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L-2: DEGREE CHECKING

Baccalaureate and Associate Degree Graduation Requirement Review

  1. Students who expect to graduate at the end of the semester should inform the Office of the University Registrar of their intent to graduate by applying for graduation in the student information system. 

    The college is responsible for adding the Approved to Graduate status to the Graduation Tracker in the student information system for all students who meet graduation requirements. This will indicate to the Office of the University Registrar that the student has met all requirements and is approved for degree conferral.
  2. Colleges have the ability to monitor students who appear unable to meet the University graduation requirements for that semester via queries in the student information system. It is the college's responsibility to address all the problems identified by the queries available in the student information system. To do so, the college must work in collaboration with the student's major department, regardless of the student's location or registration status. If, after review of the query results, it is determined that a student does not meet graduation requirements, the college should add the Graduation Denied review status to the Graduation Tracker in the student information system. The student's major department or college will notify the student.
  3. The college, in collaboration with the student's major department, is responsible for verifying the following graduation requirements:
    1. completion of all course requirements for the degree (Senate Policies 82-20 and 82-60) and appropriate grades (i.e., C or better, Senate Policy 82-44)
    2. resolution of "R" (research) grades for courses applicable to the degree program (Senate Policy 49-40)
    3. residency requirements (Senate Policies 83-80)
    4. the minimum total number of credits required for the degree program
  4. Students who have not met the above requirements are ineligible to graduate and must be denied graduation by the college. Beginning five days prior to the final graduation deadline, colleges must mark students as Denied for Graduation on the Graduation Tracker in the student information system and notify the student of the removal. All students who are ineligible for graduation must be Denied Graduation by the graduation deadline.
  5. The dean of the college of the student's major has the authority to make appropriate exceptions to the minimum total number of credits required by the college for completion of the major and may approve waivers of, and/or substitutions for, specifically required courses. When a student is enrolled in concurrent majors, a dean may amend the total number of credits necessary to complete the second major. In such cases, no Senate petition is required.
  6. Requests for exceptions for 82-40 and the minimum requirement of 120 credits will be forwarded to the Office of Undergraduate Education, along with a justification for the exception. The Office of Undergraduate Education will review the request for exception and forward the information to the Office of the University Registrar.
  7. Upon approval of an exception, the college dean or academic department, if designated, will enter the exception information into the student information system. Exceptions will appear on the student's degree audit report.
  8. The dean of the college of the student's major may not, however, waive Senate Policies 88-30, 82-40, 48-40 or 48-50, nor waive the minimum university baccalaureate requirement of 120 credits. A student may not appeal and the Senate cannot accept petitions for exceptions to Policies 48-40 and 48-50 that prohibit graduation until all NG and DF grade designations are resolved and removed from the student's record. In instances such as amended credit requirements in a concurrent major, the exceptions must be forwarded in writing to the Office of the University Registrar no later than 3:00 PM on the graduation deadline.
  9. The Office of the University Registrar is responsible for verifying the following graduation requirements:
      • grade point average requirements for graduation with distinction (Senate Policy 88-30)
      • a minimum 2.00 cumulative grade point average (Senate Policy 82-40)
      • no DF or NG grades on transcript (Senate Policies 48-40 and 48-50)
      • minimum of 120 credits for baccalaureate or 60 credits for associate degree
  10. Students with graduation problems remaining unsolved by the deadline will be denied graduation by the Office of the University Registrar. The student's college(s) will be notified and the college will then notify the student in as timely a manner as is reasonable of the removal.
  11. Once a student has had their degree conferred, retroactive actions cannot be made to their academic record unless a documented administrative error has been identified and verified. If a faculty member attempts to enter a grade change after the degree has been conferred, they will be directed to submit the request through their academic college. If the student graduated in a different college, both colleges must be consulted before submitting the change to the Office of the University Registrar.

Senate Policy: 82-60 Exceptions to Degree Requirements
Senate Policy: 86-00 Candidates' Responsibilities and Options

Approved: ACUI (1-20-83)
Revised: ACAS (6-12-87)
Revised: ACAS (10-14-88)
Revised: ACUE (9-26-96)
Revised: ACUE (12-6-07)
Revised: ACUE (9-2-10)
Revised: Editorial (9-30-10)
Revised: Editorial (12-2-10)
Revised: ACUE (7-7-11)
Revised: ACUE (12-6-12)
Revised: ACUE (1-4-18)
Revised: ACUE (6-4-2020)
Revised: ACUE (7-6-23)