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Office of the Registrar

Office of the Registrar
118 Anderson Hall
919 Mid-Campus Drive North
Manhattan, KS 66506–0118

785-532-6254

registrar@k-state.edu

Office Hours:

Monday–Friday
8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (CST)

Academic Policy

Academic Fresh Start and Academic Forgiveness GPA Policies

The Academic Fresh Start and Academic Forgiveness Policies enable an undergraduate student to neutralize, in part, the grade impact of prior academic performance. Academic Fresh Start and Academic Forgiveness provide for the computation of an alternative GPA and for the use of that GPA in most academic situations. A student may apply only once, and to only one or the other, and the process cannot be reversed. A student may not apply for either policy until he or she has been reinstated into his or her college.

  1. Conditions for a readmitted student to be eligible to apply for Academic Fresh Start are:
    1. The student was not enrolled in a K-State course for three (3) calendar years prior to readmission.
    2. After readmission, the student earned a K-State GPA of 2.21 or higher at the end of the academic session in which the twelfth credit was earned.
    3. Up to 60 consecutive hours2 of course work and K-State GPA may be restricted from the regular GPA calculation. The beginning point for the Academic Fresh Start GPA shall be the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth3 academic semester of enrollment following the student's initial K-State date of entry. The choice of the starting point is designated by the student at the time of application for Academic Fresh Start and hours excluded from the calculation must be consecutive.
  2. Conditions for a student to be eligible to apply for Academic Forgiveness are:
    1. The student experienced one or more extenuating circumstances which caused a drastic change to the student's academic performance in one or two semesters.
    2. After the session(s) affected by the extenuating circumstance, the student earned a K-State GPA of 2.2 or higher at the end of the academic session in which the twelfth credit was earned.
    3. Grades from up to two (2) consecutive semesters may be excluded from the regular cumulative GPA calculation.4
    4. The student's Academic Standards Committee of the college or its equivalent may request documentation confirming the extenuating circumstances with the application for Academic Forgiveness.
  3. The calculation and reporting of Academic Fresh Start or Academic Forgiveness GPA and their uses in academic evaluation are:
    1. Academic Fresh Start or Academic Forgiveness deletes nothing from the student's academic record. Grades earned before the Academic Fresh Start or Academic Forgiveness will remain on the transcript along with the cumulative GPA for all hours taken.
    2. The transcript will clearly indicate the starting point of the Academic Fresh Start/Academic Forgiveness as well as the Academic Fresh Start/Academic Forgiveness GPA.
    3. University-wide academic policies based on a cumulative GPA generally will use the Academic Fresh Start or Academic Forgiveness GPA. However, academic programs are not required to use Academic Fresh Start or Academic Forgiveness GPAs. Some programs, such as those in the graduate school or those leading to teacher licensure, may use all grades for the calculation of the GPA.
    4. In order for students in the Academic Fresh Start or Academic Forgiveness program to be eligible for university academic honors, they must complete a minimum of 60 hours in residence, with at least 50 hours in graded courses after the Academic Fresh Start or Academic Forgiveness begins. Other academic policies will not be affected.
  4. Procedures for applying for Academic Fresh Start or Academic Forgiveness are:
    1. A student applies for Academic Fresh Start GPA or Academic Forgiveness GPA through the Academic Standards Committee or its equivalent in the college in which the student is enrolled.
    2. A student must apply no later than the academic semester prior to the one when the degree will be granted. (Students wishing to apply are encouraged to do so as soon as possible after qualifying.)
    3. When applying, the student must indicate the point at which he or she wishes the Academic Fresh Start or Academic Forgiveness GPA to begin.
      1. For readmitted students applying for Academic Fresh Start, the choices are: the end of the first, second, third, fourth or fifth semester, following the student's initial K-State date of entry.
      2. For students who experienced extenuating circumstances and are applying for Academic Forgiveness, the semester(s) will be selected in consultation with the Academic Standards Committee of the college or its equivalent.
  1. Rationale: This is the GPA standard to which all students are held in the Academic Dismissal Policy.
  2. Rationale: This change will accommodate students who do not take traditional full-time semesters.
  3. Rationale: This change will accommodate students who do not take traditional full-time semesters.
  4. Rationale: It is assumed that the negative impact of the extenuating circumstance(s) will be diminished within two semesters.

Academic Warning/Dismissal Policy — Effective Spring 1994

Total units, including Pre-Academic Fresh Start, transfer work accepted, K-State resident graded units attempted and miscellaneous units completed establish the level for academic warning and dismissal calculation. However, transfer units and grades are not computed in K-State grade point averages.

