The College recognizes that sound, systematic academic advising is essential for students to achieve their educational goals. Thus, the College offers an academic advising program that assists students throughout their college matriculation.

Freshman & Sophomore Advising: Generally assigned an academic advisor who is a member of a group of student advisors.

Junior & Senior Advising: As students complete the general education core curriculum, become juniors, and begin a concentrated study of a major, they are assigned faculty advisors in the appropriate department.

Tougaloo College believes that its students must learn to take major responsibility for their own education. Tougaloo students are required to attend all of their classes and be responsible for all assigned course material and all material covered in class.

Student classification is based on completed semester hours:

Sophomore: At least 30 semester hours

Junior: At least 60 semester hours

Senior: At least 90 semester hours

During any given semester, a normal academic load is 12 to 18 semester hours. The Vice President for Academic Affairs may permit exceptional students to carry extra hours. However, there will be additional charges for extra hours.

Important Policies:

• Full-time students are not permitted to carry less than 12 semester hours
• Students who carry less than 12 hours are classified as part-time students
• Full-time students may not transfer credits taken at another institution during the same semester except where taken as part of cross-registration or with special approval

Near the middle and end of each semester, students receive grades evaluating their work. These evaluations are made in terms of letter grades with corresponding quality points:

A - Excellent (4 Points)

B - Good (3 Points)

C - Average (2 Points)

D - Poor (1 Point)

F - Failure (0 Points)

CR - Credit (0 Points)

NC - No Credit (0 Points)

I - Incomplete

WF - Withdrew Failing

W - Withdrawal without penalty

CE - Credit by examination

To determine academic standing or eligibility for graduation, a student's cumulative grade point average is computed by dividing the total quality points earned by the number of semester hours earned in those courses submitted in fulfillment of degree requirements.

Grade Replacement Policy: Once a student repeats and earns higher grade in a course in which a "D" or "F" was earned earlier, the earlier grade and hours will not be removed from the transcript, but will not enter into the computation of the cumulative grade point average upon graduation.

Requests for letter grade change should be made no later than ten (10) working days after the close of registration for any grade issued the preceding semester.

Students during their years in college may elect two courses on a credit or no-credit basis. The grade in such a course is either credit or no-credit and does not affect the student's grade point average. However, if the student passes the course, course credit is given toward graduation.

Important Restrictions:

• Courses required for either general education or the major are excluded from election on a credit-no-credit basis
• Students have one week after midterm grades are due to decide whether they will take the course on a credit-no-credit basis or for a letter grade
• The form must be submitted online via the LOO (student portal)

An "Incomplete" (I) indicates that although the work completed is of passing quality, some portion of the work of the course remains unfinished because of illness or for some other reason over which the student has no control.

Students who leave the college (except for temporary absence with the Vice President for Academic Affairs' permission) must complete the withdrawal form located on the LOO (student portal).

Students may petition to withdraw from a course without penalty through the deadline outlined in the Academic Calendar of that semester. The student's advisor must review the course withdrawal form.

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, Tougaloo College students have the right to review, inspect, and challenge the accuracy of information kept in a cumulative file by the institution.

It also ensures that records cannot be released without the written consent of the student except:

• To school officials and faculty who have a legitimate educational interest
• To others where this information is classified as directory information