Academic Regulations and Procedures

Student Responsibilities

All Embry-Riddle students are responsible for knowing all academic regulations and procedures required for continued attendance at the University. Academic regulations and procedures are presented in University publications such as this Catalog, the Student Honor Code, the Flight Operations Manual, and the Housing & Residence Life Community Standards. These resources are available online and at campus records offices, student government offices, and academic departments throughout the University. A student who requires clarification of any policy or regulation should seek help from their academic advisor, program coordinator, or the Office of the Registrar. University regulations will not be waived because a student pleads ignorance of established policies and procedures.

The University reserves the right to change curricula and academic regulations and procedures without notice or obligation. Such changes are published in the next catalog and through periodic University announcements.

Separate Regulations and Procedures sections have been established in this catalog to address the differences that may exist between undergraduate and graduate level programs.

Academic Integrity/Conduct

The Student Honor Code provides information on the student conduct process and the Academic Integrity Honor Code. 

Embry-Riddle is committed to maintaining and upholding intellectual integrity. The University may impose sanctions on students who commit academic integrity violations. These sanctions may include a failing grade on the assignment, a failing grade for the course, suspension, or dismissal from the university.

• Cheating: Students may not use unauthorized assistance, including technology, websites, and/or electronics, in preparing or completing assignments, including any oral or written presentations or any quiz or examination.
• Fraud: Students may not gain unfair advantage through deceit, including falsification of records.
• Plagiarism: Students may not plagiarize as it is an act of academic dishonesty and is defined as taking the ideas, writings, and/or words of another and representing them as one’s own. Two common forms of plagiarism involve the use of written or oral work of another person without giving proper citation and the use of the work of another person as one’s own.
• Over-sharing: Students may not over-share, which is defined as copying numerical solutions, computer code, or lab experiments outside of collaborative assignments, to name a few of the examples.
• A student must receive permission from each professor for double/multiple submissions of identical or substantially similar written assignments to fulfill a requirement in more than one course, covering all terms.

Students violating these Honor Codes, including the violations listed below, or any of the university policies and procedures, will be put through the Student Conduct process and face sanctions, suspension, or dismissal from the university. Criminal acts must be reported to the appropriate law enforcement and University authorities.

• Unauthorized alteration or misuse of one’s own or another’s academic records or transcripts.
• Forging, altering, falsifying, destroying, or unauthorized use of a University document, record, or identification. This includes using the logo, stationery, or business cards of the University or otherwise identifying oneself as an agent of the University for personal, non-University business.
• Misuse of computing facilities and/or security violations.
• Conduct that disrupts the educational process of the University.

Basic Skills Requirement

Embry-Riddle recognizes the importance of communication and quantitative skills in all areas of aerospace. Successful pilots, engineers, airport managers, aviation maintenance technicians, and other aviation professionals must possess these skills to perform their jobs effectively. Embry-Riddle, therefore, requires all students, including transfer students, to demonstrate proficiency in writing, reading, and mathematics before they are permitted to complete registration during their first term at the University. Proficiency may be demonstrated by earning qualifying scores on SAT/ACT tests, or by transferring credit for college-level English and mathematics courses.

If they cannot demonstrate proficiency in these basic skills, students must enroll in COM 20, a reading, writing, and critical thinking skills course. Quantitative skills courses (MA 4, MA 6) help students prepare for introductory mathematics courses required in the various degree programs.

Students whose primary language is not English are required to demonstrate advanced English proficiency by achieving a satisfactory score on a placement test. Students unable to demonstrate such proficiency must enroll in appropriate basic skills courses in their first term at the University. These courses are COM 8 and COM 18.

Although basic skills courses are computed into the student’s term grade point average (GPA) and cumulative grade point average (CGPA), credits earned in basic skills courses do not apply to minimum degree requirements in any degree program.

Catalog Year

The catalog in effect at the time of a student’s initial matriculation remains applicable as long as the student remains in the original degree program.

