Academic Basics
- Office of the Registrar
- Access to Academic Records
- Average Class Load and Grading System
- Scholastic Probation
- Scholastic Recognition
- Student Conduct
- Policy on Alcohol
Office of the Registrar
(765) 494-8581
www.purdue.edu/Registrar
This office handles academic scheduling, transcript requests, changing student personal information, residency questions, and enrollment verifications (e.g., for health or car insurance companies). The staff also records encumbrances and grades, manages academic records, handles graduation/commencement, and answers questions on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Access to Academic Records
(765) 494-8219
www.purdue.edu/policies/pages/records/c_51.html
Under the terms of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), access rights to university educational records belong to the student. Purdue University is obligated to comply with this federal law. As a result, the University will not release educational record information, such as grade reports, transcripts, and academic standing, to parents or any other third party without the signed and dated written consent of the student.
Average Class Load and
Grading System
At Purdue, students usually register for 12 to 15 credit hours per semester. This means students spend about 12 to 15 hours in the classroom each week. An additional two hours of study time for each hour spent in class is a general average, depending on the student’s background in each subject. A student registered for 15 hours of class time should then allocate 30 hours of study time for a total of 45 hours of work each week.
Grading System
Purdue uses the 4.0 scale:
Grade Weight
A 4 Highest passing grade
B 3
C 2
D 1 Lowest passing grade
E 0 Conditional failure; opportunity to improve grade to a D without repeating the entire course
F 0 Failure; course must be repeated satisfactorily to establish credit
Under this system, a student’s scholastic standing is determined by the semester index and the graduation index.
The semester index is an average determined by weighting each grade received during a given semester by the number of semester hours of credit in the course.
To compute the semester index:
1. Find the index points for each course by multiplying the semester hours by the weight of the grade earned in that course.
2. Total the index points for the semester.
3. Divide the total index points by the sum of the corresponding semester hours.
The graduation index is, in general, a weighted average of all grades earned by the student and is computed in a similar manner.
At the end of each semester, grade reports are available to students on SSINFO.
For further details about the Purdue grading system, including the pass/not-pass option and incomplete work, consult the University Regulations handbook or contact your academic advisor, the Office of the Registrar, or the Office of the Dean of Students.
Scholastic Probation
A first-semester student is placed on probation if his or her semester or graduation index is less than 1.5. Gradually increasing index levels are required of students as they progress toward graduation. A student ceases to be on probation at the end of the first subsequent semester in which he or she achieves semester and graduation indexes at least equal to those required for that student’s academic classification.
In general, a first-year student on scholastic probation will be dropped from the University if his or her graduation index is less than 1.4 or if he or she receives failing grades in six or more credit hours for the semester. To return to the University after a minimum of one semester away, a student who has been dropped must apply for readmission to the Committee on Scholastic Delinquencies and Readmissions through the Office of the Dean of Students. A fee is assessed for processing the readmission application. If the student is permitted to register again, he or she will do so on scholastic probation.
Scholastic Recognition
At the end of each semester, an undergraduate student will receive Semester Honors if he or she 1) has at least six credit hours in the semester index with a semester index of at least 3.5; and 2) has at least a 2.0 graduation index. The student will be eligible for the Dean’s List if he or she 1) has at least 12 credit hours in the graduation index with a graduation index of at least 3.5; and 2) has at least six credit hours in the semester index with a semester index of at least 3.0.
These academic regulations apply only during a regular semester. Students cannot earn scholastic honors, be placed on scholastic probation, or be dropped from the University at the end of a summer session.
Student Conduct
www.purdue.edu/oop/univregs/pages/stu_conduct/stu_conduct.html
You are expected to abide by local, state, and federal laws as well as University regulations governing student conduct. Cheating; disruption of a University activity; theft; property damage; physical abuse; harassment; unauthorized use of University facilities; furnishing false information; or use, possession, or distribution of narcotics or dangerous drugs are some of the violations that could result in a student’s expulsion, suspension, or disciplinary probation. If misconduct also violates the Indiana criminal code, prosecution, in addition to University disciplinary action, may follow.
Policy on Alcohol
www.purdue.edu/alcohol
Purdue students are subject to Indiana law, which prohibits consumption or possession
of alcoholic beverages by anyone under the age of 21. With certain exceptions, the University does not permit alcohol to be brought onto Purdue property by any person, regardless of age. Alcohol is prohibited in all on-campus undergraduate housing units. Technically, fraternity and sorority houses and student cooperative housing units are off-campus housing; however, they must observe specific University guidelines and state law to maintain their status within the University.
The University does not have the responsibility or the authority to control off-campus student consumption of alcohol, but it does attempt to give students the opportunity to make informed and mature decisions about alcohol use. A variety of educational and counseling programs are offered to help students deal with all aspects of alcohol and drug use.