Academic Regulations

Occasionally, changes are made to academic regulations at Furman. Unless otherwise indicated, such changes will be applicable to all students enrolled at the time the change is adopted as well as to all students who re-enroll after a period of absence.

Academic Integrity

The goals of the academic program are achieved only if all members of the university community uphold and comply with the highest standards of academic conduct. Honesty, respect, and personal responsibility are principles that guide academic life at Furman, in and out of the classroom. Plagiarism, cheating, inappropriate collaboration, and other misrepresentations of one’s own work threaten the values of the campus community. Accordingly, violations of the ethical standards of the institution will have severe consequences, such as failure in a course, and/or suspension or dismissal from the university.

Students at Furman have a serious responsibility to uphold academic integrity by behaving honorably in their own academic work and by promoting academic integrity among their peers. If students are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism or any other form of academic dishonesty, it is their obligation to consult with faculty members so they fully understand what is expected.

For more information about academic integrity at Furman, students should consult with the Associate Academic Dean, The Helsman, or www.furman.edu/integrity.

Requirements for the Bachelor’s Degree

All candidates for the baccalaureate degree must be competent in reading with comprehension, communicating intelligibly both in speech and in writing, and solving problems which require fundamental critical and analytical skills. General education courses, major field of study requirements, engaged learning opportunities and a strong program of undergraduate research offer a significant number of opportunities for students to acquire these competencies. Students seeking a bachelor’s degree from Furman University must:

• Successfully complete at least 128 credits with at least 60 of these credits earned through Furman courses including the final 28 credits.
• Maintain a grade point average of at least 2.00 in all course work completed through Furman.
• Complete all general education requirements.
• Complete the Cultural Life Program (CLP) requirement.
• Complete a major field of study of at least eight courses for the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degree or a major of at least thirteen courses for the Bachelor of Music degree.
• Submit an application for graduation to the Registrar.

The bachelor’s degree may also be conferred on a student pursuing a professional degree (engineering or industrial management) who began undergraduate study at Furman and who meets the following criteria:

• Attain approval of the planned degree program by the chair of the sponsoring academic department.
• Successfully complete at least 96 credits that contribute to the Furman bachelor’s degree before beginning course work elsewhere, including all general education requirements.
• Maintain a grade point average of at least 2.00 in all courses completed through Furman.
• Submit evidence of successful completion of appropriate first year course work for a professional degree or successful completion of one year’s courses in an approved dual-degree program.
• Complete the Cultural Life program (CLP) requirement.
• Submit an application for graduation to the Registrar.

Since the award of the bachelor’s degree is contingent upon earning at least 128 credits, a student may receive only one degree at the completion of these credits. Students meeting the requirements for more than one type of bachelor’s degree must inform the Registrar when submitting their application for graduation which type of degree they intend to receive.

Credit Award

Academic credit at Furman is awarded based on the successful completion of learning outcomes at an individual course level. All courses are approved by the university’s faculty through a process that requires review and action by all appropriate academic programs and the recommendation of a six-member elected curriculum committee. Course-level learning outcomes are usually described in syllabi developed by the instructor(s) of record for each course section in consultation with other faculty members in their academic department or associated programs.

Contact with the course instructor is a key component required for students to meet learning outcomes at Furman. Based on historically-informed standards, students should be in direct contact with course instructors for nine or more hours per credit. Furthermore, students are typically expected to engage in activities connected to the completion of course learning outcomes for three or more clock hours for every hour of contact they have with the course instructor. In keeping with accepted practice in American higher education, Furman uses the semester hour as the unit for expressing the completion of academic credit.

General Education

The general education curriculum is dedicated to providing students the opportunity to acquire the skills, the experiences and the knowledge needed to achieve broad philosophical, historical, aesthetic and scientific bases for understanding and judging human experience, in the hope that they will enjoy lives characterized by broad vision, self-knowledge, independent action, tolerance and concern for others. As means to that end, the university requires all students to complete a set of courses designed to:

• Invigorate and stimulate intellectual curiosity
• Broadly prepare students in a diverse set of disciplines, including the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and the fine arts
• Encourage intellectual inquiry in sufficient depth to allow one to contribute to a greater body of knowledge
• Develop expressive capabilities in writing, speaking, and the arts
• Cultivate world citizenship-an understanding of those not like oneself
• Integrate knowledge into a meaningful synthesis

The general education requirements include:

Two first year seminars, which must include at least one writing seminar.

