Academic Policies

Academic Honesty / Dishonesty

Students are expected to be scrupulous in their observance of high standards of honesty in regard to tests, assignments, term papers, and all other procedures relating to class work. Academic dishonesty as used here includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, cheating on examinations, theft of examinations or other materials from an instructor’s files or office or from a room in which these are being copied, copying of an instructor’s test material without the permission of the instructor, theft of computer files from another person, or attributing to one’s self the work of others, with or without the others’ permission. Falsification of an academic record with intent to improve one’s academic standing also shall be construed to be academic dishonesty.

Hutchins Library staff members have prepared an informative online summary of plagiarism, which is the act of presenting someone else’s work as one’s own. In the library’s Facts on Plagiarism, plagiarism is described in detail to help students define, understand, and avoid questionable practices.

When Academic Dishonesty is suspected, the following process is followed:

In the event a student is suspected of being guilty of academic dishonesty, the faculty member in whose course the offense allegedly occurred is responsible for pursuing the matter, making an initial determination, and deciding upon an appropriate course-related sanction up to and including failure of the course. When an instructor is convinced that academic dishonesty has occurred, the instructor will counsel with the student involved in an effort to determine an appropriate course of action. The minimal action is to reject the work in question. The instructor then must report the finding in writing to the Director of Academic Services, appending any documentary evidence of the dishonesty, and furnish the student with a copy of the written report. The Director of Academic Services then will record the report in a confidential file.* If multiple charges in the student’s confidential file are observed, the Director will report this student to the Student Admissions and Academic Standing (SAAS) Committee for adjudication and possible further sanctions, including suspension. While deliberating to determine appropriate consequences, the SAAS Committee may ask for information from the student’s previous disciplinary or labor records. The student shall be informed of the names of those consulted by the Committee.
An instructor has the option of referring any single case of alleged academic dishonesty to the SAAS Committee for adjudication and/or disciplinary action, even in the absence of multiple charges. Also, in any case involving alleged dishonesty, the student has the right to appeal an action taken by the instructor to that Committee. Upon receipt of the written report, the Director of Academic Services will inform the student that there is one week in which to initiate an appeal of any part of the instructor’s report. Such appeals are to be sent to the Director of Academic Services.
While functioning as a judicial body to determine guilt or innocence, the SAAS Committee will observe the judicial procedures defined in the Community Judicial Code contained in the Berea College Student Handbook. Cases involving false testimony before the SAAS Committee while that committee is functioning as a judicial body will be heard by the Student Life Council. Students who appear in a hearing before the SAAS Committee shall determine whether student members of the Committee shall participate in the adjudication.

*The principles of this policy and procedure were approved by the College Faculty in 1973.

**The purpose of keeping the confidential file separate from the student’s regular permanent student record is to make it possible for one person, the Director of Academic Services, to be aware of multiple violations. Besides calling such occurrences to the attention of the SAAS Committee, the Director will furnish information from the file concerning the violations of a particular student upon request by the Campus Conduct Hearing Board, the Student Life Council, the individuals reviewing applications for readmissions, or the Labor Program Council. The purpose of furnishing such information to these bodies is to assist them in their effort to obtain perspective on the student as a whole while deliberating to determine appropriate consequences in a particular case. Except as noted above, no group or other individual will have access to the file.

Academic Performance Standards

Grades

Grading Scale

Repeating a Course for a Higher Grade

Grade Point Average

Dean’s List

Grade Appeals

Mid-Term Grade Report

Performance Checks Program

Academic Probation

Academic Suspension

Appeals of Academic Suspension

Grades

Grading Scale

The quality of a student’s academic achievement in each Berea College course is reported through final course grades in a grading scale adopted by the College Faculty in November 2007, as follows:

A	Excellent Work
B	Good Work
C	Competent Work*
D	Poor work that is still worthy of credit Raises serious concern about the readiness of a student to continue in related course work.
F	Failing work that is unworthy of credit
CA	The required minimum of 7 Convocation credits were earned
CF	The required minimum of 7 Convocation credits were not earned
S/U/SC	Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory, Satisfactorily Completed Given in developmental mathematics courses and in other non-credit courses and projects. These grades are not used in determining the GPA.
P	Passing work Given for courses which do not affect GPA, but for which credit is earned.
CP	Continuing Progress Given when a student is enrolled in a class that continues into the next term.
I	Incomplete Assigned only when some portion of a course has not been completed for good and sufficient reason. Courses in which I grades are assigned must be completed no later than the end of the next regular term in which the student is enrolled or the grade will be recorded as “F” on the permanent record. Note that instructors may set an earlier deadline for completion of incomplete work than that set by the College.
N	No grade A temporarily assigned grade when extenuating circumstances prevent an instructor from submitting grades at the time they are required due to travel abroad or other challenges deemed permitted by the Academic Dean. A change of grade is required no later than 10 days following the assignment of the N.

In addition, the course grades of A, B, C, and D may be modified by a plus (+) or minus (-) suffix, indicating achievement which is respectively at the higher or lower segment of each of these grade ranges.

