Academic Information & Policies

Academic Information and Policies

Wondering about Academic Information? Please read below and follow appropriate links to find out more. Need to look up a specific policy, please use this link to all academic affairs policy letters, guidelines, procedures and resources.

Academic Affairs Policy Letters

Guidelines, Policies, & Procedures

Activity Course Credit

Participants in symphonic band, jazz ensemble, collegiate-community orchestra, concert choir, glee club, Collegiate, forensics, dramatics, intercollegiate athletics or journalism may be granted credit for work in these activities supervised by members of the faculty. Credit may be earned each term, but no more than four (4) term hours of combined credit in activity courses may be counted toward graduation in an associate degree curriculum or five (5) term hours of combined credit in activity courses may be counted toward graduation in a bachelor's degree curriculum.

Academic Credit

All credits offered in degree programs are expressed in semester hours. One semester hour of credit is granted for the successful completion of one hour per week of lecture, or two or more hours per week of laboratory training, for a period of fifteen weeks (fall and spring) or for a period of 12 weeks (summer) or any approved part of term. At the end of each semester, faculty members are required to submit final course grades to the Registrar's office. The grades for all courses are entered into the student record system.

Academic Dismissals

At the end of a semester each of the academic colleges determine the students who will be dismissed according to the University policy. Please contact the dean's office of that college for any questions regarding the dismissal or any appeal process.

Auditing A Course

Students are permitted to register for courses, space permitting, on an audit (no credit) basis during the designated 'Institutional Change Days' during the first four (4) days of the term. Approval and signature of the student's dean's office and the head of the department offering the course are required and forwarded to the Registrar's Office for processing. Where course capacity is limited, students taking the course for credit will have registration priority over audit students.

Senior citizens (age 60 or older) may audit one course per term on a space available basis for a charge of $25.00 per course. Emeriti (regardless of age) may audit a course at no charge (consistent with their enrolling for credit courses). All other students will be charged the same tuition rates and fees for auditing courses the same as for credit students. This change became effective Spring 2010 term per the President's Office.

To audit a course, please complete the Audit Form.

Class Standing

Criteria is as follows:

Freshman	0-25 semester credit hours earned
Sophomore	26-55 semester credit hours earned
Junior	56-85 semester credit hours earned
Senior	86+ semester credit hours earned

Dean's List Requirements

The minimum requirements for full-time students each term are 3.5 GPA and completion of twelve FSU credit hours or more of graded course work at the 100 level or higher. The minimum requirements for part-time students each term are 3.5 term GPA with completion of at least twelve accumulated FSU credit hours of graded course work at the 100 level or higher.

Dean's List are compiled and kept on record by the individual dean's office of the college of your program. Please reach out to the appropriate office to inquire about the dean's list. Academic Colleges

Full Time Enrollment Status

An undergraduate student enrolled in twelve (12) or more hours of credit is considered to be a full time student. Full-time status for a student in a professional or master's degree program requires a minimum of nine (9) hours of credit.

Grading Information

At the end of each semester, faculty members are required to submit final course grades. Students may access their grades by using Ferris360. Official grades are available starting at 8:00 am the Tuesday following exam week.

Grading System

Computing Grade Point Average (GPA)

Grade Changes

The assignment of grades is a faculty responsibility. If a student disagrees with an assigned grade the student should follow the appeal process.

1. The grade appeal must be made no later than the tenth calendar day (excluding weekends and holidays) of the semester following the semester for which the grade was given. Spring semester grades (including Wintermester) must be appealed by the 10th day of the subsequent Summer semester, Summer semester grades must be appealed by the 10th day of the subsequent Fall semester, and Fall semester grades must be appealed by the 10th day of the subsequent Spring semester.

2. The student may appeal the grade only once.

3. The student must first discuss the grade in question with the instructor who gave the grade in order to clarify misunderstandings, arithmetic, etc.

4.In the event that the student and instructor are not able to resolve the issue, the student may then appeal the grade in writing to the respective instructor’s department head/chair. A copy of the appeal will be forwarded to the instructor.

5. The instructor then will respond to the appeal, in writing, to the department head/chair.

6. On the basis of the student’s appeal and the instructor’s response, the department head/chair will inform the parties in writing of his or her decision.

7. In the event that the student or instructor is still dissatisfied with the grade in question, he or she may further appeal the decision to the Office of the Dean. A cover letter with copies of the original appeal, the instructor’s response and the department head/chair decision must be submitted to the Dean’s Office.

8.On the basis of the student’s appeal, the instructor’s response and the department head/chair’s response, the Dean will inform the parties in writing of his or her decision. The Dean’s decision is final and binding.

9. The appeal process must be concluded not later than the end of the semester in which the appeal was initiated.

Incomplete Grades

Midterm Grades

Guide for Students to Resolve Complaints

Ferris State University is committed to addressing student complaints in a timely manner. All students have the right to initiate a complaint. Students are encouraged to resolve concerns informally themselves by first talking directly with the University representative involved. Ferris State University distinguishes between student complaints and student appeals of college policies and decisions.

Please read the in full letter and find the contact persons: Student Complaint Policy Letter

Preferred First Name Policy

According to the Preferred First Name Policy any Ferris State University community member may choose to identify themselves within the University with a Preferred First Name (PFN) that differs from their legal name.

A preferred name will appear instead of the person’s legal name in University systems and documents (i.e. class roster, University ID, diploma name) except where the use of the legal name is required by a University policy, business or legal need (i.e. financial aid records, transcripts, health records, IRS forms, W-2, I-9, social security forms).

The use of a preferred first name cannot be for the purpose of misrepresentation or fraud and any preferred name reasoned to be an attempt at misrepresentation, fraud or interpreted as offensive will be removed.

A student who wishes to designate a Preferred First Name may do so in the Personal Information section of the Student Academic Dashboard. Simply open Ferris360, search for Student Academic Dashboard and click on the search result, then click on Verify/Update Personal Information.

Please review our Preferred First Name FAQ's for guidance on some of the most common questions related to this policy.

Program Changes

Students requesting a program change should go to the dean's office in which the program is offered. Requests for program changes after the fourth (4) day of a term are processed for the following term.

Transfer Students and Credits

To fulfill the residency requirement for an associate degree, a student must earn a minimum of fifteen credit hours from Ferris. To fulfill the residency requirement for a bachelor's degree a student must earn a minimum of thirty credit hours from Ferris. The University expects that these hours are the final credits earned for the degree.

It is expected that a maximum of one-half of the total hours required for completion of the degree at Ferris may be transferred from non-bachelor degree granting institutions which have articulation agreements with Ferris. In such a case, additional lower-division courses required for a Ferris bachelor's degree may be transferred.

Approved off-campus degree programs may be exempted from portions of this policy. The appropriate dean's office should be consulted for specific requirements.