Undergraduate Catalog - Fairmont State University

Academic Information
TRANSCRIPTS
Students at Fairmont State are entitled to official transcripts of
their record. Students who fail to meet their financial obligations
to Fairmont State or to any of its departments will not be given
transcripts.
A request for a transcript of credit should be made in writing
and should include name, both maiden and married, the date of
last attendance at Fairmont State and social security number. All
requests for transcripts should be sent directly to the Registrar.
Students may access the transcript request form online at www.
fairmontstate.edu. It takes 3-5 days to process requests. While
there is no charge for transcripts, there is a limit of three requests
per day. Rush service is available (limit 3 per day) at a charge
of $9.00 per transcript and transcripts are mailed or available for
pick up either the same day or next business day.
NUMBERING OF COURSES
Courses for freshmen (1000 series) and sophomores (2000
series) constitute the lower level of curriculum. Courses
numbered (3000-4499) are primarily for juniors and seniors.
Courses numbered 5000 and above are graduate courses. All
Liberal Studies requirements consist of lower-level courses which
should be completed by the end of the sophomore year.
Students are strongly advised to take at least eight hours of
Liberal Studies courses each semester until the requirements
have been met.
ACADEMIC PROCEDURES
Semester Load: In order to be considered for permission to carry
more than 18 hours in a given semester, a student must have
an overall GPA of 3.0. In addition, the student must have a 3.0
GPA from the previous term OR be enrolled in the last semester
prior to graduation. Student Credit Load Exception forms must
be signed by the Dean of the College and Provost if student is
taking over 21 hours.
Declaring a Major: All undeclared students must select a major
field of study by the beginning of their junior year.
Late Registration: Late registration fees are assessed in
accordance with the fee schedule cited under “Expenses and
Financial Aid.” Late registrants often fail to obtain satisfactory
schedules; the policy of the institution is to give priority to
students who register on time.
Schedule Changes: Students may not add new classes to their
schedules after registration has ended. However, within the first
week of classes, students can drop and/or add classes. Classes
that are dropped during this period do not appear on students’
transcripts.
Dropping a Class(es): Students may drop a course(s) with a “W”
being recorded up to the Friday during the:
a.) 10th Week of a Full Semester
b.) 5th Week of the 1st 8 Week Session
c.) 5th Week of the 2nd 8 Week Session
d.) 5th Week of the Weekend College
e.) 3rd Week of the 1st 5 Week Summer Session
f.) 3rd Week of the 2nd 5 Week Summer Session
g.) 8th Week of the 10 Week Summer Session
Students may drop a course by logging on to www.
fairmontstate.edu. Select “Enrollment Center” from the “Quick
Links” menu and enter the “Secure Area Log-in.”
Excessive Course Withdrawal Fee: (Effective August, 2006)
Students who drop individual classes will be charged a $50.00
fee for each course from which they drop after the allowable
maximum. Community College students may drop a total of
four courses before the fee is charged. University students may
withdraw from a total of eight courses before the fee is charged.
Withdrawal from Fairmont State: Students can withdraw from
the institution with “W” being recorded prior to the last week of
classes. Students who fail to follow this procedure will receive
grades of “F.” Withdraw by logging on to www.fairmontstate.edu.
Students can select “Enrollment Center” from the “Quick Links”
menu and enter the “Secure Area Log-in.” Students are urged to
print a copy of the transaction for their records.
Repeating a Course (Effective: August 2007)
Fairmont State University enforces Series 22 of the West
Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission as follows:
If a student earns a grade of “D” or “F”(including failures due to regular
and/or irregular withdrawal) on any course taken no later than the
semester or summer term during which the student attempts the sixtieth
semester hour, and if that student repeats this course prior to the receipt
of a baccalaureate degree, the original grade shall be disregarded and
the grade or grades earned when the course is repeated shall be used in
determining his/her grade point average. The original grade shall not
be deleted from the student’s record. Courses passed with a grade of ‘C’
or better may not be legally repeated.
Courses completed at Fairmont State with a grade of “D” or “F”
may be repeated at any West Virginia public institution, provided
the course at the other institution is deemed an equivalent course
by Fairmont State and the above stipulations are met. Regularly
enrolled students who complete work at another accredited
institution must secure written permission from the registrar
before attempting such course work. The transfer grade policy
will apply to these grades.
Courses taken at other West Virginia public institutions that
are legally repeated at Fairmont State will be a part of the repeat
process, provided the course at the other institution is deemed an
equivalent course by Fairmont State and the above stipulations
are met.
Minimum Residence Requirements for Graduation: For an
associate degree at least one semester’s work (at least 16 credit
hours) and at least 8 of the last 16 hours in residence are required.
For the certificate degree at least eight semester hours work in
residence in required.
For a four-year degree, at least one year’s work in residence is
required, and one semester of it must be in the senior year. A ‘’year
of residence’’ must represent not less than 32 hours credit, and a
semester is defined as a minimum of 16 hours credit. Exception
is made in the case of students who have completed three years
of required work at Fairmont State University and who decide to
complete the senior year by substituting approved credit earned
subsequently in a college of medicine or dentistry.
Application for Graduation: Candidates for graduation must
officially apply for a degree in the Office of the Registrar. This
44 Academic Information Fairmont State University