Academic Regulations

Graduation Requirements

A student graduates from Albion College after meeting a series of requirements including course work, satisfactory grade point average, a major, residency and others as outlined under specific degree requirements stated below. Students generally graduate after eight semesters.

Bachelor of Arts Degree (B.A.)

The degree of bachelor of arts (B.A.) is conferred upon students who have met all of the following requirements for graduation:

Minimum Units — Students must complete a minimum of 32 units (128 semester hours) of course work to graduate. An Albion unit is equivalent to four semester hours. Included in the total are the core requirement described earlier, courses leading to the major(s) and minor(s), and elective courses which make up one-half to one-third of each student’s total courses. There are limits on the number of wellness activity courses, music ensembles and internships that may count toward graduation. Normally students complete degree requirements within eight semesters. If students have not completed graduation requirements within eight graded semesters, they must petition the Committee on Academic Status and Petitions for permission to continue enrollment for each additional semester needed to complete requirements.

Grade Point Average — To qualify for the bachelor of arts degree, a student must have a 2.0 grade point average in all course work. A minimum 2.0 grade point average in one major field is also required for graduation. Students should note that to earn the designation of a second major, a 2.0 grade point average also must be achieved in that major. A department also may require additional demonstration of competence (minimum course grade requirements, comprehensive examination, senior recital or the like) to complete a major. Graduating students (2006 and after) earning a 3.5 cumulative grade point average or higher qualify for graduation recognition as described under the Academic Honors and Activities section.

Core Requirement — Graduating students must have completed the core requirement.

Writing Proficiency Requirement — Students must pass the Writing Proficiency Requirement to graduate.

Majors and Minors — Students must declare at least one major but no more than two majors prior to graduation. Although students may declare a major as early as the freshman year, this is generally done during the sophomore year. Students may fulfill the major requirement in one of three ways: departmental major, interdepartmental major and individually designed major. The maximum number of units required for a departmental major is 10 units in that department and an additional four units in other departments. No more than 16 units in any one department may be counted toward graduation. (A language major in the Foreign Languages Department means that no more than 10 units are required in the specific language declared as the major.) Students are allowed no more than FOUR of the same courses toward the fulfillment of requirements in diffferent degree programs.  Further information on interdepartmental and departmental majors may be found in the Programs of Study section of this catalog, while the individually designed major is described in the Academics at Albion section. Students also have the option to declare a minor. Further information appears in the Academic Programs section and in the Programs of Study section.

Music Ensembles and Dance — A maximum of two units of credit for participation in music ensembles (instrumental and vocal) or dance studio courses may be applied toward completing the 32 units required for graduation.

Wellness — A maximum of four activity courses (100 level, 1/4 unit) in wellness may be used toward completing the 32 units required for graduation.

Residence Requirement — To be a candidate for an Albion College degree, a student must complete eight of the last 12 units at Albion College. Residence is defined as academic work completed on campus, in combined course programs, approved internships, or through approved off-campus programs.

Application for Degree — Graduating students must file an Application for Degree in the Registrar’s Office the year prior to graduation.

Participation in Commencement Exercises — Students who have attained at least 25 units may participate in commencement exercises. Students may only participate once.

Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (B.F.A.)

Bachelor of fine arts students must complete a minimum of 34 units (136 semester hours) of course work to graduate. To qualify for the bachelor of fine arts degree, a student must have a 2.0 grade point average in all course work. Included in this total are the core requirement and at least 16 but not more than 21 units in visual arts. In addition, B.F.A. candidates must fulfill the writing proficiency requirement and the requirements on grade point average, residence and application for degree described in the preceding section on the bachelor of arts degree.

Students who are within three units of the minimum graduation requirement for the B.F.A. degree may petition for permission to participate in commencement exercises.

For more specific requirements, refer to the Department of Art and Art History  section of the catalog.

