University College policies

Undergraduate policies

Academic standing

Academic standing

To be considered in academic good standing in University College, students must achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher. Academic standing is determined twice annually — in December after fall semester grades have posted, and in May after spring grades have posted. Grades earned during summer sessions affect GPA but are not considered for academic standing purposes until the next review period.

Academic warning

An undergraduate student with a cumulative GPA lower than 2.00 at the end of their first semester (fall or spring) is placed on university academic warning.

Academic probation

If a student's minimum cumulative GPA first falls below 2.00 in a term that is not the student's first term at ASU, the student is placed on probation. Failure to return to good academic standing after being placed on probation may result in disqualification.

What happens to a student on academic warning or academic probation?
A student on academic warning or academic probation is considered in conditional good standing and is permitted to enroll.

All University College students who are not in good standing are required to meet with an academic advisor and complete an academic success agreement. During the appointment, the advisor reviews the prior semester, discusses the student's academic standing status, possibly makes adjustments to the course schedule, and helps the student explore strategies to return to good standing.

Improved performance helps a student earn either good standing or continued probation status. Students who achieve a cumulative GPA above 2.00 are considered in good standing. Students who achieve a semester GPA above a 2.00 but retain a cumulative ASU GPA below 2.00 are placed on continuing probation. Students who fail to achieve a semester or cumulative GPA above 2.00 are subject to disqualification from the university.

All students who receive an academic warning or are placed on academic probation for at least one semester must successfully complete the academic refresher course UNI 220 Mindset Connections as a requirement of graduation.

Disqualification

Students who have been disqualified from ASU are not eligible to take classes at ASU during fall or spring semesters; however, enrollment in summer classes is permitted and encouraged. Students may enroll in summer classes at ASU to improve the GPA and bring the cumulative ASU GPA back into academic good standing (2.00).

Students who have had a fall or spring semester lapse in enrollment while on disqualification status need to submit an application for readmission to ASU to enroll in summer classes or to be considered for a future fall or spring enrollment.

Academic advising

All students are encouraged to seek advising from their academic success specialist (i.e., their academic advisor) prior to registration. Students must review the Academic Calendar each semester for information and deadlines pertaining to enrollment, including course adds, drops and withdrawals.

The ASU Academic Catalog is the governing source for all degree requirements. Students are expected to read the requirements for university general studies, undergraduate graduation and major degree requirements. The academic success specialist provides guidance.

Contact advising: exploratory@asu.edu

Mandatory advising

The following students in University College must receive advising clearance prior to course registration:

• new students in all exploratory tracks
• new students in their first semester of attendance
• readmitted students in their first returning semester
• students on academic probation or continuing probation
• students who have been disqualified
• students who are off track for graduation

Students are encouraged to use My ASU to check their advising status requirements each semester before attempting any registration transactions.

Credit and registration

Credit overload petition

A student may take up to 18 credit hours per semester (fall or spring) and seven credit hours each summer session. Before submitting the request for credit overload, the student must:

1. meet with their advisor
2. have a legitimate academic reason for making the request
3. have a written plan describing in detail how the demands of a heightened workload will be met
4. complete a full semester at ASU before the overload semester
5. be in good academic standing
6. not be repeating a course during the overload term
7. be a degree-seeking student
8. submit the form at least a week prior to the start of the session
9. meet the GPA requirements as outlined on the Credit Overload Petition form

Class overrides

Class overrides are not considered unless there are specific extenuating circumstances (e.g., if the prerequisite has been completed or will be completed at another institution before the start of the class in question). Class override requests are not considered after the add period has ended for that session (A, B or C).

The student must complete the Class Prerequisites Override form.

Space overrides

Under certain circumstances, the college may approve a student's enrollment in a class that has filled the number of allotted seats. Space overrides are not considered if the room has reached maximum fire code occupancy or if other sections of the same class are available at another time. Override requests are not considered after the add period has ended for that session (A, B or C).

The student must complete the Space Override form.

Transfer credit and appeals

ASU accepts transfer credit for traditional coursework that a student has successfully completed at regionally accredited institutions of higher education as documented on an official transcript.

