GENERAL ACADEMIC INFORMATION
REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION
Minimum Retention/Graduation GPA. Completion of the specified degree requirements with a minimum retention/graduation GPA of 2.0 and a minimum retention/graduation GPA of 2.0 in all work taken at Cameron University.
Minimum Hours in Residence–Baccalaureate Degrees. Baccalaureate degree candidates must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 30 semester hours in residence at Cameron University. At least 15 of the final 30 hours applied toward the degree or at least 50 percent of the hours in the major field must be satisfactorily completed at Cameron.
Minimum Hours in Residence–Associate Degrees. Associate degree candidates must complete a minimum of 15 semester hours in residence at Cameron University.
Minimum Total and Upper Division Hours at Baccalaureate Degree-granting Institution. Baccalaureate degree candidates must complete a minimum of 60 semester hours, excluding physical education activity courses, at a baccalaureate degree-granting institution, 40 semester hours of which must be upper division excluding physical education activity courses.
Minimum Hours in Liberal Arts and Science-Baccalaureate Degrees. Baccalaureate degrees must include a liberal arts and science component as follows: bachelor of arts, 80 semester hours minimum; bachelor of science, 55 semester hours minimum; and bachelor of specialty, 40 semester hours minimum.
Additional Degree Requirements. Some degrees have requirements in addition to these University requirements. Consult the specific degree for a listing of any such requirements.
Major Requirements. A minimum of one-half of the upper division credits required for a major must be earned in residence at Cameron University. The dean of the school responsible for the major, acting upon a written request from the student accompanied by a statement from the student's advisor and the chair of the department responsible for the major, may approve an exception to this regulation.
GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA)
Cumulative Grade Point Average. The ratio of total grade points to the total grade point earning hours attempted throughout a student's undergraduate career excluding developmental courses. It is calculated by dividing the total grade points earned by the total grade point earning hours attempted. Credit hours to which an “AU”, “AW”, "I", “P”, “RA”, “RB”, “RC”, “RD”, “RF”, “S”, “U”, or "W" has been assigned are not grade point earning hours.
Retention/Graduation Grade Point Average. The ratio of grade points earned to the total grade point earning hours attempted excluding developmental courses, "forgiven" courses, "reprieved" courses, and physical education activity courses.
GRADUATION UNDER A PARTICULAR CATALOG
The set of degree requirements needed for a student (undergraduate or graduate) to complete a degree is initially determined by the catalog in effect at the time of the student’s initial enrollment. Students, in consultation with an academic advisor, may elect to fulfill the requirements from a more current catalog. All degree requirements in the chosen catalog must be met. Mixing of degree requirements from multiple catalog years is prohibited. Students who have had a break in enrollment at CU for one or more years (from the end of the last semester in which they were enrolled) will automatically be assigned to the current catalog year and required to meet current requirements.
Curricular requirements for baccalaureate and associate degrees can be changed for students only to the extent that such changes do not delay graduation or add additional hours to the program.
DEGREE WORKS (DEGREE AUDIT)
Degree Works provides an individualized degree audit for students using their specific major and catalog year. Each degree audit includes detailed information such as completed general education, university, major, concentration, and minor requirements, the courses applied to each requirement, the semester courses were taken, the grade in each course, and the requirements that remain incomplete. The online degree audit can be a useful tool in the advisement process, but it is not an official degree check and should not replace regular consultation with your academic advisor.
Students may view their individual Degree Works audit online in Aggie Access by clicking the My Info tab, under the Student Quick Links channel, click Degree Works, enter student ID, and the audit will display. An academic advisor can assist individual students with interpreting their Degree Works audit.
TRANSFER CREDIT FROM REGIONALLY ACCREDITED COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Semester hours transferred from accredited colleges and universities are equated on a one-to-one basis. Quarter hours are equated on the basis of three quarter hours to two semester hours. The maximum number of lower division hours transferred from non-baccalaureate degree granting institutions which may be applied toward baccalaureate degree requirements is equal to the total hours required for the degree less 60.
Transfer credits from regionally accredited colleges or universities may be accepted in transfer to meet major or minor requirements upon review by the chair of department, or in some instances, other faculty, in the department offering the major or minor. Final approval of applicable transfer credits to meet major or minor requirements rests with the chair of the department offering the major or minor and the dean of the school. The Vice President for Academic Affairs or designee is ultimately responsible for determining the applicability of transfer credits to meet general education requirements.