Academic Warning
  • Students who earn less than a 2.00 K-State term or cumulative GPA will be placed on academic warning
  • Students are automatically taken off academic warning when the K-State cumulative grade point average reaches the required level (2.00) in Spring or Fall end-of-term grade posting.
Dismissal

Students are dismissed if:

  • they (freshman or transfer) earn less than 1.00 term GPA in their first term, or
  • they have been on academic warning the previous term, and
  • they have accumulated a total of 20 or more term units, and
  • their K-State grade point averages are at the following levels:

Total Units* — K-State cumulative GPA less than

  • 20 to 29 — 1.50
  • 30 to 45 — 1.75
  • 46 to 60 — 1.80
  • 61 to 75 — 1.85
  • 76 to 90 — 1.90
  • 91 to 105 — 1.95
  • greater than 105 — 2.00

*see first paragraph

Students who neglect their academic responsibilities may be dismissed at anytime on recommendation of their academic dean.

Students will not be dismissed if their K-State term GPA is at least 2.20 on 12 or more graded units (or the minimum grade point average established by the student's college, if higher).

Continuing students whose K-State cumulative GPAs are above the dismissal threshold but whose K-State term GPAs are less than 1.00 will have registration for the next term held subject to review by their academic dean.

Dismissed students must normally wait at least two terms before being reinstated.

Add/Drop

If a student wants to drop or add a course or if an instructor recommends a change, the student should confer with an advisor.

No student may add a course with 70 or more calendar days (10 or more weeks in length) after the 7th calendar day of classes without consent of the instructor.

The last day for dropping courses with 70 or more calendar days (10 or more weeks in length), without a "W" being recorded is at the 36th calendar day of the term. After the 68th calendar day of the term, courses may not be dropped. For courses less than 70 days (10 or more weeks in length), the drop dates are prorated. Refer to the Course Schedule.

A/Pass/Fail Policy

Undergraduate students, except first-term freshmen and students on academic warning, may enroll in certain courses for which they have the normal prerequisites under the A/Pass/F grading option. Under this 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 F.

Students may request the A/Pass/F grading option for eligible courses through the 28th day of a 16-week term or through the 14th day of summer term. Students requesting the use of the A/Pass/F option must obtain the signature of their advisors. The decision by a student to use the A/Pass/F option is treated with strict confidentiality.

It is the responsibility of a student requesting enrollment under the A/Pass/F grading option to be sure that such an enrollment is valid in the declared degree program. A course originally completed under the A/Pass/F grading option may not be converted at any time to a graded basis.

Students should be aware that some institutions, 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 favorably. All students should be cautious in using the A/Pass/F grading option. Each department or division may specify which courses its majors may take under the A/Pass/F grading option consistent with the university requirements listed below.

A student may enroll under the A/Pass/F option for any free elective course offered under this option, that is, in any course that is in no way specified even in general terms in his or her curriculum, secondary major, or minor. Courses that are specified by name or number and courses that meet general distribution requirements, and courses to be applied in a secondary major or minor are not considered free electives. Students may submit Pass units for graduation requirements up to and not exceeding one-sixth of the total number of units required for a bachelor's degree. That is, five-sixths of all units submitted for the degree must be units submitted on a graded or credit basis.

Attendance Policy

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 consent from the instructor in order not be dropped.

Beginning the first calendar day of the term, an instructor is to notify Enrollment Services, 118 Anderson Hall, (or in Salina, the K-State Salina Registrar's Office) if he/she would like to have a student dropped from a course because of the above policy. Submit the class roster as soon as possible and NO LATER THAN the end of the 12th calendar day of the term. Non-standard classes are prorated.

Classification

Students are classified as follows:

  • Freshman: student with 0–29 completed units
  • Sophomore: student with 30–59 completed units
  • Junior: student with 60–89 completed units
  • Senior: student with 90–119 completed units
  • Fifth-year: student with 120 or more completed units (applies only to the College of Architecture, Planning, and Design and the College of Engineering).

Credit/No Credit

Certain courses for which the learning experience is based primarily on participation and/or attendance may be offered solely on a Credit/No Credit basis. No grades are given for such courses.

For courses that are normally given for a grade, the designation Credit may be obtained in the case of credit by examination. (See the Undergraduate Catalog for additional information).