General Academic Regulations

In addition to the aforementioned graduation requirements, Albion College expects each student to meet the following academic regulations:

Grading System

Students are graded according to the following designations:

4 — represents work outstanding in quality. The student not only shows unusual mastery of the required work for the course, but also has independently sought out and used additional related materials, demonstrating the ability to discover new data, to develop new insights and to bring them to bear on the work at hand.

3 — represents work which is higher in quality than that of a 2.0, or more than satisfactory. The student has shown the ability and the initiative to fulfill more than the basic requirements of the course.

2 — represents work which fulfills all of the basic requirements for the course. It means that the student has a grasp of the material and techniques or skills sufficient to proceed with more advanced courses in the area.

1 — represents work seriously attempted but which is below the 2.0 level in quantity and quality. The student is advised not to continue advanced work in the field.

0 — represents work unsatisfactory in either quantity or quality. It results in the student’s not being able to continue with further work in the field and results in no credit, although it is recorded on the permanent record.

Note: intermediate grades of 3.7, 3.3, 2.7, 2.3, 1.7 and 1.3 may be awarded.

CR/NC — credit/no-credit. A credit or no-credit grade is given in a course selected for unit credit without quality points. CR is equivalent to a grade of 2.0 or better. The purpose of CR/NC is: (1) to allow students to explore new areas of study outside their majors at no risk to their grade point averages; (2) to provide a method for evaluating academic experience different from usual course work, e.g., internships. Students are limited to one unit of CR/NC per semester except for some internships and off-campus programs, and to no more than eight units in the total of 32 units required for graduation. Students should note that the College is unable to predict how graduate schools and prospective employers will evaluate CR/NC. The CR/NC grading option may only be elected up to the end of the second week of classes each semester. See the academic calendar for exact dates. I – incomplete. Incomplete grades are given only because of illness or other unavoidable circumstances as defined by the Committee on Academic Status and Petitions. A grade of incomplete must be removed within seven weeks of the end of the term in which the incomplete was given. At the end of the specified time period, the faculty member will assign a grade based on the amount of work satisfactorily completed. The grade of “I” carries no quality points. AU – audit. Students are expected to attend classes, complete all assignments, etc. Students receive a numeric grade but no credit. P – work in progress. This grade is awarded only for directed study and thesis work that requires an extension of time for completion. Students must re-register for the course in their next semester of attendance. Failure to complete the work during this time will result in a grade based on the amount of work satisfactorily completed. The grade of “P” carries no quality points. This grade may also be awarded to students who are enrolled in courses that extend past the end of the semester. Failure to complete the work during the scheduled course time will result in a grade based on the amount of work satisfactorily completed. The grade of “P” carries no quality points.

Grade Reports — Grades are available via the Albion College Information System (ACIS) at mid-semester to first-year students, all students on academic probation and other students performing below a 2.0 in a particular course. Final grades are available via ACIS to all students at the end of each semester. Final grades become a part of the official academic record of each student.

Withdrawal from Courses — A student may withdraw from a course up to and including the Monday of the eleventh week of the semester by turning in to the Registrar’s Office a request form bearing the signatures of the student’s instructor and adviser. Performance in the course will be recorded on the permanent record as a grade of W. The grade of W does not carry grade point value. This decision may not be reversed if the student later wants to be given a grade.

Course Grade Appeal — Students who wish to appeal the final grade received in a particular course must first consult with the professor of the course in question. Following consultation with the professor, if the student concerns have not been satisfactorily addressed, the student may then consult with the department chair and then finally with the provost.

A final appeal can be made to the Faculty Steering Committee, which will review the steps taken and recommend a solution. If the College is not in session, the chair of the Steering Committee will convene a representative group of faculty to review the grade change appeal.

If a student doubts the wisdom or propriety of personally appealing a final grade, then the student is urged to discuss the matter with his/her faculty adviser, the department chair or a staff member in the Registrar’s Office. As a result of these discussions, an intermediary-either the student’s faculty adviser or another full-time faculty or staff member selected by the student-should evaluate the course grade appeal before acting for the student in pursuing a change of grade.