* Please note that a C- does not count for sequenced courses requiring a C or higher in a previous course (e.g., FRN 102 requires a C or higher in FRN 101).

Achievement in courses at the College is recorded by grades of A+/A/A-/B+/B/B-/C+/C/C-/D+/D/D-/F/U/S/SC/P/CP/I. Also see "Dean's List" and "Graduating with Honors" in this publication.

Repeating a Course for a Higher Grade

A course in which a C-, D+, D, D- or F is earned may be repeated for a higher grade. The earlier grade will remain on the transcript, but only the higher of the two will be computed in the GPA. Earned credit will be given only once. Permission to repeat a course in which a grade of C or higher is earned may be given only by the Student Admissions and Academic Standing (SAAS) Committee. Courses may be repeated no more than two times without approval of the SAAS Committee. The highest grade will be computed in the GPA. Permission to take a course for the fourth time rarely will be given.

NOTE : For the purpose of meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress goals (see the Financial Aid and Student Accounts section in this publication), repeated courses will be counted only once toward meeting the minimum required passed course credits.

Grade Point Average

The GPA is a measure of a student’s academic achievement at the College, calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number of credits attempted. A term GPA and the cumulative average are computed at the end of each term for each student. For purposes of computing the Grade Point Average (GPA), the following weights are used: A=4.0; A-=3.7; B+=3.3; B=3.0; B-=2.7; C+=2.3; C=2.0; C-=1.7; D+=1.3; D=1.0; D-=0.7; and F=0.0. Included in the GPA calculation are the grades earned for Convocation credit, calculated as 0.25 convocation credit for CA and 0.0 credit for CF grades.

NOTE: Convocation credits do not count in the minimum earned credits needed for a degree. S, SC, I, and U grades are not used in calculating GPA. W, WP, WF, and I grades are not used in computing the GPA. All core, distribution, concentration, and collateral courses are used in the calculation of a student’s major GPA.

Dean’s List

A student who achieves a regular term GPA of 3.4 or higher while passing at least four total credits (to include all courses counting toward "load credit" including MAT 010, 011, and 012) will be named to the Dean’s List.

Grade Appeals

It is recognized that instructors must have the primary responsibility of assessing the quality of academic performance, advancement, and achievement of students in their classes. However, instructors are subject to human frailties; these frailties can cause errors in calculation or judgment that may affect assessment of a student’s performance. Instructors may appear to be capricious or inconsistent in their grading of a particular student. Consequently, students may feel rightly or wrongly, a need to appeal that assessment. Except in the most unusual circumstances, grades will be changed only upon the recommendation of the faculty member involved and then only with the consent of the Student Admissions and Academic Standing (SAAS) Committee. The following procedures, designed to protect both the student and the faculty member, are to be followed such that the issue is resolved fairly and expeditiously:

Within 30 days of the start of the next regular term after assignment of the grade, the student must make a formal written appeal to the instructor involved explaining why he or she believes the grade should be changed. If the instructor finds an error has been made, he or she will request that the SAAS Committee approve a grade change and notify the student in writing of the request. If the instructor finds the grade to be correct, he or she will notify the student in writing of the decision not to change the grade, specifically addressing the student’s stated reason for the appeal. The instructor’s response must take place within 30 days of receipt of the appeal, or—for reasons of college-related travel, sabbatical, or other extenuating circumstances such as sick leave—within 30 days of the start of the next regular term when the faculty member returns.
If the student is not satisfied with the written response of the instructor, the student has the right to appeal in writing to the Chair of the Division in which the course is taught within 30 days of the date of the instructor’s written response. The student’s written notice of appeal should be accompanied by all relevant materials; a copy of the original written appeal to the instructor and a copy of the instructor’s written response must be forwarded to the Division Chair. Within 30 days of the student's written appeal to the division, the Division Chair will convene a subcommittee from the division. This committee will consist of the Division Chair and at least four other divisional faculty representing a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. The student and faculty member may be present for the hearing. If the Division Chair is the faculty member whose grade is being appealed, he or she will appoint another member of the division to chair the appeal hearing. For GST and GSTR courses, the Dean of Curriculum and Student Learning serves as the Division Chair and members of the Committee on General Education serve as the division committee. The decision of the designated division committee shall be communicated in writing to the student, the faculty member, and the Director of Academic Services within 14 days of the date of the hearing. The letter should address the department’s reason for supporting or denying the student’s appeal. (Also see the “Summary of Grade Appeal Policy” chart for this information presented in chart form.)
If either the student or the faculty member does not agree with the decision of the designated division committee, either may appeal to the SAAS Committee. Within 30 days of the date of the division committee's written decision on the appeal, the student/faculty member must submit a letter contesting the division committee's decision to the Chairperson of the SAAS Committee. The SAAS Committee will base its decision on the following materials forwarded by the division: the original appeal by the student to the instructor, the instructor's written response, the student's written appeal to the division and all supporting materials, the designated division committee's responses to the student and the instructor, a written summary of the designated division committee's decision (if any), and any paperwork or materials considered by the designated division committee. Both the student and the faculty member may be present when the appeal is heard. The decision of the Committee will be final.

Summary of Grade Appeal Policy
Action	Time Limit
Student submits written appeal to faculty member	Within 30 days after start of next regular term
Instructor finds error was made; requests that SAAS Committee approve a grade change; and notifies student in writing of request for grade change. or Instructor finds the grade to be correct, notifies student in writing, specifically addressing the student's stated reason for the appeal	Within 30 days of receipt of written appeal or—for reasons of travel, sabbatical, or other extenuating circumstances, such as sick leave—within 30 days of the start of the regular term when the instructor returns
Student is not satisfied with the written response of the instructor and submits written appeal to Division Chair (or the Dean of Curriculum and Student Learning for GST and GSTR courses).	Within 30 days of date of instructor’s written response
Division subcommittee holds appeal hearing.	Within 30 days of student’s written appeal
Division Committee's decision communicated in writing to the student, instructor, and the Director of Academic Services.	Within 14 days of the Division committee's decision
Either the student or instructor does not agree with the decision of the division's committee and appeals to the SAAS Committee	Within 30 days of the date of the division committee's written notification of its decision

Mid-Term Grade Report

Soon after the middle of the Fall and Spring terms, students are informed of their academic progress in all courses via the Midterm Grade Report. All students who do not have grades of C in at least three full course credits at midterm are encouraged to seek the counsel of their Academic Advisor.

Academic probation or suspension does not result from midterm grades, but is the result of unsatisfactory final grades. Failure to consult one’s Academic Advisor and follow his or her recommendations may affect the academic standing and enrollment status of a student who is not making satisfactory progress.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Berea College expects all enrolled students to make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward completion of degree requirements. Satisfactory Academic Progress includes both GPA and credits standards. Students are responsible to understand the SAP and graduation requirements and to monitor their academic standing to ensure compliance with these policies.

Students will be placed on Academic Probation at the end of any regular term for failure to maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) or meet the credit requirements identified in the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Chart below. If the student fails to meet the conditions of Academic Probation, Academic Suspension may result. Please see the “Academic Difficulties” section for more information on the consequences of not meeting the SAP policies. Please note that while the credits listed in the Progress Standard column are minimums a student must meet in order to not be placed on academic probation, a student must average 8 credits per year (Spring, Fall, and Summer terms) in order to meet the minimum credits required for graduation in most majors.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Chart

	Performance Standard		Progress Standard
Number of Total Terms	Minimum Cumulative GPA	Expected Credits	Minimum Acceptable Credits*
1	2.00	4 earned	3 passed
2	2.00 (1.67^b)	8 earned	6 passed
3	2.00 (1.85^b)	12 earned	9 earned
4	2.00	16 earned	13 earned
5	2.00	20 earned	18 earned
6	2.00	24 earned	22 earned
7	2.00	28 earned	26 earned^d
8+	2.00	32 earned	32 earned

^a Summer term coursework may be used to meet preceding spring term standards for GPA and credits.

^b Minimum cumulative GPA for continued probation

^c Beginning with the third regular term, the number of credits will be based on earned credits and not passed (i.e. Developmental Math courses count toward load/passed credit and full‐time status but not earned credit which counts toward graduation requirements.) Please see the Academic Dictionary in the College Catalog and Student Handbook for more information on Earned Credit versus Passed credit.

^d A student who only has 26 credits at this stage will require summer term coursework after participating in the May graduation ceremony in order to graduate before the beginning of the next regular term.

Academic Difficulty

Students experiencing difficulty in one or more courses are encouraged to seek help in resolving the problem(s). The first step always should be a full discussion with the instructor in whose course the problem exists. Additional conversations with one’s Academic Advisor, the Director of Academic Services, the Director of First‐Year Programs, the Labor Supervisor, or Collegium may help to pinpoint the source of difficulty. If the problem seems to be rooted in circumstances outside one particular course, such as study skills, time management, or a personal situation, assistance may be sought from the Learning Center or from counselors at the College Health Service. Any students experiencing academic difficulty may elect to enroll in GST 101: Strategies for Academic Success.

Following each regular term, the Office of Academic Services sends announcements of probation and suspension to the student’s Berea e‐mail address, Campus Post Office box, and through postal mail to the permanent mailing address presently cited in the student’s academic record for contact information. This announcement includes the reason for the assigned status, related conditions for resolution of the status, any impending threat to one’s eligibility for financial aid, instructions for student action, and the appeal process.

Students on Academic Probation are offered support from a centrally‐administered academic intervention team that will work closely with Academic Advisors to review academic schedules, course load, and course distribution over regular and summer terms. Advisors will also discuss with at‐risk students the degree to which their work in the Labor Program, as well as extracurricular, co‐curricular, and social life activities, are likely to contribute positively to the ultimate goal of earning a baccalaureate degree from Berea College. Students on Academic Probation cannot participate in internships, independent studies, team-initiated studies, Berea Term Abroad, or international travel in Summer terms (including Berea International Summer Term or KIIS). Students who wish to participate in the above activities may appeal to the SAAS Committee for a waiver to conditions of Academic Probation.

