Academic Policies and Procedures

The academic procedures below apply to USAC Specialty programs in Chile, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Ghana (Summer), Germany, Ireland (Summer), India, Italy, England (Summer), Spain and Thailand. Students participating on USAC Partnership programs in Australia, the United Kingdom (semester and yearlong), New Zealand, etc., are bound by the academic policies of those universities.

1. Eligibility
   Any student currently enrolled in an American or foreign university who has an overall GPA of 2.5 or better on a 4.0 system and who qualifies for admission at a USAC Member University, is eligible to apply to a USAC program, unless designated otherwise in the description of specific programs.
   
2. Syllabi
   USAC courses will be described in syllabi, which will be made available to member universities and to students a minimum of three months prior to the beginning of a term. A course syllabus will be given to students the first day of class.
   
3. Minimum/Maximum Enrollment Levels
   Undergraduate students are required to take a minimum of 12 semester credits (9 for graduate students) and a maximum of 18 semester credits (12 for graduate students) each semester. Undergraduate students in summer programs are required to take a minimum of 3 credits. A maximum of 5 credits per four week programs may be taken with a minimum and maximum of 3 graduate credits for graduate students. Students on 5 week programs may take up to six credits and students on 6 week programs may take up to seven credits plus one more credit if they sign up for the field studies class.
   
4. Add/Change Deadlines
   Each USAC Resident Director shall establish the appropriate add/drop /change deadlines. However, the add/drop /change deadlines shall be no more than 2 weeks after the start of a semester course and 3 days after the beginning of a month-long course. Written permission is required from both the Resident Director and instructor in order to add, drop or change the status of a course.
   
   Students may change their program site up to 45 days prior to departure. Any change in program within 45 days of departure requires approval of the Resident Directors for both programs involved. There is no changing of sites once the program begins.
   
5. Withdrawal Deadlines
   Each USAC Resident Director shall establish appropriate course withdrawal deadlines. However, these deadlines should be no later than two months prior to final exams in semester programs and two weeks prior to final exams in month-long and summer programs. If a student abandons a class without officially withdrawing from it, the grade will be reported as an “F” (improper withdrawal). Status of withdrawal while passing or failing will be reported to the USAC central office.
   
6. Grading
   
   
   1. USAC grades will be reported to students and universities in the following way:
      
      • (A) -Excellent Performance
      • (B) -Good
      • (C) -Average
      • (D) -Poor
      • (F) -Failure

      Range between the letters is represented by plus or minus signs:
      
      A-, B+, B-, C+, C-, D+, D-
      

   2. With the permission of the home university, students may register for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading for courses on an S/U basis. Enrollment on an S/U basis must be done in writing before the end of the add/drop /change period. Each USAC and home university has its own policy regarding the number of S/U credits which can be taken each term and whether courses taken on an S/U basis can be counted towards a major, minor, general education, special certificates, etc. It is the student's responsibility to consult with the academic advisor at the student's home institution to determine the appropriateness of S/U courses. USAC will report a letter grade to the home institution and the home institution will record a grade of S/U or P/F on the student's official transcript.
      
   3. Audits:
      (AD) indicates audit and is given when a student registers to take a course for no credit. Students are permitted to audit a course (excluding Field Studies courses) with the permission of the home institution, the Resident Director, and the Professor if requested in writing prior to the end of the add/drop /change period. While no credit is earned or grade received, students auditing a USAC course must follow the general attendance policy and must complete all assignments but are exempt from examinations. Students who audit a course and do not attend class or complete class assignments will be withdrawn and, at the recommendation of the instructor and the RD, will receive a grade of "W" on the USAC grade report. Courses for audit will appear on the USAC Student Gateway Account registration but not on the official university transcript unless otherwise requested.
      
      Subject to permission of the Resident Director, the home institution, and the professor, it is sometimes possible for students to sit in on courses at the Host University. These courses will not be recorded on the grade report unless specific arrangements are made with the Resident Director and the home institution.
      
   4. Incompletes (I)
      Requests for incomplete grades are granted only in truly exceptional circumstances. The resident director will allow an "I" grade only for reasons beyond the student's control. For cases where an incomplete is unavoidable, the student and the Resident Director must sign a contract for the "I" grade that stipulates how much work has already been completed (including % of work completed and grade level attained at the time the contract is signed), how much work is needed for completion, and a deadline date, which cannot exceed six months from the signing of the contract, by which the work must be completed and grade level attained. The contract must be signed before the end of the term in which the student is enrolled, and it must be attached to the final grade report for the term affected. The “I” grade cannot be entered without this signed contract. If the incomplete has not been cleared by the deadline shown on the contract and if the Resident Director has not extended the deadline, the incomplete will be changed to a failing (F) grade.
      
7. Grade Appeals
   Students who wish to appeal a grade received must petition the USAC office in writing within 10 working days after the instruction begins the following semester. The office will forward the appeal to the Resident Director who will discuss the appeal with the course instructor. Normally within 45 days after the Resident Director has received an appeal, students will receive a written response from either the course instructor or the Resident Director. A copy of the response will be filed with the Central Office and will be forwarded to the home campus representative.
   
