Policy Table

In July 2022, the CSU Board of Trustees voted to amend Title 5 to allow students to double count up to 12 units of coursework toward their bachelor’s and master’s degrees. CSUN now offers a blended bachelor’s and master’s degree program option for students in some degree programs. Departments are not required to create a blended program. Doctoral programs are ineligible to host a Blended Undergraduate/Graduate Degree Program, as are certificate programs.

With the consent of their degree advisor, undergraduate students who meet the requirements outlined by their department may enroll in CSUN’s Blended Undergraduate/Graduate Degree Program and double count a minimum of 9 units and a maximum of 12 units completed at CSUN toward their undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Once students enrolled in the blended program earn a minimum of 120 units and meet all undergraduate degree requirements, they advance to graduate standing for the remainder of their degree program. Students enrolled in the blended program must earn a minimum of 138 semester units across both degrees (e.g., 120 units for their bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 18 distinct units for their master’s degree, double counting no fewer than 9 and no more than 12 units). Total units will vary based on degree programs.

Students must maintain appropriate GPAs pertinent to their respective undergraduate and master’s degree programs. Students are awarded their bachelor’s degree when they satisfy all bachelor’s degree requirements, and students are awarded their master’s degree upon satisfactory completion of all master’s degree requirements. Students who do not complete requirements for their bachelor’s degree will not advance to graduate standing; students who do not complete requirements for their master’s degree will not be awarded a master’s degree. Students who leave their master’s degree program before completing requirements and want to return at a later date to complete their program must reapply to their master’s program and also follow the Time Limit for Completion (Graduate Policy).

Faculty and staff in eligible programs who want to design a blended program can consult additional documentation here [future link(s) to CSUN’s documentation for faculty/staff]. Students interested in learning about blended program options may find additional information and a handbook here [future link(s) to CSUN’s documentation for students].

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All four sections of GE Basic Skills coursework must be completed by students within their first 60 units. Students must earn a "C-" or better grade in all four courses in order to satisfy the GE Basic Skills requirement. All first-time freshmen will have mandatory advisement starting with their initial enrollment at the University and continuing each semester until the completion of Basic Skills. Coursework must be completed as follows: Students will enroll in the appropriate writing and math courses as advised until they complete GE Writing and GE Math/Quantitative Reasoning within the first four semesters or 60 units, whichever comes first. Students will enroll either simultaneously or within two consecutive semesters in GE Oral Communication and GE Writing. Students will enroll in GE Critical Thinking after completing GE Math/Quantitative Reasoning (within their first 60 units).

1. Students will take the appropriate course(s) in the GE Analytical Reading and Expository Writing (AREW) sequence during their first year at CSUN. Students taking the two-semester stretch writing sequence must enroll during their first semester at CSUN. Students taking the one-semester writing course must enroll in either of their first two semesters at CSUN. Students will continue to enroll in the appropriate GE AREW course(s) until they have satisfied the GE AREW requirement.
2. Students will take a GE Math/Quantitative Reasoning course during their first year at CSUN.
3. Students will take coursework in GE Critical Thinking after they complete GE Math/Quantitative Reasoning but still within their first 60 units.
4. Students will take coursework in GE Oral Communication within their first 60 units.

Maximum Number of Majors and Minors

A maximum of up to two majors and up to two minors is permitted, provided all work can be completed within 140 units*. A major and an honors major in the same program are considered to be a single major. Exceptions to the 140-unit completion rule can be made for CSUN bachelor’s degrees that require more than 120 units to complete. Students who receive an exception must be able to complete the second major and any additional minors within 20 units beyond the number of units required for the bachelor’s degree in their first major. See table below for procedures related to majors, minors and options.

Majors/Options

Declaring a Major

Students who start at CSUN must declare a major by the completion of 60 units. Students who are currently Exploratory and wish to declare a major must have the major approved by the department chair of the new major. Transfer students must declare a major in their transfer application. Students who have earned 60 units and have not declared a major will have a registration hold placed on their ability to register for the following semester’s courses. These students will not be able to register for courses until they declare a major. Note: Courses numbered below the 100-level do not count toward the 60 units. Advanced Placement (high school) units do count toward the 60 units. 

Adding a Second Major

Students may add a second major (double major) only if they can complete both majors within 140 units. Students may not add a second major after completing the requirements for their first major. Student requests to add a second major must be approved by the department chairs of the existing major and the second major. If the student seeking to add a major has 90 or more earned units, the request also must be approved by the associate dean of the new major. All requests to add a second major must be accompanied by a plan demonstrating that the additional major can be completed within 140 units. When a student completes two majors, both majors will be recorded on the diploma. Courses taken to satisfy the requirements for one major may be double counted if they satisfy requirements in the second major.

Double majors in the same department are permitted unless specifically excluded in the University Catalog.

Changing Major or Option

Students seeking to change majors/options must be able to complete the new major/option within 140 units. Student requests to change a major/option must be approved by the department chair of the new major/option. If the student has 90 or more earned units, the request also must be approved by the associate dean of the new major/option. Requests to change majors/options must be accompanied by a plan demonstrating that the new major/option can be completed within 140 units.

Minors

Guidelines for Minors

1. The minimum number of units required in a minor program is 18; the minimum number of upper division units required in a minor program is 8. A minimum of 6 units of upper division work must be taken in residence at CSUN.
2. Awarding a Major and Minor or More than One Minor from the Same Department to the Same Student: Departments may offer a major and a minor to the same student, or more than one minor to the same student only if the major and minor(s) are associated with different academic degree programs. Exceptions to this policy are stated in the University Catalog. Note that different options in the same degree program are not considered different academic degree programs for this policy.
3. Failure to complete a declared minor program may delay a student from obtaining a bachelor’s degree. For assistance, contact Undergraduate Degree Services.
4. The minor is recorded on the student’s CSUN diploma.

Declaring a Minor

Students may declare a minor only if they can complete both their major and the minor within 140 units. Student declaration of a minor must be approved by the department chair of the minor. If the student has 90 or more earned units, the request also must be approved by the associate dean of the minor. Requests to add a minor must be accompanied by a plan demonstrating that the minor can be completed within 140 units.

Changing a Minor

Students may drop their current minor at any time. They may add a new minor as long as they satisfy the policies and procedures for adding a minor.

Transfer Units

When computing the earned unit limits on adding majors and minors, a maximum of 70 community college transfer earned units or a maximum of 90 four-year college/community college combination transfer earned units will be counted.

Appeals Process

Students who wish to appeal this policy or a related decision can apply to a Majors/Minors Appeals Board composed of an associate dean, a representative of Undergraduate Studies, the AS President or designee and two faculty members selected by the Faculty President. For example, students who cannot complete their current major because of an inability to complete/pass a requirement may file a request with the Majors/Minors Appeals Board to change majors even though they may need to exceed the 140-unit limit to complete their new major.

Procedures for Adding or Changing Majors, Minors and Options

*ADT/STAR Act students, see ADT/STAR Act Degree Road Maps for unit requirements and appeals information.

Students who carry a minimum of 12 graded semester units or students who have enrolled in all available units of scheduled coursework in a cohorted* program (CR/NC courses do not apply) and who achieve a GPA of 3.5 or better are awarded Dean's List standing for that semester.

Students whose minimum unit load includes courses from The Tseng College may apply for Dean's List standing if the Extension courses are required for the student's major and if The Tseng College courses are taught by members of CSUN's faculty. If a grade change brings a student's GPA up to 3.5, the student may apply at the Office of the Registrar to have the honor awarded retroactively.

Students working on second undergraduate degrees or graduate degrees are not eligible for Dean's List awards.

*A program in which a group of students, also known as a cohort, start the program together in the same semester and year, are enrolled in the same set of courses together each semester, and finish the program at the same time.

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR)

All undergraduate students must demonstrate competency in writing skills as a requirement for graduation. At CSUN, all students who have met the lower division writing requirement, completed 56 units or more, and intend to graduate with a baccalaureate degree are required to demonstrate their writing proficiency.

1. Students may meet the GWAR by receiving a grade of "C" or better in a minimum of 6 units of coursework in designated Writing Intensive* upper division curriculum; or
2. Students may meet the GWAR by receiving a grade of "C" or better in ENGL 345 Recursive Writing.

Undergraduate students are required to meet the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement no later than the semester in which they complete 90 units. Students who have not met this requirement by the completion of 90 units may have a registration hold placed on their subsequent registration.

*All students are required to complete 9 units of Writing Intensive courses, normally satisfied by Upper Division General Education courses or approved pattern modifications.

Bachelor’s Degree Requirements

Upper Division Requirement

All upper division GE courses are designated Writing Intensive (WI). Therefore, the WI requirement will be satisfied by meeting the upper division General Education requirement. Writing Intensive courses require students to complete writing assignments totaling a minimum of 2,500 words. Only courses approved for upper division GE or as equivalent pattern modifications may be designated as Writing Intensive.

CSUN has implemented the California State University Trustee Policy for the Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) for all upper division students. Students who have completed 56 units and have met the lower division writing requirement will be required to meet the GWAR through coursework in designated Writing Intensive upper division curriculum or completion of ENGL 345 Recursive Writing.

1. Students may meet the GWAR through demonstration of writing proficiency by receiving a grade of "C" or better in 6 units of coursework in designated Writing Intensive upper division curriculum (usually two courses of Upper Division General Education) at CSUN. Note that a grade of "C-" or lower in Upper Division General Education will meet the General Education requirement but not the GWAR requirement, and articulated upper division coursework transferred from another institution does not meet this requirement.
2. Students may meet the GWAR through completion of ENGL 345 Recursive Writing with a grade of "C" or better.

Note: Certification of graduation writing competence will be transferable from one CSU campus to another. However, students must pass the GWAR at the campus at which they are matriculated.

General Education Rules

All upper division GE courses are designated Writing Intensive (WI). Therefore, the WI requirement will be satisfied by meeting the upper division General Education requirement. Writing Intensive courses require students to complete writing assignments totaling a minimum of 2,500 words. Only courses approved for upper division GE or as equivalent pattern modifications may be designated as Writing Intensive.

1. Since it is within the Mission of the University to offer a wide selection of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, the decision to discontinue a program shall be made only after careful study and deliberation. A consistent pattern of cancellation of classes that are crucial to the completion of the program, evidence that the program is not academically justified, or lack of funds in the CSUN budget all may lead to consideration of program discontinuance. An initial proposal to discontinue an academic program can be made by the faculty of the program, the Dean of the school involved, the Educational Policies Committee, the Graduate Studies Committee, Provost, or the President of the University. For the purpose of this policy, an academic program is understood to mean:
   1. A degree program or an option, concentration, or emphasis within it;
   2. A minor;
   3. A teaching credential; or
   4. A program leading to a University Program Certificate.
2. Any department or program committee wishing to discontinue a program will follow the regular curriculum procedure which provides for full justification. The University will make provisions to enable students officially enrolled in discontinued programs to complete acceptable degree requirements within a reasonable period of time.
3. Any proposal for the discontinuance of program originating outside a department or program committee will also require full justification and will be subject to the following conditions:
   1. A regularly scheduled or a specially requested review will precede any recommendation for discontinuance. If a special review is requested, the Office of the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies or the Assistant Vice President for Graduate Studies will conduct the special review which will take into account information and materials provided by the department, and recent self-evaluation or accreditation reports, and information and materials provided by the Central Administration. The special review will consider the possible impact of discontinuance on faculty and students, and the relationship of the program to other programs in the College and in the University and to other programs in the California State University. The Associate Vice President Undergraduate Studies or the Assistant Vice President for Graduate Studies will send copies of the special review to the department, the College Dean, the Educational Policies Committee and/or the Graduate Studies Committee as appropriate, Provost, and the President.
   2. The University will not recommend for discontinuance without prior consultation with the Chancellor’s Office, programs designated by the California State University Project Team on Academic Programs (May, 1979) as basic (core) undergraduate programs.
   3. The University will make provisions to enable students officially enrolled in the discontinued programs to complete acceptable degree requirements within a reasonable period of time.
   4. In accordance with University personnel policies, the University will make every reasonable effort to place tenured and probationary faculty who are subject to lay-off as a result of program discontinuance in other suitable positions, and where feasible, will retrain affected faculty for a reasonable period to qualify them for another position within the University.
4. All proposals for discontinuance originating outside a department or program committee will observe the following procedures:
   1. The Dean of the College in which the program resides will convene the College Curriculum Committee (or its appropriate counterpart) to consider the proposal for discontinuance. The Dean will also notify faculty and students involved in the program of the time and place when the proposal will be considered. Representative of faculty and students will have an opportunity to comment on the proposals and to present information and arguments. The College Committee will then recommend either for or against discontinuance of the program.
   2. The Dean of the College will make an independent recommendation.
   3. The Dean will forward his or her recommendation and the of the School College Committee, along with all pertinent information to the Educational Policies Committee and/o the Graduate Studies Committee as appropriate.
   4. The Educational Policies Committee and/or the Graduate Studies Committee will consider the recommendations and any other relevant information and will make a recommendation for or against discontinuance. In the case of degree programs, this recommendation will be designated as a policy matter for Faculty Senate consideration. The Senate will forward its recommendation and all other recommendations to the President of the University.
   5. If the President decides to discontinue the program, the decision will be forwarded to the Office of the Chancellor for review. If the discontinuance is approved by the Chancellor, it will be noted in the next Academic Master Plan report.

Communication (Spoken/Signed) – Education for understanding the basic concepts and practices associated with public speaking or signing includes making public presentations of one’s own thoughts and research.

Outcomes: Students will:

1. Apply critical thinking skills when listening, reading, thinking, and speaking or signing.
2. Create, organize and support ideas for various types of spoken and signed presentations.
3. Evaluate contexts, attitudes, values, and responses of different audiences.
4. Identify, evaluate and apply different styles of presentation utilizing effective delivery techniques in public speaking or signing.
5. Demonstrate acceptable ethical standards in research and presentation of materials, including proper verbal or signed citations.

Communication (Written) – Education for understanding the basic concepts and practices associated with written communication includes analyzing and reflecting on complex topics and appropriately synthesizing one’s own and others’ ideas in clearly written and well-organized edited American English.

Outcomes: Students will:

1. Analyze and compare perspective, meaning, and style in different texts, including those that reflect multicultural images and voices.
2. Construct a theme or thesis and organize and develop a substantial, balanced, and convincing defense of it in a voice, tone, language, and format (e.g., essay autobiography, report, editorial, case study, inquiry, and research) appropriate to the purpose of the writing.
3. Use logical support, including informed opinion and fact, as well as their interpretations, to develop ideas, avoiding fallacies, biased language, and inappropriate tone.
4. Demonstrate satisfactory competence in the conventions of Edited American English and the elements of a presentation (including layout, format, and printing).
5. Select and incorporate ideas derived from a variety of sources, such as library electronic and print resources, books, journals, the Internet, and interviews, and document them responsibly and correctly. 6.Apply a variety of strategies for planning, outlining, drafting, revising, and editing written work.

Community Engagement – Education for Community-based learning is a pedagogy that integrates explicit academic learning objectives, preparation, and reflection with meaningful work in the community. It focuses on learning through assignments that involve the application of theory to practice and result in improved student learning outcomes, including enhanced understanding of course content, critical-thinking skills, retention, sensitivity to diversity, and the ability to apply the academic concept.

Outcomes: Students will:

1. Develop an understanding of the social, cultural, and civic aspects of their personal identities. (Self and Social Awareness)
2. Develop an understanding of social responsibility and the connections between short-term community service and greater long-term societal well-being. (Service and Social Responsibility)
3. Develop an understanding of how the actions of individuals and social systems bring about both equity and inequity in communities and society. (Community and Social Justice)
4. Develop career skills needed to address the cultural, linguistic, humanistic, artistic, economic, scientific, social, and/or civic issues of our time. (Career Development and Professional Development)
5. Learn from and work responsively and inclusively with diverse individuals, groups, and organizations to build more just, equitable, and sustainable communities. (Multicultural Community Building/Civic Engagement)

Critical Thinking – Education for critical thinking includes analyzing information and ideas carefully and logically from multiple perspectives and developing reasoned solutions to problems.

Outcomes: Students will:

1. Explain and apply the basic concepts essential to a critical examination and evaluation of argumentative discourse.
2. Use investigative and analytical thinking skills to examine alternatives, explore complex questions and solve challenging problems.
3. Synthesize information in order to arrive at reasoned conclusions.
4. Evaluate the logic and validity of arguments, as well as the relevance of data and information. 5.Recognize and avoid common logical and rhetorical fallacies.

Global Learning – Education for global learning includes understanding the diversity and multiplicity of cultural forces that shape the world through the study of cultures, gender, sexuality, race, religion, class, ethnicities, and languages with a special focus on the contributions, differences, and global perspectives of diverse cultures and societies.

Outcomes: Students will:

1. Describe and compare different cultures.
2. Explain how various cultures contribute to the development of our multicultural world.
3. Describe and explain how race, ethnicity, class, gender, religion, sexuality, and other markers of social identity impact life experiences and social relations.
4. Analyze and explain the deleterious impact and the privileges sustained by racism, sexism, ethnocentrism, classism, homophobia, religious intolerance, or stereotyping on all sectors of society. 5.Demonstrate linguistic and cultural proficiency in a language other than English.

Information Literacy/Competency – Education for information competency includes progressively developing information competence skills throughout one’s undergraduate career by developing a basic understanding of information retrieval tools and practices, as well as improving their ability to evaluate and synthesize information ethically.

Outcomes: Students will:

1. Determine the nature and extent of information needed.
2. Demonstrate effective search strategies for finding information using a variety of sources and methods.
3. Locate, retrieve and evaluate a variety of relevant information, including print and electronic formats.
4. Organize and synthesize information in order to communicate effectively.
5. Explain the legal and ethical dimensions of the use of information.

Quantitative Reasoning – Education for mathematical reasoning includes gaining competence for informed judgment and decision making.

Outcomes: Students will:

1. Represent, understand and explain mathematical information symbolically, graphically, numerically, and verbally.
2. Develop mathematical models of real-world situations and explain the assumptions and limitations of those models.
3. Use models to make predictions, draw conclusions, check whether the results are reasonable, and find optimal results using technology when necessary and appropriate.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of mathematical reasoning, including the ability to prove simple results and/or make statistical inferences.

