Academic Regulations

Undergraduate Catalog Policy

• (As applicable for Academic Programs/Majors/Minors)

  An undergraduate student is subject to the academic requirements and regulations contained in the catalog for their program in effect during the semester in which the student is first registered as a matriculated student. The only exceptions to this policy are stated below:

  1. A student who first attends the university during the summer will be subject to the requirements and regulations in effect for the following academic year.
  2. A student who declares or changes a major or other academic program (minor, concentration) after matriculation is subject to the program requirements as outlined in the catalog in effect at the time of declaration.
  3. A student may choose to follow all regulations and academic program requirements in effect in the current catalog. It is the student's responsibility to complete a "Change of Catalog" card, obtain the required signature and submit the card to the Center for Enrollment Services.
  4. A student who discontinues attendance for two or more consecutive semesters (fall/spring or spring/fall) will be subject to the regulations and program requirements in effect when the student re-enters the university. This includes students who are dismissed from the university for academic or disciplinary reasons. The only exception to the rule is the students who are granted a Guaranteed Readmission according to the condition of the policy.
  5. Some programs are subject to requirements that originate with legal and governing authorities outside the university (for example, requirements for teacher and other professional certifications). Such requirements are sometimes subject to change for all participants on a specific date and do not lend themselves to implementation by catalog year.
  6. Some academic departments place time restrictions on the completion of major courses and/or major requirements. Such restrictions are clearly articulated in the university catalog and take priority over this policy.

  Please note: Occasionally the university will adopt or revise a regulation (other than an academic program requirement) that cannot equitably or administratively be implemented by catalog year. In those cases all students shall be advised of the change at least one full semester in advance and through several venues before the change goes into effect.

• Program Changes

  • A student may change curriculum or field of study of specialization only with the approval of the student's adviser and the director of the curriculum or the chair of the department the student wishes to enter. The student's quality grade point average and the reasons for change will be assessed by the chair of the department into which the student is transferring.

    Changes in program should be requested only after careful counseling and planning. All such changes require the completion of a "Change of Major" card that is available at the Center for Enrollment Services. Changes to major/minors meant that the student is to follow the catalog requirements for that program based on the year of change.

    Specific professional programs, such as nursing and medical technology, are limited in the number of students who can be accommodated. Students planning to enter these fields should contact the appropriate department.

Registration for Semesters/Sessions

• Registration is the method of ensuring continuous matriculation in an academic program. Students register for courses each semester for a subsequent semester. That is, registration for fall takes place in March, registration for spring takes place in November and registration for summer sessions usually takes place in February. A student's course schedule should be regarded as a contract and determines official enrollment. A full-time undergraduate student credit load for a regular semester is 12-18 credits. Special permission is needed for students registering for above 18 credits. Additional fees will apply.

• Changes to Enrollment/Class Schedule

  • Courses may be added during the first seven calendar days for spring and fall semester through the student portal myESU.

    Courses may be dropped (no record on academic transcripts) during the first six calendar days of the semester for spring and fall semesters through the student portal myESU.

    Students who withdraw from a course beginning day seven through week 10 will receive a grade of "W" for that course on the student's permanent record. Instructor permission may be required to withdraw from a course.

    After the 10th week the student may withdraw only if there are extraordinary circumstances (e.g. illness, death in the family, etc.). In this situation the student must also secure the appropriate dean's signature and submit it to the Center for Enrollment Services. A grade of "W" will be assigned if the student is passing; "Z" will be assigned if the student is failing.

    Any student who discontinues attendance in a course without formally withdrawing will be assigned an "E" as a final grade. Through the class roster verification process, a student who has not attended a course during the first week (first five class days of the semester or first two days of summer main session) may be dropped from the course by the instructor.

    A student may withdraw ("W" or "Z") from a maximum of 16 credits during the student's stay at the university. Any course dropped during the first week of the semester, for which no grade is assigned, will not be counted toward this limit, nor will "Ws" received for a total semester withdrawal from the university.