   While course instructors are the primary authorities in matters of grading, the Resident Director has certain discretionary powers. The Resident Director's authority to change grades should be exercised only in the most unusual circumstances.
   
8. Examinations and Assignments
   Normally, each USAC course requires a mid-term evaluation and a written final examination. Students should know the results of the mid-term exam in a timely fashion. The nature of a particular course may dictate a form of assessment other than a written exam. Final examinations will be kept on file for one year.
   Students are responsible to confirm all assignments are received by their instructor. This includes assignments submitted electronically or left on the instructor's desk or mailbox when the instructor is not present.
   
9. Contact Hours
   Each USAC course meets or exceeds the national accrediting standard of 15, fifty-minute contact hours per credit. Contact hours do not include long distance or inter-site travel time, tours outside the focus of a specific course, meals, recreational activities, receptions or local travel. Contact hours can include course-specific tours, guest lectures, student projects or any other activities furthering the specific objectives of the course.
   
10. Transcripts
    A report of student's grades will be mailed to each student's home address and to the student's USAC university upon completion of the program. Transcripts will also be available from the university of registration. Students must personally request these transcripts from the Registrar's office at the USAC university of registration after returning home. Instructions for ordering transcripts are included in the packet of materials students receive upon acceptance into a program. Students should be aware that late course changes might not appear immediately on their transcripts. In addition, the transcripts of students with outstanding financial obligations will be withheld.
    
11. Class Attendance
    USAC courses are designed to take advantage of the expertise of the instructor and therefore regular class attendance is mandatory. Examinations must be taken as scheduled.
    
    Students are allowed one excused absence. Each tardy is .5 of an absence. The class participation grade will be lowered by .5 step for each unexcused absence, i.e., A, A- .
    
    Course instructors will devise methods for recording class attendance and notifying the Resident Director when students are not attending regularly. It is understood and agreed to that should Student fail to fulfil his/her academic obligations (i.e. has not attended class for four consecutive days without approval by the Resident Director) Student will be withdrawn from the program, thereby forfeiting all privileges enjoyed by program participants such as program lodging, field trips, tours and other events/activities. In these circumstances no refunds will be given for tuition, housing, etc.
    
12. Course Numbers in the USAC Catalog
    Consortium students are registered through different American universities, using course titles and numbers appropriate to each institution. The USAC catalog utilizes generic course titles and numbers. Courses numbered 100 and 200 are lower-division. The 300-400 numbers are upper-division courses. A 600 number refers to upper-division courses that may be taken for graduate credit with prior approval from the student's home institution.
    
13. Independent Study/Course Cancellations
    Independent study may be permitted under certain conditions.
    
    
    1. Substitution for a Cancelled Course
       The list of Consortium courses is subject to minor changes. The availability of any course is based on student interest and enrollment. Each student's registration will be confirmed prior to departure. USAC reserves the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment. If a student enrolled in a cancelled course can demonstrate, in writing, that the course is required for graduation, the USAC will offer the course on an independent study basis.
       
    2. Special Request
       Students willing to pay for the cost of arranging for an independent study course may request such a course. The student may propose a project relevant to the specific USAC course in detail and in writing. The supervising faculty member contracted by USAC, as well as the Resident Director and the home university, must approve the course proposal. The granting of a Special Request course is subject to availability of faculty, schedules, and other circumstances. Students shall be limited to no more than three semester credits of independent study per term.
       
    3. Home Institution-Directed Study
       Students may request directed studies, which are supervised and evaluated by their home institution faculty. Students who request directed studies will be responsible for all costs associated with them and must present a written home institution authorization at the time of registration. While directed studies may be used to fulfill USAC course load requirement they will not be listed on USAC grade sheets.
       
14. Academic Reasons for Dismissal
    
    
    1. Students may be dismissed after the first term if they fail to:
       
       1. Complete full time academic coursework unless arranged with the appropriate advisor.
       2. Achieve a minimum GPA of 2.0.
       3. Prepare for and/or attend class.
          
    2. Students may be dismissed for reasons involving academic dishonesty. A faculty member who suspects a student of academic dishonesty will notify the student of the charge and proposed sanction, in writing, no later than ten calendar days after the alleged action. Notification will be hand delivered or sent by certified mail. A copy of the notification to the student will also be sent to the Resident Director. The student has ten calendar days to appeal after receipt of the notification.
       
       1. If the student admits guilt, or fails to appeal, the faculty member and the Resident Director may impose an appropriate disciplinary action. The student may accept or appeal the sanction
          
       2. If the student denies the charge, the student must state this, in writing, to the Resident Director within the ten calendar days following notification. Within the next five calendar days, the Resident Director will then call a hearing between the student and the faculty member who charged the student. The student will have ten calendar days to prepare for the hearing.
          
          1. If the hearing bears out the charge of academic dishonesty the Resident Director may implement disciplinary sanctions. At this juncture, the student has no further appeal rights.
          2. If the hearing finds the student not guilty of the charge of academic dishonesty, the matter is closed.