Academic Regulations

Graduation Requirements

Catalog for Graduation Evaluation
A student may select to be evaluated for graduation from any catalog in effect during the time of enrollment provided the enrollment has been continuous.

Students readmitted or reinstated will be evaluated for graduation from the catalog in effect at the time of readmission or reinstatement or any catalog in effect during subsequent periods of continuous enrollment.

Each student is responsible for determining the appropriate catalog to be used for academic advisement and for evaluation of graduation requirements. Catalog selection applies only to the course requirements of that catalog. All other academic procedures and graduation requirements must be satisfied according to regulations in effect at the time of graduation. Students desiring further information on the selection of an appropriate catalog may contact their major department head or the Registrar.

General Requirements
A student is eligible for graduation when he or she (1) has satisfactorily completed the required number of hours specified by the curriculum of the program of study in which he or she is specializing, (2) has achieved the necessary scholastic average, (3) has paid all required fees, fines, and other financial obligations owed the college, and (4) has filed with the Registrar the official "Petition of Admission to Candidacy for a Degree."

Graduation Petitions
A student must submit a formal petition for "Admission to Candidacy for a Degree" to the Registrar no later than the end of the fourth week of the term preceding the expected final term in residence. (This is interpreted to mean the previous term in residence, preceding the final term in residence. All fall-semester petitions for students not in school summer should be made in the spring semester of that year; and, all co-op students should petition the term before the work term. Students are encouraged to petition early if they feel they have reached eligibility to petition).

To be a candidate for a master's degree, a student must have passed all courses required for the degree, have a cumulative scholastic average of at least 3.00 and have merited the recommendation for the degree by the faculty and the President of Southern Polytechnic State University.

Transcript Request
Students desiring transcripts must direct their request in writing to the Office of the Registrar. There is no fee for transcripts. All transcripts will include the entire academic record, and no partial or incomplete record will be issued as a transcript. Though transcripts are normally issued promptly, requests should be made several days before the document is required, particularly at the beginning or end of a term. A transcript will not be issued when the record shows financial indebtedness to the institution.

Transient Authorization
Southern Polytechnic State University students planning to attend another institution for one semester and then return to Southern Polytechnic State University should complete a transient letter authorization form available in the Registrar's Office. Students may not attend Southern Polytechnic State University and another institution concurrently for transfer purposes without prior authorization from the Registrar.

Exceptions to Academic Regulations
Exceptions to the Academic Regulations of Southern Polytechnic State University may be made by the faculty whenever a consideration of the student's complete record indicates that the application of a specific regulation will result in injustice.

Appeals Procedure
Students requesting exceptions and/or appeals to academic policies and procedures should adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Matters not requiring Petitions to the Faculty include academic advisement, scheduling, etc., where only clarifications are required. Students should discuss such matters first with the instructor, academic advisor, and/or department head who may refer them to someone else.

2. Matters requiring Petitions to the Faculty include requests for exceptions to policies published in the catalog or operating procedures. Examples include requests for reinstatement, ten-year credit, receiving a grade of "W" past the last withdrawal date, etc.

Students should complete a Petition to the Faculty form when they feel the academic policies and procedures have not been applied fairly or appropriately to them.

3. When it is determined that a Petition to the Faculty is in order, the student should complete the form and secure the proper signatures as required by the department head and/or appropriate faculty.

4. If the petition is approved, the matter should be resolved. If the petition is refused, and the student feels that he or she has grounds for appeal, the following steps are followed:
(a) The student should discuss the petition with the Registrar to determine the basis for refusal and to be informed of the appeals procedures and additional information that may be desirable and/or required.
(b) Upon written request for appeal to the Registrar, all related information is forwarded to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for review. The Vice President may approve or refuse the appeal.
(c) If the Vice President refuses the appeal, upon written request to the Vice President, the student may appeal to the President.
(d) The President may approve or refuse the appeal. If the President refuses the appeal, upon written request to the President, the student may appeal to the Board of Regents.
5. To appeal a grade, a student must present clear evidence that a grade was assigned by some criteria other than an evaluation of academic performance. Check with the Registrar's Office for the procedure to follow. Student Records
In accordance with the policy of the Board of Regents of the State of Georgia and under the provisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, Southern Polytechnic State University maintains various educational records for each matriculating student. These records are considered confidential and will not be released for use outside the institution without the written consent of the student. Exceptions as authorized by the Act are noted.

Student records will be considered under the categories academic or nonacademic. The following indicates the types of records maintained, the official responsible for maintenance, and the person(s) with access to those records.

I. Academic: Those educational records which specifically pertain or reflect the student's academic program, admission to, and progress within that program.