Academic internships and other community-based experiential learning opportunities including community-based (service) learning are high impact practices that promote student connections, deep learning, and civic engagement. The University recognizes the beneficial educational purpose of student internships and community-based learning, as well as the need to maximize the educational experience while mitigating the risks to participants and minimizing the university’s liability exposure. This policy sets forth the campus guidelines for facilitating internship opportunities for students, in accordance with CSU Policy. Community-based (service) learning guidelines are addressed in a separate policy.

Internships that allow students to earn academic credit must meet credit hour and faculty-workload standards – see the Course Classification Guide (.pdf) – related to required hours and additional pedagogical and risk-management standards required by the California State University system and CSUN. The provost or designee will have oversight. Each College is responsible for maintaining data that will assure compliance with current academic standards, risk-management, and audit policies.

Policy

1. Definitions
   1. For the purposes of this policy Academic Internship refers to academic internships enrolled in for credit at either the undergraduate or graduate level.
   2. Academic Internships are one category of classes in which experience is the predominant teaching-learning mode and includes applied and practical experiences that are linked to students’ academic study and professional preparation. This faculty-approved and -facilitated experience will normally be in organizations other than the academic departments offering the courses. These courses will include significant involvement of students and faculty in planning, processing and evaluating the learning resulting from these experiences. Normally, undergraduate Academic Internship courses will be at the upper division-level.
   3. For the purpose of hours and unit requirement related to this policy, Academic Internships will not include supervised student teaching, required work in credential pathways, or clinical experiences (the specific nomenclature of that is determined by the accrediting or licensing agency which regulates the profession). Programs excluded through this provision must comply with credit-hour standards, risk- management and audit policy.
   4. This policy will also apply to academic internships that take place on campus, although a Site Assessment and a Campus-Partner agreement will not be necessary in such cases.
   5. Academic Internships may be paid or unpaid. A stipend is considered unpaid.
2. Risk Management and Oversight
   1. Given that internships are academically-related, credit-bearing professional experiences, oversight of internship policy is vested in the Division of Academic Affairs under the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, or designee.
   2. Each Dean or designee is responsible for ensuring that Departments within their College meet the requirements of the policy and all CSU and University risk management procedures.
   3. College/Department procedures must be consistent with University policies and overall best practices in managing internships, and must include:
      1. Establishment of a signed Internship Agreement between the University and the Internship site (Partner) that addresses both the internship site’s and the campus’s role in the internship.
      2. Prior to placement, assessment of the appropriateness of an internship site including:
         1. The potential for the internship site to provide an educationally appropriate experience.
         2. iIdentification of the potential risks of the internship site, including criteria by which site visits are required.
         3. iIdentification of an appropriate individual from the host organization to supervise the student at the internship site.
         4. Evaluation of the educational environment.
         5. Evaluation of the potential for student academic experience and its relationship to the student’s academic study.
         6. Site visit when risk assessment cannot be satisfactorily completed through other means.
      3. An annual review of academic internships, including both educational and safety issues, considering information from on-site supervisors, faculty, university staff, and student experience.
3. Course Elements
   1. Academic Internships will include the following elements:
      1. Identified relationship to the academic discipline(s) offering the course.
      2. Screening or selection procedures for students seeking to enroll in these courses, which will be designated as restricted.
      3. An orientation that includes experiential learning concepts, conduct expectations, health and safety information, anti-discrimination and harassment policy, and emergency contacts, and identifies if the student’s academic internship is paid or unpaid.
      4. In addition to a syllabus, a written learning agreement accepted by the student, faculty member and on-site supervisor describing the rules and regulations, activities, learning processes, and evaluation methods used in the course, and that specifies the steps students should take to resolve conflicts around internship conditions.
      5. Accommodation plan for students with special needs or who cannot complete the placement due to problems with the internship site or sponsoring organization.
      6. Emergency response plan, including completion and collection of student emergency contact information.
      7. Facilitation of student learning by the CSUN instructor during the on-going experience.
   2. At minimum, student performance will be evaluated by the instructor at the middle and end of the semester. Input from the on-site supervisor is advisable.
   3. Students will be required to evaluate the quality of the field experiences.
4. Credit and Grading
   1. Academic credit will be granted upon the faculty member’s determination of student learning. This process for final determination of academic credit will be defined in the learning agreement and may include contributions by the student and on-site supervisor.
   2. Normally, students’ performances in Academic Internships will be evaluated on a Credit/No Credit basis. For new courses, upon justification by the academic department and approval by the Educational Policies Committee (EPC) or the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC), a different basis of grading may be added.
   3. Academic Internship credit will not be granted after the fact or for prior life experience.
5. Internship Hours and Units (See I C for exemptions)
   1. A minimum of 12 hours of contact between the student and CSUN faculty is required per academic internship.
   2. Typically, 45 student hours per unit per semester is expected and more may not be required without approval of EPC or GSC.
   3. Typically, a maximum of 3 units of internship credit is permitted per semester.
   4. Typically, a program may count no more than 6 units of Academic Internship course credit toward an undergraduate major. Upon justification by the Department, EPC or GSC may allow up to a total of 12 units in the program. A student may count no more than 12 units of Academic Internship course credit toward a baccalaureate degree.
6. Course Designation
   Departments may not offer Academic Internships under a 499, 599, 699, or 799 designation as Independent Study. Departments seeking new internship courses for the first time should use the 494, 594, 694, or 794 designation, if available.
7. Nondiscrimination
   The University and the participating organizations will adhere to all current CSUN and CSU system nondiscrimination policies.

Arts, Humanities, and U.S. History (Section C)

Goal: Students will understand and engage with the diversity of human knowledge, discourse and achievements of their own and other cultures as they are expressed in the visual and performing arts, literatures, religions, histories, philosophies, and/or thought traditions.

Student Learning Outcomes

Arts (C1)

Students will:

1. Acquire knowledge and apply skills in various visual/performing arts or creative writing.
2. Produce individual or collaborative artistic work.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of a wide variety of expressive forms in order to solve artistic problems and communicate with diverse audiences. 4.Describe and explain historical/cultural contexts within which diverse artistic traditions were created or emerged. 5.Analyze, interpret and reflect critically upon the visual/performing arts or creative writing from a variety of diverse perspectives.

Humanities (C2)

Students will:

1. Explain and reflect critically upon the human search for meaning and values, within and across the human experience, as expressed in the arts, literatures, religions, philosophies, and/or thought traditions.
2. Analyze, interpret, and reflect critically upon creative expression, discourse, or thought traditions from diverse perspectives.
3. Demonstrate the ability to engage and reflect upon their intellectual and creative development within the humanities.
4. Describe and explain the historical and/or cultural context within which a body of work or thought tradition was created or emerged.
5. Critically analyze how the humanities as disciplines of memory and imagination reflect upon the current conditions of the human experience and help us envision where we are going.

U.S. History (C3)

Students will:

1. Describe and analyze significant events covering a minimum time span of approximately one hundred years and occurring in the entire area now included in the United States of America, including the relationships of regions within that area and with external regions and powers as appropriate to the understanding of those events within the United States during the period under study.
2. Describe and analyze the role of major ethnic and social groups in such events and the contexts in which the events have occurred.
3. Describe and analyze events presented within a framework that illustrates the continuity of the American experience and its derivation from other cultures, including consideration of three or more of the following: politics, economics, social movements, and geography.

4. Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (B4)

Goal: Students will gain competence in mathematical reasoning necessary for informed judgment and decision making.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will:

1. Represent, understand, and explain mathematical information symbolically, graphically, numerically, and with spoken or signed language.
2. Develop mathematical models of real-world situations and explain the assumptions and limitations of those models.
3. Use models to make predictions, draw conclusions, check whether the results are reasonable, and find optimal results using technology when necessary and appropriate.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of mathematical reasoning, including the ability to prove simple results and/or make statistical inferences.

Subject Explorations

5. Scientific Inquiry (Sections B1-3)

Goal: Students will develop basic knowledge and learn key principles in the natural sciences, including an understanding of the methods of scientific inquiry as applied in the natural sciences through laboratory, activity and/or field-based study.

Student Learning Outcomes Physical Science (B1)

1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of basic knowledge, principles and/or laws in the physical sciences.

Plus, at least one of the following:

1. Explain how the scientific method can be used to obtain new data and advance knowledge.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the logical foundations, limits, and/or potential contributions of scientific endeavors in human society and everyday life.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the value systems and ethics associated with scientific inquiry.

Life Science (B2)

1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of basic knowledge, principles and/or laws in the life sciences.

Plus, at least one of the following:

1. Explain how the scientific method can be used to obtain new data and advance knowledge.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the logical foundations, limits, and/or potential contributions of scientific endeavors in human society and everyday life.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the value systems and ethics associated with scientific inquiry.

Science Laboratory Activity (B3)

In conjunction with a Physical Science (B1) or Life Science (B2) course, students will:

1. Practice skills and techniques used to obtain data and test hypotheses in the physical or life sciences.

6. Upper Division Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning (B5)

Goal: Students will synthesize, analyze, evaluate, and communicate their knowledge of physical science, life science, or mathematical/quantitative reasoning through assignments and projects in the upper division.

Upper Division Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning (B5) courses incorporate at least two of the student learning outcomes from one of the following subareas: Physical Science (B1), Life Science (B2), or Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (B4).

Physical Science (B1)

1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of basic knowledge, principles and/or laws in the physical sciences.

Plus, at least one of the following:

1. Explain how the scientific method can be used to obtain new data and advance knowledge.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the logical foundations, limits, and/or potential contributions of scientific endeavors in human society and everyday life.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the value systems and ethics associated with scientific inquiry.

Life Science (B2)

1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of basic knowledge, principles and/or laws in the life sciences.

Plus, at least one of the following:

1. Explain how the scientific method can be used to obtain new data and advance knowledge.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the logical foundations, limits, and/or potential contributions of scientific endeavors in human society and everyday life.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the value systems and ethics associated with scientific inquiry.

Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (B4)

Students will:

1. Represent, understand, and explain mathematical information symbolically, graphically, numerically, and with spoken or signed language.
2. Develop mathematical models of real-world situations and explain the assumptions and limitations of those models.
3. Use models to make predictions, draw conclusions, check whether the results are reasonable, and find optimal results using technology when necessary and appropriate.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of mathematical reasoning, including the ability to prove simple results and/or make statistical inferences.

To better inform students about the requirements, content, and methodology of the university’s curricula, all faculty teaching classes will distribute a written syllabus to each student in the class and/or post it online no later than the first class meeting.

he written syllabus must be readily printable as a single document, and must contain the following information:

1. Course description.
2. Course objective(s) or student learning outcomes.
3. A brief list or summary of topics or projects covered.
4. Course requirements, including methods of evaluation and tentative due dates for major assignments and/or exams.
5. Grading criteria including whether the plus/minus system will be used.
6. Contact information, including:
   1. Instructor’s name.
   2. Office hours and location.
   3. CSUN email address.
   4. Campus phone number if applicable.
7. If the syllabus is revised after the first class meeting, date(s) of revision(s).

For a General Education course, the syllabus must list the relevant Student Learning Outcomes of the General Education section in which it resides.

For a Writing Intensive course—that is, an upper-division General Education course—the syllabus must list the Writing Intensive Student Learning Outcomes.

If the course satisfies the Information Competence requirement, the syllabus must list the Student Learning Outcomes for Information Competence.

If the course satisfies the Ethnic Studies requirement, the syllabus must list the Student Learning Outcomes for the Ethnic Studies requirement.

View full policy

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement/Upper Division Writing Proficiency Examination (Revised)

All students must demonstrate competency in writing skills as a requirement for graduation. At CSUN, all students who have met the lower division writing requirement, completed 56 units or more, and intend to graduate with a baccalaureate or master’s degree are required to demonstrate their writing proficiency in one of two ways.

1. Students may pass an essay examination as a demonstration of their proficiency in writing. The Upper Division Writing Proficiency Exam will be offered throughout the academic year. See the Testing Center website for test dates, test fee and registration.
2. Students may meet the GWAR requirement by receiving a grade of C or better in a minimum of 6 units of coursework in the upper division portion of the General Education curriculum.

Undergraduate students are required to meet the Graduation Writing Requirement no later than the semester in which they complete 90 units. Students who have not met this requirement by the completion of 90 units will have a registration hold placed on their subsequent registration.

In addition, the policy for the Bachelor’s Degree requirements should be amended to reflect the new policy:

Bachelor’s Degree Requirements (Revised)

Upper Division Requirement

The University has implemented the Trustee Policy for the Writing Skills Graduation Requirement (GWAR) for all upper division students who will graduate in Spring 1982 or thereafter in one of two ways. Students who have completed 56 units and have met the lower division writing requirement will be required to take an essay examination or to meet the requirement through General Education coursework.

1. Meeting the GWAR through the Upper Division Writing Proficiency Examination (UDWPE):
   1. as early as possible after completing 60 units, and must take the UDWPE no later than the semester in which 90 units are completed. Students who have not taken the UDWPE or completed the General Education coursework requirement (see below) by the completion of 90 units will have an advisement hold placed on their subsequent registration(s).
   2. Students who fail the exam will be permitted to repeat the examination. Students are strongly urged to make an appointment with a writing consultant at the Learning Resource Center by calling (818) 677-2033. This service is offered at no cost to students. Consultations may be available during the Summer (from June to August) on a limited basis.
   3. The examination will consist of an essay on an assigned topic evaluated by the faculty.
   4. iv. The criteria of evaluation will include: (1) a demonstration of analytic skills; (2) use of relevant evidence to support an argument; (3) effective organization; and (4) use of standard English grammar, diction and mechanics.
   5. v. Administrations of the examination will be announced on the Testing Center website, as well as in other official University publications.
   6. The examination will be scheduled at least five times within an academic year.
2. Students may demonstrate writing proficiency by receiving a grade of C or better in six units (usually two courses) of Upper Division General Education at CSUN. Note that a grade of C- or lower in Upper Division General Education will meet the General Education requirement but not the GWAR requirement and articulated upper division coursework transferred from another institution do not meet this requirement.
3. Certification of graduation writing competence will be transferable from one CSU campus to another. However, students must pass the GWAR at the campus at which they are matriculated.

For all CSU degree programs and courses bearing academic credit, the “credit hour” is defined as “the amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:

1. One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately 15 weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or 10 to 12 weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.”

A credit hour is assumed to be a 50-minute period. In courses in which “seat time” does not apply, a credit hour may be measured by an equivalent amount of work, as demonstrated by student achievement.

CSUN faculty will evaluate the credit hour designations for approved curriculum in regular cycles to coincide with the campus accreditation cycle. No later than one year prior to the submission of the WSUSC reaccreditation documents, each college will be required to provide a certification of all of their approved courses meeting the guidelines above. These certifications will be reviewed by the Educational Policies Committee (000-400 level courses) or the Graduate Studies Committee (500-700 courses) and the record of these certifications will be maintained by Undergraduate Studies on behalf of the University.

• Full-time enrollment for undergraduate students is considered to be 15 units (12 units for financial aid and certain external legal requirements).
• Graduate students who need to be considered full-time must be enrolled in a minimum of 8 units.
• SUMMER TERM ONLY: For undergraduate international students enrolled in the Semester at CSUN program through The Tseng College of Extended Learning, enrollment is considered full-time at 6 units.

Students are responsible for ensuring that their own academic programs are accurate. Students are urged to act immediately to correct any enrollment discrepancies. Any enrollment discrepancies should be brought in person to the Office of Admissions and Records for correction. Failure to correct an academic program discrepancy or to drop a class officially may result in a grade of “WU” (Withdrawal Unauthorized) in courses never attended.

Community-based learning is a pedagogy that integrates explicit academic learning objectives, preparation and reflection with meaningful work in the community. It focuses on learning through assignments that involve the application of theory to practice and result in improved student learning outcomes, including enhanced understanding of course content, critical thinking skills, retention, sensitivity to diversity and the ability to apply academic concepts. This policy will allow the campus to clarify, define, tag, and assess community-based learning courses.

I. Criteria for Community-Based Learning (CS) Designation in the University Catalog and in SOLAR.

Each CS course or section must:

1. Involve students in community-based learning activities or projects that are responsive to community-identified needs.
2. Be arranged in partnership with community-based or campus-based organizations.
3. Integrate course theory/concepts with service in the community that directly addresses community needs (i.e. a situation where theory/concepts can be tested in practice, or a situation where community needs demand innovative solutions).
4. Require students to integrate the learning derived from service with course learning outcomes through critical reflection exercises; discussion; and written, oral, and/or media presentations. e. Provide students an opportunity for consistent engagement in the community focused on at least two of the learning outcomes in Part II.

II. Community-Based Learning Student Learning Outcomes

Each Community-Based Learning course must meet at least two Community-Based Learning Student Learning Outcomes as a result of completing a Community-Based Learning course.

1. Self and Social Awareness
   Students will develop an understanding of the social, cultural and civic aspects of their personal identities.
2. Service and Social Responsibility
   Students will develop an understanding of social responsibility and the connections between short-term community service and greater long-term societal well-being.
3. Community & Social Justice
   Students will develop an understanding of how the actions of individuals and social systems bring about both equity and inequity in communities and society.
4. Career Development and Professional Development
   Students will develop career skills needed to address the cultural, linguistic, humanistic, artistic, economic, scientific, social and/or civic issues of our time.
5. Multicultural Community Building/Civic Engagement
   Students will learn from and work responsively and inclusively with diverse individuals, groups and organizations to build more just, equitable, and sustainable communities.

The symbol “WU” indicates that an enrolled student did not officially withdraw from the course and also failed to complete course requirements. It is used when, in the opinion of the instructor, completed assignments or course activities or both were insufficient to enable evaluation of academic performance. For purposes of grade point average and progress point computation this symbol is equivalent to an “F.”

The instructor must report the last known date of attendance by the student. The symbol “WU” will be identified as a failing grade in the transcript legend and will be counted as units attempted but not passed in computing the grade point average. In courses which are graded Credit/No Credit or in cases where the student has elected Credit/No Credit evaluation, use of the symbol “WU” is inappropriate and “NC” will be used instead.

Continuous lecture classes that last two or more hours should incorporate a break at a predetermined time based on any number of criteria, such as content of the lecture, length of the class and physical demand placed upon support service personnel for students who are Deaf and students with disabilities. Laboratory classes or classes in which the student traditionally works independently may or may not require a break, depending on the judgment of the faculty. Depending on the uniqueness of each class and the demands placed upon students (and support personnel), professors determine scheduled breaks by utilizing their own solution or one of the following options:

1. Lecture classes meeting for less than two hours: a break should not be necessary.
2. Lecture classes meeting for two hours or more: faculty should incorporate one or more breaks depending on the length and type of the class.
3. Lecture classes meeting for three hours or more: faculty should incorporate additional breaks.

