Chapter 5: Curriculum and Academic Standards
Section 1: Enrollment Planning
1.1 Enrollment Policy for Auburn Campus
1.2 Policy on Program Enrollment Plans
1.3 Policy and Procedures for Establishing or Changing the Enrollment Cap of an Undergraduate Major
Section 2: Undergraduate Degree Programs
2.1.Policy on Bachelor’s Degree Requirements
2.2 Policy on Undergraduate Curriculum Model Change
2.3 Program Review and Assessment
2.4 Policy on Substantive Change and Notifying the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC)
3.1 Directed Studies Definition and Policy
4.1 Distance Education Standards and Guidelines
5.1 Schedule Adjustment Policy
5.2 Undergraduate Course Load Policy
5.3 Undergraduate Course Repeat Policy
5.4 Undergraduate Course Withdrawal Policy
5.5 Policy on Retroactive Withdrawals/Resignations and Withdrawals/Resignations after Midterm
Section 6: Student Academic Status
6.1 Undergraduate Policy on Appeals of Suspension
6.2 Policy on the Percentage of Course Work Earned in Residence at Auburn University
6.3 Policy on Transient Students
6.4 Policy on Change of Major or Curriculum
6.5 Undergraduate Dean’s List Policy
6.6 Award of Posthumous Degrees
6.7 Award of Honorary Degrees Policy
Faculty are key to the development, review, and revision of curriculum and academic standards at Auburn University. Through careful maintenance of these important areas, Auburn University ensures that its programs and policies promote excellence in academic endeavors and provide clear guidance and direction. Although many of the policies and guidelines in this chapter are not under the purview of the University Senate, the Academic Standards Committee of the University Senate should be included in the review of any proposed revisions.
1.1 Enrollment Policy for Auburn Campus
Projected numbers of undergraduate and graduate students for the Auburn campus
http://www.auburn.edu/administration/trustees/policies/C-2_Enrollment_Policy_for_Auburn_Campus.pdf
1.2 Policy on Program Enrollment Plans
Considerations for college and school enrollment plans designed to maintain high levels of quality
https://sites.auburn.edu/admin/universitypolicies/Policies/PolicyonProgramEnrollmentPlans.pdf
1.3 Policy and Procedures for Establishing or Changing the Enrollment Cap of an Undergraduate Major
Procedures for establishing, continuing or discontinuing enrollment limits in high demand majors
https://sites.auburn.edu/admin/universitypolicies/Policies/PoliciesandProceduresfor
EstablishingorChangingtheEnrollmentCapofanUndergraduateMajor.pdf
Section 2
Undergraduate Degree Programs
2.1 Policy on Bachelor’s Degree Requirements
Basic requirements for students in all undergraduate majors
https://sites.auburn.edu/admin/universitypolicies/Policies/PolicyonBachelorDegreeRequirements.pdf
2.2 Policy on Undergraduate Curriculum Model Change
General guidelines for determining graduation requirements for students enrolled in a program that alters its curriculum
https://sites.auburn.edu/admin/universitypolicies/
Policies/PolicyonUndergraduateCurriculumModelChange.pdf
2.3 Program Review and Assessment
Purpose, scope, criteria and standards for the periodic formal review of academic program
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/provost/programReview.html
2.4 Policy on Substantive Change and Notifying the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC)
Requirements and procedures for notification when an academic unit proposes a significant modification in the nature or scope of the university’s activities, such as more advanced coursework, joint degrees with another institution, initiating off campus sites, adding a significantly different program, altering significantly the length of a program, and other actions
https://sites.auburn.edu/admin/universitypolicies/Policies/SubstantiveChangeNotificationPolicy.pdf
3.1 Directed Studies Definition and Policy
This policy has been recommended to the interim president by the provost and formally adopted by the President on August 10, 2006
Definition of Directed Readings Courses
Auburn University offers directed readings courses, also referred to as special problems courses or independent studies, in accordance with established policy.
Directed readings courses allow in-depth study of a particular subject by a student who is well into her or his major and, in extraordinary circumstances, accommodate scheduling issues when no other remedy is available.
Directed readings courses should not normally be used as replacements for required courses or as a solution to routine scheduling problems.
Purpose of Policy
The university is committed to maintaining the highest level of academic quality and integrity in the instructional process.
This policy is designed to bolster both quality and academic integrity by ensuring that the academic quality of directed readings courses is materially equivalent to the academic quality of other courses, regardless of format or mode of delivery.
Eligibility
To be eligible to take a directed readings course a student must be at junior level or above, and the course must be taken for credit toward the student’s major or minor; exceptions may be approved as follows:
Exceptions concerning junior standing or higher, or concerning credit toward the student’s major or minor, must be approved by the instructor and the offering department head/chair (or dean, if the instructor serves as department head/chair or associate dean), and by the dean of the college in which student is enrolled, if different from the offering college.
