You are in the official 1999-2000 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
California State University, Fresno is authorized to grant
the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master
of Science, Master of Business Administration, Master of Fine
Arts, Master of Physical Therapy, Master of Public Administration,
Master of Public Health, and Master of Social Work degrees. California
State University, Fresno, in partnership with the University of
California, Davis also offers a Doctoral Degree (Ed.D.) in Educational
Leadership. See School of Education and Human
Development for public school credentials for which the university
is authorized to recommend candidates.
Additional Requirements. Courses from one or more departments
or programs that are required in support of the major. Such courses
are not included in the minimum 2.0 grade point average required
in the major for graduation and may be waived or substituted at
the discretion of the major department or program. Additional
requirements normally may be applied toward a minor. Additional
requirements may also be applied toward General Education unless
specifically prohibited by the major department.
Concurrent Enrollment. The term concurrent enrollment
is used to describe several different types of enrollment:
Core. A common set of courses within a major or minor that
all students are required to complete.
Double-Counting. Allowing one course to fulfill two separate
requirements concurrently; e.g., allowing one course to fulfill
both a major requirement and the upper-division writing skills
requirement, or allowing one course to fulfill both a major requirement
and General Education requirement.
Electives. Courses/units a student selects to complete
the total unit requirement for the baccalaureate degree.
Grade Point Average (GPA). The grade point average is a
measure of academic scholarship and performance which is computed
by dividing units registered into grade points earned. Three separate
GPAs are computed:
A minimum of a C average (2.0 GPA) for units in the
major, all California State University, Fresno units, and total
units is required for a baccalaureate degree. (See Grade
Symbols and Grade Points, Degree
Requirements. ) Master's degree students have a higher minimum
GPA requirement. (See Graduate Studies Advancement to Candidacy,
Grade Requirements.)
Major. Set of required courses from one or more departments
designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences
necessary to pursue a specific career and/or advanced study. A
student must earn a 2.0 grade point average in all courses required
for the major, except "additional requirements," in
order to graduate. (Minimum Title 5 requirements: B.A. degree
24 units of which 12 must be upper division exclusive of General
Education; B.S. degree 36 units of which 18 must be upper division
exclusive of General Education.)
Minor. The minor consists of a set of required courses
from one or more departments or programs. It is less comprehensive
than the major. Courses fulfilling requirements for a minor usually
may be counted toward General Education. Refer to the description
of the specific minor for exceptions. Courses counted toward a
minor may not be counted toward a major, except for those major
courses designated as Additional Requirements. In the case of
double minors, students are allowed to double count some coursework
to fulfill both minors. However, each minor must include 12 units,
6 of which are upper-division, that are not a part of the other
minor. A minor may be earned only at the time a student earns
the first baccalaureate degree.
Option. Set of required courses within a major in addition
to the major core courses that emphasizes one important aspect
of that school, department, or program.
Prerequisite Requirements. (1) Course or courses that must
be completed before a higher level course may be taken, sometimes
allowed by the instructor to be taken concurrently. (2) Courses
outside the major department that must be completed before admission
to the major.
Recommended Courses. Courses that the department faculty
believe would be beneficial for a student to take but are not
mandated or required as part of the major.
Units. A credit or semester unit represents one hour of
class work per week for one semester. It is assumed that two hours
of preparation are required for each hour in class. Three hours
of laboratory per week are the equivalent of one unit. In a limited
number of courses two hours of laboratory per week are the equivalent
of one unit. Also, two hours of activity or studio (art, dance,
music, physical education) are normally equivalent to one unit
of credit. One quarter unit of credit is equivalent to two-thirds
of a semester unit.
Units registered and units allowed are terms that appear on the
student's grade report, transcript, and evaluation. Units registered
is the column used for GPA calculation. The units allowed column
is used to determine units completed toward the total unit requirement
for the degree.