    A student attending a course without proper registration and payment of all tuition and fees does not constitute de facto enrollment. The university will not permit retroactive enrollment in or payment for any class after the end of the term in which the course is offered.

    Type of Action	Semester	Quarter	Summer Session 3 weeks	Summer Session 6 weeks
    No record on academic transcript	Day 6	First 3 days	1st day	2 days
    Grade of W	Day 7	4th day through 5th week	2nd day through 2nd week	3rd day through 4th week
    No withdrawal*	11th through 15th week	6th through 7 1/2 week	3rd week	5th through 6th week

    * Except for extraordinary circumstances as previously defined.

• Auditing Courses

  • A student desiring to audit a course must submit an official request to the Center for Enrollment Services after securing the approval of the professor of the course. A change of registration from credit to audit or from audit to credit may occur only during the first seven calendar days of the semester. Auditing students pay the same tuition and fees as students taking courses for credit.

    Please note: Senior citizens registering for courses under the special student status will automatically be assigned an audit grade.

• Undergraduate Students Taking Graduate Courses

  • ESU undergraduate students may take a maximum of six graduate credits during their senior year if the following criteria are met:

    1. Satisfaction of the grade point requirements for admission with full graduate standing, i.e. 3.000 GPA in the major and 2.5000 GPA overall (may be higher for some majors);
    2. Verification of senior class status (completion of 90 credits);
    3. Approval by the appropriate faculty member teaching the class;
    4. Approval of the dean of the Graduate College. This must be submitted to the Center for Enrollment Services.

    All appropriate signatures must be secured prior to registering. Graduate credit that is used to satisfy graduation requirements for the bachelor's degree cannot be used to satisfy the requirements of a master's degree at ESU.

Grades

• Grade Reports

  • Student grade reports are available at mid-semester and at the end of the semester. Only the semester grades are entered on the student's permanent records (transcript). Semester grade reports are available through the student portal myESU. Specific information about access to the student portal is mailed to each student upon his or her initial enrollment at East Stroudsburg University.

    It is the responsibility of each student to check grade reports at mid-semester and at the end of the semester. Students are expected to check grade reports as they are available to be aware of academic performance in each course, to register for courses for the next semester, and to address issues related to course grades immediately. Grade reports are an important tool for assessing academic progress.

• Quality Point System

  • In addition to meeting course and semester hour requirements for graduation, students must maintain a specified academic level throughout a given curriculum as measured by quality points. The minimum number of quality points required for graduation is twice the number of semester hours of credit attempted. Pass/fail courses are not used in the computation of the quality point average. Work completed at other colleges and accepted as transfer credit is not considered in computing the quality point average. The required quality point average for graduation is 2.000 or higher. Some degree programs require a higher cumulative quality point average.

    Each semester hour grade is calculated as follows:

    A	4.000 quality points
    A-	3.667 quality points
    B+	3.333 quality points
    B	3.000 quality points
    B-	2.667 quality points
    C+	2.333 quality points
    C	2.000 quality points
    C-	1.667 quality points
    D	1.000 quality points
    E	0 quality points

• Calculating Grade Point Average

  • Calculating of grade point average is done using the steps below.

    1. Grade symbols are translated into quality points per semester hour of credit as listed above.
    2. The university recognizes that a good grade in a three-semester-hour course requires more work than in a two-semester-hour course. Owing to this, the university follows a system which recognizes both the quality and quantity of a student's work. Under this system, the number of quality points for each letter grade (e.g. four points for an A) is multiplied by the number of semester hours of credit for the course.
    3. Quality points are awarded only for work completed at East Stroudsburg University. Work completed at other colleges and accepted as transfer credit is not considered in computing the quality point average.

• Incompletes

  • The maximum time for completing course requirements to remove incomplete grades is one year from the end of the session in which the "I" grade was assigned. After that time, the "I" grade will automatically be converted by the Registrar to an E, F, or U based on the grade mode for the course. The student can then only earn credits for the course by registering for it again in another semester.

