University Regulations

Semester Hour System

The value of each course of instruction and the amount of work required for graduation are measured in semester hours. A semester hour of credit represents an hour of classwork, or two to four hours of laboratory work per week for the semester.

Student Responsibility

Students themselves are responsible for knowing and meeting their degree requirements. A student’s advisor or counselor may not assume that responsibility. A substitution for, waiver of, or exemption from any established degree requirement or academic standard can be accomplished only with the approval of the student’s department chair and/or the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Academic Advising

Upon admission to the university, each first-time freshman will have an initial meeting with an advising and retention specialist. After two semesters, advising will be provided by a faculty member who teaches in the student’s degree program. Students who have not yet declared a degree program or who have special academic needs will continue to receive help from the Center for Student Success. While advisors are willing to assist students, students themselves are, as noted above, ultimately responsible for knowing and meeting their degree requirements.

Privacy of Student Records

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their educational records. These rights are presented here:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the university receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Registrar an official, written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records when the student believes they are inaccurate. Students may ask the university to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate. In such cases, students should write to the university official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the university decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, it will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided when the student is notified of the right to a hearing.

3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (such staff include law enforcement and health personnel); a person or company with whom the university has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the university’s governing boards, or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

Directory information concerning the student may be released by the university unless the student has requested that such information not be released. Under the terms of FERPA, directory information includes the following items:

• Student Name;

• Student ID Photograph;

• Local Address/Phone;

• Home/Address/Phone;

• E-mail Address;

• Date and Place of Birth;

• Degrees and Awards/Honors Received and Dates;

• Dates of Attendance (Current and Past);

• Full or Part-Time Enrollment Status;

• Participation in Officially Recognized Activities;

• Participation in Officially Recognized Sports;

• Weight/Height of Members of Athletic Teams;

• Most Recently Attended Educational Institute; and

• Major Field of Study/Classification

Students’ overall grade point averages may be released to honorary organizations only when they are to be used in determining eligibility for membership.

Students who wish to withhold directory information should complete the appropriate form, Confidentiality Request Form, found on the Office of the Registrar ‘s website under FERPA. Requests to prevent disclosure of directory information will remain in effect until a written request to rescind is received in the Office of the Registrar.

LSUA also maintains a global email-address list via Microsoft Outlook. Students who wish to add their physical addresses and their phone-numbers to this directory can do so by logging on at my.LSUA.edu and clicking on the Profile link in the drop-down menu to the right of their profile picture.

Transcripts cannot be released to a third party without the student’s signature. Students who are enrolled in LSUA dual enrollment courses are also covered under FERPA regulations.

4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Louisiana State University at Alexandria to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is provided below:

Registration

Students may attend class only after completing registration and paying fees. Students whose names are not on the official class rosters cannot attend classes until they provide evidence that they have completed registration.

Students may add courses for credit, make section changes, or withdraw from courses with approval of the appropriate university personnel within the periods specified in the Academic Calendar. Students who register for classes during late registration (see the Academic Calendar for dates) will be charged a late registration fee of $35.

In the event that a student wishes to no longer attend LSUA, it is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from all registered courses. Students should contact the Office of the Registrar for assistance.

Concurrent Enrollment

Occasionally, students choose to enroll in more than one college or university at the same time. Although concurrent enrollment is permitted, students are urged to do so only after consulting with a faculty advisor, after checking to ensure that credits from other universities will transfer to LSUA, and after investigating the potential effect of concurrent enrollment on their ability to receive financial aid. Students should also consider whether they can successfully manage the heavy course load that concurrent enrollment might entail. If a student is enrolled concurrently at another university, he or she must submit an official transcript of transfer work to LSUA after grades are posted. Graduating students should note that to be eligible to receive a baccalaureate degree, 24 of their final 30 semester hours must be earned at LSUA, and to be eligible to receive an associate degree, 12 of their final 15 hours must be earned at LSUA.

Names and Addresses

Students are expected to keep the university informed of their current addresses and will be held responsible for communication from any university office to the most recent address provided. Students should update their Address/Phone Number through myLSUA. Students are also responsible for checking their LSUA e-mail accounts and for responding to or acting on e-mail communications from the university; university offices use LSUA e-mail as the primary means of contacting students. If students experience technical difficulties with their LSUA e-mail accounts, they should contact IET Services at (318) 473-6574 for assistance.

