To qualify for a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, a student must complete 130 semester hours. For all degrees, at least 50% of the semester-hour credits for all coursework and 50% of the semester-hour credits for coursework in the major are to be completed while in residence. At least one of the last two semesters must be done in residence. A student’s average grade overall and in each major must be “C” (2.00) or better. Each candidate for graduation must complete the general education requirements, a major concentration, and such electives as may be needed to earn the minimum number of semester hours required for graduation. In addition, each student must complete required departmental “end-point” assessment activities before he/she is admitted to candidacy for the degree. Each candidate must complete the community service requirement before becoming eligible for graduation.
A student is classified according to the number of semester hours successfully completed: sophomore standing is achieved with the successful completion of 32 semester hours; junior standing, 64 semester hours; and senior standing, 96 semester hours.
Unclassified and Transient Students
All students designated as unclassified or transient are bound by the same University policies and regulations as regularly enrolled students. Transient students are normally enrolled for one semester only, after which they must be considered transfer students.
Standards of Academic Progress
Student academic records are reviewed at the end of each semester by the Board of Academic Standards (BAS). The BAS, a group of 6 elected faculty members and three administrators, apply the university’s standards in cases of academic warning, probation, academic suspension and dismissal. This group also serves as the first level of appeal after academic suspension or dismissal by the Board. Wittenberg’s standards of academic progress are available in the Academic Catalog online at http://www4.wittenberg.edu/administration/catalog/current/policies/.
Credit Overload (20 or more semester hours)
A GPA of 3.5 or above is normally required for first-year students, sophomores, and juniors to overload. Seniors with a 3.0 or above may be allowed to take an overload of 20 or more semester hours. Petition must be made to the Academic Services Office. Attendance without such permission results in denial of course credit. A fee per semester hour is charged for an overload.
Makeup Examinations
Students are expected to take examinations when scheduled unless exceptional circumstances make it impossible to do so. All arrangements for taking examinations at times other than the scheduled time or for taking makeup examinations are made only by the mutual agreement between the student and the professor responsible for the course.
A student must request the course instructor to take a final exam at any time other than its regularly scheduled time. Permission is granted only for exceptional reasons.
General Education Requirements
(See Registrar’s Catalog.)
Wittenberg assumes an obligation to maintain for its students the historic traditions of freedom of association, the right of privacy, and intellectual liberty. The following policies relating to the disclosure of information concerning students are intended to protect student interests in these matters. Wittenberg’s policies regarding student records are in accordance with provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, and Registrar is the institutional officer responsible for compliance.
The term “educational record” means those records, files, documents, and other materials which contain information directly related to a student. There are various types of educational records held at Wittenberg University:
Permanent Academic Record, Transcript, and Student Folder (S-File)
The permanent academic record is an unabridged record of all courses and grades for which the student has enrolled. It also includes entries related to the student’s academic status based upon the semester’s achievement. It does not contain any entries relating to disciplinary action. It also records at the time of graduation the degree awarded and majors and minors completed.
Included in the student folder (S-File) are admission papers and correspondence, academic actions of the Board of Academic Standards, Dean’s List letters, petitions for waivers of academic requirements, declaration of major, study abroad requests, and similar academic materials. The academic record and the student folder are maintained by the Registrar and are accessible to University staff and faculty determined by the Registrar to have a legitimate educational interest requiring access to these educational records. Access to any other person is granted only upon written consent or request by the student. When a student is separated from Wittenberg, the S-File is moved to the Alumni File Room. The academic record remains in the Office of the Registrar, and access to this record is gained only upon authorization from the Registrar. Information concerning academic status may be disclosed to parents or guardians if the student has been declared a dependent by the parent or guardian for federal income tax purposes.
Personal File (P-File)
Included in this file are such items as housing forms, correspondence with student development staff, and a record of disciplinary action. This file is maintained in the Student Development offices and is accessible only to its staff members who must use the file in performing their duties. The Personal file remains in the Dean of Students Office and access is gained only upon authorization by the Dean of Students. Access to any other person is granted only upon written consent or request by the student. Files are destroyed upon graduation. Files of students separated for reasons other than graduation are maintained for five years and then destroyed. Personal working notes and comments of professional staff are confidential and not stored in this file or made available to anyone else. Records of disciplinary action are kept electronically indefinitely.
Students have access to their S-File, P-File, and Health Records upon request. No information from any of these files is released without written permission from the student concerned. Confidential letters of evaluation and recommendation placed in a student’s record prior to January 1, 1975, are not available to students, but all such letters written after that date are available unless the student has signed a waiver of access.
Student Health Record
Included in this file are the medical history records obtained during the admission process and records of all treatments and contacts at the Health and Wellness Center during the student’s enrollment. These records are confidential by law.
Health History and Physical Forms
The receipt of the complete information is a prerequisite for second semester registration. Immunization must be updated to include:
Student Counseling Record
Counseling records are located at the Counseling Office and are not a part of the health record. Counseling records are confidential by law and do not become part of the student’s P-File or any other file and are located in a locked file assessable only to the counselor.
Faculty Adviser File
Included in this file are working notes and papers of the faculty adviser concerning the student’s educational progress. If a student changes advisers, it is forwarded to the new adviser.
The policies outlined conform to those suggested in the Joint Statement on Student Rights and Freedoms, developed and promulgated under the sponsorship of the Association of American Colleges, the National Student Association, the Association of American University Professors, and other cooperating groups.
Eligibility for Participation in Intercollegiate Athletics
Any full-time student enrolled in Wittenberg may be eligible for participation in intercollegiate athletics depending upon appropriate Athletic Conference regulations. Questions regarding eligibility status are to be directed to the Registrar. A student on academic probation should participate in intercollegiate athletics only after consultation with his/her adviser.
Challenge Hearings
A student has the right to challenge at a hearing the contents of his/her educational records and to secure corrections of inaccurate or misleading entries. A student may insert into his/her records a written explanation regarding the content of such records but may challenge a course grade only on the ground that it was inaccurately recorded, not that it was lower than the faculty member ought to have awarded. Information about challenge hearings may be obtained from the Dean of Students.
Directory Information
The computerized student information is released to any person without a student’s prior consent, unless the student has notified the Registrar in writing that he/she does not wish this information to be released. It includes the student’s name, current enrollment status, date of graduation, degree awarded, address, telephone number, e-mail address, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, dates of attendance, and awards received. Students wishing to restrict the release of their local phone or local address should contact the Dean of Students Office by the end of the first week of the fall semester.
Information about student views, beliefs, and political associations which faculty members acquire in the course of their work as instructors, advisers, and counselors is considered confidential. Protection against improper disclosures is a serious professional obligation. Judgments of ability and character may be provided under appropriate circumstances, normally with the knowledge or consent of the student.
Disclosure of Information
Wittenberg University will not provide access to any information from the educational records of students without their written consent except as follows:
