UIS Graduate and Undergraduate Catalog
Academic Year 2004 - 2005

Academic Information for ALL STUDENTS

Academic Advising
Faculty advisers work with individual students to see that satisfactory progress is made toward the degree as well as toward personal and career goals. Students can change advisers at any time by completing a Selection of Faculty Adviser form with the newly selected adviser. Students have substantial initiative in the academic advising process and should arrange appointments with their advisers before each registration, but especially the first and last.

Capital Scholars are assigned an initial adviser in their first semester. Undergraduate transfer and master’s degree students will be formally assigned a faculty adviser during the first semester. Fully admitted doctoral students will be assigned a temporary faculty adviser who will work with them until they have selected a permanent adviser and Plan of Study Committee.

Course Numbering System
The three-letter prefix indicates that the course is in a particular program (e.g., SWK – social work; HIS – history), or a Capital Scholars (CAP), applied study term (AST), public affairs colloquium (PAC), liberal studies colloquium (LSC), or university (UNI) course. The three-digit identifying number signifies who may enroll in the course for credit, as follows:

100-199 Open to all undergraduate students. An introductory course generally appropriate for first-year students. (CAP courses are open only to Capital Scholars.)

200-299 Open to any student who has completed the 100-level prerequisites, if any.

300-399 Generally intended for juniors and seniors, but others may register if they have completed 200-level prerequisites, if any.

400-499 Advanced undergraduate, as well as master’s students.

500-599 Master’s students and doctoral students (with permission of their advisers. Additional work and permission of instructor may be required for doctoral students to count the course toward their concentration.)

600-699 Doctoral students

The following terminology is associated with UIS course numbers: Courses numbered 100 to 299 are considered lower-division undergraduate courses. Courses numbered 300 to 499 are considered upper-division undergraduate courses. Courses numbered 500-599 are considered master’s courses. Courses numbered 600-699 are considered doctoral courses. Both master’s and doctoral courses are considered graduate courses. Courses ending in 99 are tutorials.

English language proficiency
Students whose native language is not English and who have not earned an associate degree in the U.S. must take an English proficiency test on campus the week before registration. This applies to all students -- U.S. citizens, resident aliens, and nonresident aliens alike. Test results do not affect admission to UIS but will be used to determine the need for an English as a Second Language class.

Undergraduates Applicants whose native language is not English must submit official international TOEFL scores. A score of not less than 500 (paper based) or 173 (computer based) fulfills the English proficiency requirement for undergraduate admission. Those who earned an associate’s degree in the United States with a GPA of 2.00 or better on a 4.00 scale are not required to submit international TOEFL scores. Applicants who fail to meet this requirement can enroll at an ESL Language Center. Proficiency certification by ESL meets the English language requirement for admission.

International Students who need to satisfy UIS’ English composition requirement must take UNI 490 Writing/Speaking for International Students during their first term of attendance. This course does not count toward the UIS degree.

Master’s Degree Students Applicants whose native language is not English must submit official international TOEFL scores. A score of not less than 550 (paper based) or 213 (computer based) fulfills the English proficiency requirement for admission to master’s-level study at UIS. Applicants who hold a U.S. bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 2.50 or higher (on a 4.00 scale) are not required to submit TOEFL scores. Note: Some programs require a GPA of 3.00 to waive TOEFL. See individual program statements for any additional proficiency requirements.

Doctoral Students Applicants whose native language is not English must submit official international TOEFL scores. A score of at least 575 (paper based) or 232 (computer based) fulfills the English proficiency requirement for admission to doctoral study at UIS.

Graduation Contract
Forms are available in the Office of Admissions and Records; deadlines are posted each semester.

Undergraduate and Master’s Degree students may file a graduation contract with the Office of Admissions and Records during any semester or summer term in which degree requirements will be completed. The contract must be approved by the faculty adviser and the program administrator.

Doctoral students must have the contract approved by the adviser and the program director. Students may submit graduation contracts for early evaluation during their next-to-last term.