Election of Regulations. An undergraduate student must fulfill degree requirements from one catalog, not the most favorable requirements from two or more catalogs. As long as a student maintains "continuous attendance,"* he or she may elect, for purposes of fulfilling graduation requirements, one of the following:
*A student may not begin "continuous attendance"
while still enrolled in high school.
Continuous attendance is defined as
being officially enrolled at least one semester or two quarters
during a calendar year regardless of the number of units completed.
Also, a student is considered to have been in attendance even
if he or she registered and totally withdrew from school during
that semester/quarter as long as the official transcript so indicates.
Once a student establishes catalog rights in the CSU or California
Community College system, he or she may attend any accredited
college or university for no more than two years and maintain
catalog rights. A planned educational leave maintains a student's
continuous attendance status. (See Planned
Educational Leave of Absence.)
Any break in attendance of one calendar year or longer breaks
a student's continuous attendance status which results in the
loss of catalog rights to all catalog choices prior to the break
in attendance. It should be noted that enrollment in Summer Session,
Open University, and extension and correspondence courses does
not establish catalog rights nor contribute toward continuous
attendance to maintain catalog rights. A loss of catalog rights
could result in one or more additional semesters to meet new catalog
requirements especially in the major and/or General Education.
Once a student graduates, however, all rights to the original
catalog are terminated.
Graduate (master's) students fulfill requirements based on an
approved advancement to candidacy petition. These requirements
are based on departmental and university requirements as published
in the current catalog at the time of advancement. Continuous
enrollment is likewise defined differently for master's students.
(See Graduate Studies. )
Undergraduate transfer students are generally evaluated under
the degree requirements listed in the General Catalog at the time
they enter California State University, Fresno. Transfer students
should contact and adviser in their major department for an evaluation
of prior coursework.
Upon completion of approximately 90 semester units, students should
request a senior evaluation from the Evaluations Office. This
evaluation shows all requirements completed and any remaining
baccalaureate degree requirements. Only one senior evaluation
is made for each student. A degree evaluation is completed during
the semester a student files for graduation. (See Graduation
and Commencement.) Students
should keep their personal copy current.
All transcripts submitted in support of an application for admission
become the property of the Records Office and are not returnable.
Students are strongly encouraged to obtain duplicate copies of
their records from high school and prior college attendance for
their personal file.
A - Excellent. Performance of the student has demonstrated
the highest level of competence, showing sustained superiority
in meeting all stated course objectives and responsibilities and
exhibiting a very high degree of intellectual initiative. (4 grade
points per unit.)
B - Very Good. (1) Performance of the student has demonstrated
a high level of competence, showing sustained superiority in meeting
all stated course objectives and responsibilities and exhibiting
a high degree of intellectual initiative. (3 grade points per
unit.)
C - Satisfactory. (2) Performance of the student has demonstrated
a satisfactory level of competence, showing an adequate level
of understanding of course objectives, responsibilities, and comprehension
of course intent. (2 grade points per unit.)
D - Unsatisfactory. (2,3) Performance of the student has
been unsatisfactory, showing inadequacy in meeting basic course
objectives, responsibilities, and comprehension of course content.
(1 grade point per unit.)
F - Failure. Fails to meet course objectives. Work at this
level does not meet requirements for credit toward a degree. (O
grade points per unit.)
U - Failure Unauthorized Withdrawal. (4) The symbol U indicates
that an enrolled student did not complete course requirements
and did not properly withdraw from the course. It is assigned
when, in the opinion of the instructor, completed assignments
or course activities, or both were insufficient to make normal
evaluation of academic performance possible. (O grade points per
unit.)
CR - Credit for units allowed,
work of A, B, or C quality in undergraduate courses and A or B
quality in 200-level courses. (O grade points per unit; units
allowed for the degree.)
NC - No credit for units registered for, work of D or F
quality in undergraduate courses and C, D, or F quality in 200-level
courses. Replaces I grade in courses where CR/NC grading is used
if required work is not completed within required time. (O grade
points per unit; no units allowed.)
