Academic Policies

Academic Policies listed below apply to all students unless specifically noted as undergraduate (UG) or the description specifically states the policy applies to graduate and/or professional students.

Attendance: Class attendance and participation policies are determined by individual faculty members within university, college and department guidelines. The University’s expectation is for students to attend all in-person classes and participate in online classes according to the expectations outlined in each course syllabus. Admission to the University obligates the student to observe these policies. If a student has excessive absences or stops participating in an online class, university policy permits the teacher to assign a grade of “withdrawn failing” (WF) for the course, which counts as an F in the grade-point average. Students who receive WF grades in three classes during a semester will be withdrawn from their remaining courses and their academic standing will be updated at the end of the semester.

Students must contact their instructor before missing class for medical reasons and should reference the attendance policy in each course syllabus to determine when an excuse is required from a healthcare professional. It is the responsibility of the teacher of the class(es) missed to evaluate all other absences.

The Provost Office will process requests for excused absences for official representation of the University, an administratively-approved field trip or required seminar, court subpoena, military responsibilities, the death of an immediate family member, or other extenuating circumstances. Students are responsible for assignments and work missed because of any absence.

Concerning undergraduate students:

• Disability Services will process requests by students who have self-identified with that office for excused absences due to chronic health issues.
• Requests for excused Chapel absences are processed by the Student Life Office.

• Dual-enrolled students are required to meet the same attendance policy as other students.

• For more information concerning absences in Bible classes, see the Bible Attendance Policy below.

Auditing: Students may register for courses on a non-credit basis. Since class seats are reserved for students enrolled for credit, students will not be allowed to enroll for audit until the first day of classes. Once a student enrolls for either credit or audit the status of the enrollment cannot be changed. In an audited course, no grade will be assigned. The fee for auditing a course is one-half tuition. All students sitting in a class must be enrolled for credit or audit. 

Bible Class Enrollment (UG): Students who enroll in more than eight hours in a semester (fall or spring) are required to take a Bible class, which must meet on-ground and be taken for at least two hours of credit. Graduate courses taken concurrently with undergraduate courses by a student pursuing an undergraduate degree are included in the total hours when determining if a Bible class is required, except in the last semester before the student earns a bachelor’s degree.

Attendance is compulsory in the required Bible class regardless of the grade being earned, and it cannot be dropped. A student who has excessive unexcused absences in Bible (“excessive” is defined as equal to or greater than 20% of the class meetings) will be placed on Bible Attendance Probation, will lose the privilege of priority registration, and will be required to sign a Bible attendance contract in the Provost Office prior to registering for the next semester. (Students who have already registered will not be able to register during the next priority registration.) A student who has excessive absences in Bible in more than one semester will be suspended from the University for a minimum of one term.

Bible Class Exemptions (UG): Students are exempt from Bible once they pass eight semesters of Bible and have fulfilled the Liberal Arts  Scripture, Truth, and Ethics requirement. A Bible Class worth two or more credit hours in the summer equates to a semester of Bible. Successful completion of a second Bible course during a full semester International Program will permit a student to apply this course to the Bible requirement for a future semester, provided that the second Bible class is taught by a College of Bible and Ministry instructor. The student may apply this benefit in the future semester of their choice. Students have a one-semester exemption from Bible if they are participating in supervised teaching or social work field placement. Degree-seeking post-baccalaureate students who have met the graduation requirement for Bible are not required to take additional hours of Bible. Non-degree seeking post-baccalaureate students are exempt from Bible.

Bible Class Substitutes for Specific Majors (UG): The following courses are Bible substitutes only for specific majors (noted in the course description) and may be taken once to meet the Bible enrollment requirement by those who have already satisfied the 8-hour Liberal Arts requirement in textual Bible: ART 3750 , BUS 4350 , COMM 4550 , EDFD 4400 , ENG 4100 , NURS 4130 , and PHS 4100 .

Classification (UG):

Certificates: A minimum of 12 hours is required for a certificate program. Students completing a certificate must complete the graduation application in Pipeline the semester before the final course. Students will be charged a $30 fee for the certificate, which will be printed and mailed by the Registrar’s Office. Certificate students will not be eligible to participate in Commencement unless they complete a degree in the same final semester. Certificates are not eligible for financial aid unless specifically approved by the university through a process with the financial aid office.

Concurrent Enrollment (UG): Upon enrollment at Harding University, students are generally expected to do their coursework at Harding. However, if a student wishes to take a course at another institution accredited by an agency nationally recognized by the US Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation during a semester that he or she is enrolled at Harding - known as concurrent enrollment - the student must petition to receive credit prior to enrolling in the course using the Transfer Course Pre-Approval form in Pipeline. The student should also consult with his/her advisor. Concurrent enrollment includes such courses as resident courses, online courses or correspondence courses.

