Academic Schedule / Academic Calendar

Registration for all students is held before the beginning of each trimester on designated registration days as stipulated in the Academic Calendar.  Completion of registration for each term is a prerequisite to class attendance. The academic year consists of three terms and one optional summer session. Fall, Winter, and Spring classes are scheduled from 4:00 pm to 10:30 pm, Monday through Thursday, and from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Depending on the term, students may be required to make up lost class contact hours due to holidays. Summer class hours are subject to deferral pending student needs.

Academic Load

The minimum full-time load per term is twelve (12) credit hours for undergraduate students. To register for sixteen (16) credit hours or more, the student must acquire the approval of the Academic Director. The minimum full-time load per term is six (6) credit hours for graduate students. To register for nine (9) credit hours or more, the student must acquire the approval of the Academic Director. Credit hours will not be awarded for courses in which the student is not properly registered.

Modes of Instruction

Traditional in-residence, teleconference, hybrid, and online courses are offered on campus in the evenings during traditional academic terms throughout the year.

Add/Drop Period

Before the first class meeting of a course, a student may add or drop courses by completing an Add/Drop Form at the Registrar’s Office.
Policy: Students may add a course during the official Add/Drop period; dropped courses will not appear in the permanent record. Approval of the student’s instructor is necessary before any course change is made. For withdrawal after the Add/Drop period, refer to the Course Withdrawal Policy.

Withdrawal
Polytechnic University Orlando Campus does not encourage course withdrawal. It is recommended that students meet with their academic advisor to discuss possible options. If withdrawal is the only alternative, or if, for any reason, a student needs to withdraw from the University, the following procedures must be followed.

Course Withdrawal:
• Complete a Withdrawal Form, available at the Office of the Registrar.
• Course withdrawal must be approved by the student’s instructor, academic advisor, Financial Aid Officer, and Finance Officer.
• The completed and approved Withdrawal Form must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar. Students may only withdraw from courses as stipulated in the Academic Calendar.
• Complete a Withdrawal Form, available at the Office of the Registrar.
• Withdrawal from the University must be approved by the student’s academic advisor, Financial Aid Officer, Registrar, and Finance Officer.
• The completed and approved Withdrawal Form must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

University Withdrawal:
• Complete a Withdrawal Form, available at the Office of the Registrar.
• Withdrawal from the University must be approved by the student’s academic advisor, Financial Aid Officer, Registrar, and Finance Officer.
• The completed and approved Withdrawal Form must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

Course Cancellation

The University reserves the right to cancel any scheduled class within the first week of a trimester due to insufficient enrollment or the designated instructor’s inability to meet their teaching commitment. Tuition is fully refundable for any canceled course.

Grading System

Grading System
The alpha numeric grading system will appear in the midterm and final reports are as follows:
A. Excellent (4 honor points per credit hour)
B. Good (3 honor points per credit hour)
C. Satisfactory (2 honor points per credit hour)
D. Deficient (1 honor point per credit hour)
F. Failure (0 honor points per credit hour)
I. Incomplete (0 honor points per semester hour)

Symbols
AU Auditor
R Repeated course
W (Withdrawal) Indicates that the student was permitted to withdraw from a course without penalty. It indicates the authorization of the officers named in the two previous sections.
P Passed, only for specified courses.
NP Not passed, only for specified courses.
S Satisfactory
NS Non-satisfactory
E Expired course
I Incomplete – Accompanied by a letter grade
RQ Student is not complying with the prerequisites.
NR Never Reported (Registered student without attendance record)

Grade Index
The grade index of a student is a measure of academic achievement. It is based on a 4-point system. A student may be allowed to repeat a course passed with a “D” before taking the next course in the sequence if the corresponding Department Head considers that the case has sufficient merit to receive authorization. When computing the grade index, the highest grade from a repeated course will be used if it is higher than the original grade. If the grade obtained in the repeated course is lower than the original grade, the original grade will prevail.

Student Academic Evaluation

The policies and procedures for student retention, probationary status, suspension, and permanent dismissal are established to evaluate a student’s academic achievement.  Polytechnic University Orlando Campus requires every student to demonstrate academic progress by the number of credit hours completed and the grade point average maintained.

Class Attendance

Students should maintain regular attendance to achieve maximum success in their studies.  Students who have not attended any classes during the first two weeks of the academic term are automatically disqualified from charging such tuition to federal funds.  After receiving the class roster, the instructor will submit in writing the names of all such students to the Office of the Registrar.

It is recognized that the record of class attendance may vary according to the student, the instructor, or the course.  On occasions, it may be necessary for the student to be absent from scheduled classes or laboratories for health reasons.  The student is responsible for contacting the instructor for all work, completed or assigned.  Instructors in charge of courses in all programs of study are required to include in their midterm and final grade reports the total number of absences of all students.  The Registrar will not accept reports if the instructor does not meet this condition.