Transcripts of record from colleges and universities accredited by HLC will be given full value. Transcripts of record from degree granting institutions accredited by organizations recognized by the United States Secretary of Education are subject to review and may transfer on a course-by-course basis.
TRANSFER CREDIT FROM NON-REGIONALLY ACCREDITED COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Transfer credits from colleges and universities not accredited by a regional association may be accepted in transfer when appropriate to the student’s degree program and when the dean of the school offering the major or minor has had an opportunity to validate the courses or programs. This responsibility may also be delegated to department chairs or faculty members. The Vice President for Academic Affairs is ultimately responsible for determining the applicability of transfer credits to meet general education requirements.
Transcripts of record from colleges and universities accredited by HLC will be given full value. Transcripts of record from degree granting institutions accredited by organizations recognized by the United States Secretary of Education are subject to review and may transfer on a course-by-course basis.
CORRESPONDENCE CREDIT
Credit earned through correspondence offered by regionally accredited institutions may be applied toward degree requirements upon recommendation by the student's advisor with approval of the department chair of the student's major and the dean responsible for the major.
SECOND BACCALAUREATE DEGREE
A student may receive a second baccalaureate degree upon completion of:
- a minimum of 30 semester hours beyond the first degree with at least 15 of the hours in residence at Cameron,
- a total of at least 30 semester hours in residence at Cameron,
- the additional requirements for the second major, and
- the U.S. History and American Government requirements.
SECOND ASSOCIATE DEGREE
A student may receive a second associate degree upon completion of a minimum of 15 semester hours in residence at Cameron University in addition to the hours required for the first degree, provided the requirements for the degree are met.
DOUBLE MAJORS
Students may have more than one major listed on their transcripts, provided they complete all of the requirements for each of the majors. A student seeking two majors must designate one of the majors as the "first major." The degree awarded will be determined by the designated "first major." Students fulfilling all of the requirements of a "second major" are not required to complete a minor.
DUPLICATE USE OF COURSES
Credits earned in a particular course may not be used to fulfill the requirements of two different majors or of both a major and a minor. Should the same course be required in each of a student's majors or in both his major and minor (See "Double Majors"), a student will be expected to complete an additional elective course in the discipline in which the duplication occurs.
GRADUATION APPLICATION
Each candidate for a degree must submit a graduation application online via AggieAccess the semester or summer session prior to the session in which the student expects to graduate.
DIPLOMAS AND TRANSCRIPTS
Cameron University views the diploma as a “ceremonial” document, suitable for display purposes. The document officially verifying completion of degree requirements is the transcript issued by the Registrar’s Office. A student may obtain a copy of their official transcript from the Registrar’s Office at no charge. Students may request transcripts online, by mail/e-mail/fax, or in-person.
PRESENCE AT COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES
An annual commencement exercise is conducted at the end of the spring semester. Students who have completed or plan to complete graduation requirements that semester or at the end of the preceding fall semester and those who apply to graduate at the end of the following summer session or following fall semester, are invited and encouraged to attend.
RECOGNITION OF HONOR GRADUATES
Graduating baccalaureate and associate degree candidates with superior academic records are accorded special recognition by the University. A student who has achieved a cumulative GPA of 4.00 graduates "summa cum laude," one whose cumulative GPA is less than 4.00 but is 3.80 or above graduates "magna cum laude," and one whose cumulative GPA is between 3.60 and 3.80 graduates "cum laude." These honors are listed on official Cameron University transcripts, and honor graduates are formally recognized at the commencement.
ACADEMIC LOAD
Academic load includes all courses in which a student is enrolled.
- Academic load for a regular semester is 15 semester hours and for a summer or 8-week session is 9 semester hours.
- The maximum load that a student will normally be permitted to carry is 18 semester hours during a regular semester or 9 semester hours during a summer or eight-week session.
- A student who has attained a retention GPA of 3.00 and has completed a minimum of 15 semester hours will be permitted to enroll in 21 semester hours during a regular semester or 10 semester hours during a summer or eight-week session. A student who meets these qualifications should contact the Registrar’s Office to have their maximum hours raised.
- All other overloads must be recommended by a student's advisor and approved by the dean of the school responsible for the student's major.
- The credit hour load that may be approved for a regular semester, summer session, eight-week session, or short course can never exceed one and one-half times the number of weeks in the semester, summer session, eight week session, or short course.
