one. In such cases, after consultation with the appropriate faculty members, the student may submit a plan for a Student-Designed Major to the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement. This plan must be submitted no later than March 1 of the sophomore year. The student will be expected to outline precise aims, the courses that will be taken, and the procedure for meeting degree requirements in accordance with established guidelines. In considering applications for student designed majors, the Dean shall make decisions based on the intellectual content and rigor of the proposed program, and its integrity as a major in the liberal arts. The Dean may also take into consideration preparation for graduate education, certification, or licensing, but these shall not be the determining factors. Once a major has been approved, any subsequent changes to the major must be submitted to the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement in advance for approval.

Minor

A student may declare one or two minors, consisting of six courses in a department or program. Each minor must include at least four courses that are distinct from any other minor. These four courses cannot be used in fulfillment of the major(s). A student must declare a minor by March 1 of the senior year. Some major and minor combinations are not permitted or allow less overlap. These restrictions are listed under Special Notes for each department or program.

Minimum Grades Acceptable in the Major and Minor

Only grades of C- or higher are accepted for the major or minor. In addition, a student must have a major(s) GPA of 2.000 or higher at the time of graduation. All courses taken in the major(s) are counted towards the major(s) GPA. Thus, this includes not only courses that are taken to fulfill the minimum requirements of the major(s) but also any additional elective courses in the major(s). (Courses that are repeated cannot be counted twice when computing the 32 courses required for graduation.)

Registration, Courses, and Grades

Registration and Changes in Course Registration

The Office of the Registrar is the principal source of information about registration procedures. Each student is assigned a faculty adviser to supervise his or her academic program at the College. However, it is each student’s responsibility to make final decisions about his or her education. In addition, each student is responsible for understanding and meeting all registration and graduation requirements.

The faculty has established the following policies concerning registration:

1. It is the student’s responsibility to pre-register for at least 3.000 course credits, and to maintain the normal course load each semester - see Degree Requirements . Failure to do so can result in: (i) loss of on-campus housing; (ii) loss of financial aid: and (iii) failure to be certified as a full-time student for insurance, financial aid, immigration, or other purposes.
2. A student is officially registered only after the student’s name appears on class lists and the student has confirmed his/her registration with the Office of the Registrar on return to campus each semester.
3. Students are expected to be on campus when classes begin. Students who do not attend the first meeting of a class may be dropped from the class by the instructor. In this event the Registrar will drop the student from the class, notify the student, the instructor, and the academic adviser. The add/drop form is not necessary for this single transaction.
4. A student may add course credits before the end of the second week of the semester, and only with the permission of the faculty member teaching the course and the approval of the faculty adviser.
5. A student may drop a course before the end of the sixth week of the semester after consulting with the faculty member teaching the course and with the approval of the faculty adviser. A course dropped before the end of the sixth week will be removed without record of registration.
6. A student must declare the S/NC grading option with the acknowledgement of the academic adviser and course instructor no later than the end of the sixth week of the semester. Once the S/NC option is elected, it cannot be changed back to the letter-grade option.
7. A student may add course credits for audit before the end of the second week of classes. A student may change registration status in a course from credit to audit before the end of the sixth week of classes. Once the audit status is declared for a particular course, it cannot be changed back to the credit option.
8. To make changes in their course schedules after the stated deadlines, students must petition the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement.

Course Load

• 4.000 course credits per semester is the normal course load.
• A minimum of 3.000 course credits is needed to maintain full-time status.
• A maximum of 4.880 course credits is permitted without the approval of the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement.
• Students may register for up to 0.125 course credit in music performance groups beyond the maximum specified.
• For students in the Bachelor of Music Therapy and Bachelor of Music Education in Public School Teaching programs, the maximum course load is 4.880.

Student Credit Hour Policy

A College of Wooster course is equivalent to four semester-hours of credit and is counted as 1.0 unit of credit. A 1.0 Wooster unit is equivalent to four semester hours. Wooster students earn a total of 32.0 units minimum or the equivalent of 128 credit hours for a bachelor’s degree.

There are three distinct pieces to a course (1) Classroom time, (2) Direct instruction, and (3) Indirect student work.

