Academic Planning

Bachelor's Degree Graduation Requirements

I. Completion of General Education Requirements:

General Education Mission: General education engages students in common academic experiences that integrate learning across academic fields with distinctive ways of knowing and develop habits of mind necessary for reflective choices and effective action in fulfilling careers, engaged citizenship, and meaningful lives. All general education courses will make contributions to a student portfolio.

A. FOR STUDENTS MATRICULATING IN FALL SEMESTER 2019 OR AFTER:

First-Year Experience: First-year students take part in a two-semester course sequence (4 credits in the first semester and 3 credits in the second semester) designed to help prepare them for success at Juniata.
  • First-Year Foundations - First-Year Foundations consists of a one-credit course in the first semester. This course provides students with the resources, skills, and information that will assist them in mastery of academic and social life at Juniata College. Along with acquisition of skills and knowledge, students will reflect on their journey at the start of their Juniata career, helping to set the path for the rest of their academic career. Through thoughtful reflection of the Principles of the Liberal Arts Lifestyle, the Attributes of a Juniata Graduate, and the College’s Mission Statement, students will engage with their classmates as they lay the foundations of success. This course will connect students with a wide variety of campus resources. Students will “think about who you are.” What does it mean for students to be in college, at this place, at this time? What are their goals for the future? Students will consider their values and goals both individually and in the context of a larger community: campus, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and the world. Additionally, students work to develop skills necessary for lifelong learning.
  • First-Year Composition: First-Year Composition is a three-credit course taken during the first semester of the first year. It focuses on developing critical reading, writing, and analytical skills. Course themes will be chosen by individual instructors.First-Year Composition courses follow a process-oriented approach to college work and include peer review, individual conferences with the instructor, and revision cycles. While course content will vary by instructor, there will be a two-week module related to diversity, organized around the instructor’s selections from a common set of readings. The goals of the course are to introduce students to different types of reading and writing using varied models, genres, and forms (such as popular, scholarly, digital, and print). These courses build students’ information literacy skills, rhetorical knowledge, critical thinking, and knowledge of appropriate genre and style conventions. First-Year Composition courses will focus on developing these skills to prepare students for future academic work.
  • First-Year Seminar: First-Year Seminar is a three-credit course taken during the second semester of the first year. It is an introduction-by-immersion to college-level learning. Seminar topics are chosen by individual instructors and may, but need not, be interdisciplinary. The content of the course is built on challenging reading and will include an approximately two-week module on the liberal arts, organized around the instructor’s selections from a common set of readings, which gives explicit attention to such things as the role of the liberal arts, how the course topic fits into the liberal arts, and how engagement with the topic can contribute to the common good and to “thinking about who you are.” Students develop the intellectual skills of analyzing evidence and arguments by examining issues such as what counts as evidence, what makes arguments strong or weak, and common errors in reasoning (what logicians call “informal fallacies”).
Ways of Knowing: The Ways of Knowing requirement teaches students to think critically and intellectually about the world, introduces students to different epistemological perspectives, and helps students realize the benefits of interdisciplinary inquiry and a liberal arts education. Because dialogue, debate, and active learning are central to the liberal arts tradition, Ways of Knowing courses will emphasize seminar formats or active learning and are capped at 28 students. Each Ways of Knowing requirement may be met through a single course or through a planned sequence of courses totaling at least three credits. To foster an awareness of how Ways of Knowing are similar or different, each course or sequence of courses must include some comparison with another Way of Knowing. Faculty and students will consider how this second Way of Knowing supplements our understanding of the course topic. All Ways of Knowing courses are thus at least partially interdisciplinary. Instructors of Ways of Knowing courses will identify with and demonstrate expertise appropriate to the Ways of Knowing category they are teaching. A course or planned sequence of courses totaling at least three credits is required in each of the following categories:
  1. Creative Expression: Students explore their own potential to produce creative work through the study of the creative process and the practice of creativity and self-expression. Students will acquire the requisite skills to produce or perform a work of art and will explore the role of artistic expression in society.
  2. Formal Reasoning: Students learn to think with rigor and precision through the study of formal systems and the application of deductive reasoning. Students will develop critical thinking and reasoning skills; use formal systems to identify, analyze, and solve problems; and critique current practices, structures, or claims through the application of formal reasoning.
  3. Humanistic Thought: Students learn to engage in theoretical, historical, or critical analysis of texts, art works, cultural artifacts, or cultural practices. Students develop the analytic techniques and interpretive skills to appreciate human experiences and their representations and will be prepared to ask fundamental questions of value, purpose, and meaning.
  4. Social Inquiry: Students will learn to synthesize and apply qualitative or quantitative research to analyze human behavior, social organization, and the capacities that make society possible. Students will use reason and evidence to recognize and analyze distinctive forms of human behavior and social organization. Students will reflect on how social processes influence understanding of self, interactions with others, or access to power and resources. Students will explore ethical questions raised by social inquiry and consider its role in relevant public practices, policies, or popular media.
  5. Scientific Process: Students gain an understanding of what is known or can be known about the world through the study and practice of developing hypotheses, making observations, analyzing quantitative data, and drawing evidence-based conclusions. Students will explore ethical questions raised by scientific inquiry and consider its role in relevant public practices, policies, or popular media.
Connections: Taken in the third or fourth year, Connections courses are team-taught by two or more instructors who bring different disciplinary perspectives to address a common topic. Students will learn to integrate knowledge and skills from multiple disciplinary perspectives to examine an issue through different ways of knowing. The Connections requirement may be met through a single course or through a planned sequence of courses totaling at least three credits.

Self and the World: How should we engage with the world? What responsibilities do we have to our local and global communities? Self and the World courses foster the capacities necessary for wellbeing and responsible citizenship. These capacities include ethical reflection and a sense of purpose, knowledge of how diversity shapes the American experience, and knowledge about global challenges and cultural diversity. Together, these courses encourage us to engage with human diversity, contemplate questions about a just society, and consider the conditions that foster individual and collective wellbeing. Because dialogue, debate, and active learning are central to the liberal arts tradition, Self and the World courses will emphasize seminar formats or active learning or projects involving collaboration with community partners. Students will complete each of the following requirements: U.S. Experience, Ethical Responsibility, Global Engagement, and Local Engagement.
  1. U.S. Experience: In what ways are U.S. experiences shaped by intersectional characteristics such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status? U.S. Experience courses focus on understanding the current or historical experiences of different groups within the U.S. (identified by, for example, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, geographic origin, immigration status, age, ability, or religion). Classes will address intersectionality, which refers to how identity-based systems of oppression and privilege overlap, connect, and influence one another. Students will critically examine systems such as racism and colonialism and their use of power, privilege, oppression, marginalization, and structural inequity and how these systems are challenged by cultural resilience and resistance.
  2. Ethical Responsibility: What do we owe ourselves, our neighbors, and the world? Ethical Responsibility courses foster students’ senses of empathy and social and ethical responsibility. Students will learn to engage in ethical reasoning and take the perspectives of different participants in situations requiring ethical judgment. Students will assess their own ethical values, explore the social contexts of problems, recognize and understand ethical issues in different settings and traditions, and consider ramifications of alternative actions.
  3. Global Engagement: What challenges do we face as an increasingly diverse and interconnected world? How are our cultural values similar or different? Global Engagement courses help students develop the knowledge and skills they need to engage effectively with and adapt to a changing world. To fulfill the Global Engagement requirement, students must complete at least two courses totaling at least six credits with a Global Engagement designation. Semester- or year-long study abroad at a Juniata-approved site fulfills this requirement. Courses with a Global Engagement designation may be in one of three categories:
    1. World Language Study. These courses focus on communication in a world language.
    2. Short-Term Study Abroad. These courses focus on a study abroad experience, a portion of which includes a pre-departure component and a portion of which must be completed after study abroad to promote reflection on the learning experience. The study abroad experience must be linked to a Juniata course that together with the travel portion totals at least three credits.
    3. Human Cultures & Challenges. These courses focus on a people and culture outside of the U.S. or a global challenge.
  4. Local Engagement: What challenges do we face in our local communities, the places where we live out most of our lives with people of diverse lived experiences and varieties of perspectives? How are our values similar or different from those of our local neighbors? What are our opportunities to be agents of ethical change in meeting the needs of the people we live with in our local communities? Local Engagement experiences help students develop the knowledge and skills they need to engage effectively with the local communities they will inhabit throughout their lives. Local engagement options address specific learning outcomes designed to help students contribute their knowledge and skills to their local communities through meaningful engagement. To fulfill the Local Engagement requirement, students must complete a Local Engagement course of at least one credit that includes at least 15 hours of approved community engagement. Students must include documentation of the community engagement activity and reflection on the experience in their Juniata Portfolio