Grading Policy

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
  • I, for incomplete
  • P, for grades of B, C, or D in course taken under the A/Pass/F grading option
  • Cr, for credit in course for which no letter grade is given (non-graded courses)
  • NC, for no credit in courses for which no letter grade is given (non-graded courses)
  • NR, for no grade reported
  • W, for withdrawn
  • XF, for violation of Honor Code

The grade of Incomplete (I) is given in regular courses (other than independent studies, research, and problems) upon request of the student for personal emergencies that are verifiable. The faculty member has the responsibility to provide written notification to the student of work required to remove the incomplete. The student has the responsibility to take the initiative in completing the work, and is expected to make up the incomplete during the first term in residence after receiving the grade of I. If the student does not make up the incomplete during the first term in residence at the university after receiving it, a grade may be given by the faculty member without further consultation with the student. The instructor of record may fill out special access for students who need continued access to complete coursework.

If after the end of the first term the I remains on the record it will be designated as F for record-keeping purposes and will be computed in the student's GPA, weighted at 0 points per credit. A grade of NR will be treated in a like manner using the designation F.

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 (and the designations IX and NX under conditions described above) are used in calculating resident grade averages.

For each term unit of graded work, students earn points, as follows:

  • A = 4.0
  • B = 3.0
  • C = 2.0
  • D = 1.0
  • F = 0
  • IX = 0
  • NX = 0

Beginning in Spring 2012, all Grades of "F" (Fail) and/or "NC" (No Credit) will require a Yes/No statement as to the student's participation in Academic-related activity. This statement is required due to federal mandate regarding the issuance of federal financial aid. For a definition, refer to the Academic-related activity page.

Effective May 2012, Grade Changes will be submitted directly in KSIS from the Request Grade Change link found on the grade roster. Grade Change Rosters will remain open for five years from the original posting date to submit changes. On-line changes to certain grades such as "W" and "XF" will not be allowed, nor to grades related to a completed program of a graduated student. Any changes not accommodated by the on line method must be handled by submitting a Grade Change Memorandum form to the Dean of the College.

Honors

Scholastic honors

Bachelor's degree candidates who will have completed a minimum of 60 hours at Kansas State University and with at least 50 hours in graded courses in residence, 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 seeking a Doctor of veterinary medicine degree are eligible to receive these honors based on courses completed in the professional program.

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.

 

Lists of Graduate & Semester Honors

Minors

Undergraduate minors provide students an opportunity to emphasize study in an area outside their major curriculum. Courses forming a minor may be used to satisfy the general requirements of a major curriculum, including free electives. Students are not required to complete a minor to graduate.

Students who declare and complete all requirements for a minor as part of a baccalaureate degree will receive official recognition on their academic records when the degree is posted. Undergraduate students interested in completing one or more minors should consult their advisor. Additional counsel should be sought from the minor program director. Students are encouraged to seek advice and information about potential areas of emphasis early in their academic planning.

Students who wish to complete a minor after a baccalaureate or during or after an advanced degree has been awarded by Kansas State University must reapply to Admissions as a non degree student to add a minor. Students with baccalaureate or advanced degrees from another accredited college or university should consult the minor program director about the availability of the minor to non-K-State graduates.

A minor requires completion of at least 15 designated hours of course work. Faculty in departments offering minors have specified courses that enable students to acquire moderate expertise in their discipline. No more than six hours of transfer courses may be used for a minor. Prerequisites and requisites associated with minors must be followed, and students must earn the minimum GPA set by the minor program.

For more information on specific minors, consult individual department course listings and the minor program director.

A listing of all currently available minors is available in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Non-Permissible Changes to the Academic Record after Degree Posting

Grade changes may not be made after a degree has been posted, for courses taken prior to that degree posting. In addition, backdated withdrawals will not be processed after a degree has been posted, for any term prior to that degree posting.

Reinstatement Policy

Normally a student must wait at least two terms before being considered for reinstatement.

A dismissed student will be readmitted only when approved for reinstatement by the academic standards committee of the college the student is attempting to enter; the application for reinstatement must be directed to the academic standards committee.

Students who earn a term grade point average of at least 2.00 but less than 2.20 on 12 or more credits during the term they are dismissed can be considered for immediate reinstatement.

Release of Grades

A student's grades may be accessed through KSIS or by ordering an academic transcript. Parents of a dependent student may obtain grades by submitting proof of dependency to the Office of the Registrar or with written permission from the student.

Retake Policy

Undergraduate

Students may retake courses in order to improve grades. If a course is retaken, the original grade is noted as retaken and removed from the grade point average.

Retakes can be accomplished only by re-enrolling in 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. The original course remains on the academic record.

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 average 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. Courses retaken before fall 1986 will not be used in determining whether five courses have been retaken.

Any course retaken after completion of a bachelor's degree will not affect the credits or the GPA applied to that degree.