Performance Checks Program

The Office of Academic Services coordinates the Performance Check Program which seeks to identify students who are at risk of failure to meet institutional expectations for acceptable academic, labor, and social performance. In cases where the College becomes aware of student difficulty, the student’s Academic Advisor and/or the coordinator of the Early Intervention Program may initiate contact with the student through the use of Mandatory Meeting requests.

Faculty and staff members may report excessive absences or other signs of academic difficulty to the Performance Checks Program. The student’s instructors, labor supervisor, advisor, and collegium will be contacted to determine if the problem is widespread. A student demonstrating significant problems may be called in for counseling and academic assistance. The student’s advisor and the instructor who initiated the performance check will be notified of any action. Excessive attendance problems and lack of engagement in either the academic or labor programs may result in college-initiated administrative withdrawal. (See “Academic Difficulty” and “Withdrawal from the College” for more information.)

Academic Probation

Students will be placed on Academic Probation at the end of any regular term for failure to maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA in the major (once declared) and overall, meet the total credits identified in the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Chart, or for failure to satisfactorily complete the equivalent of three (3) credits. To be removed from Academic Probation, a student must achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in the major (once declared) and overall, meet the minimum course credit requirements as defined in the SAP policy and chart, and satisfactorily complete the equivalent of three (3) credits in the next regular term of attendance. Students who do not meet the minimum performance and/or course credit requirements as defined in the SAP policy and chart will be subject to suspension. Students approved for part‐time status must meet the SAP standards based on their total terms which do not include the part‐time term.

Continued Probation

Students on probation in their second and third terms will be placed on continued probation if, at the end of the term, they meet the minimum cumulative GPA requirements and progress requirements in the SAP policy and chart but have not yet achieved a 2.0 cumulative GPA. (See SAP chart)

Probation Conditions

During the term of probation, the student will be enrolled in GST 101: Strategies for Academic Success (1/4‐credit course) unless he or she has passed the course previously. Failure to successfully complete GST 101 while on probation will negatively influence future enrollment decisions for a student who remains in academic difficulty. Students wishing to be excused from this requirement may complete the GST 101 waiver form available from the Office of Academic Services.

Students on Academic Probation cannot participate in internships, independent studies, team-initiated studies, Berea Term Abroad, or international travel in Summer terms (including Berea International Summer Term or KIIS). Students who wish to participate in the above activities may appeal to the SAAS Committee for a waiver to these conditions of Academic Probation. Additionally, students on any form of probation are not authorized to have a vehicle on campus. (see Motor Vehicle Policy for Students for more information)

Exceptions to Probation Policies

Students who do not meet the SAP standards as a result of one or more incomplete (I) grades will have their probation status reevaluated once the incomplete(s) has been resolved. If the student meets all of the SAP standards at that point, the probation status will be removed as of the term the incomplete is resolved.

Students who are placed on Academic Probation at the end of the spring term will have the opportunity to meet the SAP standards for that term with summer coursework either at Berea or another college (please see the College Catalog and Student Handbook for policies regarding transfer credits). At the end of summer term, student status will be reevaluated with the addition of summer courses using the prior spring term’s standards for performance and credit completion. Students will be removed from academic probation when they are in compliance with the standards of performance and progress stated above.

Students who are approved for an extension of terms will be held accountable for the credits earned/passed as outlined on their approved curriculum plan submitted with their extension of terms request form rather than those listed on the SAP chart. Deviation from this curriculum plan must be approved by the student’s advisor and the Office of Academic Services. Failure to follow the curriculum plan may result in revocation of the extension approval and suspension from the college.

Appeals of Academic Probation

Students who remain in violation of the SAP policies as a result of early academic difficulties, but have a track record of successful academic work, may submit an appeal to the SAAS committee for removal from Academic Probation.

Students who are placed on Academic Probation solely for not meeting the SAP credits progress standards and who have been accepted to a major and have an approved curriculum plan that demonstrates that they will be able to complete their degree within the 8‐term limit without overloading in any term, can appeal their probationary status to the SAAS Committee. Students in this situation will be required to request a waiver of probation status each term and demonstrate that they are following their approved curriculum plan. Students may modify and update their curriculum plan to respond to changes in course sequencing, availability, or registration with the approval of their advisor.

Also see the “Readmission” and “Academic Standing and Reinstatement to Good Standing” in this publication for more information.

Academic Suspension

Students are subject to suspension for any of the following reasons:

failure to pass the majority of all courses carried for a regular term (even if the student is not on academic probation);
failure to meet the conditions of Academic Probation;
failure to satisfy the Developmental Mathematics Requirement prior to the beginning of the third regular term of attendance;
failure to successfully complete GSTR 110 by the end of the second regular term and GSTR 210 prior to the end of the third regular term of attendance. (Students are required to be enrolled in these courses until successful completion is achieved unless they are enrolled in GST 150: College Composition);
failure to complete the Declaration of Primary Major process in a timely manner (See Declaration of Primary Major for more information.).