If a student does not maintain continuous enrollment at the University, the student must apply for readmission. The provisions of the catalog in effect at the time of readmission then become applicable to the student.

Curricular requirements stated in the applicable catalog will not be affected by later catalogs unless the student elects to graduate under the provisions of a later catalog. Students who change from one undergraduate degree program to another come under the provisions of the catalog in effect on the date the change of program petition was approved. Students electing to graduate under the provisions of a later catalog must meet all requirements (admission, transfer, graduation, and so on) contained in that catalog.

Class Attendance

Because regular attendance and punctuality are expected in all courses, attendance may be included in the grading criteria of an individual class. Absences are counted from the first scheduled meeting of the class.

Because minimum contact hour requirements have been imposed by the FAA for certain classes leading to FAA certificates, attendance requirements in those courses are rigorously enforced. Explanations for all absences should be given to the instructor in advance whenever possible.

A final examination is normally given in each course at the end of the term. A student who misses a final examination without advance permission from the instructor may be assigned a failing grade (F) for the course. A grade of incomplete (I) may be given if the student has obtained advance permission from the instructor or can provide satisfactory evidence that the absence could not be prevented.

Flight block attendance is mandatory, and missed flight activities (orals, simulators, and flights) will result in loss of letter grades for the flight course. The Embry-Riddle Flight Operations manual explains detailed policies for flight cancellations.

Continuous Enrollment

Students are considered to be continuously enrolled, regardless of the number of hours for which they register, unless:

1. A student enrolls at another institution without advance written approval.
2. A student fails to enroll in at least one course at Embry-Riddle within a two-year period from the last term of attendance.
3. A student has been suspended or dismissed from the University.
4. A student has completed a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree.

A student who falls into one of the exceptions noted above must re-apply to the University under the catalog in effect the semester in which they re-enroll.

Grading

Grades are issued each term; see the Office of the Registrar website for dates. Students can access their grades immediately after they are posted, via the "Student Service Center" in Campus Solutions. 

• GPA

A term grade point average (GPA) and cumulative grade point average (CGPA) are computed for each student after every term. The GPA is calculated by dividing the number of grade points earned during the term by the number of GPA units in that period. The CGPA is determined by dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of GPA units at the University.

Undergraduate:  Points and hours attempted are accrued in courses graded A, B, C, D, F and WF. 

Graduate: Points and hours attempted are accrued in courses graded A, B, C, F and WF. 

• Dropping a Course with no transcript notation

Students may drop a course, with no notation of course enrollment on their transcripts. The drop period extends through the third week of spring and fall terms and the second week of summer terms.

• Repeating a Course

Undergraduate:  With the exception of flight courses that may be repeated only once, an undergraduate may attempt a course three times. The grade for the second course attempt replaces the first and the grade for the third attempt replaces the second. The grade and credit hours for the final attempt are is used in calculating the CGPA.  All course attempts are recorded on the University transcript.

Graduate:  Graduate students may petition to repeat one course in which a grade of less than B was earned for the purpose of improving their CGPA.  Both grades earned are recorded on the University transcript, but only the replacement grade is included in the calculation of the grade point average. The student must submit a written request and receive approval of the department chair or designee. Both grades earned appear on the transcript, but only the replacement grade is included in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average. This applies to thesis credit and graduate research/capstone project credit as well.

• Grade Forgiveness

Undergraduate only: 

• ​Students must officially change their degree program to apply for grade forgiveness and submit the online Grade Forgiveness Petition with the Academic Change form. The Grade Forgiveness Petition must be submitted in the same semester as the Academic Change form was submitted.
• If a student changes degree programs another time, grade forgiveness cannot be used. If a student changes degree programs again and courses previously forgiven are required for the new degree program, they will be reinstated and be calculated in the student's CGPA.
• A maximum of four (4) courses can be forgiven. Courses forgiven must not be required or used as open electives in the new degree program. All courses and grades continue to appear on the transcript, including the original grade earned in that course.
• Credit hours of forgiven courses are not calculated into the total hours attempted/earned or the CGPA. Students on academic warning or probation who use grade forgiveness will remain on current academic status and be subject to stipulations for that status. Forgiveness is not applicable to students on academic suspension unless suspension is reversed.