B. FOR STUDENTS MATRICULATING PRIOR TO FALL SEMESTER 2019:

College Writing Seminar (CWS)
This foundation course is required of all Juniata freshmen and must be completed by the sophomore year

Information Access Information Access is a one-credit course required of all entering students, first years and transfers, that ensures competency in the use of computing, network and library technologies at Juniata College.

Interdisciplinary Colloquia and Cultural Analysis Students fulfill one Interdisciplinary Colloquia (IC) and one Cultural Analysis (CA) course type requirement by completing a two-course sequence. 

Writing Requirement for IC and CA:    Cultural Analysis courses will build on the skills of insightful reading, analysis, and writing acquired in the first year of study. Courses will provide a basic familiarity with some concepts and methods of cultural analysis. They may be offered as either 3- or 4- credit courses. In CA courses, students will make use of both primary (textual or other artifacts) and secondary sources. (Secondary works are those which interpret primary sources, or develop a method for the study of primary sources.) These primary and secondary works will provide the raw materials for a synthetic project. Such projects will normally include either a synthetic paper of ten or more pages, or student-generated presentations or productions (for example, original art, music or drama) accompanied by a shorter written commentary. Any project must be designed to demonstrate the student’s capacity for independent research and critical thinking. Students will be expected to show an awareness of their own presuppositions and of the possibilities and limitations of their methods. Faculty members proposing courses must include in their course proposal an explanation of how course assignments will demonstrate the student’s capacity for analysis and synthesis with an appropriate degree of rigor.

Communication Skills In addition to the College Writing Seminar, students will take at least four "C" courses (minimum 12 credits), two courses or 6 credits must be writing-based (CW) and the additional courses may be speech-based (CS). One CW course must be in the POE.


A CW course devotes considerable time to the development and assessment of writing skills. CW courses require multiple writing assignments that total fifteen to twenty-five pages during the semester, though these totals may vary by discipline. The methods of teaching writing often vary by discipline and by instructor, but all CW courses explicitly address the mechanics of writing and editing. Consequently, the syllabus of a CW course indicates the specific writing goals of the class, the criteria by which writing assignments will be evaluated, and the writing or style manual(s) that serve as the basis of instruction. A significant portion of class time is specifically dedicated to learning writing skills. At least 35% of the final course grade will be determined by writing assignments.


CW courses are intended to help students develop, compose, organize, revise, and edit their own writing. They develop a student's abilities to identify and define a thesis as well as to collect, organize, present, and analyze evidence and documentation to disseminate knowledge. CW courses are not limited to English only.

A speech-based (CS) course requires at least 25% of the grade be determined by two or more oral individual or group presentations, and it fulfills two requirements: (1) The course aims to develop rhetorical skills necessary for effective and creative speech in individual, group or public presentation. This may include one or more of the following: speech design and delivery, listening, negotiation, leadership, persuasion, collaboration, or decision making; (2) The course offers students at least two opportunities to demonstrate these skills. Evaluation of the first opportunity guides improvement of the second.

Quantitative Skills To demonstrate quantitative literacy, students have two options: (1) complete a "Q" course; (2) complete a mathematical course (QM) and a statistics course (QS).  Q, QM and QS courses may be used in the POE.

Distribution Students must complete six credits in each of five categories: Fine Arts, International, Social Sciences, Humanities, Natural Sciences. In three of these five areas, at least three credits must have a prerequisite or be numbered at the 300-level or above. Distribution courses may count in a student's POE.

II. Program of Emphasis (POE)

All Juniata students will complete a POE, including a POE Capstone. The Program of Emphasis (POE) is Juniata's unique approach to focused education in an academic area of a student’s choosing. The POE is an opportunity for students to explore in depth a particular discipline (through a designated POE) or to craft an individualized plan to study an area (through an individualized POE).
  • All POEs must contain at least 36 credit hours and no more than 63 credit hours, except as otherwise authorized by the Faculty Handbook or as authorized by the Department and Program Committee for POEs that require external accreditation.
  • With advisors’ help, students draft a POE goal statement and identify the appropriate classes.
  • All POEs must contain at least 18 credits at the 300- or 400-level.
  • No more than two courses in the POE can be research or independent study courses.
  • All courses which are required, including prerequisites, must be in the POE.
  • All POEs must include depth of knowledge in an academic field.
  • All POEs must include analytical and creative thinking, critical questioning, and examination of evidence.
  • All POEs must include oral and written communication.
  • All POEs must include critical reflection on ethics as appropriate to the discipline.
  • All POEs must include information and technological literacy as applied to the discipline.
  • All POEs will have a capstone suitable to their academic fields to be completed as part of the student's final 30 credits.
III.  Juniata Portfolio

All Juniata students will complete a portfolio of their work from their general education courses and from their POE capstone course.

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

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

VI. Policies

Residency - Students are allowed to transfer credits during their last semester within the provisions of the transfer policy. However, 30 of the last 36 credits must be taken in residence. There are degree requirements that are unique to Juniata
and may not be completed elsewhere. Students participating in cooperative programs, study abroad programs, and other Juniata-approved programs are considered to be in residence.

Effective Date - Students must complete the graduation requirements in effect on the date of their matriculation.

STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT ALL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS ARE COMPLETED.



Advising

Faculty advisors are an invaluable source of support for students. At the time of enrollment, first-year students are assigned a program advisor who assists in orienting new students to College academic policies and procedures. By the early part of February of their first year, students choose their second advisor.  Students will have a program advisor to assist specifically with POE and career issues, and a liberal arts or general advisor to assist with general academic issues such as fulfilling graduation requirements. The liberal arts or general advisor teaches in a discipline outside of his or her student advisee's Program of Emphasis. Those students who do not choose a general advisor by the appointed deadline will have one assigned to them. For exploratory students, advisors can help identify potential areas of interest. At any time, students may change advisors, subject to approval of the Registrar, as long as one advisor is from the department most prominently represented in the Program of Emphasis (POE). Students pursuing dual fields of study should select one advisor from each area.

