ACADEMIC YEAR
The regular academic year consists of two, 16-week semesters (fall and spring), and two, 3-week summer sessions. The fall semester begins the academic year. The 16th week of the fall and spring semesters is intended for final examinations. As needed, the College may schedule a winter interim term between the fall and spring semesters, and a summer interim term in August.
CREDITS AND CREDIT HOURS
At Hillsdale College, a credit hour requires a minimum of fifteen (15) hours of direct instruction (a contact hour), plus two hours of preparatory or followup work, for each hour of course credit awarded. For condensed-schedule courses (e.g., summer and/or interim terms, special seminars), the amount of work and study will be the same as that of a regular semester course, condensed over the shorter period of time.
Credit is most often awarded for traditional lecture courses as described above, but can be awarded for other types of courses or formats, such as laboratories, off-campus study, special projects, independent study, or internships. Credit for such experiences is determined considering contact hours, duration, and learning objectives as compared to a typical one-credit course.
ACADEMIC LOAD
A minimum of 12 hours of credit is required for full-time enrollment. Normally, a student registers for five academic courses each semester, plus co-curricular courses, for a schedule of 15 to 17 credit hours of study; however, a student may register for more than 17 credit hours if he has demonstrated an above-average academic record. Most freshmen will take four academic courses each semester, plus co-curricular courses, in a typical schedule of 12 to 16 hours of credit.
Credit hours associated with an audited course do not count toward the 12 credit hour minimum for full-time status.
COURSE OVERLOAD TUITION CHARGES
Beginning with the 18th credit hour, an additional per-credit tuition overload charge is required. Courses exempt from the tuition overload charge are: Biology 590, 591, 592, 593, and 594; Chemistry 475, 570, 575; Dance 210; Music 180, 190, 196, 199, music ensembles, and music lessons; Rhetoric and Media 241, 251, and 261; Theatre 205; CCA; Collegiate Scholars Program seminars and thesis; Journalism 380 and 381; and IDS 391.
CLASS REGISTRATION GENERAL RULES
Students pre-register for Summer and Fall semester classes during the preceding Spring term. Pre-registration for Spring semester classes occurs during the preceding Fall term.
Priority for pre-registration is based on class level (seniors first, then juniors, and so on). For students matriculating before Fall 2019, transfer credits and credits derived from Hillsdale courses are included in determining registration priority. For students matriculating Fall 2019 and after, only credits derived from Hillsdale courses are included in determining registration priority.
Pre-registration is completed through computer software made available to students, and the software remains accessible for making schedule changes until the week before classes actually begin. Once classes begin, students must use Add and Drop cards to make schedule changes.
Add and Drop cards have a seven (7) day expiration from the time of pick-up in the Registrar’s Office. To be considered complete, an Add or Drop card must include the student’s ID number, name, signature, and relevant course information. The signature of the instructor is required. For classes of more than two credits, the signature of the student’s advisor is also required. Cards must be returned to the Registrar’s Office for processing.
ADDING A COURSE
Once classes begin, a student may add a course to their schedule by completing the prescribed procedure, that is, by submitting a completed Add card.
There is no specific deadline for adding a course; such is at the discretion of the instructor. Generally, after two weeks of classes, it becomes too difficult for a student to catch up on missed work, so the instructor may prohibit enrollment.
DROPPING A COURSE
Once classes begin, a student may officially withdraw from (i.e., “drop”) a course, provided he initiates such action in the Registrar’s Office and completes the prescribed procedure.
Fall and Spring Semesters: A course dropped before the beginning of the fourth week of the semester will not appear on the student’s permanent record. A course dropped after the start of the fourth week but before the beginning of the seventh week of the semester will be assigned a “W” (Withdrawn) grade. After the beginning of the seventh week, a dropped course will be assigned an “F” (Failing) grade.
Three-Week Summer Terms: A course dropped within the first three class days of a summer term will not appear on the student’s permanent record. A course dropped on the fourth day but before the seventh day will be assigned a “W” (Withdrawn) grade. After the sixth class day, a dropped course will be assigned an “F” (Failing) grade.