Students may not participate in concurrent enrollment during their first semester at Harding, nor in their final semester at Harding. During a student’s semester of graduation, all courses must be taken from Harding University.

Once enrolled at Harding University, a student should plan to take their classes at Harding. A maximum of 18 total hours of transfer credit may be taken at other institutions during the summer or through concurrent enrollment. All transfer courses must be approved by the Registrar’s Office before enrolling in the course at the other school.

Students may transfer courses, with pre-approval, from community colleges after enrollment at Harding, but those courses cannot fulfill upper-level requirements within a student’s major. Any upper-level course required within a major must be taken at Harding or from a 4-year college or university where the course is considered an upper-level course at that institution.

Hours of credit taken concurrently at another institution will be included in determining the maximum load permitted for any semester, including summer. In the fall and spring semesters, concurrent credit counts toward the application of the policies regarding Bible class enrollment, attending chapel, and living on campus. The hours will be added to the semester in which the course ends.

Courses from other institutions taken concurrently will not count as hours enrolled for financial aid eligibility.

Consortial Courses: When Harding cannot offer a course at a time or format the student needs, then the student may request to complete the course from another institution through a consortium agreement. Consortial courses function like Harding courses in that they are charged the same tuition rate through the Harding account, are financial aid eligible, affect the institutional and cumulative GPAs, and can be completed during a student’s final semester.

Course Numbering: Generally, courses are numbered:

• 1000-1999 for freshmen
• 2000-2999 for sophomores
• 3000-3999 for juniors
  • Courses numbered 3000 or above are not open to freshmen.
  • Courses numbered 3000-3999 are primarily for juniors and seniors, but sophomores may enroll in these courses with the consent of the instructor and the department chair or dean. 
  • Courses numbered 3000-4999 count as upper-level credit.
• 4000-4999 for seniors
  • Courses numbered 4000-4499 are open only to juniors and seniors.
  • Courses numbered 4500-4999 are open only to seniors.
• 5000 and higher for graduate and professional students. 
  • Courses numbered 5000 and higher are open to approved undergraduate students and may satisfy undergraduate requirements in approved programs. 

Course Offerings: All courses are offered as indicated, with sufficient enrollment. The university reserves the right to cancel any class that is deemed to have insufficient enrollment, generally defined as fewer than 10 enrollees in the fall and spring and fewer than 6 in the summer. Graduate and professional course enrollment may be lower.

Course Prerequisites: Course prerequisites represent guidelines for student success. However, prerequisites may be overridden if a justifiable reason in the judgment of the dean, department chair, or program director is established. Students must earn a C or higher in a prerequisite course, and some courses may require a higher grade for the prerequisite(s). Prerequisites do not constitute graduation requirements, which are specifically listed in the catalog under the section titled “Graduation Policies and Procedures .”

Course Substitution: A student is expected to meet all degree requirements in order to graduate. However, a course substitution can be approved if a justifiable reason in the judgment of the dean, department chair, or program director is established. The course to be substituted should be in the same area as the required course or in a closely related area.

Developmental Courses (UG): Leveling work may be needed in order to meet the prerequisites for more advanced courses or to remediate students deemed under-prepared based on standardized test scores. The University Studies Department and English as a Second Language Program and International ADVANCE Program  offer developmental courses to prepare students for full entry into college-level courses.

Developmental courses do not count toward graduation but are included in GPA calculations and count toward athletic eligibility and financial aid eligibility. Other leveling work may decrease the number of elective hours and/or increase the number of hours in a degree.

Examinations: Students are expected to take all scheduled examinations. Course policies for making up examinations will apply. Procedures for making up examinations differ from teacher to teacher. Teachers are under no obligation to give make up opportunities for unexcused absences. Students must be allowed a make up opportunity if they miss an examination because of illness confirmed by the school nurse or a family physician, participation in a school-sponsored activity, or other cause sanctioned by the provost.

Faculty may choose to make use of the testing center and/or may administer exams outside of regularly scheduled class hours. Specific information regarding scheduled course exams will be provided in the course syllabus.

Final Examinations: Final examinations in lecture classes may not be taken before final examination week (labs, kinesiology activity and 5000-level and above classes are exceptions). Exams may be changed within that week, subject to the approval of the teacher. The Change of Exam form may be found in Pipeline. A change of examination fee, listed in the Special Fees  section, is charged except for confirmed illness and official school representation.

Full/Part time Status: Undergraduate students enrolled in 12 or more hours per semester are classified as full-time students. Those enrolled in fewer than 12 hours per semester are classified as part-time students. However, part-time students who enroll in more than 8 hours per semester, including concurrent enrollment, are subject to housing, Bible-course, and chapel-attendance policies.

Graduate Students enrolled in nine or more hours per semester are classified as full-time students. Part-time status may vary by program, but is generally defined as being enrolled in less than nine hours.