Advising is a crucial form of guidance for all students, especially for those individuals pursuing highly structured academic programs. During summer orientation, incoming freshmen work individually with faculty advisors in their area of academic interest to select and register for fall semester courses. Once the fall semester begins, first-year students meet with their Advisors to review course registration and make adjustments as needed.



Advising Planning Meetings and Program of Emphasis (POE)

During the spring semester, freshmen meet individually with both of their advisors to discuss course selection for the following year and to devise a four-year academic plan. The Advising Planning Sheet is available to assist the student and advisors as they map individual plans of study. The planning sheet contains areas to plan a POE and meet general education requirements, including: the liberal arts distribution (FISHN), Communication Skills (CW and CS), Quantitative Skills (Q), Interdisciplinary Colloquia (IC), Cultural Analysis (CA), College Writing Seminar (CWS), and Information Access (IA). The process of completing the document provides students with the opportunity to consider personal academic and career goals, and to begin to identify those courses that will provide the background, skills, and perspective needed to achieve those goals. In addition, it is an opportunity to consider internships, study abroad and other experiential learning opportunities.

During the spring of the sophomore year, prior to selecting courses for the following year, students must complete the Sophomore POE, which guides in planning their coursework. In addition to enumerating academic and career objectives, students sketch out a complete set of courses totaling 45-63 credits, and to explain how each course or set of courses contributes to the overall goals listed. Advisor-approved POEs are submitted to the Registrar. Failure to submit a POE by the deadline posted by the Registrar will result in a hold for future registration and a late fee of $50.

In the fall of the senior year, students are asked once again to review the POE they have on file. Again, changes can be made either by drafting an entirely new POE or by completing a minor POE change form. In some instances, the POE completed sophomore year will remain accurate and no changes are needed. The final document, due in the Registrar's Office on or prior to preregistration for the spring semester, is considered a contract between the student and the College; students who do not complete the courses they have listed or who do not have a POE on file, are considered to have failed to meet degree requirements and will not graduate. A $50 late fee may be applied.

List of POEs



Academic Support

Juniata students may receive assistance with academic coursework in a number of ways. Through QUEST, students may receive general academic counseling and study skills guidance on topics such as note taking and exam preparation. The campus-wide peer tutoring system offers individualized or group tutoring assistance with material in a particular course. Similarly, by visiting the Writing Center students may receive individual help on written assignments for any class. Students may take advantage of the Baldridge Reading Program, at additional cost, during the fall or spring semester to improve their reading comprehension and rate.



Peer Tutoring Program

Juniata offers a popular, campus-wide program of peer tutoring. Peer tutoring is available in any offered course to each student who desires additional help with subject material. Before requesting tutoring assistance for a course, students must discuss their academic performance with the course instructor and ask for his or her verbal permission; some faculty would prefer to work with a student during office hours before tutoring begins. In select courses, tutoring is offered in the form of group review sessions, and there are also small group tutoring opportunities in which two or more students work with a peer tutor.

A reasonable amount of tutoring is available at no charge to the student, but the number of hours of tutoring per week may not exceed the amount of time spent in lecture each week (three to fours hours/week would be the maximum).

Request for tutoring is seen as a commitment from the student asking for assistance and is an obligation that requires consideration and motivation. Tutees are expected to arrive at prearranged meetings appropriately prepared and to notify tutors when they are unable to make an appointment. A tutee who fails to show up for prearranged meetings more than two times will have his or her tutoring privileges revoked for the remainder of the semester.

Students/tutees understand that tutoring is a supplement to class preparation, class attendance, and faculty office hours assistance–it is not intended to replace any of these critical academic responsibilities. Students who are motivated to get the most out of tutoring find that the program is very successful for them.

All tutors have faculty recommendation, must make application for the position, and have an interview with a QUEST staff member. In addition, each tutor must attend one hour of training per semester to maintain the program's integrity and to help tutors maximize their tutoring skills.



Student Research and Scholarship

In preparation for graduate work, students are encouraged to engage in independent research projects as part of an independent study or internship or as a member of an upper level research-oriented course. All students conducting research are encouraged to present their work in a public forum such as the annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). Funding for instruments, supplies, and travel is available through application to the Scholarship Committee. Interested students should contact any of the following Scholarship Committee members: Professors Beaky, Biddle, Buonaccorsi, Muth, J. Tuten and Kruse. For more information go to the website address: https://www.juniata.edu/academics/research/student.html

Students with strong records of academic achievement are encouraged to consider competing for national fellowship awards such as the Rhodes, Fulbright, Goldwater, and Marshall Scholarships, and the Mellon Fellowship. Students with meritorious records are contacted by members of the Scholarship Committee and mentored through the application process. Most applications are due early in the senior year. Interested students should contact a member of the Scholarship Committee.

Academic Policies


Definition of a Semester Hour of Credit

Juniata’s guidelines for defining the approximate amount of work required for one semester hour of credit is as follows:  For a course composed of classroom instruction, a semester hour of credit would normally involve 14 to 15 meeting times each semester with each lecture class meeting for 50 minutes.  For one credit of a laboratory course the student should have three to four hours of laboratory instruction each week of the semester.

For each hour of classroom instruction the student is expected to do two hours of preparation.  Therefore, a typical three semester hour credit course over a semester would include 43 to 44 hours of class meetings and 86 to 88 hours of student work out of the classroom



Registration and Drop/Add

Normally students preregister for classes online midway through the previous semester, but registration changes can be made during the first seven class days of each semester, known as the drop/add period. During this period students may adjust their schedule by adding and/or dropping classes, and latecomers can register for the semester. Students make changes to their schedules with advisors’ approval. Failure to register during the scheduled preregistration may result in a late registration fee of $50.



Normal Course Load

The normal course load for freshmen and upper-class students is 30 semester hours of credit per academic year. Normally students who complete an average of 15 credits per semester graduate in four years. Freshmen often opt to take lighter loads during the first few semesters and heavier loads later.  Students must maintain at least 12 credits per semester to be considered full-time.  Any course load above 18 credits per semester is considered an overload and will have the overload fee applied to the student's account.



Overload Policy

In special cases, an upper-class student may register for an overload. An overload charge is made for all credit hours attempted above 18 per academic semester. The upper-class student who wishes to take more than 19 hours of credit must have an outstanding academic record, including satisfactory completion of all courses attempted and must obtain by petition the consent of the Student Academic Development Committee. No student may take more than 21 credit hours per semester.

Excluding advanced placement credit, freshmen normally are not permitted to receive credit for more than 34 credit hours that academic year. A freshman may take more than 18 semester hours of credit only during the second semester and must fulfill two special requirements: (a) satisfactory completion of all first semester courses attempted, and (b) approval by advisors and/or other appropriate faculty as determined by the Registrar.

If a student registers for an overload and then withdraws from the College, a refund will be made according to the refund policy explained under Student Finances. No refunds are given for course withdrawal from an overload after the drop/add period. Some courses extend over more than one term. All courses must be completed, however, within one academic year, not including the summer. All special arrangements for programs must be made in the Registrar's Office.



Auditing Courses

Persons who wish to audit classes may make arrangements with the Registrar to attend one or more courses without receiving grades, credit or FISHN/SKILLS. The decision to audit a course must be made by the end of the drop/add period. The transcript does carry notations of audited courses. Permission of the course instructor is necessary and an auditing fee must be paid at the Bursar's Accounting counter in Ellis. This fee is waived for students enrolled in a regular full-time Juniata College program, but occasional academic course fees remain in effect (lab and field trip fees, etc.).



