Academic Catalog

Office:

315 Otto Candies Building

Phone:

448-4153

Director:

Kelly Rodrigue

Electronic mail (e-mail) is an official method of contact between the university and students. This e-mail contact applies to all forms of communication including but not limited to matters concerning admissions, registration, financial aid, and academic affairs. Students are given e-mail addresses after their initial application. Students should check e-mail at least once a week. The university provides computer access for all students by way of open computer labs. For information concerning the use of e-mail and the availability of computers, please contact Academic Computing, (985) 448-4649.

All records submitted become the property of the university and cannot be returned to the student.

A change of name form must be submitted with a copy of an official document to substantiate a name change. (This change can only become effective the following semester or summer session.) Forms can be obtained in the Office of Records and Registration.

Students are expected to list their current home (permanent) address and, if living on or near the campus, their college (local) address. When an address change occurs, the Office of Records and Registration must be notified immediately. Communications will be mailed to students at their addresses currently on file.

Students may obtain a certified statement of their academic record from the Office of Records and Registration upon written request. Transcript Request Forms are available in the Office of Records and Registration, as well as on the Internet at www.nicholls.edu/records/. There is no charge for transcripts.

Every effort is made to issue transcripts within two to three working days after requests are received. End-of-semester transcripts are mailed as soon as final grades are posted. Transcripts for graduation candidates are usually mailed beginning the first working day after Commencement day. A student is considered to be in good standing and is eligible to continue studies at Nicholls or transfer elsewhere, unless a statement otherwise is noted on the transcript.

Transcripts cannot be released if the student either is indebted to the university or has not yet submitted official transcripts from institutions previously attended.

If the student has submitted to the Office of Student Affairs a record of his or her co-curricular activities at Nicholls, upon request to the Office of Records and Registration, the student may receive a copy of the co-curricular transcript. There is no charge for the transcript.

A student who is charged with falsifying academic information, forging, or altering official academic documents, or withholding information relating to his or her admission, transfer credits, academic status, records, etc., shall be notified to report to the Office of Student Life where the student will be informed of these charges. The student will be formally notified of legal rights, and shall have the option of a hearing before the Disciplinary Committee, or the student may choose to waive the right to a hearing and sign his or her consent of cancellation of registration, denial of credit, or other appropriate action.

Students are offered a variety of means to register for classes:
    • Departmental registration
    • Telephone registration (PIN required)
    • Internet registration (PIN required)

Available dates and times of the various means of registration are advertised in each semester's Schedule of Classes.

Prior to any scheduled registration period, the student should meet with an assigned faculty advisor or major professor to complete a Registration Schedule Form (RSF). This form allows each student and advisor to identify those courses (course name, course number, section number, course computer number, credit hours, etc.) the student wishes to or must take. It also allows the student and faculty advisor to identify alternate section numbers of courses should the student's first-choice section be closed or cancelled; and alternate course selections that fit the student's degree plan should the student's first-choice course selections not be available at the time the student registers.

university policy requires the student to obtain permission from his or her dean should the student wish to take a course overload.

A copy of the RSF will be kept by the advisor and another will be given to the student for registration.

It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of the requirements of the curriculum in which he or she is enrolled and to register for course work applicable toward the degree concerned. Transfer students should secure personal copies of their official transcripts to present for advisement before and/or during registration; this will avoid unnecessary repetition of courses which may have been completed at another institution and will allow advising to be done more efficiently and effectively.

Complete information about registration policies and procedures can be found in the University Schedule of Classes published prior to the fall and spring semesters and the summer session.

Students whose names do not appear on the last class list after the 14th class day will not be permitted to attend class without written permission from the Office of Records and Registration.

Students may officially drop a course for which they have registered by filing with the Office of Records and Registration a drop form.

A student should consult with an assigned faculty advisor before adding or dropping a course or changing sections. This is to ensure that the student chooses those courses which will apply toward the student's degree.

Courses may be added through the last day of late registration. The student's advisor should approve the change. The form must be processed before the deadline listed in the university calendar.

