UA Catalog 2002-04: Admission and Retention Requirements

ADMISSION AND RETENTION REQUIREMENTS

ACADEMIC BANKRUPTCY

In extenuating circumstances, a student may petition for academic bankruptcy for one semester or for an entire summer session. Academic bankruptcy is never granted for an academic term in which the student is currently enrolled, nor for the previous academic term. After a student has been in a division for two academic terms, the division has the authority to grant academic bankruptcy for an academic term in which the student was enrolled in another division. The semester for which a student is requesting academic bankruptcy must show a performance markedly different from the student's academic performance in all other semesters of enrollment at the University. The reasons for which the student is filing for academic bankruptcy must be extenuating, and they must be proved clearly and unquestionably in order for bankruptcy to be granted. Such circumstances must be beyond the control of the student and not due to a lack of interest or self-discipline on the student's part. The burden of proof is entirely on the student. Verifiable documentation of the extenuating circumstances, such as letters from medical doctors, must be submitted with the petition. Academic bankruptcy may be granted only once to a student. When academic bankruptcy is approved for a semester, all courses, including any that were passed, are removed from the student's record for that semester.

ENTERING FRESHMAN STUDENTS

The minimal recommended high-school preparation for programs in the College of Engineering is outlined on p. 13 of this catalog. When additional courses can be taken, students are encouraged to exceed these minimal recommendations by completing further courses in mathematics and physics.

Entering freshmen may enroll in specific degree programs, or they may enroll as undesignated engineering students. During the freshman year, each student should select the specific degree program to be pursued; the choice should be made prior to the beginning of the sophomore year. Differences in students' abilities and in the degree of their preparation make it necessary for each student to begin work in chemistry, mathematics, and English at the level determined by the Testing and Data Management Services in cooperation with the departments of chemistry, English, and mathematics. Grade points earned in preparatory (remedial) courses are counted in the grade point average, but hours earned for such courses may not be applied to the requirements for a degree.

READMISSION OF FORMER STUDENTS ATTENDING OTHER INSTITUTIONS

A student who has left The University of Alabama and enrolled at another institution, who upon leaving the University was eligible to return to the College of Engineering, may be readmitted to the College subject to the following:

The student must earn a GPA of at least "C" at each institution attended in order to be eligible for readmission.
If a GPA of less than "C" was earned at any institution attended, the student must secure approval for readmission from the associate dean for academic programs in the College of Engineering.

READMISSION OF STUDENTS PLACED ON INDEFINITE ACADEMIC SUSPENSION

In order to be considered for readmission to the College of Engineering, students placed on indefinite academic suspension must attend another accredited institution and earn a GPA of at least "B" for a minimum of 12 semester hours of courses required in the student's curriculum. The courses must be either (a) required courses that the student has not yet attempted, or (b) required courses for which the student earned a grade of "D" or "F" on this campus.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY

The student is expected to become familiar with all policies and procedures governing completion of the degree program in which he or she is registered.
The student is expected to select and register for the courses required to satisfy degree requirements; this includes satisfying all prerequisite and corequisite requirements. The College of Engineering requires a grade of "C" or higher in each course that serves as a prerequisite for any course in which a student enrolls for credit that will be applied to degree requirements. This policy applies to all courses in a curriculum, including all electives, that are part of degree requirements. If a grade of less than "C" is received in a course that is a prerequisite for a course, the prerequisite course must be repeated, and a grade of "C" or higher must be earned before a student enrolls in the subsequent course. Only two repeat attempts, or a total of three attempts, are allowed in an effort to obtain a grade of "C" or higher. If a student fails to earn a grade of "C" or higher after three attempts in a course that serves as a prerequisite for a required course, the student may not enroll in any curriculum having that course as a prerequisite for a required course. Some departments have more restrictive policies concerning the number of repeat attempts allowed. The associate dean may request an override from the vice president for Academic Affairs to permit continuance after consultation with the student and department head. This request will only be made in exceptional circumstances.
If a grade of "D" or "F" is received in a course that is a prerequisite for a course for which a student has registered, it is the student's responsibility to make the necessary schedule changes through the drop/add process. These changes should be made prior to the beginning of the next term, and they must be made before the deadline for adding courses. Failure to make the changes on time will result in administrative withdrawal from the course(s) whose prerequisite(s) the student has not fulfilled with a grade of "C" or higher.
It is also the student's responsibility to ensure that corequisite course requirements are met before registration. A corequisite course may be taken either prior to or concurrently with the course for which it is a corequisite. Failure to meet these conditions will result in the student's administrative withdrawal from the course.
A student who is administratively withdrawn from a course after the deadline to add a course may not add a course to replace the course from which he or she was withdrawn.
It is the student's responsibility to meet deadlines for advising, registration, dropping or adding courses, withdrawing from school, etc. Deadlines and drop/add instructions are published in the Schedule of Classes and Information Guide available each fall and spring semester.
Students are responsible for paying fees as established by the Office of Student Receivables. There is a $10.00 fee per credit hour for all courses offered by the College of Engineering. The fee is used to purchase laboratory equipment and supplies. No other laboratory fees associated with specific courses are permitted in the College of Engineering.
The student is expected to maintain an up-to-date mailing address with the Records Office, the Engineering Student Services office, and the departmental offices.
The student is expected to respond promptly to all communications from all offices of The University of Alabama.

TRANSFER STUDENTS FROM OTHER COLLEGES

In addition to the general transfer requirements of The University of Alabama (see p. 14 in the undergraduate catalog), students transferring into the College of Engineering must meet the following additional requirements:

Grades of "D" will not be admissible if the grade was earned in a course that is a prerequisite to another course required for the student's degree program.
The student must have a cumulative grade point average equal to greater than 2.0 for all work submitted at the time of transfer application.

For students not meeting the grade point requirement above, conditional admission to the College of Engineering is possible under the following circumstances:

The student's application is reviewed and approved by the host program and the associate dean for academic programs.
The student must earn a grade point average equal to or greater than 2.0 for the first 12 semester hours attempted at The University of Alabama immediately following conditional admission.

Failure to remove the grade point hour condition within the first 12 semester hours will result in the student being dropped from the host program.

In determining the transfer student's GPA for admission and other purposes, the College of Engineering counts each enrollment in a course as hours attempted. This policy applies even though repeat enrollments may not have been included in the computation of the GPA by the institution offering the courses. A student in the College of Engineering may not attempt any course more than three times without earning a grade of "C" or higher, including temporary enrollments at other institutions. Courses classified as "institutional credit," "remedial," or "not applicable toward baccalaureate degree credit" are not ordinarily included in the computation.

It is the responsibility of transfer students to submit, if requested, course syllabi and college or university catalogs containing course descriptions from each institution attended to The University of Alabama, Engineering Student Services, Box 870200, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0200. It is the responsibility of transfer students who attended foreign institutions to see that their credentials are supported by syllabi for all courses, translated into English.

TRANSFER STUDENTS FROM OTHER DIVISIONS

To be eligible for transfer to a College of Engineering degree program, a student may not have attempted any course more than three times and must have earned a grade of "C" or higher in the last attempt. If a student transfers to the College of Engineering from another University of Alabama academic division, all attempts at a course made prior to transferring are counted toward the three-attempt maximum. Students who have earned fewer than 45 semester hours may transfer to the College of Engineering if they satisfy the University of Alabama Scholastic Progress Standard (p. 22 of this catalog). A student who has earned 45 or more semester hours must have an overall grade average of at least 2.0 ("C") on a 4.0 scale, and an average of at least 2.0 ("C") on a 4.0 scale for a minimum of 12 semester hours at The University of Alabama.