TEMPLE UNIVERSITY

Undergraduate Bulletin 1996-1998

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Late Registration

Temple conducts late on-line registration at the beginning of each semester or summer session. Appointments may be required.

A late fee of $25.00 will be assessed during the first week of classes in the fall and spring semesters and the first two days of classes in each summer session. A $50.00 late fee will be assessed during the second week of fall and spring semesters and the third day of summer sessions. A $100.00 late fee will be assessed until the end of the 12th week of classes of the fall and spring semesters and until the end of the fourth week of summer sessions. No initial registrations or registration revisions will be processed after the 12th week of classes during the fall and spring semesters, and after the fourth week of the summer sessions.

These charges and restrictions apply to both initial and reinstated registrations.

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Matriculated Students

Matriculated students are those who have applied, been accepted, and enrolled in a degree program of the University during the semester for which they were admitted.

Completion of course credits before becoming a matriculated student does not assure the acceptance of those credits into the program of matriculation.

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Non-matriculated Students

Non-matriculated students are those who have not been admitted formally to a degree program. Continuing Education students may include the following:

Continuing Education students are allowed to take no more than 11 semester hours of coursework during their first semester. They should enroll for no more than 30 semester hours of coursework prior to application for admission and matriculation.

Those who intend to work toward a baccalaureate degree are strongly encouraged to take placement testing, and may have course restrictions until results are available.

For more information and academic advising for non-matriculated students, please call one of the campus numbers listed below:

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Non-Traditional Credit

Temple University awards limited academic credit and course placement to students based on previous academic, employment, and/or other learning experience, in addition to credit earned in a traditional classroom setting.

Advanced Placement Tests. Temple University's advanced placement testing policies are under review and subject to change. For current information, students should consult academic advisers, Dean's offices, or the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. As this Bulletin is being published, however, Temple awards college credits to students who in high school participated in the advanced placement program sponsored by the College Examination Board as follows:

Students who receive the minimum score in the English Advanced Placement test will receive English elective credit, not Composition credit.

Students should have taken these tests in high school and should have their scores sent directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Transfer students must request Educational Testing Services to send their Advanced Placement Test scores to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, even if they have requested them for a previously attended college.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP). CLEP provides a mechanism for students to meet the requirements of a class through examination. Credit is granted for acceptable performance on the following sections of the General Examination: Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences and History. Credit evaluation should be requested through the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Students must obtain permission to take any CLEP test from the dean of the college in which they are matriculated students and the dean of the college which offers the course equivalence. Below is a list of the subject examinations and the number of the course equivalent for which Temple grants credit.

All literature, history, and political science examinations require an essay.

Students planning to take CLEP tests are urged to do so no later than the semester before they expect to graduate. Information about test dates, fees, and the application process may be obtained from the Measurements and Research Center, 2nd floor, Sullivan Hall, phone: 204-8611.

Assessment of Prior Learning. Semester hours that credit toward the minimum requirement of a college or program occasionally may be earned through cooperative work experience and prior learning. Decisions to assess learning experiences are made by the individual colleges. An evaluation or work experience may be based on the submission of papers, presentation of a portfolio of completed work, and/or a demonstration of acquired skills.

Credit so granted is based on a faculty evaluation of the respective learning experiences in terms of their identified relationship to the knowledge and skills required, either in the pursuit of educational programs in the college or in the performance of tasks related to the substance of study. Semester hours credited toward the minimum number for a degree are always granted relevant to a specific program. If students change their programs of study, semester hours credited toward an earlier program of study may not be recognized in the new program.

Credit for relevant prior learning will be granted after completion of a minimum of 30 credits of formal coursework.

Approval of relevant prior learning credit must be in writing over the signature of at least one sponsoring faculty member, the appropriate department or committee chairperson, and the Dean of the college that is granting the credit.

The total number of semester hours granted by all non-traditional means seldom exceeds eight semester hours; and individual colleges or programs may grant substantially less (including no credits) than this number.

Grades are not assigned to academic and prior learning credit.

