ACADEMIC REGULATIONS

Course Load

To be considered full time a student must carry a minimum of 12 credits per term. In addition, a student will not be allowed to take more than 18 credits per term without special permission from the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and a student will never be allowed to carry more than 21 credits per term. A course load above 18 credits carries an additional tuition charge.

Course Changes and Resignation

Students may change their course schedule by adding and dropping courses according to the deadlines printed in that term's class schedule booklet (also see Dropping a Course[s] below). Before making such changes, the student should carefully check compliance with the course load requirements listed above. Dropping below full-time status may adversely affect a student's financial aid and housing. Students may also resign from the University following the deadlines listed in that term's class schedule booklet. A student will receive a W grade if dropping a course after a certain point in the term, and an R grade if resigning after a certain point. Neither grade, however, will affect a student's grade point average.

Dropping a Course(s)

Students who need to drop courses should log on to my.pitt.edu where they can change their schedule via adding or dropping a class through the end of the add/drop period. After the add/drop deadline established for the term or session, students cannot drop a course(s) but may withdraw through the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Specific dates for every add/drop period are published in the Schedule of Classes. Students who decide not to attend the University may drop all of the courses they are registered for during the add/drop period with no financial liability. Students who make this decision after the add/drop period must process a resignation form through the Office of Student Accounts.

Academic Standing, Probation, and Suspension

To maintain unrestricted academic standing at the University, a student must earn an overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.00. Otherwise, a student will be placed on academic probation or suspended based on the following cumulative GPA guidelines:

These guidelines are applied to part-time students where one term refers to 12 cumulative attempted credits.

Academic Dismissal

A student may be dismissed permanently from the University for academic reasons. Academic dismissal applies to students who have been readmitted after academic suspension and fail to meet the conditions of their readmission. Such cases will be determined by the Vice President for Academic Affairs on an individual basis. Students who have failed to maintain a grade point average of at least 1.00 may also be subject to dismissal. Factors such as academic motivation and campus citizenship will be considered in making such decisions for dismissal.

Reinstatement

A student who has left the University for any reason and remained unregistered for at least one year must apply for and be granted reinstatement before resuming his or her program. Students who attend another university during their absence from Pitt-Titusville must be readmitted and submit a transcript for evaluation. Reinstatement and readmission decisions are made through the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. It should be noted that the University of Pittsburgh will not accept credits earned at another institution while the student is on academic suspension or probation at a Pitt campus.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a moral obligation of both students and faculty; it is expected that both students and faculty behave in a professional manner in the University setting. The following guidelines follow those established by the University of Pittsburgh for each group:

Student Responsibilities

The student must conduct himself or herself in an appropriate manner in and out of the classroom. Principally, this involves doing one's own work at all times and complying with each instructor's class guidelines and requirements. A student violates academic integrity when he or she is involved in any of the following:

1. Cheating (such as unauthorized use of a text or notes during an exam, copying the work of another student, or obtaining and using a copy of an exam in advance of its administration)
2. Plagiarism (presenting as one's own the work of another without proper acknowledgment)
3. Deceitful practice (such as knowingly allowing one's work to be submitted by another student)
4. Class conduct that is so disruptive as to infringe upon the rights of the instructor or fellow students

If a student is involved in any of the preceding, there is a specific set of guidelines explained in the Student Handbook for actions that may be taken by the University and for sanctions imposed. This may involve a hearing before the Academic Integrity Board and sanctions ranging from dismissal from the University to failing the course involved.

Faculty Responsibilities

Faculty members also have obligations under the academic integrity guidelines. These include the following:

1. Meeting classes as scheduled
2. Being available for, and keeping, established office hours and appointments
3. Making appropriate preparations for all classes
4. Grading and returning all tests and assignments promptly
5. Describing course goals, prerequisites, and grading procedures before the end of the add/drop period
6. Using good-faith professional judgment as the basis for all academic evaluations
7. Not considering, in academic evaluation, such factors as race, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital, veteran, or disability status
8. Respecting the confidentiality of information regarding a student as stated in University guidelines
9. Not exploiting their professional relationship with a student for private or personal advantage
10. Respecting the dignity of students, individually and collectively, in the classroom and other academic settings

If a student feels that any of these have been violated by a professor, he or she should seek appropriate judgment of the grievance by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Grades

The following is a list of grades used by the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville and their numerical value, which is used to calculate a student's grade point average:

A final grade in a course represents the cumulative evaluation and judgment of the faculty member placed in charge of that course. If a student feels the final grade or an academic decision in a course was not determined in accordance with university policies or was determined arbitrarily, the student may appeal by adhering to the procedure described in the Student Handbook.

It is the responsibility of the student, before seeking to have a grievance adjudicated, to attempt to resolve the matter by personal conference with the faculty member concerned, and, if such attempts are unsuccessful, to call the matter to the attention of the Vice President for Academic Affairs for consideration and adjustment by informal means. If a matter remains unresolved after such efforts have been made, the grievance procedures shall be employed.

