Academic Policies

COURSEWORK

Definition of a Full-Time Student

A full-time student is one who is taking at least 12 semester hours of scheduled work during a semester. Any student taking fewer than 12 hours in a regular session is considered a part-time student.

Normal Course Load

During the fall and spring semesters, the normal course load is 15-16 semester hours. A student may register for a maximum of 19 semester hours; however, students are advised that course loads that exceed 18 semester hours will incur additional charges (for tuition). During the summer session, a student may register for a maximum of nine semester hours.

Course Overload

An overload is any course load in the fall or spring semester in excess of 19 semester hours. The student must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 to be considered for an overload. An overload must be approved by signature of the dean of the division in which the student has selected his major. An overload shall not result in a course load in excess of 22 semester hours. Students will not be permitted to take more than nine (9) semester hours during the summer session.

Auditing Courses

A student admitted to Morehouse College as a regular or special student may audit courses, with the consent of the instructor and the department chairperson. The auditing fee is $110 per credit hour. Such arrangements will not be officially recorded and the auditor will not receive academic credit. An auditor may not participate actively in coursework and may not, therefore, request registration for credit after the normal registration period has ended.

Registration

Pre-selection and Registration

On appointed days late in each semester, all continuing students are required to pre-select courses by completing schedules listing their choices of courses for the following semester. Students who pre-select courses and who meet fee payment deadlines will have schedules confirmed electronically. All other students are permitted to confirm their schedules on appointed days at the opening of the next semester. Students will not be permitted to receive academic credit for courses for which they did not properly register.

Changes in Registration

Students may make changes in registration online during the registration period. Gaining access to classes that are full or that carry certain prerequisites may involve a manual process. Forms for making changes in registration are available from instructors and department chairpersons. With the approval of the faculty adviser, a student wishing to modify his schedule by addition, deletion or substitution of courses, may do so on the days announced by the registrar. A fee is charged to students who change course schedules previously confirmed. No change of registration is valid unless the student has fully complied with the procedures established by the registrar’s office.

Dropping a Course

A student may drop a course (the course is removed from the student’s course schedule and permanent record) on the days announced by the registrar. The College will not make any tuition adjustments for changes in registration following the end of the first four weeks after the beginning of registration.

Withdrawing from a Course

A student may withdraw from a course(s) by the deadline printed on the Academic Calendar each semester.  The course(s) remain on the student schedule and permanent record with a designation of W.  Students without holds preventing registration activity may withdraw online using Banner Self Service by the deadline date.  Students with a hold preventing registration activity may submit a Course Withdrawal Form by the deadline date.

Repeated Courses and Forfeiture of Course Credit

By registering for and receiving a grade in a course for which credit hours have already been granted, either by work at Morehouse College or by transfer, a student forfeits any previous credits in that course. A student may not use the same course more than once in satisfying graduation requirements.

The last grade recorded will prevail, whether it is higher or lower than the original grade. While all grades will remain on the permanent record, only the last grade recorded will be used in computing the grade-point average.

Class Attendance Policy

Morehouse students are required to attend class and not be absent without adequate cause. You are allowed as many unexcused absences as credit hours for the course, e.g., you are allowed three unexcused absences for a three-credit-hour class. It is your responsibility to make up scheduled work missed because of officially excused class absences. Absences from unannounced tests and other assignments may be made up at the discretion of the instructor.

Instructors are expected to outline their attendance requirements at the beginning of the semester and include these requirements in your course syllabus. They are required to maintain attendance records on all students and, at the request of the registrar, report any student who exceeds the maximum number of unexcused absences. Students who exceed the maximum number of unexcused absences may be administratively dropped from the course or receive a failing grade in the course.

Class Excuse Policy

Adequate causes for missing class include family emergencies, medical leave, official school business, military obligations, bereavement, court appearances, and conferences with faculty or staff. You must submit valid written documentation to justify class absences within five calendar days of the absence. 

Class excuses are not granted for public transporation issues, oversleeping, and vehicle breakdowns. Class excuses are not issued during the summer sessions.

For students from other institutions attending Morehouse classes, the same policies and procedures apply, except that excuses should come from the equivalent officials of their institution.

Examinations

We administer mid-semester examinations during a specified period. If your performance is deficient we will report it.