1. Classroom time: The typical semester course meets over 14 weeks (plus one week of final exams) for three class hours of direct instruction per week: either three 50-minute periods per week, two 80-minute periods per week, or one 3-hour seminar.
2. Direct instruction: Courses entail the equivalent of one additional hour of direct instruction per week; this instruction, provided by faculty members or qualified instructors, includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Office hours with faculty
• Required film viewings or experience with other media
• Required attendance at outside speaker lectures, concerts, or other relevant events
• Reading and responding to instructor feedback on student writing
• Participation in field trips on or off campus
• Faculty-student preparation and attendance at conferences or colloquia
• Review sessions
• Additional class sessions
• Library instruction held outside of regular class hours
• Educational Technology instruction held outside of regular class hours
• Experiential learning components
• Discussion sessions held outside of regular class time
• Writing tutorials, sessions at the Writing Center
• Math Center, STEMZone sessions, and other tutoring sessions
• Language tables and departmental discussion tables in the dining hall or departmental brown bag events
• Required participation in a discussion forum moderated by a faculty member
• Required viewing or listening session to recorded lectures by the faculty member or a qualified instructor, as in a partially flipped classroom.​

3. Indirect student work: Students should expect to spend a minimum of two hours of preparation time for each hour of classroom time and direct instruction (8 hours per week for a 1.0 credit course). This preparation can come in a variety of forms, e.g., independent reading, planning, writing, assignments, reflection.

​​Some courses require relatively more hours of in-class instruction for an equivalent number of units of credit. This difference reflects the different nature of classwork and the need for studio and laboratory space specific to that hands-on type of learning. Science labs are an example of courses which require more hours in class for the same amount of credit or same number of hours for less credit. Credit for some performance-related instruction will typically vary from 0.125 units to 0.50 units of credit, for example, depending on the time of direct instruction and the amount of class preparation usually required for the course.

Example: 1.0-unit courses

In accordance with the federal definition of a credit hour, 1.0-unit courses require at least 12 hours (i.e., 3 hours of work per credit x four credits per course = 12) of classroom, direct instruction, and/or indirect or out-of-class student work per week for 14 weeks, for a total of 168 hours per semester.

Generally, this would break down as follows:

For a 1.0-unit, classes that meet 3 hours per week (e.g., three 50-minute-long sessions, two 80-minute sessions, or one 3-hour session once per week)

Classroom time (3hrs/week) + Direct instruction (1hr/week) + Indirect student work (8hrs/week) = 12hrs/week

12hrs/week x 14 weeks/semester = 168 hrs/semester.

Example: 0.50-unit courses

Half-unit courses require at least 6 hours (i.e., 3 hours per credit x two credits per course = 6) of classroom, direct instruction, and/or indirect or out-of-class student work per week for 14 weeks, for a total of 84 hours per semester.

Generally, this would break down as follows:

For 0.50-unit classes that meet 2 hours per week

Classroom time (2hrs/week) + Indirect student work (4hrs/week) = 6hrs/week

6hrs/week x 14 weeks/semester = 84 hrs/semester.

Example: 0.25-unit courses

Quarter-unit courses require at least 3 hours (i.e., 3 hours per credit x one credit per course = 3) of classroom, direct instruction, and/or indirect or out-of-class student work per week for 14 weeks, for a total of 42 hours per semester.

Generally, this would break down as follows:

For 0.25-unit classes that meet 1 hour per week

Classroom time (1hr/week) + Indirect student work (2hrs/week) = 3hrs/week

3hrs/week x 14 weeks/semester = 42 hrs/semester.

