Department of Physics and Astronomy Policies



Academic Dishonesty The Department of Physics and Astronomy strictly enforces the University's policy on academic dishonesty. Specific action will be taken against students caught cheating on tests or examinations, forging or altering forms, or documents or any other violation of this policy. Sanctions imposed for academic dishonesty could include receiving an F for the course or expulsion from the University.
Learning Impaired Students Students with a documented and certified learning disability that may affect their learning in a Physics or Astronomy course are required to contact the Coordinator of Disabled Student Services in the Counseling Center in order to receive special consideration. This contact is to be made prior to the beginning of classes so that instructors can be informed in advance. Instructors are only obligated to give special consideration to learning impaired students if formally advised to do so by the Coordinator of Disabled Student Services.
Course Prerequisites and Placement Enrollment in a course in Physics and Astronomy requires that a student satisfy the necessary prerequisites for the course. It is the responsibility of students to check that they are properly enrolled in a course and to drop the course if they do not have proper placement or meet the required prerequisites. The Department at all times reserves the right to cancel a student's registration in a course in which they are not properly enrolled.
Class Attendance Students are expected to assume full responsibility for class attendance and are accountable for all work missed because of absences. Instructors are under no obligation to make special arrangements for students who have been absent unless such absence has been excused by a formal institutional excuse as described below.
Institutional Excuses Institutional Excuses permit students to be absent from classes to represent the University in athletics, extracurricular or academic activities. These must be approved and signed by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean of Students, and the Dean of the pertinent College respectively, with a copy presented to the instructor prior to the absence from class. Instructors are obligated to honor institutional excuses and to permit students to make up missed work for the excused period.
Late Homework Instructors are not obliged to accept late assignments. Unless otherwise stipulated by the instructor in his/her syllabus late assignments will receive zero credit. An instructor may make an exception and give partial to full credit at his/her discretion, if he/she concludes the student has a valid and acceptable excuse.
Dropping a Course The deadline to drop a course and receive a W is in the class schedule. Academic policy requires that a student who never attended class or stopped attending the class receive an F should they fail to officially drop the course. An instructor may not record a grade of W for a student on the grade report sheet if a W is not preprinted on the sheet for that student.
Auditing a Course The deadline to change from credit to audit is in the class schedule. Once a student has registered and completed a class as an auditor, the audit grade can not be changed to a credit earning grade. The grade of AU is awarded to auditors only for satisfactory attendance.
The Grade of Incomplete A grade of I is given by the instructor only when students who are otherwise doing acceptable work are unable to complete a course because of illness or other conditions beyond their control. A departmental Incomplete form MUST be filed before this grade will be allowed. It is departmental policy that the student be a regular attender and has completed at least two thirds of the course. A grade of incomplete would not be given if a student is expected to repeat the course. The time allowed for the makeup of an incomplete is one year.
Final Examinations Final Examinations are required to be held in all classes and must be given at the scheduled times and dates as indicated in the Class Schedule for that semester or session.
Supplemental Exams to Improve a Grade Supplemental Examinations are not available for Physics and Astronomy classes.
Grade Deletion and Course Replacement Grade deletion is no longer allowed. Students are not allowed to repeat a course in which they received an A, B, or C. Courses may not be repeated more than twice.