Federal financial aid is dependent upon the number of hours for which a student is enrolled. Federal loans will have to be adjusted if dropping or not attending a class changes enrollment status.

Graduate Credit for Undergraduate Students: Undergraduate students who have not been accepted into an accelerated degree program but are within 15 hours of earning the baccalaureate degree may petition to enroll in graduate/professional courses. The student must contact the dean of the college that provides the graduate/professional program to receive permission for enrolling in graduate/professional courses. The number of courses will be determined and approved in advance by the dean. Taking graduate/professional courses does not change a student’s level from undergraduate to graduate/professional. Undergraduate students are not eligible to receive federal financial aid for graduate coursework unless the coursework fulfills an undergraduate requirement.

Accelerated Programs: Well-prepared undergraduate students may be accepted into an accelerated degree program. Students in accelerated programs may utilize designated graduate/professional courses to satisfy requirements in undergraduate and graduate/professional programs simultaneously. The designated graduate/professional courses are defined by each accelerated program. All undergraduate and graduate/professional coursework in the accelerated program count towards the combined program of study. Federal tax credits, such as the American opportunity tax credit and the lifetime learning tax credit, are affected by changes in student classification, so students should plan appropriately.

In accelerated programs, a student’s level, undergraduate or graduate/professional, is determined by both the student’s progression and the type of program. Students who receive undergraduate scholarships will pay the higher of the undergraduate or graduate/professional tuition rates for graduate/professional courses. Accelerated programs fall into one of the following two-level transition types:

• Definite-Transition:
  • In Definite-Transition programs students are changed to a graduate/professional level following the accomplishment of the undergraduate portion of their program of study.
  • Definite-Transition programs direct students to take all graduate/professional courses after finishing the undergraduate requirements. This does not prohibit students in these programs from taking undergraduate courses if needed.
  • Up to 2 semesters of remaining undergraduate institutional aid, awarded by the undergraduate admissions office, can be used by students in Definite-Transition programs after changing level to graduate/professional.
• Mixed-Transition:
  • In mixed-transition programs students are changed to graduate/professional level when either of the following occurs:

    • The student is granted an undergraduate degree.

    • The student earns 128 hours and attends 8 full time semesters at Harding.

  • Mixed-Transition programs direct students to take both undergraduate courses and graduate/professional courses that apply toward the undergraduate program during the final semesters of undergraduate study. 
  • Undergraduate institutional aid, awarded by the undergraduate admissions office, can only be used by students in Mixed-Transition programs when the student is classified as undergraduate.

Students entering graduate programs through traditional pathways (i.e., following completion of the program prerequisites and/or a baccalaureate degree) are classified as graduate/professional students upon matriculation to the graduate program into which they are admitted.

In accelerated degree programs, at least 75% of the credits allocated for a graduate degree must be for courses designed for graduate work. 

International Students (UG): International students are required to take HIST 1010  or HIST 1020  and POLS 1787  to fulfill University requirements. The Liberal Arts  global perspectives requirement is considered met for all international students. Important information may also be found in the International Student Handbook. *This encompasses 9 hours required for graduation and 3 elective hours.

Internships (UG): An internship experience is valuable for a student. The following policies are in place to provide consistent quality of the internship experience.

1. All internships must be approved in advance by the supervising faculty member, and the dean/chair of the student’s area of study. Deadlines for approval are the semester prior to the experience for fall/spring semesters, and June 1 for summer internships.
2. Every internship must have a syllabus associated with the course. Students are expected to obtain and review the syllabus upon application for an internship to be fully aware of all expectations and responsibilities.
3. Students seeking internship approval must request the required forms (available to faculty on Pipeline) from the supervising faculty member, and submit the forms prior to beginning work.
4. A minimum of 75 hours of work is required for each hour of college credit sought. Documentation of actual hours worked will be collected and maintained by the supervising faculty member and department.
5. There must be an evaluation of the student’s work submitted by the on-site supervisor. There may be other academic assignments required of the student in addition to hours worked. These may include journals, papers, or projects.
6. Internship credit can only be earned in the term in which the work is performed and cannot be earned retroactively.

The internship policy and application are available in Pipeline.

Many departments have a cooperative education course (internship) offered as 3670 or 5670. Additionally, the Academic Resource Center offers UNIV 3670-3676  for other departments.

Majors and Minors (UG): Every degree program requires a major, which should be chosen as early as possible. Majors include 30 or more hours. A minor of 18 hours from another field may be required for majors with fewer than 48 hours. Within these majors 18 hours must be upper-level, and 6 hours of the minor must be upper-level.

Broad-area majors consist of 48 or more hours, 24 of which must be upper-level. A minor is not required.

Minors consist of 18 or more hours. Hours in the minor may be reduced by courses in the Liberal Arts  and Bible. Courses counted in a major may be counted in a minor as long as the student’s major(s) and minor(s) are from different academic departments or the minor explicitly allows sharing within a department.

