Academic Policies

This section contains summary information about academic policies. These policies are provided in their entirety in the Policies and Regulations section of the University Catalog. Please consult the Catalog for complete information about these policies.

Catalog Rights

Undergraduate students remaining in attendance in regular sessions at a California State University campus, a California community college, or any combination of these institutions, may for the purposes of meeting all graduation requirements elect to meet the requirements in effect at CI either:

1. at the time the student began attendance, or
2. at the time of entrance to CI, or
3. at the time of graduation from CI.

If while enrolled the student declares or changes the major, a major option, or a minor, the student shall follow the requirements either in effect at the time of the declaration or change, or in effect at the time of graduation. Other catalog years may be approved by department petition. Students do not lose catalog rights for GE and other graduation requirements by declaring or changing their major, if they maintain continuous attendance.

Absence related to an approved educational leave or for attendance at another accredited institution of higher learning is not considered an interruption, providing such absence does not exceed two years. The absence must be consistent with the CSU definition of educational leave and with CSU policy.

Please consult the University Catalog for information on the following important items:

• Catalog Rights
• Double-Counting of Course Requirements
• Second Baccalaureate Degrees

Students are also encouraged to consult the University Catalog for information concerning experiences involving:

• Internships
• Service-Learning Policy

Graduation Writing Assessment

Beginning Catalog Year 2020-2021, students will meet the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) by passing a GWAR-approved course with a grade of C- or better.  Programs will identify as part of their major catalog copy, one GWAR-approved, writing-intensive course as a major requirement.  GWAR courses may be taught by the major or a discipline outside the major. (SP 17-05)  Master’s degree students should consult their program advisor for information on how to meet the GWAR requirement.

Declaration of Majors

To help ensure timely completion of graduation requirements, students who have a total of 60 units completed and in progress must have declared a major before they may register for the next term. Upper-division transfer students are required to declare their intended major on their application for admission.

Undergraduate Minors

Students may declare any minor offered by the University, with the following restrictions. In order to declare a minor, a student must have a declared major. Generally students will not receive a minor in a discipline in which they are majoring. However, some Program Areas may allow students to major in one discipline and minor in a different discipline within that same Program Area. Each Program Area will specify in the catalog when this is allowed, clearly stating the major and minor combinations for which this is permissible. Students with declared minors are subject to the following minimum GPA standards:

1. A grade point average of at least 2.0 overall is required across all courses taken to complete the minor program (including transfer courses).
2. Programs may impose additional grade requirements (e.g., a program may require a minimum grade of “C” in all courses applied to the minor.) (SP 12-01)

Course Load for Undergraduate Students

An undergraduate student in good standing may enroll in 18 units without advisor approval. An undergraduate student on academic probation may enroll in 14 units without advisor approval. Students enrolling more than 18 units are required to have written approval from the chair or faculty advisor in the student’s declared major, or an academic advisor. Students who have not declared a major and are seeking permission to enroll in more than 18units must get written approval from an academic advisor. Undergraduate students on academic probation who wish to enroll in more than 14 units are required to have an academic advisor’s written approval.

Academic Leave

Students who do not register for classes at CSU Channel Islands for one semester are considered continuing students and do not need to take any action prior to registration. To encourage continuing students to return to CSUCl following an absence, the University will automatically place eligible students on an informal leave of absence for a second semester.

Students are eligible to apply for a formal leave of absence as long as they were not academically disqualified at the close of their last completed semester and did not receive an undergraduate or graduate degree at the end of the preceding regular or summer term at CSUCI.

Additionally, students may apply for a formal leave of absence for up to four consecutive semesters (excluding summer and winter). While a student may apply for multiple leaves, no student will be permitted more than six total semesters of leave from CSU Channel Islands. Informal and formal leaves of absence are not considered an interruption in attendance and students on leave will maintain their catalog rights. (SP 18-04)

Academic Probation and Disqualification

Academic Probation:

An undergraduate student is subject to academic probation if at any time either the student's cumulative grade point average (GPA) in all college work attempted or the student's cumulative GPA at CSU Channel Islands falls below 2.0. Probationary students will be advised of their status at the end of the semester. The communication will include conditions for removal from probation and the circumstances that would lead to disqualification. All probationary students are required to receive academic advising no later than the end of the third week of the following semester. Students shall be removed from academic probation once they have received such advising and both the cumulative GPA in all college work attempted and the cumulative GPA average at CSU Channel Islands are at least 2.0.