Samples:

All four sections of GE Basic Skills coursework must be completed by students within their first 60 units. Students must earn a C- or better grade in all four courses in order to satisfy the GE Basic Skills requirement. All first-time freshmen will have mandatory advisement starting with their initial enrollment at the University and continuing each semester until the completion of Basic Skills.

Coursework must be completed as follows:

Students will enroll in the appropriate writing and math courses as advised until they complete GE Writing and GE Math within the first four semesters or 60 units, whichever comes first. Students will enroll either simultaneously or within two consecutive semesters in GE Oral Communication and GE Writing. Students will enroll in GE Critical Thinking after completing GE Math (within their first 60 units).

1. Students will complete the appropriate course in the GE Analytical Reading and Expository Writing (AREW) sequence during their first year at CSUN. Students taking Stretch 113 or 114 must enroll in the course during their first semester at CSUN. Students taking 115 must enroll in that course in either of their first two semesters at CSUN. Students will continue to enroll in the appropriate GE AREW course until they have satisfied the GE AREW requirement.
2. Students will take either a GE Math course or a Developmental Math course during their first semester at CSUN. Students will continue to enroll in a developmental or GE Math course each semester until they have satisfied the GE Math requirement.
3. Students will complete coursework in GE Critical Thinking after they complete GE Math but still within their first 60 units.
4. Students will complete coursework in GE Oral Communication within their first 60 units.

Basic Skills Description in General Education

Basic Skills coursework provides students with the knowledge and abilities that they will find useful and necessary for other GE and University courses and in their pursuits after graduation. These fundamental courses in Analytical Reading and Expository Writing, Critical Thinking, Mathematics and Oral Communication will teach students how to read to understand and write about complex topics, how to distinguish correct from faulty reasoning, how to study and appreciate mathematical ideas and quantitative reasoning, and how to make public presentations of their own thoughts and research. Students must complete this section within their first 60 units. One course in this section must include the Information Competence (IC) designation. Students must earn a C- or better grade in all four courses in order to satisfy the GE Basic Skills requirement.

Additional General Education Rules

• A student may count for GE credit only one GE course that counts for major credit and is offered by the department of the major. The major departments have designated the course for this modification, which is indicated in the General Education Pattern Modifications and has been coded into the Degree Progress Report. GE courses offered in the major department but not required in the major program can apply to GE as listed.
• Courses taken to fulfill a particular GE requirement will continue to count for GE credit even after a student changes major. However, once a student changes the major, the student is responsible for fulfilling the GE requirements in the areas of GE that have not been completed.
• Changes or substitutions to GE that are specific to particular majors are listed in the General Education Pattern Modifications section or may be listed in the description of the major program. An academic advisor in the major should be consulted regarding these changes.
• Students must earn a C- or better grade in the four basic skills courses (Analytical Reading and Expository Writing, Critical Thinking, Mathematics and Oral Communication).

To receive honors at graduation, a student must:

1. Complete a minimum of 30 units of work in letter-graded courses at CSUN;
2. Earn a GPA of 3.50 or above in all work taken at CSUN;
3. Earn a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or above in all units attempted, including transfer units. The following are the categories of honors at graduation:

1. Reproduction and Use of Course Materials Covered by Copyright Laws
   1. It is the individual professional responsibility of all faculty members to comply with all existing copyright laws. Guidance about copyright and fair use can be found at Copyright Overview.
2. Materials Authored by CSUN Faculty Used in CSUN Courses
   1. It is the individual professional responsibility of all faculty members to make a reasonable effort to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest that could give their students or the public served by the University reasons to question the propriety of their professional judgments.
   2. Faculty planning to adopt works authored by themselves or by other CSUN faculty in which the author has a personal financial interest must obtain their Department’s approval to do so in each case. Approval is required regardless of whether these works have been published by a commercial or university press, and applies to print materials as well as eBooks and other eMedia published online. Such approval should be granted only if an independent departmental peer review by a committee of tenured faculty has determined that the work’s level and content is appropriate for the courses in which it will be used and that its adoption is unlikely to impose an unreasonable financial burden on students who are required to purchase it.
   3. Faculty should not seek or accept personal income or royalties from sales of required or recommended course materials to CSUN students when they arrange to have the Bookstore or some other provider of copy or printing services reproduce these materials specifically for sale to CSUN students. Students should not be charged more than the actual costs that may be involved in legally reproducing and distributing such materials.
   4. Departments which authorize specific course adoptions of faculty authored materials that are specifically designed for use in the courses for which they are approved, and that have not been published by a commercial or university press, may also authorize the Department to charge a royalty which is to be deposited in a Department fund used to benefit students. Such royalties may not exceed 5% of the cost of reproducing and distributing the course material involved.

To better inform students about the requirements, content, and methodology of the university’s curricula, all faculty teaching classes will distribute a written syllabus to each student in the class and/or post it online no later than the first class meeting.

The written syllabus must be readily printable as a single document, and must contain the following information:

1. Course description.
2. Course objective(s) or student learning outcomes.
3. A brief list or summary of topics or projects covered.
4. Course requirements, including methods of evaluation and tentative due dates for major assignments and/or exams.
5. Grading criteria including whether the plus/minus system will be used.
6. Contact information including
   1. Instructor’s name
   2. Office hours and location
   3. CSUN email address
   4. Campus phone number if applicable.
7. If the syllabus is revised after the first class meeting, date(s) of revision(s).

For a General Education course, the syllabus must list the relevant Student Learning Outcomes of the General Education section in which it resides.

For a Writing Intensive course—that is, an upper-division General Education course—the syllabus must list the Writing Intensive Student Learning Outcomes.

If the course satisfies the Information Competence requirement, the syllabus must list the Student Learning Outcomes for Information Competence.

3. Disqualified Status: Students who were on probation the previous semester are placed in disqualified status if, at the end of the next semester, either their cumulative total GPA or CSUN GPA falls below the floor listed for each class level in the table below:

Second Baccalaureate Disqualification: Second baccalaureate students will be placed in disqualified status if either their cumulative or total GPA or CSUN GPA falls below 2.0.

Units of developmental course work are included in determining class level. Students in disqualified status are not eligible to enroll in the University through the regular enrollment process. They can enroll in CSUN courses only through Open University in the Tseng College. Students seeking to enroll in courses should refer to the Tseng College website. Only 24 units of course credit earned in the Tseng College can be counted toward a CSUN Degree. However, second baccalaureate students are limited to 9 units of course credit through Open University. The unit limits include courses completed in Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer sessions through Tseng College. Before students in disqualified status can be readmitted under an Academic Performance Agreement (APA), they must demonstrate acquired skills or achievements that support a successful return to the University. Such evidence may include successful completion of courses in the student’s Degree Program at another institution or through the Tseng College with grades that demonstrate the student can achieve good standing in a reasonable time frame if readmitted to CSUN. Students are strongly urged to meet with their CSUN academic advisor to discuss the requirements that must be completed in order to be readmitted to the University. When all requirements have been met, students may apply to the University for readmission.

4. Readmitted Under Academic Performance Agreement (APA): Students who have been academically disqualified, but who are readmitted to the University under terms of probation, are classified as readmitted under an APA. Students who are readmitted under an APA have registration holds and are not able to register for classes until they have received advisement. During advisement, the student and advisor examine the student’s progress toward improving academic status and set goals for the next semester. Declared majors typically receive advisement from the SSC/EOP Satellite in their College. Undecided students receive advisement in the ARC/EOP. Students who are readmitted under APA can enroll in a maximum of 13 units in a semester or Summer term. To request additional units, students must complete the Extra Unit Authorization form and obtain the signatures of the Director of their College SSC/EOP Satellite or ARC/EOP for Undecided or Undeclared majors and the Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Studies. Students in this status, whether they have 1 or 2 disqualifications, must fulfill all of the following requirements until they reach good standing: 1) earn a minimum 2.0 semester GPA; 2) enroll in classes each semester; and 3) have in place a signed APA that details the academic progress that must be achieved to move the student toward completion of the Baccalaureate Degree within a designated time period. Students who are readmitted under an APA, but who fail to maintain continuous enrollment in classes each semester or who fail to achieve a 2.0 semester GPA, revert back to disqualified status. They must reapply and be readmitted to the University as a previously disqualified student in order to be eligible to enroll in classes through the regular enrollment process. See section below titled Readmission of Previously Disqualified Students. Academic disqualification is a permanent notation in a student’s academic record and has serious consequences that can impact attainment of a Baccalaureate Degree. The consequences of academic disqualification depend upon whether it is the first, second or third disqualification that the student receives.

Categories of Disqualification

First Disqualification: Any student whose cumulative GPA is below a 1.0 will be disqualified immediately without first being placed on probation. In addition, students who were on probation the previous semester are placed in disqualified status if at the end of the next semester either their cumulative total or CSUN GPA falls below the GPA listed for each class level (See Table under Academic Standing item 3. “Disqualified Status”). Students who receive a first disqualification will not be eligible to enroll at CSUN through the regular enrollment process for at least 1 semester. They will need to apply for readmission as a previously disqualified student by posted deadlines. Disqualified students can enroll in Open University through CSUN’s Tseng College for up to 24 units (including Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer courses), or can take transferable courses at other institutions. In order to gain readmission, students will be expected to demonstrate ability to succeed in university-level classes. For admission deadlines, see the Admissions Calendar.

Second Disqualification: Students who receive a second disqualification are not permitted to continue to enroll in CSUN courses through the regular enrollment process for at least 1 semester. An application for readmission as a previously disqualified student by posted deadlines is required. Students disqualified for a second time can enroll in Open University through CSUN’s Tseng College for up to 24 units (including Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer courses) or can take transferable courses at other institutions. In order to gain readmission, students will be expected to demonstrate ability to succeed in university-level classes. Readmitted students are subject to all of the regulations described above in the section titled “Readmitted Under APA.” Students who fail to earn a minimum 2.0 semester GPA will receive a third disqualification. For admission deadlines, see www.csun.edu/anr/AdmissionStatus.html. Third Disqualification: Students who receive a third disqualification are not eligible to seek readmission to the University for a minimum of 5 years after the final day of the semester during which they received the third disqualification. Students who have been disqualified 3 times may not retake classes or finish an Incomplete contract for the purpose of raising grades to avoid a third disqualification. Disqualification for Second Baccalaureate Students First Disqualification: Students who are pursuing a second baccalaureate degree and who 3 receive a first disqualification will not be eligible to enroll at CSUN through the regular enrollment process for at least 1 semester. They will need to apply for readmission as a previously disqualified student by posted deadlines. Disqualified second baccalaureate students can enroll in Open University through CSUN’s Tseng College for up to 9 units (including Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer courses), or can take transferable courses at other institutions. In order to gain readmission, students will be expected to demonstrate ability to succeed in university-level classes in the second baccalaureate field. For admission deadlines, see the Admissions Calendar. Second Disqualification: Second baccalaureate students who receive a second disqualification are not eligible to seek readmission to the University for a minimum of 5 years after the final day of the semester during which they received the second disqualification. Second baccalaureate students who have been disqualified 2 times may not retake classes or finish an Incomplete contract for the purpose of raising grades to avoid a second disqualification.

Academic Reinstatement to the University

Reinstatement for Undergraduates

Five years from the final day of the semester during which the student received a third disqualification, the student may reapply to the University during the appropriate application filing period. The student must provide evidence that demonstrates acquired skills or achievements that support a successful return to the University. Reinstated students are readmitted under an APA and are subject to all of the regulations that apply to students in this status. Students who fail to earn a minimum 2.0 semester GPA will be given no further opportunities for readmission at CSUN. For admission deadlines, see the Admissions Calendar.

Reinstatement for Second Baccalaureate Students

Five years from the final day of the semester during which the student received a second disqualification the student may reapply to the University during the appropriate application filing period. The student must provide evidence that demonstrates acquired skills or achievements that support a successful return to the University. Reinstated students are readmitted under an APA and are subject to all of the regulations that apply to students in this status. Students who fail to earn a minimum 2.0 semester GPA will be given no further opportunities for readmission at CSUN. For admission deadlines, see the Admissions Calendar.

Procedures (if applicable): Second baccalaureate students impacted by the policy will be notified using the existing process and timeline in place for undergraduate students.

This policy will be implemented in Fall 2014.

All four sections of GE Basic Skills coursework must be completed by students within their first 60 units. All first-time freshmen will have mandatory advisement starting with their initial enrollment at the University and continuing each semester until the completion of Basic Skills.

Coursework must be completed as follows:

Students will enroll in the appropriate writing and math courses as advised until they complete GE writing and math within the first four semesters or 60 units, whichever comes first. Students will enroll either simultaneously or within two consecutive semesters in GE oral communication and GE writing. Students will enroll in GE critical thinking after completing GE math (within their first 60 units).

1. Students will take the appropriate course in the GE Analytical Reading and Expository Writing (AREW) sequence during their first semester at CSUN. Students will continue to enroll in the appropriate GE AREW course until they have satisfied the GE AREW requirement.
2. Students will take either a GE math course or a developmental math course during their first semester at CSUN. Students will continue to enroll in a developmental or GE math course each semester until they have satisfied the GE math requirement.
3. Students will complete coursework in GE critical thinking after they complete GE math but still within their first 60 units.
4. Students will complete coursework in GE oral communication within their first 60 units.

Internships that allow students to earn academic credit must meet credit hour and faculty workload standards (Course Classification) related to required hours and additional pedagogical and risk management standards required by the California State University and Cal State Northridge. Each College is responsible for maintaining data that will assure compliance with current academic standards, risk management and audit policies.

1. Definitions
   1. For the purposes of this policy Academic Internship refers to undergraduate academic internships.
   2. Academic Internships are one category of classes in which experience is the predominant teaching-learning mode and include applied and practical experiences that are linked to students’ academic study and professional preparation. This faculty-approved and -facilitated experience shall normally be in organizations other than the academic departments offering the courses. These courses shall include significant involvement of students and faculty in planning, processing, and evaluating the learning resulting from these experiences. Normally, Academic Internship courses shall be at the upper division level.
   3. For the purpose of hours and unit requirement related to this policy, Academic Internships shall not include supervised student teaching, required work in credential pathways, or clinical experiences (the specific nomenclature of which is determined by the accrediting or licensing agency which regulates the profession). Programs excluded through this provision must comply with credit hour standards, risk management and audit policy.
2. Course Elements
   1. Academic Internships shall include the following elements:
      1. Identified relationship to the academic discipline(s) offering the course.
      2. Screening or selection procedures for students seeking to enroll in these courses, which shall be designated as restricted.
      3. An orientation to experiential learning concepts.
      4. In addition to a syllabus, a written learning agreement or contract accepted by the student, faculty member and on-site supervisor describing the rules and regulations, activities, learning processes, and evaluation methods used in the course.
      5. At minimum, student performance shall be evaluated by the instructor at the middle and end of the semester. Input from the on-site supervisor is advisable.
      6. Students will be required to evaluate the quality of the field experiences.
      7. Facilitation of student learning by the CSUN instructor during the on-going experience.
      8. Compliance with all risk management requirements.
3. Credit and Grading
   1. Academic credit shall be granted upon the faculty member’s determination of student learning. This process for final determination of academic credit shall be defined in the learning agreement and may include contributions by the student and on-site supervisor.
   2. Normally, students’ performances in Academic Internships shall be evaluated on a Credit/No Credit basis. For new courses, upon justification by the academic department and approval by Educational Policies Committee (EPC), a different basis of grading may be added.
   3. Academic Internship credit shall not be granted after the fact or for prior life experience
4. Internship Hours and Units (See I C for exemptions)
   1. 12 hours minimum of contact with CSUN faculty is required per course.
   2. 45 student hours per unit per semester is expected and may not be exceeded without approval of EPC.
   3. A maximum of three units of internship credit is normally permitted per semester.
   4. Normally, a student may count no more than 6 units of Academic Internship course credit toward an undergraduate major. However, upon justification by the department, EPC may allow up to a total of 12 units. A student may count no more than 12 units of Academic Internship course credit toward a baccalaureate degree.
5. Course Designation Departments may not offer Academic Internships under a 499 designation as Independent Study. Departments seeking new internship courses for the first time should use the 494 designation, if available.
6. Non-Discrimination The University and the participating organizations shall adhere to all current CSUN and CSU non-discrimination policies.
7. Date of Implementation This policy will be included in the next edition of the CSUN University Catalog. However, this policy is effective immediately.

The University has implemented the CSU Trustee Policy for the Writing Skills Graduation Requirement for all Upper-Division students. All students must pass the Upper Division Writing Proficiency Examination (UDWPE) as a requirement for graduation.

1. Undergraduate students are encouraged to attempt the UDWPE as early as possible after completing 56 units and meeting the Lower Division writing requirement. Students must take the UDWPE no later than the semester in which 75 units are completed. Students who have not taken the UDWPE by the completion of 75 units will have a registration hold placed on their subsequent registration.
2. The UDWPE shall consist of an essay on an assigned topic evaluated by the faculty.
3. The evaluation criteria shall include: 1) a demonstration of analytic skills, (2) use of relevant evidence to support an argument, (3) effective organization, (4) use of standard English grammar, diction and mechanics.
4. Transfer students are encouraged to take the UDWPE as early as possible after being admitted for transfer. Transfer students must attempt the examination no later than the semester in which 75 units are completed. Transfer students coming into the university with 75 units already completed must attempt the examination during their first semester at CSUN.
5. Students who fail the exam shall be permitted to repeat the examination. However, before repeating the exam, it is recommended that students take further steps to improve their writing skills by contacting the Learning Resource Center or completing an appropriate writing course.
6. Administrations of the examination will be announced on CSUN’s UDWPE and Testing Center websites.
7. The examination will be scheduled at least five times within an academic year. 8. Students may register for the exam at University Cash Services. According to CSU policy, certification of graduation writing competence shall be transferable from one CSU campus to another.

Maximum Number of Majors and Minors:

A maximum of up to two majors and up to two minors is permitted, provided all work can be completed within 140 units. A major and an honors major in the same program are considered to be a single major. Exceptions to the 140­unit completion rule can be made for CSUN bachelor’s degrees that require more than 120 units to complete. Students who receive an exception must be able to complete the second major and any additional minors within 20 units beyond the number of units required for the bachelor’s degree in their first major.

