Policies and Procedures

ETSU policies are located at the following website: https://www.etsu.edu/policies/

Admissions for Undergraduate Students

Please click here to read the Undergraduate Admissions policies.  You may also visit the Undergraduate Admissions section of this catalog.

Academic Fresh Start Policy

Academic Fresh Start is a plan of academic forgiveness available to transfer and readmission students. Candidates may apply for Academic Fresh Start prior to admission or readmission as a degree-seeking student or at any time after enrollment. The student will need to contact the Office of Admissions to request an application for Academic Fresh Start. See the Admissions section of this catalog to view the complete policy. Fresh Start Contract

Undergraduate Reverse Transfer

ETSU will participate in reverse transfer, a program in which degree seeking students who transfer from a community college to a four (4)-year institution prior to receipt of the associate’s degree can complete the associate’s degree requirements and be awarded associate’s degree.  Please click here to read the complete policy.

Adding a Course 

A course(s) may be added through GoldLink during the first week of classes without special permission, unless the course has reached the established maximum enrollment. To add any class that has reached the enrollment maximum requires a departmental permit. After the first week of classes, students must obtain special permission from the department in order to add any class. After census, the Late Add process begins which requires students to obtain permission from: the instructor of the course, the department chair of the course, the college dean of the student’s major, and the Registrar’s office to add a course(s). Permission during the Late Add process is only granted with extenuating circumstances. Please click here for help with adding courses.

Late Add Form

Dropping a Course

Students may drop classes from their schedule from the start of registration for the term through Census day, please see the academic calendar for Census for your part of term. 

Classes dropped prior to Census, as noted on the academic calendar for the part of term in which the class meets, will not appear on the student’s permanent record. 

Requests to drop classes can be completed from within GoldLink using Add or Drop Classes under Registration Tools on the Student menu. Classes must be dropped no later than the close of business on Census for the part of term in which the class meets, please see the academic calendar for Census.

Please click here for help with dropping a course.

Late Drop a Course 

After the last day to drop a course with a ‘W’ grade without dean’s permission as noted on the academic calendar for the part of term in which the class meets, students may drop courses only when they can demonstrate verifiable, extenuating circumstances beyond their control, such as illness or accidental injury. Poor performance in a course is not an extenuating circumstance.

Students seeking permission to late drop a course must present a petition to the dean of the college or school in which they were majoring at the beginning of the term. Students who have not yet declared majors will present petitions to the University Advisement Center. If a late drop is approved, the student will receive a grade of W (Withdrawal) or WF (Withdrawn-Failing), to be determined by the dean.

Auditing Courses

1. Students are permitted to enroll in regular university courses as auditors. Registration fees are the same for audit as for credit. Regular attendance is required. Audit enrollment will not be considered part of the minimum credits required for full-time enrollment. Audit enrollment will be counted in determining overloads.
2. After the published “Last Day to Add a Course” students may not change their enrollment status in a course from credit to audit or from audit or credit. Instructors may administratively drop auditors for unsatisfactory class attendance.

Immunization Requirements

Failure to submit the appropriate documentation could prevent a student from completing the class registration process or could limit the number of credits in which a student is able to enroll. The State of Tennessee requires all students to meet the following immunization requirements:

1. All enrolling students will be required to provide health information that, at a minimum, establishes the student’s compliance with rules promulgated by the Tennessee Department of Health regarding requirements for immunization against certain diseases prior to attendance and compliance with the latest standards for immunization for meningococcal disease as set forth by the recommended immunization schedule issued by the Center for Disease Control Advisory Committee on Immunization practices.
2. Prior to full-time enrollment, the student must provide documentation of receipt of required immunizations or provide positive quantitative laboratory serology reports.
3. New, incoming students who live in on-campus student housing must comply with the latest standards for immunization for meningococcal disease as set forth by the recommended immunization schedule issued by the Center for Disease Control Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
4. Admission to some programs may have additional requirements.

Exemptions:

Information regarding immunizations will be posted on the Student Health Services website https://www.etsu.edu/nursing/universityhealth/.

When low grades are related to extenuating circumstances, students may petition to waive the period of suspension.

• The petition must describe the verifiable extenuating circumstances, which may include illness as evidenced by medical documentation; personal problems, such as divorce or serious domestic problems; accidental injury; or other circumstances beyond the student’s control.
• Upon receipt of the written petition, a current academic transcript, and any supporting documents, the office of student life and enrollment will make a preliminary decision about whether extenuating circumstances warrant a formal appeal hearing. If granted, the student will be notified of the time and place of the appeal hearing before representatives of the office of student life and enrollment and the dean’s office of the college of the student’s major. If the request for an appeal hearing is declined, the student may ask the dean of the college in which he or she is majoring to review the decision.
• If grades earned at other regionally accredited institutions during a period of academic suspension from ETSU make a student admissible as a transfer student, the director of undergraduate admissions may admit the student prior to completion of the academic suspension period. Appeal process and petition available online.

Classification of Courses by Levels

All courses in the 1000 series are freshman courses. All courses in the 2000 series are sophomore courses. All courses in the 3000 series are junior courses. All courses in the 4000 series are senior courses. All 4xx7 courses are for undergraduate credit, but may include students who are taking the class for graduate credit under a 5xx7 number. Graduate students shall be required to do specified work over and above that required of undergraduate students in these courses. All courses in the 5000, 6000, and 7000 series are graduate courses.

For more information on course numbering guidelines please visit the Curriculum Innovation Center.

Student Classification

Freshman (FR):  0 - 29.9 semester hours earned  

Sophomore (SO):   30.0 - 59.9 semester hours earned    

Junior (JR):   60.0 - 89.9 semester hours earned   

Senior (SR): 90.0 and up semester hours earned

Undergraduate Special Student (SPU): A student who is not working toward a degree and is enrolled in undergraduate courses.

Visiting Undergraduate Student (SPU): An undergraduate student who is taking work to transfer to another school.

1. Disabled persons who are domiciled in Tennessee and who have a permanent disability which totally incapacitates them from employment and persons 60 years of age or older may audit courses without the payment of regular maintenance fees. The student is responsible for any course or online fees associated with the class.
2. Disabled persons described above and persons 65 years of age or older who are domiciled in Tennessee, may enroll for credit without the payment of regular maintenance fees. The student is responsible for a service fee required to defray the cost of record keeping and any course or online fees associated with the class.

*Note: Disability Services may be reached at (423) 439-8346, TDD/ Voice (423) 439-8370, Fax (423) 439-8489. 

Undergraduate Advisement

The purpose of mandatory undergraduate advisement is to promote student success and provide students with comprehensive advising services which also include accurate referrals for policies, procedures and resources. Please click here to read complete policy. Visit the Advising and Registration   section of this catalog for more information.

Academic Retention Standards

Retention is meeting the minimum criteria for satisfactory progress in an academic program. East Tennessee State University expects all enrolled students to maintain the required overall combined GPA for the number of credits they have attempted.  Please click here to read the complete policy.

Early Semester Progress Reports  

Midterm grades are used as an early indicator of academic progress in undergraduate level courses. Early Semester Progress Reports are available to undergraduate students in GoldLink around the 8th week of the fall and spring semesters. If the grades are unsatisfactory, students should use these grades to start conversations with their instructors and their academic advisors, and to seek tutoring and other campus resources to improve their grades.

General Education

ETSU’s General Education program offers a liberal education that includes 41-42 credits of courses from across the university that address the General Education goals of critical and creative thinking, effective communication, lifelong learning, conflict resolution, problem solving, and understanding and appreciating cultural diversity.  Click here to read the complete policy.  Visit the General Education Requirements   section of this catalog for more information.

Undergraduate Degree and Graduation Requirements

The purpose of this policy is to define requirements for earning an undergraduate degree and graduating from East Tennessee State University (ETSU).  Please click here to read the complete policy. Visit the Degree and Graduation Requirements   section of this catalog for more information.

Course Load: Undergraduate

The Course Load Policy defines the course load for fall, spring, and summer semesters, the winter session, course overload, and probationary load.  Click here to read the complete policy.

Withdrawals from the University

The purpose of this policy is to provide students with the opportunity to withdraw from the university for a particular term of enrollment.  Please click here to read the complete policy.

Refund Policy

This policy specifies when refunds may be issued to ETSU students for tuition, fees, housing, and meal plans. This policy governs the refund and adjustment process related to tuition and fees. Additional information about the tuition and fees refund process can be found on the Office of the Bursar’s website. For questions about the refund process, a student should contact the Office of the Bursar.  For information about fee refunds please visit the Bursar’s Office website.  Click here to read the complete policy.

This policy specifies the institution’s undergraduate grading scale, calculation of grade point averages, and requirements for the assignments of grades. 

Each instructor determines the individual grade components and percentage value in the calculation of the Final Course Grade. Instructors are required to report a Final Course Grade for every student in the system designated by the registrar at the conclusion of the term. Final Course Grades are used in the calculation of grade point averages. Click here to read the complete policy.

Undergraduate Grading Scale and GPA Calculation

Click here to view the complete policy.