A student may drop a course with a grade of W (or resign with an automatic W) through the last day to drop a course as listed in the current university calendar. When a student's official record in the Office of Records and Registration indicates that he or she is registered in only one course in which a final grade will be earned, and the student wants to drop that course, a resignation form must be processed to clear the records.

A student may change the section of a course in the same manner as that used for adding and dropping courses.

Students who have not met an admission, immunization, housing, or payment requirement are ineligible to register (ITR) until the requirement(s) has been met.

Undergraduate students who wish to resign must complete an official form available in University College (234 Elkins Hall). Graduate students who wish to resign must complete an official form available in the office of their program of study. Grades of W are posted through the last day to drop a course or resign. After that date, students will not be permitted to drop a course or resign from the university. Exceptional cases, such as one involving a major illness or accident, may be presented to the student's academic dean for resolution or processing. In addition, students receiving Title IV financial aid must submit a form signed by instructors verifying class attendance, however slight, during the semester or session in question.

A student who leaves the university without properly completing a resignation form will receive grades of F or U in all courses. A student who voluntarily withdraws from the university during a regular semester or summer session is considered a continuing student for purposes of registration for the next semester or session. A student on probation cannot remove his or her probationary status without completing the semester.

An undergraduate student with an exceptionally high score on the ACT (American College Test) examination or who has prior knowledge of a subject may be placed in advanced level course work in certain academic disciplines. Credit will not be granted for academic sequence course work taken previously and for which grades have been earned. Credit by petition is applicable to courses taken at Nicholls only, not to transfer courses. Students are allowed advanced placement credit only in courses numbered below 200. If the advanced level course work is completed with a grade of C or better the first time taken, the student may receive credit for the lower level course work by submitting a completed Credit by Petition form to the Office of Records and Registration. A student who earns less than a C in the advanced course work forfeits eligibility to petition for credit for the lower-level course work. Credit will be allowed only on academic sequence course work approved by the appropriate department head. Credit received by petition may be applied toward graduation but will not be considered in computing the overall grade point average. The petition form can be obtained from the office of the student's academic dean.

Credit toward a degree may be awarded for independent study and for correspondence and extension courses completed through regionally accredited colleges or universities. A maximum of fifty percent of Nicholls degree requirements may be earned through correspondence, extension, military service, military service schools, College Level Examinations Program (CLEP), or any accumulation from all categories of testing, placements, and similar programs. Since the university policy on granting credit for CLEP scores excludes certain academic areas, the student should request further information on the policy regarding CLEP from the Office of Records and Registration or the Testing Center. Credit will be granted for scores of 3 or higher on the Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). Official transcript of AP and CLEP test results should be sent directly to the Office of Records and Registration by the testing agencies.

To take a correspondence course, a student must first get permission from his or her academic dean on the appropriate form. Correspondence examinations are administered by the Testing Center for a fee of $20 per examination. The Request for Correspondence Work form is available in the office of the student's academic dean. No credit for correspondence or extension work can be earned toward a degree or for professional growth while a student is under suspension. Nicholls does not offer correspondence courses. Registration packets for many correspondence examinations can be found at the Testing Center.

Nicholls students may obtain credit by examination in four ways:
    • ACT (American College Testing) Test
    • Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations of the College Board
    • College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) of the College Board
    • Nicholls State University Credit Examinations

Entering freshmen are eligible for course credit in English and/or mathematics if their enhanced ACT scores are sufficiently high.

Students receive credit in:
    • English 101 if they score 28 or higher in English
    • English 102 if they score 32 or higher in English
    • Mathematics 101 if they score 23 or higher in mathematics
    • Mathematics 102 if they score 27 or higher in mathematics

The university accepts the corresponding Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores in place of ACT scores for advanced placement purposes under exceptional circumstances.

Students achieving scores of 3 or higher on the Advanced Placement examinations are eligible to receive credit on the basis of such test scores. Credit is granted for freshman-level and sophomore-level courses only. Students who have completed these tests should have their scores sent by the College Board directly to the Nicholls State University Office of Records and Registration. The following examinations are approved for Nicholls credit:

AP/CEEB Title

Minimum Score

NSU Equivalent

Hours Credit

American History

3

HIST 255,�256

6

Art Drawing

3

Art 201, 2??

