212 / 319
212 │COLUMBIA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY 2018-2019 │ACADEMIC POLICY
ACADEMIC POLICY
Academic Catalog
A student’s program is governed by the catalog under which the student was admitted. Should a student break matriculation
for two consecutive regular terms (or two consecutive Summer sessions for M.Ed. students), the catalog in effect at the time
of readmission to Columbia International University must be used to satisfy the requirements for the degree. Students may
request a degree change by submitting a Degree Change Application form.
Academic Credit
An academic unit of credit at CIU is based on several criteria based on federal, institutional, and accreditation standards.
These criteria are based on instruction and learning activities, instructional time, assessment, etc. See
CIU Policy Library
(
www.ciu.edu/policy )for complete policy and procedures.
Academic Dean’s List
Any full-time undergraduate student (12 credits or more) who completes a semester of study with a minimum of a 3.5 GPA
during a semester will be identified and honored as a student on the Academic Dean’s List. Any undergraduate student who
completes a degree program maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above and has completed a minimum of 48 credit
hours in residence will qualify for graduating with scholastic honors. Grades from a student’s last semester in the student’s
degree program are not included in the determination of scholastic honors.
Academic Load
At the undergraduate level, students registered for at least 12 credits within a term are considered full time; those registered
for 8 to 11 credits are considered three-quarters time; and those registered for 6-7 credits are considered half time. At the
graduate level, students registered for at least 9 semester hours within a term are considered full time; those registered for
6 hours are considered three-quarters time; and those registered for 4.5 hours are considered half time. Full-time student
status in the Doctor of Ministry, Education Specialist, and Doctor of Philosophy programs is defined as 3 semester credit
hours within any of the three terms: Fall, Spring, and Summer.
Academic Petitions
Students seeking exceptions to program requirements or academic policies may submit an academic petition. Graduate-
level students seeking to transfer credit from another institution after matriculation must seek prior permission through an
academic petition. Courses taken without prior approval through petition may, in some cases, not be applicable as transfer
credit to the student’s CIU program. For details regarding academic petitions contact the Office of the University Registrar.
Advising
Each student is assigned a faculty advisor or a professional advisor according to the student’s program. Academic advising
is intended to foster developmental relationships between faculty members and individual students as a context for helping
students progress toward the academic, spiritual, and vocational goals of their program. Undergraduate students meet with
their academic advisors during two to three chapel periods each semester, during pre-registration periods, and when
counsel is desired. The advisor approves the courses the student selects and keeps a record of the student’s progress.
Students are encouraged to contact their academic advisors whenever they desire academic or spiritual advice. Students
in non-standard online programs will be assigned a professional advisor that will help facilitate open communication with
the university.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend all class sessions for all registered courses. Professors will provide their specific attendance
policies, including penalties for absences, within their course syllabi. Students will receive a failing grade for any course in
which they have missed more than 25 percent of the class sessions in any case. See
CIU Policy Library
( www.ciu.edu/policy )for complete policy and procedures.
Auditing
An auditor is one who registers to attend a class, but not for academic credit. Permission to audit is at the discretion of the
instructor; no more than 25 percent of students registered for any course may be auditors. Auditors are observers in the
classroom and are not expected to participate in class discussions or submit work except as authorized by the instructor.
Online courses are not available for audit. No course may be added for audit and dropped for credit, or vice versa, after the
drop/add period.
Auditors must register as an auditor (form available from the
Office of the University Registrar )and pay the audit fee (
Tuition
and Fees
). Please note that additional course fees may apply. Audited courses are entered on the student's transcript with
the symbol “AU.” Auditors also receive access to the course website associated with an audited course.