New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences policies

The New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences offers interdisciplinary programs built upon the foundation of disciplines such as English, history, philosophy, psychology, forensic psychology, social justice and human rights, sociology, communication, mathematics, biology, and statistics. Through unique combinations and innovative partnerships, the college offers many diverse degrees, among them forensic science, applied computing, Latin American studies, interdisciplinary arts and performance, conflict resolution, and political science. New College degrees provide students with future-focused skills, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to solving the most critical and complex challenges of today and tomorrow. Students are prepared to steward sustainable societies that incorporate ethics and a respect for human rights, a regard for the environment, and an appreciation of culture and language, while at the forefront of innovation in science and technology.

Academic integrity

The New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences adheres to ASU’s Student Academic Integrity Policy. At Arizona State University, academic honesty is expected of all students in all examinations, papers, assignments, academic transactions and records. If academic integrity is compromised, possible sanctions include grade penalties, loss of registration privileges, failure of course, disqualification and dismissal from the university. New College students should also review New College academic integrity procedures and resources.

Graduate Students should also consult the ASU Graduate College Academic Integrity Policy.

Notice of nondiscrimination

ASU prohibits all forms of discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Students should review ASU’s policy ACD 401: Prohibition Against Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation.

Title IX protects individuals from discrimination based on sex in any educational program or activity operated by recipients of federal financial assistance. As required by Title IX, ASU does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education programs or activities that we operate, including in admission and employment. Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX may be referred to the ASU Title IX coordinator or to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights or to both. For more information, students should email titleixcoordinator@asu.edu, call 480-965-0696, or visit the office located at 1120 S. Cady Mall, INTDSB 284. For information on making a report, students should reference the Report It website.

Undergraduate policies

Academic standing

New College students must achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.00 in order to be considered in good academic standing at ASU. Students with a semester or cumulative GPA of less than 2.00 are placed on academic probation and are required to meet with an advisor to effectively plan academic progress toward graduation. Further information is available at the university Retention and Academic Standards Policy.

Advising

All students in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences are expected to meet with their academic advisors regularly, especially prior to course enrollment each semester.

To ensure students are making timely progress toward degree completion, advising may be required for the following:

newly admitted students
first-year students
students on academic probation
students off-track for eAdvisor tracking requirements

For eAdvisor tracking and other general academic program information, students should see eAdvisor or their program major map.

Credit and registration

Audit grade option

Students may choose to audit a course, allowing them to attend classes but not earn credit. Students must obtain instructor approval prior to enrollment. This grade option may not be changed after the drop/add period.

The audit option may be used under the following conditions:

Approval has been granted from the instructor and college offering the course.
The audit option is chosen during initial registration for the course.

Course load

Students are limited to a maximum of 18 credit hours per term. Enrollment in additional credit hours requires completion of an credit overload petition form and approval from the college academic advisor.

Course prerequisites

Course prerequisites are established to ensure student success in a course. Students must complete all course prerequisites prior to enrolling in the desired course. Prerequisite overrides may be granted under the following conditions:

A transfer course has been accepted by an advisor to fulfill a required course prerequisite.
A prerequisite override has been granted by an advisor.

Grade of incomplete

A grade of incomplete for a course may be granted by permission of the instructor under the following conditions:

The student is in good standing academically at ASU.
The student has completed a majority of the required coursework.
The student has experienced extenuating circumstances prior to the end of the semester, preventing completion of the course.

Students can download the Incomplete Grade Request form.

Pass/fail grade option

The "P" grading option is used to indicate a passing grade in a class when an individual student receives permission from both the class instructor and their college or school. If the student earns a "P" grade, they will earn credit hours, but the grade is not used for computing the GPA. If requirements for the "P" grade are not met, an "E" grade (failing) is applied. The failing grade of "E" is calculated into the GPA. The "P" grade does not meet requirements for course or program progression where a "C" or better is required.

For further information about this ASU grading option or to determine how a "P" or "Y" grade transfers from another institution, students should contact their advisor.

The pass/fail grade option may only be used under the following conditions:

The pass/fail option is available for the specific course.
Approval has been granted by the instructor and the college offering the course, prior to the start of class.
The pass/fail option was chosen during initial registration for the course, if available.

