CLASS Academic Information

CLASS Policies and Procedures

Advising

The goal of the advisors in the CLASS Academic Affairs Center and the departments within the college is to ensure that each student has access to competent academic advising at all stages of the student's college career. All incoming freshmen and transfer students are required to go through orientation, where pertinent policies and procedures are introduced and potential problems are discussed.

The college provides an overall view of the college, then undergraduate advisors in each department help students with the initial task of schedule planning and enrollment (registration). Thereafter, advisors are available on an ongoing basis should any questions or problems concerning academic progress occur .

Specific times when academic advising is suggested:

  • upon entering as a freshman or transfer (required).
  • for enrollment (registration) and add/drop questions.
  • to declare or change a major.
  • to declare or change a minor.
  • to clarify any academic policy or procedure.
  • anytime UH semester GPA falls below 2.0 to discuss UH resources for success
  • anytime UH cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 (required) to discuss UH resources for success, enrollment limitations and requirements in order to avoid suspension
  • at or before 60 hours to file a degree plan (filing a timely degree plan can and does minimize lost hours and delayed graduation).
  • at or before 90 hours and each semester thereafter until graduation to verify that all requirements will be met as expected (required).

Declaration of Major

Many entering students have a well-defined career objective and major course of study. These students should declare their majors upon entering the college and should seek academic counsel from their major departments.

Freshman students who are uncertain of their majors are encouraged to enroll first through Undergraduate Scholars and seek academic advising from the advisors for the major(s) they are considering. Before enrolling as sophomores (30 hours), students must petition for a change in major to one of the degree programs in the college.

Declaration of Minor

Students who wish to declare a minor to any of the college's degree programs must have established at least a 2.00 minimum cumulative UH grade point average and meet the requirements of the individual department. Some minor programs may have additional requirements.

Change of Major

Students who wish to change their majors to any of the college's degree programs must have established at least a 2.00 minimum cumulative UH grade point average and meet the requirements of the individual department. Some major programs, including but not limited to music, theatre, and health and human performance, have additional requirements.

Students with less than a 2.00 grade point average are encouraged to obtain academic advising from the department to which they wish to change; however, they are not eligible to officially change their major until the required grade point average is attained.

To apply for a change of major, consult the departmental advisor of the desired major and submit an undergraduate general petition requesting the change.

The department and the Academic Affairs Center will review the petition and send notification of approval or disapproval to the department.

Degree Plans for Majors & Minors

Students must meet all requirements of the catalog under which they are graduating. After selecting a major field of study, and no later than the beginning of the junior year, students should request that a degree plan be prepared through the department of their major. Students with double majors must file a degree plan with each major and should choose a primary major for record keeping and degree plan purposes.

Final major and minor degree plans for CLASS must be approved by the Academic Affairs Center. Degree plans for majors or minors will not be approved if the cumulative GPA at the time of the request is below 2.0.

For further information on degree requirements please see CLASS General Degree Information.

Repeated Courses

Students may not count repeated course hours toward their graduation total or towards their 36 required advanced hours unless courses are listed in the catalog as repeatable, are designated as special/ selected topics or are required for their major.

Deadlines

CLASS strictly adheres to the university calendar, e.g., deadlines for admission and enrollment (registration), and drop dates, and application for graduation, etc. Exceptions are considered only for documented, extenuating, nonacademic circumstances.

Grade Changes

Questions regarding grades in CLASS courses must be resolved within 90 calendar days following the posting of the grade. Grade changes are approved only for correction of errors in computing the grade, and a grade change form must be submitted no later than the close of the semester/summer session following the posting of the grade.

Grades of I (incomplete) must be resolved within one year of the posting of the grade. Incomplete grades must be resolved with the instructor awarding the grade. Incomplete grades cannot be resolved by reenrolling (reregistering) for the course in question.

Fulfillment of Grade Requirements for a Degree

To determine the fulfillment of degree requirements, the required grade point average for graduation is calculated as described in the Academic Regulations and Degree Requirements section of this catalog with the following differences:

  1. No I grade can be remaining at the time of graduation.
  2. All courses taken in major and minor fields in CLASS, including repeated and failed courses, will be considered when determining major and minor GPAs.

Filing for Graduation

Degrees are not awarded automatically upon completion of the scholastic requirements. To be a candidate for a degree, students must submit an application for graduation by the stated deadline in the university schedule, for the intended semester of graduation. Candidates for graduation who were previously disapproved must reapply.