One of the seminars may be applied toward a student’s major, but neither seminar may be required for the major or be a specific prerequisite for another course.

First year seminars (FYS) will use the passions of the Furman faculty for ideas and discovery to ignite the interests and passions of students. Small, discussion-centered seminars encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning.

Both seminars will engage the material with the intention of fostering careful thought, intense discussion, and precise, vivid writing, while those designated as writing seminars (FYW) will explicitly devote significant pedagogical attention to the improvement of the student’s writing and the development of information fluency.

Eleven courses meeting core requirements, which must include:

Each course can fulfill only one core requirement. No more than three courses from a single department may be used to satisfy the core requirements.

• Two courses in the empirical study of the natural world, at least one with a separate laboratory component (NW and NWL)

Through these courses, students should understand how to study causality in the physical universe by constructing falsifiable hypotheses that are testable with evidence from the physical universe. Students should also be exposed to the major scientific theories within a discipline, and understand how these explanatory models were constructed and are currently applied. Students should also appreciate the tentative, progressive, and cumulative nature of scientific knowledge.

Students seeking the Bachelor of Music degree can fulfill this requirement by completing only one course. The course does not need to include a separate laboratory component. Bachelor of Science degree candidates must complete this requirement in courses appropriate for majors in the natural science (courses numbered 110 or greater in Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science, Neuroscience, Physics, Sustainability Science) disciplines.

• Two courses in the empirical study of human behavior and social relations (HB)

These courses will have as an underlying focus the empirical methodologies employed to describe, understand, and predict the behavior of individuals and groups. The aim will be to foster an appreciation among students for the value and meaning of empirically derived knowledge in our world.

• A course using historical analysis to study past human interactions (HA)

Courses focus primarily on the historical development of human populations, institutions, and activities, as well as the methods and challenges involved in historical analysis. These courses will provide systematic descriptive coverage of particular places, groups, ideas, institutions, or societies as they moved through time.

• A course in the critical, analytical interpretation of texts (TA)

A reflective, critical approach to reading deepens aesthetic appreciation of the resources of language and sharpens the ability to assess and evaluate the documents and messages that inform us and influence our choices. Included in this category are courses in literary studies and other disciplines that study the structures and methods by which texts create and convey meaning.

• A course (or four-credit equivalent) in the visual and performing arts (VP)

Visual and performing arts courses will help students develop an appreciation for how music, theatre, film, digital and/or multimedia artworks, and the visual arts can enrich us as human beings, express the vision of individuals, speak to the human condition, and foster an understanding of other cultures, societies, and times. These courses will also introduce the notion of the arts as a language with its own vocabulary, grammar and expressive capabilities.

Students may fulfill this requirement with a four credit course aimed specifically at appreciation or they may choose to complete a series of courses in music performance focused on skills development. Students choosing to fulfill the requirement through skills development in music performance studies must successfully complete one credit or more in a single instrument or voice during four consecutive semesters.

• A course in mathematical and formal reasoning (MR)

The courses that constitute this category all require the student to master rigorous techniques of formal reasoning and to apply the techniques of both formal reasoning and creative intuition in problem solving situations. Each course in this category will apply those techniques in the mathematical interpretation of ideas and phenomena, the creation and analysis of algorithms, and/or the symbolic representation of quantification, validity, proof, completeness, and consistency.

Students seeking the Bachelor of Music degree do not need to fulfill this requirement, while Bachelor of Science degree candidates must complete this requirement with a calculus course.

• A course in foreign language (FL)

The sustained, in-depth study of foreign languages is essential to appreciate other parts of the world and other moments of the past, as well as to develop a fuller understanding of one’s own world and one’s own language. To assure a meaningful acquaintance with a foreign language, all students will complete at least one course demonstrating proficiency in a foreign language, depending on their level of preparation, as determined by a placement exam.

