Academic Policies and Procedures

Semester Hours Credit

Course credit is based on units designated as semester hours. One semester hour or one base contact hour equals a minimum of 750 minutes; this translates to a minimum of fifteen, 50-minute class hours per semester. Time required for class preparation is not a consideration in the calculation of course credit. A three semester hour course will require six to nine hours of work each week outside of class. Omnibus courses involving laboratory work give one semester hour of credit for each two, three or four hours of scheduled work in the laboratory during a week, depending on the course. Internships require a minimum of 2,250 minutes for each hour of credit.

Course Load

The average course load per 16-week semester is 15 or 16 semester hours. Students who are academically strong may take up to 18 semester hours during fall and spring semesters and up to 12 semester hours during the summer semester. During fall and spring semesters, students with cumulative Metro State grade point averages (GPAs) of 3.25 or higher may take 19 or 20 semester hours and those students with GPAs of 3.50 or higher may take 21 semester hours for fall and spring semester or 14 semester hours for the summer semester. Students must have completed at least 15 semester hours at Metro State. Authorization for overloads for students without these qualifications must be obtained from the student’s major department chair and appropriate dean. Forms are available from the department, deans’ offices, or online.

Student Classification

Students are classified according to the number of semester hours of credit earned: freshmen fewer than 30; sophomores 30 or more, but fewer than 60; juniors 60 or more, but fewer than 90; seniors 90 or more.

Declaring/Changing a Major

Applicants to Metropolitan State College of Denver may indicate their intended major on the Metro State Application for Admission. Degree-seeking students who wish to change a major must complete a Declaration/Change of Major form, which is available from the major department or from the Academic Advising Center. Non-degree-seeking students who wish to declare a major must first change to degree-seeking status by completing a Change of Status form with the Admissions Office.

Curriculum, Advising and Program Planning (CAPP)

CAPP produces a Compliance Report that is an advising tool to be used by students and their advisors throughout the students’ academic career at Metro State. Students with declared majors and/or minors should discuss their progress toward completion of their major (minor) program with their faculty advisor. They should have a CAPP Compliance Report run no later than the start of the senior year. CAPP Compliance Reports can be run in the student’s major department or by logging on to MetroConnect (metroconnect.mscd.edu). Approved adjustments to the CAPP Compliance Report should be submitted as soon as possible by the department to the Office of the Registrar. Degree-seeking students must apply for degree candidacy by completing an Application for Graduation in the Office of the Registrar at the start of their final semester.

Selection of Catalog for Degree Requirements

Students must use a single Metro State catalog to meet all their degree requirements, including the General Studies, major and minor requirements. Students must select a degree catalog in effect while they are enrolled at Metro State unless they are transferring from a regionally accredited Colorado community college, provided that the degree catalog contains their complete program of study. Students not enrolling for three consecutive semesters or more, including summer, are governed by the catalog in effect upon their return. For effective dates of catalogs, students should consult their academic advisors. All degree programs must adhere to overriding current policies at Metro State. Students transferring from a regionally accredited Colorado community college may complete degree requirements using a Metro State catalog in effect while enrolled at the community college, subject to the following conditions:

• The degree catalog selected does not predate the current catalog by more than three years.
• The degree catalog selected may have been in use at any time from the time the student was continually enrolled* at a regionally accredited Colorado community college to the semester for which the student is enrolling in Metro State.
• The degree catalog clause applies except for overriding college or state policy, except where specific programs otherwise require. Consult the pages describing your program for these requirements.

*Continuous enrollment is defined as not interrupting enrollment for three or more consecutive semesters (one calendar year); summer is counted as a semester. Continuous enrollment must be maintained from the period of the designated Metro State catalog to the point of Metro State degree completion.

Graduation Procedures

Degree-seeking students formally declare their degree candidacy by filing an Application for Graduation with the Office of the Registrar just prior to their anticipated semester of graduation, but no later than the deadline stipulated in the Academic Calendar section of this Catalog and on Metro State’s Web site (www.mscd.edu/academic/acal.htm). The Application for Graduation should be filed only by students who intend to complete all degree requirements by the end of the upcoming semester and should be filed in consultation with the student’s major department. If a student does not graduate, another Application for Graduation must be submitted for a subsequent semester.