Appeals of Academic Suspension

Students who are dismissed for academic reasons have the right to appeal the action within five (5) business days from the date of notification. The appeal must be in writing and include pertinent information other than what is available to the committee at the time of its initial action. The letter of appeal should be:

word processed and follow the format of a formal business letter or be considered as a formal writing activity (e-mailed letters from the student are acceptable);
addressed to the Chairperson of the SAAS Committee; and
submitted to the Office of Academic Services. Students also may wish to consult with the Director of Academic Services on these and other academic matters.

To reach a decision on the appeal, the SAAS Committee will take into consideration the student’s previous academic, labor, and social record at Berea, as well as the degree to which the student has responded to institutional attempts to support academic success (e.g. successful completion of GST 101: Strategies for Academic Success, response to consultation with the Academic Advisor, documented visits to the Learning Center, etc.).

In addition, the following criteria will be considered by the SAAS Committee during appeal hearings:

Evidence of Satisfactory Academic Progress, compliance with General Education requirements, and timely resolution of incomplete grades according to College policy detailed elsewhere in this Catalog & Student Handbook.
Compliance with the expectations identified in the Midpoint Degree Check.
Evidence of student responsiveness to the College’s many opportunities for assistance.
Evidence of extraordinary circumstances beyond the student's control.
Clear support for reinstatement from informed members of the faculty and staff, including instructors, physicians, counselors, labor supervisors, etc.
Likelihood of completion of degree requirements within remaining terms of attendance.
Submission of a clearly written plan to achieve academic success.
Evidence of balanced engagement in co-curricular, social, and labor opportunities.

The SAAS Committee may wish to interview the appellant. For that reason, appellants should make themselves available at the time of the appeals meeting. It is the student’s responsibility to ascertain the time and place of the appeals meeting; this information will be e-mailed to the student by the Office of Academic Services. After the Committee has considered the appeal, the Committee informs the student of the decision by mail to the student’s CPO and permanent mailing address on record.

If the appeal is successful, the student will be reinstated on probation for one subsequent regular term. The same appeal will be used for purposes of continued eligibility for Title IV and state financial aid. Without this written appeal, the student will not remain eligible for Title IV and state financial aid.

Transfer Credit for Continuing Students

A student currently enrolled at Berea who wishes to transfer credit earned at another regionally accredited institution must submit a Transfer of Credit Application with approval signatures from the Academic Advisor and the Department Chair for the department in which the course would be offered at Berea. The form must be submitted to the Registrar's office prior to enrollment in the course to be transferred. The following policies apply to courses taken elsewhere:

Only courses and earned credits completed with a grade of C or higher at a regionally accredited institution.
Eight (8) of the last eleven (11) courses required for completion of the degree must be earned in residence at Berea College. Exceptions can be approved by the Student Admission and Academic Standing Committee.

Credit is transferred only on the basis of an official transcript mailed directly to: Office of the Registrar, CPO 2168, Berea College, Berea, KY 40404. It is the student's responsibility to request this document from the registrar where the course was taken.
Only credit is transferred to Berea; not grades or quality points. Transfer credit is not used in computing the GPA at Berea College and higher grades will not replace lower grades on the Berea transcript.
Credit cannot be given for any course that is the equivalent of a course previously completed at Berea College.
Any course in which a grade of ‘F’ has been earned at Berea can only be repeated at Berea.
Current students may not meet Developmental Math requirements with transfer work.
In general, transfer courses must be the equivalent of 0.75 credits in order to meet any General Education or Major requirement (Course Credit and Equivalent).

Definition and Declaration of Majors and Minors

Definition of Major

At Berea College, the term “major” describes one of the three parts of each student’s undergraduate curriculum (the other two parts being the General Education curriculum and the student’s self-selected elective courses). The major is a set of courses selected to provide an opportunity for a student to undertake in-depth study. The College offers majors in discipline-specific departments, interdisciplinary departments (which draw upon a variety of departmental courses), and student-designed independent majors. A major field of study has these aspects:

a central core of method, theory, and content;
a formal integration of the diversity of topics and analytical tools within the field of study;
an intellectual sequence of study that moves to increasingly complex and sophisticated understandings; and
opportunities for students to demonstrate some mastery of the field of study's nature, tools, central questions, arguments, history, philosophical presuppositions, limits, etc.

It also is understood that a curriculum that represents a major cannot provide full coverage of all of that field of study, and that the major's size will be limited to respect the traditional eight-term duration of undergraduate study. Unless approved by Faculty action for exceptional reasons, a major consists of 8 to 12 course credits from a particular departmental rubric. Majors often require some additional collateral courses, with the sum of department offerings and collateral courses being no more than 16 course credits, unless additional course credits are approved by Faculty action. A student-designed Independent Major (see “Independent Major” in this publication) would be guided by the same principles.

