Academic Policies & Procedures

Academic units must follow the federal credit hour definition (please refer to https://ecfr.federalregister.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-VI/part-600): A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than

1. One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

Students Responsibilities in Academic Advising

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is committed to providing effective academic advising to students as an essential component of their educational experience.

Department and college advisors are assigned to students in their programs for assistance in assessing educational goals, planning programs of study, understanding program requirements, and following policies and procedures. Professional academic advisors in the Exploratory and Pre-Professional Advising Center provide these services to students who have not yet declared their undergraduate college or major.

Students are ultimately responsible for fulfilling all the requirements of the curriculum in which they are enrolled. Students are also responsible for initiating advising contacts and preparing for advising sessions. The mentoring relationship between academic advisors and students is confidential and is strengthened by advisors listening with understanding to student concerns.

Students are expected to take responsibility for a successful university experience and effective advising session by:

1. Participating in New Student Enrollment and priority registration programs;
2. Scheduling appointments with advisors well in advance of priority registration and at other times as needed;
3. Identifying class choices from requirements of the selected program or major;
4. Identifying questions to address in advising sessions;
5. Informing advisors of any special needs, deficiencies or barriers that might affect academic success;
6. Following academic policies and procedures and meeting academic calendar deadlines (e.g. registration, fee payment, senior check/degree audit, filing for degree, etc.);
7. Knowing and completing degree or program requirements;
8. Monitoring their progress toward meeting degree requirements by maintaining a copy of their academic records and seeking assistance to resolve any errors or questions; and
9. Acting on recommendations to seek assistance from the various student support services provided by the University.

Maximum Credit Hour Load

Undergraduate students may register for up to 18 credit hours per semester, except for the College of Business which allows a maximum of 19 credit hours and the College of Arts and Sciences and the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts which allow a student to register for up to 20 credit hours. Written permission from the college dean is required to exceed the credit hour per semester maximum and must be filed with an Override Authorization Form at the time of registration.

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend all lectures, recitations, quizzes, and laboratories regularly. The University has no regulation which permits cutting classes.

Students are responsible for the attendance policy set by instructors and should clear absences directly with them.

In cases where a student is unable to contact his or her instructors due to major illness, serious injury, or hospitalization or when given military orders which are effective immediately, a notice may be sent to the student’s instructors by the University Health Center, a family physician, or the Students Affairs Office, 106 Canfield Administration Building, 402-472-3755. This notice is for the instructor’s information only and does not relieve the student of contacting instructors as soon as possible.

Students involved in University-sponsored activities, including intercollegiate athletics, may need to be excused from a class, lab, or studio meeting. In all instances it is the student’s responsibility to request permission for the absence (preferably in writing) from the instructor and to discuss how the absence will affect their ability to meet the course requirements. Students should do this as soon in the semester as possible. While instructors should seek to the greatest extent possible, consistent with course requirements, to make reasonable accommodation for a student involved in University-sponsored activities, students should recognize that not every course can accommodate absences and neither the absence (nor the notification of an absence) relieves them from meeting the course requirements.

For complete information on class attendance, see the Office of the University Registrar's website at http://registrar.unl.edu.

Glossary of Academic and Advising Terms

Academic Advisor: College staff member responsible for providing guidance in course and/or program-related topics including academic requirements; course schedules; personal, academic, or career information; and transition to college and academic progress.

Academic Term (semester): Fall, spring, and summer weeks when classes are in session. The fall and spring semesters are approximately sixteen weeks long. The summer semester is between three to eight weeks long.

Academic Warning (formerly Academic Probation): A status assigned because of unsatisfactory grades, that includes two levels – Initial Academic Warning and Academic Warning Before Dismissal

Academic Year: The period composed of fall and spring semesters.

Advanced Placement Credit: Credit awarded by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for appropriate scores on Advanced Placement Exams. https://creditevaluation.unl.edu/credit-types/ap

Bachelors Degree: Recognition of successful completion of a program of studies (usually about 120-130 semester credits), often with a specific major, minor, or concentration (commonly referred to as bachelor of arts or bachelor of science, etc.).