W - Withdrawal after the fourth week of instruction. (Not
used in grade point calculation.)
I - Incomplete. Semester
requirements at least two-thirds complete with work of passing
grade. (Not used in grade point calculation.) See Incomplete Grade
Explanation , which follows.
RD - Report delayed. Grade must be cleared before
a degree is awarded. (Not used in grade point calculation.)
SP - Satisfactory Progress. Continuing work in progress.
(No units allowed and not included in grade point calculation
until grade is assigned.)
AU - Audit. Grade indicates student's status as auditor
and does not earn degree credit.
Audit Status (AU). Persons wishing to attend classes
without matriculating or receiving college credit may register
as auditors. Auditors must register during the late registration
period. Students enrolled in audit status only may not transfer
to credit status without completing admission procedures. This
must be done within the first two weeks of instruction.
Matriculated students may audit courses in addition to those in
which they are registered for credit.
Enrollment in a course as an auditor shall be permitted only after
students otherwise eligible to enroll on a credit basis have had
an opportunity to do so. Auditors are subject to the same fee
structure as credit students. Regular class attendance is expected
and the student may be required to participate in any or all classroom
activities at the discretion of the instructor. An audited course
is not listed on the student's permanent record if the requirements
for auditing the class are not met. A student who is enrolled
for credit may not change to audit after the fourth week of instruction.
Credit for courses audited will not subsequently be granted on
the basis of the audit. (See the current Schedule of Courses.)
Credit/No Credit Grading (CR/NC).
The credit/no credit grading policy at California State University,
Fresno is designed to encourage academic exploration outside the
major field of study. The policy also recognizes that in certain
types of courses, student performance is best evaluated in terms
of credit/no credit grading rather than through the traditional
letter grades.
Neither the CR nor NC grade is included in the calculation of
the grade point average. The grade of CR is assigned if the student's
work is judged to be equivalent to an A, B, or C grade as applicable
to regular enrollment in an undergraduate course or equivalent
to an A or B grade in a 200-level course.
The NC grade is assigned if the student's work is not equivalent
to these standards:
See the current Schedule of Courses for further information.
__________
Incomplete (I). The symbol I (Incomplete Authorized) indicates
that a por tion of required coursework has not been completed
and evaluated in the prescribed time period due to unforeseen,
but fully justified, reasons and that there is still a possibility
of earning credit. In order to be eligible for an I grade, the
student must have completed at least two-thirds of the required
coursework with a passing grade. It is the responsibility of the
student to bring pertinent information to the attention of the
instructor before the end of the semester and to determine from
the instructor the remaining course requirements that must be
satisfied to remove the incomplete. A final grade is assigned
when the work agreed upon has been completed and evaluated. Reregistration
in the course is not used to remove an I grade.
Normally it is expected that the student will make up an I grade
during the next semester; however, it must be made up within one
calendar year immediately following the last day of the semester
/session during which it was assigned. This limitation prevails
whether or not the student maintains continuous enrollment.
Failure to complete the assigned work will result in the I being
counted as a failing grade for grade point average computation.
An I grade not made up within one calendar year after the grade
has been recorded is changed to an F (or an NC if CR/NC grading
was approved).
Incomplete grades must be cleared before a degree is awarded.
In the absence of the instructor who has assigned the incomplete,
a student seeking to make up this grade should consult the department
chair. A student may not be required to repeat a course in which
an I grade was received unless he or she wishes to receive credit
and the time for making up the grade has passed.
A short-term extension of time may be granted with justification
by contacting the Office of the Registrar prior to the last day
of the second semester/session.
Satisfactory Progress (SP). The SP symbol is used in connection
with courses that extend beyond one academic term. It indicates
that work in progress has been evaluated as satisfactory to date
but that assignment of a final grade must await completion of
additional work. The SP may be
used only in courses designated on the approved SP grade course
list published by the Office of the Provost and Vice President
for Academic Affairs. Cumulative enrollment in units attempted
may not exceed the total number applicable to the student's educational
objective.
