3.1 ACADEMIC POLICIES

3.1.1 Graduating Requirements

Beginning with the class of 1995 (freshmen entering in the Fall of 1991), all students must satisfactorily fulfill each of the following requirements in order to earn a degree:

I. Completion of Liberal Arts Requirements as follows:

  1. Liberal Arts: Distribution
    At least three credit hours of coursework in each of the following five areas:
    F Fine Arts - Art, Creative Writing, Music, Theatre
    I International Studies - Anthropology, Foreign Languages, Geography, non-U.S. History, world literature, non-U.S. Political Science, non-Western Religion.
    S Social Sciences - Anthropology, Business, Economics, Education, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology
    H Humanities - Communications, Foreign Languages, History, Literature, Philosophy, Religion
    N Natural Sciences - Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics

    The distribution requirement must be completed by the end of the sophomore year. Courses may be used for only one area. With a few exceptions, students can also use these courses in their POEs. Exceptions are noted in the course description section of the catalog.

  2. Liberal Arts: Distribution-in-Depth
    Six additional credits of course work in each of three areas above (F, I, S, H, N). At least three credits in each of these must be at the 200 level or above. Students can use these courses in their POEs; however, these courses may be used only once toward the distribution-in-depth requirement. The Natural Sciences distribution-in-depth requirement may be satisfied by appropriate courses in any of the natural sciences categories listed above plus math and computer science. Study abroad for a full academic year may satisfy this requirement for International Studies.

  3. C. Liberal Arts: Integrative Core
    GE 20 - One of the General Education series or an approved alternative.

    GE 40 - Senior Value Studies (SVS) or an approved alternative.

    Students can use these courses in their POEs.

  4. The Communications Component
    1. EN 100: English I, and EN 101: English II. These courses cannot be used in students' POEs.
    2. Three courses designated as writing ("W") courses totaling a minimum of 9 credit hours. "W" courses meet one of the following conditions:
      1. The course has a significant (25% or more) writing and revision requirement.
      2. The course has a significant (25% or more) writing requirement based on multiple out-of-class writing assignments where graded assignments with instructor's comments are returned to students before later assignments are due.

  5. Computer Literacy
    CS 100: Introduction to Computers, or an approved alternative which emphasizes computer usage. This course can fulfill other requirements but must be completed by the end of the sophomore year. Students can use this course in their POEs.

II. A Program of Emphasis (POE) of 45 to 60 credit hours. Within the POE a minimum of ten courses will be prescribed, either by a department or a group of departments or by action of the Curriculum Committee. No independent study courses. A minimum of 18 credit hours must be at the 300 or 400 level. See 3.2.1 for further details.

III. A minimum of 120 credit hours with a grade of D- or better, including the courses described above.

IV. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.

V. Residency Policy

While enrolled at Juniata College, a student who enters Juniata as a freshman may transfer at most 15 credit hours to Juniata from other institutions. No more than six of these credit hours can be included in the POE.

Students who transfer to Juniata College from another institution will normally transfer a number of credit hours from that institution. While enrolled at Juniata, these students will be permitted to transfer additional credit hours to Juniata from other institutions according to the following rules:

  1. Transfer students classified as sophomores upon entering Juniata may transfer in at most nine additional credit hours, subsequent to their enrollment at Juniata, of which no more than four can be in their POE.
  2. Transfer students classified as juniors upon entering Juniata may transfer in at most six additional hours, subsequent to their enrollment at Juniata, none of which can be in their POE.
  3. Transfer students classified as seniors upon entering Juniata may not transfer additional credit hours, subsequent to their enrollment at Juniata.

The Vice President and Dean for Academic Affairs has authority to make suitable waivers and substitutions in the graduation requirements for the members of the various classes, based upon guidelines developed by the Curriculum Committee. The Student Academic Development Committee may grant exceptions to the residency policy.

3.1.2 Grades

3.1.2.1 Grading Policy

For each course faculty members should develop a clear policy on attendance and grading which should be stated unambiguously to the student at the beginning of the course, preferably in the course syllabus. The policy should explain the relative value of class work, field trips, papers, and final examinations. Changes during the term in the system must be announced clearly to the students, preferably in writing.

Although the instructor sets the grading policy, s/he should not do it arbitrarily, for the policy should represent the best measure of the student's achievement. While setting the grading policy, the instructor should consider his/her expectations of students in terms of exams, papers, and other coursework. If attendance in the classroom is considered vital to the learning experience of the student, it may enter into the calculation of the grade, but if the course is conducted in such a manner that the student can progress equally well by completing his/her assignments whether s/he attends class or not, then classroom attendance is not a legitimate indicator of the studenta's progress and should not enter into the computation of the grade.

3.1.2.2 Definitions

A indicates work of the highest excellence, showing a superior grasp of the content as well as independent and creative thinking in the subject.

B signifies unusual achievement wherein the student reveals exceptional insight and ability.

C is given for satisfactory achievement on the college level where the work of the course has been conscientious and shows no considerable deficiency in either quality or quantity.

D indicates that the work of the course is of less than average or of marginal quality.

F signifies work which is distinctly unsatisfactory at the college level.

The above grades may be qualified by the use of a plus (+) or minus (-) where appropriate. The following equivalents should be used for calculating the grade point average:

A = 4.00 quality points
A- = 3.67 quality points
B+ = 3.33 quality points
B = 3.00 quality points
B- = 2.67 quality points
C+ = 2.33 quality points
C = 2.00 quality points
C- = 1.67 quality points
D+ = 1.33 quality points
D = 1.00 quality points
D- = 0.67 quality points
F = 0.00 quality points