Academic Policies and Standards

Academic policies and standards affecting MNE graduate students are developed by the Program, the Department, the College, the University and the Graduate School. Those described in this section reflect Program, Departmental and College requirements. A few policies and standards of the other administrative units are repeated here. Others are outlined in the K-State Graduate Catalog, the K-State Graduate Handbook and the information sheets published by the Graduate School.

Program of Study

Every graduate student must file with the Graduate School a Program of Study (POS), a formal list of the courses the student intends to take to fulfill the requirements of the degree. The program of study should consist solely of courses directly related to the student’s graduate degree (MS or PhD). Full-time students must file their programs before the end of their second semester of graduate study, and part-time students must do so upon the completion of 9 credit hours. The student should prepare the POS in consultation with the supervisory committee, all members of which must indicate their approval by signing the POS form provided by the Graduate School. The head of the academic unit must then endorse the POS and forward it to the Dean of the Graduate School, whose approval must be received within the first two semesters of graduate work. Subsequent changes in the POS require approval of all members of the supervisory committee, and if changes are made, a Program/Committee Change form should be submitted to the Graduate School before graduation.

Grades

The following grades are used in the Graduate School: A, B, C, D, F, Credit, No Credit, Incomplete, and Withdrawn. A candidate for an advanced degree must have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and a 3.0 on course work on the POS. To count for graduate credit the grade in a course must be C or better and no course may be counted more than once in a program. Retaken courses remain on the transcript and are considered as part of the record. A graduate student's record will be reviewed after the completion of each session.

The grade of Incomplete (I) is given in regular courses (except for theses, dissertations and directed research courses) upon request of the student for personal emergencies that are verifiable. The faculty member has the responsibility to provide written notification to the student of the work required to remove the incomplete. The student has the responsibility to take the initiative in completing the work and is expected to make up the I during the next semester (Fall or Spring) after receiving the grade (except for dissertations and directed research courses). If the student does not make up the I during the semester after receiving it, a grade may be given by the faculty member without further consultation with the student.

If at the end of the next semester the I remains on the record, it will be designated as F (previously IX) for record keeping and will be computed in the student's GPA, weighted at 0 points per credit. A grade of NR will be treated in a like manner.

Grievances

If a student feels he or she has been unjustly treated in some aspect of academic work, the student should first meet informally with the faculty involved to resolve the grievance. The student should be prepared to discuss the nature of the grievance, why they believe it is a legitimate grievance and to propose a remedy. If the informal meeting does not lead to a solution acceptable to both parties and the student wishes to pursue the grievance further, the student should follow the university’s grievance procedures as stated in the Graduate Catalog and Graduate Handbook.

Academic Probation and Dismissal

Admission to and continuation in the Graduate School depends upon a high level of achievement. Students may be placed on probation as a condition of their admission to graduate programs, if warranted by their prior academic record. In addition, students who fail to make satisfactory progress in their graduate programs will be placed on probation. Either of the following conditions will warrant probation: (a) a grade point average lower than 3.0; (b) the recommendation of the major professor or student's committee that the student's progress is unsatisfactory.

Students on probation as a condition of admission will acquire good standing if they achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in the first 9 credit hours of graduate course work. Students placed on probation for deficient grades will be restored to good standing if they achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0. Normally, this must be done within two semesters for full-time students and within 12 credit hours for part-time students. If the student received less than 3.0 in a course listed on the program of study, the student's major professor and the student's supervisory committee may require that the student retake the course. If the course is retaken by the direction of the major professor and the supervisory committee, the original grade is noted as retaken and removed from the grade point average. The retake grade will always be used in computing the grade point average regardless of whether it is higher or lower than the original grade. A student may retake a course with subsequent removal of the prior grade only once for each course and for a total of two courses in a degree program. The Request to Retake a Graduate Course is available in the Graduate School and should be submitted to the Graduate School by the specified deadline.

A graduate student will be denied continued enrollment in the University for any of the following reasons: (a) failure of a student on probation as a condition of admission to achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the first 9 hours of graduate level course work; (b) failure of a student placed on probation for deficient grades to achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 within two semesters for full-time students and within 12 credit hours for part-time students; (c) failure to meet published departmental or university requirements; (d) failure to maintain satisfactory progress toward a graduate degree; (e) failure in the preliminary examination (doctoral students only) or the final examination; (f) failure to acquire mastery of the methodology and content in a field sufficient to complete a successful thesis or dissertation; (g) qualifying for placement on probation a second time, except when the first period of probation is a condition of admission or when the second period is a condition of reinstatement.

A student denied the privilege of continued enrollment may petition the graduate dean for reinstatement to the same curriculum or for admission to a different curriculum.

Special Services

If you are a student who will benefit from special accommodations for physical or learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorder, you may seek assistance from the K-State Student Access Center. It is the student's responsibility to provide documentation of a disability and request appropriate accommodations. Such requests should be made during the first two weeks of each semester.

Changing Advisors

If you would like to change advisors, please see the Graduate Program Coordinator.