Undergraduate Academic and University Policies

Undergraduate Grading System and Quality Points

For complete details, please read the “Grading System and Quality Points” section under Academic Policies in the General Catalog.

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grading

For complete details, please read the “Admission to Courses on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Basis” section under Academic Policies in the General Catalog.

Intensify a Course

For complete details, please read the “Admission to the Course Intensification Plan” section under Academic Policies in the General Catalog.

Auditing a Course

For complete details, please read the “Admission to Courses as an Auditor” section under Academic Policies in the General Catalog.

Course Withdrawal Policy

Once the drop/add period for a semester has ended, students who wish to remove a class from their schedule will need to withdraw from the course. Students will login to DataVU and click on the “Drop” button under the course section from which they are withdrawing. A grade of “W” will appear on the transcript within one business day.

Please note that you may not withdraw from all of your courses using the Course Withdrawal link. If you wish to withdraw from all of your courses, you will need to use the “Change in Enrollment Status” form.

Repeating a Course For Credit

For complete details, please read the “Repetition of Resident Courses for Credit” section under Academic Policies in the General Catalog.

For students who originally take a course at Valparaiso University and then transfer the course from another institution later, the original attempt taken at Valparaiso University will be used toward the cumulative grade point average. The grade earned at the external institution will not replace a Valparaiso University grade; only credit from transfer courses transfer, the transfer grade does not transfer. If students wish to improve their Valparaiso University cumulative grade point average, the course must be retaken at Valparaiso University.

Appealing Grades/Grievance

Visist the Academic and Student Life Policies page for information.

Valparaiso University Retroactive Credit

Retroactive credit is only granted for courses taken in the Department of World Langugages and Cultures and is only granted if the student took the appropriate higher level course at Valparaiso University. Students who transfer in a higher level world language will not receive retroactive credit in that language; however, the world language requirement will be met if the course transfers in at a level 203 or higher.

The retroactive credit is posted at the end of the semester in which the student took the appropriate higher level. For more details, please read the “Placement and Special Credit” section under World Languages and Cultures in the General Catalog.

Concurrent Enrollment

Concurrent enrollment occurs when a student is enrolled in a second university or college while also enrolled at Valparaiso University during the regular academic year, which consists of the fall and spring terms.

Summer enrollment at other universities is not considered to be concurrent enrollment. However, Valparaiso University students planning on taking courses elsewhere during the summer for credits they plan to transfer back need to complete the Transfer Credit Approval form.

Undergraduate students are allowed one concurrently enrolled course with the pre-approval of their academic dean. All subsequent concurrent enrollments must be pre-approved by the Committee on Academic and Professional Standards.

The University Registrar and Director of Financial Aid require that students complete a Concurrent Enrollment form in all cases. The Concurrent Enrollment Form, once it has the appropriate approvals, is provided to the Office of the Registrar. The Registrar then makes a notation in the student’s record regarding the approval. The approved Concurrent Enrollment form is also shared with the Office of Financial Aid.

The Concurrent Enrollment form must be completed even if a student is not planning to transfer those course credits back to Valparaiso University. If a student is planning on transferring the credits to Valparaiso University for use in his/her course of study, then a Transfer Credit Approval form must also be completed.

Both Valparaiso University and the secondary institution will report the student’s enrollment status to the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC). In addition, only Valparaiso University may award and apply any federal financial assistance, so students considering concurrent enrollment should consult with their Valparaiso University Financial Aid Counselor.

Transfer Credit

The university welcomes transfer students from junior colleges, community colleges, and other regionally accredited institutions of higher education. Generally, courses with grades of C- or above are accepted as transfer credit; however, some colleges require grades of C or above. There are amended requirements for students in the College of Business or the College of Nursing and Health Professions. Students transferring into either of these colleges should check the appropriate General Catalog heading pertaining to these colleges. Grades are not transferable; only credit transfers.

Resident Students

Any resident student who has taken academic coursework at any other accredited educational institution must request the registrar of that institution to send an official transcript to the Valparaiso University Office of the Registrar, where an evaluation is made for possible acceptance of transfer credits. Generally, courses with grades of C- or above are accepted as transfer credit; however, some colleges require grades of C or above. There are amended requirements for students in the College of Business or the College of Nursing and Health Professions. Students transferring into either of these colleges should check the appropriate General Catalog heading pertaining to these colleges. Grades are not transferable; only credit transfers. A Transfer Credit Approval form is also required prior to the student enrolling at the host institution.

