undergraduate bulletin - LaGrange College

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS, TIME RESTRICTIONS
Coursework requirements in major programs necessarily change in response to evolving
curriculum concerns and changing student needs. Students' major requirements are governed by
the Bulletin in force at the time of the declaration of the major. The declaration of major is
initiated with the chair of the respective department.
At the discretion of the department chair, students may be required to demonstrate proficiency
and/or currency in the subject matter if the major coursework is older than five (5) academic
years. Normally, credit hours earned in the major may not be applied to the completion of the
major if the hours earned are older than eight (8) years, dated from the student's initial
matriculation.
Students who have been out of school longer than two (2) years must again declare their majors.
INDEPENDENT STUDY IN THE MAJOR
In certain majors, independent study courses are offered. These courses are limited to upper-class
major and minor students who have completed at least two-thirds of their particular major or
minor program, and who wish to pursue a special problem or course of reading beyond that taken
up in any formal course and lying within the capabilities of the library and laboratories. In order
to be eligible for independent study, the student must have at least a 3.0 average in major
courses. Total credit which can be earned through independent study normally will not be more
than six (6) semester hours. Written permission to enroll in such a course must be obtained from
the instructor, the chair of the department concerned, and the Provost. A descriptive syllabus
(including the method of evaluation) must be submitted with the petition.
ASSESSMENT IN THE MAJOR
The faculty members who are responsible for instruction in the major programs have identified
specific objectives for a major in that discipline. There is an assessment (devised by the faculty
in the discipline) that determines the extent to which the objectives have been met by the student.
That assessment is a requirement for students who graduated in June 1990, or who will graduate
thereafter. The assessment styles are varied. Students should carefully explore with their adviser
in their intended major the nature of the assessment. A satisfactory assessment in the major is a
requirement for the degree. The chair of the department offering the major must certify
satisfactory completion of the assessment component.
Students who fail to complete satisfactorily the assessment in the major and exhaust
reassessment opportunities at the departmental level may appeal the decision of the department
as described in the Academic Procedures and Regulations section.
ADVICE AND COUNSELING IN THE MAJOR
All students are assigned an academic adviser. Prior to the declaration of a major, a student is
advised by a member of the faculty in a discipline related to the student‘s area of interest.
Subsequent to declaring a major, the student and the department chair work together in planning
a program. Selecting the proper courses in order to complete the desired degree is the
responsibility of the student.
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