Designating an Exploratory Major

In the Spring term of their first year, students will engage in a process to designate an Exploratory Major. This is a required procedure and is intended to promote reflection upon emerging disciplinary interests and to help prepare the student for the Declaration of Major (Note: The designation of an Exploratory Major is not an official declaration of major. For information on this process, refer to “Declaration of Primary Major”). After the student has identified an Exploratory Major, a new advisor in that field of study will be assigned, unless their current first-year advisor is already in that major and available to provide service in the student’s second year.

Declaration of Primary Major

Students are expected to declare their major in the spring of their second year. Transfer students (students who were degree-seeking students at a different institution prior to enrolling in Berea), who are credited with 2 or more transfer terms are expected to declare their major in the spring of their first year. Transfer students who are credited with less than 2 transfer terms are expected to declare their major in the spring of their second year.

Once the student has requested acceptance to a major, academic departments will either 1) accept, 2) not accept, or 3) conditionally accept with specific conditions that can be met by the end of the next term.

Students who are accepted or conditionally accepted must submit a curriculum plan to the Registrar’s office in order to complete the Declaration of Major process. Failure to submit a curriculum plan will result in a hold being applied disallowing confirmation or registration until a curriculum plan has been submitted. If the student needs more than eight (8) regular terms (or the equivalent for transfer students) to complete the selected major, the student must request an Extension of Terms.

Students who are not accepted to a major and students conditionally accepted who do not meet the conditions for their acceptance to the major must complete the Declaration of Major process in the next regular term (Fall of the 3rd year, generally). Students who are not accepted into a major in this second attempt are subject to suspension.

Retention in Major

Students who do not maintain a Major GPA of 2.0 or higher may be subject to removal from the major at the discretion of the major department. Students who are not retained in their major must make progress toward being accepted into a different major prior to the beginning of the next term. Students who do not meet this expectation will be subject to suspension following a review by the Director of Academic Services and/or the Student Admissions and Academic Standing (SAAS) Committee.

Independent Major

An Independent Major is an option available to students who wish to pursue a field of study that cannot be met through an established Berea College major program. Students are free to propose majors, provided they meet the criteria in the Catalog & Student Handbook ’s Definition of a Major. While this list is not exhaustive, some examples of previously approved independent majors are: Appalachian Studies, Classical Studies or Classical Civilizations, and Sustainable Community Development.

At least one term prior to when they plan to declare the major and submit their proposal, students interested in an Independent Major should talk with the Teaching Faculty members they would like to have as their primary and secondary Independent Major advisors. (Each advisor must be above the rank of instructor and a member of the Teaching Faculty from one of the departments with significant course work included in the proposed major curriculum. Normally, the primary advisor would be from the academic department in which the greatest number of courses would be taken. The secondary advisor should be chosen to provide the student with guidance in an area related to the field of study.).

To propose an Independent Major, students develop a rationale outlining and explaining their goals (career, educational, etc.) for the proposed Independent Major and why none of the existing majors (alone or in conjunction with other majors and minors) in the Berea College Catalog & Student Handbook will meet their specific goals. Students explore the Independent Major by looking at other accredited four-year institutions of higher education and finding approved undergraduate majors in the student’s proposed field of study. These majors will be used as the model for the Berea College Independent Major. Using the list of courses/experiences required at each of the other schools, and in consultation with the primary and secondary Independent Major advisors, a tentative curriculum is developed based on offerings available to Berea students. Students then prepare a comparison chart for the other school’s program and their proposed Independent Major at Berea. Students should prepare a narrative to go with the charts and, wherever the proposed plan deviates from the program being used as a model, students must explain their reasoning for the change(s).

Using the latest information available concerning when courses next will be offered (online Catalog & Student Handbook, department chairs, advisor’s information, etc.), prepare a Curriculum Plan showing how the degree will be completed in their current and remaining terms. This Curriculum Plan must be reviewed and approved by the Independent Major advisors. Additional approvals for the curriculum itself and the title of the Independent Major must be obtained from the coordinator of all departments in which two or more courses in the major are required (including core, capstone, and collateral courses). The student then meets with a College reference librarian to assess available resources for the Independent Major curriculum. The student also will prepare a list of other resources (people, centers, institutions, museums, etc.) available to the student to support the proposed major. The student and Independent Major advisors all must sign the cover sheet after careful review of the completed proposal.

Completed proposals with all required signatures are submitted by the deadline each regular term to the the Dean of Curriculum and Student Learning (located in Suite 320 Lincoln Hall), liaison to the Academic Program Council. The Council and/or Dean of Curriculum and Student Learning may accept, reject, or request that the student modify and resubmit the proposal. If approved, copies of the final version are sent to the student and the Independent Major advisors and the original is kept in the student’s file in the Office of the Registrar.