Students seeking the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Music degree are required to complete a course numbered 201 or greater in a foreign language discipline, while Bachelor of Science degree candidates are required to complete a course numbered 120 or greater in one of the same disciplines.

Students whose primary language is not English must satisfy the requirement in a language other than their primary language. One alternative for these students to meet the requirement is to substitute ENG 111  and one additional course in American literature, culture or civilization. Students seeking to pursue this option should consult with the Associate Academic Dean for a list of the courses approved by the department chairs in English, Classics, and Modern Languages and Literatures. These substitute courses may not be used to satisfy any other core general education requirement.

• A course considering ultimate questions (UQ)

Courses considering ultimate questions invite students to engage metaphysical, religious and ethical questions in a direct and explicit way by examining ways in which individuals and societies have articulated what constitutes a good and meaningful life-as that is reflected in various past or present cultural or individual understandings of our obligation to others; our relation to the transcendent; and how these find expression in a rich variety of written, oral, and performative texts.

• A course emphasizing the importance of the body and mind (MB)

Courses emphasizing the importance of the body and mind will support Furman’s mission statement expressing a commitment to “develop the whole person-intellectually, physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.” Students will gain a greater understanding and experience corporeality (i.e., bodily existence) in relation to intellectual, social, emotional, and ethical contexts keeping within the spirit of developing the whole person.

Two courses meeting global awareness requirements, including:

Courses fulfilling a global awareness requirement may also meet core or major requirements. A single course may not be used to fulfill both global awareness requirements.

• A course addressing humans and the natural environment (NE)

Humans are affecting the dynamics of the planet; they are changing the composition of the atmosphere, the currents in the oceans, and the productivity of natural ecosystems. Because modern societies require more energy, food, and materials than ever before, we are increasingly dependent on stable, productive, and sustainable natural systems. Ironically, our societies are becoming increasingly urban and increasingly insulated from nature just as these ineluctable dependencies are becoming increasingly important. In order to foster an appreciation for these dependencies, courses will emphasize some aspect of the interactive relationships between humans and the natural environment.

• A course focusing on world cultures (WC)

World cultures courses will help students achieve a heightened awareness of the diverse cultures and traditions that have formed our world, and to reflect on the relationships between their own and other cultures. Courses will focus on the traditions, beliefs, experiences, and expressions of peoples of, or originating from, Asia, Africa, Latin America, or the pre-colonial Americas.

Cultural Life Program (CLP)

Each student must attend a total number of CLP events equal to four times the number of semesters (fall and spring) in which he or she enrolled for courses on the Furman campus, not to exceed a total of 32 events. For example: a student enrolled on campus for four years (8 semesters) would be required to attend 32 CLP events, while a transfer student enrolled at Furman only two years (4 semesters) would be required to attend 16 CLP events.

Students are expected to attend CLP events regularly throughout their undergraduate career at Furman. Registration priority is based on class standing as determined by credits earned and CLP events attended.

The list of approved CLP events is updated weekly and available through the Furman web site at www.furman.edu/clp. Attendance at CLP events is carefully monitored. Students must present photo identification at each event they attend. No substitutions or alternatives to CLP attendance will be considered.

Major Field of Study

All students must declare a major once they have completed 58 (or more) credits via Furman courses; any student failing to do so will not be permitted to register for any future semester. Students choose courses that will contribute to the major in consultation with their academic advisor and the chair of the department. The student and department chair sign and retain a copy of the field of study declaration and major requirement checklist which specifically identifies courses each student should complete to fulfill major requirements.

Majors may be required to enroll in a seminar during the senior year, complete a comprehensive examination in the major, or earn a 2.00 grade point average in the major. Typically, at least 20 credits in the major must be completed through Furman courses.

More detailed information about major field of study requirements are provided in the Academic Departments section of this catalog.