Academic Disqualification:

An undergraduate student on academic probation will be subject to academic disqualification when the student’s GPA in all units attempted or in all units attempted at CI falls below the following:

• As a freshman: 1.50;
• As a sophomore: 1.70;
• As a junior: 1.85;
• As a senior: 1.95

Students’ records will be evaluated for disqualification at the end of each semester. Students cannot be placed on probation for the first time at CI and be disqualified in the same semester. However, students who have previously been on probation at CI and fall below the GPA listed above will be subject to academic disqualification, even if the probation and disqualification semesters are non-consecutive. A student may appeal disqualification no later than the Academic Appeals Board deadline before the start of the semester following disqualification. Appeals will be decided by the Academic Appeals Board. Typical grounds for a successful appeal include significant improvement towards meeting the GPA requirements and/or extraordinary circumstances beyond the student’s control, as determined by the Academic Appeals Board. A successful petition of appeal for disqualification will result in the student remaining on academic probation. Students who appeal unsuccessfully will need to apply for readmission and reinstatement as specified in the Policy on Reinstatement if they wish to continue at CSUCI.

Postbaccalaureate Students:

A student seeking a second baccalaureate will be subject to academic disqualification when the student’s GPA after twelve attempted units at CSUCI falls below 2.0.

A conditionally classified or classified graduate student will be subject to academic disqualification when the student’s GPA in all units attempted for the current program falls below 2.5.

Students may also be placed on Administrative-Academic Probation or Administrative-Academic Disqualification subject to the conditions described in the Catalog.

Reinstatement

In order to be considered for reinstatement to CSUCI, a disqualified student must demonstrate academic ability by completing additional coursework. All classes taken must be applicable for degree credit at CSUCI. After eliminating the grade-point deficiency, the student may petition the Academic Appeals Board for reinstatement. Students seeking reinstatement in the spring semester must submit the petition for reinstatement by December I. Students seeking reinstatement for the fall semester must submit the petition for reinstatement by July 1. Students who are disqualified, reinstated, and become disqualified a second time will not be granted a second reinstatement. (SP 18-03)

For more information please visit the reinstatement website at: http://www.csuci.edu/academics/appeals/reinstatement.htm.

Semester Honors

CI undergraduate students completing 12 or more units with a letter grade in a single semester or completing 12 or more units with a letter grade in one academic year assessed at the end of the Spring semester, shall be named to the Semester Honors list if they earn a 3.75 or higher grade point average. The catalog also contains information concerning:

• Program Honors
• University Honors

Graduation

To qualify for graduation, students must complete all requirements for the bachelor’s/master’s degree by the official graduation date listed in the Schedule of Classes. Graduation is not automatic upon the completion of requirements. Students who intend to graduate must take the initiative and file by the appropriate deadline below. While students are ultimately responsible for completing all degree requirements, assistance is available through faculty advisement, the Advising Center, and Graduation Evaluations. It is important that students meet regularly with an advisor to avoid graduation problems and delays.

The Application for Graduation is available online through your myCI Student Center in CI Records.  Once your application is submitted, the graduation filing fee will be posted to your student account and the status in the top section of your CI Academic Requirements Report (CARR) will change from “Not Applied” to “Applied.”  Be sure to pay the $50 graduation application fee that should populate within 24 hours.  Non-payment may result in a registration hold placed on your account.  Undergraduate students who apply to graduate by the filing deadlines and have 18 units or less to complete their degree will receive enrollment priority for their final regular semester.  Graduate (Master's degree) students who apply by the filing deadlines will also receive enrollment priority for their final semester.  Further information is available on the Registrar’s Office web page. 