An embedded minor is a minor that is completed as part of a broad-area major that has at least 30 additional hours not included as part of the minor. Required education courses may satisfy minor requirements for K-12 and secondary content areas with teacher licensure. Each department or major may choose to allow required education courses to satisfy minor requirements, upon completion, of their respective program. These courses do not comprise a minor; rather, they satisfy the minor requirement upon completion. Education courses will be determined by the College of Education, as determined to meet best practices, competencies, standards, licensure, and state and federal regulations, and as approved by university approval system. Advisors in respective majors may still encourage students to pursue a minor if they desire to do so, especially if it would enhance their professional goals.

Students who change their major will be moved to the catalog currently in effect on the date the major is changed.

Majors - Double (UG): Students pursuing two or more majors must complete the requirements for each major including 18 hours that count uniquely towards each major. No minor is required for double majors.

Majors - Dual Degrees: Undergraduate students earning two baccalaureate degrees at the same graduation must complete the requirements for both degrees including 18 hours that count uniquely toward each major and earn 18 hours beyond the degree with the most required hours. Two identical degrees (for example, two B.A.s or two B.B.A.s) may not be awarded at the same commencement.

Graduate and professional students who are within 6 hours of earning their degree and who are in their last semester of their program may enroll in courses for another graduate degree if they have been admitted in advance to the new program. In such a situation, the maximum credit load still applies. The concurrent PharmD/MBA program is an exception to this policy.

Majors - Special (UG): Students who choose a vocation for which there is no cataloged major in many cases may arrange a program of study through the provost and appropriate dean or department chair.

Maximum Credit Load: The maximum semester load for graduate students is 15 credit hours unless the program specifies otherwise. Some programs may have lower maximum requirements. In the event of extenuating circumstances, the dean may consider exceptions not to exceed 18 hours. The maximum semester load for students in the Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, and Physician Assistant programs shall not exceed 22 semester hours. Documentation of such approvals must be provided to the Registrar’s Office to include in the student’s record.

The normal course load for undergraduate students is 16 hours per fall or spring semester. Many first-semester freshmen, however, should limit loads to 14 or 15 hours. The maximum default load for freshmen is 18 hours. The following undergraduate students are eligible to apply for more than 18 credit hours in the fall or spring term:

• sophomores whose cumulative grade point average is 3.0 or who have earned a 3.0 the previous semester may carry up to 19 credit hours
• juniors and seniors whose cumulative grade point average is 3.0 or who have earned a 3.0 the previous semester may carry up to 20 credit hours
• seniors who have applied for graduation may carry up to 21 credit hours in order to graduate without extending their enrollment another term. Seniors must have a 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA and major GPA to be eligible for consideration.

Maximum load includes hours earned through concurrent enrollment. Under no circumstances may an undergraduate student enroll in more than 21 credit hours, including hours earned through concurrent enrollment. Dually enrolled students are limited to no more than 8 hours. The maximum load for students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate/professional courses (i.e., students in accelerated programs) is 18 hours. In the event of extenuating circumstances, the dean may consider exceptions not to exceed 21 credit hours.

The summer maximum academic course load is 15 credit hours. A student whose cumulative grade point average is 3.0 or who has earned a 3.0 the previous semester is only eligible to apply for 16 credit hours if at least one course chosen is offered as either an eight-week or extended term class. Students enrolled in a summer international program may carry 16 credit hours or apply for 17 credit hours for that term.

For shorter parts-of-term, the maximum course load is three credit hours for each two-week part-of-term, six credit hours for each four-week part-of-term, nine credit hours for each six-week part-of-term, and 12 credit hours for each eight-week part-of-term.

Eligible undergraduate students must complete the required Overload Request form found on the Student tab in Pipeline.

A course may be offered in a part-of-term (POT) that is shorter than the full term. The following table summarizes the maximum credit hours that can be earned in a common POT.

Post-Baccalaureate Students: A student who has completed a bachelor’s degree will be considered post-baccalaureate until admitted into a graduate program. Students enrolling at Harding to obtain an additional bachelor’s degree are required to meet all graduation requirements, including the 8-hour textual Bible requirement. A Bible course that meets at least three hours a week is required in semesters during which more than 8 credit hours are taken unless the graduation requirement for Bible has been met. Cumulative hours must total at least 18 new hours beyond the first bachelor’s degree for a second bachelor’s degree. Each additional bachelor’s degree requires at least 18 additional hours of credit. Additional liberal arts hours will be required if the first degree has less than 35 earned hours of liberal arts coursework, which do not include Bible.

Repeat Courses (UG): A student may repeat any course previously taken. The highest grade will be counted in the grade point average. Students may not raise their grade point average by repeating a course and then withdrawing. All grades earned appear on the transcript regardless of whether or not they are counted in the grade point average.