The students’ academic progress will be measured using the qualitative element, which will be verified each academic year during the summer. The retention index (qualitative part) will be determined according to Table A.  The GPA will be computed only with credits taken at Polytechnic University Orlando Campus.  Probation, suspension, or dismissal will be determined, employing the following procedure:

1. When the accumulated index is lower than the established index as given in Table A, an academic probation period (P1) will be granted for one academic term.  The Registrar’s Office will notify the student of their academic status by certified mail.  At the same time, the Counseling Office will be notified to ensure the required follow-up.
2. During the probation period (P1), the student must raise the academic index to a value equal to or higher than the corresponding one established in Table A.
3. If, after this probation period, the student does not comply with the established condition in Item 2 and does not remediate their academic deficiencies, they will be granted a second academic term probation (P2).  If the student fails to succeed in the probation (P2), the student will be suspended for one academic year.  The Registrar’s Office will notify the suspended student by certified mail.

After the one-year suspension, the student may be readmitted to probation (P3) for one academic year. In the event that the student fails to achieve a satisfactory retention index after the third probationary period (P3), the student will be suspended for three (3) academic years.  Afterward, the student may request readmission.  The student may be admitted again under a probationary status for one academic year.  If they do not succeed, they will be permanently dismissed.

Right to Appeal

The student may appeal this decision under the following conditions:

• Any student who considers that a mistake has been made in the application of these policies and procedures used to evaluate academic progress may send a written request for reconsideration to the Academic Achievement Committee within ten (10) working days after written notification of the decision.
• The request for reconsideration should include the decision being reconsidered, provide a brief statement of facts, and state and justify the basis for the requested change or restitution.
• Each request for reconsideration must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office.
• Presentations before the Academic Achievement Committee by persons who are not members of the Committee will be permitted in special cases.  The Committee’s decision will be final.

Honor Roll

Undergraduate students with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25 and who have been full-time students for the past year and have passed all the credits attempted will appear on the Honor Roll.

Dean’s List

An announcement is made at the beginning of each term of those students who, in the previous term, completed a minimum of twelve (12) credit hours and accumulated a general grade point average of 3.25 or higher, and who are eligible for inclusion on the Dean’s List.

Readmission Policy and Procedure

Students who are not active during two (2) or more consecutive terms, or who are under suspension for disciplinary or academic reasons, and who wish to continue their studies, must apply for readmission to the Institution. Regular students who have discontinued their studies for one year or more will be readmitted in accordance with the procedure in effect.  The applicable curriculum will be the one outlined in the Catalog in effect at the time of readmission.  Each applicant will be evaluated by the Department Director to which the student is seeking readmission. Graduate students requesting transfer credits from our Institution, from the MEM program to the MBA program, or vice versa, will be awarded only 18 credits for the core courses. Courses already taken and not transferred should be substituted with other program courses.  All students must request that their Bachelor’s degree transcript be submitted to the Polytechnic University Orlando Campus. Readmission applications must be submitted at least one (1) month before the next registration period.  If the student does not register during the period requested, the application will remain active for one (1) additional term.

Steps for Readmission

• The student will complete and submit the Readmission Application Form to the Registrar’s Office, which will notify the Readmission Committee.
• A nonrefundable readmission fee.
• Upon payment of the readmission fee, the Finance Office will notify the student of any outstanding debt with the Institution.
• If the student is indebted to the Institution, readmission will be delayed until the student pays the debt and receives clearance from the Finance Office.
• The Registrar’s Office will apply the following criteria to evaluate the readmission application:
  • Study any evidence of disciplinary measures taken or noncompliance with University regulations and any stipulations made.
  • Verify that the student meets the minimum GPA requirement in Table A (Retention Index).
  • Confirm the student complies with the required suspension time limit.
• A student whose readmission application has been denied may appeal to the Readmission Committee through the Registrar’s Office.  The student will receive instructions on the procedure to follow to request reconsideration by the Committee.
• If the student has a lower grade point than required, or if the required suspension period has not expired, and the Committee rules in favor of the student, readmission will be granted on a probationary basis.  The conditions of the probation period will be:
  • The student must pass all courses for which they are registered with a grade of “C” or higher.
  • The academic load will be limited to a maximum of twelve (12) credit hours per term for undergraduate students and six (6) credit hours per term for graduate students.
  • The GPA should be increased or improved as established.
• Students who have interrupted their studies at Polytechnic University Orlando Campus at their will, and during this inactive period have attended another institution (or other institutions) without prior permission from the Department Director, will have no right to request the transfer of credit hours taken at other institutions.
• The Readmission Committee’s decision will be sent in writing to the student through the Registrar’s Office.

