Academic Policies

The Savannah State University Catalog provides you with the latest academic information. Your personal copy may be obtained from the Registrar's Office. Each semester the Registrar's Office also publishes a schedule of courses which informs you of the time, place and instructor of each course offered during a particular semester and contains information about registering for courses, dropping a course, withdrawing from the College and other pertinent academic information. You are urged to read both publications with care since you are responsible for knowing all academic regulations and requirements.

Certain academic regulations are listed in these pages and in the Student Handbook. You are expected to know them and refer to them when the occasion dictates.

Academic Honesty

Students are expected to demonstrate a high standard of academic honesty in all phases of academic work and college life. Academic dishonesty represents an attack on intellectual integrity without which there can be no true education. In taking tests and examinations, completing homework, laboratory work, and writing papers, students are expected to perform honestly. Consequently, Savannah State has established the following policies for detected acts of academic dishonesty.

1. All cases of detected academic dishonesty will be reported by the faculty to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
2. Plagiarism or cheating in any academic work will result in a recorded grade of "F" for that work.
3. A second offense during the course of a student's academic career at Savannah State will result in an "F" for the course in which the academic dishonesty has occurred. In addition, students who have committed a second offense of academic dishonesty during their academic career at Savannah State will be placed on academic probation for a minimum of one semester.
4. A third incidence of academic dishonesty during a student's career at Savannah State will result in immediate dismissal from the College.

Auditor

An auditor is one who enrolls for informational instruction only. Regular attendance at class is customary without other participation and without credit. Audit registrations are not permitted in any applied music courses or in field biology courses. A student who is registered as an auditor may change to credit status within the three weeks following the first day of classes. A change from audit to credit status requires the approval of the instructor, the completion of all regular class work assigned, and payment of the balance of course fee due per credit status. A student who is registered for credit may change to audit status up to four weeks before the last day of classes. The specific dates are stated in the respective semester or term.

Class Attendance

Each student is expected to attend all classes for which he/she is enrolled. The attendance policy for each course is determined by the instructor of each course. This policy shall be made known to the class at the beginning of each semester. It is the student's responsibility to know the policy on attendance for each course in which he/she is enrolled. It is the responsibility of students to attend every class session held when they are not ill, involved with a personal emergency, or traveling with approved team activities. Consistent class attendance and participation are essential to academic success. Poor class attendance is a major factor in nearly all cases of academic failure.

Absences Due to Illness - students should contact their instructors at the earliest opportunity preferably prior to the class meeting (especially if any graded work is scheduled).

Absences Due to Emergencies - students should notify the Student Affairs Office if they must leave the College for any extended period of time because of hospitalization, injuries, or family problems. Instructors will be contacted, but it is the responsibility of the student to arrange for any make-up work. The Instructor in each course is responsible for administering any deferred examination.

Student-Athlete Absentee Form: student-athletes should complete an absentee form for each class missed due to competition away from the college. The forms should be requested at least two class days prior to the competition. The form confirms that you are participating in a college-sanctioned competition. It does not serve as an excused absence from that class. Your instructor has the final say in excused and unexcused absences and it is the student's responsibility to know and abide by that policy. A student who is inexcusably absent from class on a day on which a test or examination announced in advance is given will receive the grade of "F" and will not have the opportunity of making up the test. In case of an excused absence on such a day, he/she will consult with his/her instructor as to what arrangements are to be made for taking care of the situation.

D-F Repeat

A student is permitted to repeat a course in which a grade of D or F has been earned. In deciding to exercise the D and F repeat option, the student agrees to accept for the record the grade earned for the course as repeated. The earlier grade and grade points will remain on the transcript but will not be used in computing the student's grade point average and number of hours attempted/earned. The student will receive the grade and grade points of the repeat, which will be used in determining the grade point average and the number of hours attempted/earned. Upon completion of a course repeated for a grade under the above policy, it is the student's responsibility to request the recalculation of the grade point average in the Office of the Registrar.