Commencement

Commencement is held annually at the end of the spring semester. Undergraduate students who have completed degree or credential requirements the previous summer or fall terms are eligible to participate in the ceremony along with those who plan to complete their work in the spring or subsequent summer and have filed an Application for Degree and Diploma.

Graduate students who have completed degree requirements the previous summer or fall terms are eligible to participate in the ceremony along with those who plan to complete their degrees in the spring or subsequent summer and have advanced to candidacy. Names of graduates and degree candidates who have applied for graduation by the published deadline will be published in the Commencement Program. Students who do not wish to have their names published in the Commencement Program may opt out by filing a Request to Withhold Directory Information form with Records & Registration. (SP 09-10)

Undergraduate (Bachelor’s) Degree Application Deadlines

Graduate Program - Advancement to candidacy

Advancement to candidacy recognizes that the student has demonstrated the ability to operate at and sustain a level of scholarly competence that is satisfactory for successful completion of the degree requirements. In programs that require a thesis, it permits the student to enroll in courses that provide thesis supervision. The student must be enrolled during the semester in which they apply for advancement to candidacy. Advancement to candidacy must occur at least one semester prior to the anticipated completion of the program. Approval is granted by the program director or designee(s). (SP 09-08)

Graduate (Master’s) Degree Application Deadlines

Grade Policy

1. The "ABCDF" is the default grading system. Although it is not required, individual faculty members may add a "+" or "-" to any grade except "F". By adding a "+" to a grade, the grade points earned shall increase by 0.3 (except that an A+ shall still be 4.0 grade points). By adding a "-" to a grade, the grade points earned shall decrease by 0.3. Course syllabi are required to state clearly whether "+/-" grading is used. The standard grade points per letter grade are as follows:
• The grade of "A" is equivalent to 4.0 points of a four-point scale.
• The grade of "B" is equivalent to 3.0 points of a four-point scale.
• The grade of "C" is equivalent to 2.0 points of a four-point scale.
• The grade of "D" is equivalent to 1.0 point of a four-point scale.
• The grade of "F" is equivalent to 0 (zero) points of a four-point scale.
2. A student may take a course “CR/NC” if the course is designated as allowing “CR/NC” grading in the course approval process.
3. Not more than 12 units of General Education courses may be taken “CR/NC”.
4. The decision on how many units of courses taken “CR/NC” and which courses can be taken “CR/NC” is left up to each individual program.
5. Course syllabi shall include a discussion of the instructor’s grading policy.
6. The level of student performance and course grades are determined by the instructor of record.

Grade Definitions:

"A":

Student performance has been outstanding and indicates an exceptional degree of academic achievement in meeting learning outcomes and course requirements.

"B":

Student performance has been at a high level and indicates solid academic achievement in meeting learning outcomes and course requirements.

"C":

Student performance has been adequate and indicates satisfactory academic achievement in meeting learning outcomes and course requirements.

"D":

Student performance has been less than adequate and indicates deficiencies in meeting the learning outcomes and/or course requirements.

"F":

Student performance has been unacceptable and indicates a failure to meet the learning outcomes and/or course requirements.

"CR" (Credit):

Reflects the equivalent of a "C" or higher for undergraduate courses and the equivalent of a "B" or higher for graduate and post-baccalaureate courses (or as determined by the graduate program).

"NC" (No Credit):

Reflects the equivalent of any grade lower than a "C" for undergraduate courses and the equivalent of any grade lower than a "B" for graduate and post-baccalaureate courses (or as determined by the graduate program).

"RP" (Report in Progress):

This symbol is used in connection with courses that extend beyond one academic term. It indicates that work is in progress, but that the assignment of a final grade must await completion of additional work. Work is to be completed within one year except for graduate degree theses.

"W" (Withdrawal):

This symbol is used to indicate that the student was permitted to withdraw from the course after the third week of the semester 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. See withdrawal procedures in the Catalog.

"WU" (Withdrawal Unauthorized):

This symbol is used to indicate that an enrolled student did not formally withdraw from the course according to University policy and also failed to complete course requirements. 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, this grade is equivalent to an "F."

"I" (Incomplete Authorized):

This symbol shall be applied as stipulated in SP03-18.