FULL-TIME UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
An undergraduate student who enrolls in 12 or more hours during a regular semester or 6 or more hours during a summer semester is classified as a full-time student. Students who wish to stay on track to graduate in four years will need to average 15 hours per regular semester or 30 hours per academic year. Some university scholarships and awards may require enrollment in 15 hours per semester.
CLASSIFICATION OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
- Freshman: 0-29 semester hours earned
- Sophomore: 30-59 semester hours earned
- Junior: 60-89 semester hours earned
- Senior: 90 or more semester hours earned
LATE ENROLLMENT
Enrollment after the first full week of classes in any semester, summer or eight week session or proportionate period of a special schedule is considered late enrollment. Late enrollments require permission from the instructor(s), chair(s), and dean(s) responsible for the course(s) in which a student wishes to enroll as well as the Vice President for Academic Affairs or designee. Any student enrolling late will be responsible for making up all work of the classes in which they enroll but is not guaranteed credit for any late work.
CHANGING COURSE SCHEDULES
Students who wish to make schedule changes must adhere to the following deadlines:
- Adding Courses. The first day of the second week of classes of a regular semester, summer, or eight week session or proportionate period of a special schedule is the last day a course may be added.
- Dropping Courses. Courses dropped during the first ten days of a regular semester, first five days of a summer or eight week session or proportionate period of a special schedule, will not be recorded on a student's academic record.
- Withdrawing from Courses. Courses from which a student withdraws after the drop period and prior to the end of the twelfth week of a regular semester or proportionate period of other sessions will be recorded on a student’s academic record with a course status symbol of “W.”
Students may not withdraw from classes after the twelfth week of a regular semester or proportionate period of other sessions.
To add, drop, or withdraw from a class, students may contact the Academic Advising Center, Student Support Services, the Registrar’s Office, or CU-Duncan. Students with departmental advisors may process their own adds, drops and withdrawals in Aggie Access using a PIN number provided by an assigned advisor.
Non-attendance or ceasing to attend class does not constitute official withdrawal.
AUDITING
A student may enroll in a credit course as an auditor on a non credit basis with the permission of the instructor teaching the course. Enrollment is done in the normal manner with the indication that it will be an audit. Auditors are not held responsible for the work expected of regular students and receive no grade or credit for the course. Test participation is the prerogative of the instructor. A student who audits a course agrees that they will not petition or ask in any way for the privilege of taking an examination to obtain credit after auditing the course.
A student enrolled as an auditor may change the enrollment from audit to a credit enrollment within the first week of a regular semester, summer, or eight week session or proportionate period of a special schedule, with the permission of the instructor. A student enrolled for credit may change the enrollment to audit within the first eight weeks of a regular semester or proportionate period of other sessions only, with the permission of the instructor.
ATTENDANCE
A student is responsible for the content of each course in which they are officially enrolled. At the beginning of each course the instructor will define and quantify attendance standards, procedures for verifying unavoidable absences, and methods of dealing with missed assignments and examinations. Instructions for dropping courses without an entry on a student’s academic record will be stated in writing and distributed. It is a student's responsibility to note these instructions and follow them consistently and carefully.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE DUE TO MILITARY SERVICE
Cameron University will grant a leave of absence, which shall not exceed a cumulative five (5) years, to a student who is a member of the active uniformed military services of the United States and called to active duty. The student shall be eligible to:
- Withdraw from any or all courses for the period of active duty service without penalty to admission status or GPA and without loss of institutional financial aid; or
- Receive an “I” for any or all courses for the period of active duty status irrespective of the student’s grade at the time the “I” is awarded; provided, however, that the student has completed a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of all coursework prior to being called to active duty and the student completes all courses upon return from active duty. The student’s admission status and GPA shall not be penalized and the student shall not experience loss of institutional financial aid.
Military students (including students utilizing VA Educational benefits) encountering special circumstances impacting their academic enrollment with Cameron University may submit a Special Request form to Academic Affairs. Students may request financial and/or academic relief through this process. If the request is due to unexpected military deployment which interrupts or precludes the completion of course(s), it must be accompanied by military documentation. Requests for academic and financial relief are reviewed by the Office of Academic Affairs and by the Business Office, respectively, on a case-by-case basis.
