Notes to Chapter 4
1. The name of the SAT I has recently been changed to "SAT Reasoning Test"; the name "New SAT" has been used for the version of the test administered after January 2005. The verbal portion of the New SAT has been renamed "critical reading." Both old and new total, math, and verbal/critical reading scores that are less than five years old may be used to meet TSI requirements as described here. The essay section of the New SAT may not yet be used to meet TSI requirements.
2. A proposal has recently been approved to extend the plus/minus grading scale to undergraduate courses. Details and effective date(s) will be given in future editions of General Information.
3. In addition to earning adequate grades in courses, undergraduates must have a cumulative University grade point average of at least 2.00 to maintain satisfactory progress toward a degree; graduate students must maintain a graduate grade point average of at least 3.00. Information about these requirements is given in the section Scholastic Probation and Dismissal. Computation of the grade point average is explained later in chapter 4.
4. Issues involving withholding or deferring grades for graduate students are handled by the deans of the colleges and schools.
5. Students in the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences may take up to sixteen semester hours of classroom or correspondence work in elective courses on the pass/fail basis. Plan II students may take up to nineteen semester hours of elective courses on the pass/fail basis. Only two courses a semester may be taken pass/fail, and courses may be taken pass/fail only after the student has thirty semester hours of credit.
6. A proposal has recently been approved to extend the plus/minus grading scale to undergraduate courses. Details and effective date(s) will be given in future editions of General Information.
7. Since September 15, 2006, the University has awarded only the symbol CR, rather than a letter grade, for credit earned by exam. As a result, credit earned by exam and recorded since that date is not included in the student's cumulative University grade point average. Through September 15, 2006, students chose either a letter grade or the symbol CR for credit earned by exam; credit by exam that was recorded with a letter grade is included in the student's cumulative University grade point average.
8. Credit by examination cannot be reported to the registrar for former students who are prohibited from enrolling in Texas public colleges and universities due to noncompliance with Texas Success Initiative regulations.
9. Under section 51.907 of the Texas Education Code, "an institution of higher education may not permit a student to drop more than six courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education." This statute was enacted by the State of Texas in spring 2007 via Senate Bill 1231. It applies to students who enroll in a public Texas community college, college, university, or other institution of higher education as first-time freshmen in fall 2007 or later. Any course that such a student drops at one of these institutions is counted toward the six-course limit if "(1) the student was able to drop the course without receiving a grade or incurring an academic penalty; (2) the student's transcript indicates or will indicate that the student was enrolled in the course; and (3) the student is not dropping the course in order to withdraw from the institution."
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will define the circumstances in which an institution may make exceptions to the six-course limit, and each institution will establish its own policies to implement the limit. If UT Austin's policies are established before the next edition of General Information is published, they will be added to the online version of the current edition.
A University student affected by this statute who has attended or plans to attend another institution of higher education should become familiar with that institution's policies on dropping courses.
10. The maximum time for which the student may be excused has been defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as "no more than 25 percent of the total number of class meetings or the contact hour equivalent (not including the final examination period) for the specific course or courses in which the student is currently enrolled at the beginning of the period of active military service."
11. Since September 15, 2006, the University has awarded only the symbol CR, rather than a letter grade, for credit earned by exam. As a result, credit earned by exam and recorded since that date is not included in the student's cumulative University grade point average. Through September 15, 2006, students chose either a letter grade or the symbol CR for credit earned by exam; credit by exam that was recorded with a letter grade is included in the student's cumulative University grade point average.
12. Each grade point average is the minimum required for graduation with honors, high honors, or highest honors. Because only a certain percentage of the class may receive honors, the average required for each category may be higher.
13. To graduate with University honors, a student in the McCombs School must have completed at least sixty semester hours of coursework in residence at the University.
14. To graduate with University honors, a student in the College of Communication must have completed at the University at least sixty semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree.
15. To graduate with University honors, a student in the Cockrell School of Engineering must have completed in residence at the University at least sixty semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree. A student may receive only one bachelor's degree with University honors from the Cockrell School.
16. To graduate with University honors, a student in the College of Fine Arts must rank in the indicated percent of students graduating that semester from his or her academic unit (art and art history, music, or theatre and dance) and must have no outstanding delay of grade (symbol X). He or she must have completed at least sixty semester hours of coursework in residence at the University. A student may receive only one bachelor's degree with University honors from the College of Fine Arts.