Declaring a Major:

Students who start at CSUN must declare a major by the completion of 60 units. Students who are currently Undecided or Undeclared and wish to declare a major must have the major approved by the department chair of the new major. Transfer students must declare a major in their transfer application. Students who have earned 60 units and have not declared a major will have a registration hold placed on their ability to register for the following semester’s courses. These students will not be able to register for courses until they declare a major. Note: Courses numbered below the 100 level do not count toward the 60 units. Advanced Placement (high school) units do count toward the 60 units.

Adding a Second Major:

Students can add a second major (double major) only if they can complete both majors within 140 units. Students may not add a second major after completing the requirements for their first major. Student requests to add a second major must be approved by the Department chairs of the existing major and the second major. If the student seeking to add a major has 90 or more earned units, the request also must be approved by the associate dean of the new major. All requests to add a second major must be accompanied by a plan demonstrating that the additional major can be completed within 140 units. When a student completes two majors, both majors will be recorded on the diploma. Courses taken to satisfy the requirements for one major may be double counted if they satisfy requirements in the second major.

Changing Major or Option:

Students seeking to change majors /options must be able to complete the new major/option within 140 units. Student requests to change a major/option must be approved by the Department chair of the new major/option. If the student has 90 or more earned units, the request also must be approved by the associate dean of the new major/option. Requests to change majors or options must be accompanied by a plan demonstrating that the new major/option can be completed within 140 units.

Adding a Minor:

Students can add a minor only if they can complete both their major and the minor within 140 units. Student requests to add a minor must be approved by the Department chair of the new minor. If the student has 90 or more earned units, the request also must be approved by the associate dean of the new minor. Requests to add a minor must be accompanied by a plan demonstrating that the minor can be completed within 140 units.

Changing a Minor:

Students may drop their current minor at any time. They may add a new minor as long as they satisfy the policies and procedures for adding a new minor.

Earning a Major and Minor or More than One Minor from the Same Department: Students may earn a major and a minor from the same department, or more than one minor if the major and minor(s) are associated with different academic degree programs. Note that different options in the same degree program are not considered different academic degree programs for this policy.

Transfer Units:

When computing the earned unit limits on adding majors and minors, a maximum of 70 community college transfer earned units or a maximum of 90 four­-year college/community college combination transfer earned units will be counted.

Appeals Process:

Students who wish to appeal this policy or a related decision can apply to a Majors/Minors Appeals Board composed of an associate dean, a representative of Undergraduate Studies, the AS President or designee, and two faculty members selected by the Faculty President. For example, students who cannot complete their current major because of an inability to complete/pass a requirement may file a request with the Majors/Minors Appeals Board to change majors even though they may need to exceed the 140­unit limit to complete their new major.

Summary of approvals needed for adding or changing majors, minors and options.

Implementation:

EPC shall report to the Faculty Senate twice per semester during the 2010-­2011 academic year on the impacts of this policy.

Upon review by the Office of Undergraduate Studies, students who accumulate over 140 earned units may be graduated administratively if they have completed all of the degree requirements in any major, whether or not they have declared that major. Enrollment beyond the 140 units will be restricted to courses required to graduate in the major for which the student has accomplished the highest percentage of requirements. The decision on administrative graduation will be made in consultation with the Associate Dean, Department Chair or designee, and the student.

Implementation:

The policy would affect all students, current and new, beginning in Fall 2010.

Withdrawal (W):

The symbol “W” indicates that the student was permitted to drop the course after the twentieth day of instruction with the approval of the instructor and appropriate campus officials. It carries no connotation of quality of student performance and is not used in the calculation of grade point average.

Withdrawals During the First 20 Days of Instruction:

Students wishing to completely withdraw from the University prior to or during the first 20 days of instruction may do on SOLAR by accessing System Registration. University Cash Services will automatically process (and mail) checks based on withdrawal information. New and returning students who completely withdraw from the University prior to the 20th day of instruction are not considered continuing students and must reapply to attend any subsequent semester. Those students who are continuing from the previous semester will automatically be placed on a Leave of Absence if they meet the criteria. (See Leave of Absence under Categories of Enrollment for further information.)

Withdrawals After the 20th Day of Instruction:

Students who must withdraw after the twentieth day of instruction and prior to the last three weeks of instruction for reasons clearly beyond their control, and who can justify serious and compelling circumstances, may withdraw without academic penalty by securing the approval of the instructor and the appropriate campus officials, as designated in the current Schedule of Classes. If approved, the Grade of “W” will be assigned for withdrawals after the twentieth day of instruction. Students completely withdrawing after the 20th day of instruction will be considered continuing students for the next semester. Under no circumstances does nonattendance nor the stopping of payment of a check constitute a withdrawal from the University.

Withdrawals During the Last Three Weeks of the Semester:

Withdrawals are not permitted during the final three weeks of instruction or thereafter except in cases such as accident or serious illness where the cause of the withdrawal is clearly beyond the student’s control and the assignment of an incomplete is not practical. Ordinarily it is expected that withdrawals during this period will be complete withdrawals from the University except in circumstances where sufficient work has been completed in one or more of the courses to permit an evaluation of coursework and an assignment of a grade. Students may obtain forms and procedural information at the Office of Admissions and Records.

Medical Withdrawal:

Students seeking complete medical withdrawals may complete the necessary forms at the Student Health Center. Upon receipt of verifying information from a student’s personal physician, the Director of the Health Center will evaluate the case. A medical withdrawal usually constitutes complete withdrawal from the University for the academic period in question.

In cases where medical evidence and the specific physical demands and environment of the classes overwhelmingly support withdrawal from only a portion of a student’s program of study, partial withdrawals will be permitted prior to the final three weeks of the instruction, except in cases of accident or serious illness. A request for a partial medical withdrawal for undergraduate students and a partial medical withdrawal Health Provider Report must be completed and submitted to the office of Undergraduate Studies. These forms are available at Admissions and Records. Partial medical withdrawals will be granted solely for established medical purposes prior to a student taking final exams.

Withdrawals due to illness in the family will be granted only if the attending physician stipulates that the student is the primary caregiver for the family member. Withdrawals due to illness in the family should be requested on late change in academic schedule for undergraduate students at www.csun.edu/anr/forms and submitted according to directions on the form.

Additional Withdrawal Rules:

1. Undergraduate students may withdraw from no more than 18 semester units of CSU Northridge courses. This 18 semester unit limit does not apply to the first 20 days of each semester when withdrawals from courses are permitted without restriction or penalty.
2. Medical withdrawals, whether partial or complete, do not count toward the maximum 18.
3. The maximum of 18 semester units applies only to units completed at CSU Northridge. The limits apply to all courses taken at CSUN, whether a student is matriculated or enrolled through self­-support such as Extended Learning.
4. This policy applies only to baccalaureate units, i.e., those that count toward the degree.
5. All other CSU Northridge current policies related to withdrawals remain the same, except as stated in items 1­4, above.

The University recognizes that undergraduate students may need to repeat one or more courses in order to fulfill degree requirements and/or enhance previously acquired skills. However, students should seek academic advisement before deciding to repeat any course. Students should be aware that other institutions (e.g., medical schools, graduate programs, law schools) might not recognize this repeat policy and may use “forgiven” grades in recalculating grade point averages. The following rules apply:

1. A maximum of 16 semester units of CSU Northridge coursework in which a student earned less than a C grade may be repeated for the purpose of excluding grades (grade forgiveness) from the computation of the student’s overall GPA. Only the first 16 semester units are eligible for grade forgiveness.
2. An additional 12 semester units of coursework may be repeated for grade averaging, i.e. both the original grade and the repeat shall be calculated into the student’s total GPA.
3. Students cannot improve grades of courses taken at CSUN by repeating them at another institution. Students cannot improve grades of courses taken at another institution by repeating them at CSUN.
4. The stated limits (16 units for grade forgiveness and 12 units for grade averaging) apply only to units completed at CSU Northridge. The limits apply to all courses taken at CSUN, whether a student is matriculated or enrolled through self­-support such as Extended Learning.
5. Registration in repeated courses is limited to the Nonrestrictive and Late Registration periods and is prohibited during the Registration-­by-­Appointment period.* (see note below)
6. Undergraduate students may take an individual course no more than three times. Only one repeat per course is permitted for improving the grade, with the higher of the two grades counted in the student’s GPA. If a student enrolls in a course for a third time, the units attempted and any grade points earned will be averaged with all other grades earned for the course (except ones that were awarded grade forgiveness). On the third enrollment in a course, permission of the associate dean of the college of the student’s major (or the Director of Undergraduate Studies if the student is Undecided) is necessary.
7. Subsequent enrollment must be on the same basis of grading as the first.
8. Grade forgiveness is not applicable in courses for which the original grade was the result of a finding of academic dishonesty.
9. This policy does not pertain to repeats in courses such as Music Ensembles and Independent Study where the curriculum allows, permits or requires repeats.
10. This policy applies only to baccalaureate units, i.e., those that count toward the degree.

*In Fall 09, no student may enroll in any course for the purpose of repeating until the first day of classes. Such repeating students will need to get permission of the instructor to enroll. SOLAR will block a student’s ability to repeat enrollment in a course until the first day of classes.

(Approved 6/13/02; modified 9/18/03)

The University recognizes that undergraduate students may need to repeat one or more courses in order to fulfill degree requirements and/or enhance previously acquired skills. However, students should seek academic advisement before deciding to repeat any course.

• A maximum of 15 semester units of CSU Northridge coursework in which a student earned a “C-” or lower grade may be repeated for the purpose of “excluding grades” (or "grade forgiveness") from the computation of a student’s overall GPA. Only the first 15 semester units repeated are eligible for grade forgiveness. All subsequent repeats will be averaged into the student’s total GPA.
• Registration in repeated courses is restricted to the extended and late registration periods and is prohibited during the priority registration period.
• Subsequent enrollment must be on the same basis of grading as the first.
• Only one repeat per course is permitted for the purpose of improving the grade. Grades assigned as part of a disciplinary action may not be forgiven.
• The higher of the two grades is counted in the student’s grade point average. The lower grade is "forgiven" from GPA computation, but both grades appear on the student’s permanent record (transcript).
• Students may not improve grades of courses taken at other institutions by repeating them at CSU Northridge, nor may students improve grades of courses taken at CSU Northridge by repeating them elsewhere.
• Excess Enrollment: On the third or subsequent enrollment in a course, permission of the associate dean of the college is necessary.
• This policy does not pertain to repeats in courses such as Music Ensembles and Independent Study where the curriculum allows, permits or requires repeats.

Note: Students should be aware that other institutions (e.g., medical schools, graduate programs, law schools) might use the forgiven grades in grade point computations.

All petitions for waiver of any of the established requirements for graduation with honors shall be sent to the department of the student’s major for recommendation, and then forwarded to the Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Studies for final approval. No action will be taken by Undergraduate Studies without a positive recommendation from the chair of the student's major department in keeping with departmental policies and procedures, as appropriate.

Students who receive a third disqualification may reapply to the University after a minimum waiting period of five years. Students must provide evidence that demonstrates acquired skills or achievements that support a successful return to the University. Students reinstated to the University must meet each semester all criteria established by the University for continued enrollment of readmitted previously disqualified students until both their cumulative total GPA and CSUN GPA return to 2.0. Those who fail to do so will receive a final disqualification and will be given no further opportunities for readmission

Students who have been academically disqualified, but who are readmitted to the University under terms of probation with an Academic Performance Agreement are allowed to continue to enroll in subsequent semesters only if they earn a GPA of 2.00 or higher each semester until both their cumulative total GPA and CSUN GPA return to 2.0.

Departments may offer a major and a minor to the same student, or more than one minor to the same student only if the major and minor(s) are associated with different academic  degree programs. Exceptions to this policy require the approval of the Educational Policies Committee.

A student who receives graduating-senior registration priority twice and who does not graduate will not receive graduating-senior registration priority a third time and will return to senior registration priority status. This policy will take effect one year after approval by the Senate and the President.

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A. Document Retention Timeframes:

Faculty shall retain the final examination and other materials, including materials in an electronic form, which contribute to the student's final grade, and which are not returned to the student or otherwise not made available in class to the student, in accordance with the following timeframes:

1. Spring Semester: Materials from the spring semester will be retained until the end of the first week of the following spring semester.
2. Summer Term: Materials from the summer term will be retained until the end of the first week of the following spring semester.
3. Fall Semester: Materials from the fall semester will be retained until the end of the first week of the following fall semester.
4. Winter Intersession: Materials from the winter intersession will be retained until the end of the first week of the following fall semester.

When a faculty member has received notice as to the filing of an academic grievance or grade appeal from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, all related course materials, including materials in an electronic form, shall be retained until the case is resolved.

B. Student’s Responsibility:

It is the student’s responsibility to pick up from the faculty materials that have been made available to students in class.

C. Departing Faculty:

Departments are encouraged to collect from departing faculty all materials as specified above, including materials in an electronic form, which contribute to the student’s final grade and retain such materials for a period consistent with the time frames provided above.

When representing the university in official curriculum-related, university-approved activities requires a student to miss classes, faculty are expected to provide, within reason, opportunity to make up any work or exams that are missed.

To be eligible for such accommodation, the student is obligated to provide the instructor of the class with written documentation signed by the faculty, staff member or administrator supervising the activity, giving specific information concerning the activity, its location, and the dates and times when class attendance is not possible. This documentation must be submitted to the instructor during the first week of the semester or as soon as the information becomes known.

Instructors may set limits on the number of classes that may be missed for which special accommodation to make up missed work will be allowed. The process for making up missed class work is the prerogative of the instructor and shall be communicated to the affected students during the first week of classes or as soon as the need for accommodation becomes known.

For the purposes of this policy, if a question arises as to which events meet the definition of “official curriculum-related, university-approved activities” the determination shall be made by the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies. Absence from class for official curriculum-related, university-approved activities does not relieve students from responsibility for any part of the course work required during the period of absence.

University sponsors of these activities have an obligation to respect the importance of regular class attendance for successful academic performance and to minimize the number of such absences. Instructional faculty have an obligation to respect the importance of such student participation, and to assist student participants in meeting their academic obligations.

1. Initial Approval

1. Experimental topics courses being proposed for the first time will be reviewed with greater scrutiny than may have been necessary in the past at the School level. Since the School level review may be the final review these courses receive, School committees should apply a University perspective to the review process with a focus on the criteria utilized by EPC and GSC for curriculum approval.
2. Course approved previously and not subsequently rescinded may be taught without formal review up to four times or during a six-year period, whichever comes first. Departments should include a list of previously offered classes to the school and in further circulations, noting the date of the initial course offering and the number of times the course has been offered.
3. As of Fall 2003, Experimental Topics Courses will be barred from inclusion in General Education.

2. University Circulation

Following school level approval, a list of proposed courses, which includes the course number, title, description, and extension of the appropriate department contact person will be distributed to the following: all members of EPC and/or GSC; A VP' s for Academic Programs and GRIP; and Associate Deans. It is the responsibility of the Associate Deans to review the list and initiate further circulation to departments where there is no potential for overlap.

3. Review

A complete copy of the proposed course outline will be provided at the request of any faculty member or administrator. Attempts should be made informally to answer questions and resolve disputes. Courses lacking concurrence following informal discussion will be reviewed by EPC and/or GSC. At the request of committee chairs, Associate Deans, or the A VP' s, specific courses shall be placed on the agenda ofEPC and/or GSC. All experimental topics courses which exceed the four time or six year limitation in addition to disputed courses will be reviewed by EPC and/or GSC.

4. Approval

If no request for formal EPC/GSC review of a course has been made by the date established for completion of "informal review of questions/disputes" listed below, the experimental course will be approved for offering based on the School level review and approval.

5. Proposed Calendar

Dates are determined by the publication cycle of the Schedule of Classes. This policy will be forwarded to the Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Studies and the Associate Vice President of Graduate, Research, and International Studies, and to the Associate School of Deans for dissemination to their schools. This policy is effective immediately.

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(Approved 6/13/02; modified 9/18/03)

The University recognizes that undergraduate students may need to repeat one or more courses in order to fulfill degree requirements and/or enhance previously acquired skills. However, students should seek academic advisement before deciding to repeat any course.

• A maximum of 15 semester units of CSU Northridge coursework in which a student earned a “C-” or lower grade may be repeated for the purpose of “excluding grades” (or "grade forgiveness") from the computation of a student’s overall GPA. Only the first 15 semester units repeated are eligible for grade forgiveness. All subsequent repeats will be averaged into the student’s total GPA.
• Registration in repeated courses is restricted to the extended and late registration periods and is prohibited during the priority registration period.
• Subsequent enrollment must be on the same basis of grading as the first.
• Only one repeat per course is permitted for the purpose of improving the grade. Grades assigned as part of a disciplinary action may not be forgiven.
• The higher of the two grades is counted in the student’s grade point average. The lower grade is "forgiven" from GPA computation, but both grades appear on the student’s permanent record (transcript).
• Students may not improve grades of courses taken at other institutions by repeating them at CSU Northridge, nor may students improve grades of courses taken at CSU Northridge by repeating them elsewhere.
• Excess Enrollment: On the third or subsequent enrollment in a course, permission of the associate dean of the college is necessary.
• This policy does not pertain to repeats in courses such as Music Ensembles and Independent Study where the curriculum allows, permits or requires repeats.

Note: Students should be aware that other institutions (e.g., medical schools, graduate programs, law schools) might use the forgiven grades in grade point computations.

View full policy

To place in all Upper Division GE course syllabi a statement that informs students that the course is an Upper Division GE course and that it requires completion of writing assignments totaling a minimum of 2,500 words.

Summary of Supporting Reasons:

In the interest of accurately informing students at the beginning of the semester about important course requirements, EPC recommends that syllabi for all Upper Division GE courses inform students about the writing requirement stated in the Catalog.

The recommendation to inform students about the writing requirement in Upper Division GE courses was made after EPC reviewed syllabi for these courses. The review revealed that a significant number of syllabi neither informed students about the writing requirement nor contained the requisite writing assignments.