When a student transfers to ASU from another college or university, the following general standards for transfer credits apply:

• ASU accepts college-level (not remedial) courses in which the student has earned a grade of "C-" (scale is 4.00="A") or higher from regionally accredited colleges and universities.
• A maximum of 64 credit hours are accepted as lower-division credit when transferred from a regionally accredited community, junior or two-year college, with the exception of some special programs.
• Acceptable academic credits earned at other institutions that are based on a different unit of credit than the one prescribed by the Arizona Board of Regents (PDF) are subject to conversion before being transferred to ASU. All ASU students must meet graduation requirements (university, college, major and general studies requirements) to earn a bachelor's degree.
• Grades and honor points earned at other colleges and universities are considered for admission, but the ASU cumulative GPA is based solely upon coursework taken at ASU.

University College standards

• Requests for general studies credit may be approved for transfer courses or for ASU omnibus classes (e.g., 294, 394 or 494 classes), which are not reviewed by ASU’s general studies committee and thus do not carry preapproved general studies designations.
• Requests for established ASU courses are discouraged; typically, either established ASU courses that are not already designated as general studies courses do not meet the criteria, or the department has decided not to submit them for general studies designation. Sometimes an instructor insists that their class meets general studies criteria, but if the university general studies committee has decided otherwise, the petition will not be approved.

Types of transfer credits not accepted by ASU:

• courses for which the student earned a final grade lower than "C-"
• credit awarded by postsecondary schools in the United States that lack candidate status or are not accredited by a regional accrediting association
• credit awarded by postsecondary schools for life experience
• credit awarded by postsecondary schools for courses taken at noncollegiate institutions (e.g., government agencies, corporations, industrial firms)
• credit awarded for continuing education units, continuing education credit, workshops, seminars, professional development courses, and other not-for-credit courses through postsecondary institutions.

A student who feels they have been unjustly denied credit for transfer may appeal the decision.

• Prospective students can contact ASU Admission Services or Academic Transfer Credit Solutions (articulation@asu.edu).
• Admitted students can contact their academic advisor or academic unit (found via My ASU).

Repeat/replace policy

Students who wish to repeat courses and possibly replace prior course grades must follow the repeat/replace policy (also university policy SSM 203-06 (PDF)) regarding the number of credit hours that can be repeated and the types of courses that are eligible for a grade replacement.

All prerequisites for the course must be met with the required grades before submitting the petition to enroll in a course for the third time or more (even if registration has previously been permitted without them). Students may not repeat a course for a third time or more if they have passed the course with a "C" grade or higher. Approval to retake a course does not imply that enrollment in a class after the add deadline is permitted or that the student may register for a class section that is already full.

Pass/fail grade options

A grade of "Y" (satisfactory) contributes to a student’s earned credit hours but does not affect the GPA.

The pass/fail grade option ("P"/"E") may be used under the following conditions:

• Approval has been granted from the instructor and college offering the course.
• Enrollment for the pass/fail option must be indicated during registration and may not be changed after the add period.
• A maximum of 12 credit hours taken for pass/fail may be counted toward graduation.

Students may not enroll under the pass/fail option in the following courses:

• first-year composition requirements
• general studies requirements

Late registration

For a student to add, drop or swap sections of the same course after the official add and drop deadlines, the course must be open, and course prerequisites must be met or overrides must have been authorized and posted. If these criteria are met, the student should do the following:

1. complete the Enrollment Change Request form
2. include instructor’s email approval, which includes course information
3. submit an enrollment change request form to the department up to three business days after the late add deadline to register for a course

Requests received after the three business day deadline will not be approved unless the instructor provides confirmation that the student’s grade will not be impacted.

Students should allow at least 24 hours for University College to process the request. If approved, University College will forward the request to the Registrar's Office for processing.

Withdrawals

Course withdrawals

Requests to drop a course after the drop deadline are not considered unless there are extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control. In these cases, a student may initiate a late withdrawal up to three business days after the deadline by emailing ucacademicservices@asu.edu. Backdated drops need department approval.

Medical/compassionate withdrawals

What is a medical or compassionate withdrawal?
Students who experience a serious illness, injury or other significant personal situation that prevents them from continuing classes may request a medical or compassionate withdrawal from the college of their major.

