University Regulations

Students are responsible for knowing the University’s regulations and procedures. Before changes appear in the catalog, students may be notified via email to LSUS students’ email account, bulletin board, direct mailing, or other appropriate means. Changes become effective whenever the proper authorities so determine. (See also BACCALAUREATE DEGREE: REQUIREMENTS .) Advisors, Department Chairs, Deans, and others will explain requirements, but each student is responsible for fulfilling them. In no case will a regulation be waived or an exception granted because a student pleads ignorance of the regulation.

For the special rules and regulations pertaining to graduate study, see GRADUATE STUDIES .

Classification

The student is classified according to the year of study at the beginning of each semester or summer session with revisions made as necessary at the end of each semester or summer session. Classification is based upon the number of credits earned as a full-time or part-time student.

Freshman: A student with less than 30 semester hours of credit
Sophomore: A student with at least 30 and less than 60 semester hours of credit
Junior: A student with at least 60 and less than 90 semester hours of credit
Senior: A student with at least 90 semester hours of credit

The student may also be classified as full-time or part-time or as an auditor.

Full-Time Students

Undergraduate students enrolled for 12 or more hours of resident credit in a regular semester or 6 or more hours of resident credit in a Summer session are considered full-time. For financial aid recipients, full-time undergraduate status is defined as 12 or more hours in Summer, Fall, or Spring semesters. For full-time graduate students, see GRADUATE STUDIES .

Candidates for graduation may opt to be classified as full-time in the semester or summer session when scheduled to complete degree requirements, even though the number of hours scheduled is less than ordinarily required for the classification. In no case will this option exempt students from a College’s residence requirement.

Part-Time Students

Students who do not meet the full-time qualifications are classified as part-time. Part-time students are subject to all University rules concerning registration, attendance, scholarship, and conduct. For financial aid recipients, part-time undergraduate status is defined as 9-11 hours and half-time undergraduate status is defined as 6-8 hours for Summer, Fall, or Spring semesters.

Auditors

Students who do not want credit may enroll in courses as auditors. Auditors are not required to complete written or reading assignments or to take examinations. However, they are expected to attend classes and are assigned grades of X or W at the end of the semester, depending on whether they have met the Instructor’s attendance requirements. Auditors are also required to pay full tuition and resident fees and are responsible for confirming their audit status with the Office of Admissions and Records. Instructor permission is required to audit online graduate courses. Audited courses appear on the student’s permanent record. Auditing a course does not prevent students from later taking it for credit; however, they may not take departmental credit examinations in courses previously audited.

Changes from audit to credit must be made by the last day to add courses for credit. Credit-to-audit changes may be made through the date published in the Academic Calendar.

Official Registration

The appearance of students’ names on the class roster is evidence that they are registered in a class. No student may remain in a class unless the Instructor has received this evidence.

In unusual circumstances, students may register after the final date shown on the Academic Calendar, but only with the approval of their Dean.

Concurrent Registration

With the Dean’s prior written approval, students may receive credit at LSUS for work taken concurrently at another college or university, normally when the courses at the other institution are not readily available at LSUS.

With appropriate approval, students taking 12 non-developmental hours each semester (including Summer) and are in good standing may take one course each semester at Southern University/Shreveport - Bossier City (SUSBO) for no additional tuition. Additional information may be obtained from the Office of Admissions and Records.

Identification Cards

Student identification cards are issued at the following rates:

*Original card - there is no change for the original (first) card.
*Replacement card - there is a fee for the replacement (subsequent) card.

The ID card is the property of LSUS and must be returned when a student graduates, resigns, or does not re-enroll. A card cannot be loaned to another person for any reason. Fraudulent use of an ID card results in disciplinary action.

Schedule Changes

Adding Courses

Classes may be added for credit in accordance with dates indicated on the Academic Calendar. In some instances, approval may be required to enroll in a class.

Dropping Courses

Any course may be dropped in accordance with the dates indicated on the Academic Calendar. No record is maintained of courses dropped during the first three weeks of the semester (prorated for Summer and accelerated sessions). During the next seven weeks, a W is assigned for courses dropped. During the final five weeks, no withdrawal is permitted except as authorized by the student’s Dean in unusual circumstances. In such a case, a W will be assigned for the coursework.

Dropping and adding courses after the first week of school may result in additional charges. The refund on any course(s) dropped will be calculated according to the official refund policy in effect when the course was dropped: 100% during the first five days of class; 60% for the 6^th-10^th day of class; 40% for the 11^th-14^th day of class (prorated for Summer and accelerated sessions).

Changing Sections

Section changes may be made utilizing the drop/add process if openings exist in the class section desired. Such changes must be made by the final date for adding courses for credit as indicated on the Academic Calendar.

Resigning from the University

A student may resign at any time before the final date for resigning (see the Academic Calendar  ). A grade of F is recorded for a student who leaves the University after this date. Students may resign by dropping all of their courses via myLSUS (www.lsus.edu/current-students/myLSUS) and completing the resignation survey.

