Academic Standards

Students are required to have a minimum of a 2.0 grade point average overall and in their major(s)/minor(s) in order to graduate from the College. Students with a 2.0 or above are in good academic standing. The records of students who are not in good standing are reviewed at the end of each term by the Subcommittee for Academic Review and Recommendation.

Grade Point Averages

Academic standing will be evaluated with the help of the following guidelines, based on the number of credit hours attempted at Carthage plus all credit hours transferred into Carthage.

Students whose cumulative average, for the first time, falls below the required minimum for dismissal or who have been on academic probation for three consecutive terms are placed in a show-cause category. The student is contacted to show cause why he or she should not be dismissed from the College. If there is cause for the student to be allowed to continue, he or she will be placed/continued on probation.

Students placed on probation are required to cooperate with the advising services. At the end of the term, the Provost will meet with the Subcommittee for Academic Review and Recommendation to determine whether the student has satisfactorily fulfilled the obligations of the support program. At that time, the Subcommittee for Academic Review and Recommendation will make a decision to dismiss the student from the College or allow the student to stay another term.

Academic Standards

Students who disagree with the Sub-Committee for Academic Review and Recommendation decision may petition the Committee for review. A student who is reinstated and fails in scholarship a second time is permanently dismissed.

A student who is dismissed for poor scholarship may petition for immediate reinstatement. The student must send a letter to the Sub-Committee for Academic Review and Recommendation outlining reasons why they believe the Committee should reconsider its action. The Committee will then meet to decide whether or not to reinstate the student. Appeals for reinstatement may be heard in person.

A student who is dismissed and not reinstated must wait one year or complete at least twelve transferable semester hours with a 2.25 grade point average or better at another college before applying to return. Requests for readmission are considered by the Study Action Review Committee.

Academic Probationary Restriction

Although there are no restrictions which apply to all students on academic probation, participation in intercollegiate athletics or holding an office in a student organization may be affected by a student’s probationary status. Specifically, athletes participating in intercollegiate sports must meet academic regulations established by the athletic conference during the season of participation in a conference sport. Also, the minimum cumulative grade point average necessary to be eligible for election or appointment to an office in a student organization is set forth in the constitution and/or bylaws of each organization.

Co-curricular Activities Policy

Carthage College sponsors co-curricular activities such as athletics or music ensembles and encourages student participation because these activities can be of substantial educational value. Occasionally, participation in these activities will conflict with class participation, and students must be prepared to choose between alternatives and accept the consequences of their choices. When students choose to participate in co-curricular activities, the Faculty and Office of the Provost recommend that their instructors excuse them from class, provided that the number of such absences does not become excessive.

Departments sponsoring such activities will make every effort to minimize the amount of class time that participating students will miss. The department will verify the participation of students for the faculty whose classes are affected. These departments will notify the instructors of such cases in advance. The Provost will have the final responsibility to ensure that sponsoring departments make serious efforts to minimize conflicts with class time.

While the student involved in a co-curricular activity may be excused from class attendance and may expect reasonable consideration and assistance from instructors when they miss classes, responsibility for making up assignments, for writing tests, for obtaining class notes, and for all other course activities rests clearly with the student. Further, students will take the initiative to complete these assignments as quickly as possible after their absence.

Because the period of examinations is a very small part of each term and because student absence during this period often poses serious problems of equity and reliability of evaluation, the policy stated above does not apply during examination times. Sponsorship of activities may be undertaken only with the understanding that excused absences may or may not be granted entirely at the discretion of the faculty members whose examinations are involved.

Final Exam Policy

Because final examinations usually affect student course grades substantially, Carthage does not require that any student take more than two final examinations on one day. In instances where the final examination schedule would require that a student take more than two finals in one day, all of the examinations except the first and last of the day may be rescheduled to other times during the exam period. Times for the rescheduled finals will be set by the course instructor provided that the new examination times do not conflict with previously scheduled examinations and do not require that the student take three examinations on one day.