EXCUSED ABSENCES DUE TO RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS
It is the policy of the university to excuse the absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required class work that may fall on religious holidays. Where applicable, it is assumed that students will consider the religious holiday schedule in advance of enrolling in courses and notify instructors in advance of any absence due to observance of religious holidays.
WITHDRAWING FROM THE UNIVERSITY
Non attendance or ceasing to attend a class does not constitute official withdrawal. It is a student's responsibility to complete the withdrawal process. A student may not withdraw during the last four weeks of a semester or proportionate period of other sessions. A student who is unable to personally complete the withdrawal process due to unavoidable circumstances should contact the Registrar's Office as soon as possible.
CREDITS
Cameron University strictly adheres to the policies of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education when defining academic sessions and credit hours (OSRHE Policy and Procedures Manual, Section 3.18.3.) Per OSRHE mandate, all classes taught during the standard term are expected to meet for sixteen, twelve, or eight weeks in the Fall or Spring semesters; four, six, or eight weeks in a summer session; or an equivalent number of days/weeks between a semester and/or session for intersession. No institution, academic department, or individual faculty member is authorized to reduce the number of academic weeks in the standard semester without specific approval of OSRHE.
The semester-credit-hour is the standard and traditional unit of credit to be used by Cameron University in evaluating a student's educational attainment and progress for all programs. A semester-hour of credit is calculated as follows:
- One semester-hour of credit is normally awarded for completion of a course meeting for 800 instructional minutes, (50 minutes/week for sixteen weeks; 100 minutes/week for eight weeks; 200 minutes/week for four weeks), exclusive of enrollment, orientation, and scheduled breaks. Organized examination days may be counted as instructional days.
- Laboratory credit is normally awarded at a rate not to exceed one-half the instructional rate. One semester-hour of credit is normally awarded for completion of a laboratory meeting a minimum of 1600 minutes (100 minutes/week for sixteen weeks; 200 minutes/week for eight weeks).
- Instruction offered through a combination of class and laboratory meetings would normally observe the standards set forth above on a pro rata basis. For example, a course offered for four semester-hours of credit might meet for 100 minutes of organized instruction plus 200 minutes of laboratory per week for 16 weeks.
- Block or alternative course schedules may also occur within the dates set forth for a semester or summer session. Courses offered during academic terms shorter than a semester will observe the same academic standards involving instructional hours per semester-credit-hour as those courses offered during a standard academic semester. Institutions are encouraged to be flexible in offering courses in alternative schedules to meet student and employer needs.
- A student enrolled in a Study Abroad course is earning course credit, therefore, the course will be considered part of the student’s enrollment status for determining Title IV financial aid eligibility.
There are alternatives to reliance on time-in-class as the basis for determining academic credit-hours earned. The achievement of academic credit-hours should be linked to demonstrated student learning either through regular class assignments and evaluations or demonstration of competencies. When determining the appropriate academic credit for non-traditional or accelerated format courses, institutions must adhere to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Handbook of Accreditation Standards. HLC requires institutions to rigorously assess student learning outcomes consistently across all formats. Institutions offering courses in accelerated or other non-traditional formats are expected to be especially diligent in documenting that students in these courses master the skills and knowledge expected of students in traditional courses.
COURSE NUMBER SYSTEM
Course numbers are four digits. The first digit indicates the class year in which the subject is ordinarily taken. A zero in the first digit indicates a non college level course. The last digit indicates the credit hours awarded for the course. The two middle digits identify the course within the department. For example, a course numbered 2013 is a sophomore course carrying three semester hours of credit; a course numbered 0103 is a developmental (non-college level) course carrying three semester hours of enrollment (will not contribute to hours attempted or earned).
DEVELOPMENTAL COURSES
Developmental courses are taken to prepare students for college-level work. Courses cannot be used to meet degree requirements. All developmental coursework must be completed within the first 24 collegiate hours attempted. Successful course completion requires a grade of “RC” or better.
PREREQUISITES AND COREQUISITES
Enrollment in some courses is restricted to students who have taken or are taking certain other courses, who have attained a particular class standing, who have obtained the consent of the department, or who are pursuing a particular major or majors. In general, prerequisites are courses or conditions that must be completed prior to enrollment in a particular course; corequisites are courses or conditions that must be taken simultaneously with another course. Prerequisites and corequisites are listed with the course descriptions.
GRADING SYSTEM
Academic performance at Cameron University is evaluated using the following grading system:
