Academic Policies and Procedures

Admission

Freshman Students

Any student classified as a first semester freshman at the university will be admitted to the college when they declare a major within the B.S. or B.S.F.R.C. degree programs. At that time, their college classification will become AG or FY. These students will maintain the AG or FY classification as long as they continue to meet or exceed the universal tracking criteria for the major. Students who fall below the minimum progression standards will not be allowed to continue in the major. These students must meet with an academic adviser within the college to determine an alternative major. Freshman AG and FY students should take the CLAST in the second semester.

Students Other Than Freshmen

All UF students other than first semester freshmen must formally apply to a major in the college. Students will be admitted to the major if they meet or exceed the universal tracking criteria published in the catalog. Performance in and completion of courses in math, biology, chemistry, and physics in the first four semesters are the primary criteria for determining admission to a major. Requirements for admission vary depending on the major.

All applicants must have completed two sequential courses of foreign language in secondary school or 8-10 semester hours at the post-secondary level, or document an equivalent level of proficiency.

Because of the diversity among degree programs offered by the college, the specific requirements for each major are listed separately on the following pages. Students should contact the undergraduate adviser for their major once they are admitted to the college. They should complete the course requirements for the major in the semester designated in the catalog and on the universal tracking audit. The student's undergraduate adviser will make any adjustments. Each student must complete the math, chemistry, biology, and physics courses as outlined in the semester-by-semester listings for the first four semesters of study.

Juniors and seniors should have completed all courses listed for the first four semesters of their curriculum. Any student not completing these must do so in the first semester of the junior year.

The college policy regarding registration is that each student must consult their faculty adviser before each registration to ensure the appropriate courses in the appropriate sequence. The college monitors this policy by examining each student's schedule after registration. Students not enrolled in appropriate courses will not be allowed to register the following term.

Transfer Students

To be eligible for admission to CALS, a transfer student from a Florida public community college must have an Associate of Arts degree and must satisfy the minimum admission requirements set forth for the intended major. Community college students should consult an academic adviser to ensure completion of the courses that will satisfy the admission requirements for their intended majors within the college. Transfer students from other universities and non-Florida public community colleges should complete the first two year's requirements for the major prior to transferring to the university and to this college.

Postbaccalaureate Students

A student who has received a baccalaureate degree may be admitted under certain circumstances as a postbaccalaureate student (6AG). Postbaccalaureate applicants should meet the admission requirements listed for the first four semesters with particular emphasis on successful completion of all math, biology, chemistry and physics courses for the intended major. Students may enroll as 6AG to:

• Receive a second baccalaureate degree
• Satisfy requirements for teacher rtification
• Meet specific requirements for admission to graduate or professional school.

Admission requirements for postbaccalaureate students are the same as for transfer students. Students must declare a major and meet with an adviser in that major to plan and approve a program of study. In addition, postbaccalaureate students must comply with college and university rules and regulations and meet all deadlines in the undergraduate catalog.

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Combined Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Degree Programs:

The college currently has four combined degree programs: plant pathology, agricultural operations management, entomology and nematology, and animal sciences. These programs allow talented students to complete both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in five years. Contact the department for further information.

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Special Certificates

Environmental Studies: A program for a specialization (with certificate) in environmental studies provides a broad knowledge of the environment, especially the interrelationships between human activities and environmental quality. With this specialization and a major in the college, the student can apply knowledge in their major to solving environmental problems.

The environmental studies specialization includes environmental courses in three basic groups: biological sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences. At least one course from each group is required. A minimum of 14 semester hours credit is required for the certificate; three hours outside the college also are required.

The student and academic adviser determine courses for the specialization from an approved list. These requirements generally can be met through a wise choice of electives.

Computer Sciences: A program for specialization (with certificate) in computer sciences is available for students to enhance their College of Agricultural and Life Sciences degree program with a coordinated set of computer science courses. Any student in this college can pursue this certificate.

The student must complete 13 credits in specific courses offered by the Department of Computer and Information Sciences. Each candidate must complete CIS 3020, COP 3530, and CDA 3101. In addition, at least one of the following courses must be completed: CEN 3031, COT 4420, COP 4720, CEN 3031, or COP 4620. This sequence requires a minimum of three semesters beyond completion of calculus.

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Academic Advising

Academic advising within the college is provided by college faculty. Each major has an undergraduate coordinator and undergraduate faculty advisers. Students interested in a major in the college should see the undergraduate coordinator or an adviser in the major. A list of undergraduate coordinators and advisers is available on the CALS web site. It is college policy that each student discusses their academic plans with an adviser in the major before each registration to receive academic and career counseling advice.

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Student Responsibility

Students are expected to assume full academic responsibility for registering for the proper courses, for fulfilling all requirements for the degree, and for completing all courses. Each semester, the student must consult an adviser to plan and get approval for the courses in which to enroll.