Individualized Curriculum Program (ICP)

Students who have educational goals outside of majors offered at Furman may propose an individualized curriculum program. Students approved for the program select courses under the supervision of a faculty committee and the student’s advisor. In preparing the program, the student should keep in mind the following:

• Typically, a minimum of a 2.50 GPA is required.
• Proposed individualized curriculum programs should be consistent with Furman’s liberal arts philosophy.
• The program should contain thematically related courses that will meet the educational goals of the student.
• Individualized curriculum programs should not be used to concentrate work in a narrowly pre-professional way or to avoid certain courses in established major programs.
• The ICP may replace a traditional major, but students pursuing this option are still expected to complete all other graduation requirements.

The student should plan the program from among courses offered at Furman or courses at other institutions approved by the ICP committee. Generally, it will be to a student’s advantage to apply to the program no later than the conclusion of the sophomore year.

Interdisciplinary Minors

While all Furman students are required to successfully complete an academic major in order to receive a bachelor’s degree, students may also choose to supplement their major by studying a specific topic from the perspective of different academic disciplines.

A minor typically consists of four to six courses (16 to 24 credits) of related course work. At least 12 of the required credits should be completed in courses numbered 200 or greater. Electives applied toward an interdisciplinary minor may be enrolled with a pass-no pass grading option. Courses enrolled to meet major requirements may also fulfill interdisciplinary minor requirements.

Furman offers minors in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies, Black Cultures in the Americas, English for Speakers of Other Languages, Environmental Studies, Film Studies, Latin American Studies, Poverty Studies, Science Education and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. A listing of courses and requirements for each interdisciplinary minor is included in the Interdisciplinary Studies section of this catalog.

Graduation Honors

Students who have earned at least 64 credits at Furman are eligible for graduation honors. Students earning a grade point average of at least 3.90 in all Furman course work are designated as summa cum laude graduates. Students earning a grade point average of at least 3.65, but less than 3.90 will be magna cum laude graduates and students earning a grade point average of at least 3.40, but less than 3.65 are considered cum laude graduates.

Advising and Registration

Students are assigned academic advisors with whom they should meet regularly to plan educational programs based on their interests, aptitudes, and educational goals. Advisors play an important role by offering informed advice about course selections, by providing information about co-curricular and extracurricular educational opportunities such as study away, internships, and undergraduate research, and by referring the student to campus support services. Students must consult with their academic advisor before registering for courses each term. Detailed information about advising and registration can be obtained through the Registrar’s web site at www.furman.edu/registrar.

No student may register for any course after more than 10 percent of a term has passed, seven class days in a fall or spring semester. A fee of $100 will be charged for late registration after established deadlines have been reached. Absences caused by late entrance into a course will count in the student’s attendance record.

All students should be aware that the final responsibility for satisfying graduation requirements is the student’s, not the academic advisor’s. Each student is responsible for his or her own enrollment.

Individualized Instruction (Internships, Independent Study, Research, and Tutorial Courses)

Internships, Independent Study, and Research opportunities offered on a “for-credit” basis are available in many academic departments each term. Students should consult with the department of interest to determine their eligibility for this type of instruction and identify a faculty member to supervise the internship, independent study, or research experience. Approval for completing this type of experience should be gained before the term in which the work will be done.

No more than 12 credits earned through internships, independent study, and research may contribute to the 128 credits required for the award of the bachelor’s degree. Content of courses already published in this catalog may not be offered through independent study. Traditional courses may be enrolled on a tutorial basis through arrangement with the offering department. Courses offered in this format will be registered with the same course number and title.

Class Standing

Class standing is updated globally at the conclusion of each term. Class standing will be updated on an individual basis during a term if final grades for previously enrolled courses are submitted, transfer credit is accepted, or course equivalencies are posted based on the results of testing, such as AP or IB exams.

Registration priority is based on class standing as determined by credits earned and CLP events attended.

Enrollment Status

Full-time students must be registered for a minimum of 12 credits each semester. The normal course load for the academic year is 32 credits; 16 credits in each semester, both fall and spring.

Students may not be enrolled at Furman and another college or university during the same term.

Study Away

Furman offers a wide variety of options for studying away from campus each year. Student participation is typically planned significantly in advance and is competitive. Consult with the Office for Study Away and International Education for more information about how participation for each program is determined.