Students who anticipate completing all degree requirements within the next two semesters should review the following sections of this Catalog: Requirements for All Bachelor Degrees; Academic Policies and Procedures (pertaining to Curriculum, Advising and Program Planning [CAPP], Graduation, Diplomas and Commencement, and Honors and Awards).

After students have completed 90 earned credit hours at Metro State, including approved transfer credits, they should obtain a CAPP Compliance Report by requesting one from their major department or by logging on to metroconnect.mscd.edu. After reviewing the CAPP report with their faculty advisor (major and minor), if any adjustments are needed, the department will submit an adjustment form to the Office of the Registrar. Once adjustments are made, an updated Compliance Report will be mailed to the student.

Application for Graduation: File an Application for Graduation with the Office of the Registrar by the following deadlines: for Fall 2008 graduation, file by August 22, 2008; for Spring 2009 graduation, file by January 30, 2009; and for Summer 2009 graduation, file by June 5, 2009. Students should file an Application for Graduation only if they will complete all degree requirements that semester.

After submitting the Application for Graduation, students will have their academic records reviewed for completion of all degree requirements. All degree applicants will be mailed a CAPP Compliance Report indicating their graduation status and any discrepancies that exist. Students will be given a deadline by which to explain these discrepancies to the graduation office. Students will not be eligible as candidates for graduation if they do not comply with this deadline. As candidates for graduation, students will receive information about the final steps in the graduation process and the commencement ceremony. Students should ensure that their current address is on file with the Office of the Registrar through their MetroConnect e-mail account.

There are commencement ceremonies at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Graduates are encouraged to attend one of the two ceremonies. The commencement program lists candidates, degree, and degree honors, if any. Although there is no commencement ceremony in the summer, students can still graduate. Summer candidates are asked to attend the fall commencement ceremony. Their names, degrees and honors, if any, will appear only in the fall commencement program. Check Metro State’s Web site for complete, up-to-date information about commencement at www.mscd.edu/student/commencement/.

Diplomas are issued approximately three weeks after the semester ends. Students may pick up their diplomas or make arrangements for them to be mailed. Information will be sent from the Office of the Registrar to graduating students about these arrangements.

Transcripts with the posted degree will also be available approximately three weeks after the semester ends. Students may request transcripts as early as the middle of their last semester and indicate that it is to be held until the degree is posted. There is no charge for transcripts. Transcripts may be requested in person at the Office of the Registrar, CN 105, by fax at 303-556-3999, or via the Web at the Registrar’s homepage www.mscd.edu/enroll/registrar under transcripts. Diplomas and transcripts will NOT be issued if money is owed to the College. If you owe any money to the College, please contact the Office of Student Accounts, 303-556-6188, to arrange payment.

Diplomas and Commencement

Students who have met all requirements for graduation are granted diplomas at the end of the semester for which they are degree candidates. Diplomas may be withheld because of indebtedness to the College. Completion of two majors does not result in two degrees or diplomas. A formal commencement ceremony is held at the end of the spring and fall semesters. Summer graduates are invited to attend the following fall commencement. For commencement information call 303-556-6226, or at www.mscd.edu.

Official Transcripts (Official Academic Record)

The official transcript is a certified copy of a student’s permanent academic record.  It contains the official signature of the registrar and the official seal of the College.  Students may order transcripts by logging in to MetroConnect (metroconnect.mscd.edu).  There is no charge for transcripts, except for faxed requests.  Students requesting to have a transcript faxed will be charged $6.00.  There may be a delay in request depending on the end of term grading and posting of degrees.  Transcripts will only be issued upon written request and should include:

• Student’s full legal name as recorded while attending Metro State;
• Student’s identification number;
• Birth date;
• Last term of attendance;
• To whom and where the transcripts are to be sent;
• Number of copies desired; and
• Student signature authorizing the release of records.

Transcripts will be withheld due to indebtedness to the College or for other appropriate reasons.  Students from other institutions taking Metro State courses under the state college system or interinstitutional registration programs must request  transcripts from their home institution.

Transcript of Records

An official transcript is a certified copy of a student’s permanent academic record. There is no charge for transcripts. You can order transcripts by logging on to MetroConnect (metroconnect.mscd.edu). There is a charge for faxed transcripts. Transcripts will be released by the Registrar’s Office upon formal written request by the student. Transcripts will also be issued to firms and employers if written authorization is received from the student. Requests should include the student’s full legal name as recorded while attending Metro State, student identification number, last term of attendance, number of copies desired, and to whom and where transcripts are to be sent. Transcripts may be withheld because of indebtedness to the College or for other appropriate reasons. Copies of transcripts from other institutions that are on file in the Registrar’s Office will be issued upon signed request by the student. Students from other institutions taking Metro State courses under the state college system or interinstitutional registration programs must request transcripts from their home institution.

Falsified Transcripts and Diplomas

Altering, modifying, tampering with, or in any way falsifying an official Metropolitan State College of Denver transcript or diploma is a crime. The College has implemented multiple measures to detect such conduct. To protect the integrity and value of a Metro State degree, the Attorney General will vigorously prosecute, through the criminal justice system, those who commit these crimes.

In addition, students found responsible for falsifying an official Metro State transcript or diploma will face a College judicial hearing and appropriate sanctions may be imposed, including suspension, dismissal, and loss of credit, which could affect the student’s permanent record.

Honors and Awards

The College annually recognizes students who show outstanding leadership and service to the College and community, excellence in scholastic achievement, and outstanding personal character and integrity. Due to wide variation in definition and interpretation of class rank, by policy the College does not rank its students or graduates. Recognition of students includes: The President’s Award (one senior); the Special Service Award for Academic Affairs (one senior) and for Student Services (one senior); Outstanding Student Awards (seniors from each school); Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges (seniors); American Association of University Women (AAUW) Award (senior woman). Other awards include Special Service Award for Exceptionally Challenged Students, Student Government Assembly Award, Charles W. Fisher Award and the Colorado Engineering Council Award.

Information and applications for these awards is available in Central Classroom 313. Awards are presented at the annual banquet the night before graduation.

In addition to annual awards, students with outstanding academic achievements are recognized by being named on the College’s Honor Lists. The President’s Honor List carries the names of students who, at the time of computation, have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.85 or higher. The Provost’s Honor List carries the names of students who, at the time of computation, have achieved a cumulative GPA of between 3.50 and 3.84, inclusively. Computation will occur initially when the student has completed between 30 and 60 hours at Metro State, then again between 60 and 90 hours, and finally after more than 90 hours. Honors will only be computed three times in a student’s academic life at the College. Questions should be directed to the Office of Academic Affairs at 303-556-3040.

Graduation honors are awarded to students who have demonstrated superior academic ability in their baccalaureate degree while attending Metro State. Honors designations are determined according to the following criteria:

• Summa Cum Laude - Top five percent of graduates within each school with cumulative Metro State GPA of no less than 3.65.
• Magna Cum Laude - Next five percent of graduates within each school with cumulative Metro State GPA of no less than 3.65.
• Cum Laude - Next five percent of graduates within each school with cumulative Metro State GPA of no less than 3.65.

To determine each honors category, GPAs from the previous spring semester graduates are arrayed in rank order. This rank ordering is then used to determine the honors category thresholds for the following fall, spring and summer graduates. The current rankings are located on the commencement website.

The honors designation is calculated twice: once for the commencement ceremony; and again at the end of the final semester for the official designation. 

Commencement Ceremony

To qualify for graduation honor recognition at the commencement ceremony, a student must have the specified GPA and must have completed a minimum of 50 semester hours of academic credit at Metro State by the end of the term of graduation. UCD Pooled classes, and transfer credits are not considered when determining honors. Recognition at the commencement ceremony does not guarantee final honors designation on the official record. Honors announced at the commencement ceremony will be based upon a preliminary calculation not including grades from the term of graduation.

Students who qualify for recognition at the ceremony will be sent a letter from the Dean’s Office of the School in which their major is located. This letter authorizes students to purchase honor cords at the time they rent their caps and gowns.

Graduates with an Individualized Degree Program Major will be identified for honors purposes within the School most prominent in their major.