Summer School Enrollment at Another Institution (UG): Any summer school course that a current student plans to take at another institution accredited by an agency nationally recognized by the US Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and then transfer to Harding must be pre-approved by the registrar before the student enrolls in the course. The maximum credit load policy will be enforced. The required forms should be submitted two to three months prior to the start date of the course and may be found on the Student menu in Pipeline.

Transfer Students (UG): Students who transfer from an institution within the United States accredited by an agency nationally recognized by the US Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation will have credits evaluated on a course-by-course basis, and approved courses will be transferred as equivalents to Harding courses or as elective credit. All credits appearing on a transfer transcript will be posted to the Harding transcript, regardless of grade earned. To assist in understanding transfer credit, students may visit the site www.harding.edu/about/offices-departments/registrar and click on Course Equivalency. Follow the instructions in locating the transfer institution and accepted credit from that school. For colleges not in this database, contact the registrar for information.

Students whose credits were accepted as elective may submit a course description for each course to the registrar for review. In some areas of study, the course description may be submitted to the chair of the department for review.

Students who transfer from an institution within the United States not accredited by an agency nationally recognized by the US Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation will have credits evaluated based upon course descriptions and in some cases may be required to have credit validated by the chair of the department of the course in question. Validation of a course may require an examination by the student.

Harding University does not accept continuing education (CE) courses or units or courses from vocational/trade schools as elective credit or to satisfy requirements for any degree. These credits do not transfer to Harding and will not appear on the Harding transcript.

Transfer credit counts as upper-level credit only if the course has junior-senior status at the institution where taken. All work transferred from a junior college is considered lower-level except for 3000-level courses taken in an approved third-year program.

A transfer student is required to have at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average on all previous coursework attempted at previous institutions for unconditional admission. Students admitted with less than a 2.0 cumulative grade point average will be placed on academic warning or probation, which may result in academic suspension if the student does not complete the semester at Harding with a 2.0 grade point average.

Students certifying to teach must still meet all Arkansas certification requirements. In some instances, upper-level courses may substitute for lower-level courses for students who did not graduate with an associate’s degree.

Transfer - Associate Degree (UG): Students who have graduated with an Associate’s degree prior to transferring to Harding University may satisfy Harding’s Liberal Arts  requirements if the following courses have been completed:

Bible (textual) - 8 hours; communication - 3 hours; art, music or theatre appreciation - 3 hours; natural science - 6 hours; mathematics - 3 hours; social science (must include 6 hours of American and/or world history) - 12 hours; kinesiology - 2 hours; personal finance - 1 hour, English composition and literature - 9 hours; and global perspectives - 3 hours.

Students certifying to teach must still meet all Arkansas certification requirements. In some instances, upper-level courses may substitute for lower-level courses for transfer students who did not graduate with an associate’s degree.

Transfer - International Students (UG): International students or any student who transfers from an institution from outside of the United States should submit an official transcript, including certified English translated copies. Students should be aware that these documents may be submitted to a third-party credential service by Harding for an official evaluation. This process may take up to three months. The student will be charged for this service. Courses completed at an overseas college will be evaluated on an individual basis, and course descriptions will be required. Students should be aware that some courses may require validation by examination.

Transfer - Military Affiliated

• Active Duty and Veteran Servicemembers
  • ​Students who have completed their branch of service’s basic training may be allowed to receive credit hours (CR) for one of the following combination of courses after they have submitted an official copy of their Joint Services Transcript (JST) or an official copy of their Community College of the Air Force/Air University transcript:
    • Six hours in MSS 1011 (1), 1012 (1), 2011 (2), and 2012 (2)
      or
    • Six hours in MSS 1012 (1), 2012 (2), KINS 1010 (2), and KINS 1330 (1)
      or
    • Six hours in KINS 1010 (2), KINS 1330 (1), and Kinesiology elective (3)
• ​​Transfer - Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)
  • Basic Camp: ROTC students who have completed Basic Camp may be allowed to receive the following credit hours (CR) by submitting a memo from the Professor of Military Science (PMS).
    • Six hours in MSS 1011 (1), 1012 (1), 2011 (2), and 2012 (2)
  • Basic Training: ROTC students that have completed their branch of service’s basic training may be allowed to receive credit hours (CR) for one of the following combinations of courses after they have submitted an official copy of their Joint Services Transcript (JST) or an official copy of their Community College of the Air Force/Air University transcript:
    • Six hours in MSS 1011 (1), 1012 (1), 2011 (2), and 2012 (2)
      or
    • Six hours in MSS 1012 (1), 2012 (2), KINS 1010 (2), and KINS 1330 (1)
      or
    • Six hours in KINS 1010 (2), KINS 1330 (1), and Kinesiology elective (3)
  • Regardless of which type of training the student has completed (Basic Camp or Basic Training), a memo from the PMS must be received by the Registrar’s Office before any MSS credit is posted to the student’s Harding transcript.