Canvas/My.UNL: A website that allows instructors to provide information on courses they are teaching available to their students. The information could include course syllabus, documents, discussion boards, etc. Some professors may use this site as a place to turn in assignments or complete exams.

Career Services: Office that provides services relating to major exploration, career planning and placement.

Class Standing: Based on credits earned 0-26 for freshmen; 27-52 for sophomores; 53-88 for juniors; 89 or more for seniors.

Course Description: Prerequisites required for and the description of the main topics covered in a course. Can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog: /undergraduate/courses/.

Credit Hour: A standard measure of the amount of instructional time required to successfully complete a course. For example, SOCI 101 Introduction to Sociology , is a 3 credit hour course, which means that it will meet for approximately three hours each week for one semester.

Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA): A student’s grade point average for all University of Nebraska coursework taken at Kearney, Lincoln and Omaha, based on the total number of quality points earned and the total number of semester hours attempted.

Corequisite: A course that must be taken at the same time as another specified course. Common with sciences with a lab: BIOS 101 General Biology lecture must be taken with BIOS 101L General Biology Laboratory lab component.

Course Sequence: Entry level courses must be completed before taking higher level courses. Common course sequences are in math, languages, and sciences, but also apply to most disciplines.

Degree Plan: An evaluation by the student and advisor of academic work completed and courses required for graduation.

Degree Audit: An online program that tracks program requirements. This is located in MyRED.

Department: Faculty and administrators associated with a particular discipline or program (the sociology department).

Direct Equivalent: A course which has been evaluated by UNL and determined to be equivalent to a specific UNL course. A direct equivalent will fulfill the same requirement as the UNL course.

Double Major: Student majoring in two programs within the same college.

Drop: To cancel registration in a course. It is only available during the add/drop period as specified on the academic calendar. Students can drop a course through MyRED.

Dual Enrollment: When a student earns both high school and college credit for a course.

Dual Matriculation: A student is earning two bachelors degrees. This may require an additional 30 hours added to the student’s program along with the requirements of both degree colleges. An example would be a student receiving a bachelor of science in business administration and a bachelor of arts in global studies.

Duplicate Credit: A course that has already been taken; a student can’t receive credit in the same course multiple times. This can also define taking two courses which are determined to have corresponding content, outcomes, and level ( STAT 218 Introduction to Statistics , SOCI 206 Introduction to Social Statistics , EDPS 459 Statistical Methods , CRIM 300 Applied Statistics and Data Processing in the Public Sector and ECON 215 Statistics ).

Education Abroad Credit: Credit earned by a University of Nebraska–Lincoln student while studying, interning, researching, or doing service learning outside the United States. Because of variation in educational systems and coursework, this credit ideally should be reviewed by department faculty before the education abroad experience. Credit transcribed from an institution outside the United States must be reviewed by specific department faculty to evaluate its applicability to the student’s degree program.

Evaluation: Process by which the department/advising office evaluates transfer credit to determine its equivalence to a University of Nebraska–Lincoln course based on similar content, level and outcomes. May also refer to the process by which a student’s degree college evaluates transfer credit which does not have a direct equivalent.

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974): Protects a student’s academic record within the post-secondary educational setting.

Financial Aid: Funding provided to students from various sources to assist in expenses to attend college.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): A standardized application including detailed financial data that is required to determine eligibility for all financial aid programs.

Full-Time (student): Students registered for 12 or more credits in the fall or spring semester.

General Education Requirements/Achievement-Centered Education (ACE): A set of courses and learning outcomes that are required for all students to help students gain a broader education related to social, global, humanity and artistic perspectives in a variety of academic disciplines.

General Elective Credit (GNCR): Transfer courses accepted as University of Nebraska–Lincoln elective credit. Application of elective credit to the student’s degree program is at the discretion of the student’s degree college.

