Policies Academic The general policies of the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies are determined by the Graduate Council and administered by the dean. Standards, fees and other requirements may be modified at any time by the Graduate Council. Academic Misconduct Cheating and plagiarism are types of academic misconduct for which penalties are described and assessed under the UNT "Code of Student Conduct and Discipline" outlined in the Student Guidebook. The following statement on academic misconduct, adopted by the Graduate Council, is based on the Code of Student Conduct and Discipline. The term "cheating" includes, but is not limited to, (1) use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests or examinations; (2) dependence upon the aid of sources specifically prohibited by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems or carrying out other assignments; (3) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a faculty or staff member of the university. The term "plagiarism" includes, but is not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. Plagiarism also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials. Specific penalties can be assigned by a faculty member for certain cases of academic misconduct (including cheating and plagiarism). These penalties include: giving a failing grade for the test or assignment; reducing or changing the grade for the test, assignment or course; requiring additional academic work not required of other students; assigning a failing grade in the course. Other specific penalties can be recommended by a faculty member to the appropriate administrative/academic authority, including denying of the degree, expulsion from the university or revocation of a degree already granted. All graduate students are responsible for making themselves aware of the definitions and implications of academic misconduct. For further information on academic misconduct, penalties and appeal procedures, the student should refer to the "Code of Student Conduct and Discipline" in the Student Guidebook. Appeal Processes Students who believe they have not been fairly treated in any aspect of their graduate program have the right of appeal. Grade appeals should be initiated through the instructor. Appeals concerning extension of time to complete a degree should be initiated through the student's major department. Appeals concerning admission to the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies are initiated through the office of the graduate dean. Appeals concerning admission to a particular degree program should be initiated through the student's major department. Appeals regarding specific requirements to complete a degree should be initiated through the student's major department. All other appeals should be initiated through the office of the graduate dean. The following process applies to grade appeals. Admission decision, time extension appeals will be handled in a different manner. Information about these processes should be sought from either the student's department or the office of the graduate dean. Grade Appeal Process 1. Any graduate student who believes a grade has been inequitably awarded should first contact the instructor who awarded the grade to discuss the issue and attempt to resolve the differences. Any instructor no longer associated with UNT at the time of the appeal will be represented in these proceedings by the chair of the department in question. In schools and colleges not organized into departments, the dean, or his designated representative, will act as chair. The student who is unable to resolve the differences with the instructor has 30 days following the first class day of the succeeding semester to file a written appeal with the chair of the instructor's department, or of the equivalent administrative unit. 2. The chair may follow any of the four procedures below, or a combination of them. a. The chair may confer with the instructor. b. The chair may request that the instructor submit a written reply to the student's complaint. c. The chair may conduct a meeting of the two parties. d. The chair may refer the case directly to the appropriate departmental committee, as outlined below. In following either procedure a, b or c above, the chair should make a judgment on the merits of the case and recommend a specific action in regard to the disputed grade. Either the student or the instructor may appeal the recommendations of the chair. 3. The appropriate departmental committee to hear cases sent directly to it by the chair or appealed to it by either the student or the instructor shall be constituted as follows and shall perform the following duties. a. It shall be an ad hoc committee consisting of three faculty members. Two of the members will be chosen from the department in which the grade is being questioned, one by the student and the other by the instructor. If either party to the dispute declines to choose a member of the committee, the department chair will select that member. The third faculty member of the committee, who shall serve as chair, will be chosen either from within or without the department by agreement of the student and the instructor. If they cannot agree upon a third member, the member shall be chosen by the chair of the department, with the provision that the student and the instructor may agree to stipulate that the third member of the committee be chosen from a related department or academic administrative unit rather than from the department in question. b. This ad hoc committee should require written statements from each participant in the dispute. Judgments may be rendered upon the basis of these statements, upon other evidence submitted in support of the statements and upon the basis of oral hearing, if such a hearing seems necessary. c. The committee must make a recommendation for disposition of the case within 30 days of its appointment. d. All records in the case will be filed with the chair of the department in which the grade was originally awarded. 