A student who wishes to change his or her name must present to the Office of the Registrar a social security card or driver’s license issued under the new name and a completed change of name form; the fillable form can be obtained by visiting the Registrar’s website at https://www.lsua.edu/academics/registrar/registrar-forms.

The document and form may also be emailed to registrar@lsua.edu.

Other name or characteristic changes are made upon the presentation of an official court order.

Credit for Repeated Courses

Students are permitted to repeat courses.

All grades will be listed on the transcript; repeated courses will be designated with brackets [ ] around the grade. Students planning to repeat a course for which they earned a passing grade should be aware that Financial Aid will not pay for the repeat. Academic departments have the discretion to limit this policy per course (e.g., a department may decide not to admit a student to a program if the student takes the same course twice and fails).

If a course is repeated during or after Spring 2020, only the most recent course attempt is counted towards earned credits and included in the calculation of the student’s cumulative Grade Point Average.

Courses repeated prior to Spring 2020 are not subject to the above policy; that is, credits for each course attempt will be counted towards earned credits and included in the calculation of the student’s cumulative GPA.  

Excluding a grade from a previous semester does not affect the calculation of academic standing for that semester. Academic standing remains as it was originally earned.

Classification of Students

Note: classifications for the purpose of determining financial aid awards may be different from academic classifications.

The number of semester hours of credit earned determines a student’s classification by year:

For regulations governing the level of courses students may take based on their classification by year, consult Courses of Instruction (a-z) .

The number of semester hours for which a student is enrolled in a given semester determines whether the student is classified as full-time or part-time:

• Full-Time Students
  A student enrolled for 12 or more hours of resident credit in a regular semester or six or more hours of resident credit in a summer session, 2nd session, or 3rd session is classified as a full-time student.

• Part Time Students
  A student enrolled for fewer than 12 hours of resident credit in a regular semester or fewer than six hours of resident credit in a summer session, 2nd session, or 3rd session is classified as a part-time student.

Course Load

Maximum Course Load for Regular Semester:

• 21 semester hours for any combination of full semester, 1st session, or 2nd session courses.

Maximum Course Load for Summer Session:

• 10 semester hours for full summer-session courses;

• 6 semester hours for 1st session or 2nd session courses;

• 12 semester hours for any combination of full session, 1st session, or 2nd session summer courses.

Only in rare circumstances and with the permission of the student’s Department Chair can these limits be exceeded.

Scholastic Requirements

The scholastic requirements presented in this section define the nature of satisfactory academic achievement and are designed to uphold the standards of the university. Students who fail to meet these requirements will be subject to academic penalties. 

Probation

Any student who has a semester grade point average (GPA) below 2.0, will be placed on Academic probation.

• Once placed on probation, students will remain on probation for each semester until they have earned a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.

• Students who are on scholastic probation are eligible to continue to enroll at the university.

Suspension Warning

• A student who is on academic probation and who does not achieve a semester GPA of 2.0 will be placed on suspension warning.

• First-semester students who are admitted on Academic Probation and who do not achieve a semester GPA of 2.0 or higher will be placed on Suspension Warning.

• Students who are on suspension warning will be required to participate in a study skills seminar, offered through the Department of Student Engagement.

Suspension

• A student who is on suspension warning and does not achieve a semester GPA of 2.0 will be suspended.

Students on 1^st Suspension will sit out for one semester (Spring or Fall).

Students on 2^nd Suspension will sit out for one academic year (Spring and Fall).

Students on 3^rd Suspension will be suspended from the university indefinitely.

• Students cannot be suspended from the university on the basis of work taken during a summer term/semester.

• LSUA does not accept for credit toward a degree any credits that a student earns from another institution during the period in which he or she is in suspension status. This includes intersessions (i.e. a student who is suspended at the end of the fall term and takes courses during a winter intersession will not be able to use the credits earned during the intersession).