Participants in Furman sponsored travel study programs are accompanied by faculty members who coordinate and direct the programs. All credits and grades earned away from campus in these programs are granted on the same basis as those earned on campus. Participants in semester-long programs typically enroll in four courses for which they can earn up to 16 credits.

Affiliate and exchange programs provide further opportunities for Furman students to study away from campus through partnerships with other universities all over the world. Typically, transfer credit is awarded for the successful completion of courses approved in advance by Furman and the cooperating institution. No more than 20 credits completed in a given term elsewhere can be considered.

Students may not enroll for campus-based independent study courses while participating in any Furman-sponsored study away experience. Students may also not enroll beyond the standard course load expected for the specific study away experience without prior approval. Some faculty-led study away experiences require students to reside on campus either before the start of travel or upon their return to campus after the travel portion of the experience is complete. In this instances, student participants in these study away experiences may not enroll for any type (credit-bearing or zero credit) of on-campus instruction without prior approval. Exceptions will be granted only in extraordinary circumstances with the approval of the Associate Academic Dean and the Assistant Dean for Study Away & International Education.

Course Overload

Students in good academic standing (i.e., not on academic probation) may enroll for up to 18 credits a semester. Students with a grade point average of 3.30 or greater in their past 32 credits attempted may register for up to 20 credits in a single semester. Typically, students who have not yet attempted 28 credits at Furman are not permitted to overload.

All other requests to register for more than the normal course load of 16 credits a semester will be granted only in extraordinary circumstances with the approval of the Associate Academic Dean. Additional tuition charges will apply for each credit beyond 20. Any registrations exceeding the normal course load may only be accomplished after the Initial Course Election process has been completed.

Students permitted to register for an overload while on study away will be assessed tuition for any credits beyond the standard course load expected for the specific study away experience consistent with the per-credit charge in effect for the term in question.

Course Auditing

Students may enroll in courses on a zero credit basis by registering as an auditor. They may register to audit courses during the course adjustment period.

Students seeking to audit a course in which they have previously received credit must receive permission from the course instructor and the appropriate department chair. The inverse is also true in that once a course has been successfully audited, students must gain permission from the course instructor and department chair to complete the course again for credit.

Typically, tuition for course auditing is 50 percent of the standard per credit rate. Students obligated to the comprehensive tuition fee may not have to pay additional tuition to audit a course. Please see the Student Business Center for specific information.

Guest Learners

Members of the community, not currently enrolled at the university on any basis, may regularly observe or participate in instruction with the permission of the instructor strictly on a space-available basis. The participation will NOT appear on an academic transcript. A $200 administrative fee will be assessed for this type of participation to address costs associated with the instruction.

Credit by Examination (Course Challenge)

With the approval of the instructor who will administer the exam, the chair of the department in which the course is offered and the Associate Academic Dean, any student seeking a degree at Furman may earn credit for a course by demonstrating mastery by examination. Students may not challenge an independent study, research course, course offered during May Experience or any course for which they previously enrolled either for credit or as an auditor. Moreover, a course challenged may not be enrolled with a pass-no pass grading option.

Students should consult with the instructor to determine examination requirements and standards before registering for the course challenge. The student should expect no more assistance than being informed of the material to be covered on the exam. Under no circumstances will a student be permitted to attend class meetings of the course being challenged.

Course challenges should be registered during the normal registration period for the term. A credit by examination fee of $100 will be charged if the challenge is outside the bounds of the comprehensive tuition fee. The examination must be completed before the end of the term in which it is registered. The grade earned for the examination will appear on the permanent academic record consistent with courses that yield traditional letter grades.

Class Attendance

The instructor sets the attendance requirement for each course. The following guidelines should be considered in effect unless otherwise stated: Freshman will be withdrawn from a course if absent, for any reason, 15 percent of the class meetings. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors will be withdrawn from a course if absent 25 percent of the class meetings. In both cases, a failing (F) grade will be recorded unless the absences were due to providential reasons, in which cases a withdrawal (W) grade may be assigned after consultation with the Associate Academic Dean.

Course Adjustment and Withdrawals

Students may drop a course with no designation on the permanent academic record during the course adjustment period each term. The course adjustment period includes the first ten percent of class days each term, seven days of classes in both the fall and spring semester.

