2011 - 2012 Student Calendar - Helena College of Technology

Academic InformationStudents neglecting to submit an Application for Certificateor Degree will not be awarded a certificate or degree. Anystudent applying for a certificate or degree must pay a $25fee. If applying for more than one certificate or degree, a feeis required for each application. Certificates and diplomaswill be withheld if a student owes a debt to the College.Students will be awarded a certificate or degree uponsatisfactory completion of the program requirements. Half ofthe coursework required for the degree must be completed atUM-Helena College of Technology.A graduation ceremony is held every May. Fall and springgraduates of the corresponding year are invited to attendthe ceremony. Summer graduates, with no more than sixcredits to complete, may attend the corresponding springgraduation. Caps, gowns, and announcements are availablethrough the Bookstore.Catalog Governing GraduationA student’s governing catalog is the UM-Helena College ofTechnology catalog in effect at the time of initial enrollmentas a degree-seeking student as long as the student has beencontinually enrolled. A student may also elect to graduatefrom any subsequent catalog. If a student is absent forone or more semesters, the catalog in effect at the time ofreadmission governs the student’s graduation requirements.Students must complete all program requirements withinsix years of enrolling. Students who have not completedrequirements in six years will be advised into the catalog inuse at the time of graduation.In case of changes in the student’s program, UM-Helenareserves the right to determine appropriate substitutions.If a program is eliminated, UM-Helena will determine anappropriate phase-out process for current students.Graduation HonorsAcademic honors awards are acknowledged for A.A., A.S.,and A.A.S. degrees at spring graduation. Calculation forthese honors is the cumulative GPA at the end of the semesterprior to graduation. Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 -3.99 at the end of the semester prior to graduation receive theHonors Academic Award. Students with a cumulative GPAof 4.0 at the end of the semester prior to graduation receivethe Highest Honors Academic Award.IncompleteAn incomplete (“I”) grade may be given with the approval ofthe Registrar’s Office when, in the opinion of the instructor,there is a reasonable probability that students can completethe course without retaking it and without instructorparticipation. The incomplete grade is not an option to beexercised at the discretion of the student and is given onlyin cases of extreme personal hardship or unusual academicsituations. Eligibility for an incomplete is determined withinthe following guidelines:1. An incomplete may be assigned to a student whenhe or she has been in attendance and doing passingwork up to three weeks before the end of the course,and for reasons beyond his or her control, he or shehas been unable to complete the requirements ontime. Negligence, indifference, or excessive absencesare not acceptable reasons.2. The instructor will set the conditions for completionof the coursework. When these conditions havebeen met, the instructor will assign a grade basedupon an evaluation of the total work done by thestudent in the course.3. An incomplete (“I”) which is not made up duringthe next regularly scheduled semester willautomatically convert to a grade of “F.”Outdated CourseworkIn accordance with Board of Regents Policy 301.5.2, UM-Helena College of Technology uses the following guidelinesfor evaluating previous coursework taken at UM-HelenaCollege of Technology:• Courses specific to a program of study areguaranteed for evaluation within five years.• Courses used for general educationrequirements are guaranteed for evaluationwithin 15 years.• Courses used for elective credits are guaranteedfor evaluation within 15 years.Coursework that falls outside of the stated periods is notguaranteed for evaluation/graduation. It is the discretion ofthe individual program to review coursework older than theabove guidelines. Students who have outdated courseworkare encouraged to speak with their faculty advisor.Pass/No PassStudent Option: Students who might venture into courseswhere they may otherwise hesitate because of uncertaintyregarding their aptitude or preparation may enroll in certaincourses on a pass/no pass basis. An instructor may indicatethat a particular course is not available under the pass/nopass option.No more than six pass/no pass credits may be countedtoward program completion. The pass/no pass option doesnot extend to courses required by the student’s program orprogram option, except at the discretion of the departmentsconcerned. Courses numbered below 100 are not calculatedin the pass/no pass limit or toward program completion.The grades of pass/no pass are not formally defined in termsof their relationship to the traditional grades of A, B, C,D, F; a “P” is given for work considered to be passing andtherefore deserving credit, and an “NP” for work not passed.“P” and “NP” grades do not affect grade point average.Election of the pass/no pass option must be indicated atregistration time on the registration form. After registration,but prior to the end of the 15th day of instruction, a studentmay change the grading option from pass/no pass totraditional (A - F) grading, or vice versa, by submitting adrop/add form.26 2011 - 2012 Academic Catalog UM-Helena College of Technology