Course Information and Grading

Academic Support

The Learning Commons (LC) is an open study space in the lower level of the Carroll library, and the home of Academic Resources and Student Success. The Learning Commons provides free, peer-to-peer support services through academic strategy workshops, math and writing assistance, tutoring, and Supplemental Instruction (SI).

Please contact lcommons@carrollu.edu with any questions regarding academic support.

Adding or Dropping Courses

For step-by-step instructions, log on to the Anthology portal, click on “Guides and Resources” from the left-hand menu, expand the “Student” section, and access the pdf instructions. A student may add a course only during the first week of the fall or spring semesters. For winter session, summer sessions, and other specially-timed courses, refer to the published timetables for deadline dates to add courses. With the written consent of the instructor and the advisor, a student may drop a registered course through the eighth complete week of the fall or spring semester. For winter session, summer sessions, and other specially-timed courses, refer to the published timetables for deadline dates to drop courses. The course will appear on the transcript as attempted credits; however, the grade will be a W (withdrawal) and will not affect the grade point average. It is the student’s responsibility to complete the proper necessary paperwork; otherwise, the course grade will be recorded as an F. If a student wishes drop all their classes during a the fall or spring semester that is considered a full withdrawal from the University and it is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office of Students Success to complete the withdrawal form before the last day of classes in that semester. The Office of Student Success is located in the lower level of the library and can be reached via phone at 262.524.7360.

Alternative Methods of Obtaining Credit

Carroll University recognizes that learning can occur in a variety of environments and through diverse experiences. At Carroll, there are several ways of obtaining credit for prior university-level learning in addition to satisfactory course completion. Students may earn up to 64 credits in a baccalaureate program through any combination of the following types of credit:

1. Advanced Placement Credit may be granted to students who are enrolled in a degree program at Carroll and obtain an appropriate score through Advanced Placement examinations. A copy of the current AP requirements is available from the Registrar or online. Qualified students may be granted credit following successful completion of a university-level course in secondary schools provided the course is submitted on a university transcript. A maximum of 48 credits may be obtained through advanced placement.
2. The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) grants credit to qualified students enrolled in a degree program at Carroll for up to seven courses (28 credits) on the General Examination when the qualifying level of the 75th percentile has been achieved in each test written. This credit will be divided in the following manner: English, four; mathematics, four; natural sciences, four; humanities, eight; and social sciences/history, eight. Credit for the General Examinations will count as elective credit toward graduation; some credits may meet general education requirements. Credit also may be granted for subject examinations when the scores are at the recommended qualifying level. No more than 48 credits of CLEP credit will be granted for the general and subject matter examinations combined. Additional information and registration forms are available from the Office of Part-Time Studies. This credit must be approved in advance.
3. Credit by Examination allows qualified students enrolled in a degree program at Carroll to take examinations for credit in selected courses. Such examinations are developed and administered by departments. In some instances, placement without credit might be recommended. Interested students may consult with department faculty about policies and procedures. Contact the Registrar’s Office for the necessary form. A fee is charged for each examination. A student who does not complete the examination with satisfactory results may not repeat the examination.
4. The International Baccalaureate Diploma is recognized by Carroll University for purposes of admission, course credit and advanced standing or placement. Sixteen credits will be granted to holders of the International Baccalaureate diploma. Additional credit may be granted when more than four higher-level examinations have been taken and scores of four or higher have been earned. For students in the program who have not earned the diploma, four credits will be granted for each higher-level (HL) examination when a score of four or higher is earned. These credits will be declared to meet core and General Education requirements when the subjects validated by examination appear to be reasonably comparable to the subjects taught at Carroll University. Otherwise, the credits will be regarded simply as elective credit toward a Carroll degree. The student must enroll as a degree-seeking student at Carroll. No credit will be awarded for standard-level (SL) examinations.
5. Credit for Prior Learning is possible when university-level learning, which relates to a degree program offered by the University, has occurred outside the normal educational setting. Credit for prior learning may be given when verified by employment records and the American Council on Education guidebook and transcripts or when verified by a program for credit within that program. A maximum of 24 credits may be obtained through this method. Carroll University uses the course-equivalency method with the portfolio model for assessment of prior learning that is not easily measured via standardized testing or transfer procedures. Such competency is expected to be related to the student’s present degree program. The evaluation of such credit requires consideration by faculty. Students are required to demonstrate their learning, competencies and skills. Evidence will usually consist of a portfolio. However, a performance test, an essay examination, or an interview with an internal or outside expert may also be required.
6. Correspondence Courses, up to 12 credits from an accredited institution, may be accepted in transfer and may be applied to a Carroll University degree. The course credit must be letter graded C or better. (D graded credit will not meet any graduation requirement.) Students must obtain written approval in advance from their adviser and the Registrar prior to registering for any correspondence or extension course. Forms are available in the Registrar’s Office. A copy of the course description for each course to be taken must accompany the Transfer Credit Approval form when it is filed with the Registrar’s Office. A maximum of eight semester hours of correspondence or extension course credit may be applied to major or minor requirements with the written approval of the appropriate Department Chair or College Dean. It must be filed in the Registrar’s Office. Any correspondence or extension work taken prior to matriculation at Carroll University will be reviewed by the appropriate Department Chair or College Dean to determine its acceptance and application to graduation, major or minor requirements.
7. D.A.N.T.E.S. (Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support) course work will be considered on an individual case basis.
8. P.O.N.S.I. (The National Program on Noncollegiate Sponsored Instruction) credits will be evaluated on an individual basis.
9. Proficiency Testing in Foreign Languages: Students who have extensive background in a language other than English may be able to earn up to 16 credits in one language by demonstrating proficiency. The proficiency exam is intended for students with a more extensive background than high school foreign language study only. Carroll University grants credit to qualified degree-seeking Carroll students through the Proficiency Testing Program in Foreign Languages sponsored by New York University.
10. Retroactive Credit for Modern Languages allows students who are enrolled in a degree program to earn a maximum of 16 hours of credit in a modern language upon completion of one 300-level course with a grade of B or higher, or four, eight or twelve credits upon completion of 102, 201, or 202, respectively, with a grade of B or higher. This must be the student’s first enrollment in an advanced university-level modern language course. Please see the Modern Languages and Literatures section for competency and test requirements.
11. Retroactive Credit for Mathematics “Students with prior Calculus experience may enroll in Math 161, Calculus II, or Math 207, Calculus III. A student who takes Math 161 and earns a grade of BC or above will receive retroactive credit of Math 160, Calculus I, if Advanced Placement (AP) credit has not been awarded for the course. A student who takes Math 207, Calculus III, and earns a grade of BC or above will receive retroactive credit for Math 160 and Math 161, if Advanced Placement credit has not been awarded for those courses. Students with questions regarding the optimal Calculus course to take are encouraged to contact the mathematics faculty directly.
12. OCICU Carroll University has approved for degree credit several online courses offered through the Online Consortium of Independent Colleges and Universities (OCICU). Credits earned in an approved OCICU course are posted to a student’s transcript as the equivalent Carroll University course. The courses offered by OCICU may carry a different number of credits from the equivalent Carroll course. OCICU courses have different add/drop policies, pricing, refund policies, and start and end dates. OCICU courses meet during six eight-week terms throughout the year. Only part-time students may take OCICU courses during the fall and spring terms. All students may enroll in OCICU courses in the summer. Information on all of Carroll University’s Web-based courses is available online.

Attendance

Carroll University’s attendance policy is based on the Federal HEOA Policy that University’s need to be able to confirm student attendance. This is a requirement for schools that receive Title IV Federal Financial Aid. This means that we need to be able to confirm that students have attended class and be able to produce the last date of attendance for any student that does not successfully complete a course.

Attendance at clinical experiences is mandatory for all health sciences majors.