    If a student applies for graduation in a session before the one-year period has expired, the course requirements must be completed by the end of that session, or the "I" grade will be converted by the Registrar to an E, F, or U based on the grade mode for the course. A faculty member who chooses to deviate from this policy will require the student to sign a contract specifying conditions necessary for course completion, which may include a time period for completion of less than one year or other conditions.

• Repeat Grades

  • Undergraduate students will be limited to a maximum total of six repeats during their enrollment at East Stroudsburg University. This is an individual course count (not credit). Students cannot repeat more than six courses.

    A single course can only be taken a maximum of three times. That is, the course should appear no more than three times on a transcript. The most recent grade, regardless of whether it is higher or lower, will be the grade used for the GPA calculation. All other grades earned for repeated courses will be marked as such on the student's academic transcript.

• Developmental Education Courses

  • The Course Repeat Policy limit will not apply to Developmental Education courses such as MATH 090 and ENGL 090. However, the most recent grade will be the grade used for assessing academic progress for both the semester and overall calculations. Credits earned will count towards Class Standing (Classification Level). Credits and grades will appear on transcript but credits will not count towards the minimum number of credits required for graduation.

Academic Standing (Scholarship)

• Academic Good Standing

  • A student at East Stroudsburg University must achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.000 to maintain satisfactory academic standing.

• Academic Warning

  • Regular matriculated students who are below the 2.000 QPA will be placed on academic warning. While on academic warning the student may not register for more than 13 credits in any semester or enroll in off-campus internships.

• Academic Probation

  • Regular matriculated students who are on academic warning and do not raise their CGPA to 2.000 after one semester will be placed on academic probation and will be granted one semester to raise the CGPA to the required level. While on academic probation, the student may not register for more than 13 credits. Furthermore, students on academic probation are not eligible to compete or practice in intercollegiate athletics and may not enroll in off-campus internships.

• Academic Suspension

  • Students who are on academic probation and who fail to raise their CGPA to the required level and who have a GPA of less than 2.200 for the semester on probation will be suspended from the university for a period of one calendar year. At the end of that year, the student will be eligible for readmission in Academic Probation [2] status. Academic suspension is not subject to appeal. The student will be allowed to register for no more than six credits per semester during the suspension year.

• Academic Dismissal

  • Students returning from academic suspension who fail to maintain a GPA of 2.200 or better each semester until their cumulative GPA has risen to the required level will be dismissed from the university for academic failure. At this time, they have the right to appeal to the Admissions Appeals Committee.

• Appeal Process for Academic Dismissal

  • A student who has been dismissed from the university for academic failure may appeal the dismissal by submitting a letter to the Appeals Committee. This letter must include why the student was unsuccessful in previous academic experiences and why he/she feels that future academic endeavors will be successful. The committee will review the letter, review the academic record, and conduct an interview with the student, and then either uphold the dismissal or approve a reinstatement under stipulated conditions.

• Effect on Transfer Students

  • Transfer credits will not be counted in determining academic jeopardy for a transfer student's first semester on campus. That is, transfer students will not be in academic jeopardy following their first semester on campus unless their grade point average is below 2.000.

Transfer Credit Evaluation

Class Standing/Classification Level

• Class designation is determined by the number of semester hours of work which the student has satisfactorily completed in accordance with the following:

  Semester Hours Completed	Class
  0-29.9	Freshman
  30-59.9	Sophomore
  60-89.9	Junior
  90 and over	Senior

Graduation

• A student at East Stroudsburg University must earn a minimum grade point average of 2.000 in order to graduate (individual departments may, however, stipulate higher graduation requirements), complete the general education requirements and competencies requirements, and file an intent to graduate form. Intent to graduate forms can be obtained in the Center for Enrollment Services. Deadlines for applying for graduation are November 1 for May graduation, and April 1 for August and December graduation. The university holds two commencement exercises during the academic year, one at the end of the fall semester and one at the end of the spring semester. Students graduating in August may participate in the December ceremony.

