Enrollment Terms and Policies
Academic Regulations, Terms, and Conditions for General Courses
Grade reports
At the end of the eighth week of each semester, as well as at any other time deemed necessary, instructors report to the campus registrar the names of students who are not doing satisfactory work. Reports are then sent to the students whose work has been reported as unsatisfactory. All students receive grade reports at the end of each term.
Two-Semester Courses
In courses lasting two semesters, students are normally permitted to enroll in the second semester regardless of the grade earned in the first semester. However, students who have received no credit in the first semester of a foreign language or a subject in which the first semester is a prerequisite to the second must repeat the first semester before going on to the second semester.
Course Repetition
Students may repeat courses in order to improve grades, but credit is granted only once. The original grade also remains on the transcript, but only the highest grade is used in calculating the GPA. This policy does not apply to courses that, because their content changes, may be repeated for credit.
Credit
Credit is measured at the rate of 1 semester credit for every 15 academic hours of lecture-discussion work, 30 academic hours of laboratory, and 45 hours of practicum. The academic hour is 50 minutes.
Attendance
All students are expected to attend classes and official school events. In cases of personal or medical emergency, the campus director or campus registrar can issue permission for absence. All other acceptable reasons for absence are determined by the individual instructor. In all cases, students are responsible for making up missed course work. A student may be dropped from a course when, in the opinion of the instructor and the Academics Committee, repeated absence indicates that the fulfillment of course requirements is not being attempted.
Courses at Outside Institutions
Before enrolling in courses at outside institutions, students must receive approval from the provost, who determines whether or not Schiller credit will be granted for the course. Tuition costs for courses taken at other institutions are the responsibility of the student. Students may take up to 6 credits per semester at other institutions; these credits are included in the 19 credit hours per semester allowance. [Note: Graduate students may receive a maximum of 12 credits (MA in International Relations and Diplomacy, MA in Communications, or a 36-credit MBA) or 18 credits (other graduate programs) in transfer from outside institutions.] Students must in any case obtain written permission from the provost if they wish to receive credit for courses of study completed at outside institutions after enrollment at Schiller.
Withdrawal
Students who wish to be granted a withdrawal in good academic standing (W notation on the student's transcript) should consult with the campus registrar and complete a withdrawal form. A grade notation of NC or W is recorded on the student's permanent transcript for each course in which the student is enrolled. (Please note: This policy concerns academic withdrawal policy only. For refund information, please see the Refund Policy section.)
Standards of Conduct
Students accepted at Schiller International University are considered mature enough to value the educational and cultural opportunities that study in a multicultural environment affords. Schiller students are expected to behave responsibly, to exercise good judgment, to respect the rights and feelings of others, and to consider the customs and manners of the host country. Any kind of harassment, including hazing, will not be tolerated. Experience has demonstrated that such a basic attitude is essential to succeeding in and enjoying life and study in a foreign country. Academic honesty is expected and plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any student may be required to withdraw from Schiller or to vacate a dormitory if, in the opinion of the campus director and Rules Committee, the student has shown an unwillingness or inability to maintain Schiller's academic or general standards of conduct. The student may appeal to the provost. The provost's decision is final.
Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress
Students must show satisfactory academic progress according to the following criteria:
- Evaluations of academic progress will take place at the end of each academic year. Programs with a length of one academic year or less will be evaluated each term.
- Students must successfully complete 55% of all credits attempted at the first evaluation point (25% of maximum time frame) and 67% of all credits attempted at each evaluation point thereafter, as indicated in the evaluation table below.
- Students must have earned the indicated minimum grade point average at the evaluation points in their programs as noted in the table below.
- Students whose cumulative GPA is below that required for the successful completion of their programs (2.0 for undergraduates, 3.0 for graduate students) but is above that noted in the following table will be placed on probation, unless mitigating circumstances apply.
- At the end of the second academic year and at the end of subsequent years, students must have a cumulative GPA consistent with graduation requirements. Students who do not meet these requirements will no longer be eligible for U.S. federal financial aid unless mitigating circumstances are determined.
Academic years do not include summer sessions. Students may choose to shorten their study programs by attending summer sessions. Half-time students are those students enrolled for fewer than 12 credits per semester or fewer than 5 credits per summer session. (Participation may be dependent on a student's visa status.)
Note: Incompletes (I) must be made up within eight weeks of the end of the term in which the course was taken. If the work has not been completed within this time, the grade automatically becomes No Credit (NC). Pass/Fail grades (e.g., internship grades) do not affect the GPA. Courses may be repeated to improve grades. Credit is counted only once and the original grade remains on the transcript. (NC) grades, Withdrawal (W) grades, Pass/Fail grades, and repeated courses are all within the "credits attempted" category. Non-credit courses do not fall within this category.
Ascertaining Satisfactory Progress
At the end of each academic year (for one-year programs, at the end of each semester), the campus Academics Committee will review the progress of all students whose records indicate that they are not meeting criteria of minimum graduation GPA and successful credit completion requirements (67% of all credits attempted and cumulative GPA of 2.0 for undergraduates, 3.0 for graduate students). Unless the committee ascertains mitigating circumstances, such students will be placed on academic probation. The academic records of students on probation will be examined by the Academics Committee at the end of each term. Students on probation will not be allowed to register for more than 15 credits per term. They will be expected to reach at least a GPA of 2.0 (undergraduates) or 3.0 (graduates) and successfully complete at least 67% of all credits attempted each term. They may be required to retake courses. Students may remain on probation no longer than 50% of the maximum time frame for the program in which they are enrolled. Students who are not meeting minimum standards at the 50% point of the maximum time frame for their program will be placed on extended enrollment status (see below) or dismissed from the university.
Students on academic probation will be eligible for one semester of federal financial aid and other entitlements (such as state and VA). Students will be expected to meet the minimum requirements to reestablish satisfactory progress during this semester. If a student fails to meet the minimum standards or if it is determined that it will be mathematically impossible to meet the minimum standards, the student will be removed from all financial aid programs. Students who attain the minimum GPA and course completion requirements required by their programs will be considered to be making satisfactory academic progress and will be removed from probation, becoming again eligible for financial aid. Students who do not meet the above criteria at the indicated evaluation points must be placed on extended enrollment status. Students on extended enrollment status are not eligible for financial aid and will not be allowed to register for more than 15 credits per term. They will be required to seek to correct academic deficiencies by retaking courses and enrolling in remedial courses in order to reestablish satisfactory progress. Students will be placed on probation for one semester after having reestablished satisfactory academic progress. If, after this semester their cumulative GPA and course completion rate remains consistent with the graduation requirements of their programs, they will be removed from probation and will again be eligible for financial aid.
Note: In no case can a student exceed one and one-half times the standard time frame, either as a regular student or in an extended enrollment status, and receive the academic credential for which he or she was originally enrolled. Students exceeding the maximum time frame may receive a certificate of completion only.
Mitigating Circumstances
Serious illness, change of program, and English language difficulties that are clearly being overcome are mitigating circumstances. Other possible mitigating circumstances will be individually determined.
Transfer Students
A transfer student, as any other student enrolling for the first time, will be assumed to be maintaining satisfactory progress. Subsequent records at Schiller will be evaluated in terms of academic progress according to the above criteria and procedures.
Appeal
Students may appeal a determination of unsatisfactory academic progress by submitting a written petition to the campus Academic Committee. If the student can demonstrate mitigating circumstances, an exception may be made. The decision of the Academics Committee may be appealed to the provost. The provost's decision is final.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Schiller adheres to the provisions of the FERPA. Students have the right to review and to request amendment to their educational record, to approve in advance any disclosure of personally identifiable information, and to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education regarding any failure of the university to comply with this act. Additionally, it should be noted that the university is not specially equipped for handicapped students.
Transcripts
Students are entitled to one free transcript of grades earned at Schiller International University. Transcripts must be requested in writing by the student. A fee (listed under Special Fees) is charged for each additional transcript. Upon request, transcripts will be shipped by express courier directly to the receiving party. Students requiring express transcript service with courier delivery will be charged the urgent transcript fee per delivery to a U.S. or Canadian address. All other country addresses will incur a fee commensurate with the cost of delivery. All transcript requests should be addressed to the Office of the Main Registrar, Schiller International University, 300 East Bay Drive, Largo, FL 33770, USA.
Granting of Degrees
Graduates must fulfill all financial obligations, including tuition charges, fees, and other expenses before the degree is granted. Degrees may be awarded in absentia only after Commencement Exercises are held.
Academic Regulations for Summer Session Programs
Summer session students must enroll in at least one course in residence and may not enroll in more than 10 semester credit hours, including any independent study. (Participation may be dependent on a student's visa status.) Independent study is not permitted during the summer session unless the student is also taking a scheduled course in residence at the campus.
Registration - Retaining Fee (Thesis, Internship, etc.)
Students completing requirements for a degree (i.e., thesis, internship, etc.) must re-register each semester of the project. There is a retaining fee (see Special Fees). For MA program students, the thesis option will be indicated by a T grade until the thesis is completed. A T grade will be given for each semester thesis work is undertaken.
Terms of Enrollment
Students must enroll for at least one term of study and may begin their studies for fall semester (September) or spring semester (January). Enrollment for summer sessions begins in May or June, depending on the campus.
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