(July 2006, revisions)
F1 Admissions advising and enrollment. The Office of Admissions provides admissions information and counseling for students and parents. The office, in 119 Anderson Hall, is open Monday through Friday. Several advisors are normally available. Academic colleges and departments provide an advisor for each student.
F2 New student enrollment for the fall takes place in late spring for Kansas community college transfer students and early summer for other new students. Students who have been admitted are scheduled specific days to attend. Those who are unable to enroll during the scheduled sessions may do so during the August registration period.
F3 Student-faculty relationships. Ultimately, students are themselves responsible for fulfilling all the requirements of the curriculum in which they are enrolled. Subsequent modification to the curriculum may be adopted at the student's option. However, all students are to be assigned to a qualified faculty or unclassified professional member at the beginning of the school year to assist in the careful planning of their academic program.
F4 The advisory program within each college is the direct responsibility of the college dean, although most advising is done at the departmental level. Advising students is one of the most important responsibilities of the teaching faculty. Moreover, they are expected to act as more than mere guides through routine scheduling difficulties, such as signing forms in order to drop and add classes, and are to serve as a direct link between the students and the university. Furthermore, it is assumed that they will assist an individual student throughout the student's entire undergraduate academic career.
F5 Therefore, in order to fulfill their duties, advisors must:
F6 Because of the importance attached to the selection of classes, designated periods of time during the fall and spring are set aside to plan for the next semester. Whether this increases an advisor's regular office hours for the duration of the special advisement will depend on the advisor-student numbers and the advisory system in operation in each college.
F7 During the summer, advisors may be assigned for enrolling freshmen on a temporary basis in order that overall course and curricular requirements may be explored. Whether a student is reassigned to a permanent advisor at the beginning of the school year will, again, depend on the advisory system prevailing in the student's particular college.
F8 Assignment of classes. In addition to consulting with their advisor, students should be familiar with the K-State Undergraduate and Graduate general catalogs regarding assignments and curricula. The catalogs are the official source of information.
F9 Copies of the catalogs and class schedules are maintained for student use in the Office of Admissions, all deans' offices, the Hale Library, and all departmental offices. Copies are also available at the K-State Union Bookstore.
F10 No student is officially enrolled in classes or private lessons in music or other subjects until a formal class assignment is completed and fees are paid.
F11 Registration and assignment to classes take place on specific dates as shown on the academic calendar published in the catalog and in the class schedule for each semester. Later assignments are made during regular office hours by the student's dean. No student may add a course after the first week of classes without the permission of the instructor. A student may not enroll later than ten class days after the beginning of a semester (five days of the summer session) except by permission of the dean. Students should enroll during the regularly scheduled registration periods in order to avoid late fees.
F12 An undergraduate student may not enroll for more than 21 K-State credit hours, including wait-listed courses, in a semester unless the student is granted permission to do so by the student's academic dean or the dean's representative. (Revised FSM 12-14-82, FSM 1-17-06)
F13 Certain courses for which the learning experience is based primarily on participation and/or attendance may be offered on a Credit/No Credit basis. Courses in research numbered 898 (report), 899 (thesis), and 999 (dissertation) are offered only on a Credit/No Credit basis. Letter grades may not be given for any other such Credit/No Credit courses offered by the university. (FSM 4-12-83, GCM 10-1- 85)
F14 Active duty military personnel stationed in Kansas must meet the same requirements for admission as Kansas high school graduates and Kansas transfer students.
(Revised FSM 12-14-82; FSM 10-13-09)
F20 Educational and Student Services. Faculty and unclassified professionals have opportunities for advisory and counseling contact with individual students and student groups. It is therefore important to understand the full range of resources available to students to augment their personal growth and development. All too often students are unaware of services available and need recommendations and assistance from interested faculty and unclassified professionals.