Each college engaged in the assessment of academic and work experiences determines its own procedures for review and testing; students should contact the appropriate Dean's office for information about the procedures for assessment.

CLEP equivalencies chart.

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Payment of Tuition and Fees

Payment is due depending on when students register. Dates of registration periods, billing, and due dates vary from semester to semester. For specific dates and more payment details, see Academic Calendar for 1996-97 or Academic Calendar for 1997-98 and Registration sections; and Directory of Classes, published each semester.

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Continuing Student Registration

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Open Registration

Enrollment is not complete until payment of all tuition and fees has been made and processed through the Department of Student Financial Services. Failure to satisfy financial obligations will result in cancellation of a student's current registration, withholding of official transcripts and diplomas, denial of the right to register for future sessions, and the incurring of late fees.

Students may arrange to pay their tuition, room and board, and fees (not including books or other personal expenses) in installments. See Special Payment Plans in the Tuition and Fees section of the Bulletin.

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Permission to Take Courses at Another Institution

To receive credit for courses taken at another institution or for study abroad during the regular academic year or summer sessions, matriculated students in good academic standing should obtain a permission form from their adviser and, during the semester prior to taking the course(s) elsewhere, fill out the form and return it with a copy of the catalog of the other school or study abroad program with the course description(s) circled.

Approval is limited to students taking the courses outside of commuting distance to Temple. Courses intended to fulfill requirements in a student's major must be approved by the departmental coordinating adviser. Written approval must be submitted with this form. Permission is rescinded if the student's GPA falls below 2.0, or the student is placed on academic warning or probation.

As with all courses accepted in transfer, only a grade of CÐ or higher is acceptable; an official transcript from the institution to be attended must be forwarded to the student's advising office before the beginning of the following semester; individual schools and colleges within Temple University may not grant credit for courses taken at another institution; students' last 30 credits must be taken at Temple University.

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Placement and Proficiency Testing All newly admitted undergraduate freshmen and transfer students are required to take placement tests prior to their first semester at Temple. Placement tests are offered in writing, reading, mathematics, and foreign language. Designed and administered by the Measurement and Research Center (MARC) and ELECT, the tests assess mastery of basic skills, indicate particular strengths and weaknesses, and assist in designing a program of study for the student. Students with disabilities who require adjustments for these tests should contact the Office of Disability Resources and Services, 100 Ritter Annex, (215) 204-1280 (Voice/TDD), prior to scheduling a testing appointment.

Test Results and Class Placement. For the use of advisers in placing new students into appropriate English, foreign language, and mathematics courses, test results are indicated on a profile, which is available to advisers shortly after tests are scored.

Test results for English and foreign language with appropriate class placements are shown on the profile. The profile also shows math testing scoresÑto interpret math scores and place students appropriately, advisers refer to the Mathematics Placement Test Evaluations Guidelines, available in advising offices and from MARC.

Demographic Questionnaire. This is a personal data collection survey that must be completed by all students. State and federal funding agencies require basic background information concerning Temple students and this short survey is a means for gathering this information. Temple also uses the results of this questionnaire to develop programs and procedures to better serve the needs and interests of its students.

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Writing Placement Examinations

Newly Admitted Students. A writing examination (95 minutes) is required of all incoming students to the University. The examination consists of a 70-item multiple choice objective portion and a written essay. The multiple choice items test sentence structure skills (how the parts of a sentence fit together and how to make the meaning of a sentence clear); and conventions of written English (use of standard forms of written English, connecting ideas appropriately, and maintaining consistency in writing). For the essay examination, students are asked to write approximately 350 words on their choice of one of three topics. No topic will require research or documentation. Satisfactory essays will demonstrate ability to organize and develop ideas clearly and logically, as well as ability to write concise, grammatically correct English. All essays are read by at least two members of the ELECT staff. ELECT uses the results of the essay examination in conjunction with the results of the objective test to place students into appropriate writing courses and to exempt students from the Composition requirement.

Currently Enrolled Students. Depending on their program of study, students who have earned 45 credits may be required to take the Writing Proficiency examination. An additional writing course may be required of some students as a result of their performance on that examination.

