Undergraduate Academic Information

Academic Advising

Academic advising at Haigazian University reflects the institution’s commitment to provide individualized attention that supports each student’s educational and career goals. All Special students are advised by the Admissions Office. All other students are advised by advisors assigned for them within their area of specialization.

Registration

All deadlines related to the registration period and final registration dates are listed in the academic calendar. Students are expected to complete their registration by the first day of classes. While there is late registration period, late registrants must pay a special fee. Officially registered students may make changes regarding their registration with the approval of their academic advisers on the date appointed by the Regsitrar's Office. During the Spring registration period, returning students may register for the Summer Session and the following Fall Semester. Late registration must be completed according to dealines listed in the academic calendar.

Attendance

Regular class attendance is expected of each student. Individual instructors are responsible for clarifying the policy of the university in the first session of the semester. The university allows students to miss a maximum of 9 class periods during a 3-credit course that meets three times a week, and 6 class periods during a 3-credit course that meets twice a week.

Absence from final examinations is permissible only for a cause beyond the student’s control. Normally, permission for such an absence must be secured in advance of the time of the examination. The instructor will assume responsibility for dealing with such requests. For details refer to the University catalog.

Academic Progress

A bachelor’s degree candidate must complete an average of 31 semester hours per year in order to earn his/her degree. If the student enters as a freshman, this is done in four years; if he/she enters as a sophomore, in three years. A student finishes in three or four years by taking 12-16 credit hours each semester.
The normal load of a regular full-time student is five courses, which usually equals more than 12 credit hours. A regular full-time student in the undergraduate program is required to register in a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester. Students who have a cumulative average of at least 75 and an average in the previous semester of at least 80 may register for more than the normal load with adviser approval. A load of six courses is not considered an overload if one of the courses is a one-credit or two-credit course. Under no circumstances will a student be allowed to register for more than 19 credits per semester. Neither should a student allow his/her number of credit hours to fall below 12 by withdrawing from a course.

The normal load permitted during the Summer Session is two courses. Under no circumstances will a student be allowed to register for more than 10 credits during a Summer Session.

Classification of Students

Students will be classified in one of the following categories:

Examinations and Grading

Haigazian University operates on a semester basis. The first semester examinations are given in February, and the second semester examinations are given in June. Class attendance is mandatory in order to receive academic credit. Grades are calculated numerically with the maximum grade as 100 and the minimum grade as 40. The passing grade is 60. The following letter grades are also given:

I - Incomplete: Given in cases of illness or other circumstances beyond the student’s control which have prevented the student from completing the requirements for the course. The student should present valid reasons to the instructor before grades for the semester are reported. In such cases, the remaining work in the course must be completed within six weeks of the beginning of the next semester. Students may petition the Admissions and Academic Standing Committee for an extension of the time limit.
Note: Students may not enroll in a course with a prerequisite course in which they have the grade of I unless they achieve a passing grade during the “change of schedule” period.
F - Fail: Given to students of OR 099 who do not fulfill all requirements of the course
IF - Incomplete Fail: Given to students who have an I grade and fail to complete the work within the time limit.
P - Pass: Given to students of OR 099 who fulfill all requirements of teh course.
W - Withdraw: Given to students who withdraw from a course.
XF - Not Complete: Given to a student who stops attending a course without properly withdrawing from the course. Also given to students whose absences exceed the number specified by the instructor of the course. A student who has an excessive number of absences in a perticular course must be sure to withdraw from the course before the withdrawal deadline or he/she will receive an XF. 

Cumulative Average

To calculate the cumulative average, the grade for each course is multiplied by the number of credits, and then the sum of the results is divided by the total number of credits. All grades of 100-level courses are excluded from the cumulative average. Students admitted to the University with less than 30 transfer credits will be treated as Freshman students for cumulative average purposes.

