2011–2012 UNIVERSITY CATALOG - Florida Institute of Technology

Florida Tech University Online Students
Students must withdraw through PAWS. Students can drop a
course through the end of the first week of classes without receiving
a grade of W. From the end of the first week through the end of
the sixth week, a grade of W will be assigned. That grade will be
reflected on their transcript, but not calculated into a grade point
average. Withdrawals after week six will result in the grade earned
in the class. To initiate a withdrawal from an online class, students
must log into PAWS at www.fit.edu/paws.
Withdrawals during week one are considered drops. A grade of “W”
is not added to the transcript. Florida Tech University Online students
can drop a course through the end of the first week of classes
without receiving a grade of W.
If a Florida Tech University Online undergraduate student withdraws
from Mastering eLearning (ASC 1006), a graded degree
requirement for all Florida Tech University Online undergraduate
degree programs, they will be required to register for it the next term
they take courses. After three course withdrawals, a student will be
placed in the lowest level mathematics and communication courses,
usually determined by the diagnostic assessments from ASC 1006.
Readmission Policy
A student who has been away from the university for two years, or
four or more consecutive full-length semesters (12 or more 8-week
terms for Florida Tech University Online students and excluding
Melbourne campus and Extended Studies Division summer terms)
or who has attended another institution during an absence from the
university must apply for readmission. If readmission is approved,
the degree requirements in place at the time of readmission, or
later with academic approval, must be met. A student is not considered
absent from the university during a period of study at another
institution if a Request to Study at Another Institution form was
submitted and approved before enrollment for the other institution’s
courses. A student who has been away from the campus for less
than four semesters (12 8-week terms for Florida Tech University
Online students) and who has not attended any other college or
university may register for class without filing an application for
readmission.
A student who leaves the university for military service will be
readmitted with the same academic status he or she had when last
in attendance at Florida Tech. This rule is binding as long as the
student’s length of absence from the institution has not exceeded
five years.
For students attending under the Service Members Opportunity
College (SOC) Degree Network System (DNS), breaks-inattendance
of two years or fewer will not invalidate the DNS
Student Agreement, nor will the student’s activity be defined by
taking courses exclusively at the home college.
Appeal procedures for students who have been academically dismissed
and seek reinstatement are described under “Probation and
Dismissal” in this section.
Course Numbers Defined
A Florida Tech course number consists of three subject code letters
followed by a four-digit number. Numbers beginning with 0 are
developmental in nature and do not count toward a degree. Numbers
beginning with 1, 2, 3 and 4 indicate undergraduate courses, and
those beginning with 5 and 6 indicate graduate courses. Graduate
students may take 3000- and 4000-level courses, subject to
limitations and restrictions delineated in graduate policy. 5000-level
courses are intended for master’s and doctoral students. Courses with
numbers beginning with 6 may only be taken by students enrolled in
doctoral degree programs.
Credit Hours Defined
The credit-hour value of each course normally represents the
number of hours in lecture per week during a full-length semester.
Because there are exceptions to this general rule, particularly for
laboratory periods, students should consult online in PAWS or the
Course Descriptions section for the credit value of specific courses.
Course Cancellation/Schedule Changes
The university reserves the right to cancel classes for which there is
insufficient enrollment, to close a class when the enrollment limit
in that class is reached and to make schedule changes as necessary,
including changes in time, days, credit or instructor. The university
does take the needs of students into account and schedule changes
are made only when unavoidable.
Course Substitution
Course substitutions or any other deviation from the stated requirements
of a degree offered at Florida Tech must have the written
approval of the student’s academic program chair or academic
adviser, and the academic unit head.
Continuing Education
A continuing education (CE) student is defined as one who is not
seeking a degree from Florida Tech. CE students will customarily
enroll for courses on the basis of receiving continuing education
units (CEUs), rather than graduate or undergraduate credit. The
CEU is a nationally recognized unit that indicates successful
participation in a qualified program of continuing education. It
is defined as 10 contact hours of participation in an organized
educational experience under responsible sponsorship, capable
direction and qualified instruction.
Students enrolled for CEUs in courses that are being offered for
academic credit are required to do all homework, outside reading
assignments, term papers or special assignments and to attend at
least 90 percent of the class sessions, but they are not required to
take midterm or final examinations.
In some situations, the CE student may want or need to receive
credit rather than CEUs, and this alternative is allowable. Students
enrolled for credit, whether degree-seeking or not, must take all
examinations in addition to completing all course assignments.
Students may switch from CEU to credit or vice versa, any time
before the end of the first week of classes.
A CE student may not enroll in any course, either for credit or for
CEUs, without the written approval of the head of the academic
unit offering the course. This approval will be based on a review of
the student’s previous preparation and qualifications, an assessment
that the student is capable of completing all course assignments
(homework, reading, term papers, etc.) and may also take into
consideration the effect of enrollment of CE students on the course
and/or academic program. Such approval will be sought and given
on a course-by-course basis, and may be withheld at the academic
unit head’s discretion.
Academic Overview 27