Academic Regulations and Policies
It is the student's responsibility to understand and observe all academic regulations and policies outlined in this Bulletin, and in any supplements and revisions to this Bulletin that may be issued.
The academic policies and requirements of the University are intended to be firm, and the University seeks to administer them with consistency and evenhandedness.
When exceptional circumstances require students to request waivers of normal academic policies and requirements, these requests should be addressed in writing with a student academic petition form. Variations in normal policies, requirements, and standards may be considered only when there is a strong rationale for divergence from the normal practice in a particular case; when there is no likelihood that the variation will set a precedent that could adversely affect the University's standards; and when, in the judgment of the appropriate University authorities, it is in the educational interests of the petitioning student, and not contrary to the interests of other students or of the University, that the waiver be granted. Accordingly, waivers are not considered for such fundamental University standards as credits, grades, or GPA requirements for graduation. Students' failures to plan or carry out their work appropriately or in a timely manner, or to acquaint themselves with applicable University regulations, do not constitute sufficient reason for waiver of a normal standard, regulation, requirement, or practice.
Fisk assumes no responsibility for students' errors in planning their studies. It is the student's responsibility to be familiar with the contents of this Bulletin, and with whatever changes in its provisions may be adopted during the lifetime of this edition. In addition to the Bulletin, the University provides the services of the admission staff, the Registrar, the Academic Advisor, the Office of Student Life staff, the Office of the Provost, and the Faculty Academic Advisor to assist the student in understanding Fisk's programs and regulations. As University programs evolve according to the best educational judgment of the faculty, administration, and trustees, the University will publish announcements of changes. It remains at all times the student's responsibility to stay informed of University policies.
In general, students should plan their programs according to the provisions of the most recent edition of this Bulletin as published at the time of the student's first matriculation at Fisk. Students who return to Fisk after an absence of two or more years or however, are subject to the terms of the Bulletin edition that is current at the time of their return to the University. The University also reserves the right, at any time, to adjust requirements for graduation in accordance with current offerings, changes in accreditation and/or changes in program approval standards.
Academic Credit
Academic credit at Fisk is given in the form of semester hours. Class time of fifty minutes per week for one semester constitutes one semester hour of academic credit. The typical Fisk course is for four semester hours of credit, although courses carrying other credits are offered.
Semester Hours
The normal student course load for undergraduates is sixteen semester hours. Twelve semester hours constitute a minimum for full-time student status at the undergraduate level; the maximum is eighteen semester hours per term.
Approval to register for hours exceeding the maximum must be obtained from the Provost upon the written recommendation of the faculty academic advisor. The permission to take an overload is restricted to students whose grade-point average was at least 3.0 in their most recent semester prior to requesting an overload, with the following exceptions: 1) Students expecting to graduate in the year in which the overload is requested; and 2) students whose suggested program plans, as printed in this Bulletin, suggest that more than eighteen hours be taken if timely graduation is to occur. Under no circumstances is approval given for a schedule in excess of twenty-two semester hours per term. Credit hours in excess of eighteen are assessed an overload fee for each excess hour.
It is the University's assumption that students, in registering for courses, accept significant obligations for out-of-class work. Normally students should plan on spending at least two hours of work and study time outside of class for every hour spent in class. Thus, a sixteen-hour course-load is apt to amount to at least a 48- hour work week (16 hours in class plus 32 hours out of class study) for the student who keeps up appropriately with her/his studies. An eighteen-hour course load entails a 54-hour work week, and so on.
Contact Hours Policy
Fisk University defines a credit hour as a reasonable approximation of the student learning outcome equivalency of an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that reasonably approximates not less than, at a minimum, the federal definition:
One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
At least one equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.
The above policy is applicable to all courses offered, regardless of the mode of delivery and or session length (e.g., full term-length, weekend mode, abbreviated term, face-to-face, hybrid, online, etc.).