While completing work on an SP or an I, graduate students not
enrolled in regular session coursework for a letter grade are
required to maintain continuous enrollment at California State
University, Fresno. This may be accomplished through enrollment
in "0" unit GS Continuation. Exception: Graduate students
enrolled in Project 298 or Thesis 299 receive an SP at the end
of the first semester of enrollment and are advised to complete
work on the culminating experience during four additional semesters,
subject to the five-year overall time limit for completion of
all master's degree requirements. In addition, if an SP in 298/299
is not replaced by a final grade within two years as recommended,
the student's major department may require him or her to reregister
for the course. (See Graduate Studies
.)
Unauthorized Withdrawal (U). The symbol U indicates that
an enrolled student did not complete course requirements and did
not properly withdraw from the course. It is used when, in the
opinion of the instructor, completed assignments or course activities,
or both were insufficient to make normal evaluation of academic
performance possible. For purposes of grade point average computation
this symbol is equivalent to an F. The U will not revert to any
other grade.
Withdrawal (W). The W symbol indicates that the student
was permitted to drop the course after the fourth week of instruction
for serious and compelling reasons with the approval of the instructor
and appropriate campus officials. It carries no connotation of
quality of student performance and is not used in calculating
grade point average.
Grading. Students are expected to complete all requirements
for a class by the end of the semester unless an incomplete is
permitted by the instructor in accordance with university policy.
Students shall not be assigned additional work or be allowed to
revise previous assignments in order to improve a final grade.
College Syllabus and Record Keeping. All faculty members
shall provide students at the beginning of each semester a syllabus
or outline stating course goals and objectives including grading
methodology, types and number of projects, written assignments,
tests, experiments, etc.
Grade Substitution by Repetition
of Courses. An undergraduate student may repeat an undergraduate
course at California State University, Fresno. If the original
grade was D, F, U, or I, and the subsequent grade is the same
or higher, the student may request that the new grade be substituted
for the original grade. If that substitution is requested and
made, only the substituted grade will be used in determining the
student's grade point average. If the original grade was C, CR,
or better, or if the subsequent grade is lower than the original
grade, or if the student fails to request the substitution, both
grades will be used in computing the student's grade point average.
Grade substitution can be made only once for each course.
A course in which a grade of NC was earned may be repeated but since the NC grade does not affect the grade point average, no substitution is necessary.
To substitute a grade by repetition at California State University, Fresno, the student must file a Grade Substitution Petition form with the Admissions/Records Office Service Windows, Joyal Administration Building, by the last day of the semester/term during which the course is being repeated. Requests submitted after this date will be assessed a late fee.
A course attempted at another institution may be repeated by enrolling in a regular California State University, Fresno course determined by the Evaluations Office to be equivalent. A course for which grade substitution has been granted at another institution may not be repeated for grade substitution at California State University, Fresno. In addition, a course taken at California State University, Fresno may not be repeated for grade substitution at another institution.
Post-baccalaureate students pursuing (1) a second baccalaureate degree, (2) a second undergraduate major, (3) a teaching credential, or (4) no specific objective, are also free to repeat a course and request grade substitution on the same basis as undergraduates provided the original course was completed when the student had post-baccalaureate standing.
Post-baccalaureate students pursuing a doctoral or master's degree may, with approval of an adviser, repeat a course for academic credit, regardless of what grade was originally earned in the course. However, the student is not eligible to petition for grade substitution. All course work taken, beginning with the first term of the student's doctoral or master's degree program is used in determining the student's grade point average and graduation eligibility.
For further information, see the Schedule of Courses or the
Grade Substitution petition form which is available at the public
contact windows, North Lobby, Joyal Administration Building.
Academic Renewal. Under certain circumstances, the university
may disregard up to two semesters (three quarters) of previous
undergraduate coursework taken at California State University,
Fresno or at any other college from all considerations associated
with requirements for the baccalaureate degree. When such action
is approved, the student's permanent academic record is marked
to indicate that no work taken during the disregarded term(s),
even if satisfactory, may apply toward baccalaureate requirements.
