Athletic Policies

Academic Eligibility

Initial and continuing academic eligibility requirements for student-athletes relative to NCAA guidelines are stated below. Student-athletes with any questions regarding athletic eligibility should contact the Athletics Certifying Officer at 215-204-2500.

1. Temple University is a member of the NCAA Division I-A level of competition. This division of the NCAA requires all student-athletes first entering college to enroll and be certified by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse.

2. Student-athletes must be registered and attending a minimum of 12 semester hours. They may not withdraw from courses that would put them below 12 semester hours without prior approval from the Athletics Certifying Officer or Athletic Academic Advisor.

3. Student-athletes must pass 6 credits each semester, 18 credits in the academic year and accumulate 24 semester hours in their first two semesters of attendance.

4. Student-athletes must remain in "Academic Good Standing" each semester as determined by Temple University.

5. Student-athletes must officially declare a major prior to the beginning of their fifth semester at the university. In addition, the student-athlete must have completed at least 40% of the declared major before the first date of competition.

6. Student-athletes are required to complete 60% of their declared major before the first date of competition of their seventh semester and 80% of their declared major before the first date of competition of their ninth semester of full-time enrollment in college.

7. Transfer student-athletes from two-year institutions must graduate with an Associates degree before entering Temple University for immediate consideration for practice/"try-out" opportunity.

8. Initial and Transfer student-athletes are also bound by a 5-year clock that begins at the time of first entering an institution of higher education.

Athletic Eligibility

The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is committed to practices, procedures and policies that are designed to assure proper emphasis on educational objectives, to promote competitive equity among institutions and to prevent the exploitation of student-athletes.

Eligibility to represent Temple University in intercollegiate competition as a varsity athlete is a privilege and not a right. Additionally, Division I athletic eligibility standards are more rigorous than other divisions. Factors which constitute athletic eligibility include, but may not be limited to:

• Conduct and Behavior
• Medical Certification
• Amateurism

Attendance

See Attendance in the Student Responsibilities section of the Bulletin.

Audit

There may be circumstances under which a student will wish to audit a course, i.e., participate in the class without earning academic credit, credit hours, or grades.

The student must have written permission of the instructor and of the dean of the college on a special approval form. Full tuition is charged, and standard payment procedures apply.

Change of registration from credit to audit, or from audit to credit, may be processed only during the following periods:

• before the end of the second week of the fall or spring semesters.
• before the end of the third day of classes during summer sessions.

Code of Conduct

The Temple University Student Code of Conduct can be viewed at http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=03.70.12. Printed copies are available at the Dean of Students’ Office.  Other information about the Student Code of Conduct may also be found in the Responsibilities and Rights section of this Bulletin.

Course Numbering System

Effective first summer session 2007, Temple University began using a new course numbering system.  Specific details about the course numbering system as well as a course number search tool can be found at http://renumbering.temple.edu.

All courses have full four-digit numbers.  The first digit of a course identifies its level.

• Courses numbered A000 - U000 are reserved for transferred elective and generic credits.
• Courses numbered 0700 - 0999 are reserved for preparatory courses, General Education courses and Honors General Education courses.
• Courses numbered 1000 - 1999 are appropriate for undergraduate students in their first year of study.

Courses numbered 2000 - 5999 are considered "upper level" for undergraduates.

• Courses numbered 2000 - 2999 are appropriate for undergraduate students in their second year of study.
• Courses numbered 3000 - 3999 are appropriate for undergraduate students in their third year of study.
• Courses numbered 4000 - 4999 are appropriate for undergraduate students in their fourth year of study.
• Courses numbered 5000 - 5999 are primarily for graduate students, but undergraduate students in their third or fourth year may enroll with permission of their instructors and their advising centers.
• Courses numbered 8000 - 9999 are for graduate students.

