Academic Policies and Procedures

Students are admitted for third-year professional course work in the fall and spring semesters for building construction and each semester for fire and emergency Services. Application procedures, receipt of transcripts and school requirements for admission should be completed by the deadline.

Building Construction:

Fall Semester –April 1, 2003

Spring Semester –October 1, 2003

Fire and Emergency Services:

Fall Semester - August 1, 2003

Spring Semester – December 1, 2003

Summer Term -– April 1, 2003

It should be understood that admission to the Rinker School is selective, and admission will be given to those applicants whose potential indicates the greatest likelihood of success in the program.

• Limited Admission: The satisfaction of minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. The school has established a selective process for admission and only a limited number of new students are accepted each fall and spring term. No distinction is made between internal and external transfers.
• Students must submit a personal statement (minimum 300 word) outlining their reasons for applying to the Rinker School.
• Students must attain at least a 2.0 average in building construction prerequisite course work and have an overall 2.0 average for all freshman and sophomore work required for and leading to a baccalaureate degree in building construction.
• Students are required to submit SAT or ACT scores, and these scores will be evaluated in the selection process for admission. Students are rank ordered and admitted based on an evaluation of their building construction prerequisite course work and their SAT or ACT scores.
• Students must have achieved a passing score on the College Level Academic Skills Test or present a CLAST waiver.
• All applicants must have completed two sequential courses of foreign language in secondary school or 8-10 semester hours at the postsecondary level, or document an equivalent level of proficiency.
• Credits beyond the 62 semester hours required for admission to the School will not reduce the number of credit hours to be completed in the junior and senior years to earn a degree. These courses may not be accepted for equivalent credit.
• Waiver of Liability: Several courses require attendance at field trips. All students must sign a waiver of liability and hold harmless agreement as a prerequisite to acceptance into the School of Building Construction. In addition, student organizations are represented at conferences, seminars and projects outside of campus. A separate and similar waiver form will be used for students who participate in these voluntary activities.

Students attending four-year colleges should follow a program of general education and preprofessional courses equivalent to the basic curriculum for entry to the school.

Junior college and community college students should:

• Complete the university transfer program at the junior college.
• Complete the A.A. degree.
• Complete all prerequisite general education and preprofessional courses, or acceptable substitutes.

• Students must attain at least a 2.0 average in fire and emergency services prerequisite course work and have an overall 2.0 average for all freshman and sophomore work required for and leading to a baccalaureate degree in fire and emergency services.
• Students must have achieved a passing score on the College Level Academic Skills Test or present a CLAST waiver.
• All applicants must have completed two sequential courses of foreign language in secondary school or 8-10 semester hours at the postsecondary level, or document an equivalent level of proficiency.
• Credits beyond the 60 semester hours required for admission to the school will not reduce the number of credit hours to be completed in the junior and senior years to earn a degree. These courses may not be accepted for equivalent credit.

Students attending four-year colleges should follow a program of general education and preprofessional courses equivalent to the basic curriculum for entry to the school.

Junior college and community college students should:

• Complete the university transfer program at the junior college.
• Complete the A.A. degree.
• Complete all prerequisite general education and preprofessional courses, or acceptable substitutes.
• Receive state or nationally recognized fire-fighting and emergency medicine certificate or experience.
• Students who have not demonstrated working knowledge of fire and emergency services through the obtainment of state or nationally recognized fire fighting and emergency medicine certificates will be required to take equivalent upper-level courses in lieu of upper-level electives.

Information about general financial aid can be obtained from the Office for Student Financial Affairs, Box 114025, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-4025. Information concerning scholarships for third-and fourth-year building construction students is available at the school.

The average course load for building construction students is 16 hours. A student may register for additional hours if the academic adviser and the student’s academic record justifies this. Students who wish to take fewer than 12 hours should be aware that certain university privileges and benefits require a minimum registration. It is the student’s responsibility to verify the minimum registration necessary for these privileges and benefits.

Students must maintain normal academic progress with a minimum grade point average of 2.0 for all courses attempted in the junior and senior years. In addition, the student must take courses in the sequence specified. Students may be excluded from the program if they fail or refuse to maintain normal academic progress.

The Rinker School reserves the right to retain all student work for the purpose of record, exhibition or instruction.

Students who do not make satisfactory academic progress may be excluded from further registration.

It is the student’s responsibility before enrolling to review and consider all pertinent information about the university and the school. Special attention must be paid to required documentation, degree requirements, and deadlines.

Personal computer design and graphic and operational competence is an essential component of the professional environment. Computer skills now are required for most entry-level opportunities in construction. Competency in the basic use of a computer is a requirement for graduation. Course content increasingly relies on student computer skills and access to computers. Academic advisement and registration can be done by computer and official university correspondence is often sent via e-mail. The demands on university computer facilities are significant.

Students entering the junior year of professional course work are required to purchase, lease or otherwise obtain continuing access to a personal computer that is capable of dial-up or network connection to the Internet, graphical access to the World Wide Web, and productivity functions such as word processing and spreadsheet calculation.