Special Seminars and Courses: For special seminars or courses, deadlines to withdraw from classes will be pro-rated according to the guidelines set for the regular semesters. The above rules are independent from the course tuition and fee refund policy.
AUDITING A COURSE
Degree-seeking students may audit most Hillsdale College courses on a no-credit basis. Space in the course must be available and students taking the course for credit will be given first priority. Generally, only two students will be permitted to audit any individual course, and exceptions must be approved by the division dean.
Instructors have discretion in terms of expectations of work required of a student auditor, with regular attendance and participation being minimal requirements. If a degree-seeking student satisfies the instructor’s requirements, a final grade of “Y” (Audit) will be recorded on the transcript. The “Y” grade does not award credit or impact grade-point averages. If a student fails to meet the instructor’s requirements, the course will not appear on the transcript. A student has four weeks from the beginning of the semester to convert an audit to credit or, conversely, to convert from credit to audit, and such decision is final.
Non-degree seeking students may audit two courses per semester, but may not audit music lessons or ensembles, dance activity courses, or sports studies activity courses. Permission of the instructor and the division dean is required, space in the course must be available, and degree-seeking students will be given first priority. Non-degree seeking students are not permitted to convert from audit to credit.
Students (and guests) must officially register for an audited class by completing the prescribed procedure in the Registrar’s Office. Course fees, if any, will be charged.
REPEATING COURSES
Students may repeat only a course in which a grade below “C” was earned. When this is done, credit hours and grade-point average, both semester and cumulative, will be computed on the basis of the last attempt regardless of the grade earned. Both grades will appear on the student’s permanent record, the second being designated as a repetition. Because transfer course grades never apply toward a student’s Hillsdale grade-point average, replacing a poor grade earned can only be done by retaking the same course through Hillsdale College.
STUDENT ATTENDANCE
Students are expected to attend classes regularly, and to arrive promptly. At the instructor’s discretion, excessive absences may be grounds for lowering a student’s grade in the course, failing the student in the course, or canceling, by formal notice to the Registrar, the student’s registration in the course.
FINAL EXAMINATIONS
Students are expected to be available during the entire final exam period and to take final examinations when scheduled. Travel plans should be made accordingly. Having two final examinations scheduled on the same day is a normal occurrence, and students should prepare for that eventuality. However, a student who has three or more final examinations scheduled on the same day may request an accommodation from his/her instructors. A student who needs assistance with this procedure should see the Registrar.
CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS
| Credit Hours | Classification |
|---|---|
| 1-25 hours | Freshman |
| 26-55 hours | Sophomore |
| 56-89 hours | Junior |
| 90-124 hours | Senior |
Please note: Classification of students is not to be confused with academic probationary limits.
Grading System
Letter grades are used to evaluate academic achievement.
| Grade | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A | Excellent |
| B | Good |
| C | Satisfactory |
| D | Poor |
| F | Failed |
| I | Incomplete |
| W | Withdrawn |
| WF | Withdrawn Failing |
| WP | Withdrawn Passing |
Grade Values
In order to make grade computations as accurate as possible, all grades, including plus and minus designations, are given point values:
| Grade | GPA Points |
|---|---|
| A | 4.0 points |
| A- | 3.7 points |
| B+ | 3.3 points |
| B | 3.0 points |
| B- | 2.7 points |
| C+ | 2.3 points |
| C | 2.0 points |
| C- | 1.7 points |
| D+ | 1.3 points |
| D | 1.0 points |
| D- | 0.7 points |
| F | 0.0 points |
INCOMPLETE GRADES
Incomplete grades are temporary grades used to record a student’s deficiency in completing course requirements for reasons that the instructor deems legitimate, for research and thesis coursework where the delay in completing course requirements is planned, and/or for instances when an instructor needs additional time to compute a final grade.
Incomplete grades have no credit hour or grade-point impact. Once resolved, an Incomplete grade is replaced with a new, final grade and no longer appears on the student transcript.
Incomplete grades must be resolved by the close of the next, regular semester. At that time, the instructor must supply a final grade based on work satisfactorily completed, otherwise the Registrar will record an “F” (Failing) grade. Instructors may later request to amend the grade through the normal grade change procedure.
No student will be permitted to graduate with an Incomplete grade.
WITHDRAWAL PASSING OR FAILING GRADES
Withdraw-Passing (“WP”) grades do not involve a grade-point penalty. Withdraw-Failing (“WF”) grades are treated as Failing (“F”) grades for the purpose of calculating and assigning a grade-point penalty.
GRADES WHEN WITHDRAWING FROM COLLEGE
Any course dropped as a result of withdrawal from the College for approved medical reasons is recorded as “W” (Withdrawn).
Any course dropped as a result of withdrawal from the College for other than medical reasons is recorded as “W” (Withdrawn) until the beginning of the seventh week of the semester, after which a dropped course is recorded as either “WP” (Withdraw-Passing) or “WF” (Withdraw-Failing).
ACADEMIC PROBATION AND SUSPENSION
Accumulative grade-point averages required for satisfactory academic standing are as follows:
| Student Credits* | Accumulative Grade-Point Average Required |
|---|---|
| 1-34 hours | 1.75 |
| 35-64 hours | 1.9 |
| 65-124 hours | 2.0 |
*Attempted institutional credits plus non-course and transfer credits.
Any student who, at the end of any given semester, fails to reach the required accumulative grade-point average is placed on academic probation. Students placed on academic probation, or admitted on academic probation, will automatically be suspended unless they achieve the required average within one semester. Students admitted to Hillsdale College as special non-degree seeking students who have not reached a 1.750 accumulative grade-point average at the end of 12 hours will not be allowed to continue.
Any student transferring from another institution must establish a satisfactory grade-point average as determined by the category into which the total amount of his transfer credit has placed him (complete transfer and non-course credit plus attempted institutional credit).
The normal duration of academic suspension is one year (12 months), after which a student is eligible to apply for readmission. Such readmission is not automatic and will be dependent upon demonstration of significant productive activity during the period of suspension. In unusual circumstances, supported by exceptional achievement, a student may appeal to the Academic Status Committee for readmission after an academic suspension of less than one year. The academic suspension encompasses all terms during the 12-month duration, including the summer and interim sessions. Eligibility to enroll in any summer or interim session is granted just as it is for any regular semester.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
In their academic endeavors, students are expected to comport themselves in accordance with the Academic Honor Policy. See page 50 for more information.
SOCIAL SUSPENSION OR DISMISSAL
Any social suspension or dismissal during the regular semester will result in the recording of “W” grades for all courses, if the suspension or dismissal occurs prior to the seventh week of the semester. After the seventh week, grades of “WF” or “WP” will be assigned for all courses. See the section on Procedure for Student Discipline for more information.
APPLYING FOR GRADUATION AND CONFERRING DEGREES
Degree candidates must inform the registrar of their intention to graduate by submitting a graduation application. Applications for graduation at the close of the fall semester are due by the preceding May 1st. Applications for graduation at the close of the spring and summer terms are due by the preceding December 1st.
Hillsdale College confers degrees at the conclusion of its regular academic terms (fall semester, spring semester, first summer session, second summer session). A student’s “date of graduation” is the last day of the academic term in which the student completes all academic requirements. Diplomas may be withheld for students who have past due accounts.
COMMENCEMENT
Commencement ceremonies are held at the conclusion of the spring semester, and students completing degree requirements at that time are eligible and encouraged to participate. Students completing degree requirements at the close of a fall semester are eligible to participate in the Commencement ceremony held at the conclusion of the following spring semester.
To be eligible to participate in Commencement ceremonies, a student must have no more than six (6) credit hours of work left to complete their degree and a plan to complete those remaining requirements during the summer immediately following Commencement, although a degree will not be conferred until all work is completed.
SUMMER COLLEGE
Hillsdale College offers two consecutive three-week summer sessions. The first three-week session extends from the middle of May through the first week of June. The second three-week session begins immediately following the first session and continues through the month of June. Pre-registration for summer college takes place at the same time as pre-registration for the fall semester. Students will be expected to have paid their summer school tuition in full prior to the first day of summer classes.