Similarly, we hold final examinsations at the end of each semster. You are required to tak the final exams at the scheduled time. We may make exceptions with sufficient proof that an absense is unavoidable. You may appeal to the instructor for a deferral of the exam. The instructor must approve the deferral prior to the exam date.

Coursework at Other Colleges

You should plan to complete all coursework at Morehouse or one of the Atlanta University Center schools through the cross-registration program. If you desire to take courses at another institution you must receive prior written approval of the appropriate Morehouse division chair and the registrar. If you fail to receive prior approval you will not receive credit for the coursework. If you decide to attend a summer school other than at Morehouse, you must have the courses in your major approved by the division chair and/or by the appropriate division chairperson if a core curriculum course is involved.

Cross Registration

AUC Cross Registration

The Atlanta University Center provides academic opportunities comparable to the offerings of a major university. These guidelines govern the AUC cross-registration program.

• Each undergraduate institution in the Atlanta University Center shall permit eligible students to participate in cross-registration without any exchange of tuition.
• Cross-registration shall occur on a space-available basis. Each participating institution shall give its students first priority in the cross-registration process. In cases where courses are required for completing either major and/or graduation requirements, every effort will be made to enroll students from the other institutions. Priority will generally be given to majors and seniors from all participating institutions.
• A student is expected to take core or general studies requirements at the home institution. The home institution is defined as the institution where the student is principally enrolled. The host institution is defined as the institution where the student cross-registers.
• During a given semester, a student will not be permitted to cross-register for a course that is offered simultaneously by the home institution without approval of the department chairperson or divisional dean.
• The academic regulations and codes of conduct of the host institution will apply to students participating in the cross-registration program. The home institution will also determine if its regulations and rules of conduct have been violated; and where applicable, take appropriate action.
• The course withdrawal policies of the host institution shall apply to cross-registrants. In circumstances where institutional policies and grade designations reflecting course withdrawals differ, the policies of the home institution that most closely correspond to those of the Host Institution shall apply.

ARCHE Cross Registration

ARCHE’s Cross Registration Program allows students at member institutions to broaden their academic experience by registering for courses at other member colleges and universities. It shares the vast resources of ARCHE member specialties by offering students access to courses not offered at their home institution, and allows them a chance to experience a different campus environment.

ARCHE Cross Registration Application

ARCHE Homepage

Grading System

Averages are computed in grade points. Each graded semester hour of academic credit carries a corresponding number of grade points as follows:

COVID-19 

We added a new grade code for Spring 2020 term only. It is “CW,” which means “Covid Withdrawal.” This grade code is identical to a grade of “W.” The grade code is used for any course withdrawals after March 13, 2020.

Grade-Point Average Calculation

We calculate your GPA by dividing the total number of quality points (grade points x semester hours) by the total number of semester hours attempted. Except for coursework taken through the cross-registration program with other Atlanta University Center institutions, the GPA does not include hours or quality points transferred from other institutions.

Incomplete Grades

An “I” grade is intended to be only an interim course mark. It is to be used only if you have an excusable and acceptable reason for not having completed all requirements prior to grade reporting time. The “I” notation is recorded when you are granted permission to defer the final examination or other parts of a course. The deferment shall be given only in the case of illness or other emergency. You must provide to the instructor a verification from student services. You must submit the deferred work in time to have the “I” removed prior to the beginning of classes for the succeeding term (summer session is considered an academic term).

Withdrawals

This designation is assigned when you officially withdraw from a course according to the Academic Calendar. The “W” indicates that a student withdrew without academic penalty. For COVID-19, during the Spring 2020 semester, we indicated a grade of “CW” or COVID-19 Withdrawal for students who experienced COVID-19 withdrawals for a course. The “CW” grade is equivalent to the standard “W” grading guidelines.

Pass/Fail

The designation “P” is used to indicate satisfactory completion of non-credit and credit courses. The “P” does not accrue quality points.

Cross-Registered Courses

Because our students are eligible to participate in the cross-registration program in the Atlanta University Center, grade designations not listed above may appear on your grade report and transcript.

Grade Reports

At the end of each term you should check TigerNet for lists of courses taken, the grades earned in each course, and the semester and cumulative grade-point averages. We will not post grades for students who have delinquent financial accounts. Students whose grades do not appear on TigerNet should contact the Office of Records and Registration.