This grievance procedure must be initiated by the student and the written statement of charges must be received by the Vice President for Academic Affairs within the first ten (10) regularly scheduled class meeting days of the term immediately following the term in which the appealed grade was received. The written statement must be an accurate and complete statement of all facts pertaining to the matter.

Complete details pertaining to this policy can be found in the Policy Manual of the University of Pittsburgh, Academic Affairs, Academic Integrity, Guidelines on Academic Integrity—Student and Faculty Obligations and Hearing Procedures, Document Number 02-03-01.

Other Grades

The following entries may also be made on a student’s transcript:

Transfer Credits

A student who has earned credits at another college, university, or post secondary educational institution may transfer them into the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville. Official transcripts are evaluated for transfer credits and are subject to the individual requirements of the program to which a student is applying. Students who are on academic probation or who have been suspended from the University will not be given permission to enroll in courses at other colleges or universities. The following general rules will apply in most cases: (1) only courses that have a reasonable counterpart in the University of Pittsburgh System are eligible for transfer; (2) the number of credits given for the transfer course cannot exceed those on the transcript of the school where they were earned, nor can they exceed the number of the corresponding University of Pittsburgh course; (3) no transfer credits can be a part of the final 30 credits required for a degree; (4) all transfer credits are subject to reevaluation if and when the student transfers from one school to another within the University of Pittsburgh.

Students who have been placed on academic probation may be allowed, with the permission of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, to enroll in course work during the summer term at the University of Pittsburgh or another accredited college or university. The student is cautioned, however, that approval of the courses in which the student enrolls does not guarantee that the credit earned during the period of academic probation will count toward fulfillment of specific course requirements at this or any other college or university. Courses for transfer credit must be passed with a grade of C or better and are not used in calculating the student's GPA.

Cross Registration

Only students who are on unrestricted academic standing at Pitt-Titusville will be allowed to cross register during the fall and spring terms. Cross registration is limited to one course or four credits per term or session. Part-time students wishing to take courses at another University of Pittsburgh campus must receive the written permission of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Statute of Limitations

All of the credits required for a degree, whether earned in residence or transferred in from another institution, must have been earned within 12 years prior to the date on which the degree is awarded. Appeals on a case-by-case basis can be made to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Course Repetitions

In general, students are allowed to repeat courses at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville. The last grade earned is the one used in calculating credits to be awarded and in computing the GPA. In other words, grades are not averaged when a course is repeated, except for sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the Swanson School of Engineering—see University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering Bulletin. Course repetitions are limited in the PTA and Nursing programs. Contact these program offices for more specific information about the course progression requirements. Students are encouraged, and sometimes required, to repeat courses in which they have earned less than a C- grade. This policy is limited, however, by the following exceptions:

1. No sequence course may be repeated for credit after a higher-numbered course in the same area has been passed.
2. No course may be repeated more than twice except by special permission of the instructor and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. In no case will a student be allowed to repeat a course more than three times. NOTE: If the student has received a W or an R in a course, this rule does not apply.
3. No course may be repeated at another institution outside of the University of Pittsburgh system.

Nursing students enrolled in the Associate of Science in Nursing degree program are subject to additional curriculum policy requirements including the policy that no course may be repeated more than once. See the Nursing Program Curriculum Policy for more details.

Second Associate Degree

A student wishing to earn two or more associate degrees may do so by completing the following:

1. The associate degree general and core requirements and
2. The concentration requirements for each degree sought

Courses used to fulfill concentration requirements for one associate degree may not be used to fulfill concentration requirements for another. Thus, a student would need a minimum of 15 additional credits to earn a second associate degree.

Academic Honors

Term Honors

The University of Pittsburgh at Titusville has the following policy:

To receive honors recognition for the term, a student must have earned at least 12 credits. If a course has a mandatory grading system of S/NC, NC grades will not be acceptable for University Scholar honors.

Graduation Honors

Students completing an associate degree who have attained an outstanding scholastic record are graduated with honors. To qualify for university honors, a student must have attained a cumulative GPA of 3.25 for cum laude, 3.50 for magna cum laude, and 3.75 for summa cum laude, and this recognition is noted on the student's diploma and transcript. To qualify for program honors, a student must have attained a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or above, and this recognition is noted on the student's transcript. Honors are calculated only after a student has completed a minimum of 60 credits at the University of Pittsburgh.

Phi Theta Kappa

This International Honor Society of the Two-Year College recognizes the promotion of scholarship, the development of leadership and service, and the cultivation of fellowship among qualified students. The Alpha Pi Zeta Chapter on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville invites students for membership who have completed a minimum of 15 credits with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or above and who have demonstrated good moral character with recognized qualities of citizenship.