• Exclusion from a Course

A student making no real progress in a course or whose behavior is detracting from the course may be excluded from the course by the appropriate dean with a grade of W or F. Students have five calendar days following written notification of this exclusion in which to appeal. 

Grading System

The following indicators are used on grade reports and transcripts.

• Withdrawal from the University (WF)

Students who leave the University for any reason must conduct an exit interview, and officially process a withdrawal clearance through the Office of Registrar. When a student withdraws from the University after the end of the scheduled withdrawal period and before the end of term, a WF grade will be assigned for all courses in which the student is enrolled unless an exception is granted for medical reasons or other extenuating circumstances.

• Withdrawing from a Course (W)

Students receive the grade of W if they withdraw from a course by the end of the published withdrawal period. If students stop attending their classes and fail to withdraw from the University, an F is assigned for each course in which they were enrolled.

Students are not permitted to drop or withdraw from a course while a charge of academic dishonesty is pending. Students who withdraw from a flight course before their initial attempt at the final phase check receive a W.

• Auditing a Course (AU)

Because students audit a course solely to enhance their knowledge, academic credit is not granted toward degree requirements for audited courses. Students may change their registration from audit to credit during the add period only. They may change from credit to audit until the last day of the withdrawal period. When a student auditing a course fails to maintain satisfactory attendance, as determined by the instructor, a grade of W will be assigned.

• Incomplete Flight Courses (IP)

Because the length of time required to complete a flight course varies, flight course terms do not coincide with the normal academic semester. Due to this disparity, the temporary grade IP is assigned for flight courses in which students are still active the end of the academic semester. The grade of IP will be maintained until such time as the student completes the course and receives a letter grade.

• Incomplete Grade (I)

In exceptional cases, faculty may assign the temporary grade of incomplete (I) if a student is unable to complete the required work in a course because of medical emergency, death in the family, military duty, or other extenuating  circumstances. If a student does not complete the course  in the specified period, the grade of I automatically converts to an F.

• Thesis Grading (S/U)

A student enrolled for a thesis will receive a grade each term, as determined by the student’s thesis committee.  If the student is making progress toward completion of the thesis, the adviser will record a grade of S.  If the student has not made progress, the adviser will record a grade of U.  No more than one U grade is allowed or the student will be dismissed. Students must continually register for one credit hour of thesis until complete.

• Exchange Program Grading (EXP/EXU)

A final grade of EXP or EXU is awarded upon completion of an Exchange course and Official Institutional Transcript has been received.

• Internship Grading (P/F)

A final grade of P or F is awarded upon completion of a graduate internship.

• Graduate Research Project Grading (P/F)

If the student is making progress, a grade of IP is awarded at the end of each term. Upon completion of the graduate research project, a final grade of P or F will be awarded. That grade will replace the IP for 690. All grades of IP will change to N for 690C. A student enrolled in a graduate research project must continually register for one credit hour of 690C until the graduate research project is complete.

• Graduate Capstone Project Grading (P/F)

A final letter grade is awarded upon completion of the graduate capstone project.  GCP courses carry three credit hours and students are expected to complete them in one semester.  Students who don’t complete a capstone project in a timely manner must take the course again.  Students who do not finish the GCP by the end of the semester may receive a grade of I (Incomplete) at the instructor’s discretion.  If the I grade is not redeemed by the deadline for changing Incomplete grades, the grade will revert to an F.

• Transfer Credit (T)

Grades for courses accepted as transfer credit are not reflected in the computation of the University GPA/CGPA.