Faculty may cancel a class due to personal illness, or other personal reasons. The instructor must contact the appropriate academic Dean of the College or School and the Registrar. Students will be notified of the cancellation via email by the instructor or by the Registrar’s Office and a note will be posted near the classroom.

Carroll University requires all faculty to take attendance for the first two weeks of any semester in the Carroll University Learning Management System (Canvas). Faculty will also be required to enter a last date of attendance for any student that has earned an unsatisfactory grade (U or F) or has withdrawn from a course within the term.

Auditing Courses

With the instructor’s permission, students generally may audit all courses at Carroll, except for studio art courses, applied music, music ensembles, courses with a laboratory component, or health science clinical courses. The minimum requirement to receive an audit (AU) grade is regular attendance, but individual instructors may have higher requirements. To successfully audit a health science course, the student must meet program academic progression standards. No credit is received for these courses. There are no restrictions for taking the same course for credit at a later date. However, students may not receive credit through “credit by examination” after auditing a course. Students taking the course for credit have priority enrollment over students who wish to audit.

Credit Hour Policy

Carroll University follows the federal guidelines:

Federal regulation requires each institution to have policies and procedures on credit hours. This includes but is not limited to all types of instruction: face-to-face, online and blended. Carroll University’s policy on credit hours complies with the federal credit hour definition.

Carroll University assigns semester credit hours to all types of instructions. The acceptance of transfer coursework is converted into semester hours. The Academic Steering Committee reviews the assignment of credit hours at the time a course is approved. Courses are reviewed for time and content during regular program reviews.

A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally-established equivalency that reasonable approximates not less than:

1. One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester; or
2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other activities as established by an institution, including laboratory work internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading toward the award of credit hours
3. One credit is granted at the completion of a semester for each applied music lesson (one half-hour per week), ensemble or practicum course for which a student is registered.

Course/Credit Load

• Full-time undergraduate student = 12 credits
• Half-time undergraduate student = at least 6 credits
• Less than half-time undergraduate student = 1 - 5 credits
• The University standard undergraduate year is divided into 2 semesters, a winter session, and 3 summer sessions*. Summer 1 runs for 3 weeks and Summer 2 and 3 run for 6 weeks each.
• Maximum credits per winter/summer term:
  Winter and Summer 1 = 4 credits
  Summer 2 and 3 = 8 credits each term
  Total summer credits = no more than 20
• A student’s normal class load is 16 credits of academic work each semester, with a total of 128 credits required for graduation. Students must register for all course work in the semester/term in which the work is done.
• Any student with a Carroll cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher may be permitted to take more than 19 credits at an additional charge. A student requesting to add additional credits must contact the Registrar’s Office. Under no circumstances may a student take more than 21 credits each semester.
• A student on academic probation may not register for more than 12 credits.

*The Associate Degree in Nursing Program has a single 14-15-week summer term, as do most Carroll graduate programs.

Course Numbering Guidelines

The following serves as a guideline for choosing course numbers for specific courses. In general, course numbers are designated to match the class level of the students taking the course. As new curricula and courses are proposed, these course numbering guidelines will be used. In cases when these course numbering guidelines conflict with existing course numbers, those numbers may be changed to align with the guidelines.

001 to 099, Developmental: developmental courses or prerequisite courses needed to meet certain conditions of admission. These credits do not apply toward credits required for graduation.

101 to 199, Undergraduate I: generally introductory undergraduate courses, designed for first-year students or beyond. These courses are usually skill-building courses or courses that serve as an introduction to a specific discipline.

201 to 299, Undergraduate II: undergraduate courses generally designed for second- or third-year students; content is built on materials from the Undergraduate I level courses and may include a prerequisite preparation.

301-399, Undergraduate III: undergraduate courses, usually designed for third- or fourth-year students, often including significant prerequisite preparation.

401-499, Undergraduate IV: undergraduate courses usually available to third-year students though designed primarily for fourth-year students, or beginning professional courses for combined undergraduate/graduate programs. They assume considerable prerequisite knowledge and experience.