All major courses and related field requirements will be included in the computation of the major average. Once a student changes his/her major, all failing grades (below 60) received in previous major courses which are not required in the new major will be excluded from his/her cumulative average. The above policy also applies to freshman requirements. Transfer course credits from other institutions are not included in the cumulative average. The grades of W and I are not counted in the average. The grades of IF and XF are averaged as 40. If a student repeats a course, the most recent grade is computed in the average.

Academic Recognition

The President’s List and the Dean’s List are issued at the end of each semester to honor undergraduate students who have excelled in their courses during that term. As prerequisites for this honor, students must have regular full-time status, must be enrolled for at least 12 semester hours in courses which they have not taken before, and also must not have any Incomplete grade(s). Those who achieve a semester average of 90 or above will be placed on the President’s List for that semester. Likewise, those who achieve a semester average of 85 or above will be placed on the Dean’s List for that semester. A student who has accumulated the honors average will not be placed on either the President’s or the Dean’s List if he/she has a failing or incomplete grade or is on disciplinary probation.

Academic Probation

Academic probation carries a serious warning to the student that his/her scholastic record is unsatisfactory and continued failure to improve this record will result in academic disqualification. The Academic Standing Committee may also impose restrictions on the student's program of study.
The following regulations are applicable to both Regular and Special students:
A student who does not earn a cumulative average of 70 or who fails in two or more courses in a given semester is placed on academic probation.
A new sophomore student will be placed on probation if the cumulative average of 9 or more 200- level course credits is less than 70.
A student on probation may not register for more than 4 courses with a maximum of 15 credit hours, hold responsible positions in University extracurricular clubs or activities, or receive financial aid.
New students who are accepted on probation will not have their probation removed before completion of at least 12 credit hours.
Probation is removed if the student has a cumulative average of 70 or more and has no incomplete grades. The Summer Session is not considered a regular semester for the purposes of placement/removal from probation except in the case of students who will be graduating in August.

If a student who is on probation withdraws from the University, the semester will be disregarded and the student will be permitted to be readmitted on probation. This procedure will be permitted only once during the student's study at the University. A student who does not change his/her probationary status within a year may lose his/her eligibility for enrollment. A student who fails to achieve the required cumulative average may continue to be placed on probation fro another semester.

Repeated probations may result in dismissal from the University.

Dismissal from the University

Students on academic probation who fail to remove their probation by the end of  the semester may be dropped from the University. However, this does not apply to probation that continues because a student failed to achieve the required cumulative average. In such cases, their probation may be continued for another semester, given the following: (a) they have not failed any of the courses for which they had registered during the previous semester and (b) they have attained a semester average of at least 70. Repeated probation may result in dismissal from the University. A student on academic probation who gets a grade of I (Incomplete) at the end of the semester will not be allowed to register for the following semester before completing the course and removing the probation.

Consideration for readmission may be given if the student petitions the Academic Standing Committee and presents evidence of exceptional circumstances that may have influenced his/her academic performance.

Students dropped from the University for poor academic record, but who are considering readmission to the University, are required to: (1) attend another university for at least one semester, register for at least 12 credits, and maintain a semester average of 70. (2) Present a petition addressed to the Academic Standing Committee requesting readmission.

If readmitted, students have to meet all conditions specified by the Academic Standing Committee, register for at least 12 credits and maintain a semester average of 70.

Leave of Absence

Withdrawal from Courses

Students are allowed to withdraw from a course with the grade W no later than the 14th week from the beginning of the semester. No student is allowed to withdraw from any course more than once, nor to reduce his/her number of credits below 12.
Students wishing to withdraw from a course must fill in a Withdrawal Form, have it approved by their adviser, and submit it to the Registrar’s Office. Students who stop attending a course without getting this approval will be given the grade XF (equal to 40) for the course.

Repeating Courses

A student who fails a required course must repeat that course the next semester it is offered. Students may not repeat courses in which they have attained a grade of 70 or more.
Students may not register for the same course more than three times.
If a course is repeated, only the last grade will be included in the cumulative and major field average.
A student who receives the grade W will have the chance to repeat the course one more time.