Graduate

If the student received less than 3.00 in a course, the student may retake the course with approval of the major professor and the supervisory committee. If the course is retaken by the direction of the major professor and the supervisory committee, the original grade is noted as retaken and removed from the grade point average. The retake grade will always be used in computing the grade point average regardless of whether it is higher or lower than the original grade. A student may retake a course with subsequent removal of the prior grade only once for each course and for a total of two courses in the program of study. An approved program of study must be on file in the Graduate School at the time the retake request is submitted. Retake requests must be made prior to enrolling in the course.

Review and Challenge of Records

Upon request to the Registrar, a record covered by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act will be made available to the student within a reasonable time and no later than 45 days after the request. Copies are available at the student's expense and explanations and interpretations of the records may be requested from the official in charge. If the official believes that a particular record or file contains inaccurate or misleading information or is otherwise inappropriate, the university will afford an opportunity for a hearing to challenge the record's content. Prior to any formal hearing, the official in charge of the record is authorized to attempt, through informal meetings and discussions with the student, to settle the dispute. If this is unsuccessful, the matter will be referred to the appropriate vice president.

If the student is still dissatisfied, a hearing may be requested. The hearing, conducted by a hearing officer appointed by the president, will be held within two weeks. The student will have the opportunity at the hearing to present any relevant evidence, and a decision will be rendered within two weeks after the hearing. If the result does not satisfy the student, he or she may place a statement in the file.

Student Records Policy

Kansas State University is in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended; this law established specific guidelines concerning the release of information and the student's privileges to inspect and review their own educational records.

Kansas State University maintains various student records, to document academic progress as well as to record interactions with University staff and officials. To protect the student's rights to privacy, and to conform with federal law (FERPA), the University has an established the Student Records Policy. Interpretation of this policy is based on experience with educational records, and the policy itself may subsequently be modified in light of this experience. Notice of this policy and of students' rights under FERPA is given annually This policy  is available  on the Office of the Registrar’s website, and  is published in the Undergraduate and Graduate catalogs and in the Course Schedule.

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 address, e-mail address, date and place of birth, photograph or likeness, college, curriculum, enrollment status (full/part time), classification, dates of attendance at Kansas State University, awards and academic honors, degrees and dates awarded, most recent previous educational institution attended, participation in officially recognized activities and athletic teams, and height and weight of athletes.

Directory information as defined above may be released upon inquiry, unless the student has requested that this information not be released. The student's request to have directory information withheld must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar, 118 Anderson Hall (or K-State Salina, 208 College Center). The Office of the Registrar will notify other appropriate University offices by placing a notation within the Student Information System.

See URL (http://www.k-state.edu/registrar/students/ferpa/non_disclosure/Non_Disclosure_info.html) for the Non-Disclosure Hold of Student Directory Information form.

Confidential Information

With the exception of the information noted above, students' records are generally considered to be confidential. The following policies govern access to confidential student records.

  1. Each type of student record is the responsibility of a designated University official, and only that person or the Dean, Director, or Vice-President to whom the person reports has authority to release the record. The responsible University officials are:
    1. Academic disciplinary records: Chair of Undergraduate Grievance Committee
    2. Academic records: for undergraduate students, University Registrar, Anderson Hall; for graduate students, the Graduate School Office, Fairchild Hall
    3. Actions of academic standards committees: College Dean
    4. Admissions records: for undergraduate students, the Director of Admissions, Anderson Hall; for graduate students, the Graduate School Office, Fairchild Hall
    5. Business records: Division of Financial Services, Anderson Hall
    6. Counseling records: Director of English/Counseling Services
    7. Evaluations for admission to graduate or professional programs: Dean of the Graduate School or the appropriate college or Department Head
    8. Financial aid records: Director of Student Financial Assistance, Fairchild Hall
    9. Honor & Integrity System: Director of the Honor & Integrity System
    10. Housing records: Director of Housing, Pittman Building
    11. International student records: International student advisor, International Student and Scholar Services
    12. Medical records: Director, Student Health Service, Lafene Health Center
    13. Non-academic disciplinary records: Dean of Student Life
    14. Placement records: Director of Career and Employment Services, Holtz Hall
    15. Special academic programs: Faculty member in charge of the program and Dean of the College
    16. Test scores for College Level Examination Program (CLEP), American College Testing Program (ACT), Miller Analogies Test (MAT), etc.; Director of Academic Assistance Center, Holton Hall
    17. Traffic and security records: Head of K-State Police Department, Edwards Hall
  2. Confidential educational records and personally identifiable information from those records will not be released without the written consent of the student involved, except to other University officials, or in connection with the student's application for financial aid; or by submitting proof of dependency; or in response to a judicial order or subpoena; or in a bona fide health or safety emergency; or, upon request, to other schools in which the student seeks or intends to enroll; or to the U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, the U.S. Commissioner of Education, the Director of the National Institute of Education, the Assistant Secretary of Education, state educational authorities, or state and local officials where required by state statute adopted before November 19, 1974.
  3. An University official may release records to University officials who have a legitimate educational interest for the information in order to carry out their responsibilities. University officials are those officials who act in the student's educational interest within the limitations of their "need to know." University officials include the following: University faculty, staff, & administrators; agents of the university; students employed by the university or who serve on official university committees; and representatives of agencies under contract with the university.
  4. All student records are reviewed periodically. Information concerning the frequency of review and expurgation of specific records is available in the Office of the Registrar.
  5. With certain exceptions*, students may review records which pertain directly to them upon request and may obtain a copy of the record at cost, according to the following schedule:
    1. Transcript of academic record — $15.00 per copy (if current student, no charge)
    2. Medical records (Lafene Health Center) — no charge to patient for medical purposes. A copy charge is assessed to certain outside parties with patient release.
    3. Other records — at cost
  6. A student may waive the right to review a specific record by submitting in writing a statement to this effect to the official responsible for that record. Examples are recommendations for career placement or admission to graduate study.
  7. University officials who have access to student educational records in the course of carrying out their University responsibilities shall not be permitted to release the record to persons outside the University, unless authorized in writing by the student or as required by a court order. Only the official responsible for the records has the authority to release them.
  8. All personal educational information about a student released to a third party will be transferred on condition that no one else shall have access to it except with the student's consent. A record is maintained showing who has had access to student records, and this record is open to inspection by the student.

