College of Engineering / Current Undergraduate Students / Academic Policies
Academic Policies
All undergraduate, engineering students requesting any type of absence memo to their faculty member must complete the online absence memo request form using the following link:
The Office of Engineering Student Services provides excused absence memos for undergraduate students who miss classes with verifiable documentation of the following reasons:
| Meets Definition of Excused Absence | Documentation Required |
|---|---|
| Illness of the student or serious illness of a member of the student’s immediate family | Valid medical documentation with information to verify the student’s name or name of immediate family member, as well as the recommendation from the medical professional regarding dates the student should be excused from class |
| Trips for members of the student organizations sponsored by an academic unit, trips for university classes, and trips for participation in intercollegiate athletic events NOTE: Not all events are considered to be sponsored by an ACADEMIC UNIT. Ask your faculty sponsor to be sure the trip meets the definition of an excused absence. |
Student’s name listed on official letterhead from faculty sponsor or university representative with dates of event and reason why the event meets the definition of a university sponsored event |
| The death of a member of the student’s immediate family | Obituary of deceased family member and documentation of the relationship to the student |
| Religious holidays. Students are responsible for notifying the instructor in writing of anticipated absences due to their observance of such holidays | Letter or email to the Assistant Dean to include information about the student’s affiliation and specific dates of the religious holidays |
| Military Orders NOTE: If a student must miss a significant amount of coursework because of military duties, it may be in the student’s best interest to withdraw from classes. It is recommended that students meet with their academic advisor for guidance. |
Copy of military orders with student’s name, as well as reporting date and complete list of dates of required service |
| Subpoena for court appearance | Copy of court documents with student’s name, date and time of court appearance |
Pre-engineering students are eligible to move into major upon satisfactory completion of the following requirements:
- Calculus I and II (grade of C or better required)
- Two required lab science courses
- One computing course
- Introduction to Engineering
- Engineering Orientation
- Earn an overall grade-point average of 2.0
A student who has not met the above criteria after four resident semesters may be referred out of the College of Engineering.
Junior standing will not be granted to any student in the pre-engineering program.
Academic Warning status is imposed at the end of any term in which the student’s cumulative Auburn GPA is below 2.00.
Any student who is on Academic Warning will not be suspended if either of the below apply.
- The term GPA is above a 2.2 OR
- The minimum overall GPA for your classification is met:
| Freshman: 1.50 (0-30 earned hours) |
Sophomore: 1.80 (31-60 earned hours) |
Junior: 1.90 (61-90 earned hours) |
Senior: 1.97 (91 or more earned hours) |
The Grade Adjustment Policy (GAP) can be used to help students in serious academic trouble, for example, facing academic suspension. However, there exists much misinformation about the use of GAPs. Here is what you need to know:
- You may use the GAP a MAXIMUM of 3 times and only for grades of D, F or FA
- If you GAP a course, the grade of D or F is excluded from your overall GPA resulting in an “adjusted GPA”
- The original grade still appears on your Auburn transcript
- If the course is required for your degree program, you must repeat it at Auburn.
- If the course is not required, you do not have to repeat it.
IMPORTANT: THERE ARE SOME SITUATIONS IN WHICH THE GAP CANNOT HELP!
- Scholarship eligibility is determined with a student’s UNADJUSTED GPA – GAPs cannot help you keep your scholarship
- Honor societies, honors graduation, as well as certain selective programs or majors (outside of Engineering) also use the UNADJUSTED GPA. Your complete body of work at Auburn, including grades you may have gapped, will determine your eligibility for those programs
The College of Engineering Recommends Using a Gap When:
- Using a GAP will help you stay off suspension
- Using a GAP allows you to retain financial aid (discuss this with the financial aid office)
- It will allow you to transfer into another major or take certain classes at Auburn
IS USING A GAP A GOOD IDEA FOR YOU? PLEASE DISCUSS OPTIONS WITH YOUR ADVISOR!
Students can withdraw from classes at various points during the term according to the ACADEMIC CALENDAR. If a student needs to completely resign or withdraw from classes after the last date to withdraw without academic penalty or after midterm, the student will need to follow the procedures below depending on the reason for the resignation or withdrawal.
| Reason for Resignation or Withdrawal | Process & Contact Information |
|---|---|
| MEDICAL – Student has experienced illness that significantly affected the student’s attendance and performance in class | Refer to the website of the Auburn Cares office for information about options and instructions related to medical withdrawals ( AUBURN CARES) |
| PERSONAL – Student has experienced extraordinary personal circumstances that significantly affected the student’s attendance or performance in class | Meet with your assigned academic advisor regarding your personal situation or concerns. Depending on your situation, your advisor will refer you to the Assistant Dean who will determine if the circumstances meet the university standard for “extraordinary personal circumstances” which warrant consideration. Note: All resignation or withdrawals based on extraordinary personal circumstances must be approved by the Assistant Dean of Engineering Student Services and subsequently by the designated representative from the Office of the Provost. |
| COMPASSIONATE - Student has experienced a death in their immediate family or other trauma that significantly affected the student’s attendance or performance in class | Meet with your assigned academic advisor regarding your personal situation or concerns. Depending on your situation, your advisor will refer you to the Assistant Dean who will determine if the circumstances meet the university standard for a compassionate resignation or withdrawal. Note: All resignation or withdrawals based on a death in the immediate family or other trauma must be approved by the Assistant Dean of Engineering Student Services and subsequently by the designated representative from the Office of the Provost. |
You can learn about the university policies for academic withdrawals and resignations here:
http://bulletin.auburn.edu/Policies/Academic/withdrawalsresignation/
University Policy Regarding Course Repeats:
Students may repeat courses, only once, in which they earn a grade of D or F without written permission from the student’s academic dean. Grades and hours for both attempts will be included in the calculation of the GPA unless the Grade Adjustment Policy has been invoked for the first attempt. There is an official form and process for courses repeated more than once. Without approval and processing of the official course repeat form, you will not receive credit for the repeated course.
Engineering Student Services Procedure for Obtaining Approval for Course Repeat:
To obtain permission to take the same course for the 3rd time engineering students must first meet with their assigned academic advisor. If recommended to repeat the course, students will be directed to meet with the Assistant Dean & Director of Student Services for final approval. This approval must be obtained prior to taking the course for the 3rd time. If approval is granted, the official course repeat form will be processed and sent to the Office of the Registrar.