Norms and Procedures for the Evaluation of Student Academic Progress at the Graduate Level

Purpose

Purpose

This document includes the norms and procedures for student academic progress at the graduate level.  The purpose of these norms and procedures is to define the parameters for the retention, probation, suspension, and academic dismissal of students.  They establish the mechanisms to be followed in the evaluation of student academic progress.  These norms and procedures apply to every student admitted or readmitted to pursue graduate studies.

Norms and Procedures

The Polytechnic University Orlando Campus requires that all graduate students demonstrate academic progress through the number of approved credit-hours and the general average.

Definitions

• Attempted credit-hours – all credit-hours in which the student enrolls at the graduate level at the Polytechnic University Orlando Campus, for which a grade of I, A, B, C, D, F, W, S, NS, NP, or P is given, including all the number of times the student has enrolled in the same course.
• Transfer credit-hours – graduate credit-hours approved with a grade of “A”, “B” or its equivalent at an accredited institution of higher learning, and are accepted by the Graduate School in accordance with the prevailing norms at the Polytechnic University Orlando Campus. Transfer credit-hours will not be taken into consideration in qualitative evaluation.  These credit-hours will be considered to determine the level or year of study of the student at the graduate level.  A maximum of six (6) credits will be accepted in transfer from other accredited institutions of higher learning after official admission.
• Approved credit-hours – credit-hours attempted at the Polytechnic University Orlando Campus by students admitted to the Graduate School and approved with a grade of “A”, “B”, “C”, “S” or “P”.
• General average – measure used to evaluate the academic performance of the graduate student. This measure is computed by dividing the total number of credit-hours accumulated by the total number of credit-hours in which the student has received final grades, including “F,s” that have not been removed.  Courses in which grades of “S”, “NS”, “P” or “NP” will not be included for computing the measure.
• Repetition of courses – practice under which the graduate student is allowed to repeat only a course in which he (she) obtained a grade of “C”, “D”, “F”, “NS”, or “NP”.  In accordance with this practice, only the highest grade will be considered to determine the general average.
• Probation – temporary condition of the graduate student at the Polytechnic University Orlando Campus because of academic reasons, in which both the quantitative and qualitative elements are taken into consideration.
• Suspension because of academic deficiency – dismissal of the graduate student at Polytechnic University Orlando Campus for academic reasons, in which the qualitative elements, as well as the time on probation, are considered.
• Academic year – three academic educational periods that makeup the academic year which begins with the autumn term.
• Educational period – typical academic period during which the regular courses are offered, several periods of which three make up the academic year.
• Probation to receive Financial Aid – student will be in probation status for one academic year because he/she did not fulfill deficiency shown in Table A and/or B from section 3.
• Suspension of Financial Aid – student that at the end of his/her probation period does not surpass the deficiency shown in table A and/or B from section 3.

Norms of Academic Progress to be followed by the Registrar’s Office for the evaluation of students:

• Academic index: Students are required to have a general index of 3.00 or higher for graduation and must not be on probation or have been dismissed.
• Total number of credit-hours approved[1]: The student should pass 50 % of all credit-hours attempted at the Institution.
• Probation and suspension: All graduate students whose academic progress does not comply with the retention indexes shown in Table A or with the conditions included in Table B will begin an “On Probation” period for no more than a year.  If the “On Probation” period is not overcome, the student will be suspended (dismissed) from the Institution.

Table A

Retention Index

• Incompletes: If the course instructor has given an “Incomplete,” the graduate student must complete the course requirements by the date stated in the next educational period. If the student does not comply with what is hereby stated, the last day to remove grades of “Incomplete,” the provisional grade given will be turned into the final grade in the course(s).  Grades of “Incomplete” will be included to determine the general average using the provisional grade.

Procedures for evaluating graduate-level students. The academic progress of all graduate-level students will be measured in the following way:

• The general average will be verified every trimester.
• Probation will be granted for an educational period.
• If, at the end of the year, the student on probation does not meet all established conditions and does not overcome academic deficiencies, he (she) will be permanently suspended from the Institution.

Appeals. The student may appeal a decision under the following conditions:

• Every student is entitled to apply, in writing, to the Academic Achievement Committee for reconsideration of the above-mentioned decision within the ten work days following the date on which the decision was notified.
• The application for reconsideration should show the decision referred to, include a brief statement of facts, expose and justify the basis or foundation that supports the appeal, and indicate the change or remedy asked for.
• All reconsideration applications should be filed with the Graduate School Deanship.
• Exposition of the case by the student before the Academic Achievement Committee is acceptable, and if he (she) so wishes, can be accompanied by persons who are not members of the Committee.
• The Academic Achievement Committee will inform the student in writing of the decision regarding the particular case appealed. If the Committee approves the appeal, the student will be reinstated to their program on a suspended status and will be responsible for the total registration cost.