1. Students are expected to attend all class meetings.
2. Students who are absent from the first two meetings of a class that meets more than once a week, or from the first meeting of a class that meets once a week, lose the right to remain on the class roll UNLESS the instructor is notified that the absence is temporary. Students who have lost the right to remain in the class must FORMALLY WITHDRAW from the class, following university procedures and deadlines. Failure to formally withdraw from a class will result in the instructor assigning to the student a grade of "U" which, in computing a student's grade point average, counts as a grade of "F." If no instructor was assigned to the course, students who will be temporarily absent from the course must notify the Department Chair.

The subcommittee recommends the elimination of "special probation" because it believes that in most cases it hurts, rather than helps, students. This recommendation is also supported by action of the Associate Deans, March 16, 2001. The subcommittee notes that the reasons for instituting "special probation"- the inability for Admissions and Records to post Fall grades early enough for students to enroll in community college courses - no longer constitute a barrier for students. In fact, by allowing disqualified students to enroll again immediately without intervention leading to changes in academic behavior, the policy contributes to student failure. Historically more than half of these students are disqualified again at the end of the Spring semester, with increased academic deficiency, and in most cases, increased federal debt.

The University recognizes that undergraduate students may need to repeat one or more courses in order to fulfill degree requirements and/or enhance previously acquired skills. Students should seek academic advisement before deciding to repeat any course. Course repeats fall into two categories, repeats with and without forgiveness. With grade forgiveness, the higher of the first two grades is counted in the student's grade point average. The lower grade is "forgiven" from GP A computation, but both grades appear on the student's permanent record (transcript). Students should be aware that other institutions (e.g., medical schools, graduate programs, law schools) might use the forgiven grades in grade point computations. Without grade forgiveness, all grades earned are used in computing the grade point average.

When a course is taken for the purpose of grade forgiveness, the following apply:

1. A maximum of 15 semester units of CSU Northridge coursework may be repeated for the purpose of grade forgiveness. The first 15 semester units repeated that are eligible for grade forgiveness will be the units (courses) used for grade forgiveness.
2. When a course is repeated for the purpose of grade forgiveness, the subsequent enrollment must be on the same basis of grading as the first.
3. Only one repeat per course is permitted for the purpose of grade forgiveness.
4. Grade forgiveness is restricted to grades of C- or lower.
5. Grades assigned as part of disciplinary procedures shall not be forgiven.
6. Students may not improve by grade forgiveness grades of courses taken at other institutions by repeating them at CSU Northridge, nor may students improve by grade forgiveness grades of courses taken at CSU Northridge by repeating them elsewhere.

Justification for Repeat Policy Changes:

The current policy imposes an undue cost on both students and the University by allowing unlimited repeats of courses, especially those with grades of C or better. The present limit of 15 units for grade forgiveness will remain. However, beyond this, the University consumes a substantial amount of resources to serve students taking the same course a second or even third time to improve their grade point average. It is estimated that this cost approaches 20 faculty positions per year, 8 attributable to the College of Business Administration and Economics alone.

Imposing a limitation on repeats, particularly requiring permission for a third enrollment, will result in students addressing the prerequisite issues associated with their poor performance in a course rather than merely re-enrolling with no change in preparation or behavior. (It should be noted that this policy does not pertain to repeats in those courses such as Music Ensembles where the curriculum allows, permits or requires repeats.)

Superseded by Senate Policy 03-1, approved 3/25/03.

The B.A. Special Major is designed to meet the academic needs of students whose educational goals do not fit within the framework of existing majors and cannot be met within the 124 unit minimum by combining existing majors. The following guidelines established by the Educational Policies Committee will govern the B.A. Special Major.

Guidelines for the Special Major Program:

1. The Special Major cannot be used simply to bypass normal graduation requirements. nor as an alternative to the completion of the degree requirements for a program in which the student is in academic difficulty.
2. Regularly matriculated students who meet the following minimum academic requirements may apply for admission to the program:
   1. all developmental work must be completed
   2. the student must have and maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.5
3. The Special Major must reflect a carefully structured interdisciplinary program. normally involving three disciplines in recognition of the fact that interdisciplinary educational goals involving only two disciplines can usually be met by combining a major and minor.
4. Minimum requirements for a Special Major will be a program of at least 24 upper division semester units recommended by the student's Special Major Advising Committee prior to the undertaking of the program.
5. One discipline. normally that with the largest number of units specified in the program, is to be designated as the principal area of concentration. and the department offering this discipline will serve as the student's primary advising base.
6. Neither lower division nor upper division courses applied to General Education, or to the requirements in American history and ideals, and state and local government will be applicable toward minimum requirements of the Special Major.
7. The Special Major will consist of a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 66 semester units.
8. The Special Major is normally not available as a part of a "double major," nor is it available to students pursuing a second bachelor's degree.

Procedures for Applying for B.A. Special Major Program:

1. Students will formally request admission to a B.A. Special Major program from the Office of Undergraduate Studies, citing academic and professional reasons. Students deemed eligible for a Special Major will be assigned a faculty advisor to prepare an appropriate program of study.
2. A student who has completed 80 semester units will normally not be eligible for the Special Major. However. transfer students with more than 80 semester units, if previously enrolled in a B.A. Special Major program at another (CSU) campus, may, with approval by the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies be admitted to CSU Northridge's B.A. Special Major program.
3. The Coordinator of the Special Major Program will appoint a Special Major Advising Committee made up of the chairs of those departments involved or their designees and schedule a meeting with the applicant and the Committee to determine the Special Major program of studies. Once approved by the chairs of the departments involved. the program becomes the official contract for the student's Special Major. Any substitutions or waivers must be agreed to by both the department involved and the program director.
4. Degree titles posted to transcripts must conform to existing titles for majors. minors and options approved by the faculty.
5. No request for a B.A. Special Major will be approved until student records have been received and evaluated by the Office of Undergraduate Studies.
6. Final approval for admission to the B.A. Special Major program must be obtained from the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies.

(2) Upper Division Writing Requirement

The University has implemented the Trustee Policy for the Writing Skills Requirement for all upper division students who will graduate Spring 1982 or thereafter in the following manner:

1. Students who have completed 56 units and have met the lower division writing requirement shall be required to take an essay examination.
2. Undergraduate students are encouraged to take the Writing Proficiency Examination (WPE) as early as possible after (a) above has been met, but must take the WPE no later than the semester in which 90 units are completed. Students who have not taken the WPE by the completion of 90 units may have an advisement hold placed on their subsequent registration(s).
3. Students who fail shall be permitted to repeat the examination. Subsequent attempts, however, shall be permitted only after the students have taken further steps to improve their writing deficiencies, such as completion of an appropriate course in writing.
4. The examination shall consist of an essay on an assigned topic evaluated by the faculty.
5. The criteria of evaluation shall include (1) a demonstration of analytic skills, (2) effective organization, (3) use of relevant concrete detail, proper use of English grammar, diction, and mechanics.
6. Administrations of the examination will be announced in the Schedule of Classes as well as in other official publications, such as @csun.edu and the Sundial.
7. The examination will be scheduled at least five times within the academic year.
8. Registration cards are available at Student Financial Services and the Testing Office.
9. Certification of graduation writing competence shall be transferable from one CSU campus to another.

With the approval of EPC, the faculty of a major may stipulate that three units of the required curriculum of the major satisfies three units in an appropriate section of lower division General Education. These three units are in addition to any existing double counting a major may have. All double counting shall be reviewed as part of a department's regular periodic review.

1. Double counting occurs when:
   1. a course specified in a major is also an approved GE course and the major allows the course to be applied towards GE (also referred to as "overlapping courses");
   2. a course specified in a major is not an approved GE course but contains content similar to an existing GE course and the major wishes to allow the course to count toward both the major and GE;
   3. a major feels a combination of courses required within the major is equivalent to a particular GE experience but not at the one-to-one level required by (b) above (also referred to as "GE waivers").
2. The regular periodic review is typically the departmental Program review, conducted every five years. Program reviews involving certification by off-campus organizations are usually conducted every three-six years.

1. All Basic Subjects courses will be completed by students within their first 60 units. All first-time freshmen will have mandatory advisement starting with their initial enrollment at the university and continuing each semester until the completion of Basic Subjects. To implement this policy and ensure that students maintain continuous enrollment in Basic Subjects, they shall be placed on TIR hold until they have completed all Basic Subjects courses.
2. All students will enroll in the appropriate writing and mathematics courses as advised until they complete GE writing or math within the first four semesters or 60 units, whichever comes first.
3. Students will enroll either simultaneously or within two consecutive semesters in GE oral communication and GE writing.
4. Students will enroll in GE critical reasoning after completing GE math (within their first 60 units).

Each of three upper-division required GE courses should be designated writing-intensive. In each such course, students would be required to complete writing assignments totaling a minimum of 2,500 words.

Certification of General Education Courses: EPC shall establish general guidelines for certification of lower- and upper-division General Education curricula, and criteria for inclusion of courses within the various sections of General Education. Criteria for interdisciplinary courses may allow their inclusion in more than one section of General Education.

Existing General Education courses are considered certified until assessed and reviewed for recertification at the time their General Education section comes up for periodic review. Once the guidelines and criteria are approved, EPC will create a review calendar. Departments/Programs shall provide evidence that their courses meet EPC-approved objectives for General Education. Failure to do so will result in decertification.

Students are expected to declare their major by the conclusion of the semester in which they complete 60 units. Each semester. any student who has not declared his/her major and has completed 60 units toward the degree, will be required to obtain academic advisement at the Advising Resource Center/EOP. Until a student has obtained such advisement, he/she will not be able to register through TTR.

This policy will be included in the next edition of the Cal State Northridge Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog and is effective with the Spring 1996 semester.

To allow students to add and drop classes during the first week of a semester through Touch Tone Registration; to allow students to drop classes through Touch Tone Registration during the second week of a semester; to allow students to add classes during the second and third weeks of a semester through instructor approval on the Change of Program form.

This policy will be included in the next edition of the CSUN Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog, and is effective with the Spring 1996 semester.

A medical withdrawal usually constitutes complete withdrawal from the university for the academic period in question. In cases where medical evidence and the specific physical demands and environment of the classes overwhelmingly support withdrawal from only a portion of a student's program of study, partial withdrawals will be permitted. Medical withdrawals will be granted solely for established medical purposes prior to a student taking final exams.

Retroactive medical withdrawals will be limited to one calendar year. Medical withdrawals due to illness in the family will be granted only if the student is needed to care for the family member.

The above change would allow the Director of the Health Center to authorize; evaluate the medical documentation, and if that documentation supports selected withdrawal, to exercise that option. During their deliberations, members of the Academic Advisement Committee noted numerous instances where complete withdrawal had not been in the best interest of either the University or the student, but the current policy had forced complete withdrawal nonetheless. Presently the university processes approximately 150 medical withdrawals a semester. The Academic Advisement Committee recommends that the Educational Policies Committee receive a yearly report that will include the number of complete and partial medical withdrawals granted.

Purpose

The purpose of assessment is to facilitate the highest quality educational experience for our students through the systematic collection and interpretation of student competencies at graduation, at defining points through the curricula (General Education and major), and at entrance. WASC requires assessment on two levels:

• the impact of programs, departments, and units in their specific context such as curriculum goals and objectives, and
• the impact of all programs and services on student learning and development.

Objectives

Assessment at California State University, Northridge has three major objectives:

• Support of curricular revision and program review: Outcomes assessment is based on curricular goals and objectives that are closely tied to applicable professional and graduate admission standards. The results of assessment, together with faculty expertise and trends in the disciplines, are the driving forces of curricular innovation.
• Creation of a culture of evidence about the impact of programs.
• Enhancement of the intellectual life in a structured way.

In order to meet WASC assessment requirements by the Spring 1998 semester, each department and program will need to develop and implement student outcomes assessment plans for every major baccalaureate program which they offer, using appropriate professional and student input. The exact method will be determined by the department/program and will differ based on the goals and objectives developed. The University will make available grants to departments for the development of assessment procedures. A major goal for our campus is to have 23 departments with assessment plans implemented by May of 1997.

A second goal will be to assess GE as soon as the new package goes into effect.

Policy

All graduating seniors should be included in outcomes assessment projects. Among the types of assessment methods that might be used are portfolios, capstone seminars, certification examinations, senior papers, or juried performances, productions, recitals, and art shows, or research projects, or supervised field-experience. Departments may have, unique to their particular subject(s), other assessment projects of this kind.

• The project must have curricular value and must be meaningful in the context of the major.
• Preferably, the project will be adapted from or included in an existing program requirement or course.
• The students will have a high-stake in the outcome of the project which can be, at the initiative of the department and, if necessary, at the approval of EPC, a graduation requirement or part of a required course.
• The project will evaluate competence in the major and relevant basic skills.
• To the extent feasible, the project should be organized to give programs and the University visibility in the community and professional world. Therefore, departments and programs are encouraged to actively seek sources outside of the University, including alumni and employees, for involvement in all stages of assessment.

Departments may develop assessment procedures under this draft policy until a formal assessment policy is in place.

Results of assessment activities should reflect on the program or department rather than individual faculty.

Results of assessment should be reported as part of the program review. They should be considered in other curricular reform projects. They can be shared with the public through appropriate media.

Initial Steps

All departments/programs will appoint/select an assessment liaison faculty member.

The Coordinator of Assessment, the Assessment Subcommittee, and the Director of Institutional Research will provide work-shops and training opportunities for liaison staff and other interested faculty.

Following the training, faculty from each department/program will begin the process of formalizing goals and skills to create the student outcomes assessment for that department/program.

Disqualification

Undergraduate students on probation will be disqualified when:

1. they are admitted or readmitted on probation and tau to meet the conditions established at the time of their admission or readmission, or
2. they have a cumulative deficiency on either their overall or CSUN record equal to or greater than the floor levels indicated below:

   Level	Grade Points
   Freshman, Sophomore (0-59 units completed)	15 grade points below a 2.00
   Juniors (60-89 units completed)	9 grade points below a 2.00
   Seniors (90 or more units completed)	6 grade points below a 2.00

   Graduate students should consult the Graduate Programs section for Information concerning Graduate disqualification.

   Undergraduate students and second baccalaureate degree candidates are restricted to a maximum of two reinstatements from disqualification. If a student receives a third disqualification they may no longer matriculate at CSU, Northridge. After a third disqualification, courses may be taken through the CSUN Open University (Extension) but these courses cannot be used to offset grade point deficiencies or meet degree requirements.

   Because of the structure of the academic year, undergraduate students and second baccalaureate degree candidates who meet the requirements tor disqualification at the conclusion of a Fall semester will be placed on "special probation" for the Spring semester. Students on "special probation" will be entitled to take classes as matriculated students for the Spring semester after they establish an Academic Performance Agreement with the Academic Standards Board. The Academic Performance Agreement may extend beyond the spring semester, but at the conclusion of the agreement, students must be at or above their 100-level. Either of the following two situations will turn a "special probation" to a disqualification and prohibit a student from taking courses in the Spring semester:

   1. failure to register tor the Spring semester
   2. failure to establish an Academic Performance Agreement with the Academic Standards Board

Without exception, the following requirement applies to ALL disqualified undergraduate students regardless of circumstances or proximity to degree: undergraduate students interested in returning to the University tor a subsequent semester must submit a formal application tor readmission and must submit all forms for consideration of reinstatement and transcripts of any college work completed In the interim. Consult the Schedule of Classes for information concerning deadline dates to submit the required readmission materials. For procedures governing reinstatement see "readmission" in the ADMISSION section.

1. Students on special probation"' who fail to reduce their grade point deficiency to the level specified by their Academic Performance Agreement during the Spring semester will be disqualified at the end of the semester.

   Undergraduate students and second baccalaureate degree candidates disqualified at the conclusion of a Spring semester will not be entitled to enroll in classes as matriculated students for the Fall semester.

The University recognizes that undergraduate students may need to repeat one or more courses in order to fulfill degree requirements and/or enhance previously acquired skills. Students should seek academic advisement before deciding to repeat any course.

A maximum of 15 semester units of CSUN course work may be repeated. Only one repeat per course is permitted for the purpose of improving the grade. The higher of the two grades is counted in the student's grade point average. The lower grade is ''forgiven" from g.p.a. computation, but both grades appear on the student's permanent record (transcript).

Students may not improve grades of courses taken at other institutions by repeating them at CSUN, nor may students improve grades of courses taken at CSUN by repeating them elsewhere.

This policy will be included in the next edition of the CSUN Undergraduate/ Graduate Catalog, and is effective with the Fall 1994 semester.

If a graduate student repeats a course, only the first grade will count in  the computation of the student's grade average. However, with prior permission of the Department Chair or designee, a graduate student may repeat, for the purpose of improving the grade, up to 6 units of credit in  which a grade of "B-" or below or a grade of "U," was achieved. In these cases only the most recent grade will count. This policy will be included in  the next edition of the CSUNUndergraduate/Graduate Catalog, and is effective immediately.

To approve the recommendation contained in the final report of the EPC Subcommittee on Honors at Graduation which states that honors at graduation be awarded to students with "45 units of letter-graded courses at CSUN with a GPA of 3.50 or above in all work at CSUN and in all undergraduate work including transfer work ."

This policy will be included in the next edition of the CSUN Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog, and is effective with the Fall 1994 semester. 

To amend the first motion contained in item IV. of the EPC minutes of March 10, 1993 to read as follows: that students are required to drop courses using Touch Tone Registration through the end of the second week of classes.

This policy will be forwarded to Admissions and Records for implementation and will become effective with the Fall 1993 semester. 

While classroom management is the province of the professor, faculty also have the responsibility to ensure that an optimal learning environment is afforded to all students in the class. Medical documentation has shown that strategically planned breaks in continuous lecture classes of two or more hours greatly reduce fatigue and physical injury to support service personnel (interpreters and note-takers) when combined with a variety of preventive measures. Students are known to perform better when given the opportunity to take mental and physical breaks from long lectures.

Continuous lecture classes that last two or more hours should incorporate a break at a predetermined time based on any number of criteria, such as content of the lecture, length of the class, and physical demand placed upon support service personnel for deaf and disabled students. Laboratory classes or classes in which the student traditionally works independently may or may not require a break, depending on the judgment of the faculty.

While no one specific formula is feasible for deciding the optimal time for a class break, a discussion between the professor and students at the start of the semester can produce a schedule that meets the needs of all involved parties. Depending on the uniqueness of each class and the demands placed upon students (and support personnel), professors should determine scheduled breaks by utilizing their own solutions or one of the following options:

1. Courses meeting two hours: one break of ten minutes between the first and second hours.
2. Courses meeting two and one-half hours: one break of fifteen minutes during the middle of the class or two breaks of ten minutes.
3. Courses meeting three hours: one break of fifteen minutes during the middle of the class or two breaks of ten minutes.
4. Courses in excess of three hours: one break of ten minutes for each hour of class time or 15 minutes for each one and one-half hour.