Proposals are subject to the following guidelines:

For students declaring an Independent major as their primary degree program, the online declaration of major and the completed Independent Major proposal must be submitted by the regular-term deadlines set by the Office of the Registrar. Students who are required to declare a major will receive notification early in the Fall or Spring term in which the student will accumulate fifteen (15) course credits.
Note: Preparation of a completed proposal can take months and should begin in the regular term prior to when the student intends to declare the Independent Major.
For second majors or those wishing to change their primary major, proposals must be submitted by the regular-term deadline set by the Office of the Registrar.
The student must obtain approval from the Director of Academic Services if the proposed Independent Major will require that the student’s College career be more than eight regular terms (including transfer terms). To obtain approval for an extension, the student must complete the Request for an Extension of Terms paperwork (available in the Self Serve Room, 101 Lincoln Hall) explaining the need for additional terms in the proposal materials and submit it along with the Independent Major proposal. (The Office of Academic Services will coordinate the approval of both the major and the extension.)
The Dean of Curriculum and Student Leaning will serve as the Department Chair for all Independent Majors.

Double Majors

Students may graduate with two majors (or three in rare circumstances). Approvals for second majors may be requested at the time of declaring a primary major or after. The student must have an overall minimum GPA of 3.00 at the time of application. A Curriculum Plan incorporating all courses required for both majors, must be submitted at the time of application. Students with double majors are expected to complete degree requirements within eight regular terms. To receive the degrees in both majors, the student must meet the curriculum requirements of both and earn a minimum GPA of 2.00 in each major.

Minors

Berea College offers minors in 34 fields of study that allow students to broaden and deepen their particular areas of expertise. A minor program will be a program with a minimum of five course credits and a maximum of seven course credits. Independent minors are not permitted. Application for a minor may be made at any time after 15 course credits are earned. To be eligible for a minor, the student must have earned a minimum GPA of 2.00 at the time of application. A Curriculum Plan that includes both the major and minor, as well as remaining General Education course work, must be submitted at the time of application. Students undertaking a minor are expected to complete degree requirements within eight (8) regular terms. A minimum GPA of 2.00 must be earned in order to complete the minor. A Minor Checklist for each minor is made available to students and advisors via a link from this posted publication, but the description in the Academic Departments and Courses section in the online Catalog & Student Handbook remains the official source for information concerning the minor.

Minor Programs Offered at Berea

Eight-Term Rule and Extension of Terms

Students are expected to complete all degree requirements within four academic years, or eight regular terms, including transfer terms for transfer students, terms abroad, off-campus field studies, internships, and the addition of one or more minors or additional majors, if any. Terms in which a student is on a leave of absence are not counted towards total terms of attendance. Failure to follow the approved Curriculum Plan submitted as part of the Declaration of Primary Major process does not constitute a valid reason for needing an extension of terms.

Students who, for good reason, are unable to complete degree requirements within eight regular terms may submit a Request for an Extension of Terms form—which includes a revised Curriculum Plan, and an accompanying letter explaining the reason(s) the extension is needed—to the Office of Academic Services. (Students proposing an Independent Major that requires more than eight terms, even if a prior extension of terms was approved for another major, should include this request with their completed proposal; approvals will be coordinated by the Director of Academic Services and the Dean of Curriculum and Student Learning.) Requests for a one- or two-term extension not approved by Academic Services may be appealed to the Student Admissions and Academic Standing (SAAS) Committee. All requests for more than 10 terms of attendance are reviewed by the SAAS Committee.

Degree Requirements

Berea’s curriculum offers the advantage of interdisciplinary general study coupled with intensive study in 33 major fields (some of which have multiple concentrations) and 34 minor fields of study. In all academic disciplines, students acquire knowledge and deepen their understanding of the subject area, while gaining competency in applying the content and methods of inquiry to daily life. A degree is conferred upon the completion of both the General Education curriculum and the curriculum of a selected major, provided the student has earned the minimum number of credits (including 20 outside the major), and has earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 or higher in all courses, as well as in the major course work. (Please be aware that some academic departments require a GPA higher than the College requirement of 2.00.) A minimum of 32 earned course credits (typically 34 in Nursing) is required for graduation, with at least 20 credits taken outside the major discipline.

General Education Requirements

Berea College's curriculum includes an interdisciplinary General Education curriculum in addition to intensive study in a major. As an institution with a liberal arts foundation and outlook, the College has a responsibility to educate the whole person. Berea College's General Education curriculum addresses Berea's Great Commitments and is designed to help students develop important knowledge, skills, and habits of mind. The curriculum extends from the first year through the senior year and includes, in addition to course work, convocations and other experiences.

All Berea College degrees include the following General Education Requirements

GSTR 110: Writing Seminar I: Critical Thinking in the Liberal Arts
Note: credit for this course cannot be transferred in; however, transfer students who took College Composition while attending a regionally-accredited college or university as a degree-seeking student—and who earned a grade of B or higher in the course—can waive this requirement and take GSTR 210 in their first term of attendance.
GSTR 210: Writing Seminar II: Identity and Diversity in the United States (credit cannot be transferred in or waived)
GSTR 310: Understandings of Christianity (credit cannot be transferred in or waived)
GSTR 332: Scientific Origins OR the optional alternative of two approved Natural Science courses in two different disciplines, at least one of which must be approved as a Natural Science Laboratory course. To date, the following courses have been approved to meet this alternative (all of them approved to meet a Natural Science Laboratory course)—ANR 110, ANR 130, BIO 100, BIO 101, BIO 110, CHM 101, CHM 113, CHM 131, CHM 134, PHY 111, PHY 127, and PHY 221.
GSTR 410: Seminar in Contemporary Global Issues (credit cannot be transferred in or waived)
Practical Reasoning Requirement (two approved courses, at least one of which must be firmly grounded in mathematics or statistics)
Six Perspectives Areas—Arts; Social Science; Western History; Religion; African Americans', Appalachians', Women's; and International (Language or World Culture option)
Lifetime Health and Wellness: WELL 101, WELL 102 and Physical Activity Requirement
Active Learning Experience (ALE)
Developmental Mathematics Requirement
Twenty (20) courses taken outside the major
Convocation Requirement