• Graduation Honors

  • In order to qualify for graduation honors, (the only honors other than the University Leadership Award to be announced at commencement exercises), a student must have completed at East Stroudsburg University 60 credits in which the letter grades of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D or E are assigned. Students who have the appropriate grade point average at the time the honor's designation is determined, and who will have met the 60-credit minimum once the final semester is completed, will be granted graduation honors as follows:

    Summa Cum Laude	Cumulative quality point average 3.800 or above
    Magna Cum Laude	Cumulative quality point average 3.600 to 3.799
    Cum Laude	Cumulative quality point average 3.400 to 3.599

    Graduation honors are based on all work completed at East Stroudsburg University by March 15 of the academic year for May commencement, and by Nov. 1 for Dec. commencement. The official university transcript will carry the appropriate honors designation based on all work completed at the university.

• Graduation Residency Requirement

  • All first baccalaureate degree students will take at least 30 of their last 45 credits at East Stroudsburg University. At least 50% of major requirements must be complete at a Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education university.

• Active Duty Service Members Exception

  • For active duty service members, the academic residency requirement will not exceed 25% of the undergraduate degree program. If the undergraduate degree is available 100 percent online, the academic residency requirements will not exceed 30% of the undergraduate degree program.

    With the exception of specific course areas such as majors, the academic residency requirements for active duty service members will not include "final year" or "final semester" requirements. In addition, each program is expected to confirm with their respective accrediting agencies the allowable flexibility in order to meet the needs of active duty service members.

• Simultaneous Dual Degrees

  • Students wishing to earn dual degrees (both a B.S. and a B.A.) must earn a minimum of 150 credit hours while completing all requirements for multiple majors and the general education competencies.

    Students meeting all of the requirements of two majors with less than 150 credit hours can obtain a multiple major designation. In the case of a double major, if the two majors involve multiple degree designations (e.g., B.A. in English and B.S. in Psychology), the student will have the option to select only one degree designation that appears on the transcript and diploma.

• Second Degrees

  • A student who is already the recipient of a baccalaureate degree (either from East Stroudsburg University or from a different regionally accredited university) who wishes to pursue an additional undergraduate field will be required to complete a minimum of 30 credit hours at East Stroudsburg University including the requirements for the major. The program of study for the additional degree is to be approved by the appropriate department chair and appropriate academic dean.

National Honor Societies

• Alpha Psi Omega	Dramatic fraternity
  Alpha Kappa Delta	Sociology honor society
  Chi Alpha Epsilon	Student support services honor society
  Delta Alpha Pi	Students with disabilities honor society
  Eta Sigma Delta	Hotel, restaurant, and tourism management honorary
  Eta Sigma Gamma	Health science and education honor society
  Gamma Theta Upsilon	Professional geography fraternity
  Iota Iota Iota	Women's studies honor society
  Kappa Delta Pi	Honor society in education
  Lambda Pi Eta	Communication honor society
  Omicron Delta Epsilon	Honor society of economics
  Omicron Delta Kappa	Leadership honorary
  Phi Alpha Theta	History fraternity
  Phi Epsilon Kappa	Physical education honorary
  Phi Sigma Iota	Foreign language honor society
  Pi Sigma Alpha	Government honor society
  Psi Chi	Psychology honor society
  Rho Phi Lambda	Recreation honor fraternity
  Sigma Phi Omega	Gerontology academic honor and professional society
  Sigma Pi Sigma	Physics honor society within the Society of Physics Students
  Sigma Tau Delta	English honorary fraternity
  Sigma Theta Tau	Nursing honorary
  Sigma Xi	Sciences and mathematics honorary of the Scientific Research Society

  Additional information on Academic Regulations is available in the Student Handbook.