Catalog of Abilene Christian University, 1988-1989 Page: 13
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Academic Information 13
Academic Information
DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATIONS
College Year
Abilene Christian University follows the college calendar
set by the Coordinating Board for state colleges in Texas.
The college year consists of two 16-week semesters and
three or four summer sessions ranging in length from
three to six weeks. The fall semester is completed before
the Christmas holidays, and the spring semester is completed
early in May.
Semester Hour
The semester hour (or credit hour) is the basic unit of college
credit. The general rule is that a student receives one
semester hour of credit for each class hour per week for a
semester. However, two or three hours in laboratory work
or in special activity classes are required for one semester
hour of credit. Most classes meet three hours each week
and give three semester hours of credit. Students should
expect to spend an average of two hours of preparation
outside of class for each hour of lecture or discussion in
class.
Classification of Students
A student's classification is determined by the number of
semester hours he has completed:
Freshman ........0-29
Sophomore ....... .30-59
Junior ......... .60-89
Senior ......... 90+
A graduate student is one who has completed a bachelor's
degree and is taking graduate courses. A post-graduate
student is one who has completed a bachelor's degree and
is taking graduate work but not applying it toward a
degree. A special undergraduate student is one who has
not yet declared a major.
Grade Point Average
A student's grade point average (GPA) is based on courses
taken at ACU. It is determined by dividing the total
number of grade points (see the table below) by the total
number of hours attempted (not including hours where
grade points are not counted). "Current GPA" is a
student's GPA for a single term; "cumulative GPA" is the
over-all GPA for all the terms a student has been enrolled
in ACU. Grade point averages are rounded to the nearest
thousandth.
Semester Course Load
The average course load is 14 to 16 semester hours.
However, this may be higher or lower, depending on the
student's academic ability and involvement in extracurricular activities. Nineteen hours is the maximum load
that a first-semester student is allowed to carry. A load of
12 to 14 hours is recommended for a student who works
or who ranks in the lower half of his high school class.
However, a student must be enrolled for at least 12 hours
to be considered a full-time student.
After the first semester, the maximum load that a student
may carry is 16 hours if his grade point average (GPA) is
less than 2.5, 18 hours if his GPA is at least 2.5 but less
than 3.0, and 20 hours if his GPA is at least 3.0 but less
than 3.5. No student will be allowed to enroll for more
than 21 hours in a semester.
Course Numbering
ACU uses a three-digit course numbering system. Courses
numbered below 300 are lower-division courses
(primarily for freshmen and sophomores); courses numbered
from 300 to 599 are upper-division, or advanced,
courses (primarily for juniors and seniors).
Grades
The following grades are used at ACU. The grade point
values shown are per semester hour of credit.Grade Marks
A
B
C
D
F
I
IP
P
CR
NC
WP
WFGrade Meaning
Excellent
Good
Average
Inferior but passing
Failing
Incomplete
In Progress
Passing
Credit
No-credit
Withdrew passing
Withdrew failingGrade Points
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
0.0
Not counted
Not counted
Not counted
Not counted
Not counted
0.0Grades are mailed to whomever the student designates
when he registers.
An "I" must be removed by the end of the next long term;
otherwise, it becomes an "F' on the student's record. A
student who enrolls in a class and does not attend (or
stops attending) but does not officially withdraw is assigned
a failing grade for that class.
If an undergraduate student has made a low grade and
repeats the course at ACU, only the second grade will be
counted in his GPA.
Credit/No-Credit Grades
Undergraduate students who have sophomore standing
and a GPA of at least 2.0 may take a limited number of
courses on a credit/no-credit basis. The purpose of this is
to allow the student to take courses which will broaden his
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Abilene Christian University. Catalog of Abilene Christian University, 1988-1989, book, 1988~; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth46055/m1/15/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.