However, all work must remain legible on the record ensuring a
true and complete academic history.
In order to qualify for renewal, all of the following conditions
must be met:
For further information or to apply for academic renewal, contact
the Admissions Office, (559) 278-2191.
Planned Educational Leave of Absence
Undergraduate Degree-Seeking Students. A planned educational
leave of absence is defined as a planned interruption or pause
in a student's regular education during which the student temporarily
ceases formal studies at California State University, Fresno,
while pursuing other activities that may assist in clarifying
the student's educational goals. The intent of the policy is to
make it possible for a student to suspend his or her academic
work and later resume studies with a minimum of procedural difficulty.
A student who is approved for a planned leave will be considered
a continuing California State University, Fresno student. A student
with an undergraduate degree objective may, therefore, enroll
for classes at the end of an approved leave without reapplying
for admission and may continue at California State University,
Fresno without changing graduation requirements.
Since an approved leave does not affect time requirements for
completion of a credential or master's degree, a planned leave
normally does not apply to students seeking such objectives.
Planned educational leaves may be granted for a variety of reasons
or projects, but certain characteristics must be contained in
any request for a leave:
The following regulations apply to the planned educational leave:
Students wishing to apply for a planned educational leave should
obtain a re quest form from the admissions officer, Joyal 106,
(559) 278-2191.
Student Academic Petitions. The Student Academic Petitions
Committee has the authority to permit exceptions to university
baccalaureate degree requirements when fulfilling the degree requirement
would prove to be an undue hardship for the student and/or such
an exception can be demonstrated to be educationally justifiable.
The committee will take action only upon the submission of a formal
petition by the student that sets forth the facts and circumstances
that may warrant special consideration.
Petitions and procedural information are available in the Office
of Advising Services. The Petitions Committee does not
make decisions pertaining to substitutions for undergraduate and
graduate major requirements. Such requests are initiated through
the student's department. Requests to waive established university
policy governing graduate study may be addressed to the dean,
Division of Graduate Studies. If a request cannot be accommodated,
it is forwarded to the Graduate Committee.
Grade Protests. The Student Academic Petitions Committee
also has the responsibility of handling grade protests for all
students, undergraduate and postbaccalaureate. Students, who believe
they have been graded unfairly or incorrectly by an instructor,
should consult first with the faculty member concerned within
the first 15 working days of the following semester and make every
effort to resolve the issue. (On many occasions when students
contact the instructor about a grade thought to be assigned unfairly,
they learn that the instructor actually made a recording error.
This will be remedied when the instructor obtains a Grade Correction
Request form from the departmental secretary and submits the completed
form to the Admissions and Records Office.)
If the issue is not resolved, students should then consult with
the department chair. If a student still believes that the grade
was assigned unfairly or incorrectly after completing this process,
the student then may request that the Student Academic Petitions
Committee review the issue. Before requesting such a review, students
should make an appointment with an academic counselor in the Office
of Advising Services (Joyal, Rm. 224; 278-1787) to discuss their
particular situation and to receive a copy of the university's
grade protest policy as well as additional procedural instructions.
Students then must submit a written statement no later than
midsemester setting forth all pertinent details to the director
of Advising Services, who chairs the Petitions Committee.
Satisfactory Scholarship. Satisfactory scholarship means
at least a C average (2.0 grade point average or twice as many
grade points as units attempted) and satisfactory progress toward
a degree for undergraduate and postbaccalaureate students without
a master's degree objective. Graduate (master's degree) students
must maintain at least a B average.
A student (undergraduate, postbaccalaureate or graduate) whose
grade point average falls below the satisfactory scholarship level
is placed on probation and is disqualified if the grade point
average falls below probation levels. (For details see next page.)
Only the most recent probation or disqualification action appears
on the student's transcript.
