Classes, Attendance and Grading Policies

Attendance

Although it is the student’s responsibility to attend classes, each department establishes its own policy concerning student absences from class. If for some reason a student will be absent for one continuous week or longer, it is advisable to inform each instructor.

Auditing Policy

The privilege of auditing courses is not available to students currently enrolled at Hofstra or at other institutions of higher education. Additionally, students admitted to professional schools may not audit Hofstra courses in preparation for their enrollment at those institutions.

Auditing of undergraduate courses is made available to individuals not enrolled in any institution of higher education as a service to enrich their knowledge in a particular area, upon payment of 50 percent of the regular part-time undergraduate tuition.

During the spring and fall semester, the auditor shall have the option of converting the courses from a noncredit to credit basis at any time prior to the end of the third week of classes or the first week of a summer session. Permission of the instructor, payment of adjusted tuition and fees, and meeting of all University admissions conditions are required prior to such conversions. For admission to undergraduate courses, apply to the Center for University Advising.

It is not the policy to permit either Hofstra or non-Hofstra students to audit graduate courses.

Class Schedules

Classes at Hofstra begin at 7 a.m., Monday through Friday. Classes are usually scheduled for meetings on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with 55-minute periods, Monday and Wednesday with 85-minute periods, or on Tuesday and Thursday with 85-minute periods. Laboratory sessions are scheduled separately from the regular lecture hours for a course.

Evening classes are normally scheduled on Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday combinations. However, some 200-level and 2-semester hour courses meet once weekly as do courses scheduled on Saturday.

Classroom Code of Conduct for Students

The classroom code of conduct for students can be found in Faculty Policy Series #50.

Common Hour

To facilitate student and faculty participation in extracurricular and cocurricular events, the schedule of undergraduate day classes leaves open a common hour on Wednesdays from 11:15 a.m. to 12:40 p.m.

Course Numbering System

This Bulletin lists all the undergraduate courses offered by the University in its programs.

Courses numbered from 1 to 199 are for undergraduates only. All courses below the 200 level do not carry graduate credit.

Courses numbered 200 and above are for graduate credit. Zarb School of Business courses numbered 200 and above are open only to matriculated graduate students in the School of Business and, where appropriate, in The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication and the School of Education. In addition, Zarb School of Business undergraduate students enrolled in a BBA/MBA or BBA/MS program may take two or more graduate-level courses (6-9 s.h.) under advisement as part of the undergraduate program. 2000-level courses are graduate courses offered in conjunction with 100-level courses, for which graduate students are expected to fulfill substantially enhanced requirements.

Course numbers with A through Z designations usually indicate that as individual subjects are selected, each is assigned a letter and added to the course number. The course may be taken any number of times as long as there is a different letter designation each time it is taken.

The University reserves the right to withdraw any scheduled course without notice.

Cumulative Grade Point Average

The grade point average is the index of academic performance used to determine whether the student will be permitted to continue at the University and/or graduate.

The alphabetical grades, including plus (+) and minus (-), have the following grade point values:

To determine cumulative grade point average, multiply the number of semester hours of each grade earned by the grade point value for that grade (this product equals the Quality Points for that grade). Then total the products (i.e., sum the Quality Points) and divide by the total number of semester hours for which an alphabetical grade was earned (total GPA Hours). Once calculated, the GPA is truncated to two decimal places. The GPA is not rounded in any manner.

To graduate, a student must complete the number of hours required for the particular degree with at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average in work completed at Hofstra and required for the major as specified by the major department.

D+ and D and F grades assigned to students who have elected the Pass/D+/D/Fail option are included in determining the student’s cumulative grade point average.

Grade Appeal Policy

Hofstra University’s course grade appeal policy, including appeal timelines, may be found under Faculty Policy Series #42.

Individual grade appeal policies for the following schools/colleges within Hofstra University may be found at:

Grades

Hofstra uses an alphabetical system of grades to describe the quality of the student’s work. The University reserves the right to change this system at any time. The implementation of a new system, however, will not occur for approximately one year after the change has been made and the students have been officially notified. The revised system applies uniformly to all students regardless of their initial date of entry. Alphabetical grades are further divided into plus and minus levels.

These letter grades, which include plus and minus where applicable, are explained below. Final grades are reported only from the Office of Academic Records/Registrar.

A: Indicates that the student’s academic performance in achieving the objectives of the course was of honors level.

B: Indicates that the student’s academic performance in achieving the objectives of the course was distinctly above that required by the course.

C: Indicates that the student’s academic performance achieved the objectives of the course.

D: Indicates that the student’s academic performance relating to the objectives of the course was less than required for major or minor credit but was still sufficient to permit the student to receive full degree credit. This grade is not acceptable for major or minor course credit unless approved by the chairperson of the appropriate department. The course may be repeated in accordance with the repeated course policy.

