UIS
Graduate and Undergraduate Catalog
Academic
Year 2005 - 2006
Academic Information for ALL STUDENTS
Catalog Requirements
Students are expected to fulfill all requirements set forth in
this Guide to Programs for the year of their entry as degree
candidates into UIS, as is UIS, unless the student chooses to abide
by requirements of a subsequent Guide to Programs. In the
event a student elects to graduate under requirements specified in a
Guide to Programs subsequent to the one under which he or she
entered UIS, the student must formally notify his or her adviser and
the registrar.
Students may choose to meet the academic program requirements of
the Guide to Programs in force at the time of their admission
to the campus as a degree candidate or of any Guide in force during
a subsequent period, not to exceed seven years for bachelor’s
candidates, six years for master’s candidates, and eight years for
doctoral candidates. Students who are unable to complete graduation
requirements within the specified time, may, at the discretion of
the academic program, be held responsible for requirements of the
Guide in force during their graduation year, or may be required
to re-take courses.
Assessment
As an institution in which excellence in teaching is an
overriding goal, UIS takes seriously its obligation to look
carefully and systematically at what students learn -- in other
words, to assess student learning outcomes. Information about UIS'
assessment activities, including an annual report on the campus-wide
effort to improve assessment practices, can be found at the
assessment website at
www.uis.edu/assessment.
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
The State of
Illinois requires that students 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.
According to Illinois state law, students
who
are not in
compliance by their second semester at UIS will not be allowed
to register until the
required information is complete and submitted to the Campus
Health Service. 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 $5 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.
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