Probation. Undergraduate students are placed on academic
probation, a type of academic warning, if their:
Students remain on academic probation until both overall and
California State University, Fresno grade point averages are 2.0
or better, or until they are disqualified under one of the provisions
of the disqualification regulations.
For example, first semester freshmen would be placed on probation
if they carried 12 units (four 3 -unit classes) and earned 1 B,
2 Cs, and 1 F. Students would then have to earn 3 Cs and 1 B or
better (in four 3-unit classes) the following semester to regain
satisfactory scholarship status.
These regulations also apply to all postbaccalaureate students
except those enrolled in master's programs. The latter are expected
to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in all units attempted
subsequent to admission to the master's program. Master's students
who fall below the required GPA are placed on probation.
A student may be placed on administrative-academic probation for
withdrawal from a substantial portion of a program in two successive
terms or in any three terms; for repeated failure to progress
toward a degree; or for failure to comply with an academic requirement
or regulation that is routine for all students or for a defined
group of students.
Disqualification. Students are disqualified if they are
on probation and fail to meet the assigned scholarship contract
or if they have a cumulative deficiency on either the overall
or California State University, Fresno record equal to or greater
than that indicated below.
For example, new transfer juniors are academically disqualified
if they carried 12 units (four 3-unit classes) and earned 2 Cs,
1 D, and 1 F. If readmitted, students then would have to earn
1 B and 3 Cs (in four 3-unit classes) the next semester to be
re moved from academic disqualification and be placed on probation,
or 3 Bs and a C or better (in four 3-unit classes) to regain satisfactory
scholarship status. The best way to regain satisfactory scholarship
status is to repeat classes at California State University, Fresno
in which the student previously earned D, F, or U grades, and
petition to have the new grade substituted for the prior grade.
Disqualified students also are advised to take light unit loads
in attempting to bring up their GPA.
Graduate (master's) students are disqualified if their grade point
average on either the overall or the California State University,
Fresno postbaccalaureate record is equal to or greater than six
grade points below a B (3.0) GPA.
Students placed on administrative-academic probation may be disqualified
for the following reasons:
Students placed on academic disqualification at the end of
a semester must be readmitted to attend the subsequent semester.
An information letter is mailed to disqualified students when
semester grades are available advising them of their options.
The assigned date and time to call, indicated in Telephone Registration
materials, will be invalidated when students are academically
disqualified. However, if students are readmitted they will be
eligible to participate in telephone registration on or close
to their original assigned date and time to call.
Undergraduate. Disqualified California State University,
Fresno students who have been away one semester or longer must
submit an application for readmission in addition to the appropriate
petition approved by an academic adviser. Students readmitted
under a special disqualification "probation" contract
must fulfill the terms of that contract or again face disqualification.
Contact (559) 278-2191 for more information.
Postbaccalaureate/Graduate. Disqualified postbaccalaureate
students who have been away one semester or longer must submit
an application for readmission and schedule an advisement interview
in the Division of Graduate Studies, Thomas Administration Building,
Room 132. Additionally, students who seek a master's, second baccalaureate,
or credential are asked to obtain the recommendation of the department/program
to which they seek readmission. Students who are undeclared must
have the approval of the dean of graduate studies to be readmitted
to the university.
Transcript of Record. Students may request transcripts
of their academic records at California State University, Fresno
with payment in advance. The fee is $4 for the first copy and
$2 for each additional copy (2-10) ordered at the same time. California
State University, Fresno transcripts are not provided to students
with admission holds, unpaid financial obligations, or other administrative
holds as determined by university officials. Transcripts of records
from other institutions submitted to California State University,
Fresno are not returned to students.
Reports to Students. An Enrollment mailer will be sent
to students before instruction begins and the third week of each
fall and spring semester. Students may call and get grades via
the telephone at the end of each regular semester. For a nominal
fee, students may request a copy of their grades at the Admissions/Records
Service Window, North Lobby, Joyal Administration Building.
Academic Regulations
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