Course withdrawals occurring between the end of the course adjustment period and the midpoint of each term will be designated as a withdrawal (W) in the student record. The withdrawal period concludes after one half of the term has been completed, the thirty-fifth day of class in both the fall and spring semesters. The withdrawal deadline in both the fall and spring semester is extended by ten percent of class days, seven days of class each semester, for new students (freshmen or transfers).

Students should consult with their academic advisor(s) before exiting a course (drop or withdrawal) in which class meetings have already occurred. Students must also ensure that the instructor of the course has been informed of their departure during this time period. Students withdrawing from all courses in a given term, but who intend to return during the next semester, are designated as “term withdrawals”. Term withdrawals are facilitated by the Associate Academic Dean. Students executing a term withdrawal for any reason that reside in university housing must depart these accommodations.

A student may not withdraw from a course after the deadline has passed without special permission from the Associate Academic Dean. Permission will ordinarily not be granted except for reasons of acute illness, injury or other emergencies that necessitate extended absence from class or prohibit the student from completing course requirements.

Examinations

All courses conclude each term with a final examination. Exceptions must be approved by the appropriate department chair and the Associate Academic Dean. Any instructor who wishes to administer the final examination at a time other than the one specified on the final exam schedule must secure the approval of the department chair and the Associate Academic Dean.

Students are expected to take examinations when scheduled. Exceptions, which must be approved by the Associate Academic Dean, are granted only in cases of extreme extenuating circumstances. Exceptions are normally not granted for reasons related to family or personal travel.

Grading

Traditional letter grades at Furman include:

Course enrolled on a pass-no pass basis will be graded:

Zero credit courses are graded:

Other final grades include:

Temporary designations may include:

Incomplete designations are to be recorded only when the instructor is convinced that a student has been unavoidably prevented from completing the required work in a course. Incomplete grades must be changed no later than 40 calendar days after the final grade deadline for the term in which the course or courses will be transcripted. Incomplete grades for students on academic probation must be changed to permanent grades no later than the start of the following semester. All incompletes are converted to failing grades after this deadline has been reached.

The temporary grades of Not Reported and/or Question must be resolved by immediate action. Travel study grades are expected to be replaced by a final grade no later than 40 calendar days after the final grade deadline in which the course or courses will be transcripted, while marks of Course In Progress are typically addressed at the conclusion of a specific future term clearly defined at the beginning of the course.

A student who has a question concerning a grade should discuss the matter with the instructor as soon as possible. If after such consultation the student believes that the assigned grade resulted from error or malfeasance, the grade may be formally appealed under procedures published in the Faculty Handbook. Copies of these procedures are available from the Associate Academic Dean.

Final grade assignments may be refined utilizing plus and minus grades. All grades correspond to quality point values that determine a student’s grade point average. For each hour attempted, letter grades earn quality points as follows:

The grade point average is computed by dividing the total quality points earned at Furman by the number of credits attempted in courses for which the student received a traditional letter grade (AF). For academic purposes, grade point averages are always rounded to two decimal places.

Pass-No Pass Grading Option

The pass-no pass grading option encourages students to enrich their education beyond the general education requirements, their majors, and areas of academic strength. A student may elect to enroll up to 12 credits through the pass-no pass grading option during their undergraduate career at Furman. No student may elect the pass-no pass option for more than 8 credits in a single term. Students on academic probation may not exercise this option, nor may any student who has ever been suspended for academic reasons.

Courses enrolled through the pass-no pass grading option may not satisfy a general education requirement, satisfy a major requirement, or be part of a Furman-sponsored study away program. Further, foreign language or mathematics courses may not be enrolled through the pass-no pass grading option until the student has satisfied the general education requirements in foreign language or mathematics and formal reasoning, respectively.

Students may not elect the pass-no pass grading option for any course offered through their major department. A course in which a passing (P) or marginal pass (PD) grade has been recorded may not contribute to a student’s major requirements unless specifically approved by the major department, while any course in which a not passing (NP) grade has been recorded for a major requirement may retroactively be converted to a failing (F) grade if the approval had not been obtained.