Readmission of Students on Suspension

The rules presented below indicate the circumstances in which students who have been suspended from the university can be considered for readmission:

1. A student who for the first time has been suspended from the university for academic reasons will not be permitted to enroll until the expiration of one full semester, unless the student is readmitted through the First Drop Program. Students enrolled in the First Drop Program will participate in training designed to increase their ability to successfully complete their studies. Such students may register for at least three but no more than twelve hours of course work for credit. If such students earn at least a “C” average (2.0) for their semester’s coursework, they will be allowed to continue in school. If, however, they earn less than a “C” average for their semester’s coursework, they will be suspended from the university for one calendar year. Students who wish to re-enter the university through the First Drop Program must request permission from the Division of Student Engagement. The student’s transcript will carry a notation that indicates that the student was suspended but conditionally readmitted on probation based on his or her enrollment in the First Drop Program. When students register early for an upcoming semester and are subsequently suspended for academic reasons, the classes for which they registered are automatically canceled.

2. Students who more than once have been suspended from the university for academic reasons cannot enroll for at least one calendar year. After one calendar year has passed, they may apply for readmission. Readmission, however, may be delayed or denied at the discretion of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

3. Students who have been suspended more than once may appeal for a waiver of the rule that prevents them from enrolling for at least one calendar year. Such appeals are rarely granted and only in the event of extenuating circumstances. The Suspension Appeal form can be requested from the Office of the Registrar.

4. A student who has been suspended for academic reasons may during the suspension period and with the approval of the student’s department chair and the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs register to audit regular courses at LSUA or register for non-credit correspondence courses at LSUA.

5. Students readmitted to LSUA after being suspended for academic reasons will be on scholastic probation when they return and will remain on probation until their overall grade point average is at least 2.0. In order not to earn another suspension, such students must attain a 2.0 grade point average in each semester of their enrollment.

Readmission of Suspended Students for Summer Only

1. Students who are currently in suspension status at LSUA may apply to attend in the summer only through the Summer Only Drop Status (SODS) program. This program is not available to students who are in suspension status at other universities. To obtain SODS permission forms or information about other required reentry documentation, contact the Division of Student Engagement at (318) 767-2604.

2. Students cannot be placed on probation or be suspended from the university on the basis of work taken during a summer term.

3. Work taken during the summer term can result in students being removed from scholastic probation or suspension.

Grading System

Grading Standards

Grades of “A,” “B,” and “C” are given for satisfactory work.

A grade of “A” indicates distinguished mastery of the course material; a grade of “B,” good mastery; a grade of “C,” acceptable mastery; a grade of “D,” minimally acceptable achievement for credit; and a grade of “F,” failing. Note: in some degree programs, a grade of “D” in certain courses does not carry degree credit.

A “P” (Passing) denotes satisfactory completion (grade of “C” or higher) on advanced-standing examinations and certain courses.

An “NC” (No-credit) denotes unsatisfactory performance on advanced-standing examinations and certain courses.

Grading symbols of “P,” “NC,” “W,” and “I” are not used in computing the official grade point average and, therefore, do not carry quality points.

All courses for which grades of “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” are assigned are considered in calculating grade point averages, with the following exception: if a course is repeated, only the grade for the most recent attempt is included in the GPA calculation. 

Grade Point Average

A student’s grade point average (GPA) is calculated by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of GPA credit hours (hours for which A’s, B’s C’s, D’s, or F’s-are earned) Quality points per hour are assigned to letter grades as follows:

“A” = 4 quality points;
“B” = 3 quality points;
“C” = 2 quality points;
“D” = 1 quality point;
“F” = 0 quality points.

For all academic purposes, grade point averages shall be specified to four significant figures (three decimal places). No rounding occurs. Any grade point average cited to only one decimal place (as 2.0) shall be construed to mean, mathematically, a figure accurate to three decimal places (as 2.00).

Exams and Other Graded Material

At the beginning of each semester, faculty members are expected to announce to their classes the basis on which each student’s course grade will be determined. On request, faculty members should provide to students a review of all graded material, including final examinations, that contributed to the course grade and a review of the method by which the grade was determined. Unreturned examinations and other graded material should be kept on file for at least six months following the conclusion of a course. Faculty members who leave the campus during this period should file such material in their departmental office.