The Grading Systems

1. There are four grading systems:
   1. A letter system using the marks and grade points:
      A = 4.000-a grade in the A range indicates outstanding performance in which there has been distinguished achievement in all phases of the course
      A- = 3.667
      B + = 3.333
      B = 3.000-a grade in the B range indicates good performance in which there has been a high level of achievement in some phases of the course
      B- = 2.667
      C + = 2.333
      C = 2.000-a grade in the C range indicates an adequate performance in which a basic understanding of the subject has been demonstrated.
      C- = 1.667
      D = 1.000- a grade of D indicates a minimal performance in which despite recognizable deficiencies there is enough merit to warrant credit.
      F = 0.000-a grade of F or NC indicates unsatisfactory performance.
      L = satisfactory performance in an audit course. An unsatisfactory audit performance does not appear on the transcript.
   2. A two-level system using the marks:
      S = Satisfactory Performance
      NC (no credit) = Unsatisfactory Performance
   3. A two-level system for Senior Independent Study 45100 (see Departmental/Program Independent Study Handbook for details) using the marks:
      SP = Satisfactory Progress
      NC = No Credit
   4. A four-level system for Senior Independent Study 45200 (see Departmental/Program Independent Study Handbook for details) using the marks:
      H = Honors
      G = Good
      S = Satisfactory
      NC = No Credit
2. Each course earns one course credit toward graduation except where otherwise indicated. A course equates to four semester hours of credit or six quarter hours of credit.
3. The Cumulative GPA (grade point average) includes all A-F grades, and the transcript will carry the notation that these grades are averaged in the cumulative GPA. The cumulative GPA is calculated by totaling the number of grade points acquired for all courses that are letter graded (A-F) and dividing that total by the number of course credits. The F grade is calculated into the cumulative GPA. The marks H, G, S, and NC are not calculated into the cumulative GPA. In addition, only grades received in courses taught by Wooster faculty are included in the cumulative GPA. Grades received during off-campus study at another institution are recorded as received from the other institution but are not counted in the Wooster cumulative GPA. For transfer students, only academic work completed at Wooster is included in the Wooster cumulative GPA.
4. Students are permitted to elect the equivalent of four courses (in addition to Senior Independent Study 45100 and 45200) graded S/NC out of 32 courses required for graduation. The minimum equivalent grade to earn S in courses graded S/NC is C-. First-Year Seminar in Critical Inquiry will not be graded S/NC. Transfer students are permitted to have one-eighth of the courses remaining to be taken at Wooster graded S/NC. Courses taken S/NC are not permitted in the major department/program, in the minor department/program, nor in courses exceeding the number in the major or minor unless specific exceptions to this regulation are stated by individual departments/programs.
5. Courses for which credit is not received are designated F or NC, except in those cases for which the designation “W” (Withdrawn) is approved. Such withdrawals require a written petition to the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement and are approved only in exceptional circumstances.
6. Requests for a medical withdrawal from a course (also designated “W” on the transcripts) must be submitted in writing to the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement no later than the last day of classes of the semester in which the course was taken. In unusual circumstances, such requests may be submitted by the last day of classes of the semester following that for which the medical withdrawal is requested. Withdrawal for medical reasons is approved by the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement after consultation with counseling and medical staff.
7. An Incomplete (designated “I”) is only appropriate if a student has attended and participated in the classroom activities throughout the semester and a small portion of the work of a course is unavoidably unfinished. This work must be completed before December 30th for the fall semester, May 30th for the spring semester, and August 15th for the summer session.  If the work is not completed by the time specified, the I automatically becomes an F or NC. Credit for a course completed at the College will not normally be awarded after the deadline for changing incomplete grades. Exceptions to this policy require a written petition to the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement and are approved only in exceptional circumstances.
8. Students may repeat a course one time for credit if the original grade was a D or lower. To repeat a course, the student must first obtain approval from the academic adviser and the appropriate department. The repeated course must be taken according to the same grading system as the original course (e.g., graded A-F or S/NC). Credit for the class will be granted only one time. The original grade remains on the student’s transcript, although the credit for the original course becomes 0.0. Only the grade in the second course counts toward the cumulative GPA. A course may be repeated off-campus only with pre-approval by the appropriate department chair; the course will count as credit, but the grade will not count in the student’s GPA. If a course is taken a second time, both occurrences will count toward courses attempted for the quantitative portion of the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy, though academic credit will be awarded only once.
9. Each faculty member has the obligation to inform students at the beginning of each course of the means of evaluation for the course and the factors to be considered in the evaluation process (e.g., mastery of course material, use of evidence, ability to generalize, writing ability, verbal ability, mathematical ability, logical ability, ability to meet deadlines, class presence). Faculty are asked to inform students throughout the term as to how they are performing regarding the criteria of evaluation. Each student must receive a grade in one major course assignment in each course prior to the end of the sixth week of class (i.e., before the last day to “drop” a course). Grades are due at times to be announced by the Office of the Registrar.
10. Final examinations or other integrating assignments are mandatory in all courses, except in Independent Study and fractional courses (i.e., courses earning less than one full credit). No more than one-half of the final grade may come from a single assignment, including the final examination. Final examinations are to be given only at those times scheduled for each class by the Registrar. No examinations are to be given on reading days. Exceptions to the above must be approved by the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement. Students who have three final examinations scheduled for the same day of the week may petition the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement for an exception.
11. The criteria for evaluating Independent Study are contained in the Departmental/Program Independent Study Handbook.
12. A change of grade in a course taken at the College will not normally be permitted more than one semester after the date of completion of the course.
13. Grade reports are released online at the end of each term to students and to academic advisers. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides for student control over release of confidential academic information, including grades. Requests for grade information from sources other than the student must comply with FERPA guidelines for disclosure and release of academic record information. It is the student’s responsibility to share grade information. If a parent requests academic information, it must first be established that the student is a dependent as defined by IRS standards.
    Student waiver of FERPA rights and parental verification of dependency is documented by completing the FERPA Release form posted on the web page of the Dean of Students. Prior to processing requests for grades by outside sources, including parents, the Registrar will verify authorized consent to receive confidential information and student consent to waive FERPA rights of protection.