Official Honors Designation

Grades earned for the graduating term will affect honors. GPA’s are not rounded up (Example: A GPA of 3.149 is not rounded to 3.15). The Official Honors designation will be calculated following the processing of final grades. This recalculation will take into consideration any grade changes submitted to the Registrar’s Office during your graduating term. Only the official honors designation is added to the final transcript and diploma.  A student must maintain the specified GPA and must complete a minimum of 50 semester hours of academic credit at Metro State by the term of graduation. UCD Pooled classes, and transfer credits are not considered when determining honors.

Honors designations are added to the student’s official academic record; no other notification will be sent. For additional information regarding graduation honors, contact the Office of Academic Affairs at 303-556-3040.

Grades and Notations

Faculty MUST assign a grade. Every student on the E-Grade worksheet must be given a grade or grade notation. The appropriate grade and grade notations will appear in the grade drop-down box for each student. Faculty members may NOT leave the E-Grade box blank. The Registrar’s Office will remind faculty of this through e-mails prior to grading at the end of each semester.

I (Incomplete)

The Incomplete (I) notation may be assigned when a student, who was achieving satisfactory progress in a course and who had completed most class assignments, is unable to take the final examination and/ or did not complete all class assignments due to unusual circumstances such as hospitalization. Incomplete work denoted by the Incomplete “I” notation must be completed within one calendar year or earlier, at the discretion of the faculty member. If the incomplete work is not completed within one year, the “I” notation will convert to an “F.”

Students must have completed at least 75% of the course work to qualify for consideration for an Incomplete. The student must be passing the course in order to be granted an Incomplete.

Determination of eligibility does not guarantee that an Incomplete will be granted. Students who do meet the qualifications may request an Incomplete from the faculty member who is teaching the course. The decision to grant an Incomplete is up to the faculty member and department discretion.

If an Incomplete is granted, the student and instructor should fill out and sign an Incomplete Agreement form in order to clarify what the student needs to do to complete the course.

Graduating seniors may not graduate with an “I” on their Metro State academic record if:

• The course in which the “I” was assigned is required for graduation, or
• a “D” or “F” assigned for that course would result in an overall GPA less than 2.00.

The “I” notation may not be given for a self-paced course. If a student does not complete a self-paced course within the semester s/he enrolled in the course, s/he must re-enroll in the course in order to complete it.

If a student receives an “I” in an online class, the instructor should contact Instructional Technology who will add the student to the online course roster so that the student will be able to logon to the course. This must be done by the instructor each semester the student continues to work on the course.

In order for an “I” to be changed to a letter grade, the incomplete work must be completed for the course for which the student originally registered. The student should NOT re-enroll for the same course unless his/her intent is to retake the entire course. In this case, the student will pay tuition and fees.

NC/Withdrawal (No Credit)

• The No Credit (NC) notation is not a grade. It may indicate withdrawal from the course or course repetition. (The NC should not be confused with a schedule change during the first 12 days of the fall or spring term [8 days for the summer term] for full-term courses. During this period a student may drop a course, and it will not appear on the student’s academic record.) 
• Students can withdraw from a class online at MetroConnect through the end of the 10^th week of the semester. Proportional time frames are applied for part-of-term courses, weekend courses, workshops and summer terms. These deadlines are available from the Office of the Registrar or the Office of Student Accounts. Deadlines for full-term summer classes are published in the class schedule.
• After the end of the10^th week (or proportional time frame for part-of-term courses, weekend courses, workshops, and summer terms) of the semester, students cannot withdraw from a course. The “I” notation may be used during this period as long as the conditions specified are in the incomplete policy. 
• Students who fail to withdraw from their course or courses by the 10^th-week NC deadline will be assigned the grade they had earned, based on the course syllabus.
• Students who need to withdraw from a course or courses because of the death of an immediate family member, serious illness or medical emergency, or employment changes beyond their control t may request a tuition refund by filing a Tuition and Fees Appeal Form through the Office of Student Accounts.  Students who receive Financial Aid are encouraged to speak with a counselor in the Office of Financial Aid prior to filing a ‘Tuition and Fee Appeal’.
• The “NC” notation is used in self-paced courses to indicate that the student has not completed the self-paced course(s) and requires additional time to increase the student’s proficiency. In this case, to earn credit the student must re-register for and pay tuition and fees for the course in a subsequent term.