Writing Retests. The ELECT program will authorize students to retest under certain conditions. Advisers may request that a student retest if there is evidence (e.g., high SAT verbal score, high GPA, good grades in writing courses, etc.) that the student's test performance was atypical. Advisers must request a retest, in writing, within two semesters of the initial test. After that time, a retest cannot be used to exempt any student from the required course and students must register for the course. A student authorized to retest must nonetheless register for ELECT. Only if the results of the retest place the student into Composition can the student drop ELECT and add Composition. Requests for retests should be addressed to the Director of the ELECT Department.

Requirements. Students placed into ELECT must register for the required component(s) each semester until the requirement is completed. The student who has not fulfilled the ELECT requirement may not enroll in Composition C050, Intellectual Heritage X051 or X052, Journalism 0150, Speech Communication 0065, any English course at the lower level or above, or any upper level (numbered 0100 or higher) course in the College of Arts and Sciences. Students placed into ELECT 0003 or 0005 may not enroll in any Speech Communication course until they have completed the required ELECT course(s). ELECT credits are not applicable to graduation.

Reading Examination. All new students to the University are required to take a 45-item multiple choice Reading Comprehension Examination (35 minutes). Students who have earned fewer than 45 credits and who do not pass the test are required to take ELECT 0002.

Retesting. Arranging for retesting must be made through a student's adviser.

Restrictions. Students placed into ELECT 0002 may not enroll in Intellectual Heritage X051 or X052 or any upper level (numbered 0100 or above) course in the College of Arts and Sciences. ELECT 0002 credits are not applicable toward graduation.

Foreign Language Placement Examination. The Foreign Language Placement Test (60 minutes) is required of all incoming students who have a foreign language background. The test is offered in French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, and Spanish. Each test is multiple choice in nature and consists of approximately 90 items. Students who wish to be tested in another language should contact their adviser.

Advisers may request that a student retest if there is strong evidence (e.g., high course grades, intensive study abroad, etc.) that the student's test performance was not typical.

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Mathematics Placement Examination

The Mathematics Placement Examination (60 minutes) is required of all students. The Mathematics Placement Examination contains 50 items and measures computational skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers; decimals and fractions; ratios and algebra problems. Advisers should refer to the Mathematics Placement Test Evaluations guidelines for placing students into mathematics courses for an interpretation of individual student scores.

Retesting. The Mathematics Placement Test Evaluations guidelines for placing students into mathematics courses contain certain information concerning conditions under which a student may retest.

For further information, contact the Measurement and Research Center (MARC) at (215) 204-8611.

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Plagiarism and Academic Cheating

Temple University believes strongly in academic honesty and integrity. Plagiarism and academic cheating are, therefore, prohibited. Essential to intellectual growth is the development of independent thought and a respect for the thoughts of others. The prohibition against plagiarism and cheating is intended to foster this independence and respect.

Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person's labor, another person's ideas, another person's words, another person's assistance. Normally, all work done for coursesÑpapers, examinations, homework exercises, laboratory reports, oral presentationsÑis expected to be the individual effort of the student presenting the work. Any assistance must be reported to the instructor. If the work has entailed consulting other resources -- journals, books, or other media -- these resources must be cited in a manner appropriate to the course. It is the instructor's responsibility to indicate the appropriate manner of citation. Everything used from other sourcesÑsuggestions for organization of ideas, ideas themselves, or actual languageÑmust be cited. Failure to cite borrowed material constitutes plagiarism.

Academic cheating is, generally, the thwarting or breaking of the general rules of academic work or the specific rules of the individual courses. It includes falsifying data; submitting, without the instructor's approval, work in one course which was done for another; helping others to plagiarize or cheat from one's own or another's work; or actually doing the work of another person.

The penalty for academic dishonesty can vary from a reprimand and receiving a failing grade for a particular assignment, to a failing grade in the course, to suspension or expulsion from the University. The penalty varies with the nature of the offense, individual instructor, the department, and the school or college.