Immunization Requirement
Illinois law requires that everyone entering a four-year institution of higher education provide proof of immunity to measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, and tetanus. Students who were born before 1957, are taking online classes only, or are registered only for classes outside Sangamon County are exempt from this requirement. An exemption based on religious grounds can be requested by providing appropriate documentation to that effect. Medical exemptions require documentation by a physician describing the contraindication and the date the exemption is expected to end.

Immunization forms must be complete and on file before 5 p.m. on the 10th official day of the semester during the fall and spring semesters, or the 5th official day of the summer term. Students who are not in compliance will be assessed a non-refundable $25 fee for late processing. Students who are not in compliance by their second semester at UIS will not be allowed to register until the required information is submitted. Direct questions about this policy to the Campus Health Service, (217) 206-6676.

International Students: See relevant information in the "Undergraduate" section of this catalog for important information on mandatory tuberculin skin tests for international students.

Second Degrees
Bachelor’s Degrees Persons who have already earned a baccalaureate degree and seek a second one from UIS must complete all hours toward the major that are required by the academic program. A minimum of 30 semester hours toward the second degree must be completed at UIS. If the first bachelor’s degree was earned at UIS, a second applied study term may be required. If the first degree was earned at another institution, the student must meet UIS requirements in public affairs colloquia, liberal studies colloquia, and applied studies.

Master’s Degrees All program and campus requirements for the master’s degree are in effect even for those students who have previously earned an advanced degree. Credit from a previous degree may not be used for the degree in process; however, any public affairs colloquium requirement is waived for those who have previously completed it at the graduate level.

Doctorates All program and campus requirements for the doctoral degree are in effect even for students who have previously earned an advanced degree. Credit from a previous degree may not be used for the degree in process.

Transcripts
The Office of Admissions and Records will issue official transcripts of a student’s academic record at UIS only on written request and only to students who are in good financial standing with UIS. A $4 fee (subject to change) for each transcript is charged at the time the request is made.

Tutorials
Taken at either the undergraduate or graduate level, tutorials are intended to supplement, not supplant, regular course offerings. Students interested in a tutorial must secure the consent of the faculty member concerned before registration and submit a tutorial proposal form to him or her.

Academic Standards: All Students
Academic Load
One of the requirements to qualify for financial assistance is to be enrolled for at least six credit hours each semester. For additional information on financial aid at UIS, see the relevant section below.

Undergraduate and Master’s Degree Students Full-time students are enrolled for 12 or more semester hours during the fall or spring semesters or six semester hours in the summer term. Those enrolled for fewer hours are considered part-time students.

Most courses at UIS earn three or four semester hours of credit. A full-time undergraduate or graduate student is considered to be one taking 12 or more semester hours.

To enroll for more than 18 semester hours during the fall or spring semesters or more than eight semester hours during the summer term, submit a completed student petition form to the Office of Admissions and Records.

Note: A graduate assistant’s normal load is 16 to 24 hours for an academic year, eight to 12 hours per semester. Graduate assistants who wish to enroll for more than 24 hours in any academic year must have the approval of the adviser, a program representative, and the appropriate dean. The graduate assistantship tuition waiver covers a maximum of 30 hours per academic year (fall, spring, and summer).

A graduate public service intern’s normal load is 18 hours for the academic year, nine hours per semester. Graduate public service interns are also required to register for four semester hours in the summer term.

Doctoral Students For purposes of tuition and fees, a doctoral student enrolled for eight or more semester hours of course work during the fall or spring semesters or six semester hours in the summer term is considered full-time. Students enrolled for fewer hours are considered part-time.

Doctoral students who wish to enroll for more than 12 semester hours during the fall or spring semesters or more than eight semester hours during the summer term must submit a student petition form to the DPA office.