All final grade changes must be approved by the provost with the advice and consent of the registrar.

Student Classification

Students are classified as follows:

Course Schedules

Repeat Courses — A student taking a course for the first time who receives a final grade of 0.0, 1.0, 1.3, or 1.7 may repeat said course without the permission of the student’s advisor or the Committee on Academic Status and Petitions. A student wishing to repeat a course more than once may do so only with the permission of the student’s advisor and the Committee on Academic Status and Petitions. A student may not repeat any single course more than twice.  Further, a student may not repeat more than four total units of course work. Although both original and all repeated grades appear on the permanent academic record, only the most recent grade for the course is included in calculating the grade point average and in meeting graduation requirements. 

A student may not repeat a course in which the final grade was 2.0 or higher. This policy cannot be petitioned.

Repeat course work to improve grades must be taken at Albion; grades from another institution may not be transferred for this purpose.

Course Load — The standard student course load is four units per semester. The minimum student load is three units. Approval from the Committee on Academic Status and Petitions must be obtained if a student wishes to carry less than the minimum course load. A student is eligible for a course load of 4.75 or five units with a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or greater. A student who wishes to carry an overload and does not meet this eligibility requirement must petition to carry an overload.

Additional tuition and fees apply for a course load above 4.5 units. If, during the first week of classes, a student drops from an overload status, a refund will be made. Following this period, if a student withdraws from a course overload, the course will remain on the student’s bill as a billable unit. No refund will be made of any portion of tuition or fees related to the withdrawn course.

Course Schedule Changes (Dropping/Adding a Course) — All schedule changes or dropping or adding of courses must be made and confirmed either via the Albion College Information System (ACIS) or in the Registrar’s Office. Changes made from the first day of classes through the first week of classes will be permitted upon application to the Registrar’s Office. Normally, no changes may be made after the first week of classes. In exceptional cases it may be to the best interest of the student to adjust his/her program after the first week. Such changes will be recognized only when they have been approved in advance by the Committee on Academic Status and Petitions. It is the responsibility of the student to petition through the Registrar’s Office for any change whatsoever to his/her program. The student is expected to continue with the original class schedule until changes are formally approved.

Class Attendance

Instructors may drop from their courses any student who is registered for the course and not present during the first scheduled meeting. However, students should not assume that they have been dropped from a class if they are not present at the first scheduled meeting. If a student cannot be present at the first class session, he/she must make special arrangements with the instructor prior to the first class meeting in order to maintain a place in the course. Each semester, all students must arrive on campus, complete the final enrollment process, and attend classes no later than the last day to drop and add a course as listed on the College’s academic calendar. If circumstances prevent a student from arriving on campus for the first day of classes each semester, the student must notify the Student Development Office. A student should always process a drop/add or schedule change form in the Registrar’s Office if he/she wishes to drop a course. Furthermore, regular attendance in all classes is expected throughout the semester. Every absence from class is inevitably a loss–usually one which can never be made up. At their discretion, individual instructors may include attendance and class participation as one of the criteria for evaluation of the final grade. Students who are absent from class assume full responsibility for the loss.

Examinations — Students are expected to be present for written examinations at the close of each semester. Students who are absent from a final examination will be allowed to take the omitted examination only if such absence is caused by illness or other unavoidable circumstances approved by the Committee on Academic Status and Petitions.

Academic Honesty

Albion College expects its students to take responsibility for their academic endeavors and to accept the consequences. No student should act in a manner that would harm the academic atmosphere of the institution or diminish the experience of any member of the academic community. Strict standards of academic honesty apply to all academic work at Albion College. Students are expected to do their own work. Cheating on examinations or plagiarism is a clear violation of the College’s standards and policies. In preparing essays, reports and other projects, any use of the words or ideas of someone else as though they were one’s own constitutes plagiarism. Any student found to have violated the College’s policy on academic honesty, including cheating and plagiarism, will be subject to penalties in the course and possible disciplinary sanctions, up to and including expulsion from the College. A Judicial Board finding of academic dishonesty may be noted on the student’s transcript. A complete explanation of College policy and procedures concerning academic honesty may be obtained from the Student Development Office or viewed online in the Student Handbook.