Grades that do not influence Grade Point Average: 

Incomplete Grades: Assigning and Resolving

A grade of “I” (incomplete) indicates that a student was passing the course at the end of the semester, but due to circumstances beyond the student’s control, was unable to complete the course requirement. Click here to read the complete policy.

Pass/Fail Grading

The pass/fail (P/F) grading option allows qualified undergraduate students to explore, in a limited manner, their interests and abilities by receiving a pass or fail grade instead of a regular letter grade in a course. Click here to read the complete policy.

Repeating Undergraduate Courses

Students may repeat courses in which the final grade is C+ or lower. Student may repeat a course in which they earned a grade of B- or higher only with the approval of the Provost. ETSU uses repeated courses in calculating grade point averages and total credits attempted. Click here to read the complete policy.

Retention of Grade Records

Faculty shall retain all records related to the assignment of Final Course Grade for three (3) semesters. Click here to read the complete policy.

The following policy will apply only to undergraduate courses taught during the fall and spring semesters.

Activities pursued within the classroom during Pre-Finals Week shall be at the instructor’s discretion within the guidelines set forth in the Academic Calendar policy at East Tennessee State University. Classes will continue to meet at their regularly scheduled time periods during the last week of formal classes. Under no circumstances will this week be used for final examinations. Exceptions shall be made for laboratories. It is recommended that at least some portion of the last week of classes be used as a review period, when appropriate. The scope and duration of such review will be determined by the instructor. Because communication between instructor and student is of utmost importance, faculty will strive to keep the student informed of his/her progress throughout the semester. This process will continue through the last week of classes as much as is possible for the instructor. Faculty will avoid unscheduled tests, quizzes, or other unscheduled work during this final week of class. Exceptions to this, of course, are make-up tests and make-up assignments.

Final Grades 

Grade reports are available through GoldLink to all students who complete registration each term.

Dean’s List

To qualify for the Dean’s List an undergraduate student must meet the following criteria for the term:

1. Earn no grade below ‘B-’ in any course taken that term.
2. Pass a minimum of 12 credits (excluding audits, incompletes, repeats, and pass/fail).
3. Achieve a minimum GPA of 3.5 for the term in applicable courses.

A student may file an appeal of an FCG. The student must follow the procedures of this policy for an appeal to be considered at each level of review. The student has the burden of proof in a grade appeal proceeding. The committee will be provided guidelines for reviewing the case and the threshold for the burden of proof. The student must also be provided with an explanation of the guidelines and the burden of proof. Click here to read the complete policy and procedure. 

Attendance Policy

The purpose of this policy is to define expectations for class attendance and provide guidelines for make-up exams and coursework necessitated by excused absences.  Click here to read the complete policy.

Class Absence Authorization for Student Participation in a University-Sponsored Activity forms can be obtained from the Office of Student Affairs.

Inclement Weather

East Tennessee State University will generally remain open during periods of inclement weather. Click here to read the complete policy.

Inclement Weather Policy for Students in Online Courses

This policy provides guidance for students taking ETSU online courses in the event of inclement weather causing emergency University closure or schedule changes.  Please click here to read the complete policy.

Honor Code 

East Tennessee State University is committed to developing the intellect and ethical behavior of its students. Students found to be in violation of policies on plagiarism, cheating, and/or fabrication will be held accountable for their actions. Any knowledge of academic misconduct should be reported. Students are expected to act with honesty, integrity, and civility in all matters.

Honor Pledge 

By becoming a member of the campus community, students agree to live by the standards of the honor code and thereby pledge the following: “I pledge to act with honesty, integrity, and civility in all matters.”

Honor Code and Pledge as revised and adopted February 16, 2012

General Policy on Student Conduct and Disciplinary Sanctions

The ETSU Board of Trustees authorizes the University to take such action as may be necessary to maintain campus conditions and preserve the integrity of the institution and its educational environment. Institutional policies on this subject shall be subject to prior review and approval by University Counsel and Student Affairs.  Click here to read the complete policy.

Academic Integrity and Misconduct

The Academic Integrity and Misconduct policy outlines the rights and responsibilities of the student, the instructor, the Dean/Designee, and other members of the campus community in matters of academic integrity and misconduct.  Click here to read the complete policy.

Complaint Procedures for Students

East Tennessee State University is committed to respecting all members of the university community and providing fair treatment regarding complaints by students. The objective of the Student Complaint Procedures is to ensure that concerns and complaints of undergraduate or graduate students are addressed fairly and are resolved promptly. Complaints usually involve actions affecting students that are alleged to be unjust, inequitable, or create unnecessary hardship. A student may pursue the Student Life and Enrollment complaint procedure if they believe a problem is not governed by other complaint or appeal procedures at the university. The Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy have their own student complaint procedures; complaints should be directed to appropriate personnel as identified by those colleges.