A. Academic Department Office:

1. Maintenance-academic department head

2. Access-departmental faculty and staff

3. Record Types

(a) Departmental academic record card (unofficial)

(b) Departmental copies of class rolls

(d) Instructor's daily class record

(e) Co-op records and report

(f) Credit by examination results

(g) Scholarship records and correspondence

(h) Correspondence pertaining to the student's academic program and academic standing

(i) Recommendation correspondence submitted to an employer or agency on behalf of the student

B. Registrar's Office:

1. Maintenance-Registrar
2. Access-Director of Admissions, Registrar, President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Deans, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Vice President for Student Affairs, and related staffs
3. Record Types (a) Admission records including high school and college transcripts, SAT or ACT scores, and any other information submitted by or on behalf of the students for admission purposes
(b) Official permanent academic record
(c) Official class rolls
(d) Correspondence between the student and the institution pertaining to the student's academic program and academic standing

II. Nonacademic: Those educational records which do not pertain to the student's academic program or academic standing

A. Business Office:

1. Maintenance-Vice President for Business and Finance and staff
2. Access-Vice President for Business and Finance and staff, Registrar, President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Deans
3. Record Types (a) Statement of student current fee accounts with the institution
(b) Record of student financial indebtedness to the institution
(c) Correspondence with the student regarding financial status
(d) Correspondence with institutions and agencies which financially sponsor students (See exceptions).

B. Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs

1. Maintenance -Vice President for Student Affairs
2. Access-Vice President for Student Affairs and staff, President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Deans
3. Record Types (a) Student current address information
(b) Student current academic schedule
(c) Disciplinary action files
(d) Correspondence with the student concerning disciplinary action

C. Financial Aid Office:

1. Maintenance-Director of Financial Aid
2. Access-Director of Financial Aid and staff, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Vice President for Student Affairs, President, Vice President for Academic Affairs
3. Record Types (a) Parents/Students Confidential Statement (See exceptions)
(b) Records of awards of financial assistance to students
(c) Financial assistance record of student indebtedness to the institution
(d) Correspondence with the student

D. Office of Veteran Affairs Coordinator

1. Maintenance-Veteran Affairs Coordinator
2. Access-Veterans Affairs Coordinator, Registrar and staff, President, Vice President for Academic Affairs
3. Record Types (a) Records filed verifying veteran or veteran-dependency status
(b) Record of student VA certification

E. Career Center

1. Maintenance-Director of Career Services
2. Access-As authorized by student
3. Record Types (a) Resumes filed by students
(b) Copies of student authorization to release grade statement to co-op employers

F. Campus Safety Department:

1. Maintenance-Director of Campus Safety
2. Access-Director of Campus Safety and staff, President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Student Affairs
3. Record Types (a) Official police reports

III. General: Except as precluded in the Rights and Privacy Act, each student's records as listed above are open for inspection and review by that particular student. The student also has the right to request an interpretation and explanation of material included in the record, and will be given copies of the material upon request. Access to these records will be granted to the student within a reasonable period of time, but in no case will that period of time exceed 45 days after the request for access has been made.

IV. Challenges: Should the student believe that the record contains inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise inappropriate information, he or she may desire to challenge the content of the record. In that event the following procedure shall be followed

A. Challenges to student records should be initiated by the student concerned and directed in writing to the Office of the Registrar.

B. The challenge should contain a description of the specific record in question, the official responsible for maintaining the record, and the reason for challenging the contents of the particular record.

C. Challenges will be submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for review. The student initiating the challenge may request to appear before the Vice President when the challenge is considered.

D. The decision of the Vice President will be made within a reasonable period of time and forwarded to the student in writing. The decision of the vice president will also be transmitted to the president.

V. Exceptions: The following are exceptions within the Rights and Privacy Act which should be noted by students.

A. Access:

1. Students do not have access to the financial records of parents of students.
2. Students do not have access to letters of recommendation placed in the records prior to January 1, 1975.
3. The personal records of instructional, supervisory, and administrative personnel which are not accessible or revealed to any other person except a substitute are not open for review and inspection by students.
4. The professional records of the institution's medical staff are not open for review and inspection by students; however, these records can be personally reviewed by a physician or other appropriate professional of the student's choice.

B. Release of Information: Certain information may be released without the prior written consent of the student and includes information to

1. School officials within the institution who are not specifically listed with standard access but who have been determined by the institution to have a legitimate educational need
2. Authorized federal and state authorities including state educational agencies
3. Accrediting organizations who need information for their accrediting functions
4. Parents of a dependent student as defined by the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 after presentation of proper evidence of that dependency
5. Officials with a lawful judicial order or subpoena provided the institution notifies the student of the order or subpoena prior to the institution's compliance
6. Appropriate persons in connection with an emergency when the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of a student or other persons
7. Agencies, sponsoring agencies, and institutions in connection with a student's application for or receipt of financial aid

VI. Destruction of Records: The complete academic record of all matriculating students will become permanent records of the institution. Following the third continuous term of nonenrollment by a student, the nonacademic records will be placed in an inactive, but accessible status. Following the end of the ninth year of inactive status, the nonacademic records will be purged and destroyed by the official responsible for their maintenance.

VII. Directory Information: Southern Tech maintains student information in various forms. Students who desire that "directory information" not be releases without consent should so notify the Office of the Registrar in writing. The following may be included as "directory information" unless notification is received to the contrary:

Student's name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, class schedule, current enrollment status, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student.

VIII. Policies and procedures: Specific policies and procedures for the maintenance of student records according to the Board of Regents of the State of Georgia and the test of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 are available for review in the Office of the Registrar.

Students also have the right to file complaints with the FERPA Office of the Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20201, regarding alleged violations of the Act.