F21 The vice president for institutional advancement works with faculty, unclassified professionals, and administrative staffs to interpret student needs and to provide services and educational opportunities necessary to attract, advise, and retain an active and successful student body. The vice president has responsibility for the administration and coordination of the following areas:
Academic
Assistance Center
Admissions
Adult Student Services
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center
Career & Employment Services
Dean of Student Life
Disability Support Services
Educational Supportive Services
Greek Affairs
Housing
International Students
K-State Student Union
Minority and Cultural Affairs
Pre-Admissions
Recreational Services
Registrar
Religious Affairs
Student Activities and Student Governing Association
Student
Financial Assistance
Student Health
University Counseling Services
Upward Bound
Women's Center
F22 Faculty and unclassified professionals are encouraged to call the vice president for institutional advancement, the dean of student life, or the director of any of the units if they have questions or special concerns, or wish to discuss any of the programs offered. (The student handbook Inside K-State provides detailed information on student services. It is available in the student government office in the K-State Union.)
F25 Office of Planning and Analysis. The office provides services to students, faculty, unclassified professionals, other staff, and administrators. The office is responsible for developing information systems; producing descriptive reports of the university's work; evaluating programs and administrative personnel; facilitating the development of new approaches, programs and activities; and supporting planning endeavors. The office is organized into two major areas:
F30 K-State Honor Code. (See Appendicies F and O.)
F38 Student Discrimination Review Committee. The committee has jurisdiction to hear student complaints of discrimination based on race, color, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, ancestry, disability, military status, or veteran status in the following: employment, academic areas, or other programs, services and activities in the university community.
F39 Prior to review by this committee, complaints alleging discimination or harassment based on race, color, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, ancestry, disability, military status, or veteran status, must be addressed in accordance with the university's policies on discrimination and/or harassment, under which the initial review includes the Office of Affirmative Action. If a student's complaint is not resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant or to the satisfaction of a student respondent after review by the Office of Affirmative Action, a written complaint may be made to the Student Discrimination Review Committee.
F40 Classification of students. A student who is a high school graduate, or who offers 15 acceptable units of high school work, is classified as a freshman. A student is advanced to a higher classification upon successful university completion of sufficient credit hours as listed below:
Freshman 0-29 Sophomore 30 Junior 60 Senior 90 Fifth-year status 120 (Fifth-year student status applies to the College of Architecture and Design and the College of Engineering only.)
F41 Student records. Students and former students are entitled to inspect and copy all education records relating to them, subject to certain exceptions. They may also challenge the content of such records at a hearing. Personal records or information regarding K-State students will not be released without their written consent, except as specified in the Student Records section of the catalog.
F42 Directory information. Certain information concerning students is considered to be open to the public upon inquiry. This public information is called directory information and includes name, local address and telephone number, permanent mailing address, college, curriculum, year in school, date and place of birth, dates of attendance at K-State, awards and academic honors, degrees and dates awarded, most recent educational institution attended, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and height and weight of members of athletic teams. Directory information as defined above will be released to anyone upon inquiry, unless the student has requested, within ten days after registration, that specific items not be released. The student's request to have directory information withheld should be made at the university's registrar's office, which will notify other appropriate university offices.
F43 Reports of a student's grades are routinely sent to the student. Parents of dependent students may obtain grades by providing proof of dependence to the university registrar. The grades of other students will be sent to their parents only with written permission of the student.
F44 In the case of a student who is delinquent in an account to the university, including unpaid traffic or parking violations, or about whom official disciplinary action has been taken, the appropriate university official may request that the student's record not be released. The effect of this action is that transcripts are not released, and registration forms are withheld. Further information concerning this policy can be obtained from the university registrar. In order for the action to be rescinded, the registrar's office must receive authority from the official who originally requested the action, indicating that the student has met the obligation.
F45 Withdrawal from the university. Students who withdraw from the university must have an official withdrawal permit from their dean.
F46 If a student withdraws during the first 25 days of the semester, no grade shall be reported to the university registrar. Thereafter, a grade of W is reported. A student may not withdraw after the end of the tenth week of the semester.
Students who find it necessary to withdraw from the university for verifiable non-academic reasons after the tenth week should consult the office of their academic dean.
