2012–2013 UNIVERSITY CATALOG - Florida Institute of Technology

and who are willing and able to carry increased course loads.
High-achieving students are strongly recommended to discuss
this option with their advisers. Accelerated programs are not
available in all majors or colleges.
Graduation Honors
At graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients achieving high academic
performance are recognized according to their cumulative grade
point averages. In the case of multiple bachelor’s degree recipients
(multiple diplomas), the honors must be earned separately for each
degree received and are determined by the program GPA based on
courses that apply to the specific degree. In computing the cumulative
GPA for graduation honors, neither transfer credits nor forgiveness
policy apply. Academic honors are listed on the student’s
diploma and transcript. The honors are determined as follows:
Summa Cum Laude ....................................................................3.90 to 4.00
Magna Cum Laude ..................................................................... 3.70 to 3.89
Cum Laude ................................................................................. 3.40 to 3.69
studies-Related assistance
Melbourne Campus
The objective of the Student Success Program is to do everything
possible to assure students are successful in their studies at Florida
Tech. A major activity of this program is called Freshman Retention
by Evaluation and Systematic Help (FRESH). FRESH assures that
new freshmen are placed at the proper level in first-year courses,
especially in mathematics and chemistry.
Research conducted by Florida Tech and other universities categorizes
most student problems as academic or social. With its primary
focus on academic concerns, the program designs activities to
promote the students’ academic development. Additionally, it helps
enhance student appreciation of the ideas and principles that will
sustain lifelong growth in judgment, integrity, emotional maturity
and an understanding of people. Current areas of activity in addition
to FRESH include:
Counseling students when they need help with their studies or
with campus life as it relates to their studies.
Assuring that students are informed about the services available
to them.
Sponsoring noncredit seminars, courses for credit and other
activities that add depth to students’ academic experiences and
help them to succeed in their studies and in their careers.
Referring students to other resources that can provide needed help.
Acting as a liaison between students and academic units.
Scheduling and publicizing timely academic advising activities.
For example, freshman academic advisers meet with new freshmen
during the sixth week of the new student’s first semester to
review academic progress and discuss the curriculum.
Sampling student opinion of both academic and support services
offered by the university. Results are transmitted to students, the
university faculty and administration.
Although most of the effort is directed toward the needs of freshmen,
a growing portion is aimed at the needs of all students.
36 Florida Tech
Academic Support Center
The Academic Support Center (ASC) is a multipurpose learning
facility located in the Evans Library Pavilion. The ASC administers
the Student Success Program and offers students free one-on-one
tutoring in composition, mathematics, computer science, physics,
accounting, chemistry, aeronautics and engineering courses. In
addition, the ASC offers small group study sessions led by undergraduate
honor student tutors.
The ASC also serves as a reserve center for various audiovisual
materials that faculty can use to supplement coursework. The
center contains programs on developmental reading, research paper
writing, foreign languages and other topics of value to students.
Early Warning System
The Early Warning System, a service of the ASC and registrar’s
office, requires advisers to contact their first-year students during the
ninth week of the term if they are deficient in one or more courses.
Florida Tech University Online
Online tutoring is available to students via a service called
Smarthinking. Students can access this service by clicking on the
Resources tab within their course site. Students can get live, online
tutoring, as well as reviews and comments about essays and reports.
Information about this service is available at www.smarthinking.com.
The learning management systems (LMS) automatically notifies
students enrolled in Florida Tech University Online when they
have not shown satisfactory progress in a current course.
Graduation Requirements
To receive an associate or bachelor’s degree, a cumulative Florida
Tech grade point average of 2.0 or higher is required. In the case of
a student seeking two or more associate or bachelor’s degrees (see
“Dual Majors and Additional Degrees”), a program GPA of at least
2.0 is required in each program for which a degree is awarded, as
well as the overall GPA of at least 2.0 that is required for the award
of any associate or bachelor’s degree (see “Grade Point Average” for
the definitions of program and overall GPA).
A student is not permitted to graduate unless all financial obligations
have been satisfied. All program requirements must be
completed no later than 24 hours before commencement exercises.
Program requirements completed after the deadline will cause a
delay in the awarding of the degree.
Students should petition to graduate and attend the commencement
ceremony for the term program requirements are met. Melbourne
campus and extended studies students attend the spring ceremony if
requirements are met in spring and the fall ceremony if the requirements
are met in summer or fall. Florida Tech University Online
students participate in the Melbourne commencement ceremony
in spring if they satisfy requirements during Spring–1 or Spring–2
and the fall commencement ceremony if they satisfy requirements
during Summer–1, Summer–2, Fall–1 or Fall–2.
All required documentation such as course substitution forms,
transfer credit, defense or final program examinations must be
received by the graduation office (undergraduates) or the Office
of Graduate Programs (graduate students) by the second Monday
before the end of the semester in order for the candidate to participate
in the commencement ceremony.