Disputed Grades

If you have substantial grounds for believing, apart from questions of the quality of work, a particular grade was assigned in a manner that was arbitrary or unjust or that crucial evidence was not taken into account, the student should first discuss the matter with the instructor. If the outcome of that discussion is not satisfactory, the student should consult with the division chair. The chair may convene a conference with the student and the instructor. If the outcome of the consultation with the department chair is not satisfactory, the student may appeal to the Assistant Provost for Student Success within one semester following the term for which the disputed grade was reported.

Transfer Credit

We consider transfer credit for work earned at regionally accredited institutions 
of higher education with an earned grade of C or better. Credit for work earned 
at other schools will be determined by the registrar when that work is intended 
to substitute for courses in the core curriculum. In most instances, the academic 
Department must be consulted prior to awarding substitution credit. Students 
should be prepared to provide course syllabi when requested to facilitate this 
substitution process. A maximum of 60 credit hours (or the equivalent) is 
transferrable to Morehouse.

Students enrolled in off-campus programs sanctioned by Morehouse may receive 
full academic credit for courses taken, including grade points. In addition, 
students enrolling in courses through a Morehouse-sanctioned cross-registration 
program may receive full academic credit.

New students who transfer from another four-year institution or junior college 
must submit in advance for admission transcripts of all previous work done on 
the college level. Such transcripts must be sent directly from the institution at 
which the work was completed. Academic work completed at other schools that 
are not listed on the admission application will not be accepted for transfer 
purposes.

Enrolled Morehouse students planning to take courses away from Morehouse 
must complete the Off-Campus Approval Form available on the website of the 
Office of Records and Registration. Courses taken away from the College must be 
approved before you register. 

Transfer Equivalencies

Current and potential students have the opportunity to view the established 
equivalencies from a variety of accredited institutions. These equivalencies are 
subject to change without notice.

Credit by Examination

The maximum number of hours of credit through transfer, AP, IB or CLEP is 60. 
All credit by examination is recorded on the student’s permanent record as (CE) 
credit without a grade and becomes part of the official transcript. No credit is 
valid without the student’s enrollment for credit at Morehouse College. Transfer 
credit that does not meet Morehouse’s requirements will not be allowed for 
credit by examination.. Established exam equivalencies can be found here.

Academic Progress

Satisfactory Progress

You must maintian a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and be on course to graduate in four years to be in good academic standing.

On Course to Graduate in Four Years

• Registered for 15 or more credit hours, complete all major requirements, and semester GPA and cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher.

Good Academic Standing

•  Semester GPA and cumulative GPA are 2.0 or higher.

Academic Warning

You remain in good academic standing while on academic warning, however, you are at risk of academic probation and not graduating in four years if:

• Your major is not declared by the time you earn 30 credit hours
• You do not average 15 credit hours per semester
• You receive two or more failing grades at midterm
• You do not follow prescribed course sequences

Probation

• If your semester cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 we will place you on academic probation with an opportunity to improve your GPA through guided mandatory assistance. This probationary status in on your official transcript.
• You may not enroll in more than 15 semester hours while on probation. In addition, you are ineligible for active participation in any college organization that officially represents the institution or involves leaving campus or missing classes.
• If you remain on probation at the end of the spring semester you should consider attending Morehouse summer school to improve your GPA and remove academic probation.

Separation

• If your GPA does not improve above a 2.0 while on probation you may be separated from Morehouse for one year.

Dismissal

• If you return from separation and your semester GPA and cumulative GPA are below 2.0 we will dismiss you. 

Study Leave

If approved for concurrent enrollment at another institution you must submit appropriate study leave forms with the Office of Registration and Records. You should indicate the duration of study and expected semester of return. If the program of study is approved in advance, credit will normally be granted for courses graded C or better. Without approval in advance, there is no guarantee that credit will be awarded.

Re-entry Following Leave

When returning from leave you must formally notify the director of admissions and the registrar no later than July 1 for the fall semester, and December 1 for the spring semester. Notification is necessary to help project enrollment and space needs. The burden is on the student to make the notification, to make necessary arrangements with the Office of Business and Finance, and to forward housing requests to the director of housing.