4. Either party to the dispute has 15 days following the rendering of the ad hoc committee recommendation to appeal that recommendation to the dean of the graduate school, if the appeal is based solely upon alleged violations of established procedures. Substantive matters, up to and including the refusal of the instructor to act in accordance with the ad hoc committee's recommendation or the student's refusal to accept the verdict, may not be appealed to the graduate dean. 5. The dean of the graduate school shall, after a review of the submitted written materials (and oral hearings if desired), make within 15 days a ruling about procedural questions. The ruling may be appealed by either the student or the instructor to the Appeals Committee of the graduate school. a. The Appeals Committee will have 30 days from the date of its appointment to complete its work. b. The Appeals Committee shall operate within the guidelines set out for departmental ad hoc committees in 3b above. c. All rulings made by the Appeals Committee regarding procedural questions shall be final. d. All documents related to the case shall be returned to the chair of the originating department for departmental files. Application for Graduate Degree It is the responsibility of the student to stay abreast of progress toward the degree and to file the appropriate degree application in the office of the graduate dean. Consult the Academic Calendar for the proper dates. The applicant's grade point average on all graduate work attempted must be at least 3.0 for the application to be accepted. Because of the time required for receipt of transcripts, students otherwise eligible for graduation who complete their last course or courses elsewhere will not graduate at the end of the semester or summer session in which the work is completed, but will receive their degrees at the close of a subsequent UNT semester or summer session. Information concerning graduation fees is furnished on request by the office of the graduate dean, and is contained in the annual Tuition and Fee Register, available from the Bursar's Office. Students anticipating graduation should consult the Academic Calendar for final dates for payment of fees and meeting other graduation requirements. Classification of Graduate Students Any student who holds a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution is classified as a graduate student, whether or not admission to a degree program has been granted, and is subject to the regulations contained in this catalog concerning graduate students. Records concerning admission, continuation and graduation of such students are maintained in the office of the graduate dean. Academic counseling services for graduate students are available in the office of the dean at all times when university offices are open. Graduate students should consult the staff of the dean's office for interpretation of any policies governing graduate study. Requirements and procedures for admission to the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies are fully described in an earlier section of this publication. Classification of Graduate Faculty A new system for the selection of graduate faculty members was approved by the Graduate Council in October 1992. Under this system, all full-time faculty members of the rank of assistant professor, associate professor, and professor are members of the graduate faculty, but individual faculty members may be classified as Category I, II or III. The qualifications for appointment to a category depend upon the faculty member's record of scholarly, creative and research activities. Category III reflects the highest level of scholarly attainment. Faculty members in any of the three categories may serve on thesis or dissertation committees as a member. Category II faculty members may serve as directors of theses committees and co-directors of dissertation committees. Graduate faculty members in Category III are the only faculty eligible to serve as chairs of dissertation or doctoral lecture recital committees. Effective August 22, 1994, each faculty member must be a member of the appropriate graduate faculty category to direct new theses or dissertations. A complete listing of graduate faculty members in Category I, II and III is available in the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies and in the main offices of each department, school and college. Students are advised to consult this list regarding the selection of faculty advisers for theses and dissertations. Courses of Instruction Courses normally meet one hour per week in lecture for each semester hour of credit. For the exceptions, the course descriptions in each department will show in parentheses following the semester hours of credit the number of clock hours per week devoted to lecture and laboratory. When it appears, the third and final number in these parentheses indicates the number of recitation hours per week. Individual courses of instruction are subject to change or withdrawal at any time and may not be offered each semester of every year. Any course may be withdrawn from current offerings if the number of registrants is too small to justify conducting the course. All Courses of Instruction are located in one section at the back of this catalog. Grading System Courses numbered 5000 or higher ordinarily are taken by students working toward master's and doctoral degrees; those numbered 6000 or higher are open principally to doctoral students. Under certain restrictions, explained under "Level of Work Required" in the Master's Degree Requirements section of this catalog, senior-level courses (bearing numbers between 4000 and 4999) may be credited toward the master's degree. Any senior-level course taken by a graduate student must receive graduate credit, whether or not the course is applied toward a graduate degree. The graduate student