Successful graduation candidates can anticipate the posting of the degree within 60 days after the official closing date of the semester, and the receipt of their diplomas approximately two weeks after the degree is posted.

Undergraduate Course Load

Course loads for undergraduate students are determined by university policy, curriculum of study, and personal factors such as work and family responsibilities. See the Academic Regulations and Degree Requirements section of this catalog for a complete discussion of course loads. In general, for those students who expect to complete the requirements for a bachelor's degree in about four years, the maximum undergraduate course loads for the fall and spring semesters are as follows:

Classification
Hours
Freshmen
16
Sophomores, juniors, seniors, postbaccalaureates
19
Students with a Cumulative GPA below 2.0
12

Maximum Summer Session Course Load
Session
Hours
Summer Session 2
7
Summer Session 4
7
Summer Session 2 and Summer Session 4
14

An undergraduate or postbaccalaureate student who is on Academic Probation or Academic Notice shall enroll in no more than 5 hours in Summer Session 2 or Summer Session 4, or 10 hours in Summer Session 1 or Summer Session 3.

The totals listed above include all courses for which students may wish to enroll. Permission to take course loads above these maximums must be approved by the faculty advisor (or the chair of the major department) and dean. (See Regulations and Requirements section for details on maximum course loads and overloads for Fall, Spring, and Summer sessions. Students on probation or academic notice/warning must check regulations and requirements for specific class load limitations.)

Academic Grievance Policy

In the normal conduct of education at the University of Houston, justifiable grievances may arise concerning the violation of university, college, or department academic policies or procedures. CLASS is committed to resolving these grievances in a fair, orderly, and expeditious manner. To that end, the college has established informal and formal procedures beginning at the department level for settling academic grievances.

An academic grievance refers to an action taken against a student by a member of the faculty (including part-time instructors and teaching assistants), staff, or administration that either violates a university, college, or department academic policy or procedure or prejudicially treats the student on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, handicap, veteran status, or any other nonacademic status.

Because assigning a grade or evaluating a student's work performance involves the faculty's professional judgment and is an integral part of the faculty's teaching responsibilities, disagreement with an instructor concerning a grade or evaluation is not a justifiable grievance to be considered under this policy unless factors such as those mentioned in the previous paragraph can be shown to have affected that grade or evaluation.

A student with a justifiable grievance that can be substantiated should initiate academic grievance proceedings within 90 calendar days of the action in dispute.

Any student who believes he or she has an academic grievance involving CLASS should first try to resolve the grievance informally with the faculty member or other involved parties within 90 calendar days of the action in dispute. In some cases, the student may have to discuss the grievance with the department chair, the college officer designated by the dean, or both before obtaining a satisfactory resolution .

If the informal discussions do not resolve the academic grievance, the aggrieved student may initiate a formal grievance by submitting a written complaint to the chair of the department involved (or the college officer designated by the dean if the chair is the focus of the grievance) as soon as the informal proceedings have ended.

The aggrieved student who does not obtain a satisfactory resolution at the departmental level may file a formal appeal first with the office of the dean and then, failing to obtain satisfaction, with the office of the senior vice president for academic affairs.

The procedures a graduate student must follow to file an academic grievance in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences are in the Faculty Handbook. The procedures an undergraduate student must follow are available in writing in the office of each department in the college and in the Office of the Dean (402-AH).

Academic Notice/Warning

First time in college (FTIC) freshman students who earn less than a 2.00 grade point average in the first long semester (i.e., Fall or Spring) of enrollment at the University of Houston shall be placed on academic notice. Students on academic notice must be advised by their major department advisor and may also be required to be advised by the Academic Advising Center of Undergraduate Scholars at UH. CLASS students on academic notice/warning may not enroll for more than 12 credit hours of enrollment in fall and spring semesters and no more than 5 hours in Summer Session 2 or Summer Session 4, or 10 hours in Summer Session 1 or Summer Session 3.

Academic Probation

Students are placed on academic probation if their cumulative grade point average falls below 2.00. Freshman and sophomore students on academic probation are required to seek advising in their major departments in order to obtain academic support to improve academic performance and avoid academic suspension. CLASS students on probation may not enroll for more than 12 credit hours of enrollment in fall and spring semesters and no more than 5 hours in Summer Session 2 or Summer Session 4, or 10 hours in Summer Session 1 or Summer Session 3.