High School or remedial level course (HSCR): Hours and courses that do not transfer even though they may have been earned at a postsecondary institution. This would include courses such as geometry and intermediate algebra. Some courses may transfer for non-degree hours.

Holds: A hold on a student’s account can be from various offices needing action from the student. Common holds are for delinquent accounts, immunization records, library books, etc. Students can see details on their holds through MyRED, Student Center, and “Holds.”

International Baccalaureate (IB Credit): Credit awarded by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for appropriate scores on International Baccalaureate Exams. http://creditevaluation.unl.edu/credit-types#ib

International Credit (IVAL): Credit earned at an institution outside the United States. Because educational systems vary greatly, all international credit must be reviewed by specific department faculty to evaluate its applicability to a University of Nebraska–Lincoln degree. To ease this process, some courses have been reviewed and transfer as direct equivalents.

Incomplete: A grade given, usually under extenuating circumstances, when a student is not able to complete a course within the semester. The professor assigns a grade of incomplete at the end of the semester and works out a contractual agreement for completion. Grades of incomplete do not affect a student’s GPA.

Lower Level (100 or 200 level): General introductory courses, usually making up the first two years of a bachelors degree. Credit awarded by a community college is generally considered lower division credit.

Major: A program of study in a degree where a significant number of the courses are in a single discipline or related disciplines in an interdisciplinary major. /undergraduate/majors/

Math Placement Exam: A math exam for students in order to determine the level of math at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln that the student is academically prepared to complete.

Matriculation: Formal application to and acceptance in a degree or certificate program during a specific semester.

Minimum Grades: The lowest grade accepted to complete a requirement. Each college determines acceptability and applicability of coursework with grades lower than “C” (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) including “C-.”

Minor: A program of study requiring fewer courses than a major. Some majors require a minor and other majors do not require a minor.

Modern Language Placement Exam: Readiness exam for students wanting to continue language in French, German, and Spanish.

Multiple Course Equivalency: A direct equivalence involving a combination of courses. In some cases, the course content is divided differently. An accounting series may be divided into three courses at one institution which are equivalent to two courses at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

MyPLAN (My Personal Learning and Advising Network): A tool located in My.UNL used to connect with advisors and instructors. Many offices are using MyPLAN as an online appointment system for students as well.

MyRED: An online tool used by students to view and keep track of their academic records, register for courses, see final course grades, view and maintain financial/scholarship processes, etc.

Non Degree Applicable (NDAP): Transfer course credit hours which are included in the equivalency and generally not degree-applicable. For example, if 4 credit hours are awarded for a course at another institution, but the equivalent UNL course awards 3 credit hours, the extra 1 semester hour of transfer credit may be recorded as NDAP and would not apply to the student’s degree. If a transfer course is awarded fewer credit hours than the equivalent UNL course, the evaluator may stipulate that the course will satisfy the requirement for the UNL course, without additional hours.

Open Registration: Following Priority Registration when registration for the upcoming semesters is open to all students.

Override: A professor can give permission for a student to be admitted into a closed course (usually by a schedule adjustment form or permission code).

Pass/No Pass (P/NP): This option does not affect a student’s GPA and has to be decided by a certain date located in the academic calendar and can be changed in MyRED. Some courses have the option to be taken as P/NP or only offered as P/NP.

Pre-Professional Programs: Pre-Professional is an advising category for students preparing to enter a professional school. Pre-Health and Pre-Law areas are not majors and, therefore, cannot grant students baccalaureate degrees.

Prerequisite: A course/requirement a student must pass before enrollment can take place in a more advanced course in the discipline or in a related discipline. A common prerequisite for calculus is college algebra and trigonometry.

Priority Registration: Student’s registration time based on how many credits have been earned as well as the number of hours in progress (decided by the Office of the University Registrar). Priority Registration for the spring starts in October and ends in November; Priority Registration for the fall/summer starts in March and ends in April.