A student must have the approval of her/his dean and the provost to take more than 9 hours of directed readings coursework for credit over the course of her/his degree program.
Approval to Teach Course
A standard "Approval for Independent Study / Directed Readings" form available through the Office of the Provost web page will specify the necessary approvals and serve as the vehicle for obtaining them. Except as permitted by deadline variations within the “Registration and Scheduling” provisions of the university’s “Academic Policies,” all necessary approvals must be obtained by the tenth class day of the semester (or fifth class day of the summer semester) in order for the course to be taken for credit toward a degree.
The form for course approval serves in the nature of a contract in which the student and the instructor affirm their understandings concerning:
a. the objective of the course; b. the nature of the teaching-learning process and the proposed schedule of meetings; c. the proposed work products; and d. the criteria that will be used to assess the work product and the grade options that will be available.
Information on points a through d above should be presented through a syllabus that is attached to the form for approval.
Academic Standards
The documentation consisting of the approval form and accompanying material must comply with the course description approved by the University Curriculum Committee, and must reflect essentially the same standards of academic quality expected of all courses regardless of format or mode of delivery.
An instructor wishing to offer directed studies coursework to more than three students in any given semester must receive written approval from the department head/chair (or dean, if the instructor serves as department head/chair or associate dean) no later than the tenth class day of the semester (fifth day of summer semester).
The instructor, department head/chair, and dean affirm through their signatures on the approval form that the amount and level of credit to be awarded for the course is materially equivalent to the amount and level of credit awarded for comparable course work, regardless of format or mode of delivery.
4.1 Distance Education Standards and Guidelines
Relationship of distance Learning to the University mission, strategic plan; requirements for course and program offerings; faculty participation; financial considerations; intellectual property; assessment; course and program approval process
http://auburn.edu/outreach/dl/files/pdf/Distance_Education_Standards_Guidelines.pdf
5.1 Schedule Adjustment Policy
Provisions for students to add courses through the first day of class, for departments to add students to a class through the first fifteen class days of the term, and for students to drop classes before and after midterm
https://sites.auburn.edu/admin/universitypolicies/Policies/ScheduleAdjustmentPolicy.pdf
5.2 Undergraduate Course Load Policy
Maximum enrollment load for students; provisions for exceeding the maximum
https://sites.auburn.edu/admin/universitypolicies/Policies/UndergraduateCourseLoadPolicy.pdf
5.3 Undergraduate Course Repeat Policy
Rules for students to repeat courses in which they have already earned a grade
https://sites.auburn.edu/admin/universitypolicies/Policies/UndergraduateCourseRepeatPolicy.pdf
5.4 Undergraduate Course Withdrawal Policy
Rules for students to drop courses; assignment of the W grade
https://sites.auburn.edu/admin/universitypolicies/Policies/UndergraduateCourseWithdrawalPolicy.pdf
5.5 Policy on Retroactive Withdrawals/Resignations and Withdrawals/Resignations after Midterm
Detailed rules for students to drop from a course or some courses, to resign from all courses; medical and non-medical justifications
https://sites.auburn.edu/admin/universitypolicies/Policies/Retroactiveand
AfterMidtermWithdrawalsandResignationsPolicy.pdf
Section 6
Student Academic Status
6.1 Undergraduate Policy on Appeals of Suspension
Provisions for students to appeal academic suspension or dismissal
https://sites.auburn.edu/admin/universitypolicies/Policies/UndergraduatePolicyonAppealsofSuspension.pdf
6.2 Policy on the Percentage of Course Work Earned in Residence at Auburn University
Number, percentage and timing of semester hours that must be taken in residence
6.3 Policy on Transient Students
Provisions for students to take courses at another institution on a transient basis
https://sites.auburn.edu/admin/universitypolicies/Policies/PolicyonTransientStudents.pdf
6.4 Policy on Change of Major or Curriculum
Requirements for students transferring from one major to another
https://sites.auburn.edu/admin/universitypolicies/Policies/PolicyonChangeofMajororCurriculum.pdf
6.5 Undergraduate Dean’s List Policy
Requirements for inclusion on the dean’s list
https://sites.auburn.edu/admin/universitypolicies/Policies/UndergraduateDeanListPolicy.pdf
6.6 Award of Posthumous Degrees
Eligibility, approval process, and procedures for awarding the degree
http://www.auburn.edu/administration/trustees/policymanual/posthumous.html
6.7 Award of Honorary Degrees Policy
Criteria and procedures for selecting honorary degree recipients
http://www.auburn.edu/administration/trustees/policies/C-3_Award_of_Honorary_Degrees.pdf
Last Updated: September 11, 2012