Repeating Courses

Students who wish to repeat courses for which they have already received credit must obtain the permission of the Registrar. Although credit may not be granted more than once for a particular course, in cases where a course is repeated the highest grade will be used to calculate final grade point average.



Independent Study, Credit by Examination and Tutorial

A student may wish to pursue studies not listed as course offerings. In such a case, independent study may be appropriate. Requests for independent study are handled by the Curriculum Committee through the Registrar's Office.

Independent Study:

Students applying for an Independent Study (INS) must make arrangements with a faculty member and register for the course (using forms available in the Registrar's Office and on the Registrar's website) two weeks prior to the semester in which the credit will be earned. The instructor will designate a syllabus, text, or other materials required and will submit to the Registrar an explanation of course requirements (i.e., examinations, papers, and faculty-student conferences). A student may enroll for no more than two Independent Studies in a semester. An Independent Study is considered an upper level course; no more than two Independent Studies are permitted in a POE.

Independent Studies will not carry any FISHN or SKILLS distribution unless petitioned to the Registrar's Office and approved by Curriculum Committee.

Credit by Exam:

Students may be given credit for some courses without participation in class meetings but by meeting all other requirements of the courses. To determine if a course is available for Credit by Examination (CBE), the student should consult the faculty member who is currently teaching the course. If the course is not currently offered a faculty member who has taught the course at least once in the last three years may conduct the course on a CBE basis. A course may be offered CBE only to full-time Juniata students. CBE is intended to be used as an option when scheduling conflicts prevent a student from scheduling a course required for graduation, which will not be available in any other semester prior to their graduation and cannot be fulfilled by any other course. The decision to offer a course CBE rests solely with the faculty member responsible for the course, since not all courses lend themselves to Credit by Examination (e.g., courses dependent on discussions and field trips and laboratory courses). The faculty member currently responsible for a course is NOT obligated to offer the course CBE in a given semester, as each faculty member must consider their own previously scheduled work load. The deadline for CBE registration is the end of the drop/add period during the semester in which the course is to be taken. Independent Study and CBE courses are considered part of the normal load of a student and, if taken as an overload, are subject to the usual overload fee.

Tutorial:

In a tutorial (TUT) the faculty instructor and the student work closely on a regularly scheduled basis involving lectures, demonstrations, explanations, and evaluation. The purpose of the tutorial is to enable a student to pursue a study which is too complex either in nature or scope to address as an independent study. Through regular contact with the instructor the student will benefit of his/her expertise on a highly individualized basis. Some tutorials are arranged to assist the faculty with classroom activities and for review sessions for large introductory classes. No pay is associated with students who are earning credit for the course.

During the Summer Session, a student may register for one Independent Study, Credit by Examination, or Tutorial if enrolling concurrently in one regularly offered course.

All forms can be found here: https://www.juniata.edu/services/registrar/forms/



Summer Sessions

Juniata conducts a Summer Session program designed for a wide variety of students. The course offerings are a subset of those offered during the regular year and are similarly rigorous. During Summer Session, the normal class load is three to six semester hours per four-week term.



Student Classification

A student's class is determined by the number of semester hours completed in accordance with the following:

  • Freshman up to 23.99 credit hours
  • Sophomore 24 up to 53.99 credit hours
  • Junior 54 up to 86.99 credit hours
  • Senior 87 and above credit hours


Full-time Status

A student is regarded as full-time if he or she registers for 12 or more hours of credit in each academic semester. A student who in the course of the semester considers dropping his or her credit load below 12 credit hours should confer with advisors and/or Student Financial Planning to discuss the consequences of this action.



Transfer Credit

Transfer credit is granted only for academically-valid courses in which the student earns a grade of C- or higher. Transfer credit is granted in the form of a comparable course, distribution credit, or elective credit. Credit is normally only awarded for courses taken at a similarly accredited institution.  Students who take courses at schools without a similar regional accreditation must provide syllabi for all courses for individual evaluation by the Registrar's office and departmental review.  If the course is too focused or outside our curriculum delivery, no credit will be granted.

Current students wishing to transfer credit back to Juniata must obtain pre-approval by completing a “Request for Clearance of Transfer Credit” form available in the Registrar's Office. On this form, the appropriate department chair will note the comparable Juniata course(s) (consulting as needed with the most recent instructor of the comparable course), and the student's advisors will indicate approval. For courses not deemed comparable with a Juniata offering, decisions will be made by the Registrar with advice from the appropriate department and the Student Academic Development Committee as appropriate. It is the student's responsibility to obtain information about the course and present this information to advisors and the department chair(s).

Students who enter Juniata with fewer than 24 credit hours may apply no more than 15 transfer credits toward a Juniata degree after their initial entry. No more than eight of these 15 credits can be included in the POE. Students who enter Juniata with 24 or more credit hours may transfer credit according to the following chart.

# of credits awarded upon entry

total # transfer credits allowed after entry

# transfer credits allowed in POE after entry

0 - 23.99

15

8

24 - 53.99

9

4

54 - 86.99

6

0

87 or more

0

0

Exceptions may be made for students participating in cooperative programs, study abroad programs, and other Juniata-approved programs. Students who have earned an associate degree elsewhere are awarded credit as indicated in the Admission section of this catalog.

Students taking a leave of absence to study at another institution whether abroad or domestic, that is not a Juniata-approved program, must obtain pre-approval by completing a “Request for Clearance of Transfer Credit” form available in the Registrar's Office. These requests are subject to the guidelines listed above.

Students who have earned an associate degree elsewhere are awarded credit as indicated in the Admission section of this catalog.  Students transferring to Juniata from an accredited institution without a degree (including those that previously attended Juniata) are awarded credit as indicated in the Admissions section of this catalog. 



Residency Policy

Students are allowed to transfer credits during their last semester within the provisions of the transfer policy. However, 30 of the last 36 credits must be taken in residence. There are degree requirements that are unique to Juniata and may not be completed elsewhere. Students participating in cooperative programs, study abroad programs, and other Juniata-approved programs are considered to be in residence. Any exceptions to the residency policy must be approved by the Student Academic Development committee.



Advanced Placement Credit

Juniata encourages students to pursue additional credits through the Advanced Placement process. Incoming freshmen with scores of 4 or 5 on an Advanced Placement test may be offered Juniata credits. Selected Advanced Placement tests have been designated by the appropriate academic programs as equivalent to one or more Juniata courses. If the student accepts Advanced Placement credit for such a test, the student is then exempt from taking the equivalent course(s) and in fact may not take the course(s) for additional credit. If an Advanced Placement test is not designated equivalent to a Juniata course or courses, general credits in the appropriate division (Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities) may still be offered.

Test scores arrive at the end of July and are reviewed by the Registrar's Office. During the first week of school, students will receive a letter in their campus mailboxes with a form that directs them to department chairpersons for discussions about whether they will accept their AP test scores for college credit and/or direct course equivalency. Such meetings should preferably happen during the drop/add period (the first 5 class days of the semester).

Please go to the Catalog to the Department page to see the specific policy for credit application.

A student who receives a sufficient number of Advanced Placement credits will be granted sophomore status.

To have your Advanced Placement scores sent to Juniata go to www.collegeboard.org/ap.



