Credits and Grading Policies

Correspondence Credit

After entering Milligan College, undergraduate students desiring to take correspondence courses through another college must have prior written approval from the registrar. Only six semester hours of correspondence study are recommended, and no more than twelve semester hours are accepted toward a bachelor’s degree program. A student enrolled for a correspondence course must count the number of correspondence hours with the regular semester load in determining a full load for the semester. A transcript should be sent to the Milligan College Registrar’s Office upon the completion of the course.

Course Repeat Policy

A student may repeat any course taken at Milligan College by registering for the course. Only the most recent grade is included in the grade point average. The original grade is not removed from the academic record, but the grades for each subsequent completion of the course are noted in brackets on the academic record. Students will not receive additional credit hours for repeated courses in which they originally earned a passing grade. Students may not replace a grade previously earned in a course with CLEP credit, e.g. if students fail a course or do not earn an acceptable grade, they cannot take the CLEP exam and receive credit for that course. The only way to improve a grade or receive credit for a failed course is to retake the course. For additional information about the course repeat policy, contact the Registrar’s Office.

Grade Reports

The registrar makes available mid-semester and final grades by way of Self-Service, a Web interface with the student records database. The college issues IDs and passwords to enrolled students, allowing them access to the Web interface. Upon request by the student, the registrar releases grades to the parent(s) of students.

Grading System (Undergraduate)

The terms used in evaluating a student’s work are letters with a grade point value. Advancement to the baccalaureate degree is contingent upon the completion of a minimum of 128 semester hours with a total of no fewer than 256 quality points and a cumulative grade point average of 2.0. The grade point average (GPA) is determined by dividing the total number of quality points by the GPA hours. The following table of values is observed in all courses.

Grade	Quality Points	Significance
A	4.0	Outstanding
A-	3.7
B+	3.3
B	3.0	Good
B-	2.7
C+	2.3
C	2.0	Adequate
C-	1.7
D+	1.3
D	1.0	Needs significant improvement
D-	0.7
F	0.0	Not acceptable
Suggested guidelines for determining the assignment of these grades are as follows:
S	0.0	Satisfactory; appropriate for mid-term and final grades in a less academic course such as chapel/convocation
P	0.0	Passing; appropriate for mid-term and/or final grades in a more academic course where more definitive passing grades are not appropriate; also used for transfer credits posted for students entering spring 2001 and thereafter; only available for courses that have been approved by Academic Committee for the P/F option
PR	0.0	Progress toward successful completion of requirements for NURS 460
U	0.0	Unsatisfactory; appropriate for mid-term and final grades in a less academic course such as chapel/convocation
AU	0.0	Audit; assigned for mid-term and final grades when student is enrolled for audit only; no credit assigned
W	0.0	Withdrawal
WP	0.0	Withdrawal, passing; assigned when a student dropping the class after the tenth week of classes (or equivalent proportion of the academic term when the term length is other than 15 weeks) has earned a passing average on the work completed so far in the class.
WF	0.0	Withdrawal, failing, and equivalent to an “F”; assigned when a student dropping the class after the tenth week of classes (or equivalent proportion of the academic term when the term length is other than 15 weeks) has earned a failing average on the work completed so far in the class; may also be assigned at any point in the semester in instances of academic dishonesty or other academic infractions.
I	0.0	Incomplete; appropriate only for final grades when there is evidence that a significant event or issue interfered with a student’s successful completion of the course; requires the submission of an “Incomplete Contract” to the Registrar’s Office. Grades of “I” must be resolved no later than one full calendar year following the semester in which the “Incomplete” was originally assigned or prior to graduation, whichever comes first.
NG	0.0	No grade; appropriate for mid-term and/or final grades where there is no basis upon which to assign either a passing or failing grade; is not the fault of the student, but is a course or faculty issue; must be resolved prior to graduation

“Grades of “Incomplete,” or “I,” are given at the end of the semester only when there is evidence that a significant event or issue interfered with a student’s successful completion of the course. Faculty assigning a grade of “I” must complete an “Incomplete Contract” and submit it to the Registrar’s office. Grades of “I” must be resolved no later than one full calendar year following the semester in which the “Incomplete” was originally assigned.

Classes dropped during the first two weeks (or fourteen calendar days) of the semester (or the equivalent proportion of an academic term when the term length is other than 15 weeks) will not appear on the student’s transcript.  Dropping a class requires the signatures of the instructor and the adviser on the schedule change form.

A student may drop a class from the fifteenth calendar day through the tenth week of classes (or the equivalent proportion of an academic term when the term length is other than 15 weeks) only after receiving written consent (i.e. signatures on the dated schedule change form) from the class instructor and the academic adviser. Classes dropped are evaluated with the grade “W.” However, the instructor or the Academic Dean has the right to assign a grade of “WF” (“withdrawal, failing, and equivalent to an ‘F’”) at any point in the semester in instances of academic dishonesty or other academic infractions.

Students dropping a class after the tenth week of classes (or the equivalent proportion of an academic term when the term length is other than 15 weeks) will be assigned by the instructor a grade of “WP” (“withdrawal, passing”) or “WF” (“withdrawal, failing, and equivalent to an ‘F’”). Dropping a class with a “WP” or “WF” requires the signatures of the instructor and the adviser on the schedule change form.  The signed schedule change form must be received in the Registrar’s Office before the end of the last day of the term (not including final exam week).

Grading System (Graduate)

A graduate student must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B) to graduate. For a complete listing of the grading scale for a graduate program, please see the respective program’s Student Handbook.

Graduation Requirements

It is the policy of Milligan College that only students who have completed all degree requirements may participate in graduation ceremonies. Degrees are conferred two times a year, at the end of the fall and the spring semesters. Students will participate in the first graduation ceremony following the completion of degree requirements.

Notice of Intention to Graduate

Each degree-seeking candidate must file the Notice of Intention in the Office of the Registrar. December commencement candidates must file the Notice of Intention to Graduate form by September 1. May commencement candidates must file the Notice of Intention to Graduate form by February 1. Candidates must be certified for graduation by the Registrar’s Office by completing a transcript evaluation.

All fees and other obligations shall be settled two full days before the date on which the degree is to be conferred. All incompletes must be resolved at least two days before commencement. Neither the diploma nor transcripts can be released until all accounts are cleared.

All candidates for degrees are encouraged to take advantage of the placement service in the Career Development Office.

Honors

Students who have completed all requirements for the baccalaureate degree are awarded academic honors if the cumulative grade point average is 3.5 or greater. The degree with honors is divided into three levels as follows: Summa Cum Laude, based on a grade point average of at least 3.95; Magna Cum Laude, based on a grade point average of at least 3.75; and Cum Laude, based on a grade point average of at least 3.50.

Students must earn a minimum of 70 credit hours at Milligan College to receive the honor of “First in Class” and “Second in Class” in the May commencement program.

At the close of each semester, the Office of the Dean publishes a list of students who have done outstanding work during that semester. The Dean’s List is composed of students who earned semester grade point averages of 3.50 to 4.00.

Credit by Examination

Milligan College recognizes that not all college-level learning occurs in a college classroom and awards credit earned by testing. The Testing Office evaluates and/or administers the following testing programs:

• Advanced Placement (AP) Program
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
• DSST/DANTES Program
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Program

Milligan College students may submit scores on examinations taken through these programs to the registrar for evaluation. College credit will be granted on the basis of an acceptable score earned through these testing programs as determined by the Academic Committee rather than by the testing company under the conditions listed in the guidelines below.  Credit may not duplicate previously earned college credit, and students may not replace a grade previously earned in a course with CLEP credit, e.g. if students fail a course or do not earn an acceptable grade, they cannot take the CLEP exam and receive credit for that course. The only way to improve a grade or receive credit for a failed course is to retake the course.

Only official score transcripts that are sent directly to the Milligan College Registrar’s Office from applicable testing programs/agencies will be evaluated.  Credit will be given only for scores that meet Milligan requirements even if credit was granted at another institution based on lower credit-granting standards. A recording fee of $10 per hour will be charged. A maximum of 32 semester hours can be earned by testing. For traditional undergraduate students, no credit by exam will be allowed after a student has earned a cumulative total of 64 hours of college credit. For students in degree completion programs, no credit by exam will be allowed after a student has finished two terms in the Milligan College degree completion program.

See the following tables for information about AP, CLEP, and IB exams, acceptable scores, and credits awarded. A DSST score that is equivalent to at least a grade of “B” is reviewed by the director of testing for possible course credit. See the director of testing for specific information about the DSST Program.

Advanced Placement (AP) Policy

CLEP Policy

CLEP Exam	Credit Granted		Score Required	Equivalent Course(s)
Composition and Literature
*College Composition (new exam 2010)/ English Composition with Essay (discontinued)		3	55	COMP 111
College Composition Modular (new exam 2010)/ Freshman College Composition (discontinued)		-		Not accepted for credit
American Literature		6	55	Lower-division American literature credit (does not count toward GER, majors or minors)
English Literature		3	55	Lower-division English literature credit (does not count toward GER, majors or minors)
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature		3	54	Lower-division literature credit (does not count toward GER, majors or minors)
*Humanities		6	56	HUMN Core
*Note: English Composition  and Humanities CLEP credit will only be granted for exams taken prior to enrollment at Milligan; no credit will be granted for exams taken after matriculation
Science and Mathematics (not applicable for majors)
**Biology		3	55	Elective (does not count toward GER, majors, or minors).
**Chemistry		3	55	Elective (does not count toward GER, majors, or minors).
**Natural Sciences		3	53	Elective (does not count toward GER, majors, or minors).
College Mathematics		3	58	MATH 107 Principles of Mathematics
Algebra		3	52	MATH 111 College Algebra I
Pre-Calculus		3	55	MATH 112 College Algebra II and Trigonometry
**does not count as a lab science
Foreign Languages
French, Level 1		6	50	FREN 111 and 112 Elementary French
French, Level 2		6	61	FREN 211 and 212 Intermediate French
German, Level 1		6	51	GERM 111 and 112 Elementary German
German, Level 2		6	64	GERM 211 and 212 Intermediate German
Spanish, Level 1		6	50	SPAN 111 and 112 Elementary Spanish
Spanish, Level 2		6	63	SPAN 211 and 212 Intermediate Spanish
History and Social Sciences
History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 1877		3	57	Elective
History of the United States II: 1865 to the Present		3	53	Elective
Western Civilization I:  Ancient Near East to 1648		3	57	HUMN Core (3 hrs toward 101 or 102) or Lower-division history credit
Western Civilization II:  1648 to the Present		3	56	HUMN Core (3 credits toward 201 or 202) or Lower-division history credit
American Government		3	62	POLS 202 American National Government
Psychology, Introductory		3	60	PSYC 150 General Psychology
Human Growth and Development		3	60	PSYC 252 Developmental Psychology
Educational Psychology, Introduction		3	55	Elective
Sociology, Introductory		3	60	SOCL 201 Introduction to Sociology
Social Sciences and History		6	60	Elective
Business
The following exams are not accepted for credit: Principles of Microeconomics Principles of Macroeconomics Financial Accounting Principles of Accounting Introductory Business Law Information Systems and Computer Applications Principles of Management Principles of Marketing

International Baccalaureate (IB) Policy

IB Exam	Score	Courses and Credits
Biology	5	BIOL 112, 4 hrs
	6, 7	BIOL 111 and 112, 8 hrs
Business and Management	6	BADM 210, 3 hrs
Chemistry  (SL)	5, 6, 7	CHEM 170, 4 hrs (in majors not requiring organic chemistry)
Chemistry (HL)	5	CHEM 170, 4 hrs (in majors requiring organic chemistry)
	6, 7	CHEM 170 and 171, 8 hrs
Classical Languages	HL 6, 7 or SL 7	General elective, 6 hrs
Computer Science	6	General elective, 3 hrs
Creativity, Action, Service		Not offered
Design Technology	6, 7	General elective, 3 hrs
Economics	6	General elective, 3 hrs
Film	6, 7	General elective, 3 hrs
Further Mathematics SL	5, 6, 7	MATH 213, MATH 211, 7 (11) hrs (MATH 212 with approval)
Geography	5, 6	GEOG 201, 3 hrs
History	5, 6	General elective, 3 hrs
Islamic History	5, 6	HIST 206, 3 hrs
IT in a Global Society	6	CIS 201, 3 hrs
Language A I (English: world lit)	HL 5, 6, 7 or SL 6, 7	HUMN 101, 3 hrs
Language A2 (French, Germ, Span)	HL 5 or SL 6	Elementary year, 6 hrs
	HL 6, 7 or SL 7	Elementary and Intermediate, 12 hrs
Language ab initio (No HL SL distinction)	6	French, Germ, or Span 111, 3 hrs
	7	French, Germ, or Span 111-112, 6 hrs
Language B	HL 5 or SL 6	French, Germ, or Span 111, 3 hrs
	HL 6, 7 or SL 7	French, Germ, or Span 111-112, 6 hrs
Mathematics HL	5, 6, 7	MATH 213, MATH 211, 7 hrs
Mathematical Methods SL	6, 7	MATH 213, MATH 211, 6 (10) hrs (MATH 212 with approval)
Music	6, 7	General elective, 3 hrs
Philosophy	HL 5, 6, 7 or SL 6, 7	General elective, 3 hrs
Physics	4	PHYS 203, 4 hrs
	5, 6, 7	PHYS 203, PHYS 204, 8 hrs
Social and Cultural Anthropology	5, 6	SOCL 210, 3 hrs
The Extended Essay  (No HL SL distinction)	6, 7	COMP 111, 3 hrs
Theatre Arts	6, 7	General elective, 3 hrs
Theory of Knowledge		Not offered
Visual Arts	6, 7	General elective, 3 hrs
HL=Higher Level Exam; SL=Subsidiary Level Exam

Transfer Credit Policy

For transfer courses, only the credit hours are posted to the student’s transcript. No grades are recorded for the transferred credit. Quality points for transfer credits are not included in the Milligan College grade point average. Milligan College does not accept any transfer credit for courses at other institutions for which a grade below a C- was earned. The minimum number of credit hours earned at Milligan toward a bachelor’s degree shall be 45.

After matriculation, for undergraduate students in traditional programs, no transfer credit will be allowed for: Freshman and Sophomore Humanities Core Courses (HUMN 101, 102, 201, 202); Freshman and Sophomore Composition Courses (COMP 111 and 211); Christ and Culture (BIBL 471); Old and New Testament Survey (BIBL 123, 124).

Milligan College will award transfer credit, subject to approval of the Registrar’s Office, for a maximum of 16 semester hours of dual enrollment credit (college or university credit earned concurrently with high school enrollment). Additional (non-dual enrollment) college credits may be earned prior to enrollment at Milligan College with the approval of the registrar.

The transfer of credits after matriculation requires advance advising and approval. A matriculated student may receive credit from another institution only if appropriate signatures are secured before taking the course. “Appropriate signatures” are defined as the signature of any one of the three registrars and, if deemed necessary by the registrar, the signature of the student’s adviser or area chair.

A student transferring from another college must be in residence during the three semesters (may include one eight-week summer session) immediately preceding graduation and must successfully complete not fewer than 45 of the 128 required semester hours through instruction at Milligan College. A minimum of one-third of the hours within a major must be earned at Milligan College to receive a degree from Milligan. If a student wishes to complete a minor at Milligan, a minimum of one-third of the hours within that minor must also be earned at Milligan College.

Articulation/Transfer Agreements

Milligan College is dedicated to creating educational partnerships with community colleges. To facilitate the transfer of students from Tennessee community colleges, the college is participating in the Tennessee Transfer Pathways, whereby students completing associate degree programs in certain identified programs of study at Tennessee community colleges can transition seamlessly to Milligan College as a junior. For more information about the Tennessee Transfer Pathways, visit www.tntransferpathway.org.

In addition, the college has articulation/transfer agreements with community colleges in Virginia and North Carolina. For more information, see the catalog section titled “Transfer Credit Policy” under “Academic Policies.” For a list of those institutions with which Milligan has an articulation agreement, visit http://www.milligan.edu/admission/transfer.html. Students interested in attending Milligan College and utilizing the Tennessee Transfer Pathways or an articulation agreement listed in the catalog are encouraged to indicate their interest to their academic adviser at the community college prior to or during their first term in attendance. They should also contact the Transfer Counselor at Milligan College.

College credits from most accredited two- and four-year institutions are widely transferable to Milligan College, even in the absence of an articulation agreement.

If no articulation agreement currently exists with an institution, planning for transfer remains a simple process.  Meet with a Milligan Admissions Counselor and mention the name or names of the schools of interest.  The Admissions Office and Registrar’s Office at Milligan will evaluate transcripts and, using catalogs from the community college, choose courses that are appropriate to meet general education and major requirements.

Transcripts

Official transcripts of the student’s academic record in Milligan College are furnished only upon the request of the student. Requests must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office and must be signed by the student. A one-time academic records fee is charged to all matriculating students, which is a lifetime fee for all transcripts. Transcripts are withheld if the student or alumnus has an unsettled obligation to the college.

 

Withdrawal from College or Dropping a Class

Withdrawal from College

No student may withdraw from the college without the permission of the Academic Dean. Upon securing the consent of the Academic Dean, the student is expected to meet all obligations involving instructors, fellow students, deans, residence hall directors, the vice president for business and finance, and the registrar. The withdrawal process begins and ends in the Office of Student Success; other college offices (Academic Dean, registrar, financial aid, student accounts) are notified of the student’s withdrawal.

Students who leave the college without fulfilling these obligations receive “F”s in all classes in which they are enrolled and forfeit any returnable fees which may have been paid to the college.
Students withdrawing from the college during the first two weeks (or fourteen calendar days) of the semester (or the equivalent proportion of an academic term when the term length is other than 15 weeks) begin the withdrawal process with the Director of Student Success. The students will have no academic record for that semester. However, the instructor or the Academic Dean has the right to assign grades of “WF” (“withdrawal, failing, and equivalent to an ‘F’”) at any point in the semester in instances of academic dishonesty or other academic infractions.

Students withdrawing from the college from the fifteenth calendar day through the tenth week of classes (or the equivalent proportion of an academic term when the term length is other than 15 weeks) begin the withdrawal process with the Director of Student Success. Classes are evaluated with the grade of “W.” However, the instructor or the Academic Dean has the right to assign grades of “WF” (“withdrawal, failing, and equivalent to an ‘F’”) at any point in the semester in instances of academic dishonesty or other academic infractions.

Students withdrawing from the college after the tenth week of classes (or the equivalent proportion of an academic term when the term length is other than 15 weeks) begin the process with the Director of Student Success.  Classes are evaluated with the grade of “WP” (“withdrawal and passing”) or “WF” at the discretion of the instructor. However, the instructor or the Academic Dean has the right to assign grades of “WF” (“withdrawal, failing, and equivalent to an ‘F’”) at any point in the semester in instances of academic dishonesty or other academic infractions.

The college may administratively withdraw a student who is not attending class or otherwise not demonstrating a serious academic effort. Administrative withdrawals during the first ten weeks of the semester (or the equivalent proportion of an academic term when the term length is other than 15 weeks) will receive a grade of “W” in all classes. However, the instructor or the Academic Dean has the right to assign grades of “WF” (“withdrawal, failing, and equivalent to an ‘F’”) at any point in the semester in instances of academic dishonesty or other academic infractions.  Administrative withdrawals from the college after the tenth week will be recorded with “WP” or “WF” at the discretion of the instructors.

The college may dismiss a student for social infractions. Social dismissals during the first ten weeks of the semester (or the equivalent proportion of an academic term when the term length is other than 15 weeks) will receive a grade of “W” in all classes, unless failing grades are also a part of the penalty.
Social dismissals after the tenth week will be recorded with “WP” or “WF” at the discretion of the instructor.

Dropping a Class

Classes dropped during the first two weeks (or fourteen calendar days) of the semester (or the equivalent proportion of an academic term when the term length is other than 15 weeks) will not appear on the student’s transcript. Dropping a class requires the signatures of the instructor and the adviser on the schedule change form.

A student may drop a class from the fifteenth calendar day through the tenth week of classes (or the equivalent proportion of an academic term when the term length is other than 15 weeks) only after receiving written consent (i.e. signatures on the dated schedule change form) from the class instructor and the academic adviser. Classes dropped are evaluated with the grade “W.” However, the instructor or the Academic Dean has the right to assign a grade of “WF” (“withdrawal, failing, and equivalent to an ‘F’”) at any point in the semester in instances of academic dishonesty or other academic infractions.

Students dropping a class after the tenth week of classes (or the equivalent proportion of an academic term when the term length is other than 15 weeks) will be assigned by the instructor a grade of “WP” (“withdrawal and passing”) or “WF” (“withdrawal, failing, and equivalent to an ‘F’”). Dropping a class with a “WP” or “WF” requires the signatures of the instructor and the adviser on the schedule change form.  The signed schedule change form must be received in the Registrar’s Office before the end of the last day of the term (not including final exam week).