P: Passing, not counted in determining cumulative grade point average. Courses passed with a P grade are counted, however, in the total number of credits accumulated for graduation. P is equivalent to C- or better. If in the opinion of the instructor the student’s work has not earned a C-, then a D or an F will be awarded. The P grade will be assigned for passing work in courses which are graded only on a Pass/D+/D/Fail or Pass/Fail basis and to courses taken under the Pass/D+/D/Fail option. (See Pass/D+/D/Fail Option below.)

Pr: Progress. Used normally to report the first semester’s satisfactory work in two-semester individually supervised courses, normally for seniors. This grade may be assigned only in courses previously approved for this purpose by the Undergraduate Academic Affairs Committee. Course credit toward graduation is granted.

F: Indicates that the student’s overall academic performance failed to satisfy the objectives of the course. No semester hour credit is received for courses with an F grade. Students will not be given credit for full-year courses unless both semesters of such courses are satisfactorily completed. Passing the first semester of a year course but failing the second, the student need repeat only the second semester.

I (Incomplete): At the instructor’s discretion, a grade of Incomplete (“I”) may be granted upon the request of a student if the student has completed a substantial portion of the course and unforeseen circumstances prevent the student from completing some of the course work on time. In unusual circumstances, an instructor may submit an “I” grade without prior discussion with the student. An “I” grade should be given only where there is a reasonable expectation that completion of the outstanding work will result in a passing grade. The instructor will decide the time frame in which the student will complete the required course work. However, the deadline may not exceed the last day of the next full semester following the granting of an “I” grade.* In cases where lab work is required or the student is working on an Independent Study, additional time may be granted. A student will not be allowed to attend the regular class meetings at the next offering of the course. The instructor will inform the student of the completion requirements and terms. As part of the normal final-grade process, the instructor must submit an “I” grade online to the Office of Academic Records with a default grade, the grade the student will receive if the missing work is not completed. The default final grade must be a letter grade other than UW.

The instructor is required to submit a grade for the student within 30 days after the student has submitted work to fulfill the terms specified. If the instructor cannot oversee the completion of the incomplete work with the student, the instructor will arrange for oversight within the department with the Dean’s permission. If the incomplete work is not completed by the deadline, the “I” grade will convert to the default grade previously submitted by the instructor.

*Students cannot graduate with any “I” grade (received fall 2008 or later) on their records. Candidates for graduation requesting an ‘I’ grade will graduate at the first graduation date available (January, May, August, or December) after completion of the work. If work is not completed and the “I” grade turns into an “F,” it may prevent graduation. A student may request, from the Office of Academic Records, the default grade to replace the “I” grade prior to the set deadline to ensure timely graduation.

NR: Student’s grade has not been submitted by the instructor.

W: The student has withdrawn from the course and so notified the Office of the Registrar in writing prior to the last day of the tenth week of the semester. For courses shorter than 15 weeks, the student must withdraw within the first 2/3 of the course. If a student withdraws from a course during the first three weeks of the semester; the first week of a summer session; the first three days of the January Session; the first two weeks of a 10-11 week trimester or the first week of a mini-course, there shall be no record of course(s) on the permanent record. However, the statement “Complete Withdrawal From the University” shall be entered on the permanent record of any student who completely withdraws from the University within the time frame indicated above. Students who withdraw officially or unofficially from one or more courses after the first week of the semester, or equivalent for courses shorter than 15 weeks, will be liable for all or part of the tuition and fees associated with those courses. See Withdrawal From the University in this section.

UW: The UW may be assigned only if the student stopped attending prior to the official withdrawal deadline, and, in the judgment of the faculty member, on the last date of attendance, the student either had the potential to pass the course or there was insufficient graded work to allow for such an evaluation. Note: The UW is always the appropriate grade for the student who is registered for the course but has never attended.

Pass/D+/D/Fail Option (P or D+ or D or F): A student may elect courses on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis during the first five weeks of the semester under the following conditions: WSC 001  and 002 , Distribution Courses , courses taken in fulfillment of any language requirement and those courses required in the major or minor field and any other course specified by course title or number as required for the major or minor may not be taken Pass/D+/D/Fail. (This does not apply to courses given only on this basis.) All other courses may be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.

Courses taken on an optional Pass/D+/D/Fail basis may not be used to satisfy distribution requirements. Note, however, that some distribution courses are given only on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis and may be used to fulfill distribution requirements. (Distribution courses can be found here .)

Departments and/or degrees that are restricted by professional accreditation may, as required, exempt additional courses from the Pass/D+/D/Fail option. In no case may the total number of Pass/D+/D/Fail credits exceed 30 semester hours, nor may any credit for Pass/D+/D/Fail courses be used toward an academic minor, except for those courses given only on this basis.

Zarb School of Business courses may not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.

In HCLAS and in The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, the Pass/D+/D/Fail option is restricted to 15 credits.

Students on academic probation may not elect an optional Pass/D+/D/Fail grade.

Students should obtain necessary forms from the Office of Academic Records and seek faculty advisement on possible effects of Pass/D+/D/Fail grades.

A student transferring to Hofstra with more than 30 credits graded on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis must have the approval of the Undergraduate Academic Affairs Committee. For these students, courses graded on this basis shall not exceed fifty percent of the total credit hours required for the degree.