F50 Class schedule. The head of each department, in consultation with the faculty, prepares a schedule of classes and teaching assignments. This class schedule lists all courses to be offered, with hours, rooms, and, if known, instructors for each section. Class schedules are available to the faculty and students prior to each enrollment period. A course not yet approved by the faculty senate may be listed in the class schedule but must be deleted and not taught if the faculty senate has not approved the course by the first day that students enroll. (FSM 4-12-77.) Each departmental schedule shall provide that not more than 40 percent of total class time be scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.
Courses not applicable toward degree requirements 000-099
Lower division undergraduate courses designed as freshman/sophomore courses 100-299
Upper division undergraduate courses designed as junior/senior courses 300-499
Upper division undergraduate courses, primarily for juniors and seniors, but also eligible for graduate credit 500-699
(Courses numbered 500 may be taken for graduate credit only in a minor field. Courses numbered 600 may be taken as part of a graduate student's major field.)
Graduate and upper division courses, primarily for graduate level 700-799
Graduate master's courses and professional courses beyond undergraduate level 800-899
Graduate courses primarily for doctoral level 900-999
F52 Class size. It is expected that scheduled classes will be offered. When, however, enrollments are below minimums, classes are subject to cancellation and students enrolled in these classes should be reassigned. Any classes below the minimums that are recommended for continuation must be justified by the department head and approved by his/her dean and the provost. (FS 11/10/09 revisions) The following are the established minimum enrollments:
F53 Classes or sections, under a single instructor, in basic freshman subjects, may not be continued when the enrollment is below 15.
F54 Classes for courses above the basic freshman level, if neither vocational in character nor laboratory courses, must have an enrollment of ten or more in order to be continued.
F55 Laboratory courses or courses that are vocational in character must have an enrollment of seven or more for undergraduate credit or three or more for graduate credit to be continued.
F56 Classes or courses numbered from 500 through 799 may be continued regardless of class size if 50 percent or more of the students enrolled are graduate students, provided the number of graduate students is more than two.
F57 Classes for courses numbered 800 to 999 have no minimum enrollment limit.
F58 Courses scheduled as Individual Instruction, Problems, Research, etc., and taught by appointment are not restricted by a minimum enrollment limit. However, students may not be assigned to these to evade minimum class-size provisions.
F59 Maximum class sizes are governed by the requirements of optimizing teaching and learning conditions and frequently by the physical facilities available.
F60 Duration of class. Class and lecture periods normally last 50 minutes in the regular semester and 60 minutes during the summer term. Longer periods are sometimes provided, particularly when fewer meetings in the week are scheduled. Graduate seminars are commonly scheduled for longer periods, at the discretion of the department.
F61 Absence of instructor. Unless notified of late arrival of the instructor, a class is excused after waiting ten minutes for the instructor to appear. An instructor will not be absent without notification unless the situation is an emergency. Arrangements will be made for a substitute or some other procedure when the instructor knows in advance that he/she will be unable to meet the class.
F62 Class attendance. Class attendance policies shall be determined by the instructor of each course. Instructors will determine the manner in which missed class work and examinations may be made up.
F63 Class dismissal. Each year K-State schedules and sponsors various convocations, lectures, and similar functions considered to be of significant educational value to students and faculty. The determination of whether or not to dismiss classes to allow students to attend these events is made by the class instructor. This is not in conflict with the Kansas Board of Regents' policy statement of June 19, 1970. (See Appendix D.) Classes may not be dismissed except for events scheduled and officially sponsored by the university.
F64 A student may drop a course or change an assignment with formal reassignment by the dean or dean's representative, subject to the following restrictions.
The last day for dropping a course without a W being recorded is the twenty-fifth day of classes. After the tenth week of classes, courses may not be dropped. In cases where courses are shorter than the full semester, deadlines will be applied pro rated accordingly.
If an instructor recommends a reassignment, the student should confer with his/her advisor. An instructor may drop a student from any or all components (e.g., lecture, recitation, lab, etc.) of a course if the student is absent at the beginning of the first class period of any component of the course. Students who cannot be in attendance should arrange prior permission from the instructor in order to avoid being dropped. For purposes of this procedure, enrollment in and payment of fees for a course do not constitute sufficient notification of intent to take a course. No student may add a course after the first week of classes without the permission of the instructor.