Generally, students are limited to taking no more than four credit hours of coursework in each three-week session. Students wishing to take more than four credit hours of coursework must receive prior approval from the Registrar.
Non-degree seeking and/or guest students should contact the Admissions’ Office about applying for summer school. Enrollment in summer school is not available to students through the College’s dual-enrollment program.
TRANSFER OF CREDIT
Except as specifically noted below, transfer of college credit to Hillsdale College can be made only on an official transcript from another regionally accredited American collegiate institution. Regional accreditation must be through one of the following accrediting bodies in order to be recognized: Middle States Association, New England Association, Higher Learning Commission, Northwest Association, Southern Association, and Western Association.
Students who wish to transfer college credit to Hillsdale College must receive approval from the Registrar’s Office, which is responsible for ensuring the evaluation of each transfer course.
When coursework has been completed at an institution outside the United States, the institution must be an officially recognized tertiary institution, chartered and authorized by its national government. Consideration of such coursework for transfer requires prior approval of the Registrar and the Educational Policies Committee. However, transfer credit will be accepted from institutions that participate in Hillsdale College’s approved foreign study programs without the necessity of Committee review.
Students are responsible for submitting transcripts with English translation from international institutions. If this service is not available at that institution, evaluations may be performed by one of the approved credential evaluation agencies, such as World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credentials Evaluators, Inc. (ECE). Other reputable agencies can be found on the NACES website (naces.org). This policy also applies to international students intending to transfer to Hillsdale College.
Courses for which a grade below “C-” was earned will not be transferred for credit. Grades for courses transferred from other institutions are not factored into a student’s cumulative grade-point average at Hillsdale College.
Credit for transfer courses taken at a college or university that follows a quarter system calendar will be reduced by one-third, in recognition of their shorter semester and fewer contact hours of instruction, relative to Hillsdale College courses. For example, a course worth 5.0 academic credits at such an institution is considered equivalent to 3.33 academic credits at Hillsdale College.
Credits taken under ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) will receive 0.5 transfer credits for every 1.0 ECTS credit. College credits earned at Hillsdale College are generally accepted at other colleges and universities, subject to official evaluation. Requests for an official transcript should be made to the Registrar’s Office.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMS
Hillsdale College recognizes the Advanced Placement (AP) Program of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). Students taking college-level courses in secondary school and performing at a satisfactory level (4 or 5) on the Advanced Placement Examinations will be granted advanced placement and college credit. Hillsdale College will also accept for college credit the Higher Level (HL) Examinations given as part of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.
CREDIT BY EXAMINATION
Hillsdale College recognizes the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) of CEEB. CLEP is available to students seeking credit on the basis of experience rather than formal study. Not all available CLEP tests are accepted for credit by Hillsdale College.
If a student has more than four hours of Advanced Placement credit in French, German or Spanish, or if a student has transferred and is expected to transfer more than four hours of French, German or Spanish credit from another institution, said student is NOT eligible to take the CLEP exam in the corresponding language for credit.
INTERNSHIPS AND PRACTICA
Student internships and practica are supervised, planned learning experiences intended for academic enrichment and professional development. To be formally recognized by the College, such experiences must be taken for academic credit and include an academic component. The College does not award credit simply for hours worked by a student.
Academic credit for an approved internship or practicum is like that of any academic course, and all related rules and regulations apply, including grades, tuition, and fees.
To be eligible, students must meet the qualifying academic department’s expectations of “readiness” before being approved for an internship or practicum. Such may include course prerequisites, knowledge and/or skill proficiencies, or other standards set by the department.
Internships and practica must be formally registered with the Registrar prior to the start of the internship/practicum. The College will not register or grant credit for an internship or practicum, retroactively. Students registering for an internship or practicum must complete required documentation as prescribed by the Registrar. The academic department qualifying the internship may require additional documentation from the student.
An academic department may have a specific course number within its curriculum under which internships and practica are to be registered. If not, it is customary that the Registrar assign a 597 course number when registering the experience.
An internship has the characteristics of a real job in that a student is placed in a worksite under the supervision of on-site professionals, performs duties of substantial worth that often require independent application of skills and knowledge, and works hours much like employees of the internship site. An approved internship can last for several weeks, for a semester, or for a year.
