This section of the catalog contains information about the university's general academic policies. All SWT students should review this information carefully when they enter the university. The information is divided into the following sections: (1) Registration, (2) Texas Legislative Requirements, (3) Academic Regulations, (4) Probation and Suspension Regulations, (5) Degree and Graduation Policies, (6) Academic Honors.
Learning and teaching take place best in an atmosphere of intellectual freedom and openness. All members of the academic community are responsible for supporting freedom and openness through rigorous personal standards of honesty and fairness. Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty undermine the very purpose of the university and diminish the value of an education. Specific sanctions for academic dishonesty are outlined in SWTexan.
Schedule of Classes. The Schedule of Classes contains CATS registration instructions, dates, and fee schedules, as well as a list of classes offered, meeting days and times, and locations. Also included are instructions on dropping a class or withdrawing, refund schedules, final exam schedules and other information that will be needed throughout the semester.
Academic Advising. The University encourages all students to seek academic advising before each registration and at other times when academic questions arise. In some departments and for some students, this advising may be mandatory. Students in the Undeclared program are advised through the College of General Studies, others through their major department and/or in the appropriate school advising center. Advisers help students understand academic requirements and plan schedules to meet those requirements as well as address the choice of majors and career preparation issues.
Correct Data. The student is responsible for making certain the University has correct demographic data. Changes in name, local and permanent address and phone number, marital status, etc. should be reported immediately to the Registrar's Office if an undergraduate student, or the Graduate Office if a graduate student. The University is not responsible for correspondence credits due to unreported name changes.
Privacy Act of 1974. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 protects the privacy of educational records, establishes the right of students to inspect and review their educational records, and provides guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data. Students also have the right to file complaints with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office concerning alleged failures by the university to comply with the Act. University policy explains in detail the procedures to be used in complying with the act. The policy is printed in the Schedule of Classes distributed by the Registrar's Office at the beginning of each semester. The policy is also contained in UPPS 07.08.01, "Access to Individual Student Data and Academic Records" and UPPS 01.04.31, "Access to Student Records Pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974," available in the Learning Resources Center. The Dean of Students and the Registrar both presume that each student is independent of his or her parents when dealing with the student's educational records. Procedures for establishing dependency status are available in both offices.
Undergraduate Student Classification. Classification is based on cumulative hours passed (not counting hours currently enrolled.)
Freshman = 0-29 hours
Sophomore = 30-59 hours
Junior = 60-89 hours
Senior = 90+ hours
Course Numbers. Courses listed in this catalog and in the Schedule of Classes follow a four-digit numbering system. The first digit indicates the level of the course: 1-freshman, 2-sophomore, 3-junior, 4-senior, 5 and 6-post-baccalaureate, 7-doctoral. The second digit indicates the number of semester credit hours the course carries. The last two digits usually indicate the location of the course in the department's curriculum. A letter (A, B, C, etc.) attached to a course number indicates an area of concentration within the course. The numbers in parentheses following a course title indicate the clock hours per week spent in lecture and in laboratory, respectively. A course preceded by (WI) is writing intensive.
Individualized Topic Courses. When a student registers for an individualized topic course, the instructor and student must agree in writing upon a specific topic or area of study. A copy of the agreement must be filed in the departmental or division office.
Texas Legislative Requirements
Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP). The main component of this program is a test that measures skills in mathematics, reading and writing. Beginning with the fall semester of 1998 all students, except those who are TASP Exempt, should take the TASP Test before their first semester in college at a Texas public institution of higher education. Students with the disabilities who need reasonable accommodations should refer to the section of the TASP Registration Bulletin dealing with Special Testing Accommodations. Deaf students who are not TASP Exempt should take the Stanford Achievement Test, Advanced 2 Level, instead of the TASP Test.
Some students are exempt from this test requirement. A student will be identified as "TASP Exempt" when SWT has received official proof that he or she satisfies any one of the following:
1. earned a Bachelor's degree from a school whose accreditation is recognized by SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools);2. passed 3 or more hours of college work before 9/1/89 from a school whose accreditation is recognized by SACS;
3. earned a composite score of at least 23 on a recent ACT test with at least 19 on each of the English and Mathematics parts ( ACT scores used for TASP Exemption must come from the same test date and that test can be no more than 5 years old.);
4. earned a Verbal plus Mathematics total of at least 970 on a recent SAT Test, taken before 3/31/95, with at least 470 on the mathematics part and at least 420 on the Verbal part OR earned a Verbal plus Mathematics total of at least 1070 on a SAT Test, taken after 3/31/95, with at least 500 on each of the two parts (SAT scores used for TASP Exemption must come from the same test date and the test can be no more than 5 years old.);
5. passed each part of the Exit Level TAAS test on the first attempt and scored at least 1770 on the Writing part, at least X-89 on the Reading part and at least X-86 on the Mathematics part (TAAS scores used for TASP Exemption can be no more than 3 years old.);
6. is deaf or blind and passed 3 or more hours before 9/1/95 from a school whose accreditation is recognized by SACS.
The Office of Admissions should receive your transcript and ACT or SAT or TAAS scores. The Office of Disability Services should receive the necessary documentation that the student is deaf or blind. The Office of Remediation Services may also receive TAAS scores. Any student exempt by reason 1, 2 or 6 may still need to take the TASP test if the student is in a degree program that includes teacher certification.
If a student fails one or more parts of the TASP Test, that student will be required to be in a developmental program in at least one of the areas failed, every semester that the student is in school (including summer sessions or mini sessions) until all parts of the TASP Test are passed. A student with a failing TASP score may not take any 3000 or 4000 level classes if the hours that student has earned plus the 3000 or 4000 level hours that student is trying to take add up to a number 60 or higher.
It is now possible to pass the TASP Test by earning grades of A or B in certain courses. There are conditions to be met. A student must fail a part of the TASP Test, complete a developmental program in that area and fail that part of the TASP Test again. If the area was writing and the student earns an A or B in English 1310 or 1320, then the student has passed writing. If the area was mathematics and the student earns an A or B in Mathematics 1315 or 1317, then the student has passed mathematics. If the area was reading and the student earns a grade of A or B in: English 2310, 2320, 2330, 2340, 2359, 2360; History 1310 or 1320; Political Science 2310 or 2320; or Psychology 1300, then the student has passed reading.
If you are an incoming student and you have taken the TASP Test and SWT does not have your scores, then go to the Office of Remediation Services. For all questions about TASP or TASP Exemptions call the Office of Remediation Services at (512) 245-3942.
Requirements in History and Political Science. Texas law requires that every student graduating from a state-supported college or university must take six semester hours of American history and six semester hours of American government.* Both of these requirements are included in the university's general studies program.
*According to current law, up to three semester hours of
credit in a junior or senior ROTC course may be applied to the
history requirement and up to three hours to the government
requirement.