A student may transfer from one college to another with permission from the dean or the dean's representative of the college into which the student proposes to transfer.
F65 Undergraduate students may retake courses in order to improve the grade. If a course is retaken, the original grade is lined out, a retake notice inserted, and the original grade is removed from the grade point average. Retakes can be accomplished only by re-enrolling and completing a K-State resident course. Courses originally taken on a letter grade basis may be retaken on an A/Pass/F basis if appropriate, or if originally taken on an A/Pass/F basis may be retaken on a letter grade basis. The retake grade will always be used in the grade point average computation regardless of whether it is higher or lower than the original grade. Although there is no limit to the number of times a course may be retaken, a student may retake a course with subsequent removal of the prior grade from calculation of the grade point only once for each course, and for a total of five courses during the student's academic career at K-State. Any grades obtained from retaking courses beyond these limitations will be used in calculating the grade point average. A retaken course will count only once toward meeting degree requirements.
Any course retaken after completion of a bachelor's degree shall not affect the credits or the grade point average applied to that course.
F66 Auditing is attending a class regularly without participating in class work and without receiving credit. Permission to audit is granted by the instructor, with the approval of the dean of the college in which the class is offered. A nonrefundable fee is charged each auditor except full-time university faculty or unclassified professionals, other full-time employees, full-time students, and persons 60 years of age or older. Laboratory and activity courses may not be audited. Audits are not recorded on the permanent record. Students should not enroll in courses they plan to audit.
F67 Instructors are responsible for indicating the required textbooks and essential supplies for courses they will teach. In the case of multiple sections with several instructors for the same course, the department may make a uniform adoption resulting from the deliberations of all participating instructors. The departments will notify the K-State Union Bookstore of the textbooks and other supplies in sufficient time so that they will be available at the time classes start.
Students have no obligation to purchase books not listed as required.
F70 Semester final examinations are scheduled by the Committee on Academic Policy and Procedures. Once the final examination time for a course is published on the web under "Course Schedules," it may be changed only with the concurrence of the university provost. Faculty members may assign take-home examinations, projects, papers or other media in lieu of a written final examination. In such instances, the deadline for submittal of the alternative assessment may not be earlier than the end of the scheduled final examination period for the course.
Except for honors, problems, seminar, reports, research, laboratory practical, language, studio and fine arts performance classes, the last examination (either unit or comprehensive) must be given during the final examination period published on the web. No examination (unit or final) may be scheduled seven calendar days prior to the first scheduled day of semester examinations. (FSM 5/13/03)
F71 Faculty members may not give the last examination at a time other than that published in the class schedule. The final examination may be given to an individual student under special circumstances at another time during final examinations. In particular, students who have more than two examinations scheduled in a 24-clock hour period (a 24-hour period starting at any time) and students who have conflicting exam times may petition the instructor(s) of the highest numbered non-group exam course(s) and schedule an alternate time for taking the final examination(s) at some other time during final examinations. If a student is unable to arrange the necessary rescheduling through the instructors involved, then the academic dean will resolve the overload problem, if all the scheduled examinations are within the same college. If the examinations in question are within the jurisdiction of different colleges, decisions regarding rescheduling shall be made by the university provost. (FS 2/12/08, revised)
F72 University-sponsored events, on- and off-campus (such as extracurricular events, social activities, athletic events, and field trips) shall not be scheduled between 24 hours before the first scheduled final examination and the end of the last scheduled final examination. In addition, off-campus events shall not be scheduled to prohibit a student from being on campus between 24 hours before the first scheduled final examination and the end of the last scheduled final examination.
F73 Exceptions to the scheduling restrictions for university events can be made under the following conditions:
Consideration may be given
to approval of events whose scheduling is not known as long as 18 weeks
in advance.