Students who believe that they have been unfairly accused may appeal through the school or college's academic grievance procedure. See Grievances.

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Probation and Dismissal

In most academic units and programs, students must achieve at least a 2.0 (C) Grade Point Average (GPA) for all work carried each semester or summer session; students also must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA for all work completed at Temple University.

Probation. Students are subject to probation:

  1. if they earn lower than a 2.0 cumulative GPA, or
  2. if their records show repeated withdrawals or incompletes, regardless of GPA, or
  3. if they fail to make progress toward a degree.

Dismissal. Students are subject to dismissal:

  1. if they earn lower than a 1.0 semester GPA, or
  2. if they are placed on probation a second time, or
  3. if they fail to make progress toward a degree.

Some academic units may require a minimal GPA higher than 2.0. See Architecture Program; School of Business and Management; College of Education; College of Engineering; College of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance; and School of Social Administration.

The Tyler School of Art and the Esther Boyer College of Music both have performance review standards under which students may be subject to dismissal regardless of their grade point averages.

See Academic Standing.

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Readmission

If students who have voluntarily withdrawn or were dismissed from the University wish to return, they must file the Application for Undergraduate Readmission form with the Dean of the school or college in which they were formerly enrolled. The student is requested to supply information, indicate any course taken since leaving Temple, and to have available a copy of an official transcript from each institution attended.

Consideration for readmission as a result of academic dismissal should be based on the quality of the student's previous records and the student's potential to succeed in the coming semester. At least one semester must elapse between academic dismissal and readmission.

Both the academic adviser and the student have the right to request an interview as part of the readmission procedure. Some academic units require that students applying for readmission be interviewed.

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Repeating a Course

Students may wish to repeat a course in order to earn a higher grade, either to raise their grade point average or to receive a grade required by their major or other requirement, such as achieving the minimum CÐ required for successful completion of Core curriculum courses.

The decision to repeat a course for a higher grade must be made in consultation with an adviser, and a request form must be filed with the Dean's Office and submitted to the Office of the Registrar. A repeated course must be graded using the same grading system (pass/fail, credit/no credit, or letter grade) as when originally taken.

If an undergraduate student takes a course more than once, all occurrences of the course will appear on the student's transcript. Only the highest grade received will be used in calculating the student's grade point average. If subsequent attempts produce an identical grade, whether it is an F or a passing grade, only one occurrence is to be included in the calculation of the student's GPA. Except for courses designed to be taken multiple times, such as independent study, research, or other courses, credit for a given course will be granted only once. This policy will apply only when one or more of the repeated courses is taken after September 1, 1993.

No change in a student's grade point average is made after the baccalaureate degree is awarded.

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Satisfactory Academic Progress

A student's academic progress is reviewed at the end of each semester and is noted in the semester grade point average and cumulative grade point average. These may be used in determining a student's continuing eligibility for financial aid or for continuing in a program or major.

Students should be advised that course withdrawals and incompletes will affect their progress and thus their academic standing. See Probation and Dismissal and Grade Point Average.

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Schedule Revision (Drop/Add)

Students may revise their schedules at any time after they have registered.

Students who cannot register by phone but wish to make changes in their course schedules (course rosters) must complete a Schedule Revision (Drop/Add) form. Approvals required vary according to the time the transaction is completed and the student's college.

These students must:

  1. Obtain a schedule revision form from their advising office or the Registrar's Office.
  2. Complete form with appropriate signatures.
  3. Bring the completed form to a registration office.

Students may not add courses or change course sections after the first week of classes unless the class has not met for the second time. Withdrawing from a course within the first two weeks of the fall and spring semesters or the first three days of the summer session entails no academic penalty, and no record of the class appears on the student's transcript.

A charge of $10.00 is assessed for schedule revision after the first week of classes during the fall and spring semesters and after the first two days of the summer sessions. The Office of the Registrar provides a bill which is payable at the Department of Student Financial Services before the revision is considered to be complete. If a refund is due, the provisions of the refund policy will apply.

See Late Registration and Withdrawal from Classes.

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