enrolled in a senior course will be expected to complete additional requirements beyond those expected of undergraduates in the same course. UNT's grading system uses the letters A, B, C, D, F, P, NP, I, PR, W, WF and Z. The letter Z is used to indicate a grade was not properly received and/or recorded for a course. A - excellent work; four grade points for each semester hour. B - good work; three grade points for each semester hour. C - fair work; two grade points for each semester hour. D - passing work; one grade point for each semester hour. Courses in which the grade is D may not be counted toward a graduate degree. F - failure; given when a student (1) has failed the course while still officially enrolled at the end of the semester; (2) is failing in a course and misses the final examination without satisfactory explanation; or (3) stops attending class without completing an official drop or withdrawal. P - passed; a credit grade (1) on pass/no pass option; (2) on student teaching; and (3) in selected undergraduate and graduate individual problems and research courses. NP - not passed; a failing grade on the pass/no pass option; nonpunitive. I - incomplete; a nonpunitive grade given only during the last one-fourth of a semester and only if a student is (1) passing the course; (2) has justifiable reason why the work cannot be completed on schedule; and (3) arranges with the instructor to finish the course at a later date by completing specific requirements that the instructor must list on the grade sheet. For information on removal of I, see "Removal of I" below. PR - assigned at the close of each semester or summer term in which the graduate student is enrolled in thesis (5950) or dissertation (6950) with the exception of MUGC 6951, 2, 3, 4. No credit hours are shown when the grade of PR is assigned. When the thesis or dissertation has been completed and submitted to the graduate dean, appropriate grades and credit hours will be shown on the student's record for the required number of enrollments. W - drop or withdrawal without penalty. Given when a student drops or withdraws from the university prior to the end of the sixth week of classes (summer term, prior to the 10th class session). See regulations for dropping and withdrawing. After that time the student must have a passing grade for the instructor to assign a grade of W for a dropped course; otherwise, the grade of WF is recorded. WF - drop or withdrawal with failing grade. Instructor may drop a student with a grade of WF for courses for nonattendance. May be assigned after the sixth week of classes (summer term, after the 10th class session). See regulations for dropping and withdrawing. At the graduate level, no semester credit hours and no grade points are allowed for grades D, F, I, NP, P, PR, W, WF or Z. (Use of E grade was discontinued in 1966; use of X and WX grades was discontinued in 1976.) A complete record of all previously used grades and grading systems is detailed on the official transcript. Grade Point Average The overall grade point average is used to determine student class loads, eligibility for admission to the university and certain programs and eligibility for graduation. It is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of semester hours attempted. All GPA calculations are subject to postaudit and correction by the Registrar's Office. The number of semester hours attempted includes all courses with grades of A, B, C, D, F and WF unless replaced by a later grade. Courses with grades of I, NP, P, PR, W or Z are not counted as courses attempted. Graduate Credit for Work Experience Graduate credit will not be granted for knowledge acquired through prior work or performance experience regardless of whether these experiences were of a paid or voluntary nature. Quality of Work Required The graduate student must maintain a B average on all courses that receive graduate credit, whether or not the courses are to be applied toward a graduate degree. Grades received in all courses numbered 4000 or higher are included in the computation of the graduate student's grade point average. The student whose graduate GPA earned at another institution is below B will be required to make up the deficiency either at the other institution or at UNT. This regulation applies not only to graduate work attempted elsewhere before the student was first admitted to the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies at UNT, but also to graduate work attempted elsewhere after the student's admission at UNT. Students must make satisfactory progress toward completion of degree requirements to remain in good standing within a specific degree program. Students whose progress is unsatisfactory may be removed from the program by the dean on recommendation of the major department or division. A grade of C or better must be earned in each undergraduate or graduate course assigned as a deficiency by the student's major department. Departments that wish to do so may establish more stringent requirements. Probation and Suspension 1. College of Business Administration. Special probation and suspension rules apply for all degree-seeking students in the College of Business Administration. Consult the College of Business Administration section of the catalog for further information. 