Grades

The following grade scale may be used depending on program type to indicate student performance in each course.

* Quality points are not assigned for these grades, and therefore, they do not affect the GPA.

Undergraduate transfer students with (+/-) grades will have their quality points adjusted in accordance with the transfer school’s policy.

An “I” may be assigned only when the student has been unable to complete a course for sudden, unexpected, and unavoidable circumstances at the end of the term. The faculty member must request an “I,” and the provost must approve it. A grade of “I” is considered to be an “F” for grade point average computing purposes until it is removed, and it becomes an “F” automatically if not removed by the deadline. The deadlines for removing an “I” are as follows: fall incompletes by the end of the eighth week of the spring semester; spring incompletes by July 1; summer incompletes by the eighth week of the fall semester.

CR/NC and S/U grades can be used if approved for a class. CR and S grades indicate credit is earned toward graduation. NC and U grades indicate no credit is earned and progression requirements are not met.

Grades are available electronically for all students and are not mailed.

Change of Grade: After a final grade has been reported to the registrar, the only basis for changing the grade is error on the part of the faculty member in calculating or reporting the grade. The grade change must be submitted by the faculty and approved by the provost before the student record is amended. Students appealing a grade should see the Academic Grievance Procedures  section of the Catalog.

Grade Point Average (GPA) Computation: Cumulative GPA is calculated based on total quality points earned divided by total GPA hours. Transfer credits will be calculated into the cumulative GPA (except for credit from international schools).

Dean’s List: A Dean’s List is published at the end of the fall, spring, and summer terms honoring those undergraduate students who achieve high scholarship for that term. To be eligible a student must be classified as an undergraduate and earn a 3.65 GPA on 12 or more hours of work at Harding with no missing or incomplete grades. The term GPA for the Dean’s List includes all grades at Harding for the term under consideration at the time final grades are posted to the transcript.

In the College of Pharmacy, a first, second, or third professional year student whose ratio of grade points to hours is 3.80 or higher for 12 or more semester hours during a term is given the Dean’s List standing at the end of the semester. 

Graduation with Honors: Graduating seniors and Pharmacy graduates who achieve at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA graduate cum laude. Those with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.75 graduate magna cum laude, and those with a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher graduate summa cum laude. Undergraduate students who complete their degree with a 4.0 cumulative GPA with no repeated courses are eligible for the President’s List.

Academic Standing: For graduate and professional programs, the policies on academic standing may vary from program to program. It is imperative that each student become familiar with the policy for his or her specific program. Such policy statements are available in this catalog and/or the program handbook. Students on academic probation as defined by their program are not eligible to represent the University in any extracurricular activities, such as, but not limited to, serving on any committee or holding an elected office in any University organization. Students holding such appointed or elected positions must resign the position as soon as they are notified of their academic probation.

Undergraduate students who make less than satisfactory academic progress will be identified as being on Academic Warning, Probation, or Suspension as defined below. Academic Probation and Suspension appear on the official transcript. In the chart below, cumulative hours attempted refers to the attempted hours used to calculate the cumulative GPA, and appears on the unofficial transcripts as GPA Hours.

Academic Warning (UG): This status applies to students with less than a 2.0 institutional or cumulative GPA on less than 61 cumulative hours attempted. It alerts students who are in danger of being put on academic probation and may include some stipulations. Students on Academic Warning are required to meet with an academic advisor before registration.

In addition, first time transfers with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 and an institutional GPA of at least 1.5 in their first semester at Harding will be placed on Academic Warning, not Academic Probation.

Academic Probation (UG): This status applies to students who have an institutional or cumulative GPA below the prescribed minimum for cumulative hours attempted. In addition, students who fail to earn a semester GPA of at least 1.0 in a fall/spring semester will be placed on Academic Probation. However, the University may also academically suspend any student who fails to earn a semester GPA of at least 1.0 during a given semester. Academic Probation is removed only at the end of a semester in which the cumulative, institutional, and semester GPAs meet the appropriate requirements. A student may attend summer school to raise the GPA enough to be removed from Academic Probation for the fall semester.

Students on Academic Probation are limited to 16 credit hours and are not eligible to represent the University in any extracurricular activities, such as, but not limited to, athletics (both intercollegiate and club level), cheerleading, chorus, debate, band, dramatic productions, international programs, Spring Sing, and student publications. The consequences of Academic Probation begin on the first day of class in the following fall/spring semester. Representing the university includes public performances and trips but not regular meetings and practices.

Students on Academic Probation are required to complete UNIV 1600 . The schedules of students who receive a WF grade (assigned an F for failure to attend) in UNIV 1600 will be dropped, and the student will be suspended for one additional semester. Students receiving a grade of F in UNIV 1600 will be suspended for the following semester. Students receiving a grade of D in UNIV 1600 but with a GPA high enough to avoid suspension will be limited to part-time hours the following semester. Students must successfully complete UNIV 1600 with at least a grade of C in order to avoid being required to repeat this course in future semesters. Students who previously completed UNIV 1600 with a grade lower than C who move into academic standing other than Good Standing will be required to repeat UNIV 1600 when enrolled. Students on Academic Probation who have previously successfully completed UNIV 1600 are required to complete UNIV 1610, which is not for credit.

