Academic Catalog 2013-2014

T H E R

O L I C I E S

General Policies

Non-Degree Special Student Status (NDSS)

Although students are normally accepted for study on the condition that they intend to complete requirements for a degree

program, other persons not applying for a specific degree program may be accepted as a non-degree seeking student.

Applicants must be committed to lifestyle standards that are consistent with evangelical Christians and the general ethos of

Columbia International University. Undergraduate applicants must hold a high school diploma or satisfy the requirements for

a high school concurrent student. Graduate applicants must at least hold a baccalaureate degree. A maximum of 12 graduate

hours may be taken as a non-degree seeking student. Students taking courses for professional development beyond the 12

credits will need to sign the Waiver of Credit Hour Limitation.

Return after Absence

Students who have not been enrolled for one to three semes

ters w

ill need to contact the Admissions office to complete an

internal rejoin process. Those who have been inactive for four

or mo

re semesters will need to reapply to the university. This

time frame does not apply to students enrolled in the Summer

M.Ed

. program. Students in this program who have missed two

consecutive Summer sessions must apply for readmission as o

utlined

above.

Postponement of Enrollment

When the enrollment and room deposits have been paid and a request for postponement is received prior to the originally

intended enrollment date, the deposits will be held for use by the applicant to enroll at a subsequent time. No refund, however,

is granted on cancellation following a postponed enrollment.

Veterans

CIU is approved by the state approval agency (the South Carolina Department of Education of the state of South Carolina) for

training persons eligible for benefits under Veterans Affairs programs. The VA certifying official is located in the Office of

Student Financial Services.

Undergraduate Policies

Admission of High School Students for Concurrent Enrollment

High school juniors and seniors may apply to enroll in college-level courses as part of CIU’s concurrent enrollment

opportunity. To enroll as a high school concurrent student, the student must submit an official high school transcript with the

application for admission. Students who are classified by their high school as a senior may register for lower division

undergraduate courses if they have a high school minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Students who are classified by

their high school as a junior may register for lower division undergraduate courses if they have a high school minimum

cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. A maximum of 24 credit hours may be earned as a high school concurrent student. To be

fully accepted into a CIU undergraduate program a student must provide a final, official transcript indicating high school

graduation.

Advanced Placement

CIU recognizes that individuals learn in a variety of ways. In some instances, this learning may be validated by taking a

standardized examination from an organization such as the College Entrance Examination Board or the American College

Testing Program. Applicants who have gained satisfactory scores on examinations such as those of the College Level

Examination Program (CLEP) or the Advanced Placement (AP) program will have test results evaluated similar to transfer

credit. For further information regarding AP credit, contact the Office of the University Registrar. Information on CLEP credit

may be obtained in the Academic Services office.

Campus Resident Living Requirement

Full-time students who are single and under 23 years old are required to live on campus. Students living with immediate

family within commuting distance are required to live on campus for a minimum of two semesters during their first year of

attendance at CIU. (This includes dependents of CIU employees.) The student must be 23 years of age before August 1 of the

current school year to be eligible to live off campus during that school year. Those who believe they have a legitimate reason

for special consideration to live off campus must submit a completed housing appeal form to the Residence Life office by June

1 for incoming Fall semester students and November 1 for incoming Spring students. The Housing Appeals Committee will

review all appeals.

Standardized Test Exemption for Older Students

An undergraduate applicant who is 24 years of age or older is not required to submit SAT or ACT test scores. If the individual’s

academic history demonstrates low performance and/or there is no previous college experience, the Admissions Review

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