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Undergraduate Course Catalog 2006-2007

University Academic Requirements

« University Academic Requirements

University Writing Requirement

http://www.unh.edu/writing/

As the cornerstone of any higher education, academic and disciplinary literacy is the concern of the entire faculty and the whole University curriculum. Understanding that literacy is a long-term development process, the University community is committed to the following goals for student writing and learning:

General Education Program

The general education program is designed to emphasize the acquisition and improvement of those fundamental skills essential to advanced college work, especially the abilities to think critically, to read with discernment, to write effectively, and to understand quantitative data. It aims to acquaint the student with some of the major modes of thought necessary to understanding oneself, others, and the environment. It seeks to develop a critical appreciation of both the value and the limitations of significant methods of inquiry and analysis. Its goal, moreover, is the student's achievement of at least the minimal level of literacy in mathematics, in science and technology, in historical perspectives and the comprehension of our own and other cultures, in aesthetic sensibility, and in the diverse approaches of the humanities and the social sciences to understanding the human condition.
 
General education is intended to serve as a foundation for any major. It aims to go beyond the mastery of job-related skills and educate students so that they learn how to learn. The program is based on the premise that change is the dominant characteristic of our times and that the truly useful education stresses intellectual adaptability and the development of those problem-solving abilities, cognitive skills, and learning techniques vital to lifelong learning.

Degree Requirements

Requirements in this catalog apply to students who enter the University between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007. (Students who entered the University at an earlier time but who wish to change to the requirements of this catalog must apply to the appropriate office for the change.) Students will be held responsible for all work required for graduation and for the scheduling of all necessary courses. Students are each provided one free copy of the catalog that is in effect at the time of their entry to the University. They are expected to keep that copy for the duration of their time at the University. Any other copies must be purchased, and availability cannot be guaranteed.

Modifications tend to occur in major programs during the period of students' undergraduate careers. Students are expected to conform to these changes insofar as they do not represent substantive alterations in their course of study.

Note: Although the University will try to provide sufficient facilities so that students may pursue any major or curriculum for which they meet the requirements, such a privilege cannot be guaranteed, since rapidly increasing enrollment sometimes results in the overcrowding of required specialized courses. On occasion, students may remain in a crowded curriculum if they are willing to take certain courses during the summer session.

Majors, Minors, and Options

Majors and some interdisciplinary minors are described under their various schools and colleges; other interdisciplinary and intercollege minors are described in the section on Special University Programs.

Grades

Grading and honors policies as stated in this catalog apply to all undergraduate students.

Instructors assign grades as listed below; grade points per credit are indicated in parentheses. For all undergraduate courses, grading standards established by the Academic Senate are that a C indicates competent, acceptable performance and learning; B indicates superior performance and learning; and A indicates excellent performance and learning. These standards apply to all undergraduate courses, instructors, departments, subjects, and colleges. The University reserves the right to modify grading and honors practices.

A (4.00) Excellent
A- (3.67) Intermediate grade
B+ (3.33) Intermediate grade
B (3.00) Superior
B- (2.67) Intermediate grade
C+ (2.33) Intermediate grade
C (2.00) Satisfactory, competent
C- (1.67) Intermediate grade
D+ (1.33) Intermediate grade
D (1.00) Marginal grade
D- (0.67) Intermediate grade
F (0.00) Failure - Academic performance so deficient in quality as to be unacceptable for credit.

AF (0.00) - Administrative F (usually indicates student stopped attending without dropping the course); is included in grade-point average.

CR - Credit: given in specific courses having no letter grades, designated credit/fail.

P - Passing grade in a course taken under the student pass/fail grading alternative.

W Withdrawal - Assigned if withdrawal is later than fifth Friday of classes (but not after midsemester); is not included in grade-point average.

WP - Withdrawal: assigned if withdrawal is after mid-semester and if student is passing; is not included in grade-point average.

WF - Withdrawal: assigned if withdrawal is after mid-semester and if student is failing; is included in grade-point average.

AU - Audit: no credit earned.

IC - Grade report notation for student's incomplete coursework.

IA - Indicates "incomplete" in a thesis or continuing course of more than one semester; the grade earned will replace "IA" assigned in previous semesters.

IX - Grade not reported by instructor.

Students earning a semester or cumulative grade-point average less than 2.00 are placed on "academic warning."

Pass/Fail
While earning a bachelor's degree, students may choose the pass/fail grading alternative for a maximum of 4 credits per semester up to a total of 16 credits toward the degree.

Pass/fail cannot be used for general education requirements, for writing intensive courses, for courses required by a student's major or second major, for option or minor requirements, for ENGL 401, or for repeated courses. In addition, B.A., B.F.A., and B.M. degree candidates may not use pass/fail for courses taken to meet the foreign language requirement, and no Whittemore School course may be taken on a pass/fail basis by a student majoring in administration, economics, or hospitality management.

The minimum passing grade for credit is a D- (0.67); any grade below this minimum is a fail. All grades will be recorded on the grade roster as A, B, C, D, F, or intermediate grades. The pass/fail marks will be placed on students' transcripts and grade reports by the Registrar's Office. The course will not be included in the grade-point calculation, but the pass or fail will be recorded, and in the case of a pass, the course credits will be counted toward degree requirements.

Honors
An undergraduate degree student, after completion of at least 12 graded credits in University of New Hampshire courses, is designated as an honor student for a given semester if the student has (a) completed at least 12 graded credits for that semester and earned at least a 3.20 semester grade-point average; or (b) earned at least a 3.20 cumulative grade-point average and at least a 3.20 semester grade-point average regardless of the number of graded credits that semester.

These categories are used: 3.20 to 3.49 (honors); 3.50 to 3.69 (high honors); and 3.70 to 4.00 (highest honors).

Bachelor's degree candidates who have earned honors for their entire work at the University will be graduated with honors based on the final cumulative grade-point average, provided that a minimum of 64 graded credits have been completed in University of New Hampshire courses. The Latin equivalent of the honors classification will appear on the student's academic record and diploma. The student's honors classification will be noted in the commencement program.

Academic Honesty

Academic honesty is a core value at the University of New Hampshire. The members of its academic community both require and expect one another to conduct themselves with integrity. This means that each member will adhere to the principles and rules of the University and pursue academic work in a straightforward and truthful manner, free from deception or fraud. The academic policy can be found in the annual publication, Student Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities.