Concordia College Corporation

Catalog Contents

Return to:

Academic Progress

Course Examinations
Sastifactory Progress
Grades
Dean's List
Requirements for a Degree
Bachelor of Arts Degree
Bachelor of Music Degree
Graduation

Course Examinations

Formal examinations at midsemester and at the end of each semester are given on the dates indicated on the college calendar. In addition, individual professors give examinations in their courses at various times during the semester.

Definitions: The following definitions will help you interpret college regulations and understand academic requirements:
Course credit: One course credit at Concordia is equated as four semester or six quarter credits (at other institutions). A full course, which is worth one course credit, is designed to occupy about one-fourth of a student's schedule per semester. Half courses and quarter courses fill correspondingly less time and are worth one-half and one-fourth course credits respectively.

Block: This is equal to a half semester. Some departments divide their semester into two blocks and offer courses over eight weeks rather than 16 weeks.

Major: In order to graduate from Concordia, a specified amount of work must be completed in an approved subject area and a C average maintained in these courses. This is the major field and should be selected at the end of the sophomore year. Transfer students must maintain a C average in major courses completed at Concordia. The requirements for each major are listed at the beginning of each department entry in the course description section of the catalog. Students who complete more than one major or minor may count a single course only once toward major(s) and minor(s) requirements.

Minor: A minor, like a major, is in a concentrated field but requires fewer courses. Minors are available in most areas where a major is given and in some areas for which a major is not offered. Requirements for minors are also listed in the course description section of this catalog. As with a major, a C average must be maintained. Transfer students must maintain a C average in minor courses completed at Concordia. A minor is not required for graduation.

Senior college credit: This is credit given for a course numbered 300 or above.

return to top

Satisfactory Progress

Normal progress: Normal progress toward a degree is defined as earning four courses and eight or more grade points, on the average, per semester, and satisfactorily meeting the other fixed requirements of the college. A student earning four course credits for eight semesters will acquire slightly more than the 31.50 course credits required for graduation in a four-year period.

  Acceptable progress and classification: Acceptable progress toward a degree is defined as completing the following number of courses and grade points at the end of the year indicated:
  First year: 6 course credits, 12 grade points -- sophomore
  Second year: 14 course credits, 28 grade points -- junior
  Third year: 22 course credits, 44 grade points -- seniors.

Minimum progress: The majority of Concordia students complete their degrees in four years. Occasionally because of a change in major, adding major(s) and/or minor(s), or other factors, their progress is delayed. The following table shows minimum expectations:

Minimum academic progress

	First year	Second year	Third year	Fourth year	Fifth year
First semester	2.25 courses cumulative 1.7 GPA	7.5 courses cumulative 1.9 GPA	14.0 courses cumulative 2.0 GPA	21.0 courses cumulative 2.0 GPA	28.0 courses cumulative 2.0 GPA
Second semester	4.5 courses cumulative 1.8 GPA	10.5 courses cumulative 2.0 GPA	17.5 courses cumulative 2.0 GPA	24.5 courses cumulative 2.0 GPA	31.5 courses cumulative 2.0 GPA

Exceptions to the academic progress standards based upon extenuating circumstances are considered by the Committee on Academic Standards. See the Student Affairs Office for further information.

return to top

Grades

Your grade point is the numerical measure of the quality of your work. Each grade you receive is assigned the value indicated on the chart below.

Your grade point average (GPA) is determined by dividing your total number of grade points by the number of course credits attempted. A GPA of 2.0 is the same as a C average, 3.0 as a B average, etc. Grades are indicated by letters. They are interpreted as follows:

A ......................distinctly superior..................... 4.0
A-................................................................ 3.7
B+........................ superior............................. 3.3
B................................................................. 3.0
B- ............................................................... 2.7
C+ ...............................................................2.3
C........................... average.............................2.0
C- ............................................................... 1.7
D+ .............................................................. 1.3
D ................................................................ 1.0
D-......................... passing............................. 0.7
AU........................ audit.................................. 0
IP......................... in progress........................... 0
NG....................... no grade ..............................0
F.......................... failure................................. 0
S.......................... passing grade (S-U course)........ 0
U.......................... failing grade (S-U course)......... 0
I........................... incomplete........................... 0
W......................... withdrawn by permission.......... 0

Repeating courses: A student repeating a course is required to make application with the Office of the Registrar when registering for that course. A course may be repeated only if space permits. All courses attempted remain a part of the permanent record and the student's transcript, but only the last grade is computed into the GPA, and credit is only earned once. If a transfer course is repeated at Concordia, the transfer course credit will be deleted. Any exceptions to these procedures must be approved by the Academic Standards Committee.