World Language Placement

In foreign languages, students are placed at the appropriate college level based on their years of high school language or a placement exam. If a student decides to decline the evaluated level assigned and prefer to take the introductory course, students will be advised that they can not count the course type of H or I for their FISHN requirements. It will be counted as basic general elective credit.

When students enroll in world language courses and plan to study for a semester in the target language and culture on an approved study abroad semester, students can have both requirements of IC/CA waived if they take one course beyond WL 210 in the target language.  English speaking placements would not count for this waiver.



International Baccalaureate

International Baccalaureate Diploma recipients are granted credit for one full year (30 credits) toward a degree at Juniata. Students who have an IB Diploma normally enter the College with sophomore standing. IB certificate recipients receive course credit for each higher level examination passed with a score of 5 or higher. To receive this credit the student will meet with the appropriate department chair or designee to consider the advantage or disadvantage of accepting credit. IB credits may be counted toward degree requirements.


Academic Integrity

All members of the Juniata community share responsibility for establishing and maintaining appropriate standards of academic honesty and integrity. Students oblige themselves to follow these standards and to encourage others to do so. Faculty members also have an obligation to comply with the principles and procedures of academic honesty and integrity. Academically dishonest acts include cheating, fabrication and falsification, multiple submission, plagiarism, unacceptable use of College computing systems or of electronic technology, abuse of materials, and complicity in academic dishonesty.

All offenses are reported to the Assistant Provost and all confirmed violations of the policy are kept on file until the student is separated from the College. If a student is accused a second time, the case can be automatically referred to the Judicial Board. Penalties may include, but are not limited to, the following: a formal warning; a reduced grade for the assignment; a reduced grade for the course; suspension from the College; dismissal from the College.

A more complete description of the College's policy on academic integrity and the procedures followed during a hearing of the Judicial Board can be found in the Pathfinder on the Juniata College intranet.



Leave of Absence

Students who want to pursue a program of study at another institution, engage in other off-campus educational experiences, and/or address personal issues without severing their connection with Juniata may request a leave of absence. A leave of absence is granted only with written approval from the Dean of Students Office in consultation with the Registrar. A student requesting a leave of absence must be in good academic standing. Absent extraordinary circumstances, a leave of absence will not exceed one-year.

Any student who plans to take a leave of absence should consult the Registrar, Student Financial Planning, and The Dean of Students Office.

Voluntary Medical Leave of Absence:

When a student's health impedes normal academic progress and/or a situation requires a student to leave the College for one or more weeks, the student may seek a voluntary medical leave of absence. A medical leave of absence is granted through the Dean of Students Office in consultation with the Registrar. The student will be required to submit supporting documentation from his or her medical/health care provider to substantiate the need for the leave. A student on a medical leave of absence will be required to submit documentation from his or her medical/health care provider attesting to the student's ability to return from the leave of absence (and outlining any reasonable accommodations, if applicable) prior to expiration of the leave of absence.

Upon receiving notification of an approved medical leave of absence, the Registrar will enter a "W" grade for all registered but not completed courses in the current semester. "W" grades are not calculated into the student's cumulative GPA, but may impact progress towards the degree standards. A student who is granted a medical leave of absence may still have financial obligations to the college. The student should consult with Accounting Services and Student Financial Planning to clarify any outstanding financial obligations.

Involuntary Medical Leave of Absence:

A student may be required to take an involuntary medical leave of absence in situations where the student is a threat to his own health and safety or the health and safety of others, or where the student's illness or behavior interferes with the academic pursuits of the student or others or interferes with the regular activities of the College community. The student will be notified by the Dean of Students of the reasons for the involuntary leave and any conditions for the student's return. The student will be required to submit documentation from the student's medical/health care provider attesting to the student's ability to return from such a leave (and outlining any reasonable accommodations, if applicable). Supporting documentation, along with the student's written request to return to the College, must be received by the Dean of Students at least 30 days prior to the first day of the semester in which the student wishes to return. This is designed to provide the College with sufficient time to evaluate the documentation and the student's request to return as well as to ensure that the student no longer presents any potential threat.

A student on an Involuntary Medical Leave of Absence will receive a "W" grade for all registered but not completed courses in the current semester. "W" grades are not calculated into the student's cumulative GPA and will not be reviewed for academic progress. Financial obligations to the College will be pro-rated based upon the date of involuntary medical leave.

Military Leave of Absence:

A student who receives orders to report for active military duty should contact the Dean of Students Office. The student should be prepared to present a copy of military orders (if timing does not permit an initial presentation of military orders, the student may begin the leave process by submitting, in writing, a personally signed request indicating times and dates of intended call-up). However, when available, a copy of the military orders must be provided in order for the leave process to be completed and any financial reimbursements made.

The Dean of Student Office will notify the Registrar's Office, Accounting Services, Student Financial Planning Office and if appropriate the Office of Residential Life to expedite the military leave of absence process. The Registrar will enter a grade of "W" for all registered but not completed courses in the current semester. If the leave occurs late in the semester, the student may arrange for a final graded evaluation of his/her course work or take Incompletes for all remaining coursework. The Registrar will add the notation of "Military Leave of Absence" to the student's transcript.

The Student Financial Planning Office will provide information on the status of the student's financial aid, including information on deferring any loan payments.

The College will refund complete tuition payments to a student who processes a military leave of absence for the current semester. Room and board charges will be prorated based upon the date of the military leave of absence (No refunds can be made until the College has received a copy of the military orders calling the student to active duty).

Upon completion of active military duty, the student will be automatically readmitted to the College by notifying the Registrar's Office in writing of his/her intent to resume academic study at Juniata . All rights, privileges, academic status and rank are resumed at the same level as prior to the Military Leave of Absence.

Medical Withdrawal:

A student may make a request for a medical withdrawal from a course, or withdrawal for other extraordinary circumstances, through the Dean of Students Office or the Student Academic Development Committee. A request for a medical withdrawal must be accompanied by supporting documentation from the student's medical/health care provider.

Upon receiving notification of an approved medical withdrawal, the Registrar will enter a grade of "W" which will not be calculated in the student's cumulative GPA. Medical withdrawals may impact College progress- towards-the-degree standards. Students are encouraged to discuss these implications with family, faculty advisors and counselors from Financial Planning or the Dean of Students Office.

Withdrawal from College:

If a student is considering withdrawing from the College, an appointment should be arranged through the Dean of Students Office. A decision to withdraw from the College may have broad implications including as to the student's financial aid. A student should meet with the Dean of Students Office to discuss withdrawal procedures and to complete the appropriate clearance forms.

If a student withdraws from the College during a semester, the Registrar will enter a grade of "W" for all registered but not completed courses. "W" grades are not calculated in the student's cumulative GPA, but may have other ramifications. Students who withdraw during a semester may still have financial obligations to the College. Students are encouraged to discuss these matters with family, faculty advisors and counselors from Financial Planning and the Dean of Students Office.




Principles of a Liberal Arts Lifestyle:

As a community, Juniata is dedicated to providing an academically rigorous and personally enriching liberal arts education. Students have a responsibility to expand and fulfill their lifestyles to embrace the opportunities that lead to well-rounded citizenship.

The Student Government of Juniata College, as servant of the students, approves the following principles of a liberal arts lifestyle, and believes that these principles serve as the vehicle to successful life experiences.