Computing Grade Point Average/Quality Points

The number of quality points awarded for a course is determined by multiplying the number of semester hours for that course by the quality point value of the grade received. The cumulative GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of quality points by the number of semester hours attempted.

To be eligible for a degree, a candidate must have a minimum number of quality points equal to twice the number of semester hours attempted in addition to meeting other prescribed requirements. The following notations have no effect on the GPA: AP, CC, CL, EX, I, NC, NR, P, PL, PP, S, S#, SA, SE, SN, U#.

Pass-Fail Option

The pass/fail option encourages students to venture out of their major and minor fields and thereby broaden their educational experience. A student must declare interest in the pass/fail option no later than the 12th day of classes for fall and spring, the eighth day of classes for summer or the second day of classes for parts-of-term of any semester (see the Academic Calendar on Metro State’s Web site (www.mscd.edu/academic/acal.htm) for specific deadlines) by contacting the Office of the Registrar and completing the Request for Pass/Fail Option. Once approved, the request for the pass/fail option is irrevocable. A student who requests the option and later is declared ineligible will receive written notification from the Office of the Registrar.

Students who have completed at least one Metro State course with at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA may choose to be evaluated for a certain course on a pass/fail basis rather than by a letter grade. Major, minor, General Studies and other courses required for a degree and courses for teacher licensure may NOT be taken on a pass/fail basis. Self-paced courses may NOT be taken under the pass/fail option. Maximum graduation credit for pass/fail courses is 18 credit hours earned in no more than six courses and limited to one course per semester or part-of-term. Course work must be graded to determine if it is pass or fail.

The “pass” grade (P) has no effect on the GPA; the “fail” grade is equivalent to the grade of “F.” The “pass” grade (P) is equivalent to the grade of D or better. Pass/fail courses are under the same “NC” guidelines and deadlines as other courses in the institution whether those guidelines and deadlines are established college wide or by individual schools or departments.

The instructor will assign and record the pass/fail grade on the final grade list that identifies students electing and eligible for pass/fail grading. Some institutions do not accept credit in transfer for courses in which a “pass” grade is given. Therefore, students who plan to transfer or take graduate work should determine whether the institution of their choice would accept the credit before registering for courses under the pass/fail option. Additionally, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the course is not in their major, minor or General Studies.

Repeated Courses (Last Grade Stands)

A student may repeat certain courses taken at Metropolitan State College of Denver regardless of the original grade earned. Only the credit and the grade for the last attempt of the course will remain on the student’s official academic record. The grade(s) for all prior attempts will be changed to the “NC” notation unless a permanent F has been assigned. Repeated courses must carry the same title, course number and semester hours. To effect the grade change, the student must re-register and pay the full tuition for the class in question, complete the class earning a letter grade, and complete the Last Grade Stands form in the Office of the Registrar. Otherwise, the grade change will be made administratively prior to graduation. Credit duplication involving transfer, interinstitutional, or state college system courses may be treated differently from the above procedures (see below). A FAILING COURSE GRADE ASSIGNED AS A RESULT OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY IS CONSIDERED A PERMANENT “F” AND CANNOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THIS POLICY. A student may not repeat a course and request “last grade stands” after the completion of an Metro State degree that includes the course in question. Specifically:

• In certain cases, except for grades assigned for academic dishonesty, the grades of all but the last entry of the particular course will be changed to an “NC” (no credit, withdrawal) notation. The NC notation does not affect the credit total and GPA.
• The determination of course equivalency will be made by the Office of the Registrar in consultation with the academic department.
• If the student does not request that the previous grade(s) of a course be changed to an “NC” after the course is repeated, the grade change will be made administratively prior to graduation. The Last Grade Stands Policy cannot be used after the student graduates from the College for courses taken prior to the date the degree is awarded.
• Students who have earned a degree at Metro State and subsequently take additional courses or work toward a second degree may use last grade stands for courses for which the original enrollment is after the first degree is awarded.
• The same policy is applied when a course taken at another institution and transferred to Metro State is later repeated at Metro State. The transferred credit is then revoked.
• An exception to this policy occurs when a student takes a course at Metro State, then repeats the course at another institution and returns to or is still in attendance at Metro State. In this case, since the course is not repeated on the Metro State records, the Metro State course will not be changed to an “NC,” but rather, the transfer credit will be disallowed.
• The Last Grade Stands policy applies only to Metro State courses. Courses taken under the Interinstitutional/Consortium or “pooled” programs do not qualify for consideration under this policy. However, this policy does apply to a UCD course if repeated through the Metro State/UCD-pooled program.
• Courses repeated prior to the summer quarter of 1971 are not affected by this Last Grade Stands policy. A grade in a course taken prior to the summer quarter, 1971 and repeated after summer, 1971 may be changed to an “NC” notation with the use of the grade exception form.