Procedure

When a concern occurs, the student is encouraged to discuss it with the appropriate faculty member or administrator. Often a resolution or an answer can be attained informally. If an informal approach is neither successful nor advisable, the student should use the Student Complaint Policy and Procedure. The procedure for filing student complaints governed by this policy is as follows:

Step 1:

To submit a complaint, a student must complete the official Student Complaint Form and send it via email attachment, within ten working days of the date of the initiating event, to the chair or director most directly involved (if the complaint is directed against the chair or director, it should be referred to the dean of the college or next level administrator). The chair or director will attempt to determine the validity of the complaint and, in the case of a valid complaint, seek resolution including administrative action. He or she will communicate his or her decision on the Student Complaint Form and make every effort to do so within ten working days from the conclusion of this process.

Step 2:

If a student wishes to appeal the decision made in Step 1, he or she must submit the Student Complaint Appeal Form A and the completed Student Complaint Form via email attachments to the appropriate dean or administrator within ten working days from the date of the decision. Undergraduate students submit the materials to the dean of the college where the issue(s) arose and graduate students submit to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. In the case of a complaint involving a director, the student submits materials to the next level administrator.
The student will be invited to discuss the complaint with that individual who will attempt to determine the validity of the complaint and, in the case of a valid complaint, seek resolution, including possible administrative action. He or she will communicate his or her decision on Student Complaint Appeal Form A and make every effort to inform the student within ten working days of the conclusion of the appeal.

Step 3:

If the student believes that he or she has not been afforded due process, the student must submit Student Complaint Appeal Form B together with Student Complaint Appeal Form A and the Student Complaint Form via email attachments to the vice president of the university division in which the complaint occurred within ten working days from the date of the decision. The vice president will make the final determination about the matter and communicate his or her decision on Student Complaint Appeal Form B and make every reasonable effort to submit his or her decision to the student within ten working days from the conclusion of this appeal. The determination will include reasons for the decision and direct a remedy, if any, to the student complaint.

Documentation

A record of all complaints and their resolution will be documented at each level of the review process by the appropriate administrator. Revised March 2009.

Other Complaints

• Complaints Handled by the Office of Equity and Diversity

East Tennessee State University seeks to provide students, staff and faculty members with a safe and secure learning environment, free of crime and or violations motivated by discrimination, sexual and other bias-related harassment. There are two important complaint policies not governed by the Student Complaint Procedure; Sexual, Racial, and Other Harassment and Hate Crimes and Bias-Related Incidents. These types of complaints should be filed with the Chief Equity Compliance Officer or, when a charge is by one student against another student, with the Dean of Students according to the procedures described in those policies. Direct complaints or concerns be made to the Office of Equity and Diversity, 205 Burgin Dossett Hall, (423) 439-4444.

• Complaint Resolution Policies and Procedures for Non-Tennessee Resident Students in State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement States, commonly known as SARA.
• Student complaints relating to consumer protection laws that involve distance learning education offered under the terms and conditions of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), must first be filed with the institution to seek resolution.
• Complainants not satisfied with the outcome of the Institution’s internal process may appeal, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (https://www.tn.gov/thec/bureaus/student-aid-and-compliance/postsecondary-state-authorization/request-for-complaint-review.html).
• For purposes of this process, a complaint shall be defined as a formal assertion in writing that the terms of SARA or the laws, standards or regulations incorporated by the SARA Policies and Standards (https://www.nc-sara.org/content/sara-manual) have been violated by the institution operating under the terms of SARA.
• For a list of SARA member States, please visit the NC-SARA website (https://nc-sara.org/sara-states-institutions). Students residing in non-SARA states should consult their respective State of residence for further instruction for filing a complaint.
• Students or prospective students who wish to file a complaint related to accreditation or regarding violations of state law not resolved at the institution may submit a Student Complaint Form by going on line and filing out the form electronically. Under Tennessee’s open records law, all or parts of complaints will generally be available for review upon request from a member of the public.
• ETSU students or prospective students attending the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, Virginia who wish to file a complaint related to accreditation or regarding violations of Virginia state law not resolved at ETSU may submit a student complaint to https://www.schev.edu/index/students-and-parents/resources/student-complaints.
• ETSU students or prospective students attending the Lenoir-Rhyne University Center for Graduate Studies in Asheville, North Carolina who wish to file a complaint related to accreditation or regarding violations of North Carolina state law not resolved at ETSU may submit a student complaint form to https://www.northcarolina.edu/sites/default/files/documents/student_complaint_form.pdf.
• Accreditation

Complaints regarding accreditation should follow the ETSU Complaint Procedure for Students outlined above.