Students on academic probation whose cumulative grade point average is below 2.00 but whose semester grade point average is higher will remain on continued academic probation. Students on academic probation will be removed from that status when their cumulative grade point average is at or above 2.00.

Students on academic probation whose cumulative grade point average is below 2.00 and whose semester GPA is below 2.00 will be placed on academic suspension and will be restricted from future enrollment until the terms of their suspension have been met.

Suspension & Readmission

Any student suspended from the college for academic or disciplinary reasons is ineligible to return during the designated period of suspension. Effective Fall 2011 all suspended students must reapply to the university through UH Admissions. Students from other Colleges seeking readmission to CLASS should refer to the CLASS Policies and Procedures for Readmission and Contracts:

Students must check with the CLASS Academic Affairs Center for the time period during which they may begin the readmission process. While on suspension at UH, a CLASS student may not enroll in classes as follows:

  • First suspension: student must sit out the next full semester, either the fall or the spring. (Summer does not count as a full semester.)
  • Second suspension: student must sit out 1 full year (12 months).
  • Third suspension: student will not be readmitted to UH.

CLASS does not grant readmission during summer terms. Students should be advised that readmission is neither automatic nor guaranteed.

A student readmitted from academic suspension enters the semester on probation and must fulfill the following requirements to avoid further academic action.

  1. Enroll in no more than 12 semester hours of approved courses during the semester of reentry and each semester thereafter while on continued academic probation.
  2. Earn a minimum 2.00 grade point average during the semester of reentry and each semester thereafter while on continued academic probation.
  3. Monitor progress of course work closely and properly drop any course if necessary.
  4. Additional requirements may apply.

Failure to attend the university during the semester of readmission cancels the readmission approval. Students may reapply for any subsequent fall or spring semester by posted deadlines.

Independent Study Courses and Internships

Each CLASS area provides opportunities for majors and minors to take independent study courses and/or internships. Participation in independent study courses and/or internships requires an approved petition to be on file in the appropriate department. CLASS students may use no more than 6 credit hours of Independent Study and/or Internship courses to satisfy any major requirements in CLASS, and no more than 6 credit hours to satisfy any minor requirements in CLASS.

Manual verification is needed to ensure that no more than 6 credit hours of Independent Study/Internships are used towards either all CLASS major requirements or all CLASS minor requirements.

Note: If a student takes nine or more hours of internship/independent study courses, no more than nine hours will be given a letter grade.

Transfer Credit

Questions concerning transfer credit are resolved by the petition process. This process originates in the department of the major, and the petitions are routed to the relevant department and dean's offices.

Dean's List

The Dean's List, a tabulation of the names of all undergraduate honor students, is compiled each semester. To qualify for this recognition in CLASS, students must earn a 3.50 minimum grade point average (the grade of S is not counted) on twelve or more semester hours completed during the semester. At least nine of the twelve semester hours must be letter grades. Students who earn a grade of I (except in a senior honors thesis course), D, F, or U during the semester are excluded from consideration for the Dean's List. Students who have filed a Request to Withhold Public Information form with the university will not be listed.

For additional information regarding general degree requirements, please see the General Degree Requirements section.

Special Programs and Organizations

Center for Immigration Research

The Center for Immigration Research was established in 1995 to conduct research on immigration processes and issues that have policy implications at the local, national and international levels. A major goal of the center is to train students in immigration research. Students work as assistants in research projects and use center research data for writing senior honors theses. The center conducts research from a wide range of perspectives, e.g., health, religion and federal policies in local, national and international areas. Findings from center projects are shared with policy makers and the public through conferences, professional publications and public media. The center actively seeks working collaborations with other academic institutions and community organizations in the United States and abroad.

Center for Public Policy

Established in 1981, the Center for Public Policy serves the Houston community as an impartial research organization in the University of Houston's College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

Drawing on the collective research and public service interests of university faculty, the center was designed to identify and evaluate major public policy issues through program activities that include conferences and symposia; economic, demographic and political research; and educational programs. Supported by an advisory board of Houstonians prominent in business and civic affairs, the center maintains cooperative relationships with many educational and public service entities in the Houston area.