Grading System

Letter Grade	Student Performance	Grade Points Per Credit Hour
A	Superior	4
B	Above average	3
C	Average	2
D	Below average	1
F	Failure	0
WF	Withdrawal from the University-Failing	0
W	Withdrawal from a course	N/A
AU	Audit	N/A
I	Incomplete (or no grade submitted)	N/A
P	Passing grade (credit)	N/A
S	Satisfactory (noncredit)	N/A
U	Unsatisfactory	N/A
EXP	Exchange Course Pass	N/A
EXU	Exchange Course Unsatisfactory	N/A
T	Transfer credit	N/A
N	No grade submitted by Instructor	N/A
X	Advanced Standing (other than course equivalency examinations)	N/A
XP	Credit by course equivalency examination	N/A
IP	In progress	N/A
NC	No credit awarded	N/A

Intra-University Transfer

Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible to transfer from one campus to another within the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University system, graduate and undergraduate students must normally meet the following criteria:

1. General Transfer Criteria

   1. ​Students must be classified as continuing students in accordance with current policies.
   2. The transferring student must meet the academic criteria to re-enroll by maintaining the standards set forth in APU-27 and APM-06; i.e., not on suspension or dismissal status.
   3. The transferring student must meet the financial criteria to re-enroll by satisfying all financial obligations prior to the transfer.
   4. A complete unofficial academic evaluation must be done by the campus receiving the student prior to actual transfer.
   5. In addition to meeting the general transfer criteria, students transferring into degrees with program accreditation and programs which include flight training must also meet criteria specific to those programs. Although students may transfer campuses after any semester, an individual flight course started at one campus must be completed at that campus.

2. Waivers of Criteria

   1. ​If a student requesting an intra-university transfer does not meet all of the criteria above and wishes to request a waiver of the policy, the student may submit a written request for a waiver through the sending campus Office of the Registrar. The request will be evaluated and either approved or denied by the appropriate Department Chair or designee at the receiving campus.

3. Deadline Dates

   1. Students should initiate the transfer procedure by submitting an Intra University Transfer Form to the Office of the Registrar of their current campus. Upon receipt of the request to transfer the current location will notify the receiving campus of the student's request to transfer. This should be done as early as possible, but no later than 45 calendar days before the first day of classes of the semester/term at the campus to which they are transferring. Current term grades must be finalized with the division of the University students are attending before they are able to transfer to another division.

4. Campus Designation of Students Transferred from Another Campus

   1. ​Students who transfer to another campus with the intention of completing their educational objective at the new campus are considered to be permanent transfers. Their campus designation and academic program​ will be changed to the new campus. This designation, however, does not preclude transferring to another campus at a later date.
   2. Students who elect to attend classes at another campus for one semester (or two summer terms) only but intend to complete their educational objective at the original location, are considered to be visiting students or temporary transfer students and will maintain their academic program with the originating campus.
   3. Degrees will be awarded from whichever campus students have completed their degree, unless they are a temporary transfer, then the student will graduate from their originating campus.

5. Procedures for Transferring to Another Embry-Riddle Campus

   1. Intra-University Transfer Form
      1. All students requesting a transfer to another campus, whether on a permanent or temporary basis, must complete the Intra-University Transfer form.
      2. The Office of the Registrar will ensure that students requesting temporary transfer have met with their Academic Advisor to discuss courses desired at the new campus and the reason the student wishes to transfer.
      3. The Office of the Registrar will determine which administrative and service areas should be contacted by the student. If necessary, the student will be directed to other departments such as Financial Aid, Veterans' Affairs, International Student Services/Sevis Administrator for I20 processing, Housing, and others to obtain appropriate clearance and guidance.
      4. For residential campus students, once all necessary clearances have been obtained, the student will return the form to the Office of the Registrar.
      5. When the approval has been given or denied, the Office of the Registrar of the receiving campus will notify the student. If denied, the student will be notified along with reason(s).

Registration

A schedule of classes is prepared for each term at all locations served by the University. The University reserves the right to make necessary and appropriate adjustments to the published schedule to include cancellation or rescheduling of any class.