Students on Academic Warning or Academic Probation are encouraged to repeat courses in which they have earned a grade of D or F; this is the quickest strategy for raising the GPA.

Academic Suspension (UG): Failure to move out of Academic Probation status by the end of the next semester results in Academic Suspension. However, no student will be suspended at the end of a term in which a 2.25 semester GPA has been attained. Failure to earn a semester GPA of at least 1.0 during consecutive semesters will result in Academic Suspension.

The first academic suspension is for one semester (not counting summer); the second academic suspension is for two semesters (not counting summer); subsequent academic suspensions are for an indefinite period of time.

An appeal of Academic Suspension can be made to the Undergraduate Academic Standing Review Board by submitting the “Academic Suspension Appeal” form online from the student’s Pipeline account. For more information, contact the Provost Office (provost@harding.edu). An appeal committee decision that results in an override allowing the student to register for the next term does not remove the status of Academic Suspension.

Students on disciplinary suspension may not appeal academic suspension.

Reinstatement after Academic Suspension requires readmission through the Student Life Office and an academic progress contract with a director of the Academic Resource Center. A reinstated student will be on Academic Probation.

Students who have either appealed their Academic Suspension and are allowed to return or who have been reinstated following an Academic Suspension will be required to take UNIV 1610  offered through the Academic Resource Center. Suspended students who have not successfully completed UNIV 1600  may be required to complete this course, instead of UNIV 1610 , upon their return.

A student placed on Academic Suspension following the spring semester may appeal their suspension and be approved by the Academic Standing Review Board for a program of summer courses. If satisfactory progress is achieved in the summer courses, the student may be readmitted for the fall semester. For any suspension appeal, the conditions established by the Academic Standing Review Board supersede the rules of the standard academic standing policy.

Courses taken at other schools when students are on Academic Suspension will not be accepted for credit at Harding unless pre-approved by the Academic Standing Review Board and Registrar’s Office.

Examinations (UG)

Harding requires 93 hours of credit by formal course instruction, including classroom instruction, independent study, co-op and field work, online courses, contract courses, and correspondence courses.

Beyond this, students may earn course credit by taking examinations outside the formal classroom environment. There is no limit to the number of credits that may be earned by special examinations. All credit by examination earned prior to enrollment must be recorded on the transcript by the end of the first term of enrollment. All credit by examination earned after initial enrollment must be recorded on the transcript by the end of the term in which the credit is earned. All credit by examination for lower-level courses must be earned and recorded on the transcript before a student earns 90 hours of credit. Once credits are recorded on the student transcript, they cannot be removed, and the recording fee will not be refunded.

The catalog in force at the time credit is recorded on the transcript determines the course credit that has been earned.

The Harding Testing Office offers many of the standardized tests such as ACT, SAT, CLEP, PRAXIS, etc. For the most current test schedule or to register for an exam, view www.harding.edu/testing on the Web. In general, tests administered in the Testing Office are subject to an administrative fee (see Special Fees  section).

Advanced Placement (AP): Harding grants credit for courses completed in the Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board. A table of available AP exams, minimum qualifying scores accepted by Harding, courses for which qualifying scores may earn credit, and number of hours which may be earned, is below. No grade is assigned, and no tuition is charged. Students must order an official AP score report to be sent from The College Board directly to Harding. Submission of the score report authorizes Harding to post any applicable course credit to the student’s transcript. A fee is charged for each course recorded on the transcript (see Special Fees  section), to be paid through the Harding Business Office. Students can ask the Registrar’s Office to have AP credit removed and the fee refunded for any course in which they have AP credit. All AP credit must be recorded on the transcript by the end of the first term of enrollment. Freshmen earning AP credit may take sophomore-level courses in the subject where credit was earned.

Students may be awarded credit for scores on other AP exams; inquiries should be directed to the Testing Office.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP): Harding is a CLEP test center and awards credit for specific courses. No grade is assigned and no tuition is charged. A fee is charged for each course recorded on the student’s transcript (see Special Fees  section), to be paid in cash or by check at the Harding Business Office.

Harding University will accept CLEP exam credit for a course if the score meets university guidelines and if:

• the CLEP credit is earned and recorded before a student earns 90 hours of credit.
• the CLEP exam is taken before the student enrolls in the course
• the CLEP exam is taken before the student enrolls in a similar or higher level course (e.g., CLEP credit cannot be earned in MATH 1330  after enrolling in MATH 2300 .)
• the CLEP exam is taken before the student enrolls in another course for which the CLEP can be applied as credit
• the CLEP exam is taken before the student enrolls in another course which can be applied for credit in the course (e.g., HUM 2730  can be used for credit in ENG 2010  or ENG 2020 , HIST 2100  or HIST 2110 , or ART 1010 /MUS 1010-1015 /THEA 1010 , so CLEP cannot be used for credit in these courses after a student has enrolled in HUM 2730 .)