Maximum Course Credits in Physical Education

A maximum of one (1.00) course credit in Physical Education activities may be counted toward the minimum of 32 course credits required for graduation. Students who participate on intercollegiate athletic teams may count only 0.250 varsity sports credit, PHED 131xx or PHED 132xx, toward the four allowable physical education activities courses.

Maximum Class Absences

The College of Wooster expects regular class attendance as it is necessary for students to achieve the essential learning objectives of their courses.

Class Attendance: Faculty members are expected to articulate their attendance policy at the first meeting of the course and include the policy clearly in the course syllabus. 

A student may not miss more than 25% of class meetings (e.g., ~3.5 weeks of class for a full-credit course in fall/spring semesters), or alternative threshold set by the instructor, through any combination of excused and unexcused absences. If this occurs, the instructor will notify the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement and the Dean of Students for consultation to advise the faculty on how to proceed. Following academic guidelines, consequences may include a grade penalty or failure of the course. 

Recall (from the Scot’s Key): 

Involuntary academic withdrawal from Wooster may be at the initiation of the college, by the Committee on Academic Standards, at any point during or between semesters for reasons such as: 

• The student fails to attend the first day of classes for any given semester. 

• The student fails to attend classes regularly as outlined in individual course syllabi. 

• The student misses more than five consecutive business days without permission from the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement. 

• The student is not engaged in their education, for example, failure to be prepared for class and/or labs, failure to be an active participant in the classroom activities, and failure to turn in assignments on time. 

Any student needing to miss more than five consecutive business days needs to petition to the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement using the ‘Other Academic Petitions’ form on the Registrar’s website. 

Residence Requirements

• Two years of residence at Wooster are required for the B.A. degree, with one of them the senior year.
• Students are required to be in residence for the two semesters preceding the fulfillment of their degree requirements and are permitted to take no more than 4.250 (including 0.125 course credit in music performance groups) course credits per semester in the two semesters in which they undertake the Independent Study Thesis.
• The last six courses (including the two-course Senior Independent Study) counting toward graduation must be completed in the College’s curricular program.
• For transfer students, at least seven of the courses in the major, including the Senior Independent Study, must be taken at Wooster.

Scheduling of Classes

The normal times at which courses are offered are:

A number of courses meet four or five times a week, combining the time slots above. Laboratory sections are traditionally held in the afternoons from 1:00 to 3:50 p.m. A few courses may be offered in the evening hours on weekdays (MTWTh), normally one evening a week (6:15 - 8:55 p.m. or 7:00 - 9:40 p.m.) or two evenings a week (7:00 - 8:20 p.m.) Some performance courses in Music and Theatre meet after 4:00 p.m. and/or in the evening.