For courses shorter than 15 weeks, the student has the sole discretion to elect the Pass/D+/D/Fail option for the first 1/3 of the course.

D+ and D and F grades assigned to students who have elected the Pass/D+/D/Fail option are included in determining the student’s cumulative grade point average.

Graduate Courses Taken by Undergraduates

1. In appropriate cases, undergraduate students with senior status may be permitted to enroll in graduate courses for undergraduate credit. Written permission of the major adviser and the appropriate deans is required and should be obtained on the substitution/waiver form. Credit earned in this way will count only toward undergraduate degrees.
2. To meet unusual cases, an undergraduate student with senior status may earn a maximum of 9 hours of graduate credit. Written permission from the appropriate dean’s office must be obtained on the substitution/waiver form.
3. Provisions 1 and 2 do not apply to students pursuing dual-degree undergraduate/graduate programs.
4. Visiting undergraduate students shall not be permitted to enroll in graduate courses at Hofstra.

Inactive Grade Policy

For readmission after an absence from the University for at least five years, the student may elect, by writing to the Center for University Advising, to have all previously earned grades treated in the same manner as transfer grades for purposes of readmission and graduation, but not for purposes of academic honors and graduating class rank. In that case, the student will have to meet the same requirements as they apply to all other students. In addition, in order to graduate, students must complete at least 15 semester hours in residence with letter grades other than P with a grade-point average of 2.0 or better. (Refer to specific programs for requirements .)

Repeated Courses

A student may repeat a completed course, regardless of grade, for a better understanding of the subject only with the approval of the major adviser. Such a course will be listed as a Repeated Course, for which a final grade will be given. Both grades will appear on the student’s record, and both grades will count in determining the cumulative grade point average; but semester hour credit toward graduation will be given only once. The number of semester hours repeated is counted in determining the number of semester hours attempted. Degree credit is granted for the same course in physical education skills courses only twice. A student’s financial aid may be impacted by repeating a course that was previously passed. Students should contact their Student Financial Services counselor to learn about the potential impacts. Repeating a course more than once may impact your financial aid. Please consult with the Office of Student Financial Services. 

However, an undergraduate may repeat a course and request that, as an exception to the rule above, only the later of the two grades be counted toward the grade point average calculation. The student is limited to a maximum of two such requests, which may be used for repeating two different courses or repeating the same course twice. Course(s) must have been taken in-residence at Hofstra. In all cases the original grade(s) will remain on the transcript with a notation that it was not included in the GPA calculation. This GPA exception may only be requested during the student’s tenure as a matriculated, undergraduate student. A form available from the Office of Academic Records requesting this exception must be handed in to the Office of Academic Records no later than the end of the 10th week, or the equivalent (2/3) for courses that do not follow a regular semester schedule, of the semester or session in which the course is being repeated. The submitted form may be withdrawn up until this deadline. Furthermore, a student may also withdraw from the course up to this deadline. Once this deadline passes, the student has used up one of the two requests. If the course is no longer available when the request is made, no other course may be substituted. GPA exceptions will not be allowed when a grade in that course was given for academic dishonesty.

Semester Attendance Confirmation

At the beginning of each semester, students are expected to log in to the Hofstra portal to confirm semester attendance. Failure to confirm attendance within the first three (3) weeks of class during a fall or spring semester may result in the inability to access certain areas on the portal (e.g., Blackboard). For terms that are of shorter duration (e.g., January, summer) the corresponding deadlines will be available online.

Semester Hour Registration Limitations

Fall and spring semesters: No student may register for more than 18 semester hours without special permission of the major adviser and the dean of the academic unit.

January session: Students attending this session may not earn more than three semester hours of credit or four semester hours of credit if offered on that basis.

Summer sessions: No undergraduate student may enroll in one summer session for more than six semester hours, or if three- and four-credit hour courses - seven semester hours. For the three-week session, no undergraduate student may take more than one three- or four-credit course. Exceptions to the above may be granted when special circumstances and the student’s special capacities for the work permit. Written approval is required of the dean of the academic unit of the major or proposed major field of study.

Withdrawal From Course Work

Students must notify University of withdrawal by submitting the withdrawal online through the Hofstra portal or by submitting the drop/add form to the Student Financial Services & Registrar Suite. Students who withdraw officially or unofficially from one or more courses after the first week of the semester, or equivalent for courses shorter than 15 weeks, will be liable for all or part of the tuition and fees associated with those courses. See “Refund Policy” in the Tuition, Financial Aid and Scholarships  section. A student withdrawing without official notification may not have any remission of tuition and shall receive a grade of UW. (See Grades in this section.) Also see course withdrawal deadlines. For complete withdrawal of all courses during a fall or spring semester, the request must be submitted by the last day of classes prior to the start of the designated final examination period. No student may withdraw from the University during the final examination period.

Withdrawal From the University

See Withdrawal From the University in the Academic Leaves/Withdrawals, Dismissal, Exclusions, and Probation Standards  section of this online Bulletin.