(FSM 5/9/89)
F74 Students
who plan to participate in approved events which conflict with final
examinations may obtain from the office of the university provost a
statement certifying their participation in the event. Faculty may choose
to make special arrangements for final examinations for students who
are involved in such approved events.
(FSM 4-8-80)
F75 Credit by examinations. Any student enrolled at K-State is eligible to gain undergraduate credit by examination. Credit may be granted for any course with the consent of the head of the department offering credit for that subject. Students who take College Level Examination Program tests should have the results sent to the Office of Admissions.
F76 Credit by examination may carry letter grades of A, B, C, or D, or a notation "credit" as determined by the department. The credit will be treated as resident credit and such graded work will receive grade points to be computed in the student's grade point average. Non-graded credit by examination shall be treated as graded hours in implementing the A/Pass/F policy.
F77 Any non-traditional student (NTS) is eligible to gain undergraduate credit by departmental examination. The NTS is required to pay an examination fee at one-half the normal continuing education tuition rate per credit hour. The examination fee is placed in the College Developmental Reserve Account of the faculty member administering the examination. Half the credit hours earned through special examination are included in the instructional base. Upon successful completion of the examination, the Special Examination for Enrolled Student form is completed and submitted to the registrar. Credits earned through special examination are designated as "special exam" on the student's permanent record.
F80 The university uses the following grades:
A--for excellent work
B--for good work
C--for fair work
D--for poor work
F--for failure
XF--for academic dishonesty
P--for grades of B, C, and D on A/Pass/F courses
Cr--for credit courses for which no letter grade is given (non-graded
courses)
NCr--for no credit in courses for which no letter grade is given (non-graded
courses)
NR--for no grade reported
I--incomplete
W--withdrawn
F81 Hours taken on a non-graded basis will be graded by Cr, if passed, or NCr, if not passed. Courses in which a Cr or P grade is received will be used in fulfilling graduation requirements. Only the grades A, B, C, D, and F are used in calculating resident grade averages.
If a student receives an I grade in a non-graded course and the work is not completed within the designated time period, then the final grade will be recorded as NCr for that course. (Effective date: August 25, 2008) (FS 3/11/08)
F82 Grade points are assigned to determine graduation
requirements, academic warning and dismissal levels, and scholastic
honors. For each semester hour of graded work, a student earns points
as follows:
A--4; B--3; C--2; D--1; F--0.
F83 The instructor will make an appropriate report on any student who does not complete a course in accordance with these definitions:
F84 The student has the responsibility to take the initiative in completing work for which he/she received an Incomplete.
F85 Instructors of new freshmen are contacted during the fifth week of the semester and requested to indicate whether the student is performing at a satisfactory or unsatisfactory level. For each new freshman performing unsatisfactorily in a given course, the instructor indicates perceived reasons for the poor performance. A Student Academic Progress Report is prepared for each new freshman and a copy of the report is sent to the academic advisor, dean's office, and Academic Assistance Center.
F86 Reporting grades. Academic Progress Reports for new freshmen are sent to deans' offices and to students at the close of the sixth week of classes. Other students desiring reports of grades must supply instructors with properly self-addressed cards, with postage affixed.
F87 The instructor reports semester grades to the university registrar. Instructors should leave grade books in their departments when semester grades have been submitted. The head of the department keeps a copy of all grades on permanent file.
F88 In case of absence from the final examination, no semester grade will be reported until the reason for such absence has been learned. If the student's absence is not excused by the dean, a semester grade will be reported on the basis of zero for the final examination; if the absence is excused, a reasonable time, usually not over one month, is allowed within which the examination may be taken.
F90 Change of grades. An instructor may effect a change of grade by filing the appropriate "Grade Change Report in the Registrar's office. To protect against falsified reports, the white copy of the report is returned to the instructor once the grade change has been entered by the Registrar. Falsified reports are a violation of the Honor Pledge.
F91 A/Pass/F policy. Undergraduate students, except first semester freshmen and students on probation, may enroll in certain courses for which they have the normal prerequisites under the A/Pass/F option. Under the A/Pass/F option, students earning a grade of A in a course will have an A recorded on the transcript for that course; a grade of B, C, or D will be recorded as Pass; a grade of F will be recorded as fail.