Current Valparaiso University students will need to complete the following steps for the evaluation of transfer credit:

• Refer to DataVU under Transfer Equivalency Database for course articulation. All transfer credit requires the Transfer Credit  Approval form prior to the student enrolling at the transferring institution.
• Once you finish the course(s), request an official transcript from the transferring institution to be sent to the Valparaiso University Office of the Registrar. All transcripts must be issued directly from the transferring institution to Valparaiso University.
• Official electronic transcripts are acceptable if emailed directly from the transferring institution. Official electronic transcripts may be sent to registrar@valpo.edu. Mailed transcripts may be mailed to:

Office of the Registrar
1700 Chapel Drive
Valparaiso, IN 46383

If an official transcript is mailed directly to the student, the student may submit the transcript only if the transcript remains unopened and the seal is not broken.

For more information regarding the acceptance of transfer credit, please read the “Admission” section of the General Catalog.

New Transfer Students

For complete details, please read the “Admission” section of the General Catalog.

Additional Requirements for Transfer of Credit

• Students must complete a Committee on Academic and Professional Standards (CAPS) petition to register at another institution ONLY for a fall or a spring semester while CONCURRENTLY enrolled during the SAME semester at Valparaiso University. The CAPS Petition does not apply toward a summer semester.
• The College or university must be a regionally accredited institution.
• Student must earn a grade of ‘C-’or better in a course to be transferred (unless a grade of ‘C’ is required at Valparaiso University.  There are amended requirement for students in the College of Business and the College of Nursing and Health Professions).
• A minimum of one-half the number of credit hours required for any major, minor, or interdisciplinary program MUST be earned in residence at Valparaiso University.
• Thirty of the last forty credits presented for a degree must be earned in residence; no more than the last 10 credits may be transferred.
• Course must be a college level course. Courses equivalent to the College of Business courses numbered above 300 must be completed at a four-year regionally accredited institution.
• Transfer courses will not replace grades for previous resident work earned for credit at Valparaiso University, but the requirement will be met.
• Transfer courses are not included in your Valpo GPA.
• Quarter credits are accepted as follows: One quarter credit equals 2/3 sem credit (3 quarter credits equal 2 sem credits; 4 quarter credits equal 2.7 sem credits)

Class Standing of Students

An undergraduate student must have completed 24 semester credits to be classified as a sophomore; 56 semester credits to be classified as a junior; and 88 semester credits to be classified as a senior.

Leave of Absence

The complete policy can be read here.

Non-Returning Students

Students who finish a semester at Valparaiso University but will not be returning for the following semester are considered “non-returning” and will need to indicate their intention using the appropriate form. Please note that if a student has registered for the term that he will not be returning, the Change in Enrollment Status form must be received before the last day of the add/drop period. A case in which the form is not submitted by the deadline will be considered a University Withdrawal.

University Withdrawal Policy

To withdraw from all classes, use the Change in Enrollment Status form.

Transcripts

Please visit the Transcript page for details.

Posthumous Degrees

Please visit the Posthumous Degrees policy document for details.

Release of Record of Deceased Student

Following the death of a student, the University will release the educational records of the individual student under either of the following condition(s):

• The student had previously granted permission for the requester to access the student’s information. The requester must submit a signed request for records to the Office of the Registrar.
• In response to a legal subpoena, which will be reviewed by Valparaiso University’s General Counsel.

The University will consider requests for records and approved documents will be mailed to the requester in a timely manner.  The University will not provide a transcript to any requester.

Verification Letters – Undergraduate and Graduate

Please visit the Verification page for complete details.

Preferred First Name and Administrative Guidelines

Preferred first name information is handled in DataVU using the Preferred First Name Change link under Personal Information on the Student & Alumni Records menu.

Readmission

For complete details, please read the “Readmission of Former Students to Undergraduate and Professional Programs” section under Academic Policies in the General Catalog.