Probation: A status assigned because of unsatisfactory conduct.

Registration: The process by which a student is enrolled in classes.

Recitation/Quiz: Lecture is broken into smaller sections known as recitation or quiz; often used as a way for students to ask questions, gain additional course information and assignments, work with group members, or take quizzes.

Repeating a Course: This policy allows students to repeat a course where an unsatisfactory grade was earned and use the higher grade earned during the second or third attempt to be used in GPA calculation. Please note that the initial enrollment in the course remains on the transcript with a note that the grade earned in the second or third attempt is used in GPA calculation.

Special Topics Course: A course which subject matter may vary from semester to semester; it may include current or special topics.

Student Identification Number (NUID): A numeric code assigned to students that becomes their identity in university databases. This number is used in place of a social security number so that a student’s privacy can be maintained.

Subject Credit (SUBJ): Course transfers as subject area hours (e.g., ENGL XXX, MATH XXX) not assigned to a specific course. It can be designated with a level, such as 1XX for freshman level, 2XX for sophomore level, etc.

Substitution: Process by which the degree college agrees to substitute a similar (comparable) course for a particular requirement of a student’s degree. This may occur when a course is not considered a direct equivalent.

Syllabus: An outline of the main points of the course. This can also include specific topics covered by the course, important date and deadlines for the course, professor’s information, and books required for the course.

Transcript: An official transcript is the original record verifying a student’s enrollment and grades, and certified (by signature and/or seal) by the institution. It is normally sent directly by mail upon the student’s written request.

Transfer Course Equivalencies Table: An online table of courses from selected institutions listing the courses which have been reviewed by UNL faculty and the current UNL equivalent for those courses. Application of all courses to a specific UNL degree is at the discretion of the UNL College granting the degree. Information can be found on: http://admissions.unl.edu/nebraska/equivalency.aspx.

Transfer Credit: Credit awarded by a program or post-secondary institution other than the institution at which the student is currently enrolled. At the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, this is any credit not awarded by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Tuition: Charges to a student by the University for registration in credit courses.

Undergraduate Catalog: The set of rules, regulations, policies, programs, requirements, and courses. This can also be referred to as a catalog. A student is normally bound by the requirements of the catalog in effect when the student was admitted to the degree college. Each degree college has policies regarding changes to catalogs. The Undergraduate Catalog can be found at: /undergraduate/.

Upper Level (300 and 400 level): Less general, more focused courses, usually making up most of the final two years of a bachelors degree.

Vocational or Skill Development Course (VCRD): Courses designated as vocational or skill development courses not applicable to a University of Nebraska–Lincoln degree.

Withdrawal from a Course: To drop from a course after the add/drop deadline in the academic course will result in a “W” on the student’s record. Students can drop a course through MyRED. Grades of a “W” do not affect a student’s GPA, but cannot be removed from transcripts.

Subject Area Abbreviations

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln uses standard abbreviations for academic subject areas and program titles as part of course descriptions. This list can be found by clicking on Course Abbreviations under the Courses tab in the heading.

Abbreviations and Symbols Commonly Used in the Catalog

Course Prerequisites and Corequisites

Course prerequisites indicate the level of preparation a student must have had to take a given course. Equivalent preparation is generally sufficient. If there is doubt about a student’s preparation level, permission to enroll may be requested from the instructor of the course or from the department chairperson. Academic departments reserve the right to deny admission in a course if the prerequisite has not been completed. Academic departments reserve the right to give permission or waive the prerequisite for any course or to substitute for the prerequisite learning obtained by other means than through the prerequisite course(s). See the Courses of Instruction section for each undergraduate college in this catalog for an official listing of course prerequisites.

The use of the words “parallel”, “corequisite”, or “coregister with” in the prerequisite for a course means that both courses are to be taken simultaneously.

Antirequisites

Credit towards the degree may be earned in only one from each group of courses listed below. There may be additional exclusions referenced in course listings within the catalog.