F92 Students should be aware that some schools, scholarship committees, and honorary societies do not find work taken on a non-graded basis (Pass) acceptable. Furthermore, many employers do not view non-graded (Pass) course work in a favorable manner. All students, especially those without a declared major, should be very cautious in using the A/Pass/F option.
F93 Each department or division may specify which courses its majors may take under the A/Pass/F option consistent with the university requirements listed below:
F100 Scholastic deficiencies. Undergraduate students are notified of their scholastic status by the appropriate academic deans from information supplied by the registrar's Office. The scholastic record of each undergraduate is evaluated twice yearly -- at the end of the fall semester and at the end of the spring semester. The student's scholastic status does not change as a result of work taken in summer term or intersession.
Students (excluding students in the College of Veterinary Medicine) are placed on academic warning or dismissal according to the following policy: (FSM 9-14-93)
F101 Status of students who earn less than a 1.0 GPA in a given semester. Students who earn less than a 1.0 GPA in any semester are considered to have neglected their academic responsibilities. The following policy applies: 1) Any student (freshman or transfer) who earns less than a 1.0 GPA in his or her first semester at K-State will be dismissed. 2) Any continuing student enrolled at K-State not dismissed by university academic standards policies but who earns less than a 1.0 semester GPA will have registration for the next semester or term withheld subject to review by the academic dean of the dean's representative(s).
F102 Academic warning. Undergraduate students (excluding students in the College of Veterinary Medicine) are placed on academic warning or removed from it as follows:
Total hours accumulated*/K-State GPA
20-29/1.50
30-45/1.75
46-60/1.80
61-75/1.85
76-90/1.90
91-105/1.95
greater than 105/2.00
*Defined in Item 1 above
Readmission procedures for graduate students are described in the Graduate Faculty Handbook.
F110 Scholastic honors. Bachelor's degree candidates who have completed a minimum of 60 hours in residence, with at least 50 hours in graded courses, are considered for graduation with scholastic honors as follows: Students with a 3.950 or above K-State academic average are designated as Summa Cum Laude. Students with a 3.850-3.949 K-State academic average are designated as Magna Cum Laude. Students with a 3.750-3.849 K-State academic average are designated as Cum Laude. Students with a Doctor of veterinary medicine degree candidates are eligible to receive these honors based on courses completed in the professional program.
For the unofficial commencement program, honors will be determined on a minimum of 45 hours in residence completed prior to the term of graduation with at least 36 credit hours in graded courses.
Students with at least 12 graded hours whose semester grade point average for a given semester is 3.75 or above will be awarded semester scholastic honors.
Graduate School students are ineligible for these honors.
(revised, FS 1/17/06, FS 5/12/09)
F120 The common requirements for all curricula leading to an undergraduate degree are: English composition, 6 credits; public speaking, 2 credits; Concepts of Physical Education, 1 credit.
F121 To graduate, a student must complete a prescribed curriculum. Under special conditions substitutions are allowed as the interests of the student warrant. The total credit requirement for bachelor's degrees ranges from 124 to 167 hours, according to the curriculum taken.
To be awarded an undergraduate degree a student must have earned a grade point average of at least 2.0 (C) on all K-State courses taken for resident graded credit and applied toward the degree. Professional curricula may impose additional degree requirements. In addition, to be awarded an undergraduate degree, a student must have earned a grade point average of at least 2.0 (C) on all courses taken for resident graded credit at K-State.
Up to one-half of the credit required for an undergraduate degree may be completed at an accredited two-year college.
To be considered for a degree at K-State, 20 of the last 30 credits presented by the student for the degree must be in residence at K-State. Further, all students must have a minimum of 30 resident credits at K-State. Courses in the student's major field shall be taken in residence unless an exception is granted by the major department on petition of the student. That department shall have jurisdiction over the acceptance of major courses by transfer for fulfillment of the major requirement.