Special Studies

Seminars — A seminar is usually a small class dealing with a selected topic for each semester. Requirements for enrollment in seminar courses are determined by the individual department.

Directed Studies — A directed study enables a student to do in-depth research on a topic or to carry out a creative project at a level beyond that offered in course work. Directed studies are open only to juniors and seniors and are taken in a department under the numbers 411 or 412, for either one-half or one unit.

To do a directed study, a student must prepare a proposal in writing, which must be endorsed by the proposed faculty supervisor and reviewed by the department chair. The proposal must be filed with the Registrar’s Office for credit to be received.

Students doing a directed study must meet with their faculty supervisor weekly for one hour for a directed study. In addition to meeting with their faculty supervisor, students are expected to work a minimum of five hours a week for a one-half unit directed study and 10 hours a week for a one-unit directed study. Faculty and departments are not obligated to offer directed studies.

Directed studies are ordinarily graded credit/no credit. However, under special circumstances, students may request a numerical grade for their directed study with the approval of their faculty supervisor and the department chair. Students who choose the numerical grade option must submit complete grading criteria developed by the faculty supervisor to the Registrar’s Office and should inquire with the department chair about any departmental policies regarding numerical grading of directed studies. Students must request the numerical grade option no later than the end of the second week of classes.

As with other courses, regular feedback from the faculty supervisor throughout the semester on student work is necessary for student learning and the development and completion of an acceptable directed study.

Tutorials — In a tutorial, a student works individually with a faculty member on a course not available to the student in the current semester, but at a comparable level. To do a tutorial, a student must prepare a proposal in writing, which must be endorsed by the proposed faculty supervisor and reviewed by the department chair. The proposal must be filed with the Registrar’s Office for credit to be received.

Tutorials are not intended to replace regularly scheduled courses except when there is no other way program requirements can be met. Faculty and/or departments are not obligated to offer tutorials. A regularly scheduled course taken as a tutorial will show the notation “T” after the course number on a student’s transcript.

Internships and Practica — Internship experiences offer opportunity to participate in, observe and analyze the workings of a firm, agency, or organization. These may be undertaken in a practicum class, or as individual internships, offered by a department under the numbers 391-394. Credit for internship experience varies with the placement from one-half to two units. Normally a student will not undertake an internship until the junior year.

Internships and practica are offered on a credit/no credit basis with not more than four units of credit applying toward the 32 units required for the B.A. or the 34 units required for the B.F.A. degree. This includes internship and practicum experience completed in off-campus programs and at other accredited academic institutions. Unless the internship experience is for an approved off-campus program, a maximum of two units of internship credit may be earned in one semester. All students who apply for an internship or practicum are expected to have a cumulative grade point average of 2.7.

For academic credit, a student must complete the following hours at the internship site during the regular academic period.

One-half unit: 75-149 hours
One unit: 150-300 hours
One and one-half or two units: 301+ hours

For one and one-half or two units of credit, a student is expected to demonstrate a greater breadth and depth of understanding than is possible within the context of a one-half or one unit internship. No more than four units of credit received in connection with internships or practica may apply toward graduation.

Honors

Graduation Recognition — Three grades of recognition are conferred upon graduation from Albion College. For students graduating in 2006 and after, cum laude is granted to those who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50; magna cum laude is granted to those who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.75; and summa cum laude is granted to those who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.90 or above. Grade point averages are not rounded. A student must complete at least 12 units and three semesters of study at Albion College to be considered for graduation recognition.