Students should consider taking CLEP exams if their ACT score is 27 or higher or if their SAT critical reading and math score is 1200 or higher.

The CLEP Examination table contains cutoff scores for credit in courses at Harding. Students may be awarded credit for scores on other CLEP subject exams; inquiries should be directed to the Office of Testing.

International Baccalaureate (IB): Credit for other IB courses with minimum HL scores of 5 may be granted after consultation with the appropriate department chair. No credit is awarded for the subsidiary exams, and no tuition is charged. A fee is charged for each course recorded on the student transcript (see Special Fees  section), to be paid in cash or by check at the Harding Business Office.

Credit by Department Examination: To encourage independent achievement, Harding offers students the opportunity to earn credit by taking comprehensive course examinations. Entering freshmen with outstanding high school records and examination scores may receive credit by examination for courses which largely duplicate completed high school work. Enrolled students with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher may also earn credit. Any student enrolled or previously enrolled in a course would not be eligible for credit by examination in that area.

Students must apply on a form supplied by the Registrar’s Office and obtain approval of the instructor, department chair/dean (as applicable). A Credit by Examination fee (see Special Fees  section) is due at the time of application. A grade of C or higher must be achieved in order to earn credit; the grade earned is recorded on the student’s transcript. A fee is charged for each course recorded on the student’s transcript (see Special Fees  section), based on the credit hours awarded, to be paid in cash or by check at the Harding Business Office.

Credit by examination deadlines: 1) Credit by examination earned prior to initial enrollment must be recorded on the transcript by the end of the first term of enrollment. 2) Credit by examination earned after initial enrollment must be recorded on the transcript by the end of the term in which the credit is earned. (See Special Fees  section.) 3) Credit by examination for lower-level courses must be earned and recorded on the transcript before a student earns 90 hours of credit.

The catalog in force at the time credit is recorded on the transcript determines the course credit that has been earned.

Exemption Examination: Students may earn exemption from most required Liberal Arts courses by passing appropriate comprehensive examinations. There is an Exemption Examination fee (see Special Fees  section) for each course attempted. No credit is awarded. Any student enrolled or previously enrolled in a course would not be eligible for an exemption exam in that area.

Validation: Students who have taken courses of study at an institution not accredited by an agency nationally recognized by the US Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or in non-collegiate programs such as hospitals, business schools and vocational schools may validate college credit for such study through comprehensive examinations for comparable courses offered at Harding.

There is a Validation Examination fee (see Special Fees  section) for each course attempted. A grade of C or higher must be achieved in order to earn credit; the grade earned is not recorded on the transcript. A fee is charged for each course recorded on the student’s transcript (see Special Fees  section), to be paid in cash or by check at the Harding Business Office. Validation credit counts toward the 93-hour course instruction requirement for graduation.

Academic Clemency (UG)

Act 1000 of 1991 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas requires that state colleges and universities establish policies for academic clemency for undergraduate students. Harding University has a policy whereby students may petition the University to have previously earned grades and credits removed from the calculations of their cumulative grade-point averages. To be considered for academic clemency, the student must meet the following criteria:

Eligibility

1. The student must not have been enrolled in any institution of higher education for a minimum of five consecutive years.
2. Students who have a cumulative grade point average greater than 1.99 in the semester(s) for which academic clemency is requested are not eligible.
3. Students who have completed a degree are not eligible for clemency.

Conditions

1. The student may submit a written request for academic clemency at the time of admission and no later than the completion of 12 semester hours at Harding University. This request is to be submitted to the Registrar’s Office. Upon verification by the registrar that the student has met all requirements, the student will be granted academic clemency.
2. Academic clemency can be granted only once.
3. Academic clemency will be granted when a student completes a minimum of 12 semester hours at Harding University and earns a minimum 2.00 grade-point average for those hours.
4. Academic clemency will cover all credits earned during the semester(s) for which it is granted. The student may not choose partial semesters or courses. All courses will be affected. Although these credits will not count toward graduation requirements, they will remain on the student’s comprehensive transcript. Courses on which academic clemency is granted will not be used in the computation of the cumulative grade-point average. The courses will be indicated on the transcript as zero credit hours.
5. The comprehensive transcript will contain a notation indicating the date that academic clemency is granted.
6. Federal and state financial aid regulations and requirements for veteran’s benefits will prevail over institutional academic clemency policy if there is a conflict.
7. Policies related to academic clemency pertain only to Harding University and students should understand this may not be honored by other institutions.