Medical/compassionate withdrawals require relevant and detailed supporting documentation for consideration. Approval is at the discretion of the college, and there is no guarantee that a request will be approved.

Students may review the full ASU medical or compassionate withdrawal policy.

Steps for submitting a medical or compassionate withdrawal:

1. meet with an academic advisor to explore the withdrawal procedures
2. work with faculty for alternative class arrangements or incomplete grades
3. consult with a student financial assistance counselor to determine financial obligation
4. review guidelines of required documentation sections below
5. submit the Medical or Compassionate Withdrawal request form

Required documentation for medical withdrawal
Students must obtain an official letter from a health care provider on health care provider’s letterhead stationery that details:

• the circumstances or challenges of the student
• the date of illness onset
• the dates the student was under professional care
• the general nature of the medical condition and why or how it prevented the student from completing the coursework or attending class
• the date of anticipated return to school
• the last date the student was able to attend class

Students who make a request for some, but not all, courses in a semester must provide a statement as to why they were successful in some courses but not others.

Required documentation for a compassionate withdrawal
The official documentation must include a statement from the student explaining the circumstances or challenges they are facing. Documentation should corroborate the request either by strengthening the request or by providing a timeline for events.

Example: If the request involves a death, attach a copy of the death certificate, airline itinerary and receipt, and funeral pamphlet showing dates.

Medical or compassionate withdrawal for international students
International students on an F-1 or J-1 visa must consult with the International Students and Scholars Center to discuss the serious immigration consequences that may result from a withdrawal from ASU. Students on an F-1 or J-1 visa must provide medical documentation from a U.S. licensed medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy or licensed clinical psychologist.

Complete session withdrawal

Because a complete session withdrawal from the university can be a difficult decision and could result in serious academic and financial consequences, beginning the first day of the fall and spring semesters, undergraduate students are required to contact the college or school of their major to facilitate the withdrawal process. Students should review the Academic Calendar for complete session withdrawal deadlines.

To complete a full session withdrawal, students must complete the complete session withdrawal procedures.

Note: International students must contact the International Students and Scholars Center regarding intent to seek a complete session withdrawal by sending an email to issc@asu.edu. Students are notified of the status of the submission. If approval is granted, the completed session withdrawal is forwarded to the ASU Registrar’s Office for processing.

Degree requirements

Exploratory tracks

All first-year students who choose to become an exploratory student are required to declare an exploratory track in one of four areas:

• exploratory health and life sciences
• exploratory humanities, fine arts and design
• exploratory math, physical sciences, engineering and technology
• exploratory social and behavioral sciences

Each of these tracks is designed to provide students with introductory courses in a field of choice (e.g., Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Environmental Design), general studies curriculum and elective courses that reinforce student interests. Each exploratory track is composed of a three-semester major map, culminating in the declaration of a major by the completion of 45 credit hours.

All exploratory students are required to enroll in a major and career exploration class (UNI 150, 250 or 270) each semester the student remains designated as an exploratory student.

Readmission/reinstatement

Students who have been disqualified from ASU may be reinstated to University College for a fall or spring semester if they complete either of the following:

• Raise their cumulative ASU GPA to an academic good standing level (2.00) by taking ASU summer session courses.
• Complete 12 or more transferable credit hours of ASU general studies courses at a community college or an accredited college or university with no grade lower than a "C" and a GPA of 2.50 or higher. Courses in which the student failed or received a “D” at ASU should not be repeated at another institution.

Once readmitted, the student may be placed on academic probation for at least one semester. Students on probation have one semester to raise their cumulative or semester GPA to meet the required 2.00 GPA to remain at ASU. Failure to do so results in disqualification from the university. Students should meet with a University College advisor to identify their options and develop a plan for success.

Students who have been disqualified two or more times are not be reinstated until they achieve an ASU GPA of 2.00 or higher by taking summer courses.

Quick re-entry: Students who have had an absence from ASU for up a seven semesters may be eligible to return to the university via the quick re-entry process. Students should see an advisor for additional information.

Readmission: Students not eligible for quick re-entry must submit an application for readmission for the semester for which they wish to return to ASU. This readmission is contingent on completing the requirements stated above.