Note: A doctoral research assistant’s normal load is 16 to 24 hours for an academic year, usually eight to 12 hours per semester. Doctoral research assistants who wish to enroll for more than 24 hours in any academic year must have the approval of the adviser, the DPA director, and the appropriate dean. The doctoral research assistant tuition waiver covers a maximum of 30 hours per academic year (fall, spring, and summer).

Academic Probation and Suspension
Students who have a UIS cumulative grade-point average of less than 2.00 (undergraduates) or 3.00 (master’s and doctoral students) will be placed on academic probation. Courses taken for credit/no credit do not count in calculating this average.

Students who accumulate 12 hours or more of incompletes are also subject to probation. Undergraduate and master’s degree candidates on academic probation may enroll for up to 12 credit hours in the subsequent fall or spring (six hours in the summer) with approval of the academic adviser; doctoral students are limited to eight hours in the fall or spring and four hours in the summer. Non-degree-seeking students on probation must meet with a designated adviser in the Office of Admissions and Records and may also be required to meet with a representative of the academic program in which they are taking classes.

Students placed on academic probation for two successive terms will be suspended and must wait two terms before petitioning for re-admission. Students in exceptional circumstances may appeal immediately.

Complete details on UIS’ academic probation policy are available from faculty advisers or the registrar.

Grade-point Average
The grade-point average is determined by multiplying grade-point equivalents by the number of semester hours earned in a course, then dividing the total number of grade-points in courses completed at UIS by the total number of hours represented by those courses (excluding courses with grades of CR, NC, W, I, DFR, R, or AU).

Grade-point equivalents are:
A (4.00) A- (3.70) B+ (3.30) B (3.00) B- (2.70) C+ (2.30)
C (2.00) C- (1.70) D+ (1.30) D (1.00) D- (.07) F (0.00)

Grades/Grading
Grades are released only to students in good financial standing with UIS. They are assigned according to the following scale.
A: Excellent
B: Good
C: Fair
D: Marginal, but passing
F: Unsatisfactory or unofficial withdrawal. Courses in which F grades are earned count in determining grade-point average but do not apply toward graduation.
CR: Credit, represents a grade of C or better for undergraduates or B or better for graduate students.
NC: No Credit, assigned to undergraduate students who earn grades below C or graduate students who earn grades below B under the credit/no credit option.
W: Authorized Withdrawal, appears on the transcript for the course(s) from which you officially withdraw.
I: Incomplete, after a period not to exceed one year, the provisional grade becomes permanent unless a grade change was submitted.
DFR: Deferred, used only for courses of a continuing nature, such as graduate research. Continues to appear until the course work has been completed and a grade assigned. Re-registration is not necessary, except for master’s closure courses. Courses for which an R grade may be awarded will be designated in advance.
AU: Audit, no grade or credit earned. The deadlines for changing enrollment from credit to audit are posted each term. Students who enroll as full-time must include any course they wish to audit as part of the maximum permitted load. For auditing students who do not attend class regularly, the course may not appear on the transcript. Credit for an audited course cannot be established under any circumstances. If enrollment in a course is limited, for-credit students are admitted before audits are allowed. Full tuition and fees are assessed for audited courses.
R: Indicates the course has been repeated. The original grade does not count in determining the grade-point average.
PE: Credit awarded for proficiency examination.

Grades Acceptable toward Graduate Degrees
Master’s degree students may apply a maximum of eight hours of C grades toward a degree, provided that each hour of C is balanced by an hour of A. Individual academic programs, however, may determine whether Cs are acceptable toward their degrees.

Doctoral students are expected to do scholarly work of high caliber. The DPA requires at least 54 doctoral level hours of course credit with a grade-point average of at least 3.00 and a grade no lower than B in any core, research, or concentration doctoral course. Students must earn a grade of B or better in any course considered for transfer.

Prerequisite courses do not count toward the 54 required doctoral hours. Credit/no credit will be allowed for prerequisite courses only. All DPA core, research, or specialization courses must be taken for letter grades.