New College students may not enroll under the pass/fail option in the following courses:

those taken to satisfy first-year composition requirements
those taken from the student's major, minor or certificate program
those counted toward satisfying New College General Studies requirements
those counted toward satisfying New College proficiency requirements in math or language and cultures
those requested after the start date of the class

Satisfactory ("Y") grade option

The "Y" grade is generally used as a grade for successfully completed internships, projects, readings and conference, research, seminars, theses, dissertations and workshops. Students earn credit hours for a "Y" grade, but the grade is not used for computing the GPA. If requirements for the "Y" grade are not met, a failing grade ("E") is applied. The failing grade of "E" is calculated into the GPA. The "Y" grade may meet requirements where a "C" or better is required. However, there may be some exceptions. For more information about the "Y" grade option, students should contact their academic advisor.

The "Y" grade option only may be used under the following conditions:

The "Y" grading option is available for the specific course.
Approval has been granted by the instructor and the college offering the course, prior to the start of class.
The "Y" grading option was chosen during initial registration for the course, if available.

Academic (grade) grievance policy

The following steps must be followed by any student seeking to appeal a grade. This process does not address academic integrity allegations or faculty misconduct.

Student grade appeals must be processed in the regular semester immediately following the issuance of the grade in dispute (by commencement for fall or spring), regardless of whether the student is enrolled at the university.

There are two stages to the grade grievance process: the informal process and the formal process. Each process contains a series of steps.

Informal process

Step 1: An aggrieved student must first confer with the instructor; the student must state the reasons for questioning that the grade received was not given in good faith. The instructor must review the matter, explain the grading procedure used and explain how the grade in question was determined. If the instructor is a graduate assistant and this interview does not resolve the difficulty, the student may then take the problem to the faculty member in charge of the course.

Step 2: If the grading dispute is not resolved in Step 1, the student may appeal to the school academic director or designee within the school offering the course. The school director or designee may confer with the instructor to handle the problem. In most instances, the grievance procedure can be resolved with Steps 1 or 2 and does not go beyond this level.

Step 3: If the matter is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction after completing Steps 1 and 2, the student may then confer with the dean’s designee at 602-543-7000, who will review the case and explain the formal process to the student. If still unresolved, the student may proceed to the formal process.

Formal process

Step 4: No later than ten business days after meeting with the dean’s designee, the student must provide a written statement stating the evidence, if any, and reasons for determining the grade received was not given in good faith. Supporting materials should be attached as exhibits to the statement.

Step 5: The dean’s designee will provide the student’s statement (with any exhibits) to the instructor and request the instructor to respond to the dean’s designee within 10 business days.

Step 6: When the official, written response is received from the instructor, the dean’s designee will contact the student, who can then schedule an appointment to review the instructor’s response. After reviewing the instructor’s response, the student may submit a written request for a hearing before the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Grievance Committee. This written request for a hearing must be submitted no later than 10 business days after the dean’s designee notifies the student that the instructor’s response was received. The committee is a regular committee and meets monthly, as necessary, during the fall and spring terms when classes are in session. The dean’s designee serves as a nonvoting, ex-officio member of the committee.

Step 7: The committee will meet with the student and the instructor in an attempt to resolve differences. In order to preserve the confidential nature of the grade grievance process and to protect the privacy interest of those involved, the hearing will be closed to the public. The committee chairperson will preside at the hearing and will rule upon all procedural matters. A student who fails to appear or refuses to participate at the hearing will be deemed to have abandoned the request for a hearing, unless the student can demonstrate that extraordinary circumstances prevented the appearance or participation.

Step 8: After all parties have been heard, they will be excused and the committee will deliberate in closed session. Upon reaching consensus, the committee chairperson will submit their recommendation to the dean of the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. The dean will review the report and make a final determination regarding the appropriate course of action. The dean’s office will inform the student, instructor, school director, registrar and grievance committee in writing of the decision. The dean's decision is final.

It is university policy that students filing grievances and those who are witnesses are protected from retaliation. Students who believe they are victims of retaliation should immediately contact the dean’s office in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.