No record is maintained of courses carried when a student resigns during the first 14 class days of the semester (prorated for Summer and accelerated sessions). During the next seven weeks (prorated for Summer and accelerated sessions), a W is assigned for coursework when a student resigns. During the final five weeks (prorated for Summer and accelerated sessions), no resignation is permitted, except as authorized by the student’s Dean in unusual circumstances. In such cases, a W is assigned for the coursework.

If a student has been charged with a violation of the Code of Student Conduct, they may not withdraw from any class related to the charge, register for additional classes or for a subsequent semester or semesters, receive official grade reports, obtain official copies of his/her academic record or enrollment verification, or graduate until all disciplinary proceedings are completed.

Credits and Semester Hours

The value of each course of instruction and the amount of work required for graduation are stated as semester hours. View Policy Statement 2.29.00 (Definition of Credit Hour) here.

Maximum and Minimum Academic Load

Fall and Spring Semesters

The minimum full-time load for undergraduate students enrolling in classes that span across a traditional (15-week) semester is 12 hours. A full-time student’s normal schedule ranges between 12 and 19 hours. With the Dean’s approval, a student who has maintained an average of 3.0 may register for more than 19 semester hours; however, the maximum load is 21 hours.

Accelerated 8-week term

A maximum of three classes totaling 9 credit hours may be taken in any 8-week accelerated term.

Summer Semester

A student enrolled during the Summer traditional (8-week) semester may register for a maximum of 12 hours of credit. Six non-developmental semester hours is the minimum full-time load for terms 1A or 1B.

For the maximum and minimum academic load as it applies to graduate students, please refer to the GRADUATE STUDIES section of this catalog

Credit by Examination

A student with superior ability and preparation or a student who has already obtained a fundamental knowledge of subjects offered at the University and who demonstrates competence through a series of tests may be granted credit for basic and advanced courses and go on to higher levels of learning. These examinations are graded on a pass/no credit basis. Grades of P are entered on the student’s record but are not used in computing grade point averages. Because faculty from the appropriate academic units provides input on the minimum score and credit awarded for each of these examinations, the target scores are subject to change. LSUS does not offer any graduate courses by correspondence or award graduate credit by examination. LSUS uses the following examinations for determining credit:

The American College Testing/Scholastic Assessment Test Programs (ACT/SAT)

Students may be awarded credit in English and/or Mathematics based on ACT/SAT scores under the following guidelines:

Students who have met the minimum score(s) for awarding of credit must submit official score reports to the Office of Admissions and Records and complete the ACT/SAT Course Credit Acceptance Form to authorize the award of the credit. This form is available in students’ myLSUS accounts under the Records tab. Students who have previously attempted or earned credit in the requested course are not eligible to receive this credit.

Official copies of ACT/SAT scores may be obtained through the College Board web site, www.collegeboard.org. 

College Entrance Examination Board Tests

Application forms and information about the following programs can be secured from the Educational Testing Service, Box 1821, Princeton NJ, 08540.

Advanced Placement Program

The student who submits an official score report demonstrating a score of three, four, or five to the Office of Admissions and Records may be given credit in the appropriate course(s).

College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DANTES (DSST): Subject Examinations

The student submits official scores earned on tests to the Office of Admissions and Records for review of credit. Students should check the LSUS website, https://www.lsus.edu/academics/office-of-records-and-registration, to ensure credit earned from the CLEP or DSST exam is accepted by the University. The Division of Continuing Education and Public Service administers the computerized CLEP tests at LSUS. For more information, call 318/797.5311.

LSUS Departmental Examinations

An undergraduate student who has been admitted to the University and is in good standing may request a departmental examination by obtaining permission of the Dean of the student’s College, the Chair of the Department offering the course, and the Instructor. After such permission is granted and the non-refundable $10 fee is paid, the student may take the exam. No fee is required for an examination taken prior to the midpoint of the first semester in which a first-time freshman is enrolled. If an examination is taken while the student is not enrolled at the University, credit shall be granted only after registration for residence study.

Policies and regulations, which apply to departmental examinations, are as follows:

1. A student may take a departmental examination only once in any course.
2. A student may not schedule a departmental examination in a course that was previously audited, withdrawn from, or in which an unsatisfactory grade (D, F, or NC) was received (except when the course was involved in a bankruptcy declaration).
3. A student may not schedule a departmental examination in a course not taught at LSUS.
4. A student may not schedule a departmental examination when LSUS is not officially in session.
5. A student who is or was enrolled in a course during the current semester and desires to take a departmental examination in that course must take the examination during the first 20 days of classes (the first 10 during a summer semester.

LSU Credit

Students awarded advanced-standing or proficiency credit at any LSU institution may transfer that credit to LSUS if the basis for awarding the credit is comparable to that of LSUS. The student is responsible for requesting that the registrar at the other LSU institution send an official transcript to the LSUS Records and Registration Office showing the credit earned. Transfer students who have taken subject examinations in the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or who have participated in the Advanced-Placement Program of the College Board should have their examination scores sent directly to the LSUS Records and Registration Office for evaluation. Transfer credit is not awarded for work or travel experience, except as validated through appropriate departmental proficiency examinations at LSUS.