Albion College Honors — To graduate “with Albion College honors,” a student must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5, have completed all four Great Issues honors seminars, and have completed an acceptable honors thesis and submitted it to the Honors Committee by the required deadline.

Thesis Honors — Qualified students not graduating with Albion College honors may also present papers to be submitted for thesis honors. Normally, such students will have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher. A student whose thesis is accepted will graduate “with honors.” Each thesis must be approved by a committee comprising at least three faculty members, and the committee as a whole must be approved by the director of the Brown Honors Program. Qualified students can complete the following kinds of theses “with honors” as specified below:

For a “thesis in –––– major(s),” the thesis adviser and at least one other thesis committee member must be from the department offering the major. For majors that are not housed in departments (e.g., business and organizations, environmental science, environmental studies, public policy, sustainability studies), the thesis adviser can be from any associated department. For majors that are housed in departments with only one faculty member (e.g., ethnic studies, international studies, women’s and gender studies), the other thesis committee members can be from any department.

For a “thesis in –––– minor(s) or concentration(s),” the thesis adviser and at least one other committee member must be from the department offering the minor or concentration. The other thesis committee members can be from any department. For minors or concentrations that are not housed in departments (e.g., business and organizations, environmental science, environmental studies, public policy, sustainability studies), the thesis adviser can be from any associated department. For minors or concentrations that are housed in departments with only one faculty member (e.g., ethnic studies, international studies, women’s and gender studies), the other thesis committee members can be from any department.

For a thesis to qualify as an “interdisciplinary thesis,” the thesis adviser and other committee members can be from any department, major, minor, or concentration associated with the topic of the thesis (with at least two departments, majors, minors or concentrations represented on the committee).

Credit Hour Definition

Albion College defines a credit hour (.25 Albion College unit) as one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time.  A credit hour can also be an equivalent amount of work as required above for other academic activities as established by the College including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.   Each Albion College 1 unit course includes a minimum of 60 clock hours of instruction as well as 120 hours of out of class student work. 

Transcripts

Official transcripts are maintained by the Registrar’s Office on all academic work attempted at Albion College. Students may request in writing individual copies of their record or request that copies of their record be mailed to other parties. All requests must bear the signature of the student. Transcripts will not be released for students who have past due accounts with the College.

Transfer Credit

Before enrolling at other accredited institutions for academic work to be applied toward the graduation requirements at Albion, students attending Albion College must secure written approval for each course from the registrar, using the Transfer Credit Approval Form. (See also the residence requirements for graduation.) To receive transfer credit, a student must submit an official sealed transcript of the completed course(s) to Albion College. The Registrar’s Office will evaluate each course on the following basis: its liberal arts nature, comparability to courses taught at Albion College, and the grade earned. No courses in which the student earned below a 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale) will be considered for transfer credit. One Albion unit equals four semester hours or six quarter hours. Therefore, three semester hours equal three-quarters of a unit, three quarter hours equal one-half of a unit. Any transfer work which the student requests to be considered for his/her major must be approved in writing by the department chair.

Accepted transfer credit is recorded on the student’s official Albion College transcript indicating where the work was completed, when the work was completed and the number of Albion units earned. No grades are recorded, and transfer credit is not reflected in a student’s grade point average.

Online Course Sharing

Students are allowed to take a limited number of courses through the Council of Independent Colleges Online Course Sharing Consortium (CIC-OCSC).  This option is available to help students in specific circumstances when they cannot take a course on campus or during the online summer term or when they need additional courses to get on track for their major/minor.  Both the grade and the full credit hour equivalency for a CIC-OCSC course will count towards a student’s progress toward graduation. Department Chairs approve CIC-OCSC courses acceptable for their degree programs. Only approved CIC-OCSC courses would be available for Albion students to view and register for via the CIC-OCSC platform.  

• Students may take no more than 1 CIC-OCSC course in each fall or spring semester; no more than 2 CIC-OCSC courses per summer term. 