Practica place more emphasis on the academic component of the experience as opposed to the work hour component. In a practicum, a student typically observes and records the work of a professional rather than being responsible for performing the work, although completion of some related tasks may be expected. A practicum is a field experience, the intent of which is to provide a student with an opportunity to correlate classroom work to the practices of the field. Job-shadowing activity is usually combined with assigned readings or other academic assignments. Finally, practica may only be for a few hours per school week and usually last no longer than a semester.
In every case, an internship or practicum must have an assigned faculty sponsor; he/she being associated with the academic department qualifying the experience. The faculty sponsor is responsible for designing or validating the academic component of the internship or practicum, which should be in excess of the normal work responsibilities of the student. Expectations are to be agreed upon prior to the start of the experience, including credit to be earned. The faculty sponsor will be the College’s point of contact with the internship/practicum site, will monitor the student’s activities and progress, and may visit the internship/practicum site. Finally, the faculty sponsor is responsible for insuring compliance with established procedures, and final assessment and grading of the experience.
To earn one academic credit, a student must work a minimum of 45 hours in their internship or practicum, in a semester. To earn two academic credits, the student must work a minimum of 90 hours. To earn three academic credits, the student must work a minimum of 135 hours. Generally, an internship or practicum must be for a minimum of three weeks of documented work, irrespective of credits earned, so that academic requirements and learning objectives can be fulfilled.
No student may earn more than three credits for a single internship or practicum experience, except students involved in the College’s Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program, the Sports Studies internship SSD 494, and the International Business and Foreign Language internship IDS 584. Moreover, students are limited to a total of six hours of internship and practicum credit during their time at Hillsdale College. A student may repeat an internship with the same employer, as long as the nature and the duties of the second experience are significantly different than the first.
Whether internship or practicum credits apply toward a major or minor field of concentration or any other specific program of study is determined by the academic department under which the experience is registered. Whether a student intern is or is not compensated by the internship site has no bearing on the experience’s eligibility for academic credit. Finally, the College does not award academic credit for an internship that involves direct, political campaigning.
A student who has questions about internships or practica should see the Registrar.
CREDIT FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS (597 SPECIAL PROBLEMS COURSES)
The 597 course is used for special study or research in areas not covered in other courses in the department. The credit hours granted should not exceed six in any one area of study, although each department may limit the credits awarded to less than six.
The subject of the 597 course should originate with the special interest of the individual student. The student is responsible for preparation of a proposal for the study and for filing an application for its approval. Applications are available from the Registrar’s Office.
Applications will be considered approved when signed by the appropriate division dean, the faculty member supervising the study, and the Registrar. Courses will not be registered until the signed application is submitted to the Registrar’s Office. Special projects that are to be done off campus must have the approval of the Provost. Ordinarily, such arrangements should allow for some on-site supervision by the faculty advisor for the study.
RECOGNIZED FOREIGN STUDY PROGRAMS
Hillsdale College offers students the opportunity to complete academic studies through established programs with international colleges and universities. Students generally study abroad during a single semester or the summer period; however, a student may receive approval to study abroad for longer than a single semester. Participation in a Hillsdale study-abroad program requires prior, formal application and registration with the Registrar.
Each program has a director whose role is to guide students through the College’s application and registration process, and well as to oversee completion of administrative processes required by the program entity. The director serves as the liaison between the College and the program.
When a student participates in one of the College’s approved study-abroad programs, credit earned within the scope of the program is considered institutional credit and grades earned apply toward the student’s Hillsdale grade-point average. Whether specific courses or credits completed apply toward a major or minor field of concentration or any other specific program of study is determined by the appropriate academic department, not by the program director. It is strongly advised that students have coursework approved before beginning the experience.
Information about fees and costs associated with participation in an approved Hillsdale study- abroad program can be obtained from the Business Office.
ASSESSMENT PARTICIPATION
In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the education Hillsdale offers, and to satisfy “Assessment” requirements of our accrediting agency, students may from time to time be required to complete assessment exams, essays or surveys, or participate otherwise in the assessment effort.