By faculty legislation, no classes are scheduled in the Tuesday, 11:00 - 11:50 a.m., time slot during the regular academic year. This time is reserved for departmental seminars, departmental Independent Study programs, and college-wide academic events.

Specific information about course offerings and class hours is given in the Course Schedule available at the time of registration. The College reserves the right to withdraw courses for insufficient registration or to meet changing conditions.

There will be fifteen weeks in each semester with at least fourteen weeks of classes, at least a two-day study period between the end of classes and final examinations, and a final examination or another integrating assignment in all courses except for Independent Study and fractional courses; final examinations may not be scheduled prior to the examination period except by permission of the Dean for Curriculum and Academic Engagement.

Transfer Credit

Transfer Credit Policy: The College of Wooster recognizes the value of transfer work, advanced placement, and proficiency tests, and will grant a maximum of eight course credits for first-year students who have satisfactorily completed acceptable transfer credits. Students who transfer to Wooster after studying full-time at another institution are classified as transfer students.

Upon receipt of the official transcript or credit document, the Registrar will determine, with the assistance of appropriate departments, how the credit will be awarded. Transfer credit appears on the student’s academic record as credit without letter grade, and it is not used in the determination of academic grade point average. Transfer work that has no established Wooster equivalent must be approved by an appropriate chairperson before credit is granted. Transfer credit approval forms are available on the Office of the Registrar’s webpage.

Credit will not be granted for transfer courses or proficiency scores that are submitted for subjects that appear to be equivalent. Credits granted for transfer work, if repeated, count only once toward the minimum 32 course credits required for graduation. All transfer course work should be submitted for earned credit within one semester of enrollment at Wooster. Beyond this semester, re-testing or other means of certification may be required.

Wooster does not grant credit for performance on the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Nor is credit granted for participation in programs sponsored by the National Outdoor Leadership Schools (NOLS) or Semester at Sea programs.

Transfer Credit and Graduation Requirements: Transfer credit submitted by a first-year student may apply to a maximum of four general education requirements. A student’s writing intensive (W) course must be completed at The College of Wooster.

Transfer credit for any of the following types may meet requirements in the major with the stipulation that seven course credits in the major must be completed at Wooster. Departments reserve the right to determine how transfer credit is equated to equivalent courses at Wooster. Placement tests may be used to determine levels of competency for any of the following types of transfer credit:

College-level courses taken while a high school student: Credits earned by enrolling in college courses while pursuing the high school diploma are usually acceptable toward a degree at Wooster.

British Advanced-Level Examinations: Students who complete the British Advanced-Level Examinations with marks of A or B will receive one elective credit for each subject that is included in the Wooster curriculum. Credit will not be granted for advanced subsidiary and ordinary level scores.

International Baccalaureate (IB): Students who submit scores of 5, 6, or 7 for the International Baccalaureate Higher-Level Examinations will receive one course credit toward graduation in the subjects included in the Wooster curriculum.

Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE): Students who pass the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations with scores of I, II, and III for each passed Unit will automatically receive credit for one Wooster course for subjects that are included in the Wooster curriculum.

Summer School Credits: Students who attend summer school in other accredited institutions should review their curricular needs with academic advisers prior to attending summer school. All summer school transfer credit must receive prior approval by chairs of appropriate departments and the Registrar.

Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board: Wooster participates in the Advanced Placement Program (AP) sponsored by the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). Students with scores of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement test may receive academic credit for their scores. On some tests a score of 3 will be granted credit. Information for requesting official AP grade reports is found at the following address on the College Board AP website: www.collegeboard.com/ ap/students/index.html. Wooster’s CEEB code is 1134.

The following table shows the AP test, the required score for credit, and how credit may count when applied toward Wooster General Education (Gen Ed) and Learning Across the Disciplines (LAD) requirements.

*Department review of AP portfolio required
**See Registrar’s Office for review

Veteran’s Education

The College is fully accredited under the laws that provide educational benefits for veterans. Specialized military courses are considered for credit based on the recommendations of the American Council on Education as contained in A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. Such credit is allowed only for courses which fit into the curriculum offered by the College. The Registrar is the College’s certifying official.