2001 - 2002
Undergraduate Catalog

Academic Regulations

• Registration Policies
• Attendance Policies
• Grades/Grading Policies
• Academic Progress Regulations
• Degrees and Graduation
• Catalog Year

Academic Regulations

Each student is responsible for becoming familiar with the rules and regulations of the university and for applying them as appropriate. Additional information relative to academic rules, conduct, graduation, social activities, and failure in studies, may be found in the sections containing regulations of the colleges and schools.

Classification of Students

Students are classified at the following levels by the Office of the University Registrar each semester:

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College Level Academic Skills Test

CLAST is designed to test the communication and computation skills judged by state university and community college faculty as necessary for successful performance and progression through the baccalaureate level. Passing scores on the test or satisfaction through approved alternatives are required by Florida statutes and the State Board of Education.

The test is administered three times a year to university students as well as to community college students who are completing either Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degrees and are seeking admission to programs in state universities in Florida. Transfer students who do not satisfactorily complete the test (or its approved alternatives) will not be admitted. CLAST also applies to students transferring to Florida state universities from Florida private colleges and out-of-state colleges.

Transfer students with fewer than 96 semester hours must have satisfied the CLAST requirement by the end of the first term of enrollment. Transfer applicants with more than 96 hours must have satisfied the CLAST requirement before admission to the university.

The Office of Instructional Resources in 1012 Turlington Hall coordinates information and registration for CLAST. Registration for UF course work and awarding of the A.A. certificate after earning 60 hours are contingent upon satisfaction of CLAST.

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Confidentiality of Student Records

The university assures the confidentiality of student educational records in accordance with State University System rules, state statutes and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended, known as the Buckley Amendment.

Student directory information that can be released to the public is limited to name, class, college and major; dates of attendance; degree(s) earned; honors and awards received; local, permanent and e-mail addresses; telephone number; most recent previous educational institution attended; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; and the weight and height of members of athletic teams.

Currently enrolled students must contact the appropriate agency(s) to restrict release of directory information. The Office of the University Registrar, the Division of Housing and University Personnel Services routinely release directory information to the public. In addition to requesting this restriction from the Office of the University Registrar, students who live on campus must also request this restriction from the Division of Housing (next to Beaty Towers). Students who are university employees also must request this restriction from University Personnel Services.

Student educational records may be released without a student's consent to school officials who have a legitimate educational interest to access the records. "School officials" shall include:

• An employee, agent or officer of the university or State University System of Florida in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position;
• Persons serving on university committees, boards, and/or councils; and
• Persons employed by or under contract to the university to perform a special task, such as an attorney or an auditor.

"Legitimate educational interest" shall mean any authorized interest or activity undertaken in the name of the university for which access to an educational record is necessary or appropriate to the operation of the university or to the proper performance of the educational mission of the university.

The university may also disclose information from a student's educational records without a student's consent to either individuals or entities permitted such access under applicable federal and state law.

Students have the right to review their own educational records for information and to determine accuracy. A photo I.D. or other equivalent documentation or personal recognition by the custodian of record will be required before access is granted. Parents of dependent students, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service, have these same rights upon presentation of proof of the student's dependent status.

If a student believes the educational record contains information that is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of his or her rights, the student may ask the institution to amend the record. The UF Student Guide outlines the procedures for challenging the content of a student record as well as the policies governing access to and maintenance of student records.

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Student Records and Transcripts

The Office of the University Registrar maintains students' academic records. At the end of each term of enrollment, students are notified in writing of their grades, cumulative hours earned, grade points, probationary status and degrees earned, if any. Students can access ISIS at www.isis.ufl.edu for their grades.

Transcripts: Upon written request, the university will provide academic transcripts for any student who has attended this university. There soon may be a charge for each transcript. The university maintains the right to withhold release of a transcript if the student has an outstanding financial obligation to the university. To reflect a complete academic record for undergraduate, graduate and professional students, the university will issue only complete transcripts.

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Transfer Credit Policy

In general students may transfer 60 credit hours from community colleges as part of the hours needed for their UF degrees, regardless of when these hours are earned, but subject to university and college degree requirements.

Associate of Arts degree recipients from Florida public community colleges who continue enrollment at the school that awarded the A.A. may be granted additional transfer credit for one or more courses that satisfy their UF degree requirements.

However, junior and senior level (courses numbered 3000-4000) course requirements for the major must be completed at UF or, with permission of the student's college, at another baccalaureate degree-granting institution. At least 25% of semester credit hours must be earned through instruction at the University of Florida.

Accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools notes that "an adequate number of hours with appropriate prerequisites must be required in courses above the elementary level." The University of Florida interprets this, based on commonly accepted good practice, to mean 60 credits in 3000-4000 level courses.

Courses completed with grades of D or higher at other regionally accredited degree-granting institutions that reasonably parallel the curriculum at this university will be accepted for transfer credit as hours earned. It is the prerogative of the student's college to determine how transfer credit satisfies the specific degree's course requirements. Students are required to submit final official transcripts from all institutions attended prior to or during their enrollment at UF. Failure to declare attendance at another institution can invalidate admission to UF and any credits or degrees earned.

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UF Students Attending Other Schools

Normally, UF students are not permitted to register at another institution for a course or its equivalent that is offered at UF.

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