Withdrawal from the University

A student who wishes to withdraw in good standing must obtain a “Notice of Withdrawal” from the Registrar’s Office and have it signed by the Admissions Office, the financial aid Office, the Library, the Cashier’s Office, and the Student Life Office. Students may withdraw at any time prior to the first day of final examinations. Students who withdraw and later wish to be readmitted to the University will be required to apply for readmission. When considering such a petition, the Admissions Committee will take into consideration the quality of the student's work prior to withdrawal. Students who fail to follow the required procedure will be given grades of XF and may be refused readmission at a later date.

Returning Student Readmission 

Undergraduates who have attended HU and have later withdrawn from the University must reapply for admission by filling in a readmission form. Readmission will be based on the current admission policies, and the student will be required to meet current graduation requirements. Official transcripts of all academic work undertaken during the period of absence must be provided.

Change of Major / Emphasis 

1. The maximum number of times a student is permitted to change from one major/empahasis to another shall be two.
2. Students wishing to change their major must fill in the required form and have it approved by the Departmental Chair of the new major and the Admissions Committee.
3. Once a student changes his/her major/emphasis, all failing grades received in previous major courses which are not required in the new major will be excluded from his/her cumulative average.

  Graduation

Haigazian University offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science degrees, a Normal Diploma, and a Sophomore Certificate. Students expecting to graduate must fill in an application at the beginning of their last semester. These applications, which must be filed in the Registrar’s Office, provide the Registrar with the information needed to prepare the diploma and to include the student’s name on the list of graduates. A Diploma Fee is required of all students even if they do not participate in the graduation ceremony.

Graduation With Honors

Honors at graduation are based on the cumulative average. For the purpose of awarding Honors, all grades, including those from failed and repeated courses, will be included in the calculation of a student’s cumulative average. In order to graduate with honors from Haigazian University, a student must have completed at least 60 credits of 200 level courses at Haigazian University and must have been a full-time student. Honors, designated “Summa Cum Laude,” “Magna Cum Laude” and “Cum Laude,” are conferred at graduation upon the students who satisfy the following conditions:

• Cum Laude - a cumulative average of 85 to 87.49 and a major field average of 85 or above.
• Magna Cum Laude - a cumulative average of 87.5 to 89.99 and a major field average of 85 or above.
• Summ Cum Laude - a cumulative avergae of 90 or above and a major field average of 85 or above.

Departmental Honors

Departmental honors are granted to undergraduate students who demonstrate a high level of achievement in their majors. Students are encouraged to work toward departmental honors; those working for them should apply to the department chairperson or academic adviser. Departmental honors will be awarded on the basis of a high-quality senior thesis/project, a minimum cumulative average of 86 in the major and 80 overall. Departments may add other requirements.

Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science Programs

To receive a Bachelor’s degree from Haigazian University, a student must complete the requirements of a declared major, the general education requirements, and all of the following:

1. Complete a minimum of 124 credits with a cumulative average of 70, of which at least 94 credits ought to be in 200-level courses.
2. Fulfill the residency requirement, the final two semesters and 30 credit hours must be completed at Haigazian University.
3.  Fulfill the Freshman requirements, if admitted to that class.
4. Fulfill the requirements for a major (at least 36 credits in 200-level courses) in one department, with an average of 70 in the major. At least 18 credits in the major must be taken at Haigazian University.
5. Fulfill all financial obligations.
6. Complete all the requirements for graduation within a maximum of seven calendar years. Students may interrupt their studies for no more than two calendar years at one time within these seven years. If students have not completed their degree after seven years, they must apply for readmission and begin a new degree. No transfer of credits from the previous seven years of work will be allowed.

Haiagazian University graduates who rejoin the University to take courses in a new major will be granted a certificate upon completion of the requirements for that major.

For any additional information, refer to the University Catalog.