Exceptions to use the pass-no pass grading option for courses associated with study away programs may be requested by individual program directors and will be granted only with the approval of the Associate Academic Dean and the Assistant Dean for Study Away and International Education.

Students may elect the pass-no pass grading option for any course they have enrolled consistent with stated eligibility rules no later than the midpoint of the term. At that time, students indicate the lowest acceptable traditional letter grade for the course that they would accept. Instructors are not aware of which students have elected the pass-no pass grading option. At the end of the term they will submit a traditional letter grade for each student. If the traditional letter grade earned is equal to or greater than the lowest acceptable grade designated by the student, the traditional letter grade is recorded. Traditional letter grades below the lowest acceptable grade designated by the student are converted as follows: satisfactory or better (C- and higher) to passing (P); marginal (D+, D and D-) to marginal pass (PD); and failing (F) to not passing (NP). Grades of P, PD and NP do not affect student grade point averages. Students may alter the lowest acceptable grade designation until the conclusion of the course adjustment period of the next semester.

Withdrawal from a course graded through the pass-no pass grading option will not contribute to the 12 credit limit. All courses that a student completes through the pass-no pass grading option contribute to the 12 credit limit, regardless of the final disposition of the grade, converted or not. Courses graded on a pass-no pass basis only do not contribute to meeting the 12 credit pass-no pass grading option limit.

Grade Reports

Final grades must be submitted within 48 hours after the conclusion of the examination period, excluding Sundays, to the Registrar. Students may access their grades for the term via the ARMS (Advising and Registration Made Simple) tool as soon as they have been verified.

Dean’s List

Full-time candidates for an undergraduate degree who earn a grade point average of at least 3.40 during any regular term are included on the Dean’s List at the end of that term. Students must successfully complete at least 12 credits in courses with traditional letter grades during a semester to be eligible. Students with outstanding incomplete designations for the term in question do not qualify.

Academic Probation

Students are placed on academic probation if they have not earned the minimum grade point average indicated below based on credits attempted:

Credits attempted for the purposes of academic probation include all work at Furman plus any credits earned elsewhere contributing toward the degree (AP, IB, transfer credits). Credits transferred to Furman are not used in computing grade point averages, however.

Student records are reviewed every semester until the student has more than 16 credits attempted; between 17 and 99 credits, records are reviewed only the first term (including summer) in which the number of credits attempted falls in each specified range. Beginning with 100 credits attempted, student records will be reviewed at the end of each term regardless of the number of credits enrolled. At this juncture, students who do not have a 2.00 grade point average will be placed on academic probation.

Students who are on academic probation are not eligible to overload, transfer in course credit, nor enroll a course on a pass-no pass basis. Students who are eligible to enroll for the spring semester will automatically be eligible for May Experience, regardless of probation status.

A student failing to meet the standards described above at two consecutive review points will be suspended from Furman. The student may not enroll again at Furman until two semesters have elapsed. To re-enroll, the student must apply through the Associate Academic Dean.

Any student suspended for incurring a second successive term of probation may, if academic circumstances warrant such consideration, petition the Appeals Committee to set aside the suspension. The committee will consider each request on its merits, based on what the committee believes to be the student’s probability of ultimate academic success. Among factors a petitioning student may cite in support of the request are: a grade point average of at least 2.00 during the most recent term or terms of enrollment; a grade point average within .10 of that required under the regulations at the end of the most recent term of enrollment; written statements of support from faculty members; evidence that poor academic performance resulted from extra-academic factors no longer applicable or from an unwise curriculum choice which has subsequently been corrected.

Students who do not appeal suspension or whose appeal is denied may petition the Appeals Committee for the chance to apply for re-admission only after one semester away from Furman. The student should be able to demonstrate convincingly that one semester of suspension has been sufficient.

All decisions about re-admission will be based on the strength of the case made in support of re-enrollment. Students should consult with the Associate Academic Dean about the timing of the appeals and re-admission processes

A student re-admitted after suspension or one whose suspension has been set aside by the Appeals Committee placed on academic probation an additional two successive times will be dismissed from Furman University. Such a student may appeal the dismissal in the same manner in which a suspended student may appeal. If a student who has been dismissed wishes to re-enroll, that student must apply through the Appeals Committee.

