Academic Polices FAQ

The AU Bulletin contains the academic policies, academic requirements, and official curriculum models for all degree programs offered at Auburn University. It also contains a brief description of all classes Auburn offers.

The Student Policy eHandbook contains policies on academic affairs, student records, grades & schedules, financial services, information technology, parking & transit services, housing & residence life, student conduct, and campus safety.

You must be taking 12 hours or more to be considered a full-time student. Fewer than 12 hours is considered part-time, including hours in the summer.

Sophomore...............30 hours and is in the 31st to 60th credit hour

Junior ......................60 hours and is in the 61st to 90th credit hour

Senior ......................90 hours and is in the 91st hour or higher.

A $100.00 per class fee is charged for classes students drop between the 6th and 15th class day of the fall and spring semester. For the summer term, the charge is assessed for classes dropped between the 3rd and 5th class day.

Learning Community students are required to stay in the learning community anchor course (First Year Seminar Course or Major Intro course with their community) and a minimum of one of the other learning community classes. Outside of these parameters students can drop a class on their own through Au Access. Students should be aware that they are required to remain in the anchor course to stay in the community. Dropping the anchor course will drop them from their other learning community classes.

Before you actually change to another major, you need to do research on the major you are considering. First, run a "What If" scenario in DegreeWorks to see how the courses you have completed fit into a different major. You should also consider talking to a career counselor in the AU Career Center to learn about potential majors and how your interests and background fit with the major you are considering. Next, check the requirements for the program you would like to enroll in because many majors have GPA and course requirements that must be met before a student is accepted into that major. You will also need to meet with an academic advisor in the college of the new major to determine if you are eligible to enter that program. Once you have done your research and made your decision, you need to follow these steps:

1. If you are changing to a major within your current college, you need to go to your Dean's/Student Services Office and have a "Change of Major" form completed.
2. If you are moving out of your current college to a major in another college, you will need to pick up your official folder and a "Change of Major Form" from your current Dean's/Student Services Office and take both the folder and the completed "Change of Major" form to the desired college's dean's office. Please note: Some colleges require you to meet with an academic advisor before you can change to another major, others do not.
3. You will then meet with an academic advisor in the new college who will review your file and, if you are eligible to enter that college, a change of major form will be processed.

A student may withdraw from classes through midterm by using AU Access. A student who withdraws from a course prior to the 15th class day during fall or spring semester will have no grade assignment; however, after the first 15 days a W (Withdrawn Passing) grade will be recorded for the course. For the summer terms, all withdrawals with no W grade assignment must be processed prior to the fifth class day. A student who drops a class between the 6th and 15th day of fall or spring semester will be assessed a $100 drop fee. Students who drop a class after the 15th class day will remain responsible for the tuition charged for the class.

A course may be dropped with a W after midterm only under unusual conditions such as serious illness of the student, serious illness or death of a member of the student's immediate family or other seriously disruptive circumstances. When approval for dropping the course under such circumstances is granted with the approval of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies, a W may be assigned only when the instructor indicates that the student is clearly passing the course. Otherwise, a grade of WF (Withdrawn Failing) is assigned and will factor into your institutional GPA as an F.

The Grade Adjustment Policy (GAP) may be used to remove a maximum of three undergraduate course grades of D or F (including FA or U) from the computation of your AU cumulative GPA. All core and major course requirements must be met for graduation. If removed through GAP, required courses must be repeated at Auburn University. All courses for which a grade has been assigned will remain on the transcript. However, the notation will appear that the work is not included in the GPA. Complete information on GAP can be found in the Academic Policies section of the AU Bulletin.

If you are considering using a GAP for a particular course, you should always meet with your advisor to discuss if this is in your best interest and how it will impact your academic plan. Once you have applied the GAP to a course, it cannot later be restored.

Auburn University is on a four-point system. To calculate your GPA, add the total number of credit hours (minus any S/U hrs.) and divide this number into the total number of quality points. To determine your total number of quality points, multiply the credit hours for each course by the numerical value of the grade earned for each course (A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F= 0). Add these numbers together and you will have your total number of quality points.

*Courses from other schools will not be included in your Auburn GPA.

Academic Warning status is imposed at the end of any term for which the student's cumulative GPA on Auburn course work is below 2.00. Any student who is on Academic Warning status will be placed on Academic Suspension if both of the following conditions apply: 1) The term GPA is below a 2.2 and 2) The cumulative GPA on Auburn course work is below that required for the designated number of hours earned as follows:
Freshmen..........................1.50
Sophomores......................1.80
Juniors...............................1.90
Seniors and 5th Year..........1.97

A student suspended at the end of spring semester is ineligible to register for the following summer and fall semester and can return in the spring semester, which begins in January.

All students including beginning freshmen and transfers are not subject to suspension until they have received one semester warning.

A student who incurs a First Academic Suspension may not enroll in the University for a minimum of one semester. Summer term does not count as a semester for terms of suspension. A student returning from academic suspension will be on Academic Warning status. A student who incurs a Second Academic Suspension may not enroll in the University for a minimum of two semesters. A student who incurs a Third Academic Suspension will be expelled from the University.

Students have one semester on warning. If they go on warning at the end of fall and do not make the necessary grades, they are suspended at the end of spring.

It is imperative that a student who has been placed on academic warning, seeks assistance immediately. There are a number of things a student can do:

• See an academic advisor.
• Seek assistance from support services available including Academic Support, Student Counseling, the Career Center, the Miller Writing Center, or the First Year Experience Office.
• Talk to a faculty member or associate dean in your college.

A number of programs exist at Auburn to help the student. Seeking help at the first sign of trouble is the key to success. For more information, visit the Office of the Registrar.

Enrollment information is verified through the National Student Clearinghouse. You will need to go through AU Access to access the information. Under the Student Main Menu, click on 'Student Records,' then 'Enrollment Verification.' At this point the link will automatically take you to the National Student Clearinghouse where you can request the official document to verify your enrollment. The National Student Clearinghouse serves as the agent for and Authorized Certifying School Official of Auburn University. If access on line is not available, the information can be obtained by calling (703) 742-4200.

Please follow the instructions outlined in the Auburn Transcript Requests Procedures.

A minor is an organized sequence or cluster of courses, including both lower- and upper-division courses, offered by a department or interdepartmental program. It is more restricted in scope than the major, but may also have a somewhat different focus and objective that make it useful to have when your concentration is in another discipline. Not all departments or interdepartmental programs offer minors. See the AU Bulletin for more specific information. Also, your academic advisor will be able to help you determine courses and requirements for a minor.

The final exam schedule for the semester is posted before each semester begins. If you are scheduled for three final exams in one day, follow the procedure described here if you wish to have one of the exams rescheduled. Please note that you must request the exam be rescheduled before midterm.

If you believe that you are being treated unfairly by one of your faculty, you should consult the Student Academic Grievance Policy and then discuss your situation with your advisor or your academic associate dean.

Academic integrity is a central principle of Auburn University. The specific definition of kinds of academic dishonesty and the rights and responsibilities of faculty and students involved in academic cases are contained in the Academic Honesty Code.