6

Art History

3

ART 280, 281

6

Biology

3

BIOL 105, 106

6

Calculus AB

3

MATH 101,102,165

11

Calculus BC

3

MATH 101,102,165, 166

16

Chemistry

3

CHEM 105, 106

6

Computer Science

3

CMPS 111, 120

6

Econ-Microeconomics

3

ECON 211

3

Econ-Macroeconomics

3

ECON 212

3

English Language

3

ENGL 101, 102

6

English Literature

3

ENGL 101, 102

6

European History

3

HIST 101, 102

6

French Language

3

FREN 101, 102

6

Government & Politics US

3

GOVT 101

3

German Language

3

GERM 101, 102

6

Latin

3

LATN 101, 102

6

Music Theory

3

MUS 119

4

Physics B

3

PHYS 101, 102

6

Physics C: Elect. & Magnetism

3

PHYS 102

3

Physics C: Mechanics

3

PHYS 101

3

Psychology

3

PSYC 101

3

Spanish Language

3

SPAN 101, 102

6

Students enrolled at Nicholls State University may receive credit for prior learning through the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), a national standardized testing program that offers exams equivalent to final exams in introductory college freshman and sophomore courses. Nicholls accepts credit earned through CLEP for courses only at the freshman and sophomore levels. Students must earn the minimum score of 50 or higher to receive credit. Credit is awarded when the CLEP examination score is reported on an official transcript from CLEP and sent directly by the CLEP transcript service to the Office of Records and Registration. Passing scores for subjects credited through CLEP are recorded by an "S," by the equivalent Nicholls course number and title, and by the appropriate credit hours. CLEP credits will be accepted from other accredited institutions only if the scores meet Nicholls credit-granting standards. Resident students may not gain credit through CLEP for courses equivalent to or at a lower level than other courses they have already taken at Nicholls. CLEP exams are administered at the Nicholls Testing Center, an official CLEP Test Center. The following examinations are approved for Nicholls credit:

CLEP Title

Minimum Score

NSU Equivalent

Hours Credit

American Government

50

GOVT 101

3

American History I

50

HIST 255

3

American History II

50

HIST 256

3

Calculus with Elem Functions

50

MATH 101, 102, 165

11

College Algebra

50

MATH 101

3

College Algebra-Trig

50

MATH 101, 102

6

College Composition (+essay component)

50

ENGL 101, 102*

6

College French

50

FREN 101, 102

6

College German

50

GERM 101, 102

6

College Spanish

50

SPAN 101, 102

6

General Biology

50

BIOL 105, 106

6

General Chemistry

50

CHEM 101, 102

6

Human Growth & Development

50

PSYC 206

3

Info Sys & Computer Appl

50

CIS 231

3

Introductory Business Law

50

BSAD 221

3

Introductory Psychology

50

PSYC 101

3

Introductory Sociology

50

SOCI 151

3

Principles of Macroeconomics

50

ECON 212

3

Principles of Microeconomics

50

ECON 211

3

Trigonometry

50

MATH 102

3

Western Civilization I

50

HIST 101

3

Western Civilization II

50

HIST 102

3

*For credit in English 102, the CLEP Subject Examination in College Composition must include the essay component, which in accordance with CLEP policy, will be evaluated by the Freshman English Committee of the Department of Languages and Literature, Nicholls State University.

Nicholls administers credit examinations to students who claim special competence gained through practical experience, extensive training, or completion of courses in non-accredited institutions. A credit examination must be approved in advance by the dean of the College in which the course concerned is offered, and the department head and the appropriate instructor in the academic department administering the examination. Students seeking credit by examination will initiate the process by obtaining the required application in the Office of Records and Registration.

The following guidelines apply to university credit examinations:

A student who has completed a minimum of six months (181 consecutive days) of active duty in the United States Armed Forces shall be classified as a veteran. In order to receive credit for military service, the student must present an official document showing honorable discharge or assignment to the National Guard or to reserve status. Two semester hours of health and physical education activity credit will be awarded for each six months of active service, up to a maximum of eight semester hours of credit.