A Juniata student who fully engages in a liberal arts lifestyle:

  • Recognizes the value of being a citizen of the world in an increasingly global and diverse community.
  • Seeks opportunities to serve in activities that enrich communities and give back to humanity.
  • Builds meaningful and lasting relationships with academic peers, faculty, staff, and future colleagues.
  • Regards healthy lifestyle choices as the keystone to success.
  • Embodies a spirit of sustainability through awareness of finite resources.
  • Realizes that learning is a lifelong process encompassing many disciplines.
  • Questions the assumptions and truths presented in life, as embodied in Juniata’s maxim “Veritas Liberat.”
  • Understands that integrity and honesty in all of life’s pursuits are virtues unto themselves.
  • Assumes responsibility for choices made

Approved by Juniata College Student Government, April 14, 2006

 



Policy on Student Accommodations

The College makes reasonable accommodations for students with respect to disabilities, which do not impose an undue hardship on the College. If a student believes he or she requires a reasonable accommodation or has a question regarding educational services, activities, programs, or facilities that are accessible to or usable by students with disabilities, please contact the Director of Student Accessibility Services who serves as the point person and advocate for students with learning challenges.

Documentation

Students requesting reasonable accommodations with respect to disabilities must obtain and provide to the College current (within three years prior to enrollment) documentation of their disability before the start of the session in which they are enrolling and requesting an academic adjustment or services. This documentation must support both that a student has a disability as well as the necessity of the requested academic adjustment or services. The primary purpose of this documentation is to determine a student's eligibility for accommodation and, if eligible, to help the College work interactively with a student to provide appropriate services. The College is not required, however, to provide accommodations that would result in a fundamental alteration to the nature of the program in which the student is enrolled or seeks to be enrolled, would create an undue financial burden on the College, or which would pose a threat to safety and security. General documentation requirements include, but are not limited to:

  • Documentation is typically provided by a licensed or otherwise properly credentialed professional/medical specialist who has no personal relationship (i.e., family member or former school teacher or school counselor) with the individual but who is knowledgeable about the individual's disability and/or condition.
  • Documentation must be typed or printed, dated, signed and legible with the name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator on official letterhead and define/explain:
    • The clear description of the disability
    • The description, name, and scores of the tests and assessments used, as appropriate
    • How the condition was diagnosed
    • The current existence of the disability and current need for an accommodation
    • Functionality of the individual in an educational setting
    • Expected progression or stability of the disability
    • Rule-out statement that describes which academic and other functions the disability does not affect
    • Recommended accommodations related to functional limitations and a rationale for how the requested accommodation remedies the functional limitation
    • Date of observation

The above criteria are general guidelines only; the type of documentation will vary according to the disability. For students with learning differences, it is preferable that the student provide a full and recent psycho-educational evaluation. In addition, in some instances, a student may be requested to provide updated or augmented documentation in order to be reviewed more fully before being considered for services. It is possible that in reviewing a student's specific accommodation request or the recommendations of an evaluator, the College may find that while the recommendation is clinically supported, it is not the most appropriate accommodation given the requirements of a particular student's academic program. In addition, the College may also propose accommodations that would be appropriate and useful to the student, but which neither the student nor the evaluator have requested. The College appreciates that student disability records contain personal and confidential information. Such documentation is maintained in a confidential file in the office of Student Accessibility Services and is considered part of a student's education record and will only be disclosed with a student's permission or as permitted by law (e.g., in the event of a health or safety risk). However, at times, in order to evaluate and/or provide requested or recommended services and accommodations, it may be necessary for the College to disclose disability information provided by a student or a student's healthcare provider to appropriate College personnel participating in the accommodation process and who have a legitimate need to know more and review the file.

If documentation provided by a student does not support the existence of a disability or the need for an accommodation, the student will be advised and will be provided an opportunity to supplement the initial documentation with further information from a physician, psychologist, or other appropriate specialist. In the event a student's accommodation request is denied, the student may appeal that decision by utilizing the appeal/grievance process found below.

Supporting Students with Disabilities

In its commitment to ensuring that no otherwise qualified student with a disability is subjected to unlawful discrimination in the context of his/her educational experience, the College makes certain that students with disabilities are provided equal access to educational and career development programs and/or student activities.  Consequently, as noted above, the College will make, on behalf of qualified students with learning and physical disabilities of which the College is aware, reasonable accommodations that do not impose undue hardships on the College. Students and their families are strongly encouraged to disclose and discuss possible accommodations during the enrollment process.

If a student believes he/she requires a reasonable accommodation or has a question regarding educational services, activities, programs, or facilities that are accessible to or usable by students with disabilities, please contact the Director of Student Accessibility Services, who has responsibility for students with learning challenges. All information associated with a disclosure of this nature is confidential, and the College will communicate this information to others only on a need-to-know basis.

Appeal/Grievance Process

Scope and Application: This appeal/grievance process applies to any student allegedly aggrieved by a denial (in whole or in part) of his/her request for an accommodation/academic adjustment under the College’s Policy Regarding Students with Disabilities or who otherwise has an unresolved complaint regarding his/her disability. The College commits that no retaliation will occur at any stage of this process.

Initial Time Period for Filing an Appeal/Grievance: A student alleging a disability and wishing to file an appeal/grievance hereunder, must initiate the procedure described below within thirty (30) calendar days of when the student knew or should have known of the action of which the student complains or is otherwise aggrieved by, including a denial (in whole or in part) of a request for accommodation/academic adjustment.

(A) The student or, any person(s) acting on behalf of the student, may file an appeal/grievance with the Office of Student Accessibility Services. An academic counselor (or his/her designee from Student Accessibility Services) will discuss the student’s complaint and attempt to resolve or adjust the dispute on an informal basis. The student may present any facts or circumstances he/she deems relevant to the complaint/dispute. The academic counselor may investigate the matter and gather any relevant facts and circumstances, including conducting interviews. The academic counselor shall render a determination within twenty (20) calendar days after being assigned to handle the student’s appeal/grievance. Within seven (7) calendar days from the date of the determination by the academic counselor that the complaint/dispute could not be resolved, the student (or the person acting on his/her behalf) must submit a written request for a further review by the Dean of Students to the Office of Student Accessibility Services and must document the student’s attempt to first resolve the appeal/grievance with the academic counselor. The written request must explain the nature of the student’s complaint/dispute and/or the accommodation/adjustment sought.

(B) The Dean of Students shall review all matters relating to the complaint/dispute as presented to the Office of Student Accessibility Services and may solicit additional facts and evidence as the Dean may deem necessary. The student may present any further facts or evidence he/she deems relevant. The Dean of Students shall complete the review and render a decision within twenty (20) calendar days after the appeal/grievance is submitted to the Dean of Students. If, after the Dean of Students has had an opportunity to render his/her decision, the student remains unsatisfied with the resolution of the appeal/grievance, the student, or person(s) acting on behalf of the student, may submit an appeal/grievance in writing, within seven (7) calendar days from the date of the decision by the Dean of Students, to the Provost. If no written request is submitted within the seven-day period, the decision of the Dean of Students shall be final.

(C) Upon the submission of the student’s written request for a review of his or her appeal/grievance, the Provost will consider all facts and circumstances, including the investigatory file as developed by the Office of Student Accessibility Services and any medical evidence presented. The Provost may also interview the student or such other witnesses as may be necessary. If, upon such inquiry, the Provost determines that a proper review of the matter was conducted, the decision of the Dean of Students shall be confirmed. The Provost may also amend, alter or revise the decision and, therefore, the Provost is responsible for the final decision. The Provost will render a decision within thirty (30) calendar days after the appeal/grievance has been submitted to the Provost as described above.