Assigning of Grades

It is the right and responsibility of the instructor to determine and assign the grade for each student listed on his or her course roster who does not have a grade of “W.” The instructor’s assignment of a grade is final, and the grade may not be changed or altered unless an official Change of Grade form is processed by the instructor and approved by the department chair. Grades changes made as a result of the grievance procedure must be approved by the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

In extraordinary circumstances, which make it impossible for the instructor to fulfill the responsibility of determining a course grade, the department chair shall assign the grade. In such cases, the department chair may elect to award a “P” (Passing) for work of at least “C” quality.

The Withdrawal (“W”) Grade

A “W” will be entered on a student’s record for any course from which the student withdraws after the last day for withdrawing from courses without a “W” grade (consult the Academic Calendar for withdrawal deadlines).

Each student, however, is limited to one withdrawal per course taken at LSUA. If a student wishes to withdraw from a course that he or she has withdrawn from in a previous semester, the student must request an exception from the chair of the department in which the student’s degree program is housed.

A student who stops attending or never attends a class for which he or she is registered will not be assigned a “W’” unless an official schedule change form is processed. The student will normally receive an “F” for such a class and may, as a result, be ineligible for further financial aid and/or for readmission for a semester or longer.

Note: A “W” grade simply records the fact that a student withdrew from a course before the course ended. It has no bearing on the calculation of the student’s GPA.

The Incomplete (“I”) Grade

Work that is of passing quality but is incomplete because of circumstances beyond the student’s control may be marked “I” upon the approval of the instructor and academic department chair.

It is the student’s responsibility to initiate the request for an incomplete grade. The Request for “I” Grade Form along with instructions for completing and returning the form may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar’s web page. Arrangements for the completion of missed work must be made with the instructor before the submission of the request.

If authorization for the incomplete grade is not received before submission of final grades for the course, the instructor will consider the delinquent work to be of failing quality and not assign an “I” grade.

The “I” will be converted to “F” unless it is removed before the third class day in the next regular semester (FALL or SPRING) following the assignment of the “I” grade. Students taking online courses will have until the end of the fourth week in the next term (Fall 2, Fall 3, 2nd Session, 3rd Session, etc) following the assignment of the “I” grade. It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements with the instructor for removing the “I” before this deadline.

Final Examinations

Final examinations are required and must be given at the end of each semester in accordance with the dates published in the Final Examination Schedule. Any exception to this requirement must be approved by the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

A student requesting that he or she be permitted to take a final exam at a time other than the officially scheduled time must present his or her request in writing to the instructor of the course, secure the instructor’s written approval, and secure the written approval of the instructor’s department chair.

A student who for some valid reason, such as illness, is absent from a final examination may take a special examination only with authorization of the instructor’s department chair and with the concurrence of the instructor involved. This special exam must be completed before the deadline for turning in semester grades.

Grade Reports

The university does not mail grade reports at the end of a semester. Instead, students access their grades online at my.LSUA.edu.

Grade Appeals

Students who wish to appeal a final grade should visit the link below for information about the university’s Student Grievance Policy (PS 207): https://www.lsua.edu/docs/default-source/chancellor’s-office/policy-statements/policystatement207.pdf?sfvrsn=99436382_3.

Adding/Dropping Courses

Adds and Drops may be made in accordance with the dates indicated in the Academic Calendar.

From initial registration to the end of the late registration period, students may drop and add classes online. After the late registration period, a student may initiate an add through his or her academic department up until the deadline specified in the Academic Calendar. Such changes are not considered official until processed by the Office of the Registrar.

Dropping a Course Using the Online Form

A course dropped on before the last day for withdrawing from courses without a “W” grade will not be recorded on the student’s transcript (consult the Academic Calendar for withdrawal deadlines).

A course dropped after the last day for withdrawing from courses without a “W” grade will result in the recording of a grade of “W” on the student’s permanent academic record (consult the Academic Calendar for withdrawal deadlines).

As noted earlier, a student who stops attending or never attends a class for which he or she is registered will not be assigned a “W’” unless an official schedule change form is processed. The student will normally receive an “F” for such a class and may, as a result, be ineligible for further financial aid and/or for readmission for a semester or longer.