1. All curriculum proposals shall receive close scrutiny at the department and school levels to ensure that they are academically sound and comply with the guidelines contained in the EPC/GSC Curriculum Manual.
2. Proposals involving the following will automatically be forwarded to the appropriate university-level committee (EPC or GSC or both) for approval:
   1. general education;
   2. creating a new program or option;
   3. adding units to a program or option;
   4. lack of concurrence between schools;
   5. new courses ( undergraduate courses only)
3. In the case of proposals not covered by items 2.a, 2.b, 2.c, 2.d, or 2.e*, the following procedures will be used:
   1. Each school shall prepare a summary of curriculum proposals approved at the school level. This summary shall consist of a complete description of and justification for each proposal.
   2. The summary shall be distributed to the appropriate associate vice president, all members of the appropriate committee(s), and all associate deans. This will be done in accordance with the curriculum calendar established by EPC and GSC.
   3. An associate vice president, committee member, or associate dean may request to see any complete proposal. This request shall be made to the appropriate associate dean who shall then forward a copy of the proposal to the requester.
   4. After reviewing a complete proposal, an associate vice president, committee member, or associate dean may request additional information or clarification from the school making the proposal. This may occur, for example, when there are questions regarding use of space, resource requirements, or significant overlap of content.
   5. If the additional information does not alleviate the concerns of the associate vice president, committee member, or associate dean, that person may request that the proposal be placed on the agenda of EPC or GSC as appropriate.
   6. Proposals not appearing on an EPC or GSC agenda by a specified date will be considered tacitly approved.
4. Approved undergraduate proposals will be forwarded to the Associate Vice President of Academic Programs for signature.

*Item 2.e. applies to undergraduate courses only.

That the recommendation of the EPC Subcommittee on Declaration of Major, be amended to read as follows:

All students undecided/undeclared with 60-90 units or more will receive the following message:

If you have not declared a major by 90 units a TTR hold will be placed on your registration and you will not be able to register for any classes that semester or any subsequent semester. We recommend that you get academic advisement in the Department of the major you plan to declare or in the Counseling Center to facilitate your decision-making.

This policy will be included in the next edition of the CSUN Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog, and is effective with the Fall 1993 semester.

All students on academic probation must meet with an academic advisor each semester they are on probation.

Procedure: A TTR hold for registration will be placed on students on probation The holds will be released only after students have received academic advisement. Declared majors will receive advisement from their academic department. Undeclared majors will receive advisement in Counseling or Retention Services.

This policy will be included in the next edition of the CSUN Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog, and is effective with the Fall 1993 semester.

That Recommendation #4 contained in the document "Academic Policies to be Reviewed in Order to Increase Graduation Rates" be amended to read as follows: Students on academic probation may register for a maximum of twelve (12) units in a given semester. Additional units may be approved by students' major advisors or, in the case of Undeclared majors, the Associate Vice President for Academic Programs.

This policy will be included in the next edition of the CSUN Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog, and is effective with the Fall 1993 semester.

The University will extend early registration privileges for all continuing freshmen in ascending unit order to 30 units to facilitate their enrollment in General Education Basic Subjects courses, effective with those freshmen who being their University careers in the Fall 1993 semester.

This item will be forwarded to Admissions and Records for implementation and is effective with the Fall 1993 semester.

To better inform students about the requirements, content and methodology of each General Education course, all faculty teaching a  course in the General Education Program will distribute a  written syllabus to each student in the course. This syllabus must contain the following (not necessarily in the following order):

• Course objective(s).
• A statement describing how this course relates to and helps to fulfill the goals of the General Education Program.
• Course requirements and methods of evaluation.
• Criteria for the assignment of grades.
• A brief list or summary of topics covered.
• Other relevant information (instructor's name[s], office hours, office location, class location, etc.).

Implementation:

All students in the class will receive this syllabus.

All current syllabi, either paper or computer record, will be kept in the appropriate program, department or school office(s) and be available for purposes such as:

• External accreditation.
• Program reviews.
• Faculty curriculum committee reviews.
• General Education student advisement.

The most recent course proposals for current General Education courses should be available to faculty members for the development of course syllabi.

Nothing in this policy should be construed as prohibiting General Education syllabi from being made available to other students or to other faculty members. Nor should anything in this policy be construed as preventing the development of "common" syllabi or syllabi shared by several faculty members teaching the same course.

That the nine units of upper-division General Education must be taken in at least two section of GE without restriction of subsections.

This policy will be included in the next edition of the CSUN Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog, and is effective with the Fall 1993 semester.

1. Academic Internships shall be defined as undergraduate courses in which experience is the predominant teaching-learning mode. This faculty-approved experience shall be in organizations other than the academic departments offering the courses. These courses shall include significant involvement of students and hosts with faculty in planning, processing, and evaluating the learning resulting from these experiences. Normally, Academic Internship courses shall be at the upper division level. Upon justification by the department, however, exceptions may be granted by EPC to allow for lower division Academic Internships.
2. Academic Internships shall not include Supervised Student Teaching.
3. Academic Internship credit shall not be granted after the fact or for prior life experience.
4. The University and the participating organizations shall adhere to Affirmative Action Guidelines.
5. Academic Internships shall include the following elements:
   1. Identified relationship to the academic discipline(s) offering the course.
   2. Screening or selection procedures for students seeking to enroll in these courses, which shall be designated as restricted.
   3. An orientation to experiential learning concepts.
   4. A written learning agreement accepted by students, faculty, and host describing the activities, learning processes, and evaluation methods used in the course.
   5. In addition to activities required by the instructor, a minimum of 120 work hours per semester is expected for a three unit course. Individual courses may require work hours beyond this minimum.
   6. A mid-semester evaluation of each student and the internship experience by the instructor.
   7. Facilitation of learning by the instructor-throughout the experience, including both a written element: educational journal, reports, and/or portfolios; and a student contact element: seminars or group meetings.
   8. Academic credit shall be granted upon instructors' determination of students' learning. This process for final determination of academic credit shall be defined in the learning agreement and include contributions by student and host.
6. Departments may not offer Academic Internships under a 499 designation as Independent Study.
7. All Academic Internship courses shall be given the same number, i.e. X94, in all departments that offer them.
8. Normally, students' performances in Academic Internships shall be evaluated on a· Credit/No Credit basis. However, upon justification by the department and approval by EPC, a different basis of grading may be added (e.g., A-F, CRINC/U).
9. Normally, a student may count no more than 6 units of Academic Internship course credit toward a major. However, upon justification by the department, EPC may allow up to a total of 12 units. A student may count no more than 12 units of academic internship course credit toward a baccalaureate degree.
10. Staffing shall be at an S-F actor appropriate to the level of involvement of the course instructor. (S-36 or S-48 must include seminars and regular student contact, while S-78 may focus instructor's involvement through group meetings and written methods of communication).

This policy will be included in the next edition of the CSUN Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog. However, this policy is effective immediately.

All faculty will define the grading criteria for their courses, including whether or not the plus/minus system will be used, and present this information in  writing to all students enrolled in the course at the beginning of the semester, but no later than the second week of the semester. Any changes in the grading policy should be provided in writing to the students before such changes are implemented.

This policy will be included in the next edition of the CSUN Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog. However, this policy is effective immediately.

The Committee [EPC/GSC Joint Subcommittee on the Curriculum Process] recommends a trial procedure, for AY 1992-93, for local approval of the following selected course modifications: delete course, change basis of grading, number change at same level (lower-division, upper-division, or graduate), change of prerequisite within the same Department or Program, and course title. We also recommend that a description of the modifications, once approved by the School, be sent to all Associate Deans and the appropriate Committee members (EPC and/or GSC). The entire proposal should be sent to the appropriate Associate Vice President (ACPR/GRIP). After proposals are approved at the School level, the modifications can be circulated in a given semester between the first day of class and 30 days before the last day of classes. If there are no written objections to the selected course modifications by 30 days after their date of circulation, no further approval is required.

This policy will be forwarded to the Associate Vice President of Academic Programs and the Associate Vice President of Graduate Research and International Studies who will forward the information to the School Deans for dissemination to their schools. This is  a trial procedure for AY 1992-93 and is effective immediately.

With the purpose of exploring the feasibility Of streamlining the curriculum process, the committee proposed that the following procedures be utilized for the approval of experimental topics courses.

1. Initial Approval

1. Experimental topics courses being proposed for the first time will be reviewed with greater scrutiny than may have been necessary in the past at the School level. Since the School level review may be the final review these courses receive, School committees should apply a University perspective to the review process with a focus on the criteria utilized by EPC and GSC for curriculum approval.
2. Course approved previously and not subsequently rescinded may be taught without formal review up to four times or during a six-year period, whichever comes first. Departments should include a list of previously offered classes to the school and in further circulations, noting the date of the initial course offering and the number of times the course has been offered.

2. University Circulation

Following school level approval, a list of proposed courses. which includes the course number, title, description and extension of the appropriate department contact person will be distributed to the following: all members of EPC and/or GSC; AVP's for Academic Programs and GRIP; and Associate Deans. It is the responsibility of the Associate Deans to review the list and initiate further circulation to departments where there is potential for overlap.

3. Review

A complete copy of the proposed course outline will be provided at the request of any faculty member or administrator. Attempts should be made informally to answer questions and resolve disputes. Courses lacking concurrence following informal discussion will be reviewed by EPC and/or GSC. At the request of committee chairs, Associate Deans, or the AVP's, specific courses shall be placed on the agenda of EPC and/or GSC. All experimental topics courses submitted for General Education approval, or which exceed the four-time or six-year limitation in addition to disputed courses will be reviewed by EPC and/or GSC.

4. Approval

If no request for formal EPC/GSC review of a course has been made by the date established for the completion of "informal review of questions/disputes" listed below, the experimental course will be approved for offering based on the School level review and approval. 5. Proposed Calendar Dates are determined by the publication cycle of the Schedule of Classes.

This policy will be forwarded to the Associate Vice President of Academic Programs and the Associate Vice President of Graduate, Research and International Studies and to the Associate School Deans for dissemination to their schools. This policy is effective immediately. 

1. Reproduction and Use of Course Materials Covered by Copyright Laws
   1. Faculty Responsibilities
      1. It is the individual professional responsibility of every faculty member to comply with all existing copyright laws. (Copies of such laws, including the Fair Use Doctrine, are available in the President's Office.)
      2. The Faculty Senate periodically should seek legal counsel to obtain an authoritative and current analysis of existing copyright laws and their practical implications for faculty.
   2. The Bookstore's Responsibilities
      1. The CSU Foundation and the Matador Bookstore should comply with all existing copyright laws.
      2. The Bookstore should establish an efficient system for fulfilling the requirements necessary to legally reproduce copyrighted materials for class use. This system should be explained to the faculty, and the faculty should be provided with timely and specific instructions for its use.
2. Self-Authored Materials that Faculty Members Use in their Own Courses
   1. It is the individual professional responsibility of all faculty members to make reasonable efforts to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest that could give their students or the public served by the University reasons to question the propriety of their professional judgments.
   2. Faculty may adopt self-authored work published by a commercial or university press in which they have a personal financial interest for use in their own courses only after obtaining their Department's approval to do so in each case. Such approval should be granted only if an independent departmental peer review has determined that the level and content of the work in question is appropriate for the courses in which it will be used and that its adoption is unlikely to impose an unreasonable financial burden on students who are required to purchase it.
   3. Except under unusual circumstances, faculty should not seek or accept personal income or royalties from the sale of self-authored course materials to their own students when they arrange to have tho Foundation, Bookstore, or some other provider of copy or printing services reproduce these materials specifically for sale to their students because they require or recommend them for use in their courses. Students should not be charged more than the actual costs that may be involved in legally reproducing and distributing such materials.
   4. Departments which authorize specific course adoptions of faculty authored materials that are specially designed for use in the courses for which they are approved, and have not been published by a commercial or university press, may authorize faculty to charge a royalty which is to be deposited in a Department fund used to benefit students. Such royalties may not exceed 5% of the cost of reproducing and distributing the course materials involved.

This section is intended to help students acquire a greater understanding of themselves as functioning beings throughout their lifelong development. Courses in this section should be designed to help students improve their ability to respond to questions of individual or collective choice that may affect their physical, psychological, or social well-being and that are likely to arise in the course of their personal, professional, or social lives. These courses should provide students with appropriate methods for identifying, analyzing, and evaluating situations and behaviors relevant to their development as integrated, well-rounded individuals. Courses may fulfill the goals of this section by providing students with appropriate physical, affective, and/or social activities and experiences.

Level	Description
1-99	Courses which carry no credit toward a degree or credential. Generally remedial or subcollegiate-level in content.
100-199	Lower division, introductory courses which constitute the beginning of college work in a major or in general education and which require no previous college experience. Open to upper division students.
200-299	Lower division course of freshman and sophomore level. Open to upper division students. Constitute intermediate step between beginning and advanced work in a given field; general education courses which require previous college experience; courses which develop advanced skills; courses with specific prerequisites.
300-399	Upper division courses, normally taken by junior and senior students, which do not give credit toward a master's degree. Sophomore students may enroll in 300 level courses, but freshmen may not without special permission. Advanced courses constructed upon lower division work; traditional survey courses whose breadth tends to preclude depth; upper division prerequisites to specialized work in a major; general education courses for upper division students; core courses in professional education; the highest number for courses primarily concerned with development of skills. These courses normally constitute the bulk of upper division course offerings.
400-499	Upper division courses which may, with approval, give credit toward a master's degree if taken as a post-graduate. Limited to more advanced courses, normally taken by senior and graduate students, which have content that requires a high degree of intellectual maturity on the part of the student. Should also meet one or more of the following specific criteria: (a) have specific prerequisites at the 100-200-level; (b) be supported by a substantial body of 100-300-level offerings from which a student could normally be expected to gain adequate background for the 400-level course; (c) be restricted in scope, aiming at depth rather than breadth.
500-599	Courses intended primarily for graduate students which may be taken by advanced undergraduate students for baccalaureate credit. Content requires significant independent thinking on the part of the student and offers opportunity for research. Should also meet one or more of the following criteria: (a) have specific prerequisites at the 400 level; (b) be supported by a substantial body of 300-400-level offerings from which a student could normally be expected to gain adequate background for the 500-level course; (c) be especially designed for a graduate curriculum (e.g., an introductory course to current topics in the field).
600-699	Courses limited to graduate students. Intended mainly for masters and credential programs; may be taken as part of a doctoral degree with approval.
700-799	Courses limited to graduate students. Intended mainly for doctoral programs; may be taken as part of a master's degree with appropriate approval.
800-899	Courses specifically designed for professional groups seeking vocational improvement or career advancement. Credit for these courses does not apply to degrees or credentials at this university.
"S" way	Courses offered during special sessions only, but which have received approval by of' the same channels as regular session courses.
"IS" Suffix	Regular courses, at any level, may be offered as individual study courses when there is not sufficient enrollment to oft'er them as regular courses. Such courses will carry the normal course number followed by the "IS" suffix.

Students who have completed a CSUN-sponsored study abroad program of at least one semester duration will be exempt from the F.2 requirement (International Cross-Cultural Studies) of the General Education Program. No unit credit will be given. Students will need to complete the number of units required for the baccalaureate degree.

In an academic minor program, a minimum of 6 units of upper division work must be take in residence at CSUN.

Undergraduate students on probation will be disqualified when:

1. they are admitted or readmitted on probation and fail to meet the conditions established at the time of their admission or readmission, or
2. they have a cumulative deficiency on either their overall or CSUN record equal to or greater than the floor levels indicated below:

Freshman/Sophomores (0-59 units completed): 15 grade points below a 2.0 average.
Juniors (60-89 units completed): 9 grade points below a 2.0 average.
Seniors (90 or more units completed): 6 grade points below a 2.0 average.

Students who are on probation or who have not completed academic disqualification readmission requirements may not enroll in 499 courses. The maximum number of units of credit in 499 courses that may be counted toward the baccalaureate degree is six units in a major and three additional units outside the major.

1. Academic Internships shall be defined as upper division courses in which experience is the predominant teaching-learning mode. This faculty-approved experience shall be in organizations other than the academic departments offering the courses. These courses shall include significant involvement of students and hosts with faculty in planning, processing and evaluating the learning resulting from these experiences.
2. Academic Internships shall not include Supervised Student Teaching.
3. Academic Internship credit shall not be granted after the fact or for prior life experience.
4. The University and the participating organizations shall adhere to Affirmative Action Guidelines.
5. Academic Internships shall include the following elements:
   1. Identified relationship to the academic discipline(s) offering the course.
   2. Screening or selection procedures for students seeking to enroll in these courses. which shall be designated as restricted.
   3. An orientation to experiential learning concepts.
   4. A written learning agreement accepted by student. faculty, and host describing the activities. learning processes. and evaluation methods used in the course.
   5. In addition to activities required by the instructor, a minimum of 120 work hours per semester is expected for a three unit course. Individual courses may require work hours beyond this minimum.

The criteria for the Honors Program in General Education are amended to read as follows:

1. 18 units of Honors courses
2. 3.0 GPA in the Honors courses
3. 3.0 GPA overall in General Education courses taken at CSUN

That for Fall 1987 only, grades will be due five working days after the final examination, but no later than 12 noon of the last working day before the Christmas Holiday (December 24. 1987).

To remove the Audit grade from the grading symbols available for regular courses taken at this University.

To eliminate Audit at the graduate level.

Students are required to register for and take the English Placement Test (EPT) by the end of their first semester on campus, unless they receive an exemption.

That students must complete the lower division writing requirement no later than the semester in which 45 units are completed. Transfer students with more than 35 units, who have not completed the lower division writing requirement, must do so within the first semester of residence.

Students are required to register for and take the Entry Level Mathematics Test (ELM) by the end of their first semester, unless they receive an exemption.

