Fort Lewis College ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AND POLICIES Academic Programs Requirements For Graduation The Curriculum General Education RepeatableCourses Courses Common to All Programs General Studies Special Academic Programs Summer Programs Academic Policies Academic Procedures Academic Support Programs file:///D|/Temp/catalogs/course_catalog/catalog2001-02/acadprog.htm [1/20/2011 7:54:55 AM] Fort Lewis College ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AND POLICIES ACADEMIC PROGRAMS The academic programs at Fort Lewis College are offered through the Schools of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, and Education. Degrees Offered Fort Lewis College offers a number of programs leading to the bachelors degree. The Bachelor of Science degree is offered in biology, chemistry, geology, and physics; the Bachelor of Arts degree is granted in all other four-year programs. In addition, the College offers a program leading to the Associate of Arts degree in agricultural science. The Fort Lewis College teacher education programs have been approved by the Colorado Department of Education. Licensing programs are offered for the following: early childhood (pre-school, K- 2), middle childhood (elementary), young adult (secondary), and K-12 (art, music, PE) education. School of Arts and Sciences Courses in agriculture, anthropology, art, biology, chemistry, communications, computer science, engineering, English, environmental policy, forestry, French, geology, general science, German, health careers, history, Japanese, Latin, mathematics, music, Navajo, philosophy, physics, political science, sociology, Spanish, statistics, and theatre, as well as interdisciplinary work in a number of areas (such as international studies, religious studies, southwest studies, and womens studies) are offered in the School of Arts and Sciences. School of Business Administration The School of Business Administration is an AACSB Accredited professional school offering instruction in accounting, agricultural file:///D|/Temp/catalogs/course_catalog/catalog2001-02/acadprog2.htm (1 of 2) [1/20/2011 7:54:56 AM] Fort Lewis College business, business administration, engineering management, finance, international business, management, marketing, operations management, tourism and resort management, and economics. School of Education The School of Education prepares students for licensure at the early childhood (pre-school, K-2), middle childhood (elementary), young adult (secondary), and K-12 (art, music, PE) levels. Major certification programs of study in English education, exercise science (PE), and music education are also available. Students can add on endorsements in bilingual, English as a second language, early childhood (pre-school, K- 2), and early adolescent (middle school) education to various licenses. The School of Education is also home to the departments of Exercise Science and Psychology. Student-Constructed Major The College has established the student-constructed major to meet particular needs and purposes. Such a major is usually interdisciplinary, always designed to meet the special needs and talents of individual students, and generally differs substantially from course combinations and emphases that are available through majors, minors, and electives in the established curriculum. Among recent student-constructed majors are majors in criminal justice, French, German, international studies, agricultural economics, commercial art, and southwestern peoples. The major may be related to any school or include course offerings from more than one school. Student-constructed major contract forms and requirements are available in the Records Office. Return to Academic Programs Menu file:///D|/Temp/catalogs/course_catalog/catalog2001-02/acadprog2.htm (2 of 2) [1/20/2011 7:54:56 AM] Fort Lewis College ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AND POLICIES ACADEMIC POLICIES Grading The quality of a students work is appraised according to grade point averages. Fort Lewis uses the four-point system, which assesses grade points as follows: A = 4 points C = 2 points A- = 3.75 C- = 1.75 points B+ = 3.25 D+ = 1.25 points points B = 3 points D = 1 point B- = 2.75 D- = .75 point points C+ = 2.25 F = 0 points The grade point average, carried to two decimal places, will be computed by dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of credits attempted. Grades of X, S, P, W, NC, and NG do not affect the grade point average. The grade of X means the student has passed a course by special examination, CLEP, AP, or credit based on ACT scores or military service. The grade of P means that the student has passed a course on a Pass-Fail basis. The student must request this option at the time of registration. The grade of W signifies that the student has withdrawn from the course while passing. After census date, the instructor must assign a W or an F. The grade of S (Satisfactory) means that the student has successfully file:///D|/Temp/catalogs/course_catalog/catalog2001-02/acaPolicy.htm (1 of 8) [1/20/2011 7:54:57 AM] Fort Lewis College completed the course. The grade of NC (No Credit) means that the student did not complete the course. No credit is given nor is the grade figured in the grade point average. Certain courses are designated by the College to be S- or NC- graded courses. The grade of NG (No Grade) indicates that the instructor did not report a grade by the deadline for submission of final grades. Incompletes. A grade of Incomplete (I) is a student-initiated grade that must have the instructors approval. It is appropriate only under the following conditions: 1. The major part of the course requirement has been met. 2. The student is unable to complete the requirements in the term in which the course is taken for compelling and unforeseen reasons. 3. In the opinion of the instructor, the requirements can be completed by the student without repeating the course. If the course requirements are not completed within one year after the end of the appropriate term, the incomplete grade will revert to an F. (See below for the single exception to this change.) The dean of the school in which the course is offered may waive for good reason the one-year deadline upon petition by the student. If the student completes the course requirements within the time allotted, the instructor will initiate the grade change by filing a Special Grade Report form. When giving an Incomplete, the faculty member must file a Report of an Incomplete form with the dean and the Records Office, specifying in detail: (1) what work must be done in order to remove the Incomplete, and (2) the time deadline for completing the work. The student should sign this form at the time it is prepared. A copy of the form should be given to the student. An Incomplete cannot be removed by registering to repeat the course. When the student cannot complete the course material without repeating the course, he or she should not receive an Incomplete; W or F would be more appropriate. A course for which a student has a grade of I at the time of graduation cannot be used to satisfy any graduation or major requirement and is not counted in units attempted or GPA. In the event that a student has graduated prior to removing the Incomplete, the I grade will remain file:///D|/Temp/catalogs/course_catalog/catalog2001-02/acaPolicy.htm (2 of 8) [1/20/2011 7:54:57 AM] Fort Lewis College permanently on the graduates transcript. Grade Replacement Policy. When a course is repeated, all grades for that course will remain on the students record, but the credit will count only once. For the first 12 credits of repetition of courses in which the initial grade was C- or less, only the last grade earned will be counted in the grade point average. When a course for which the initial grade was C or better is repeated, or when a student has already excluded 12 credits of C- or lower grades from his grade point average, there shall be no exclusion of grades from the grade point average. The student should notify the Records Office of what courses to use for these 12 credits. Satisfactory No Credit Option. Courses that primarily utilize field experience may, at the discretion of the sponsoring school, be graded either satisfactory no credit, or with the traditional A through F letter grade system. Should the satisfactory no credit option be used, the courses may still be applied to either the major or General Education Requirements. Pass-Fail Electives. Students with a cumulative average of at least a C are permitted to take up to four pass-fail electives during their undergraduate career. The pass-fail basis is limited to elective courses only. Pass-fail may not apply to General Studies Requirements, Departmental Requirements, or Teacher Education Requirements. Students may take no more than one pass-fail elective in any one trimester and no more than 18 credits may be taken during the term they are carrying the pass-fail elective. Freshmen may not choose a course on this basis before their second term. Students taking a pass-fail elective must fulfill all necessary prerequisites for that course. Changes to or from pass-fail status after the beginning of a term is limited to the normal period for adding courses. Audit. Students may audit courses with the permission of the instructor if they desire to attend classes regularly but do not wish to receive grades and credit. Upon registration, the students must declare whether they wish to take a course for audit or for credit. Students may not change from audit or credit, or vice versa, after the closing date for adding classes in each trimester. When registering, students may take both audit and credit courses but the total should not exceed a normal load. Students auditing courses are required to pay fees at the same rate as if enrolled for credit. file:///D|/Temp/catalogs/course_catalog/catalog2001-02/acaPolicy.htm (3 of 8) [1/20/2011 7:54:57 AM] Fort Lewis College Students who wish to audit a course and later wish to obtain credit for it may do so by special examination, which requires an additional fee.