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Normal Loads

The normal course load in the college is 15 credit hours during fall and spring and 12 credit hours during summer. A student should not register for more than 17 credit hours unless approved by an adviser and the Associate Dean. Students may register for fewer than 12 hours, but should be aware that certain university privileges and benefits require a minimum enrollment of 12 hours. It is the student's responsibility to verify the minimum course load for these benefits.

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College Probation

A student whose overall grade point average falls below 2.0 is placed on College Probation. The Associate Dean for CALS will notify the student that s/he is on probation and must remove all of his/her deficit points in two semesters or face College Suspension.

During College Suspension, a student cannot register as a College of Agricultural and Life Sciences student. In some instances, with approval of the student's adviser and the Associate Dean, the student may complete approved courses at another institution. However, if a student enrolls at another institution, grades earned at that institution will not reduce the deficit points on his/her UF record. Probationary students must earn a C or better for each course taken at another institution. Upon returning to UF, a student must remove a specified number of deficit points each semester to continue enrolling.

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The CALS Retention Program

The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences works individually with students on College Probation to provide them an opportunity for academic success at the University of Florida. The CALS Retention Program is designed to determine earlier constraints to academic success, provide structure and mechanisms for success, and connect CALS students individually with administrator, faculty, and staff committed to working with them one on one.

As a first step in the CALS Retention Program, students on College Probation are required to meet with their adviser to review their academic situation. At that time, students will complete a Deficit Point Form and a Semester GPA Prediction form. After completing these, the Probation Contract can be completed by the student and approved by their Academic Adviser. Students are then required to meet with the Associate Dean of CALS. Based on this meeting and recommendations made by the Academic Adviser, students may be required to attend UF sponsored workshops on topics such as time management, stress management, or study skills.

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Readmission to CALS

CALS students who have been dismissed from the University of Florida for poor academic performance may petition UF and CALS for readmission after one semester. After applying for readmission through the UF Admissions Office, students seeking readmission to CALS are required to meet with an Academic Adviser to establish performance goals and a tentative class schedule. They are then required to meet with the CALS Associate Dean to discuss opportunities for academic success and for final CALS approval.

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Drop Policy

Courses may be dropped during the drop/add period without penalty. Thereafter, courses may be dropped only by college petition in accordance with the deadline. Drops requiring college petition are subject to the following rules:

• Two unrestricted drops after the drop/add period will be permitted for a student classified as 1AG/FY and 2AG/FY. Students classified as 3AG/FY, 4AG/FY, 6AG/FY and 0AG/FY are allowed one unrestricted drop. An academic adviser must approve all drops before the college will process them.
• After the college deadline, students must petition the Associate Dean of CALS.
• Students withdrawing from UF (dropping their full course load) must contact the Dean of Students Office in 202 Peabody Hall.

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Withdrawal Policy

If a College of Agricultural and Life Sciences student withdraws from UF a second time, that student will be placed on college probation. A third withdrawal violates the probation and the student cannot register again as a student in the college.

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Practical Work Experience/Internships

By prior arrangement with an adviser, a student may, with supervision, receive credit for practical work experience relevant to the major. Credit is earned at the rate of one credit per month of full-time work and may not exceed three credits in any combination of experiences. A written report must be submitted before a grade (S-U) will be issued. Academic units offering this option list the course number 4941. Guidelines establishing minimum criteria for credit eligibility and performance are available from the undergraduate coordinator for the major.

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Honors

Dean's List: A student who carries 15 hours per semester (or 12 in summer) with a grade point average of 3.3 or better and no grade less than C in any course will have his/her name placed on the Dean's List for that semester.

College Honors Program: The CALS Honors Program is for students who have completed 60 credit hours or more and have a 3.5 overall GPA or higher. This program encourages high-achieving students to strengthen their education and to market themselves as students who have gone beyond the regular requirements of the major.

The CALS Honors Program is designed to build upon existing courses in the required curriculum. Courses on the transcript are identified with an honors designation. Students successfully completing the program are designated as CALS Honors Scholars.

All participants must complete the Honors Colloquium, ALS 4921, a college-wide course that satisfies the writing component currently required by the college (AEE 3033C, ENC 2210, ENC 3250, ENC 3310, ENC 3312 or MMC 2100). The Honors Colloquium is offered every semester.

In addition, two courses approved in the student's major must carry an honors designation. These courses may be existing honors courses or they may be regular courses coupled with an honors contract. With the approval of the honors program coordinator, graduate level courses also may qualify as honors courses.

Students in the program who have the necessary grade point average and a desire to graduate with high or highest honors must complete a research project or creative work. Honors projects encompass teaching, research, and extension activities and can include any creative activity that has an objective and an expected outcome.

Students who are not in the CALS Honors Program still can graduate with high or highest honors as outlined under the Graduating with Honors section below. For additional information, contact the Honors Program Coordinator or view the CALS web page at www.cals.ufl.edu.

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