"IC" (Incomplete Charged):

This symbol is used when a student who received an "I" has not completed the coursework in the allowed time and counts as an "F" in calculating the GPA. (SP 12-07)

Course Repeats

The Course Repeat Policy may be used only by undergraduate students. It may not be used by graduate/post-baccalaureate students working on master’s degrees, graduate certificates, or teaching credentials, or by unclassified post-baccalaureate students, even when they might take undergraduate courses. This policy is applied only to courses taken at CSU Channel Islands and repeated at CSU Channel Islands. Students may repeat courses only if they earned grades lower than a “C,” e.g. grades of “WU,” “F,” “D-,” “D,” “D+,” “C-,” “NC,” or “IC.”

• Undergraduate students may repeat up to a total of sixteen (16) semester units taken at CSU Channel Islands for forgiveness.
• Undergraduate students may repeat an individual course for grade forgiveness only once.
• If the second grade is equal to or higher than the first, then it replaces the first grade. If the second grade is lesser than the first, the original grade will remain in the grade point average. In either case the course repetition limit will have been met, and the units will apply towards the total unit limit for forgiveness.
• Grade forgiveness shall not be applicable to courses for which the original grade was the result of a finding of academic dishonesty.
• Beyond the 16 semester units that can be repeated for grade forgiveness, students may repeat an additional 12 semester units for grade averaging. In such instances the repeat grade shall not replace the original grade; instead both grades shall be calculated into the student’s overall grade point average.

(SP17-04)

Graduate / Postbaccalaureate Student Course Repeat

A graduate/postbaccalaureate student may take a course a total of 3 times with no grade forgiveness. All grades will be calculated into the GPA. Unit credit for the courses will be granted only once unless courses are repeatable as specified in the catalog.

Grade Appeals

Each student has the right to appeal the final course grade, but only the final course grade. Appeals are limited to situations in which the student believes the grade was “prejudicially”, “capriciously”, or “arbitrarily” assigned. The appeal must be initiated within the first seven weeks of the first regular semester after assignment of the grade. The complete policy is available at http://senate.csuci.edu/policies/2011-2012/grade-appeals.pdf. Additional information about appeals is available at http://www.csuci.edu/academics/appeals/grade-appeal.htm.

Academic Dishonesty

The catalog defines academic dishonesty to include “such things as cheating, inventing false information or citations, plagiarism and helping someone else commit an act of academic dishonesty. It usually involves an attempt by a student to show possession of a level of knowledge or skill that he/she does not possess.” The catalog describes the process for evaluating cases of dishonesty and assignment of appropriate penalties.

Honor Code

Academic integrity is the responsibility of all members of the CSUCI community. We, as members of the University community, share equally in the responsibility to ensure that the honor code instills self-respect; fosters scholarship and achievement; builds habits of honesty; promotes ethical behavior; inspires mutual fellowship and respect; and confers prestige on California State University Channel Islands and members of the University community. All University community members should be familiar with the Honor code. Students share with faculty and staff the responsibility of sustaining a climate of integrity. These values are to be maintained at all times.

1. Introduction

In a university community, there can be no doubt that honor and the pursuit of knowledge are inexorably intertwined.

An honor system must be believed in, supported, and administered by those who belong to it. Upon enrollment at California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI), each student is automatically subject to the provisions of the Honor system. Each student has a duty to become familiar with the Honor Code and the provisions of the Honor system. Ignorance of what constitutes an Honor Code violation cannot be used as a defense in an honor hearing.

The Honor system at CSUCI does not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, national origin, political affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

A faculty or staff member may require examination, paper, and other written or electronically submitted assignment contain the following pledge (or similar pledge approved by the faculty or staff member) of the student(s) submitting the work: “This work complies with the CI Honor Code.” The pledge shall be signed by the student(s) unless it is submitted electronically, in which case the faculty or staff member may require a different method of proof of a student’s pledge.

1. The Honor Code

Students shall observe complete honesty in all academic matters. All students are strongly urged to ask their faculty or staff members to clarify what types of conduct are authorized or unauthorized in each course.