International Telecommunications Research Institute

The International Telecommunications Research Institute (ITRI) has three primary objectives: to assist in the successful implementation and utilization of communication technology, to address the social consequences of communication technology, and to study the underlying processes involved in people's interaction with communication technology. Areas of research include identification of factors that influence the success or failure of communication systems and services, the potential of telecommunications for altering social and cultural patterns in ways un-anticipated by society, and applied research on communication technology.

The institute staff includes faculty members from the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication. In addition, leading scholars from universities and research institutes around the world may become associates of the institute for specific projects related to their areas of expertise.

The ITRI archives contain a number of telecommunications journals as well as files of articles and reports on broadcasting, computers, teleconferencing, electronic mail, social and public policy issues, and other topics related to telecommunications. The institute has received several significant library contributions.

Inter-University Consortium for International Studies

The University of Houston, the University of St. Thomas, and Texas Southern University have established the Inter-University Consortium for International Studies to broaden the opportunities for undergraduates to take courses in the field of international studies.

Students may take certain approved courses at any of the three universities without added tuition. This opportunity is subject to the following conditions:

  1. Students must be in good standing.
  2. Students can take no more than nine semester hours of courses outside their own universities.
  3. All course prerequisites must be met unless waived by the instructor.

For more information write:

University of Houston
Inter-University Consortium for International Studies
Attn: Director
Department of Political Science
447 Philip G. Hoffman Hall
Houston, TX 77204-3011

Pre-Law Training

The college provides counseling in preprofessional training to all undergraduates who wish to prepare for the study of law. Such counseling includes providing students with a list of recommended courses that undergraduates may take regardless of their social science major. These recommended courses significantly benefit pre-law students in several ways: they better prepare students for the formal study of law, they increase the capacity to perform well on the Law School Aptitude Test (LSAT), and many are useful to the future practice of law.

In addition to recommending courses to undergraduate pre-law students, the college offers counseling on such subjects as how to prepare for the LSAT, the process of selecting the law school best suited to the student's personal desires and credentials, and the procedures for applying to law school. Up-to-date information is also provided on the various career opportunities and general employment prospects within the legal field.

Address all inquiries about pre-law counseling and training to:

Department of Political Science
Attn: Pre-Law Advisor
University of Houston
447 Philip G. Hoffman Hall
Houston, TX 77204-3011

Please see the departmental sections for recommended courses.

Programs Abroad

The Office of International Studies and Programs (OISP), located in 501 Ezekiel Cullen, is the umbrella for all study abroad programs at the University of Houston.

Four types of programs are offered:

  1. Faculty-Led programs, such as those offered through the Department of Modern and Classical Languages to China and France, and through the African American Studies Program to Africa.
  2. Special Programs under the direction of the Department of Hispanic Studies to Latin America and Spain.
  3. Affiliated programs through organizations such as the Council on International Education and Exchange (CIEE), and the University Study Abroad Consortium (USAC), which have established programs all over the world.
  4. Reciprocal Exchange Studies. Students should contact the OISP and the department or organization offering the program as much as a year in advance in order to plan their program.
With most programs, students are able to enroll (register) and receive UH credit for their study abroad courses. The OISP also has re-sources for numerous scholarships for study abroad that are available to UH students.

Students must apply to Faculty-Led programs through the departments.

  • For information and applications for Modern and Classical Languages Department programs, contact the department at 713-743-8350.
  • For information and applications for Special Programs to Latin America and Spain, contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies at 713-743-3007 and the Office of Study Abroad. Spanish majors must take a minimum of 15 credit hours, and Spanish minors must take in residence on campus a minimum of 9 credit hours, in residence with the Department of Hispanic Studies not including credit by exam or study abroad.
  • For information and applications for African American Studies Programs, contact the director at 713-743-2813.
For information about study abroad programs sponsored both by the University of Houston and other universities, and for scholarship information on study abroad, contact the Office of International Studies and Programs, 501 Ezekiel Cullen, 713-743-9167.

Social Sciences Laboratory

The Social Sciences Laboratory is sponsored jointly by the departments of Political Science and Sociology to facilitate computer applications in research and teaching among the faculty and students of those departments. The laboratory serves as an archive for data received from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research and other sources and offers a series of training workshops and class presentations on computer usage, data analysis, and word processing. Laboratory facilities include 21 microcomputer terminals providing use of current software applications and access to the university's mainframe system.

Accreditation

CLASS departments and schools hold the following accreditations:

Catalog Publish Date: August 22, 2012
This Page Last Updated: July 3, 2012