Repeating Courses

Degree-seeking students at Furman may not repeat for credit a course for which a passing grade has previously been awarded at Furman. A student may repeat a failed course, in which case both the failing (F) grade and the subsequent passing grade will appear on the academic record and be calculated in the grade point average.

Transfer Credit

A student may transfer credit to Furman from another regionally accredited institution for courses that are equivalent to Furman offerings or that would otherwise fit into the liberal arts curriculum at the university, for which a satisfactory grade (C- or better in a traditionally graded course) was recorded.

A student can transfer no more than 64 credits from a two-year college. Once students have earned 64 credits that will contribute to the award of a bachelor’s degree at Furman, they can no longer transfer any credit from a two-year college.

Furthermore, because at least 60 credits must be earned through Furman courses, students may apply no more than 68 credits from any combination of institutions toward the degree. Students should also be mindful that the last 28 credits must be earned through Furman courses.

Equivalency for courses completed before a student has graduated from high school will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students should be prepared to present evidence as directed by the Registrar’s Office in consultation with academic department chairs, which could include course syllabi or graded work, demonstrating the courses completed were of appropriate rigor to ensure the possibility of success in future coursework at Furman.

Furman students seeking credit for a course enrolled at another institution are required to consult with the Registrar’s Office before they begin the coursework elsewhere to ensure its equivalency. Transfer course authorizations and additional information about the process may be obtained through the Registrar’s Office. Students on academic probation cannot transfer credits into Furman and students cannot transfer credit from another institution for a course which he or she has failed at Furman.

Furman will not award transfer credit for courses completed in any country on the U.S. State Department travel warning list. Consult the list at travel.state.gov.

Students completing a course at Furman for which they have previously received credit via transfer or exam equivalency forfeit the initial credit award.

Leave of Absence

A request for a leave of absence is made to the Associate Academic Dean prior to the term for which the absence is requested. A leave will normally be one semester. Under no circumstances shall the leave extend beyond one year. Financial aid requirements, registration deadlines, and all other University obligations are the same for students returning from a leave of absence as stated for students whose enrollment at Furman has continued uninterrupted.

Students planning on traveling to any foreign country during a leave of absence from Furman must sign a waiver in order for the leave to be approved.

Withdrawal from the University

Students intending to permanently discontinue enrollment must initiate a withdrawal from the university by submitting a request to the Registrar. Any withdrawals from the university during an academic term must be reviewed by the Associate Academic Dean.

An online exit interview located on the Registrar’s website (www.furman.edu/registrar) should also be completed by all exiting students regardless of withdrawal date, during a term or after the term has been completed.

If a student withdraws from the university after the withdrawal deadline for courses in a given term, the student record will normally reflect a withdrawal (W) designation in those courses in which the student had passing grades at the date of withdrawal. A failing (F) grade will be recorded in those courses in which the student had failing grades at the date of withdrawal. Grade determinations for student withdrawals necessitated by serious illness, injury or similar emergencies will be made at the discretion of the Vice President for Student Life and/or the Associate Academic Dean.

Transcripts of Student Records

Students may request that a transcript of their permanent academic record be forwarded to a third party through the Registrar’s Office. All transcripts reflect a summary of the student’s complete academic record. No transcripts will be issued without a request including the student’s legal signature. Transcripts will not be issued for a student who has outstanding obligations, financial or otherwise, to the university.

Appeals

Students may petition the Appeals Committee for an exception to academic requirements and regulations as set forth in this catalog or as approved by the faculty only under extraordinary circumstances. Appeals must be initiated in a timely manner through the Associate Academic Dean. The deadline for course-based appeals is the end of the second semester following the completion of the term in which the course was enrolled. The student must present the appeal containing the reasons for the request in writing to the Associate Academic Dean. The Appeals Committee will notify the student in writing of its decision. Any student seeking to further appeal a decision of the Appeals Committee must file a written statement of their intention within fifteen calendar days of the decision. The final appeal, presented to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, must state specific grounds for the review or any additional circumstances that might alter the case. The student will be notified in writing of the final decision.