Other classifications and definitions for undergraduate courses:

• 0700 - 0799 Preparatory Courses: Courses numbered from 0700-0799 are appropriate for undergraduate, first-year math and writing courses. Students' math and writing placement examination results determine these course-level selections.
• 0800 - 0899 General Education Courses: Courses numbered from 0800-0899 are appropriate for any undergraduate General Education course requirements.
• 0900 - 0999 General Education Honors Courses: Courses numbered 0900-0999 are appropriate for any undergraduate General Education Honors course requirements.
• xxx0 Special Topics: Regularly-scheduled courses (not individualized instruction) offered with variable content, and repeatable for credit.
• x9xx Honors Courses: Undergraduate Honors courses will be identified by a 9 as the second digit of the course number and will have "Honors" as the first word of the title. The 9 in the second position will not be used by any non-Honors undergraduate course. General Education Honors courses are designated 09xx.
• xx81 Cooperative Assignment: Increasingly complex, experiential learning with supervision external to the university. Usually these courses include learning experiences over more than one semester - as part of a defined program.
• xx82 Independent Study: Explorative study or research initiated by an undergraduate student with faculty sponsorship and an approved Independent Study contract.
• xx83 Directed Reading/Study: Mentored reading/study between a faculty member and an undergraduate student.
• xx84 Performance: Concert performance, juried art exhibition or other performance taken as a requirement for the degree.
• xx85 Internship/Externship: Pre-professional clinical or experiential traineeships contracted by the student's department, including experiences with a clinical, research, or other special concentration in a specific area. Students must have faculty sponsorship and an approved Internship/Externship contract.
• xx86 Internship/Externship: Reserved for a continuation of an internship/externship experience, following xx85.
• xx87 Practicum: Programs that are traineeships contracted by the student's department to meet the educational, geographic, and specific interests of the student. Settings generally have on-site clinical supervision.
• xx88 Student Teaching: Practical experiences in student teaching designed to support and lead to teacher certification.
• xx89 Field Study: On-site, observational study or data collection and analyses which deepen practical knowledge in the discipline. The purpose of the Field Study is to integrate and apply academic theories to on-site experiences.
• xx91 Directed Research: Mentored research between a faculty mentor and an undergraduate student.
• xx92 Undefined
• xx93 Undefined
• xx94 Undefined
• xx95 Undefined
• xx96 Writing-Intensive Course: Courses fulfilling the requirement of the General Education Program that each undergraduate major designates at least two courses as "writing-intensive." The designated courses shall require students to edit and rewrite papers to achieve a high level of clarity and cogency, use a variety of methods to find appropriate materials to support written work and to make proper attribution of those sources.
• xx97 Writing-Intensive Course
• xx98 Writing-Intensive Course
• xx99 Undergraduate Thesis: Sustained research, performance or artistic project resulting in a substantial, finished written report or other product in a format appropriate to the project. Assumes faculty sponsorship and mentorship.

For more specific policies, consult individual schools, colleges, or programs.

Courses Inapplicable to Graduation

Semester hours earned in some courses are excluded from the total minimum semester hours required for graduation from some schools and colleges. While policies vary among schools and colleges, courses inapplicable to graduation requirements generally are ELECT, Mathematics 0015 (formerly Mathematics 0001), Russell Conwell Center courses, and lower-level Military Science (ROTC) courses.

For specific information, see Policies and Regulations: Courses Inapplicable to Graduation in each school and college's section in this Bulletin, or consult academic advisors.

Courses Over Ten Years Old

In admitting transfer or returning students, the university will, when possible, allow credit for courses taken ten or more years prior to the date of admission or readmission.

However, academic units may choose not to accept courses regardless of age for credit in the major. Courses of a technical nature or courses in a particularly dynamic field may not be accepted for credit.

Final determination of the acceptability of such sources is the responsibility of academic units and generally occurs after the student has matriculated or been readmitted.

Credit/No Credit Courses

Eligible students may want to take a course in an area in which they are not proficient or about which they are curious while not risking their grade point average. Such students, with certain provisions, may be graded using the Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) system.

Students may select the CR/NC grading option or return to the traditional grading option only during the first two weeks of a fall or spring semester course and during the first three days of a first or second summer session course, with the written authorization of their advisor and dean.