Transfer coursework

Credit is granted for transferred courses deemed equivalent to corresponding courses in the selected program of study, subject to grade and ASU resident credit requirements. No grades less than “C” (2.00) transfer to ASU. Credits transferred from a community college or two-year institution are applied as lower-division credits. For a listing of the acceptable courses transferable to the various degree programs, prospective Arizona transfer students should consult their advisors and refer to the ASU transfer tools.

Some courses taken from other ASU colleges or other universities may be acceptable for general university credit but may not be applicable toward the degree requirements of the schools. Determination of those particular courses applicable to a specific degree program is made within the appropriate academic unit.

Withdrawal

Complete session withdrawal information

Since a complete session withdrawal from the university can be a difficult decision and could result in serious academic and financial consequences, undergraduate students are required to connect with their academic advisor to facilitate the withdrawal process.

Students must complete the following steps and in the order shown here:

Review the Academic Calendar for complete session withdrawal and tuition refund deadlines.
Log into My ASU.
Under the My Classes section, select Registration, followed by Drop/Withdrawal.
Indicate all the classes and sessions for the withdrawal, answer the required questions, and select "Submit Withdrawal Request."
The request will be reviewed, and the academic advisor may contact the student for further discussion. If approved, the Complete Session Withdrawal request will be sent to the University Registrar’s Office for processing.

Prior to requesting a complete session withdrawal, the student is encouraged to discuss a potential complete session withdrawal with an academic advisor. To schedule an appointment, students should call 602-543-3000. ASU has many resources in place to help students. Students may want to consider one or more of the following:

Withdraw from just one or more classes, not all (course withdrawal). Students may withdraw from one or some of the classes in a session while remaining enrolled in other classes as long as the withdrawal is completed between the drop/add deadline and the course withdrawal deadline. Students are encouraged to contact their academic advisor to discuss the impact this may have on meeting critical requirements. Students are also encouraged to contact a financial aid representative to consider any impact withdrawing will have on scholarships, grants and loan packages.
Request a medical or compassionate withdrawal. A medical or compassionate withdrawal request may be made in extraordinary cases in which serious illness or injury (medical) or another extraordinary personal situation such as a death in the family (compassionate) prevents a student from continuing their classes and incompletes or other arrangements with the instructors are not possible. Students should review the specific New College medical and compassionate withdrawal requirements and procedures for more information.
Seek tutoring or academic support services. University Academic Success Programs provides a variety of services to help students become better learners and gain the confidence and skills they need in order to achieve their academic goals. Services include writing centers, math tutoring, subject area tutoring and supplemental instruction.
Make an appointment with ASU’s Counseling Services. Counseling and mental health services are provided at each of the four ASU campuses. ASU students may seek services at any of the campus counseling centers, regardless of their college affiliation.
Explore the possibility of an “I” (incomplete) grade.

Possible consequences resulting from a complete session withdrawal:

Financial aid: Financial aid recipients who completely withdraw from the university may be responsible for immediate repayment of funds. The effect of a complete withdrawal from financial aid depends on the date of the withdrawal and the type of financial aid. Students should see the maintaining your financial aid website for more information.
Tuition and refunds: By registering for classes, students agree to pay all applicable tuition and registration fees. Students are required to pay all tuition and fees for any registered course unless enrollment is officially cancelled during the 100% refund period. For more information, students should review the ASU Tuition Refund Policy.
Health insurance: Students should contact their health insurance company to determine whether or not withdrawing from the university affects their coverage.
University housing: Students who live on campus should contact their residential hall community staff to determine what impact withdrawing will have on their eligibility to live on campus and to complete a license agreement release form and arrange an appointment to officially check out.
Veteran benefits and certifications: Students should contact the appropriate veterans benefits and certifications office to discuss information regarding veterans educational benefits and military activation. For more information, students should send an email to w.westvso@asu.edu or visit the Pat Tillman Veterans Center website.

Procedures for general university withdrawal are at the University Registrar Services registration website.

Degree requirements

All candidates for graduation in the BA, BS and BAS curricula are required to present at least 120 credit hours, of which at least 45 credit hours must consist of upper-division coursework. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 is required for graduation. Students must complete a New College residency requirement of a minimum of 12 credit hours of upper-division (300- and 400-level) coursework from the school housing the student's major.