Academic Records

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides college students with certain rights relative to access and release of records that are personally identifiable.  Juniata College’s policy and procedures relating to FERPA are outlined below.

Student Records

  • Records that can be reviewed by students are maintained by the Registrar, the Director of Career Services, the Dean of Students, the Director of Student Financial Planning, and the Controller.
  • Students have the right to inspect records listed above by asking for an appointment with the appropriate administrator.  Records will be produced within a 45 day period and students have the right to seek the correction of information they consider inaccurate.
  • Students have the right to copies of their records.
  • Personally identifiable information from these records will not be disclosed to a third party without written consent of the student with the exceptions listed below:
    • To other Juniata College administrators and faculty with a legitimate educational need (including faculty advisors and coaches of intercollegiate athletes).
    • To accrediting agencies, certain governmental agencies involved in educational research, legal officers presenting a subpoena, and in emergencies to protect the health and safety of the student or others.
  • Records of request and disclosure of student records will be maintained by the appropriate administrators.  These records will indicate the name of the party making the request, any additional party to whom information may be re-disclosed, and the legitimate interest the party had in obtaining the information.  These records are available to students.
  • According to FERPA students do not have the right to review the following documents:
    • Confidential letters and statements of recommendation which were placed in a file before January 1, 1975.
    • Letters of recommendation that students have waived their right to review.
    • Personal notes of faculty members, counselors, and administrators which are written only for the use of the writer.
    • Financial records and statements of parents. 

Directory Information

Directory Information includes name, home and local address, home and local phone number, email address, POE, class level, co-curricular activities, dates of attendance, enrollment status, cumulative credit hours, degrees, honors and awards received, and College-sanctioned photographic imagery. College-sanctioned photographic imagery is defined as digital or photographically printed images captured and created by College-financed operations including but not limited to the Marketing Office, the Digital Media Studio, the Advancement Office, Student Services, and the Office of the Registrar. Juniata may use parents names to promote announcements of their student's activities.

Students may refuse to have the directory information listed above, or some of the categories, released to third parties by submitting a written request to the Dean of Students by the fourth week of any given semester. Juniata has determined that College-sanctioned photographic imagery is part of directory information, and thus is covered by blanket permissions implied in the Juniata policies regarding directory information.

Parental Notification

In the interest of promoting better communication regarding students’ academic and personal development, parents of dependent students may opt to receive copies of all correspondences involving violations, charges, actions, awards and citations that are sent from the Dean of Students Office to respective students unless we are asked not to send copies (hard waiver).  Revealing such information is permissible under section 4.1 Disclosure of Educational Record Information – 3i, which permits colleges to share educational records or components thereof without the written consent of the student to “parents of a student who have established that student’s status as a dependent” (chapter 5.3).

The Registrar’s Office will release grades and send copies of academic actions including academic probation, suspension and dismissal, to parents of dependent students provided there is a consent on file from the respective student.  If students would like parents to receive grade reports for the semester, the student must request a Final Grade Report each time the final grades are to be sent to the parents.  The Request for Final Grade Report form is available in the Office of the Registrar.

The Student Accounting Services Office will communicate with parents of dependent students about billing for course registration, room and board, and any incidental fees which are the responsibility of a registered Juniata College student.  NOTE: By registering, students are obligated to pay tuition, fees and other charges associated with the registration.  Failure to meet these obligations by scheduled due dates, may result in additional costs associated with collection efforts including late fees, collection agency commissions, court costs, and other collection costs that might be incurred.



Transcripts

The Registrar's Office maintains a complete record of a student's academic work. This record is available for inspection by the student and/or the parents of dependent students. For purposes of employment, transfer or further study, the student may request in writing that an official transcript of the record be sent to an individual or institution. Official transcripts are for the use of a third party and bear the College seal. Unofficial transcripts are for personal use by the student and bear no seal.

No transcript of a student's permanent record will be issued without written authorization from the student. No telephone or third-party requests will be honored. Members of the faculty or administration may have access to the records if they have a legitimate interest in and demonstrate a need for the information.



Grade Reports

Grade reports are available to the student through the ARCH at the conclusion of each semester. Students wanting to have a grade report sent to his/her permanent address or another third party must submit the request to the Registrar. The form is located in Founders Hall in the Registrar's Office.  

Academic Progress and Grade Reports

The implementation of probationary requirements and the determination of the fulfillment of graduation requirements are duties of the Registrar.  Notification of any action comes from the Registrar's Office and is sent to the student's parents unless the student sends a letter preventing such notification. Development and interpretation of policies are the function of the Student Academic Development Committee (SAD).

Advisors are notified of all advisees placed on academic probation, suspension or dismissal.



Grades

Grades are due 48 hours after the last exam or meeting time and are awarded according to the following scale.

A - indicates work of the highest excellence, showing a superior grasp of 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 in the course has been conscientious and shows no considerable deficiency in either quality or quantity.

D - indicates that the work in the course is below the quality normally expected for college work, but is only marginally so.

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

The above grades may be qualified by the use of a plus(+) or a minus(-). For the permanent record, a grade point average (GPA) is compiled and the GPA appears on the transcript. The following equivalents should be used for calculating the GPA:

  • A   =   4.00
  • A-   =   3.67
  • B+   =   3.33
  • B   =   3.00
  • B-   =   2.67
  • C+   =   2.33
  • C   =   2.00
  • C-   =   1.67
  • D+   =   1.33
  • D   =   1.00
  • D-   =   0.67
  • F   =   0.00
  • S = Satisfactory
  • U = Unsatisfactory

S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory). Performance in a few courses is graded as S or U , but in the majority of courses, the grades listed above are given. Only grades of A(-), B(+,-), C(+,-), D(+,-), and S are given credit toward a degree.

AU (Audit). Performance in a course that is audited is noted with the grade of AU. This is given regardless of the students' participation. Audits can not be changed after the drop/add period and it is up to the faculty to determine at what level a student should participate in their class. There is no withdrawal from audit coursework, if a student stops attending, they will still receive an auditing with no grade, credit or FISHN/SKILLS.

In addition to the regular grade designations, the following irregular grades are used as occasion may demand:

I (incomplete). At the discretion of the faculty member involved, a grade of incomplete may be submitted. This option is to be used sparingly, however, and only when the student has given a satisfactory explanation (such as extended illness or accident) for failure to complete a required piece of work. Otherwise, a student receives an F for a course which is not completed. Simple preference on the part of the student for an extension of time is not regarded as sufficient cause for granting an incomplete. Upon the granting of an incomplete, the student must complete the work within three weeks of the beginning of the next semester of the academic year or an F automatically will be recorded. Any exceptions to this policy must be approved in writing by both the instructor and the Registrar.

W (course withdrawal). Effective 2018 fall semester: A withdrawal grade of W is recorded when a student drops a course after the official drop/add period at the beginning of the semester and before the withdrawal deadline. W grades are not calculated into the GPA. A student may withdraw from a course, with documented consultation with the student’s current advisors, up to the withdrawal date listed on the course syllabus. If the instructor has not indicated a final withdrawal date on the syllabus, the default deadline reverts to noon on the last day of classes that semester.