Eligibility is limited to:

• matriculated, full-time students
• those in academic good standing
• juniors or seniors (60 or more semester hours)

Courses are restricted to:

• non-required electives
• one CR/NC course per semester
• maximum of four CR/NC courses toward the degree

No grade points are assigned to either the CR or NC grade. CR is equivalent to A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, or C-. NC is equivalent to D+, D, D-, or F. The semester hours earned are credited toward the total required for graduation. Because CR and NC yield no grade points, they are not included in divisor hours for calculating the grade point average. CR and NC are not included in calculating cumulative credits for determining academic actions specified in the Undergraduate Policy on Academic Warning, Probation, Dismissal and Reinstatement.

Credit for Prior learning

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.  Non-traditional credits are not applied to the minimum number of credits (60) required to earn Latin Honors at graduation.

Advanced Placement Tests

Temple awards college credits to students who in high school participated in the Advanced Placement program sponsored by the College Examination Board as follows:

• Art History, Chemistry, English (Language and Literature), Political Science (Comparative Government and U.S. Government), History (American, European and World), Latin (Virgil and Literature), Physics -- Minimum score of 4
• Other subjects -- Minimum score of 3
• Students who receive the minimum score in the English Advanced Placement test will receive English elective credit, not Composition credit.

For a detailed listing of AP equivalencies and required scores, click here.

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.

If credit is awarded, a student's university record will carry notation of credit, but no grade will be recorded.  Credit awarded will not affect a student's grade point average at Temple University.

Limitations on credit earned through the Advanced Placement Examinations are as follows:  (1) the credit must be useful in a student's program of study; (2) duplicate credit in the same course is not awarded in any case.

Advanced Placement equivalencies will be reviewed annually and are subject to change.  Students will receive the equivalency that is in effect at Temple at the time of their matriculation.

Advanced Placement credits can be counted toward eligibility for the 45+ Transfer Core if the student also has transfer courses from another college or university.  See Core Curriculum: Core Transfer Programs.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

CLEP provides a mechanism for students to meet the requirements of a class through examination. Temple recognizes students' prior learning by accepting the CLEP tests indicated in the below CLEP equivalencies chart. In addition, credit is granted for acceptable performance on the following sections of the General Examination: Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences and History. Students should contact the advising center in the College of Science and Technology (for Mathematics or Natural Sciences) or the College of Liberal Arts (for Social Sciences and History).

Students must obtain permission to take any CLEP test from the dean of the college in which they are matriculated.  See the below CLEP equivalencies chart for a list of the subject examinations, number of the course equivalent for which Temple grants credit, and the minimum score.

All literature, history, and political science examinations require an essay in order to receive credit at Temple. 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 Measurement and Research Center, 12th Floor, Carnell Hall, Main Campus, 215-204-8611.

Transfer students can earn credit through prior CLEP exams if their scores meet the Temple credit-granting standards. They should have their CLEP scores sent directly to their academic advising center.  If that college approves the granting of CLEP credit, it is posted to the student's record by the Office of Academic Records.

CLEP credits granted by Temple, and those taken prior to admission to Temple and confirmed by the appropriate Temple department, can be counted toward eligibility for the 45+ Transfer Core if the student also has transfer courses from another college or university.  See Core Curriculum: Core Transfer Programs.

Assessment of Prior Learning Outside of the Academic Classroom

Decisions to assess prior learning experiences outside of the academic classroom are made by the individual schools and colleges. An evaluation of work experience for a specific subject area 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 outside of the academic classroom, if approved, will be posted only after the completion of a minimum of 30 credits of formal coursework at the university. 

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 through non-traditional means varies according to the individual colleges or programs; and individual colleges or programs may choose not to grant any credit for prior learning outside of the academic classroom.  A per-credit fee is charged, regardless of the final outcome.

Grades are not assigned for credits earned through prior learning outside of the academic classroom.

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

International Baccalaureate

Temple awards college credits to students who pass the International Baccalaureate Program's higher-level course exams with an exam grade of five or above. International Baccalaureate transcripts should be sent directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Limitations on credit earned through the International Baccalaureate: (1) credits must be useful in a student's program of study (2) duplicate credit in the same course is not awarded in any case.