1. Reduce the number of units of Credit that may be applied toward the bachelor's degree from 30 to 18.
2. Exclude courses used to satisfy General Education requirements and Title V requirements from this option.
3. Grant undergraduate students the right, up to the end of the third week of classes, to elect the Credit/No Credit option.
4. Articulate with the local community colleges on these changes.
5. Implement the new policy with students entering in the 1986-87 catalog (if EPC and the Faculty Senate approve in time). Permit all students, regardless of date of entrance, to elect the Credit/No Credit grading option without permission of the instructor up to the end of the third week of classes beginning in Fall 1986.
6. Impress upon the faculty the importance of maintaining the value of the grade of Credit, for undergraduates, as the equivalent of C or better.
7. Revise the statement in the footnote of the catalog, page 65, so that students are given clearer warning that an increasing number of graduate and professional schools are lowering the value of Credit grades.

It is the policy of the University to require academic advisement of students on probation at the end of the Spring Semester who have completed 59 units or less. The advisement must be completed by December 1.

It shall be the policy of California State University, Northridge that no student shall be permitted to enroll simultaneously in any two or more classes meeting during the same time period.

To receive honors at graduation, a student must:

1. Complete a minimum of 54 units of work in letter-graded courses in this University;
2. Earn a grade point average of 3.50 or above in all work taken in this University;
3. Earn the following grade point average in all undergraduate courses, including transfer work:

Summa Cum Laude: GPA of 3.90 or above
Magna Cum Laude: GPA of 3.75 to 3.89
Cum Laude: GPA of 3.50 to 3.74

Honors programs are offered in the Departments of English, Physics, and Political Science. Specific information is available in departmental offices.

The University recognizes that an undergraduate student may need to repeat courses in order to fulfill degree requirements and rejuvenate previously acquired skills. A student may repeat courses in order to improve his/her grade point average, but University policy provides that a course maybe repeated only once for the purpose of excluding a grade.

Repetition of a course for the purpose of excluding a grade:

When a course is repeated for the purpose of excluding a grade, the subsequent enrollment must be on the same basis of grading as the first. The higher grade will be used in the calculation but both grades will appear on the student's permanent record (transcript). While there is no time limit for repeating a course, the student's permanent record may not be altered after a degree has been granted.

Type l

A student may repeat a course, without prior departmental approval, if both courses are taken at CSUN. Type I repeats are automatically recorded on the permanent record at the end of each semesterIf the original grade is an "incomplete," it will be converted to a "fail" on the permanent record before the repeated course grade is recorded and calculated into the grade point average. (SeeCSUN catalog "Incomplete Grades.")

Type II

If a student wishes to improve the grade of a course which was taken at another institution, he/she may do so by enrolling in an equivalent course at CSUN.The student must obtain the approval of the department in which the course is taught before enrolling in the course. Students requesting a Type II repeat must obtain the appropriate form at the Student Information Center in the lobby of the Administration Building. The form must be completed and returned to the Student Information Center. An official transcript from the institution where the original course was taken must be submitted, along with the form, to the Student Information Center.

NOTE: A course taken at another institution may NOT be used to exclude a grade in a course taken at CSUN.

Excessive Enrollment: If a student enrolls in a course beyond catalog limitations (see catalog), units earned will NOT be counted toward the baccalaureate degree. The units attempted and any grade points, however, will be averaged with the student's other grades.

A postbaccalaureate student who holds a recognized bachelor's degree from an accredited institution may pursue a program leading to a second bachelor's degree. The major may not be the same as the previously awarded degree. All students are urged to consult with a department advisor to determine whether a second bachelor's or a graduate program better meets their needs.

1. CSUN GRADUATE SEEKING SECOND BACHELOR'S DEGREE. CSUN graduates must:
   1. Complete a minimum of 24 upper-division units in residence at CSUN since completion of the most recent degree, of which at least 12 units must be in the major. Completion of the major may require more than 12 units;
   2. complete the California State University General Education requirements (including 9 upper-division units selected from three different sections of General Education) or the approved equivalent;
   3. complete the Upper Division Writing Proficiency requirement;
   4. complete all units required in the major. Graduate level courses (500 series) may not be applied toward second bachelor degree requirements, nor can coursework taken to meet the second bachelor's degree apply toward a master's degree;
   5. maintain a minimum grade-point average of 2.0 in the major and 2.0 in all units attempted at CSUN since the awarding of the last degree;
   6. file an undergraduate application for graduation and diploma.
2. TRANSFER GRADUATE SEEKING SECOND BACHELOR'S DEGREE AT CSUN. (First degree completed elsewhere, second at CSUN). Students seeking a second bachelor's degree from CSUN, after having received a baccalaureate degree from another accredited institution, must:
   1. complete at least 30 units in residence at CSUN since completion of the first bachelor's degree, including 24 upper division units and at least 12 units in the major. Completion of the major may require more than 12 units;
   2. complete the California State University General Education requirements (including 9 upper-division units selected from three different sections of General Education) or the approved equivalent;
   3. complete the Title V requirements in American History, Institutions and Ideals, Constitution of the United States, and State and Local Government;
   4. complete the Upper Division Writing Proficiency requirement;
   5. complete all units required in the major. Graduate level courses (500 series) may not be applied toward second bachelor degree requirements, nor can coursework taken to meet the second bachelor's degree apply toward a master's degree;
   6. maintain a minimum grade-point average of 2.0 in the major and 2.0 in all units attempted at CSUN since the awarding of the last degree;
   7. file an undergraduate application for graduation and diploma.

NOTE: The bachelor degree programs in certain areas are impacted. Admission to these programs is restricted to residents of California and is based on the completion of specific admission criteria. For more information consult the Chair of the program in question.

Prior to the end of the second week of classes, an instructor may, by following appropriate procedures, initiate a formal drop for students who:

1. have not attended the first two class meetings, and
2. have not, by the end of the second class meeting, advised the instructor (or the department chair, if no instructor was assigned to the course in advance) that their absence is temporary.

It is the responsibility of the student to make sure that his/her drop has been officially recorded. Continued absence from the class may yield a grade of "U".Students who are in doubt as to whether or not a faculty member has dropped them from a class roll should file their own drop from the class.

While it is the student's responsibility to drop classes, the University may withdraw a student, within the first three weeks, from a course if he or s he fails to meet the prerequisite or other requirements as indicated in the current catalog. These prerequisites include:

1. Completion of prior coursework.
2. Passing of qualifying examinations.
3. Class year standing.
4. Admission to or special requirements of special programs such as Honors or Credential.
5. Completion of prior coursework with a required minimum credit.
6. Consent of instructor.

Such an Administrative Withdrawal may be initiated only by the Associate Dean of the School, upon the recommendation from the instructor.

1. To reorganize Section A (Basic Subjects) to include the following subsections:
   1. Written Composition
   2. Critical Reasoning
   3. Mathematics
   4. Oral Communication
2. To increase the minimum number of units required in General Education from 51 to 52 units, distributed as follows:
   1. Section A: (Basic Subjects) 12 units
   2. Section B: (Social Sciences) 9 units
   3. Section C: (Natural Sciences) 9 units
   4. Section D: (Humanities) 9 units
   5. Section E: (Applied Arts and Sciences) 4 units
   6. Section F: (Comparative Cultural Studies ) 9 units
3. To place the foreign languages option presently in Section A (A-3, Option A) in Section F. Students may apply 3 units of foreign languages to either F-2 (International cross-cultural studies) or F-3 (Intra-national cross-cultural studies), but not to both.

Academic dishonesty defrauds all those who depend upon t he integrity of university courses and is a serious offense covered by Section 41301, Title 5, of the California Administrative Code. This section of the Code is published in the University Catalog,Schedule of Classes, and the Student Handbook. A student may be expelled, suspended, or given a less severe disciplinary sanction for dishonesty, which is defined as:

1. Cheating. Using unauthorized in formation in any academic exercise.
2. Fabrication. Falsifying or inventing any information or citation in an academic exercise.
3. Plagiarism. Representing the work, words or ideas of another as one's own.
4. Facilitating Academic Dishonesty. Knowingly helping or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic dishonesty.

STUDENT EVALUATION AND DISCIPLINE FOR DISHONESTY

Evaluation of student performance is the exclusive province of the faculty. The faculty have the responsibility to make reasonable efforts to guarantee that work is done by the student who is to receive credit for its completion. More specifically, examinations should be appropriately proctored or monitored to prevent students from copying or exchanging information; examinations and answers to examination questions should be secured in a way that students cannot have prior access to them; the authenticity of quotations and references should be reviewed to assure the faculty member that proper credit is given for ideas and information taken from other sources, etc. Having carried out these responsibilities--if, in the faculty member's opinion, there is evidence of academic dishonesty on the part of a student, it is the faculty member's responsibility to take action against the student. A faculty member is encouraged to report incidences to the Dean of Students Office because a student may engage in dishonest behavior in courses in several schools or departments. If the reports of alleged misconduct do not 'reach one central office repeated offenses may go undetected. The Dean of Students Office will notify the student if a report is received.

Depending upon the severity of the offenses the faculty member

1. May assign a lower or failing grade to an assignment, examination, or the entire course. Incases in which the faculty member assigns a lower final grade in the course the faculty member must inform the student that academic dishonesty was a factor in the evaluation and that the student may file an appeal with the StudentGrievance and Grade Appeals Board. (Forms are available in the Faculty President's Office.)The faculty member s hall also inform the student that a report is being forwarded to the Dean of Students Office.At the re-quest of a department chair or school dean, the Dean of Students Office shall make appropriate information available to them.
2. May request disciplinary action against the student. Student Discipline i s exclusively  the province of the Dean of Students Office. A Student Conduct Code Violation Report may be requested from the Assistant Dean of Students, Coordinator of Student Discipline (Ext. 2391) or it is available in the department or school office. The Co-ordinator of Student Discipline is empowered to investigate all instances of academic dishonesty. The cases are re-solved either through an appropriate action accept ed by the student o r through a disciplinary hearing. At the request of a department chair or school dean, the Dean of Students Office shall make appropriate information available to them.

Except for classes meeting once a  week, the days following the last day of formal Instruction and before the beginning of examinations shall be considered review days. No new material shall be Introduced, and no quizzes or examinations of any kind shall be administered on these days.

Review sessions may be conducted on review days at the regularly scheduled class time with the mutual agreement of the instructor and class. However, if classes do not meet for such reviews, faculty shall be available in their class-rooms or offices during the regularly scheduled class and office hours.

For the purpose of clarity, the following definition of terms used in these policy recommendations shall apply:

• "Double Counting"-using a course to satisfy a General Education or Title V requirement when the course is required in the student's major and is also in the discipline of the major
• "Waiver"-exempting a student from any of the 57 units in the G.E. program and Title V
• "Substitution"-using a course to satisfy a G.E. or Title V requirement when the course is not listed in the G.E. program or under the Title V requirements
• "Substitution-in-lieu-of-waiver"-a substitution which has the effect of reducing the unit-sum of the requirements in the three areas-General Education plus Title V plus major -below what it would be without the substitution.

Policy

1. Double counting, waivers or substitutions-in-! leu-of-waivers (whether in the General Education program or the Title V requirement as presently constituted) will only rarely be permitted in General Education. Major programs which currently cannot accommodate the 51 units of General Education and the 6 units of Title V requirements without exceeding the legally allowable number of units for the baccalaureate degree shall be required to submit, during the next curriculum cycle, revised programs which do not contain any cases of double counting, waivers, and substitutions-in-lieu-of-waivers; or, shall submit prior to the end of the Fall semester justification demonstrating the unusual circumstances and the necessity of making a rare exception.
2. As a general principle, substitutions are not permissible in General Education. However, there may be exceptions where it can be demonstrated that a higher level of course work in a particular discipline is more appropriate and rewarding for students in a given major than the lower choice(s) listed in the General Education program. EPC shall deal with such exceptions on an individual basis.
3.  
   1. Courses available for General Education credit, and required in a major but which are not in the discipline of the major, will carry credit both in the major and in General Education.
   2. Courses taken within the discipline of the major will not be considered as meeting requirements in General Education, except that courses available for General Education credit, and which are required in the majors of Chicano Studies, Pan-African Studies, or Liberal Studies, will carry credit both in the major and in General Education.
   3. Courses available for the satisfaction of Title V requirements, and which satisfy requirements in the Liberal Studies major, will satisfy both requirements.
   4. Courses available for General Education credit in Section A (Basic Subjects), and which are required in a major, will carry credit both in the major and in General Education.

1. Submission of courses for inclusion in the new General Education Program: To limit the number of courses to six per department per section of the General Education requirements.
2. Correction and modification of the Policy on Overlap Credit for Courses in General Education (originally recommended for approval as part of the Policy Statement on the General Education Program on 12/13/79 and approved by President Cleary on 1/7/80):

5. If, after allowing for the overlap credit specified above, the increase in General Education requirements causes the number of units required for a degree, or for a credential, to exceed its current total, then until such time as a review of the content and size of all majors is completed, and a new pol icy is approved, a reduction of the units required for General Education will be allowed so that the total required for the degree remains unchanged. This will be accomplished by:

1. allowing courses which are taken within the discipline of the major as degree requirements, and which are available for General Education credit, to carry credit both in the major and in the appropriate section(s) of the General Education program; and, if further reductions are necessary, by
2. allowing substitutions for requirements in the appropriate sections of the General Education program, and if necessary,
3. allowing waivers of the unit requirements in the appropriate sections of the General Education program.

All students must meet the proficiency requirement by passing an essay examination. Students who fail will be permitted to repeat the examination. A third attempt, however, will be permitted only after students show that they have taken steps to improve their writing skills; for example, completion of an appropriate course in writing.

In addition to the professional educational courses, all candidates for a preliminary credential wi 11 be required prior to student teaching to complete 9 units of course work dealing with topics relevant to cultural minorities. These courses will be subject to the approval of EPC. This requirement will become effective Fall, 1982. Candidates for the clear credential must also meet this requirement.

Three of the 9 units are to be related to linguistic problems of students of non or limited English-speaking ability.

Departments may submit no more than six courses, including lower and upper division, for any one section. Any exceptions should be accompanied by a complete justification.

1. Recommendations for General Policy
   1. "That all academic policy concerned withAdvanced Placement,College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Equivalency Examinations, Challenge Examination, as well as credit for Prior Experiential Learning measurable through examination, be subsumed under the designation of Credit by Examination." (See pp. 48 and 74 of catalog)
   2. "That specific academic pol icy relative to Credit by Examination is best developed and implemented by the individual campus and departments. Systemwide educational guidelines and upper limits of credit should be developed by the CSUC Academic Senate."
   3. "That CSUN Academic Senate recommend to the CSUC Statewide Academic Senate that general articulation guidelines be developed with the California Community College System with respect to credit for Prior Experiential Learning and r elated issues of transferability.
   4. "That faculty and other resources needed to validate credit for non-traditional forms of Prior and Sponsored Experiential Learning are significant and should be requested budgetarily. This matter should be brought to the attention of the CSUNAdministration and the CSUC Academic Senate."
2. College Level Examination Program - (CLEP) Recommendation "The individual department has the authority for determining the a mount of CLEP credit which is not mandated, acceptable passing scores and how the credit shall be applied for the degree." (See p. 51 of catalog)
3. Challenge Examination Recommendations "Currently enrolled undergraduate students who are especially qualified through experience or private instruction, and are not on probation, may petition to earn credit by Challenge Examination in selected courses designated by each department. A Challenge Examination provides for the awarding of academic credit through successful completion of an examination in lieu of a specific catalog listed course. Selected laboratory and activity courses in which student participation is an integral part of the learning experience shall not be subject to challenge. (Challenge Examination shall not be permitted for a course if the student has already received credit for a similar, but more advanced course.) Each department shall have t he sole responsibility for designating which  courses may be challenged by examination and whether subject and/or unit credit shall apply in accordance with the following guidelines:
   1. "Following approval of the application for Challenge Examination, the student must be registered in the course no later than t he end of the 4th week of instruction."
   2. "A student may not petition for Challenge Examination in a course if he/she does not have the prerequisite."
   3. "A student may not petition for Challenge Examination in more than one course in one department during a given semester."
   4. "An approval of an application for Challenge Examination shall expire if the examination has not been completed by the end of the semester."
4. Military Service Credit Recommendation Add the following policy clarification regarding additional credit for military veterans who have completed courses i n certain service schools in addition to basic training: "Credit toward specific CSUN requirements shall be awarded following review and approval by the appropriate CSUN department(s) which shall make t he final determinations regarding course equivalencies based upon the recommendations of t he current Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences int he Armed Services,American Council on Education." (See p. 52 of catalog)
5. Non-Collegiate Sponsored Courses of Instruction Recommendation "Requests for credit for Non-Collegiate Sponsored Courses of Instruction shall be evaluated on an individual basis through departmental determination of specific course equivalencies based upon consideration of the recommendations contained within the current National Guide to Credit Recommendations for Non-CollegiateCourses, American Council on Education. The reviewing department shall determine t he appropriate equivalencies for subject credit, unit credit or General Education credit, and a l so whether a ChallengeExamination should be administered."
6. Prior Experiential Learning Recommendation "Credit for Prior Experiential Learning should be recognized on an individual course equivalency basis and appropriate credit provided through the departmentally-administered Challenge Examination policies and procedures."
7. Extension Credit Recommendation ''Extension courses from other accredited educational institutions must have been acceptable for credit at the parent institution for the baccalaureate degree. The nature of the credit for the degree at CSUN shall be determined by the appropriate academic departments.'' (See p. 52 of catalog)

Copies of the revised General Education Program were sent out to the entire faculty on November 16. Because the program adopted by the Senate and approved by the President remains unchanged from that distributed, copies are not being duplicated and attached to this statement. (However, your attention is directed to a typographical error on page 7. The first reference to Section ''A'' in the second paragraph should, in fact, be to Section B.) Faculty or others Interested in securing copies or additional copies may obtain them from the Office of Academic Programs.

An undergraduate student may attempt to improve the basis for calculating the undergraduate grade point average by repeating a course other than one i n which the student is holding the grade of incomplete. The higher grade will be used in calculating the grade point average; however, no additional unit credit may be earned by repeating a course, and both grades will appear on the student's permanent record. There is no time limit for making a request to repeat a course, except that the student's permanent record may not be altered after a degree is granted. A course may be repeated only once for the purpose of improving a grade point average and only in one of the following ways:

1. The student may repeat at CSUN the same course taken at CSUN.
2. The student may repeat at CSUN an equivalent course taken elsewhere upon prior approval of a petition by the appropriate CSUN department.

Except for exemptions provided in accordance with systemwide policy, the English Placement Test will be a prerequisite to all courses satisfying the lower division writing skills requirement.