An academic credit hour requires a minimum of 700 minutes of classroom or comparable instruction time during which the student and the course instructor are directly engaged.

Students are required to register for each term of enrollment. Students will be allowed to register via online registration, however, most students should, and first-year students and students in academic difficulty must, consult with their academic advisor for approval of course selection prior to registration. Once the student's schedule is approved the advisor will release their hold allowing them to register online. Registration for continuing students, for flight blocks is conducted one week ahead of regular registration and must be accomplished in person at flight operations. Registration must be completed and payment of all tuition deposits and fees must be made by the designated payment date. Students are not officially enrolled until they complete all phases of registration, including financial requirements.

Late registration will be allowed during the first five days of the fall and spring semesters and the first three days of the summer terms, if unusual circumstances prevent the student from registering during the scheduled period. Except for flight courses, registration will not be allowed after the last day of late registration. Due to the scheduling requirements associated with flight training, flight course registration continues throughout the term.

Waitlist

A registration waitlist is an electronic process that auto-enrolls students in closed classes if a seats becomes available. This enables students to get into the class they want without having to continuously check for possible openings. Waitlist operates on a first-come, first-served basis. This process ensures that a student who adds his or her name to the waitlist first has a better chance of getting into a closed course if a seat opens up.

Adding your name to a course waitlist does not guarantee enrollment.

Privacy of Student Records

The University respects the rights and privacy of students in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The University may disclose certain items of directory information without the consent of the student, unless the student submits a written non-disclosure request, verified by University personnel or a notary.

Students are required to file requests for non-disclosure with the Office of the Registrar. Non-disclosure requests remain in place permanently, unless the office is notified otherwise. Students may grant online access to select individuals via the student information system (auxiliary access); requests to grant online access cannot be processed by the Office of the Registrar. Auxiliary access is “view only” and does not permit the person who has been granted auxiliary access to act as an agent of the student, or to act upon the student’s behalf. Students are required to login to ERNIE (Embry-Riddle Network for Information Exchange) portal, go to “Student Service Center,” find  “Personal Information” section, and complete “Auxiliary Access” to designate up to three individuals to make payments and access student records. 

Directory information consists of:

• Student name
• Permanent or local mailing addresses and telephone numbers*
• ERAU e-mail or box address
• Non-ERAU email addresses or account information*
• Date of birth*
• Major courses of study and areas of specialization
• Dates admitted, attended, and graduated
• Enrollment and class status
• Campus, school, or college attended
• Degrees sought or earned, and dates received or anticipated
• Awards, honors, and special programs or recognitions
• Most recent previous school attended
• For student-athletes and scholarship recipients, the ERAU ID and photograph
• Information from public sources

* Though directory information may be released without student consent, information of this nature is only released for compelling reasons.

The University shall obtain written consent from students before disclosing any personally identifiable information from their education records with the exception of the directory information.

The receipt of a written request to release an education record electronically satisfies this requirement. Such written consent must specify:

1. The records to be released
2. The purpose of the disclosure
3. Identify the party or class of parties to whom disclosure may be made and their address
4. Do not designate a recipient fax number for requests, including academic transcripts; transcripts are not available via fax. If urgency exists, students are advised to request the delivery of an electronic transcript, via Parchment.
5. Must be signed and dated by the student or former student

An institution may release personally identifiable information from a student's educational record without the student's written consent as required under federal law if the disclosure meets one or more of the conditions as defined under the Exceptions to Written Consent Requirement (§99.31).

The law authorizes students and former students the right to inspect and review information contained in their education records.

Students can submit written requests to the Office of the Registrar. Once a request is received, The Office of the Registrar is required to make the records available for inspection and review within 45 days.

FERPA allows disclosure of educational records or their components under certain conditions. Students desiring additional information on FERPA may contact the Office of The Registrar.

Unit of Credit

Semester credits are used throughout the University system. Transferred quarter hours will be converted to semester credit hours on the following basis: A quarter hour equals two-thirds of a semester hour.

Student Grievance Procedure