Exceptions to the residence requirement of the final year may be made by the dean of the college and the department head in the student's major field if the student has completed a total of three years of work acceptable to K-State; the student must submit satisfactory plans and reasons for completing the degree requirements at another institution as for medicine, dentistry, law, medical technology, and physical therapy prior to earning a degree here.
Resident work includes all regularly scheduled class or laboratory instruction given by the regular university faculty but excluding extension courses.
At least five-sixths of the credit hours taken at K-State and applied toward a bachelor's degree must be graded hours. Required courses of an internship or practicum nature or credit by examination, offered on a Credit/No Credit basis only, are to be considered as graded hours in implementing the five-sixth's policy. Candidates for spring graduation are urged to attend commencement. Summer and fall graduates are invited to participate in the fall commencement exercises. Also, prospective graduates may participate in the spring exercises prior to graduation. All participants must wear the appropriate cap and gown.
Most students complete degree requirements in the normal four or five academic years allotted for that purpose. However, some may take additional time because of a significant change of educational objective. Others may interrupt their studies for one or more semesters. Normally, the student will be expected to complete the degree program in not more than two years beyond the scheduled time. The individual whose education has been interrupted may have to meet new degree requirements if a change has occurred.
F122 Modification of Graduating Requirements for Disabled Students (FSM 4-12-94). A student may request a program modification if he or she can document a disability that directly impairs his/her ability to meet the normal requirements of the program. In general, such documentation should be provided by qualified professionals in the area of the disability. These professionals should describe the specific disability in behavioral terms in relation to the specific modifications sought by the student. Information required to document a specific disability will be provided to the student by the director of Disability Support Services.
The Faculty Committee on Program Modifications for Individual Disabled Students will consider requests to modify programs of study. The committee will consist of six members. Two standing members of the committee will be: a faculty member appointed by the provost to serve as committee chair for a three-year term, and the director of Disability Support Services. Rotating members of the committee will be as follows: a faculty member appointed by the dean of the college in which the student is enrolled, a faculty member from the unit and appointed by the unit administrator of the unit in which the student requesting the program modification is enrolled, a faculty member from the unit and appointed by the unit administrator of the unit in which the course in question is located, and a faculty member with specialized background in the student's disability appointed by the provost.
A student must request modification in a program early enough in the student's university career to allow the request to be processed and for arrangements to be made for the student to complete the recommended substitution or modification in a timely manner. The Faculty Committee on Program Modifications for Individual Disabled Students meets three times a year if needed, during the first week of March, July, and October, to hear requests for modifications in programs. The Committee responds to requests within three weeks of the date it meets. Requests for program modifications must be submitted to the director of Disability Support Services a minimum of one month before the date the Committee is scheduled to meet.
In some cases, a disabled student may be required by the committee to demonstrate an effort to satisfactorily complete a course (e.g. attend classes, take examinations, write papers) before requesting a program modification. If the student fails the course, he or she may then request a program modification. If the program modification is approved by the Faculty Committee on Program Modifications for Individual Disabled Students, the failing grade of the required course will be removed when the disabled student completes the approved program modification.
The committee can act upon requests for program modifications in one of the following ways:
Decisions by the Faculty Committee on Program Modifications for Individual Disabled Students are final. Their execution shall be supervised by the provost.
F123 Dual degrees. Students may elect to earn two degrees at the same time. The requirements for both degrees must be satisfied. Students should confer with academic dean(s) as early as possible to determine appropriate programs of study. (FSM 5-12-92)
F125 Scope. Federal law requires that Universities provide equal educational opportunities for all students, including students with disabilities. This Course Accessibility Standards Policy provides guidance for ensuring that all course delivery methods utilizing technology (eLearning) are accessible to student with disabilities.
F125.1 Background. Many of the courses offered at Kansas State University use technology to enhance course delivery, both on-campus and through distance learning (referred to as eLearning ). The United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has stated that eLearning must be designed and delivered in such a way that all students, including students with disabilities, have equal access to course content.
