Academic Policies

Academic Honesty

Academic Integrity

Student Grievances

Academic Petition Process

The College of Business (COB) provides mechanisms for students to seek redress when a University academic regulation or policy causes undue hardship. The College may waive or alter an academic regulation when convinced a true hardship will exist if it does not take positive action. It generally considers hardship a situation that has occurred, or will occur, over which the petitioner has limited or no control. The College petitions process does not address cases of grievances with instructors or tuition matters.

The College has established specific rules concerning petitions for late withdrawals from courses and the waiver or alteration of University-level academic requirements beyond those of the College as follows:

1. The student should petition in writing, using a standardized petition form, indicating what the student would like to have happen. Attach a letter of explanation and accompanying supporting documentation as needed. The form includes instructions and what documentation is required for each type of petition. The petition and supporting documentation should be submitted to the Office of Student Services. They will be reviewed by the Student Services director/assistant director.
2. Petitions that deal with events in a given semester must be submitted by the end of the subsequent semester, excluding summer terms. For example, petitions for events occurring in a fall semester are to be submitted by the end of the spring semester; petitions for events occurring in a spring or summer semester are to be submitted by the end of the following fall semester.
3. The Students Services director/assistant/associate director will approve or deny the petition within 10 business days (notification may take a bit more time based on speed of mail). For each decision, a memo of explanation will be written.
4. If a petition is denied and the student wishes to appeal, he/she must do so in writing within 30 days of receipt of the petition denial memo. The student should submit an appeal letter and provide reasons for the appeal. A College committee will review the student’s documentation and the director/assistant director’s memo and uphold or overturn the decision of the director/assistant director within 30 days of the submission of the appeal.

The committee will comprise the assistant or associate dean or a designee, a faculty member from the Undergraduate Council (UC) or a designee by the UC member, and one undergraduate student. The faculty member will serve on a rotating basis for one semester. The decision of the committee is final. There are no higher levels of appeal within FAU.

Email Correspondence

Official Communication with Students: Official university correspondence will be sent to the either the student’s physical address on file with the Registrar, or FAU email address if a current student. FAU uses electronic mail to provide official information to students. Examples include notices from the library, notices about academic standing, financial aid information, class materials, assignments, questions, and instructor feedback. Students are responsible for the content of university communication sent to their FAU e-mail account and are required to activate that account and check it regularly.

Regulation 4.004 Miscellaneous Student Rules

Administrative Drops, Prerequisites and Student Responsibility

Students are responsible for completing prerequisites for courses and meeting all requirements for the degree. Any student who does not meet course prerequisites may be administratively dropped from courses at any time during a semester. Exceptions may be made by petition to the College before registering.

Students who do not attend the first class meeting of a College of Business course may be administratively dropped by the instructor.

Incomplete Grade Policy

A student who is passing a course, but has not completed all work due to exceptional circumstances, may, with consent of the instructor, temporarily receive a grade of incomplete (“I”). The assignment of the “I” grade is at the discretion of the instructor, but is allowed only if the student is passing the course.

The specific time required to make up an incomplete grade is at the discretion of the instructor. However, the College of Business policy on the resolution of incomplete grades requires that all work required to satisfy an incomplete (“I”) grade must be completed within a period of time not exceeding one calendar year from the assignment of the incomplete grade. After one calendar year, the incomplete grade automatically becomes a failing (“F”) grade. GEB 6215 is an exception to this rule as students may be granted more time with the instructor’s recommendations.