Student Grade Appeal Procedure

If students have reason to question the validity of a grade received in a course, they must make their request for a change before the end of the fourth week of the semester following the completion of the course (the following fall semester in the case of the spring semester). The Grade Appeal Guidelines can be obtained from the students’ respective deans. It is the responsibility of the student to initiate a grade appeal within the time limit, and to follow the procedures specified for grade appeals in the current Student Handbook. The handbook may be obtained from the Office of Student Services. All decisions of the Grade Appeal Committee are final.

Academic Satisfactory Progress/Good Standing

A student is deemed to be making satisfactory progress toward his or her academic goal if the student maintains a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. This student is deemed to be in academic good standing with the institution. However, other academic standards may apply to specific programs. A student must satisfy those other academic standards in order to be deemed in academic good standing with that program. See information on the program of interest to determine specific standards for that program.

Academic Warning Status

A student in good standing whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 will be on academic warning status with the institution during his or her next semester. A student will be removed from this warning status and returned to good standing if he or she achieves a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 at the end of his or her semester on warning status. More restrictive standards may apply to certain programs or schools. See information on the program of interest.

Academic Probation

A student who fails to achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 at the end of his or her semester on warning status will be put on academic probation with the institution during his or her next semester at Metro State. A student will be on academic probation as long as he or she has a cumulative GPA below 2.0, but is making progress toward good standing as explained below and has not been on academic probation for more than three semesters. Other conditions may apply to given programs or schools. See information on the program of interest.

A student is removed from academic probation and is in good standing the semester after achieving a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.

During any semester that a student is on academic probation, the student must make progress toward good standing with the institution by taking all of the following actions:

• achieve a semester GPA of 2.2 or higher
• register and complete a minimum of 3 but no more than 12 semester hours (3 to 6 semester hours for summer semester)
• take required activities as negotiated with the director of Student Intervention Services (may include certain classes, repeated courses, tutoring or other activities)

While on academic probation, a student may pre-register for the first semester following the academic warning status semester, but is prohibited from pre-registering any other semester. For subsequent academic probation status semesters, a GPA of at least 2.2 must be verified prior to registration.

Academic Suspension

A student on academic probation not making progress toward good standing will be prohibited from registering for one calendar year from the date of suspension. Appeal of suspension for this reason will be submitted to the director of Student Intervention Services. The director of Student Intervention Services will then deliver the appeal materials to the Student Academic Review Committee, which will review the appeal and notify the student of its decision. A student may appeal a suspension only two times in his or her academic career at the College.

A student making progress toward good standing, whose cumulative GPA remains below a 2.0 after three or more semesters on probation, will have his or her academic progress reviewed each semester by the Student Academic Review Committee. The committee will determine whether the student should be placed on suspension. In both cases, the decision of the Student Academic Review Committee is final.

Any student returning to the College after the one-calendar-year suspension must reapply and will be re-admitted on academic probation with the institution. For these students, all probation rules outlined above will apply.

A student who is suspended for a second time will be re-admitted only if he or she has successfully completed an associate degree program from a community college after suspension from Metro State or can demonstrate to the Student Academic Review Committee that chances for successful completion of an educational program are greatly improved.

Contact Student Intervention Services at 303-556-4048 for further information.

Students who must withdraw from all classes during a semester due to a serious personal or medical emergency should contact the Student Accounts Office, CN 110, 303-556-6188 for assistance and information on emergency withdrawal procedures.

Students who must withdraw from all classes during a semester due to a military or state call to action should contact Veterans’ Services, CN 105 or call 303-556-2993, for assistance.