- WF or WP (withdrawal). Prior to 2018 fall semester: A withdrawal grade of WF or WP was recorded when a student dropped a course after the official drop/add period at the beginning of the semester and before the withdrawal deadline.  WP signifies that at the time of the withdrawal the student was passing the course, while a WF signifies that at the time of the withdrawal the student was failing the course; WP and WF grades are not calculated into the GPA. 

Withdrawals will be considered complete when they are filed with the Office of the Registrar. Students who do not complete the withdrawal process will receive the grade currently earned at the time the course instructor submits final grades.

Withdrawal from courses may impact financial aid and/or inter-collegiate athletic eligibility. Students are encouraged to discuss these implications with family, academic advisors, coaches, and counselors from Financial Planning or the Dean of Students Office.

Exceptions to the Course Withdrawal policy may be made via appeal to the Student Academic Development Committee.

W (withdrawal from the College). If a student withdraws from the College during a semester with the Dean of Students approval , the Registrar will enter a grade of "W" for all registered but not completed courses. "W" grades are not calculated in the student's cumulative GPA, but may have other ramifications. Students who withdraw during a semester may still have financial obligations to the College. Students are encouraged to discuss these matters with family, faculty advisors and counselors from Financial Planning and the Dean of Students Office.

If students withdraw from all classes (withdrawal from the College), they must apply to the Student Academic Development Committee through the Registrar to be readmitted.



Grade Appeals

The assignment of grades for academic work is an important matter which falls within the professional responsibility of each individual faculty member. Grades are determined in such a way as to reflect as accurately as possible student performance according to criteria available to the student and to protect the academic freedom both of the faculty member and the student. There is an inherently subjective element to grading, but it does not follow from this that grading is done in an arbitrary fashion.

A student may dispute a grade given in or for a course. When this occurs, the student should follow the appeal procedure outlined below. The faculty member issuing the grade has final authority and responsibility for determining that grade.

  • Within two weeks of the time the questioned grade is received, the student should talk to the faculty member who assigned the grade and attempt to resolve the issue.
  • If the course is team taught and no resolution is achieved, the student may request, where course policy permits, a second faculty opinion from another section leader in the course selected by the director of the course. If this is permissible and the opinion of the second leader differs from the opinion of the first in the disputed grade, the course syllabus or past practice in the course should specify how these different opinions are resolved. Where there are recognized past practices, these should be included in the course syllabus.
  • If no resolution of the grade dispute is achieved after steps 1 or 2, the student should discuss the matter with the department chairperson or course director. In this case, the function of the chairperson or director is to attempt to determine the relevant facts and mediate the disagreement.
  • If no resolution is achieved at step 3, the matter may be referred by the student or the faculty member to the Provost, whose function it is to mediate the disagreement. The Provost will confer privately with the faculty member and the student and may call additional witnesses. Following this process, the faculty member communicates to the student the final decision. This step is the final step in the appeal process.
  • It is expected that a final decision will be made within four weeks of the time the questioned grade is received. All parties are requested to adhere to the deadlines.


Academic Standards of Progress

The maintenance of good academic standing requires students to meet several standards.

Any student whose semester or cumulative grade point average at any time falls below 1.00 may be academically dismissed. Any student whose semester grade point average falls below 1.66 at any time will be placed automatically on academic probation. In addition, any student whose cumulative average falls below those in the following table will be placed on academic probation. In addition to meeting the grade point average requirements, students must show appropriate progress toward degree completion. Full-time students must successfully complete 24 academic credits prior to the beginning of the third semester; 48 academic credits prior to the beginning of the fifth semester; and 72 academic credits prior to the beginning of the seventh semester. Any student failing to meet these standards is placed on Academic Probation and is required to complete 12 credits in the subsequent semester. Failure to complete 12 credits (in the subsequent semester) results in suspension or dismissal. A second failure to meet these standards of progress will result in suspension or dismissal. Students have the right to appeal suspension and dismissal.

Credit Hours Attempted Grade Point Average

  • 0 - 35.99 1.66
  • 36 - 61.99 1.80
  • 62 - 89.99 1.95
  • 90 or more 2.00

Students on Academic Probation will be evaluated at mid-term to determine adherence to Academic Probation contracts. Students failing to meet requirements of Academic Probation contracts may be suspended or dismissed at mid-semester. Students have the right to appeal suspension and dismissal. Students on probation must achieve good standing in the next semester or face suspension or dismissal. In addition, any student who accumulates three semesters of probation will be suspended or dismissed. Also, any student on academic probation will be counseled regarding possible limitation or curtailment of his or her participation in co-curricular and/or employment activities. Students who have not satisfactorily completed the College Writing Seminar course by the end of the sophomore year are automatically dismissed. Academic Standards of Progress are established by the faculty and monitored by the Student Academic Development Committee in conjunction with the Registrar.

The implementation of probationary requirements and the determination of the fulfillment of graduation requirements are duties of the Registrar. Notification of any actions comes from that office and are sent to a student's parents unless the student signs a form preventing such notification. Development and interpretation of policies are the function of the Student Academic Development Committee.



Dean's List

At the end of each semester, the Provost announces the Dean's List. Matriculated students are named to the Dean's List when they meet all of the following requirements:

1) They have taken at least 12 graded credits during the term.

2) They achieve a term grade point average of 3.60 or better.

3) They have no unsatisfactory grades during that term. Grades that are defined as unsatisfactory are F (failing), U (unsatisfactory), I (incomplete), and NP (no pass).

A notation of Dean's List achievement appears on the transcript.

Juniata students studying abroad will not be eligible for the Dean's List.  Students who are partner degree visiting students and visiting non-degree students are also not eligible for this notation.



Graduation Honors

Honors are conferred at commencement ceremonies according to the following grade point average scale:

  • summa cum laude 3.90-4.0
  • magna cum laude 3.75-3.89
  • cum laude 3.60-3.74

Students who are partner degree visiting students are not eligible for graduation honors.



Honor Societies

The Juniata College Honor Society is a group of junior and senior students elected on the basis of outstanding academic achievement and leadership ability. Other honor and honorary societies on campus also recognize students for their accomplishments: Beta Beta Beta (biology), Lambda Pi Eta (speech communication), The Masque (theatre), Omicron Delta Kappa (leadership), Phi Alpha (social work), Phi Alpha Theta (history), Pi Lambda Theta (education), Pi Sigma Alpha (politics), Psi Chi (psychology), Rho Epsilon Chapter of Gamma Sigma Epsilon (chemistry), Sigma Gamma Epsilon (geology), Sigma Iota Rho (international studies), Sigma Pi Sigma (physics), Sigma Tau Delta (english) and Tau Pi Phi (accounting, business and economics).



Distinction in the Program of Emphasis

To achieve distinction in the Program of Emphasis, a student must fulfill all graduation requirements and a senior experience that integrates several areas of their POE.  This requirement can be fulfilled in many ways.  Some possibilities might include: an original independent creative project that involves significant academic work, such as laboratory research resulting in a significant report; a major paper on a well-defined project; a body of artistic work equivalent to a major exhibition or performance; or field experience (e.g. student teaching or certain internships) culminating in a significant report. The project must be evaluated and judged worthy of distinction in the POE by two faculty members, at least one of whom must be from the home department. The project must also be presented in a forum open to all interested parties, either at Juniata or to an outside audience such as the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR).

Departments and programs will be free to establish further requirements for receiving distinction in the POE, including higher GPA requirements.

Departments shall forward the names of successful candidates for distinction to the Registrar's Office.