Curriculum Changes

A student who wishes to change his or her academic curriculum must complete the online Change of Major Form located on the homepage of the Office of the Registrar. Once the student’s department has approved the requested change it will be processed by the Office of the Registrar. All curriculum changes, after the 14th day of the semester will be made effective for the next academic term unless an extenuating circumstance exists.

Complete Withdrawal from the University

Withdrawal from all courses requires that a student withdraws from the university by the date indicated in the Academic Calendar found on the Registrar’s website.

On Campus students must visit the Registrar’s Office to complete a university withdrawal form. 

Online students must email the Registrar’s office at registrar@lsua.edu requesting the university withdrawal form.

A withdrawal is not official until the complete withdrawal form has been processed by the Office of the Registrar and the student has satisfied all financial obligations to the university. The date of receipt of the request will determine the effective date of withdrawal. University Withdrawals received after the last date to drop courses without a grade of ‘W’ will result in ‘W’ grades recorded on the student’s transcript.

Students who do not withdraw from the university within the specified time found in the Academic Calendar will need to petition for a prior semester withdrawal. Information about the petition process is provided on the withdrawals web page on the Registrar’s website.

Transcript of Record

Currently enrolled students can view their unofficial transcripts by logging on at my.LSUA.edu and accessing Self-Service, the university’s online registration portal. Students can obtain official transcripts of the work they have completed, provided they are current in their financial, library, and all other obligations to the university. Enrolled students can request official transcripts by logging on at my.LSUA.edu and clicking the Request Transcript link in the Student drop-down menu. Alumni who wish to request official transcripts can go to the Office of the Registrar’s website, select “TRANSCRIPT REQUEST” and select the link for TRANSCRIPT PLUS to submit their requests. Each official transcript costs $7.00. Transcript requests may take two to three business days for processing. This time will fluctuate during certain times within the semester. Transcripts cannot be released without the student’s written authorization.

Academic Honors

Honor’s Day

Honor’s Day Convocation is held during the spring semester of each year. On this occasion, awards are presented to students who have demonstrated excellence in academics, leadership, and community service.

Dean’s List

To be included on the Dean’s List, students must have successfully completed at least 12 hours of coursework during the relevant semester, have earned a grade point average of at least 3.5 for that coursework, and have not been assigned any “I” grades for the semester. The 12 hours cannot include audited courses, developmental courses, or any other credits not earned while the student is enrolled at LSUA.

Chancellor’s List

To be included on the Chancellor’s List, students must have successfully completed at least 12 hours of coursework during the relevant semester, have earned a grade point average of 4.0 for that coursework, and have not been assigned any “I” grades for the semester. The 12 hours cannot include audited courses, developmental courses, or any other credits not earned while the student is enrolled at LSUA.

Chancellor’s Award

The Chancellor’s Award for “Highest Academic Achievement” is awarded at each commencement to the associate degree graduate and the baccalaureate degree graduate with the highest grade point averages. To be eligible for the award, graduates must ensure that at least 50% of the total hours applied towards their degrees have been earned at LSUA.

Latin Honors

Graduates receiving baccalaureate degrees may receive their degrees summa cum laude, magnum cum laude, or cum laude. The determination for these designations is based on the student’s cumulative grade point average and the completion of at least 48 institutional hours to qualify for Latin honors. Degrees are awarded summa cum laude to students whose grade point averages are between 3.90 and 4.0; magna cum laude to students whose grade point averages are between 3.70 to 3.89; and cum laude to students whose grade point averages are between 3.50 and 3.69.

Students graduating with honors are recognized at commencement by the honors cords they wear. Students graduating summa cum laude wear gold cords; those graduating magna cum laude wear silver cords; and those graduating cum laude wear white cords.

Academic Exceptions

Under rare circumstances, a student may wish to seek an exception to the policies of this catalog. To do so requires a “petition” addressed to the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. The petition, which should take the form of a letter, must clearly indicate the reasons for seeking the exception and be accompanied by documentation that supports those reasons; without adequate documentation, petitions will not be given full consideration. The granting of the request contained in a petition is at the discretion of the Provost or his or her designee.