Student Handbook - Butler University

cumstances; they also will carry an additional tuition charge at the credit-hour rate published by the business
office. (See “Non-credit” and “Enrichment, Audit for.”)
Graduate students must carry at least nine hours to be considered full-time.
Academic Probation
The minimum grade point average required for any degree at Butler is 2.00. Therefore, any student
whose cumulative GPA is below 2.00 is considered “on probation.” The amount of a student’s probation is
indicated in grade points, as the difference between the total grade points the student has accumulated and
the number the student would have if the GPA were 2.00 or C. That is, a student should have at least twice
as many grade points as credit hours; with fewer than that number, the student is on probation the number
of points “short.” Thus, every hour of D puts a student one point on probation and every F, two points;
every hour of B removes one probation point and every hour of A, two points. (See “Grade point average.”)
Excessive probation or continued probation without improvement can lead to a student’s being declared
academically ineligible. Therefore, a student on probation should take all available measures to improve his
or her standing. One usually helpful step is to reduce the academic load; by concentrating on fewer courses,
a student increases the amount of study time available to devote to each and thus improves the chances of
earning the desired grades.
Practices on restricting loads for students on probation vary somewhat from college to college. At the
time of seeking approval of a schedule, the adviser or dean of any restriction will inform the student. The
restrictions are designed not to hamper the student but rather to protect the student’s academic eligibility.
Advanced Placement
Students may earn advanced placement with credit under any of the following three programs:
1. College Board advanced placement program (“AP Program”)
Students whose high schools participate in this program may receive advanced placement with credit
upon receipt of satisfactory scores on certain advanced placement tests from the College Board. Scores
of four generally merit credit; in a few subjects, a test with a score of three is reviewed by the appropriate
department head. More specific information regarding tests and required scores can be obtained
in the Office of Registration and Records.
2. College Board “college level examination program”
Students enrolled as degree-seeking students who have had their scores reported to Butler may receive
credit for as many as 14 hours for satisfactory achievement on the five CLEP general examinations
and also may receive appropriate credit through the individual subject examinations. More
specific information regarding tests and required scores can be obtained in the Learning Resource
Center office.
3. Departmental advanced placement
A Butler student who has been unable to take advantage of either the College Board advanced placement
program (AP) or the college level examination program (CLEP) may be placed in advanced courses in
any subject if the department head or senior faculty member in the subject area is satisfied that the student
can perform the work of the advanced course adequately. If the student is granted advanced placement and
seeks credit for the course or courses bypassed, the student should consult the appropriate dean. Credit may
be awarded on the recommendation of the dean and the department head, provided the student has earned a
grade of at least C- in the advanced course. No advanced placement credit is awarded for courses that a normal
high school preparation should enable the student to bypass, such as first-year language or college algebra
and trigonometry.
Students with a strong background in foreign language study at the secondary level (normally three or
four years of a single foreign language) may be eligible for as much as nine hours of advanced placement
credit upon completion of two foreign language courses (six hours) at Butler. The courses must be numbered
at the 300 level or above, and the student must earn a grade of C or better in both of them to be eligi-
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