Complaints regarding accreditation can also be made by contacting the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia
30033-4097, telephone: 404-679-4500 (https://www.sacscoc.org).

• State Law Violations

Complaints of Fraud, Waste, or Abuse may be made to ETSU.

The ETSU process for reporting fraud, waste or abuse is available at https://www.etsu.edu/intaudit/report-fwa.php.

Complaints of fraud, waste or abuse may be made by calling the Tennessee Comptroller’s Hotline for Fraud, Waste and Abuse at 1-800-232-5454.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records.  Click here to read about FERPA. The purpose of this policy is the establishment of policy to protect the confidentiality of records for students of East Tennessee State University. Click here to read the policy.

Directory Information Procedures 

ETSU may release other “directory information. Other “directory information” is defined as: enrollment status, dates of attendance, classification, previous institution(s) attended, awards, honors (includes Dean’s List), degrees conferred (including dates), and sports participation information.

If students prefer not to have these items released, they may fill out a form to prevent disclosure of this data. This form is available at the Office of the Registrar and must be submitted no later than the last day to add a course for the Fall term. A new form for non-disclosure must be completed each academic year. A form submitted the last term a student enrolls will remain in effect until the student re-enrolls.

Other records offices in the university may have other definitions of directory information. Please check the Pharmacy or Medicine web sites for specific information as to their definitions.

Electronic Mail

Purpose:
This policy is intended to provide a process for official communication between East Tennessee State University (ETSU) faculty and staff with students. Faculty and staff are required to use the official ETSU assigned email address to communicate with ETSU students. Students are also required to use the official ETSU assigned email address to communicate with faculty and staff to ensure communication is with the person to whom the email account is assigned.

Policy:
Email is an integral part of the academic process in which confidential information about ETSU students is often transmitted, including evaluations, grades, and financial information. Faculty, staff, and students must recognize that although there is an expectation of privacy, unencrypted email is not a secure means of transmitting information. While this policy does not prohibit student information from being transmitted by email, caution must be exercised regarding the content of messages.

ETSU provides each student, faculty, and staff member with an official university-assigned email account. All official university communications will be sent to the university email address. Faculty, staff, and students may assume that official ETSU email is a valid communication mechanism. Therefore, the university has the right to send communications to students, faculty, and staff via email and the right to expect that those communications are received and read in a timely fashion. Although students may choose to forward university email to an external email account, he or she is responsible for all information, including attachments.

Notes:
Approved: Information Technology Governance Council
Reviewed: February 2017

Full-time students (12 credits or more) may take courses at Milligan College and Emmanuel Christian Seminary. Courses taken through this agreement may be used for elective credit only. Students who wish to cross enroll under this plan may obtain additional information from the Office of the Registrar, Burgin E. Dossett Hall, Room 101.

ETSU adheres to all United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security, and Department of State regulations in the admission, enrollment, and readmission of all international, non-immigrant applicants.

1. Students enrolled pursuant to an F visa must have and maintain medical and hospitalization insurance as a condition of initial and continued enrollment at the institution.
2. In addition, the following procedures have been established:
   1. In the letter of admission, in the I-20, and in the IAP-66, all international, nonimmigrant students will be informed of this requirement, of the extent of coverage required, which may vary slightly from year to year, and of the approximate cost to obtain the coverage.
   2. All international, nonimmigrant students will be required to enroll in the Student Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan. The only exception to this requirement will be international, nonimmigrant students who have a scholarship that includes the purchase of an insurance policy on their behalf. This policy must meet or exceed the level of coverage provided to participants in the Student Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan.
   3. Students will be covered for twelve months. Exception to this rule will be made in the case of international students who abandon their F status, by leaving the U.S., by changing to another nonimmigrant status, or by adjusting status to that of an immigrant.
   4. Students under Practical Training will not be required to purchase the coverage. Students under Practical Training, however, may purchase the coverage during the period of training.
   5. Once the insurance premium is paid, there will be no refunds.
3. Academic Support and Other Student Services

• Orientation: ETSU will provide an orientation program that specifically addresses the particular needs of international students.
• Student Privacy: The Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) permits institutions to comply with information requests from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau (ICE) in order to comply with the requirements of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)

Students are responsible to provide personal medical insurance for themselves in the event of an illness or personal injury while attending the university. Students who do not have coverage under a family insurance policy or who want additional insurance information, please visit the ETSU Student Health Services website.