Other Credits

Credit for Military Education

Credit for formal service-school courses is determined in accordance with the recommendations of the American Council on Education as published in the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. However, the University’s policy is to award credit for lower- and upper-level courses. The student desiring credit for such courses must submit official records of completion of the courses to the Office of Admissions and Records. The student’s Dean will determine the extent to which the credit is applicable toward the degree. (See MAXIMUM USE OF CREDITS: EXAMINATION, MILITARY, CORRESPONDENCE, EXTENSION.)

Credit is not allowed for tests of the General Educational Development (GED) Testing Program, for USAFI/DANTES self-teaching and group-study courses, or for time spent on military duty.

Maximum Use of Credits: Examination, Military, Correspondence, Extension

Credits earned by examination, or by military correspondence, and extension courses cannot be used to reduce the University’s minimum residence requirements. The following maximums apply to the use of such credits toward fulfilling degree requirements:

1. Credit from a combination of credits by examination, military formal education, correspondence courses and extension courses may not exceed 62 semester hours.
2. Of the 62 semester hours, no more than 32 semester hours from a combination of correspondence (including CLEP, DANTES courses), extension courses, and military formal education may count toward a degree.

Student Information

Address or Name Change

At the time of admission, students must give their legal name and current mailing address. If a student’s legal name changes, they must immediately notify the Office of Admissions and Records and provide appropriate supporting documentation for a name change so the University’s official records may be changed. LSUS has established procedures which would allow students, if so desired, to use a preferred first name different than their legal first name on certain University records. Information regarding legal or preferred name changes may be obtained from the Office of Admissions and Records. Address and telephone number changes should be made via the web at www.lsus.edu/academics/office-of-records-and-registration. The student is responsible for all communications sent to the address currently on file in the University offices.

Family Education Rights and Privacy Act

In accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, post-secondary students enrolled at LSUS have the right of access to their official records as described in the Act. The Act further allows the University to release student directory information, unless the student asks that it not be released by completing a form in the Office of Admissions and Records before the 14th day of classes during each regular semester or the 7th day of classes during a summer semester.

A list of directory information and the University’s Policy Statement regarding the Act may be obtained from the Office of Admissions and Records or the Student Handbook.

Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Policy and Resources

Title IX of the Education Amendment Act of 1972 mandates that colleges and universities receiving federal financial assistance must guarantee ALL students an education and learning environment free from sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct is any sexual act or contact of sexual nature that occurs without consent of the other person or persons regardless of personal relationship. Sexual misconduct includes a range of behaviors, such as dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, stalking, and any other conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of threatening, intimidating, coercing, or harming a person.

LSUS is committed to providing a learning, working, and living environment that promotes integrity, civility, and mutual respect in an environment free of discrimination based on sex. LSUS prohibits sexual misconduct and has the following policies in place to protect our campus community members:

• Board of Regents Uniform Policy on Sexual Misconduct
• PM-73 - Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Policy
• Code of Student Conduct

LSUS employees (excluding Counseling Services staff and Confidential Advisors) are responsible employees; therefore, they are required to promptly notify the Title IX Coordinator of incidents of sexual misconduct and power based violence. LSUS investigates incidents of sexual misconduct promptly and equitably; stopping inappropriate behavior, seeking remedies to the behavior, and preventing it from occurring in the future. In each step of the complaint process, the parties involved will be notified of their rights and options, information will be handled by trained university personnel, and procedures will be followed in a timely manner. Supportive measures, such as no contact agreements or alternative class, work, or housing arrangements may be implemented.

Information will be kept confidential by personnel and only shared on a need-to-know basis in order to properly address the complaint. Violations of confidentiality may result in disciplinary action.

Retaliation is prohibited against any student or employee who files a sexual misconduct complaint or participates in an investigation or hearing. Retaliation should be promptly reported to the Title IX Coordinator and may result in disciplinary action.

If the incident or situation is criminal in nature, persons are strongly encouraged to contact the LSUS Police Department or the local police department where the incident occurred. The LSUS Police Department is located in AD124 or they can be contacted via telephone at 318/797.5082 or 318/455.5497 (after hours cell) and via email at police@lsus.edu.

If you have any questions about Title IX and Sexual Misconduct policies and procedures or to report a violation, please contact the Campus Title IX Coordinator in AD261, 318/797.5071, or titleix@lsus.edu. For more information on the Title IX and Sexual Misconduct policy, please visit our webpage at www.lsus.edu/titleix.

Non-Discrimination Policy

LSUS does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, or veteran’s status in its programs and activities and provides equal access to its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policy or reports of discrimination as defined within the policy should be directed to the Office of Human Resource Management and/or the Title IX Coordinator, Equity Officer.