1. Students with total EPT scores of 150 or above will enroll in Chicano Studies 130, English 155, or Pan African Studies 150.
2. Students with total scores of 149 or below will enroll in a developmental program concurrent with or prior to Chicano Studies 130, English 155, or Pan African Studies 150.

Where possible, the moratorium on the net increase in number of course offerings should apply at the departmental level. Failing this, the net increase shall apply at the School level. The Associate Vice President for Academic Programs will exercisediscretion in monitoring this policy.

University credit may be given for remedial work, but such credit is not to be counted toward graduation.

The University requires of all students a 3-unit lower division course in English composition. Students should fulfill this requirement within the first 30 units. Transfer students with more than 30 units should complete the course within the first semester of residence. Students may meet this requirement by:

1. Completing one of the following courses: Chicano studies 130English 155 Pan African Studies 150 Or an equivalent course at an accredited community or 4-year college or university; or
2. Receiving a satisfactory score on the English Equivalency Examination or the Advanced Placement Test. Students may use the completion of this requirement to fulfill a portion of Section D of the General Education Program.

Supervised Off-Campus Experiential Education shall be defined as student work experiences which are planned, organized, and evaluated by faculty in cooperation with organizations other than the University's academic departments and for which academic credit is granted.

Both the supervising faculty and the off-campus sponsoring organizations shall make significant contributions to the conduct, supervision, and evaluation of the work experience. SOCEE shall not include Supervised Student Teaching. SOCEE credit shall not be granted after the fact or for prior life experience. The University and the participating organizations shall adhere to Affirmative Action Guidelines.

The instructor of the course in SOCEE shall assess student performance on the basis of the following criteria:

1. The recommendation of the on-site supervisor in the sponsoring organization;
2. Periodic consultation with the student(s) during, as well as at the end of the work experience, and
3. The instructor's assessment of performance in the course based on materials such as:
   1. a journal or educational diary,
   2. a report or term paper,
   3. a portfolio,
   4. the completion of a learning contract,
   5. written and/or oral examination.

Students' performance in SOCEE courses shall be evaluated on a Credit/ No Credit basis. Upon justification by the department, exceptions may be granted by EPC.

1. A student may earn no more than 6 units of SOCEE toward a baccalaureate degree.
2. All SOCEE courses shall be given the same number (e.g. , 497EE) in all departments that offer them.
3. SOCEE shall be staffed on an S-48 basis.
4. Departments may NOT offer SOCEE under a 499 designation as IndependentStudy.
5. SOCEE courses shall be designated as restricted courses.

An undergraduate student may attempt to improve the basis for calculating the undergraduate grade point average by repeating a course other than one in which the student is holding the grade of incomplete. The higher grade will be used in calculating the grade point average; however, no additional unit credit may be earned by repeating a course, and both grades will appear on the student's permanent record. There is no time limit for making a request to repeat a course, except that the student's permanent record may not be altered after a degree is granted. A course may be repeated only once for the purpose of improving a grade point average and only in one of the following ways:

1. The student may repeat at CSUN the same course taken at CSUN.
2. The student may repeat at CSUN an equivalent course taken elsewhere upon prior approval of a petition by the appropriate CSUN department.
3. The student may repeat at another institution an equivalent course taken at CSUN upon prior approval of a petition by the appropriate CSUN department.

To establish three graduation dates to coincide with the end of the Fall semester, Spring semester, and second Summer Session.

EXPERIMENTAL AND SELECTED TOPICS COURSES, LOWER AND UPPER DIVISION

(Replaces EPC policy, 5/22/68 of handbook, EPC policy, 5/4/67, 5/22/68-p. 72 of handbook; 3/13/74)

Departments are encouraged to develop courses other than regular offerings to enhance and broaden the student's educational program. The intent of experimental and selected topics courses is to provide the department the flexibility of offering special study and experimentation with new areas in the discipline. In establishing these courses. the following guidelines and procedures apply:

1. All experimental and selected topics and courses must have approval of EPC in the semester prior to being offered.
2. Such courses may be established in any department.
3. Prerequisites £or such courses shall be listed.
4. Such courses may be counted on the major or minor if approved by the department.
5. All such courses will be listed by title in the Schedule of Classes.
6. Such courses may not be taught more than four times unless they have been approved as regular courses or unless special justification for continuation as experimental or selected topics courses is approved by EPC.
7. Any request to combine experimental or selected topics courses with regular courses (with the exception of Experimental Courses in 3+1 format, 3/6/74) will follow procedures approved by the Educational Policies Committee.

1. The Educational Policies Committee shall review and, upon adequate justification, approve departmental proposals for exclusive CR/NC grading in specific courses.
2. A maximum of 30 units of CR/NC grades may apply toward undergraduate degree requirements.
3. CR/NC grades in major, minor, or in professional courses leading to a teaching credential (except for courses in student teaching) shall be permitted only in those courses approved by EPC for exclusive CR/NC grading.
4. The EPC in its evaluation of new course proposals shall consider the basis for the assignment of grades and shall stipulate CR/NC grading when appropriate.
5. During periodic program reviews, consideration shall be given to the basis of grading in all courses.
6. There shall be no limitation on the number of CR/NC courses a student may be enrolled in during a single semester.

That faculty shall retain final examinations and other materials which contribute to the student's final grade, and which are not returned to the student, for at least one semester.

Materials from the spring semester will be retained until the end of the following fall semester. Material from the fall semester will be retained until the end of the following spring semester.

All petitions for waiver of any of the established requirements for graduation with honors shall be sent to the department of the student's major for recommendation, a nd then forwarded to the Chairperson and the Executive Secretary of the Educational Policies Committee for final approval.

The acquisition of a  second Bachelor's degree may serve as preparation for an advanced degree, or enable students to pursue a  course of study more closely related to their present interests and employment, or allow persons with education degrees who may have allowed their teaching credentials to expire to earn a degree to satisfy new credentialing requirements. The following guidelines apply to those pursuing a second Bachelor's degree:

1. Pursuit of a  second Bachelor's degree, after the completion of the first, requires the prior approval of the department chairman of the major involved in the second degree, certified by written memo to the Office of Admissions and Records.
2. Students with the initial degree from another institution must satisfy the general education requirements of this University or their equivalent.
3. Appropriate course work taken for the first degree may apply toward the second degree except that students must earn a  minimum of 24 units in the new major in residence at this University. Each major must include a  minimum of 24 units which do not overlap with the other major.

Extension students may be permitted concurrent enrollment in regular University classes (as permitted by Section 40301, Article 4, Title 5) according to the following guidelines:

1. Each academic department shall decide whether to participate in concurrent enrollment and which courses are appropriate for concurrent enrollment.
2. If a department has agreed to participate in concurrent enrollment, an individual instructor nonetheless retains the right to accept or reject concurrent enrollment.
3. Concurrent enrollment normally may not be accepted in a  class that has reached the maximum enrollment.
4. Of the funds generated by concurrent enrollment in departmental offerings, 75% shall be transferred to an appropriate departmental account for use as the department determines in accordance with state and University regulations.
5. Extension students seeking concurrent enrollment in regular classes are responsible for providing evidence of fulfilling academic requirements to the department(s) and instructor(s). The instructor shall determine whether a  student is academically qualified.
6. Extension students should attend the first meeting(s) of the class but shall not be accepted as concurrent students before the first class meeting of the second week of classes and after academic eligibility is determined. Concurrent enrollment of extension students shall not exceed 50% of the scheduled class size.
7. Extension students admitted in regular classes shall follow the same registration procedures and shall receive the same credit as they would receive in an extension class.
8. Concurrent enrollment of extension students in regular classes does not constitute admission to the University; neither does it entitle extension students to student services available to regular students with the exception of library privileges.
9. Concurrent extension enrollments in regular classes are not included in FTE calculations; nor shall they be used to justify new class sections nor the continuation of a  class that lacks adequate regular enrollment. Neither shall such enrollment displace matriculating students.
10. Supplementary salary shall not be paid for instruction in regular classes in which extension students are concurrently enrolled.

The EPC, after much discussion, has reached the conclusion that at present it is in no position to generalize upon the effect on the University of large-scale conversion by a number of departments to a  3 + 1 unit format. The question remains of great importance, nevertheless, and the guidelines adopted should permit study in order to reach an answer. The following guidelines will apply to all requests for the use of 3 + 1 unit format.

1. There will be no 3 + 1 format permitted in lower division courses.
2. Departments will be permitted to add one-unit experimental courses to accomplish the objectives of the 3 + 1 format in established upper division courses. These one-unit experimental courses will have course designations established in consultation between Academic Planning and the SchoolDean's office and will be listed in the Schedule of Classes.For those courses using the 3 + 1 format, concurrent enrollment must be with the same instructor. However, separate sections of the 3-unit upper division course may also be offered without concurrent enrollment in the one-unit experimental course. The use of the 3 + 1 format must be accomplished without increasing the units in the major or individual options within the major (an exception will be made for those additional units in the SocialWelfare option in Sociology mandated for accreditation of the program) unless it is necessary to round out the total number of units in the major for individual students.
3. Any department can add the one-unit experimental course to already established upper division courses for the purpose of participating in this 3 + 1 experiment. During the period of this experiment, these experimental courses will not fulfill requirements in the general education program or in the interdisciplinary programs without the approval of the program committee. A general statement regarding the use of these experimental courses will appear in a special section of the University catalog, instead of under individual departmental listings.
4. The Educational Policies Committee will establish an evaluation committee as soon as possible to begin the process of the evaluation of the use of 3 + 1. Existing 4-unit courses employing the 3 + 1 format will comply with the same evaluation requirements for the new proposals. The decision of whether to continue with 3 + 1 will be submitted by the evaluation committee to the Deans' Council for input before being returned to EPC for action. The final report of the subcommittee will be made in the Spring of 1976. Any department receiving a negative evaluation will not be permitted to continue the 3 + 1 format or might be allowed to continue on a restricted basis. The e valuation will concern itself with the impact of the conversion on FTE distribution and a thorough review, including student evaluations, of what is actually done in each of the courses taught in the 3 + 1 format.
5. The use of 3 + 1  must be approved as academically sound by the department chairmen. A detailed proposal by each faculty member wishing to use the 3 + 1 format must be submitted in advance and approved by the department chairman.
6. The Schedule of Classes will clearly indicate concurrent enrollment in the 1-unit experimental courses where required. The Schedule of Classes will also explain the meaning of the 3 +1 format and direct students to the department offices where descriptions of approved 3 + 1 format are kept on file.
7. Since the effects of the proposed changes on the distribution of FTE throughout the campus are impossible to predict in advance, Dean Benson is requested to monitor enrollments in the 3 + 1 format for transient effects that can be attributed to the change and to make certain that staffing in other departments is not adversely affected because of the experiment.
8. Since approval for the 3 + 1 format is given as an experiment for two years and since there are problems with scheduling and teaching loads, these one-unit experimental courses will not be us ed in extension and during summer school.
9. If external constraints are applied at the end of the 2-year trial period, or before, that would tend to limit the amount of 3 + 1 permitted in the University, EPC will workout a method of apportioning 3 + 1 courses among those departments which wish to offer them.
10. The scheduling of extra office hours or additional reading will not alone qualify a proposal for 3 + 1.
11. The one-unit will provide an experience not already offered in the 3-unit segment and may include one or more of a variety of educational experiences with close faculty supervision. The following are representative examples of activities suitable for the one-unit experimental courses:
    1. Internships, in areas providing pre-professional training, which will be commensurate with the course of study.
    2. Participation in Educational Participation in the Community (EPIC).
    3. Fieldwork and special laboratory assignments.
    4. Participation in a social, governmental, or planning agency, with a paper submitted by the student evaluating his experience.
    5. Student research and development of useful course materials, worked out with the instructor.
    6. Any library research paper which includes continuing close faculty supervision.

1. All requests for the recording of an academic minor on a transcript must come from an academic department or program committee.
2. The minimum number of units in a minor program will be 18. The minimum number of upper-division units in a minor program will be 8.
3. The restrictions against overlapping credit in the general education program are not applicable to courses in the minor program.
4. A department may not offer a major and a minor to the same student nor more than one minor to the same student unless the department has received approval from the educational Policies Committee.
5. Existing approved minor programs should conform to the adopted guidelines.
6. Only approved minor programs will be recorded on the transcript.
7. All approved minor programs will be recorded in the catalog.
8. All prerequisites in a minor program must be stated in the catalog. There shall be no hidden requirements in a minor program.
9. Should a minor program be approved by the Educational Policies Committee after a student has completed the course requirements for that program, the Office of Admissions and Records will, upon request of the student's minor department, record completion of the minor on the transcript.
10. Failure to complete a declared minor program will not delay a student from obtaining a baccalaureate degree.
11. Completion of a minor program will not be recorded on a transcript until a student has completed the requirements for a baccalaureate degree.
12. Upon request of a students minor department, the Office of Admissions and Records will record on the transcript the completion of a minor earned after graduation.
13. Departmental procedures for advising and evaluating students in a minor program will be the same as those for the major.

To extend the day for adding a class to the end of the 4th week, with the clear understanding that permission to do so would rest with the instructor.

Regular, matriculated students in good standing may petition to earn credit by examination in certain courses for which they are especially qualified by experience or private instruction. The determination of eligibility for challenging a course by examination rests ultimately with the department involved. Credit earned by exam is not applicable under any provisions of the Repeated Course Policy. (Underscore represents additional material.) These examinations are comprehensive in nature and may include both oral and written work or laboratory demonstration if required by the course. The student may request subject credit only or subject and unit credit. If the request is for subject credit only, a mark of Pass or Fail will be given; only the Pass will be recorded on the transcript; neither a Pass nor Fail will affect the grade point average. If the student requests subject and unit credit, a grade of "A," "B," "C," or "F" will be recorded on the transcript and counted in the grade point average. Students may attempt the examination in a given course only once. Application to take those examinations is made through the Office of the Dean of the School in which the course is offered.

Students who have taken CLIP Subject Examinations may be granted subject and unit credit for satisfactory scores on certain examinations determined by the departments. Not all departments use these examinations. The final decision to grant credit rests with the departments concerned. Students may consult with the Test Officer for additional information.

The student will:

1. secure a change-of-program card and get the instructor's signature on it if he approves
2. report to Window 13, Main Lobby, Administration Building for verification and to receive a fee bill. The student pays $1 change-of-program fee and the $2 late fee to complete the processing of the late partial withdrawal.

If the chairman feels approval is warranted after interviewing the student, he will indicate such in a memorandum or a form designed for this purpose and forward it to the Dean's office of his School for concurrence or rejection. The document would then be acted upon by the dean or his designee and forwarded to the Office of Admissions and Records.

The catalog copy for 1972-73, therefore, reads as follows:

As a general rule, the College does not encourage students to seek a second bachelor's degree. A student who has the ability and the interest will normally be better advised to satisfy the prerequisites of a second field and seek the master's degree. Because there are exceptions, the College has developed the guidelines listed below:

1. A student desiring a second bachelor's degree must have the prior approval of the department chairman of the major in which he seeks the second degree. If the chairman feels approval is warranted after interviewing the student, he will indicate such in a memorandum or a form designed for this purpose and forward it to the Dean's office of his School for concurrence or rejection. The document would then be acted upon by the dean or his designee and forwarded to the Office of Admissions and Records.
2. To earn a second bachelor's degree:
   1. The student must meet the General Education requirements of the College.
   2. The student must meet the major requirements for the second degree. Units taken for the first bachelor's degree may be counted, but the student must take a minimum of 24 upper division units in the major subsequent to the earning of the first bachelor's degree. These 24 units must be in residence at SFVSC.

Student achievement shall be evaluated in all courses. Students shall be fully informed of the manner of their evaluation as well as the requirements and assignments at the start of each semester. In those courses where final examinations will be used, no final examination may be scheduled by an instructor prior to the regular scheduled time, Any student who finds it impossible to take a final examination (where given) on the date scheduled must make arrangements in advance with the instructor either to take the examination at another time prior to the deadline for reporting grades or to take a grade of incomplete and must then follow the regulations concerning the removal of incomplete grades. No exception will be made to these regulations without the written approval of the instructor, the department chairman, and the dean of the School in which the course is offered.

To approve the following courses as additions to the present catalogue list in satisfaction of requirements pertaining to American institutions and ideals and American Government effective September, 1972:

a. American Institutions and Ideals:

CH S 245: History of the Americas (3)
Engl 397: Ideas in America (3)
PAS 250A: Historical and Political Experience of the Afro-American in the U.S. (6)
Speech 397: Ideas in America
Spc 432, 433: American Public Address 1,11 (3,3)

b. American Government

CH S 445: History of the Chicano (3)
PAS 250B: Historical and Political Experience of the Afro-American in the U.S. (6)

For students taking the multiple subjects major, overlap in General Education and satisfaction of code requirement whatever it might be, be permitted. To postpone consideration of the question of overlap for the single-subject major and the non-credential student.

That the minor no longer be required for the credential student under the Ryan Bill.

To accept the recommendation of the Ryan Act Study Committee to accept the multiple-subjects major as fulfilling the General Education requirements.

The Educational Policies Committee views scheduling of instruction as an administrative function. As such, the Educational Policies Committee recommends to the academic administration (i.e., Department Chairmen, Deans, and Academic Vice President) that they should assume the responsibility for maintaining academic excellence by providing a schedule of classes which enables students to schedule a full program of studies and provides professors with teaching schedules that permit instructional effectiveness to be maintained. The Committee recognizes the need for faculty members to have significant blocks of time available for preparation for instruction and for research or creative work. However, instructor's schedules should provide for breaks in instruction, and adequate time for consultation with and advisement of students. The following are recommended as general policy guidelines to achieve these ends:

1. As a general principle, students should not be allowed to register in two courses at the same hour.
2. As a general principle, lecture classes should be scheduled for no more than three consecutive hours. Combined lecture, laboratory (studio, activity) courses should be no longer than four consecutive hours. (An earlier policy established two consecutive lecture hours as maximum).
3. As a general principle, instructors should not be scheduled to teach more than two consecutive lecture courses or more than four consecutive hours for lecture, laboratory (studio, activity) courses.
4. As a general principle, instructors should not be scheduled to teach more than five hours of lecture on one day; however, the five-hour lecture limit may be extended six hours when day cases are computed with evening classes and when the six-hour schedule occurs only once a week.
5. As a general principle, instructors should not be scheduled for more than seven hours of lecture or laboratory or studio or activity courses on one day.