• No more than 4 total CIC-OCSC courses may be applied toward completion of degree, with no more than 2 CIC-OCSC courses applied to a single major/minor/concentration (as approved by the department).

• The student must work with their academic advisor to identify appropriate CIC-OCSC course(s), and the advisor and department chair must approve the CIC-OCSC course(s) prior to submission of requests to the Registrar’s Office.

• Once the student begins a CIC-OCSC course, they will need the approval of their academic advisor before they can drop or withdraw from the course.  

• Only the Registrar’s Office will be authorized to drop or withdraw the student from the course.

Catalog of Entry

Though departmental and graduation requirements of the College may change while a student is enrolled, it is expected that each student will meet the requirements outlined in the catalog that is in effect at the time he or she entered Albion. The “catalog of entry” philosophy is considered applicable for students who leave the College and whose interrupted course of study is not longer than five years.

Academic Status

The academic record of each student is reviewed at the close of the fall and spring semesters by the Committee on Academic Status and Petitions. Specific attention is given to the student’s progress both in completing units of credit and in maintaining the minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average which are required for graduation from the College. Students who fail to demonstrate satisfactory progress toward graduation may be suspended from the College. The Committee determines academic status and is guided in its decisions by the following:

Academic Alert

• Students who have a cumulative grade point below a 2.30 but above a 2.0 are placed on the status of Alert.  While the student is still technically making satisfactory academic progress, their cumulative grade point average is low enough that there are reasons for concern.
• A letter will be sent to the student and their academic advisor from the Learning Support Center (LSC) concerning the student’s academic progress and with invitations to participate in LSC support programs.
• Students will be requested to work on an academic success plan with their academic advisor.

Academic Warning

• Students with a semester grade point average below 2.0 will be placed on a status of Warning
• A letter will be sent to the student and their academic advisor from the Provost’s Office concerning the student’s academic progress and with specific recommendations concerning Learning Support Center (LSC) support programs.
• Students are required to review their class schedule for the next semester with their academic advisor and make any course adjustments based on previous academic performance and course selection guidance provided by the LSC.
• Students will be offered the opportunity to participate in LSC support services in the areas of mindfulness, self-exploration and academic coaching.

Academic Probation 

The Academic Status and petitions Committee will determine the level of support needed for each student placed on probation.  Typically, the Committee will follow the following procedures:

Students with two or more semesters below 2.0 GPA,

• A letter will be sent to the student and their academic advisor from the Provost’s office concerning the student’s academic progress and with specific recommendations including:
• Students will be required to enroll in IDY 102 (.25 unit) from staff and/or faculty working with the Learning Support Center (LSC).  Additional LSC interventions may be required based on the individual student circumstances.
  • Academic Coaching: upper-class student mentor/tutor
  • Study Table Program
  • Individual Weekly Appointments with LSC staff
  • Weekly Meetings with Academic Advisor
  • Evaluation of Learning Styles
• Student class registration for the following semester must be reviewed by the Committee on Academic Status and Petitions and the student’s academic advisor.
• Students may be subject to academic suspension if they fail to meet the requirements of academic probation.

Terminal Academic Probation:

Students with two or more semesters on a status of probation,

• A letter will be sent to the student and their academic advisor from the Provost’s Office concerning the student’s academic progress and with specific recommendations including:
• Students will be required to take IDY 100 (.5 unit), Academic Success.
• Student class registration for the following semester must be reviewed by the Committee on Academic Status and Petitions and the student’s academic advisor.
• Students may be subject to academic suspension if they fail to meet the requirements of academic probation.

Academic Suspension — Students who fail to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress toward graduation may be suspended from the College.