It is the student's responsibility to be aware of the degree program requirements and to select courses accordingly.

To graduate, a student must satisfy the following requirements:

NEW 101 or equivalent (first-year students)
IAS 300 (transfer students)
college proficiency requirements for language and cultures and for mathematics
university first-year composition and General Studies requirements
major requirements that involve concentrated coursework in one program
successful completion of critical-tracking courses as required on the student’s major map

Information on critical tracking and eAdvisor tools, such as the student's major map, is available at the eAdvisor website.

Proficiency requirements

Each student is required to demonstrate proficiency in the analysis of language and cultures and also mathematics by passing an examination or by completing the courses specified below with a grade of “C” (2.00) or better in each course.

Students considering graduate work after completion of a bachelor’s degree should consult with faculty advisors regarding language requirements in their intended areas of study.

Language and cultures

This requirement may be satisfied through one of the following:

completion of secondary education at a school in which the language of instruction is not English
completion of a language course at the intermediate level (202 or equivalent), including American Sign Language IV
completion of an upper-division course or courses taught in a foreign language, taken in the United States or the relevant country
completion of six credit hours of upper-division courses that have a global awareness designation (G) or cultural diversity in the U.S. designation (C) in addition to the courses used to meet the university General Studies requirements
completion of two sequential semesters of coursework in a current computer language

Students may obtain information about applicable coursework through the college advising office.

Mathematics

Students are required to complete MAT 142 or any MAT course for which MAT 117 or a higher-level MAT course is a prerequisite.

Major requirements

Each student is required to select a major from among the programs offered by the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.

All candidates for graduation for bachelor's degrees in New College are required to complete at least 120 credit hours of which at least 45 credit hours must consist of upper-division courses. A minimum cumulative ASU GPA of 2.00 is required for graduation.

No credit is granted toward fulfilling major or minor requirements in any upper-division course in the subject field of the major unless the grade in that course is at least a “C” (2.00). Normally, a passing grade (“Y”, for satisfactory) needs confirmation that it is equivalent to a “C” (2.00) or better.

General electives

Upon completion of all other requirements, the remainder of the minimum 120 credit hours required for graduation is general electives. Students should contact college advisors for assistance in selecting elective courses.

Concurrent degrees

Students in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences may apply for concurrent degrees through the university approval process. Students are eligible to pursue a concurrent degree within New College when the following criteria have been met:

Students must be in good standing with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
Students must have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours in their first program of study.
Students must complete 30 credit hours unique to each program.
Students must meet admission criteria and concurrent degree eligibility requirements for both programs.

Students should connect with advising to discuss their selected combinations. Degree combinations with significant course overlap may not be approved. Examples of incompatible majors include:

Biology BA or BS/Biochemistry BA or BS
Biology BA or BA/Pharmacology and Toxicology BS
Conflict Resolution BA/Communication BA or BS
History BA/History (Secondary Education) BA
Political Science BA or BS/Social Justice and Human Rights BA
Psychology BA or BS/Counseling and Applied Psychologice Science BS
Psychology BA or BS/Psychology (Forensic Psychology) BA or BS
Spanish BA (West campus)/Spanish BA (Tempe campus)

Minors

New College offers minors in many of its disciplines. All minors require a minimum of 15 credit hours in the discipline with at least nine of those hours completed as upper-division coursework. Six of the upper-division hours must be taken from courses offered by the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. Courses used in the minor may not be used in the student's major program.

Readmission

Undergraduate degree-seeking students having previously attended ASU but not enrolled at ASU for no more than seven consecutive semesters are eligible to return through quick re-entry. These students are not required to submit a new application or application fee but must contact an academic advisor in their school to enroll.

Undergraduates who have been away from the university for seven or more semesters and want to return to ASU in a New College program are required to apply for readmission through Admission Services.

Disqualified students must follow the procedures for readmission and will be reviewed by the college on a case-by-case basis.

Graduate policies

Students must fulfill all requirements of their individual graduate programs to remain in good academic standing, and they must abide by all university policies including those of the Graduate College and the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.

Graduate academic success advisors can be contacted at NCGradAdvising@asu.edu.