In 2001, Kansas State University developed a memorandum detailing the University's responsibility for creating accessible administrative, college, and department web pages. Accessible templates were developed for this purpose. Since 2001 the use of websites, web-based course management systems, and various technologies to routinely provide instruction to students has grown exponentially. Therefore, the Course Accessibility Standards Policy extends beyond the 2001 Web Accessibility Memorandum to include distance education and instructional websites as well as all eLearning course content.
F125.2 Legal Requirements. Collectively, State and Federal regulations require equal access to resources and materials for students who are otherwise qualified to enroll in the course. Furthermore, accessibility must be built into eLearning; OCR interpretation states that a University violates its obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act when it responds only on an ad-hoc basis to individual requests for accommodation. Finally, this instruction must result in a course-taking experience that is similar to that of students without disabilities.
Applicable legislation includes:
Meeting Course Accessibility Standards for eLearning is best accomplished through the application of the principles of Universal Design to course development. Universal Design refers to the design of products, environments, and services to be “usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for specialized design.” Much like curb cuts benefit more than mobility-impaired persons, electronic curb cuts provide benefits for the larger student population as well.
Often, providing a single accommodation (such as a transcript for an audio course segment) provides benefits to many different persons with different disabilities and/or learning styles. The resulting Universal Access is effective for all students and is the best way for eLearning at Kansas State University to meet the needs of students with disabilities and to meet the demands of current and future technology.
F125.3 Policy. This policy applies to all faculty and staff developing courses or course management systems for K-State or affiliates. All course delivery mechanisms and course content must be made accessible. This policy refers to new courses, new materials added to existing courses, and “retrofitting” of existing courses. In addition, software that is purchased and utilized in a course must also be accessible. Making courses accessible may include , such actions as saving documents in a universal format such as Microsoft Word, providing a written transcript of audio content, or embedding a text description of graphics inserted into a PowerPoint slide or website. By making courses accessible to students who are sight or hearing impaired, you are also making the same course accessible to students with a wide range of other disabilities.
F125.4 Responsibilities. All University administrators, faculty, and staff who are involved in course development and delivery share the obligation to ensure that eLearning is accessible to students with disabilities. The Dean of each College will be asked to review for compliance with this policy any new course approval or course alteration. The Office of the Provost will make reasonable efforts to provide professional development, training, and technical support for faculty and staff involved in the creation of accessible eLearning.
F125.5 Implementation. Faculty and staff who need technical help implementing this policy may contact Information Technology Assistance Center, or Disability Support Services.
F130 The graduate faculty's general requirements for graduate degrees are contained in the Graduate Faculty Handbook. Additional degree requirements, specific to each discipline, are set by the faculty in each program and are available in published form.
F140 Regents' institutions will not award honorary doctoral degrees. (BOR 3/22/90)
F150 A student who dies while actively pursuing a degree at K-State may be considered for a posthumous degree. The dean may nominate the student for consideration by academic affairs and the faculty senate. If approved, it will be noted on the transcript and the diploma that it is a posthumous degree.
F160 Undergraduate
minors provide students an opportunity to emphasize study in an area
outside their major curriculum. A minor program will require completion
of at least 15 designated credit hours of required course work outside
of the major. Courses forming a minor may be used to satisfy the general
requirements of a major curriculum, including free electives. Students
who have declared an approved minor and completed all requirements for
it will receive official recognition for that emphasis after the degree is posted.
K-State graduates can complete minors after their baccalaureate or advanced degree has been awarded by seeking admission as a non degree student.
Directors of minor programs can request approval to allow non-K-State graduates with baccalaureate or advanced degrees to earn an undergraduate minor through the normal course and curriculum routing procedures. In general, such programs should demonstrate rationale and specify how applicants will be screened for adequacy of past academic preparation. Application requirements can be found in the Approval, Routing, and Notification Procedures for Course and Curriculum Changes. Minor programs must request continuation every five years to maintain their standing to accept non-K-State graduates. No more than six hours of transfer courses may be used for the minor. (FSM 4/13/93, FSM 3/09/10)