At the end of each semester, satisfactory academic progress is determined by the Committee on Academic Status and Petitions according to the guidelines below:

1.00 with a minimum of 2 units completed at the end of the first semester of attendance;

1.50 with a minimum of 5 units completed at the end of the second semester of attendance;

1.70 with a minimum of 8 units completed at the end of the third semester of attendance;

1.85 with a minimum of 11 units completed at the end of the fourth semester of attendance;

2.00 with a minimum of 15 units completed at the end of the fifth semester of attendance;

2.00 with a minimum of 18 units completed at the end of the sixth semester of attendance;

2.00 with a minimum of 22 units completed at the end of the seventh semester of attendance.

2.00 with a minimum of 25 units completed at the end of the eighth semester of attendance.

2.00 with a minimum of 29 units completed at the end of the ninth semester of attendance.

2.00 with a minimum of 32 units completed at the end of the tenth semester of attendance.

A student is also subject to academic suspension if he or she fails to obtain a minimum semester grade point average of 2.0 for work in three consecutive semesters, or meet the requirements of academic probation. In cases in which a student has not made sufficient progress toward a degree, that student may be suspended without having been on academic probation in the preceding semester.

Conditions for Return from Academic Suspension

Students wanting to return to Albion College following an academic suspension must:

• Complete at least 3 units (12 semester credit hours) of college level course work from an accredited college or university with a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in each course.  An official transcript of the courses must be submitted to the Provost’s Office.
• Complete an application for readmission and submit it to the Provost’s and Student Development Offices.
• Submit a letter of support for readmission from a faculty or academic staff member from the institution noted above along with your application for readmission.

Academic Expulsion

A student is subject to academic expulsion if the student has previously been academically suspended is re-admitted to the College and is academically suspended a second time.  Students who have been academically expelled from Albion College may not apply for re-admittance.

Other Policies on Academic Status

Insufficient Progress toward Degree and Registration Holds — The College reserves the right to deny access to classes for students who make insufficient progress toward a degree. Students who are declared in a major, minor or concentration but make insufficient progress may be removed from that major, minor and/or concentration. Students who fail to declare a major by the end of their sophomore year will not be permitted to register. Normally, students complete degree requirements within eight semesters. If students have not completed graduation requirements within eight graded semesters, they must petition the Committee on Academic Status and Petitions for permission to continue enrollment for each additional semester needed to complete requirements.

Veteran’s Requirements — A veteran or eligible person receiving VA benefits cannot be certified by Albion College as a student making satisfactory progress towards a degree if this student is on academic probation longer than two semesters. VA benefits will cease after two semesters of probation. The Veteran’s Administration will be notified of any veteran who fails a course or who is not making satisfactory progress. In order to be recertified for veteran’s benefits the student must remove all quality point deficiencies and earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.0.

Leave of Absence — Leave of absence is a privilege that may be requested for those who desire to interrupt, but not to discontinue permanently, their enrollment at Albion for one or two semesters. Requests for a leave of absence must be submitted in writing to the Student Development Office prior to the semester in which the student is requesting the leave of absence. A student who is granted a leave of absence may normally participate in enrollment procedures of regularly enrolled students for such considerations as registration, room lottery, and applications for financial assistance. The student is expected to return to Albion following leave.

Voluntary Withdrawal from College — Students who wish to withdraw from the College during the semester (i.e., withdrawing after enrollment has been completed at the beginning of a semester and before the completion of final exams) should initiate the withdrawal process by contacting the Student Development Office and submitting a Mid-Semester Withdrawal Notification Form.

Readmission — Graduates or former students may apply for readmission to the College through the Student Development Office. Applications for readmission are to be submitted at least one month prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student wishes to return. Students are charged a readmission fee of $75.

Non-degree Status (Special Student Status) — Applies to students enrolled for special programs designed to fill particular needs but not usually leading toward graduation. This status normally applies only to students at the freshman or sophomore level. Re-enrollment as a non-degree student is dependent upon the maintenance of a minimum grade of 2.0 in each course in which the student is enrolled. A non-degree student must submit appropriate credentials to the Admission Office one month in advance of registration. Non-degree students who wish to become candidates for the bachelor of arts degree must formally apply for admission to the College.