Finals Examinations

In some cases procedures other than final examinations may be used as a part of a student's evaluation. Such a substitute procedure should be noted on the course syllabus and be approved by the Department Chair and Dean of the College. There are occasions when the time and date of a final examination may be changed according to the following policy: A student having three final examinations scheduled on one day may request an adjustment by:

1. Listing the courses scheduled for examination in alphabetical order
2. Taking the final examinations given in the first and third classes
3. Requesting a change in the date of the final examination from the professor of the second class.

Grade Reports

Grade reports are issued by the Registrar at the end of each semester. Related to students' grades, instructors will use testing devices such as quizzes and examinations frequently enough to establish a pattern of regular study of course content by the students. Within reasonable time, instructors in courses will return quizzes, examinations, papers, and projects in order that students may know at least the general level of personal performance of courses.

Incomplete Grades

Courses in which a student received a grade of "I" must be completed within the following semester, excluding summer sessions; otherwise these grades become "F". The responsibility rests with the student in making up the work required, or taking the examination to change an "I" within the allotted time.

Withdrawing from the University
Savannah State is not obligated to drop students for failure to attend classes. It is the student’s obligation to drop classes, and students’ failure to officially drop a course prior to the end of the add/drop period could lead to financial and academic consequences.

After the late add/drop period and prior to the midterm, students may withdraw every class except the last class using the online registration process in PAWS. In order to withdraw the last class, an electronic withdrawal form must be submitted. Students will automatically receive a W, if they officially withdraw before the published deadline. For all academic dates, including add/drop period and withdrawal deadlines, please refer to the published academic calendar.

Types of withdrawals:
• Withdrawal before midterm
• Withdrawal after midterm
• Hardship withdrawals
• Military withdrawal
• Administrative withdrawals

Hardship Withdrawal from the University
Students may be granted hardship withdrawals when non-academic emergency situations occur which prevent them from completing their coursework (e.g., severe medical problems, traumatic events/circumstances that cause them to miss numerous classes).

Hardship withdrawals are subject to the following restrictions:
• Students are not eligible for hardship withdrawals in any course in which they have completed the course requirements (for example, taking the final exam or submitting the final project).
• Students must have supporting documents to receive a hardship withdrawal.
• Students must initiate an application for a hardship withdrawal no later than one academic year after the semester in which the courses were taken.
• Hardship status applies to all courses taken in a semester.

Military Withdrawal

A student who is on active duty or is a military reservist (including members of the National Guard) may withdraw from the University if called for active duty or reassignment. The student must officially withdraw and submit Official Orders within three (3) working weeks of actual receipt of said orders. The student is not eligible for a military withdrawal in any course in which the student has completed the course requirements (for example, taking the final exam or submitting the final paper) and/or a final grade has been assigned. Students who withdraw and receive a full tuition refund willreceive a grade of "WM" (military withdrawal) for all courses from which the student has withdrawn.

Administrative Withdrawals

In the judgment of the authorized University officials, a student may be withdrawn from the university for non-academic reasons when it is determined that the student has demonstrated behavior that:
Poses a significant danger or threat of physical harm to self or to the person or property of others; or
Interferes with the rights and privileges of other members of the university community or with the exercise of anyproper activities or functions of the university or its personnel.

Except in situations where the student is believed to be an imminent threat to self or others, as determined at the sole discretion of the University, a student shall, upon request, be accorded due process concerning his or her continued enrollment at the university. In situations involving an imminent threat, the student will be provided a hearing as soon as possible after the withdrawal occurs. The instructor will assign students who are non-academically withdrawn a grade of “W” or “WF” (depending on whether they have exceeded their maximum number of withdrawals allowed) if they are withdrawn before the semester midterm “W” and a “WF” if they are withdrawn after the midterm.

Students, who cease attending all classes without officially withdrawing, will be administratively withdrawn from the university. Upon submission of final grades for a term, instructors are required to indicate the last day of attendance for each failing grade (F) submitted. In compliance with Title IV regulations for unofficial withdrawals, students who have failing grades of "F" in all classes, and whose last date of attendance is the 50% point of the semester or below will be considered as unofficially withdrawn from the University and reported as such.

Severe Weather

In all cases of severe weather the Vice President for Academic Affairs will officially announce delayed or canceled classes. The following is the class schedule for bad weather.