Effective Date

These rules and regulations are in effect since the beginning of the 2015-2016 academic year. Any student affected by norms and procedures eliminated by these new rules and regulations may apply for reconsideration of their (her) case.

STUDENT LIFE

There is always something to do, learn, and enjoy at Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico.

Military Training

Polytechnic University Orlando Campus students may request consideration of credit award for documented military training.  The Academic Director is responsible for working with the student to evaluate the request and determine whether the credit option is appropriate.  A maximum of 30 credit hours of military training will be accepted into the University.

Standardized Examinations

The University will accept a maximum of 30 credit hours of standardized testing credit.  All such credit will be listed on the student’s transcript and will not be removed once recorded.  Students may receive credit after completing any of the following standard examinations: College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and/or Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support (DANTES).

Definitions

Credit Hour Credit hour corresponds to fifteen (15) contact hours per credit per term for a lecture course and thirty (30) to forty-five (45) contact hours per term per credit for laboratory or practicum course.

Attempted Credit Hours Credit hours the student has registered at Polytechnic University Orlando Campus, and in which he/she has obtained I, A, B, C, D, F, or W, including all repetitions.

Transferred Credit Hours  Credit hours taken on other college campuses, recognized by accrediting agencies, which the student has passed with grades of A, B or C, and that are accepted by the Department Director or the corresponding Dean’s approval, in accordance with Polytechnic University Orlando Campus’s policy. Any credit hours taken to comply with the preparatory courses required in a program cannot be used as a general elective transferred class.

Passed Credit Hours Attempted credit-hours taken at Polytechnic University Orlando Campus in which A, B, C or D grades are obtained, except in those specific cases defined by the departments.

Grade Point Average (GPA) The measure of academic merit achieved by the student.  It is calculated by dividing the total accumulated honor points by the number of credit hours in which the student has received final grades, including outstanding F’s.

Dismissal for Academic Deficiency A student who systematically fails to satisfy the achievement index may be permanently dismissed from Polytechnic University Orlando Campus for academic deficiency.

Academic Progress  The measure that shows whether the student passes 66% of the attempted credit hour with a grade point average equal to, or higher than, the retention index.  See Table A or Table B, whichever applies.

Repeated Courses Undergraduate courses enrolled two or more times because the student has obtained a grade of D, F or W.  For the purpose of determining the Grade Point Average only the highest grade will be used.

Year Academic year consisting of three consecutive academic periods named trimesters from August to May of the following year.  The Summer academic period is optional.

Doted Courses All courses will be extinct, expired or doted eight (8) years after being passed.  This rule applies equally to courses passed at Polytechnic University Orlando Campus or to transfer courses.  The respective Director may validate some courses after evaluating each course.  The student must repeat all those confirmed doted by the Director, or in its place may be authorized by the Dean instead to take advanced equivalent courses.

Academic Term  One of the three consecutive academic periods named trimesters consisting of twelve (12) weeks each or the Summer consisting of six (6) weeks session which jointly constitute an academic year.

Retention Index (Qualitative Element)

Polytechnic University Orlando Campus adopts the required retention index, as seen in Table A, in accordance with the number of completed credit hours and transferred credit hours.  (Students are required to obtain an average of 2.00 in concentration courses for graduation purposes.)  This constitutes the Institutional Policy, administered by the Registrar’s Office.

Table A

Retention Index

*Total accumulated = Transferred + Passed credit hours

Transferred credit hours will not be used to compute the grade point average, but they will be counted to determine the level or year to which the student belongs.

Maximum Time Allowed to Complete an Academic Degree, Students must complete graduation requirements within a maximum time equivalent to 150% of the credit hours required by the academic degree program enrolled.

Probationary and Suspension Status Students whose academic progress does not satisfy the qualitative elements will begin a probationary period that will not exceed two consecutive academic terms before being suspended for one term.  After suspension is effective, the student may return under a probationary status for a maximum period of one (1) additional academic term, at the end of which may be suspended for a period of three academic terms.  The student may be admitted once again under a probationary status for one academic term.  In the event he/she does not succeed, he/she will be permanently dismissed.

Incomplete If the professor grants an Incomplete (I) grade in a course, it must be accompanied by a letter grade.  The student must complete course requirement within thirty (30) days.  Otherwise, the incomplete grade will be changed to the grade which accompanied the incomplete.

Dual Courses Graduate courses which content can be validated to substitute an undergraduate course. These courses will be used in the graduate admission process as transferred and will be counted as part of the Master Degree. The maximum courses allow to be used per undergraduate program is 4 courses. The validation of these courses in the Master Degree will reduce the total credits from 39 to 27. The validation form should be approved by the Academic Dean prior attending to the course.

To apply for these courses the student should have:

• GPA of 3.25 or higher.
• Senior year
• Must have 3 to 12 credits on free electives
• Obtain grade of A or B