Dean's List

Academic Criteria for Dean's List

The following list provides the academic criteria that students must meet in order to be added to the Dean's list for a completed semester.  The list includes the name of the academic unit, followed by the minimum semester hours (s.h.) and the minimum grade point average (GPA) required for Dean's List recognition for an academic semester:

• Ambler College - 12 s.h. - 3.5 GPA
• Tyler School of Art - 15 s.h. - 3.5 GPA
• Architecture Program - 15 s.h. - 3.2 GPA
• Communications & Theater - 12 s.h. - 3.5 GPA
• Education - 12 s.h. - 3.5 GPA
• Engineering - 15 s.h. - 3.2 GPA
• Esther Boyer College of Music & Dance - 12 s.h. - 3.5 GPA
• Fox School of Business & Management - 12 s.h. - 3.5 GPA
• Health Professions - 12 s.h. - 3.5 GPA
• Liberal Arts - 12 s.h. - 3.5 GPA
• Science & Technology - 12 s.h. - 3.5 GPA
• Social Administration - 12 s.h. - 3.5 GPA
• Tourism & Hospitality Management - 12 s.h. - 3.5 GPA

The minimum semester hours listed above include letter-graded courses and, depending on the academic unit, may exclude MG's, NR's, W's, or unresolved I's.  Grade changes may affect cumulative GPA's.

Declaration of Major

Students admitted to Temple for fall 2002 and after must be enrolled as a major in a degree-granting program in a school or college by the time they have completed 60 credits, including any credits transferred from another institution.

Students admitted to Temple with 60 or more transfer credits will be matriculated directly into a degree-granting program, rather than as “undeclared” in a school or college or the Division of University Studies.

Students declare a major either by completing their school’s or college’s declaration of major process (see specific school or college section in this Bulletin) or by completing an intra-university transfer to another Temple school or college (see the policy on Transfer between Colleges within the University).

Individual schools and colleges may require students to declare a major earlier than 60 credits. Students should consult the policies and regulations of their own school/college for any additional guidelines regarding declaration of major.

Disciplinary Action

The University Disciplinary Committee, which is located in the Office of Judicial Affairs in the Howard Gittis Student Center, is responsible for administering the Student Code of Conduct. Violations of the university's Code of Conduct, including among other things, stealing, cheating, disorderly conduct, plagiarism, and possession of illegal drugs, may result in a student being brought before the University Disciplinary Committee. A finding of responsibility may result in a fine, suspension, and/or dismissal. A disciplinary hold is placed on the student’s record until sanctions are fulfilled.  To see the Student Code of Conduct or other information on disciplinary actions, go to the Office of Judicial Affairs web site at www.temple.edu/studentaffairs/judicial_affairs/index.htm. The Student Code of Conduct may also be viewed at http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=03.70.12.

Double Major Across Colleges

A student who meets the major requirements of two departments may declare, and have recorded on his or her transcript, a double major. Students who graduate with a double major across two colleges are required to complete all university requirements and the requirements of both majors, but only one set of collegial requirements. The student must obtain prior approval from both schools or colleges. One department must be declared the primary department for the purpose of registration and college graduation requirements. (Students considering a double major across colleges should ask academic advisors in both colleges about college policies related to choosing the primary department.)

Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)

For information on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, see the FERPA text in the Responsibilities & Rights section in this Bulletin.

Final Examinations

University policies require that final examinations be given only during the final examination week as noted on the academic calendar, which is printed each year in this Bulletin and is available at www.temple.edu/registrar.

For day classes on Main and Ambler campuses, a detailed examination schedule, by day and time, is published in each semester's Guide to Registration and is available at www.temple.edu/registrar; this information is also circulated at the beginning of each semester.

Final examinations for evening classes on Main and Ambler campuses, TUCC classes, Health Sciences Center classes, and Tyler School of Art classes are given at the regular class time during final examination week.

Instructors are encouraged to make individual accommodations with students who have more than two (2) examinations scheduled on one day.