Satisfactory academic progress

All graduate students are expected to make systematic progress toward completion of their graduate program. This progress includes satisfying the conditions outlined in the documents listed below, and achieving the benchmarks and requirements set by the individual graduate programs as well as the Graduate College. Graduate students should review the New College Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (PDF) and the ASU Graduate College Policy Manual.

Academic (grade) grievance policy

The following steps must be followed by any student seeking to appeal a grade. This process does not address academic integrity allegations or faculty misconduct.

Student grade appeals must be processed in the regular semester immediately following the issuance of the grade in dispute (by commencement for fall or spring), regardless of whether the student is enrolled at the university.

There are two stages to the grade grievance process: the informal process and the formal process. Each process contains a series of steps.

Informal process

Step 1: An aggrieved student must first confer with the instructor; the student must state the reasons for questioning that the grade received was not given in good faith. The instructor must review the matter, explain the grading procedure used and explain how the grade in question was determined. If the instructor is a graduate assistant and this interview does not resolve the difficulty, the student may then take the problem to the faculty member in charge of the course.

Step 2: If the grading dispute is not resolved in Step 1, the student may appeal to the school academic director or designee within the school offering the course. The school director or designee may confer with the instructor to handle the problem. In most instances, the grievance procedure can be resolved with Steps 1 or 2 and does not go beyond this level.

Step 3: If the matter is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction after completing Steps 1 and 2, the student may then confer with the dean’s designee at 602-543-7000, who will review the case and explain the formal process to the student. If still unresolved, the student may proceed to the formal process.

Formal process

Step 4: No later than ten business days after meeting with the dean’s designee, the student must provide a written statement stating the evidence, if any, and reasons for determining the grade received was not given in good faith. Supporting materials should be attached as exhibits to the statement.

Step 5: The dean’s designee will provide the student’s statement (with any exhibits) to the instructor and request the instructor to respond to the dean’s designee within 10 business days.

Step 6: When the official, written response is received from the instructor, the dean’s designee will contact the student, who can then schedule an appointment to review the instructor’s response. After reviewing the instructor’s response, the student may submit a written request for a hearing before the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Grievance Committee. This written request for a hearing must be submitted no later than 10 business days after the dean’s designee notifies the student that the instructor’s response was received. The committee is a regular committee and meets monthly, as necessary, during the fall and spring terms when classes are in session. The dean’s designee serves as a nonvoting, ex-officio member of the committee.

Step 7: The committee will meet with the student and the instructor in an attempt to resolve differences. In order to preserve the confidential nature of the grade grievance process and to protect the privacy interest of those involved, the hearing will be closed to the public. The committee chairperson will preside at the hearing and will rule upon all procedural matters. A student who fails to appear or refuses to participate at the hearing will be deemed to have abandoned the request for a hearing, unless the student can demonstrate that extraordinary circumstances prevented their appearance or participation.

Step 8: After all parties have been heard, they will be excused and the committee will deliberate in closed session. Upon reaching consensus, the committee chairperson will submit their recommendation to the dean of the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. The dean will review the report and make a final determination regarding the appropriate course of action. The dean’s office will inform the student, instructor, school director, registrar, and grievance committee in writing of the decision. The dean's decision is final.

It is university policy that students filing grievances and those who are witnesses are protected from retaliation. Students who believe they are victims of retaliation should immediately contact the dean’s office in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.

Other graduate policies

Graduate students are expected to have knowledge of the information in this catalog as well as information published in the ASU Graduate College Policy Manual and New College graduate program handbooks available on the New College graduate advising website.

Additional considerations

Request a medical or compassionate withdrawal

A medical or compassionate withdrawal request may be made in extraordinary cases in which serious illness or injury (medical) or another extraordinary personal situation such as a death in the family (compassionate) prevents a student from continuing their classes and incompletes or other arrangements with the instructors are not possible. Students should review the New College medical and compassionate withdrawal requirements and procedures.

Continuous enrollment

Once admitted to a graduate degree program or graduate certificate program, students must be registered for a minimum of one graduate-level credit hour during all phases of their graduate education, including the terms in which they were admitted and graduate. More information is available in the ASU Graduate College Policy Manual.