Grading Option: Credit/No Credit
Students who select the credit/no credit option must officially register their intent with the Office of Admissions and Records before the course is three-fourths completed. No changes are accepted after the designated date. Limits on the number of hours earned under the credit/no credit option may be established by individual programs.

Credit is awarded under this option to undergraduate work that represents a grade of C or better or to graduate work that represents a grade of B or better. For lesser work, a grade of NC is recorded on the transcript. Courses taken for credit/no credit are not included in calculating the grade-point average.

Graduation Grade-point average
Undergraduate students must have a UIS cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.00 to receive a bachelor’s degree.

Master’s students must achieve a UIS cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.00 to receive a master’s degree.

Doctoral students must earn a B or better in each core doctoral, required research, and concentration class.

Incomplete Work
Students may request an “incomplete” under extraordinary circumstances and they are granted at the instructor’s discretion. When an I is granted, the instructor must also submit a provisional grade, reflecting the one that will be assigned if course requirements are not completed within 12 months. Students who accumulate 12 or more hours of incomplete work will be placed on academic probation.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism usually takes one of the following three forms and is done without proper acknowledgment: including another person’s writing in one’s own essay, paraphrasing another person’s work, or presenting another person’s original theories, views, etc.

When an allegation of plagiarism arises, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated within the academic program in which the alleged offense occurred. The instructor may refuse to grade the assignment and record it as no credit. Penalties may include failure in the course as well as recommendation for disciplinary probation, suspension, or dismissal from the class, program, or UIS.

Repeating Courses
Undergraduate Students Some academic programs may have restrictions on the number of times a particular course may be repeated. When a student repeats a course in which a grade was earned, the second grade will appear on the grade report and transcript; the first grade will be deleted and will not count in determining a grade-point average. Subsequent repeats will appear on the transcript and will be used in calculating the GPA.

Master’s Students Master’s students may repeat graduate course work once (excluding master’s project or thesis credit) without penalty unless the academic program does not permit course repeats. The grade and hours earned when the course is repeated will appear on the transcript. The first grade entry will be deleted from the transcript and will not count in determining grade-point average. Subsequent repeats can only be recorded as audits, which bear no hours or grade points.

Doctoral Students Doctoral student may repeat doctoral course work once (excluding dissertation credit) without penalty. The grade and hours earned when the course is repeated will appear on the transcript. The first grade entry will be deleted from the transcript and will not count in determining the grade-point average. Subsequent repeats are not permitted.

Registration Procedures: All Students
The dates and times of registration are posted each semester and summer term on the web course schedule at www.uis.edu/registration. This website also contains information regarding current courses and up-to-date information on registration procedures, tuition and fees, and relevant deadlines.

U of I Residency Status for Admission and Assessment of Tuition
General The University of Illinois is a landgrant institution assisted by funding from Illinois tax revenue. As a state tax-assisted institution, the University of Illinois (with some exceptions) extends preference in admission and tuition to residents of the state of Illinois -- that is, to students whose circumstances conform to the university definition of resident status outlined below.

The University of Illinois' definition of the term "resident" may be different from the definitions developed by other, nonuniversity agencies. Thus, a person who is an Illinois resident for tax or voting purposes, for example, is not necessarily a resident for University of Illinois tuition and admission purposes. The university's definition of resident status applies both to payment of tuition and admission to the University of Illinois.

Principal elements that determine residency are domicile in Illinois and actions that evidence the intent to make Illinois the person's permanent residence for a period of 12 months prior to the first day of class. A person has but one domicile at any time. Mere physical presence in Illinois, regardless of how prolonged, is insufficient to establish residency without the existence of action and intent to make the place a permanent residence and principal home. In order to establish bona fide residency under this policy, a person must be independent and demonstrate presence and intent to reside permanently in Illinois for reasons other than educational objectives.

The burden of establishing that a student is domiciled in Illinois for other than educational purposes is on the student. The regulations, factors, and procedures enumerated in this policy will be considered by the university in determining the residency status of students.