2. All Other Students. A student who fails to achieve the required cumulative average of 3.0 GPA (B average) on all courses carrying graduate credit in a semester will be placed on academic probation for the subsequent semester. If the student achieves a 3.0 semester GPA in the subsequent semester, but the cumulative GPA is still below 3.0, the student will remain on academic probation. The student will be removed from probation when the 3.0 cumulative GPA is achieved. A student who is on probation cannot graduate. A student who is placed on academic probation who does not receive either a semester or a cumulative 3.0 GPA during the semester of probation will be subject to academic suspension for a period of up to one calendar year before becoming eligible to re-enroll for further graduate courses. Graduate work completed elsewhere during a period of graduate suspension at UNT may not be counted for graduate credit at UNT. After the one-year period of suspension, students may re-enroll in graduate courses under probation with the same probation conditions as previously described. Students who are then suspended a second time without having returned to good academic standing by achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better will be dismissed from the university. The student whose UNT GPA in graduate work falls below 3.0 must make up the deficit, either by repeating courses in which the grades are low, or by completing other UNT courses with grades high enough to bring the UNT GPA up to 3.0. Low grades made in graduate courses at UNT may not be duplicated at other institutions. Course Duplications A student may enroll for a course a second or subsequent time and have it counted as part of the semester's load. If a course is repeated, the last grade recorded will be considered by the dean in certifying the student's eligibility for graduation. The responsibility for initiating the official recording of a grade duplication lies entirely with the student. In the absence of such a request the Registrar will include a repeated course in the student's cumulative record of hours attempted and grade points earned. Grade Changes No grade except I may be removed from a student's record once properly recorded. Changes are not permitted after grades have been filed except to correct clerical errors. Requests for error correction must be initiated immediately after the close of the semester for which the grade was recorded. A faculty member who believes an error has been made in calculating or recording a grade may submit in person a request for a grade change to the department chair and the graduate dean. The Registrar accepts requests for grade changes only from the academic deans. Grade Reports A grade report for each student is mailed to the permanent address at the close of each semester. It includes a statement of current academic status. If the grade report of the academic status is believed to be in error, the student should contact the Registrar's Office within 30 days. At midsemester in the long sessions, instructors may provide individual written warnings to students who are doing unsatisfactory class work. These warnings are mailed from the Registrar's Office upon request of the instructor. Pass/No Pass Grading Graduate students are eligible to enroll for undergraduate courses under the pass/no pass option so long as such courses are not taken to make up undergraduate deficiencies or to meet any graduate degree requirements. Completion of an undergraduate course on the pass/no pass grading system may not be made the basis of a later request to be absolved of any degree requirement. Any department or college of the university may elect to assign pass/no pass grades in graduate-level courses in which the student is engaged in individual research and is not attending an organized class, and in thesis, dissertation and problems courses. The student should inquire at the office of the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies at the time of registration for such courses whether a letter grade or a pass/no pass grade will be granted. Pass/no pass grades are not taken into account in computing the student's graduate grade point average. Removal of I A student may remove a grade of I within one year of receiving the initial grade by completing the stipulated work, obtaining signatures of the instructor and the instructor's academic dean (on a permit form from the dean's office), paying a $5 fee at the Controller's Office and returning the permit form to the instructor. The instructor then files the permit form in the Registrar's Office, along with the grade, and the grade point average is adjusted accordingly. If a student does not complete the stipulated work within the time specified (not to exceed one year after taking the course), the instructor may change the grade of I to a grade of F, if appropriate. The GPA is adjusted accordingly. A student who could not complete final examinations because of illness may remove a grade of I without payment of the fee. The academic dean is authorized to waive the fee upon certification of illness signed by the attending physician. Open Records Policy and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Pursuant to the provisions and intent of Chapter 552, Texas Government Code, known as the Open Records Act, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended, known as the Buckley Amendment, the university has established a policy relating to the accessibility of information in the custody of the University of North Texas. Unless a student specifically requests in writing that such information not be released, directory information regarding the students will be provided upon request to the public. Directory information consists of a students full name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, classification, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of athletic team members, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received and the last educational agency or institution attended previous to UNT. Student records including non-directory information are available on request to UNT personnel who have an educational interest in the records, the student, the student's parent or legal guardian if the student is a dependent for income tax purposes of the parent or legal guardian and other entities authorized by law. For information regarding the university's policy on access to records and to request accessibility to university records, contact the designated Custodian of Public Records, Office of the Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel, UNT.