5000-5999 Graduate: Graduate level courses are defined as those that contribute to the achievement of Carroll’s Graduate Student Learning Goals and Assessments.

6000-6999, Graduate I: advanced study, generally designed for beginning graduate or professional students.

7000-7999, Graduate II: advanced study, generally designed for advanced graduate or professional students.

Special Topics Courses

A special topics course may be offered by a graduate or undergraduate program up to two times without approval from the University’s Academic Steering Committee. Such courses are expected to have a syllabus that follows University guidelines. The numbering of such courses will follow the course numbering guidelines articulated above. The course will be numbered X91 (or XX91 for graduate courses) unless the academic program has an alternative course number designated in the catalog.

Independent Study Opportunities

Students may register for an independent study opportunity offered by a graduate or undergraduate program with approval of the sponsoring faculty member and the Dean of the relevant program. Such experiences are expected to have a syllabus that follows University guidelines. The numbering of such experiences will follow the course numbering guidelines articulated above. The course will be numbered X98 (or XX98 for graduate courses) unless the academic program has an alternative course number designated in the catalog.

The Curriculum

The curriculum for all undergraduates at Carroll consists of:

1. coursework associated with the University’s General Education Program
2. completion of a course of study leading to one or more majors (and often a minor) including support courses
3. elective courses that complete the undergraduate’s educational experience.

Carroll students earn the associate or baccalaureate degree appropriate to their major field of study and are required to fulfill the degree requirements specified by the various academic programs and detailed in subsequent sections of this catalog. Graduates of the University must fulfill the requirements of a major and its associated degree requirements, the general graduation requirements and the minimum credit requirement: 64 credit hours for an associate degree and 128 credit hours for a bachelor’s degree.

Definitions

Major: a subject or field of study chosen by a student to represent his or her principal interest and upon which a large share of his or her efforts are concentrated:

Minor:

1. a subject or a course of study pursued by a student, especially a candidate for a degree, subordinately or supplementarily to a major or principal subject or course.
2. a subject for which less credit than a major is granted in college.

Track: A recommended path within a major to complete the major. Tracks do not appear on the transcripts.

Emphasis: A collection of courses that may supplement declared majors. Certain majors require an emphasis and others do not. Emphases appear on the transcripts. They may be inter-disciplinary in nature and may supplement a variety of majors.

Electives

Students also have the opportunity to complete elective courses to broaden their knowledge in areas outside the major. Electives are generally free of restrictions, other than prerequisites, and fulfill neither major nor general education requirements

Grading System and Grade Point Calculation

Grading System

A system of letter grades is used in courses for which degree credit may be earned. A 4.00 grade point system is used under which a student earns grade points for each credit completed.

Grade Point Calculation

The grade point values when multiplied by the number of course credits give the total number of grade points earned for that particular course. In a four-credit course, for example, a grade of B yields 12 grade points; a grade of A yields 16 grade points. The grade point average is the ratio between total academic grade points and total academic hours: that is, the quotient obtained by dividing the total number of academic grade points earned by the total number of academic hours attempted. For example, a program of 16 academic credits in which 48 grade points are earned will yield a grade point average of 3.00 or an average of B (48 divided by 16 = 3.00).

Incomplete Grading

A report of incomplete means that the student has been unable to complete the required work for a valid reason; it is not given for neglected work. In order to receive an incomplete, the student must initiate the request by submitting a properly completed form (available online and from the Registrar’s Office) to the instructor prior to the end of the term. If the instructor agrees with the request, the completed form is signed by the student, the instructor and the department chair and is then submitted by the instructor to the Registrar. Upon receiving the form with all relevant information and appropriate signatures, the Registrar will post the incomplete grade to the student’s transcript. An incomplete must be removed by the end of the eighth week of the next semester or it automatically becomes a failure. An extension of no more than one year may be granted only with written consent from the instructor and the department chair.