Procedures The director of admissions and records, or a designee, shall determine the initial residence classification of each student at the time the student enters or reenters the university.

A student who is not satisfied with the determination concerning his/her residence classification may request that the responsible official reconsider the determination. For the purposes of admission, the written request must be received by the admissions office within 20 calendar days from the date of notification of residency status. For the purposes of assessment of tuition, the written request must be received by the Office of Admissions and Records within 20 days of the date of assessment of tuition or the first scheduled day of classes for the term for which the tuition is payable, whichever is later.

The request should include the Petition for Determination of Residency Status and all other materials applicable to the claim. The request and accompanying documentation will not be returned, and the student is advised to maintain a copy for his/her records.

If the student is still not satisfied with the determination after it has been reconsidered, he or she may appeal the decision to the director, University Office for Academic Policy Analysis. The appeal shall be in writing and shall include reasons for the appeal. The appeal must be received by the director of admissions and records within 20 days of the notice of the ruling. It will then be referred to the director, University Office for Academic Policy Analysis. A student who fails to file an appeal within 20 days of the notice of the ruling waives all claims to reconsideration for that academic session. Filing deadlines cannot be extended or waived and applications and appeals not filed in a timely manner will not be reviewed. The decision of the director, University Office for Academic Policy Analysis, shall be final in all cases.

For detailed information on regulations and statutes used to determine residency, contact the Office of Admissions and Records.

Refunds/Change in Amount of Tuition and Fees
All withdrawals from courses must be made officially according to procedures outlined in the current course schedule. Nonattendance or nonpayment does NOT constitute an official withdrawal. You are financially responsible for all courses not officially dropped according to the policy and deadlines indicated. Specific deadlines will be published each term in the course schedule. Contact the Office of Admissions and Records for dates that apply to irregular term courses.

Withdrawals
You may terminate registration in a course by officially withdrawing and meeting the deadlines outlined in the web course schedule at www.uis.edu/registration.

The same deadlines apply to changes in grading options: from letter grade to credit/no credit and vice versa, as well as changes to audit.

No withdrawals will be processed after the published deadlines. When the withdrawal occurs after the second week of a full semester course, a W appears on your transcript for the course(s) from which you withdrew. No notation appears on the transcript when the withdrawal occurs during the first two weeks of a full-semester course, first week of an eight-week course, or first 1/8 of an irregular term course. If you fail to withdraw officially from a course, you will be assigned a U grade.

Partial Withdrawals You must make partial withdrawals (dropping some but not all courses for the term) within 10 working days from the first day of the semester (five days for summer) to be released from financial obligation for the dropped course(s).

Complete Withdrawals Adjustments for tuition and fees for complete withdrawals (dropping all courses for the term) are made according to the following schedule.

Time periods and percentage of tuition and fees charged for dropping ALL courses
Week 1 10%
Week 2 10%
Week 3 20%
Week 4 30%
Week 5 30%
Week 6 40%
Week 7 40%
Week 8 50%
Week 9 60%
Week 10 60%
Week 11 No reduction in tuition and fees.
A service charge of 5 percent or $100, whichever is less, will be added to the charges for dropping all courses.

Auditing Courses
If you audit courses, you are required to pay full tuition and fees. Courses audited successfully appear on your transcript with the grade of AU. Credit for audited courses may not be established under any circumstances.

A change from credit to audit may be made through the last day for authorized withdrawal. Fulltime students must include audit courses as part of the maximum load requirement.

Your instructor may determine that the audited course should not be placed on your transcript if you do not attend class regularly. When enrollment in a course is limited, students enrolling for credit are admitted before audits are allowed.

Transcripts
The Office of Admissions and Records will issue official transcripts of your academic record at the University of Illinois at Springfield on written request. A $4 fee (subject to change) for each transcript is charged at the time the request is made. Transcripts cannot be requested by phone and will be released only if you are in good financial standing with UIS.