Failures, incompletes and conditions: A grade of F indicates that you must repeat the class in order to receive credit in that course. A grade of I is a temporary indicator that your work is satisfactory as far as completed and that credit may be earned upon completion of all course requirements. The grade of I is issued only when you have missed examinations or failed to complete class assignments because of serious and prolonged illness or other unavoidable emergencies. It is your responsibility to consult the teacher and initiate the grade of I and the makeup work. The determination of an I grade is made in conference. If justified, an I grade is accepted in the Office of the Registrar on an incomplete contract form (available in the Office of the Registrar). This contract is signed by the instructor and student and stipulates course requirements to be completed, date by which requirements will be completed and received by the instructor (no later than the eighth week of the following semester), and the course grade which will be recorded should the student fail to meet all conditions of the contract. With consent of the instructor, the student may elect the grade of NG (no grade) thereby forfeiting all course credit. Further information is available on the form. If three or more incompletes have accumulated, permission to enroll in any new classes the following semester will be withheld until you have met with a member of the Committee on Academic Standards to discuss and establish a plan for removing the incompletes and until substantial progress has been made in finishing the incompletes. The final dates for removal of incompletes and conditions are given in the college calendar; they are the dates after which the registrar cannot accept revisions of I grades given the preceding semester.

return to top

Dean's List

Students who excel in their classes are named to an honor roll at the end of each semester. In order to receive this distinction, students must be attending full time, complete a minimum of three courses and earn a grade point average of 3.5 or above for the semester. Grade changes for the semester must be received in the Office of the Registrar no later than the last day of the first week of classes in the following semester or summer session to impact consideration for the Dean's List. Nominations to the Dean's List are made from each semester's grades; they are not based on a cumulative GPA. Students named to the Dean's List and their parents are notified by letter following each grading period.

return to top

Requirements for a Degree

Concordia College offers a bachelor of arts degree and a bachelor of music degree. It is important that students understand the requirements of each. Advisers will assist in selecting programs of study, and the Office of the Registrar will review student requirements during their junior year. However, the final responsibility for meeting all requirements rests with the student. Completion or graduation rates and transfer-out rates for the general student body is available from the Office of the Registrar.

Students graduate according to requirements published in the catalog at the time of their matriculation at Concordia, or any one subsequent catalog published during their enrollment. Students who are readmitted two years or more after their last enrollment must satisfy requirements published in the catalog in effect at the time of readmission, or any one subsequent catalog published during their enrollment.

return to top

Bachelor of Arts Degree

Requirements

  1. General
    A. 31.5 course credits (excluding music ensembles)
    B. Cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in Concordia courses and in all courses combined
    C. Residence requirements met
    D. 10 course credits with senior college credit (courses numbered 300 and above)
  2. Major
    A. Requirements completed
    B. Grade point average of 2.00 in Concordia courses and all courses in the major presented for graduation
    C. No more than 10 course credits in any department unless approved by Faculty Senate, as noted in department description (Students may count one course in a May Seminar and one course in Cooperative Education beyond the 10-course requirement.)
  3. Core curriculum requirements completed (see page 69)
    A. Complete principia, discourse, religion, integration and physical education requirements
    B. Seven graded course credits from the five core distribution areas with at least 1.0 credit from each area, and only 1.0 credit per department except world languages
    C. Demonstrate world language proficiency at second semester level
  4. Demonstrate mathematics proficiency. In order to graduate, a student must demonstrate an ability to comprehend and apply fundamental quantitative concepts. The mathematics proficiency requirement can be satisfied in any of the following ways:
    A. By taking and passing a mathematics course at Concordia. Exceptions: Mathematics 97, 102, 250, 275 and 300 cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.
    B. By transferring mathematics credit from another institution at the level of a course in item 1.
    C. By scoring at the college-bound 50th percentile or higher on the quantitative section of an ACT or SAT test.
    D. By passing a college-administered mathematics proficiency exam at a level comparable to item 3. Additional information about this exam may be obtained from the mathematics department.
    E. Through mathematics credit awarded for AP, CLEP or International Baccalaureate.

return to top

Bachelor of Music Degree

Requirements

See the Music section in the course description part of this catalog for an outline of requirements.

return to top

Graduation

Graduation honors: For students graduating prior to December 1997, graduation honors are based on the following grade point average (GPA) scale: 3.25 for cum laude; 3.50 for magna cum laude; 3.80 for summa cum laude. By vote of the Faculty Senate, the scale for students graduating December, 1997, and thereafter was raised to: 3.50 for cum laude; 3.70 for magna cum laude; 3.90 for summa cum laude. Honors listed in the commencement program are based on grades up to but not including the current semester. The final honors status is determined after all grades are known.

All academic work including transfer credits is counted in determining graduation honors. Two grade point averages are computed for all students -- a Concordia GPA and a cumulative GPA that includes grades from transfer credits. (If a student has no transfer credits, the two GPAs are identical.) Graduation honors are based on the lower of the two GPAs.

Diplomas and commencement participation: Diplomas are awarded only to students who have satisfied all graduation requirements and who have settled all financial obligations with the Business Office. Students who are within three course credits of completing their graduation requirements and will complete them by the end of the summer may participate in the May commencement ceremonies. However, a diploma is not awarded until all graduation requirements are met.

return to top