*The major exceptions to student review are medical and counseling records. These may be released, however, to other medical or psychological professionals at the written request of the student; and may be inspected by the patient at the discretion of the professional staff. Other exceptions are law enforcement records, private notes of University officials, and financial records of parents.

When Records may be Withheld

An University official may request that the student's record not be released in the case the student has a delinquency in an account with the University, including unpaid traffic or parking violations, or if official disciplinary action has been taken. The effect of this action is that transcripts are not released, and enrollment is withheld. In order for the action to be rescinded, the Office of the Registrar must receive authorization from the University official who originally requested the action, indicating that the student has met the obligation. To contest the withholding of a record, a student must attempt to settle the dispute with the University official who requested that the record be withheld. If this attempt to resolve the dispute is unsuccessful, the matter may be resolved in accordance with the process described in the following section. Further information concerning this policy can be obtained from the Office of the Registrar, 118 Anderson Hall, Manhattan (or 208 College Center, Salina).

Review & Challenge of Records

Upon request to the University official listed above, a record covered by the FERPA will be made available within a reasonable time to the student and in no event later than 45 days after the request. Copies are available at the student's expense and explanations and interpretations of the records may be requested from the University official in charge. If the student believes that a particular record or file contains inaccurate or misleading information, the University will afford an opportunity for a hearing to challenge the content of the record. Prior to any formal hearing, the University official in charge of the record is authorized to attempt, through informal meetings and discussions with the student, to settle the dispute. If this is unsuccessful, the matter will be referred to the appropriate vice-president. If the student is still dissatisfied, a hearing may be requested. The hearing, conducted by a hearing officer appointed by the President, will be held within two weeks. The student will have the opportunity at the hearing to present any relevant evidence, and a decision will be rendered within two weeks after the hearing. If the result does not satisfy the student, he or she may place a statement in his/her educational record.

Complaints

A student who believes the University has not complied with the FERPA or regulations may send a written complaint to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office, Dept. of Education, 400 Maryland, SW, Washington, DC 20202.

Revised: 08/31/10

Student Status Policy

The following tables detail the units (credit hours) that are used to verify full time, three quarter time, and half time enrollment status for students at Kansas State University. Term units can be any combination of undergraduate, graduate, and veterinary medicine units.

Fall/Spring terms
Status# of Undergraduate
term units		# of Graduate
term units		# of Grad. Asst.
(0.4–0.9) term units		# of Vet Med
term units
Full Time12 or more96 or more9 or more
Three Quarter Time9–117–857–8
Half Time6–85–63–45–6
Less Than Half Time1–51–41–21–4
Summer term
Status# of Undergraduate
term units		# of Graduate
term units		# of Grad. Asst.
(0.4–0.9) term units		# of Vet Med
term units
Full Time9 or more619 or more
Three Quarter Time7–85—7–8
Half Time5–63–4—5–6
Less Than Half Time1–41–2—1–4

Revised: 3/6/15