NOTE: Some Berea College courses can be used to fulfill more than one requirement. When a course is used to satisfy both a General Education requirement and a major requirement (i.e., PSY 100: General Psychology, which meets the General Education Social Science Perspective, as well as the requirement for the Psychology major), the credit is counted only once and in the major discipline. No single course may fulfill more than two General Education requirements and no single transfer course can fulfill more than one General Education requirement. The required General Studies courses (GSTR 110, GSTR 210, GSTR 310, GSTR 332, and GSTR 410) cannot be used to fulfill any additional requirements.

The Aims of General Education

Knowledge

The General Education Program will help students understand:

aesthetic, scientific, historical, and interdisciplinary ways of knowing;
religion, particularly Christianity, in its many expressions;
Berea College’ s historical and ongoing commitments to racial (traditionally black and white) and gender equality, as well as to the Appalachian region;
the natural environment and our relationship to it;
the roles of science and technology in the contemporary world;
U.S. and global issues and perspectives.

Skills

The General Education Program will help students develop the abilities to:

read and listen effectively; write and speak effectively, with integrity and style;
think critically and creatively, and reason quantitatively;
develop research strategies and employ appropriate technologies as a means to deepen one’s knowledge and understanding;
work effectively both independently and collaboratively;
resolve conflicts nonviolently.

Habits of Mind

The General Education Program will help students:

deepen their capacities for moral reflection, spiritual development, and responsible action;
develop an openness to and knowledgeable appreciation of human diversity in terms of race, gender, class, religion, sexuality, language, and culture;
cultivate their imagination and ability to discern connections, consider alternatives, and think about topics and issues from multiple perspectives;
think and act in ways that promote peace with justice;
develop habits leading to lifetime health and fitness.

Learning Experiences

The above aims of General Education Program will be achieved through a combination of learning experiences designed to help students become independent learners and thinkers. Such learning experiences are likely to include:

Discussion and lecture;
Student-initiated learning;
Experiential learning (for example, service-learning, travel, internships, etc.);
Collaborative learning.

Core Competencies

To determine the extent to which students have attained the Aims of General Education, Berea College will regularly asses student achievement in five areas:

Critical Thinking
Communication
Research and Information Literacy
Quantitative Literacy
Intercultural Competence

Practical Reasoning Requirement--Two Courses

The Practical Reasoning Requirement is met through the satisfactory completion of two courses, at least one of which must be firmly grounded in mathematics or statistics. Courses meeting this requirement are intended to help students discern connections, consider alternatives, and think about topics and issues from multiple perspectives.

Designations for Practical Reasoning Courses

An approved Practical Reasoning course that is "firmly grounded in mathematics or statistics" is called "Practical Reasoning with Quantitative Emphasis" and is given the designation "PRQ." Other approved Practical Reasoning courses are given the designation "PR."

The Committee on General Education (COGE) has approved the following courses to meet the Practical Reasoning Requirement. COGE continues to review departmental proposals for additional courses to meet this requirement in the General Education curriculum.

NOTE: Transfer credit for PSY 100 General Psychology does not meet the Practical Reasoning requirement but meets the Social Science Perspective.

Approved Courses (PR & PRQ)

Courses below have been designated by the Committee on General Education to meet the indicated requirement. Special topics courses are approved on a term-by-term basis and approvals are listed in the Schedule of Classes.

Practical Reasoning--Quantitative Emphasis (PRQ)

CHM 131	Accelerated General Chemistry	1 Course Credit
CHM 134	Accelerated Environmental Chem	1 Course Credit
ECO 250	Applied Statistics	1 Course Credit
MAT 101/MAT 108	Math Modeling Using Computer	1 Course Credit
MAT 104	Introduction to Statistics	1 Course Credit
MAT 105	Intro to Discrete Math	1 Course Credit
MAT 108/MAT 101	Environ Issue:Math Model Appr	1 Course Credit
MAT 115	College Algebra with Modeling	1 Course Credit
MAT 125	Trigonometry with Applications	1 Course Credit
MAT 135	Calculus I	1 Course Credit
MAT 214	Linear Algebra	1 Course Credit
MAT 225	Calculus II	1 Course Credit
MAT 311	Probability	1 Course Credit
MAT 312	Operations Research	1 Course Credit
MAT 330	Calculus III	1 Course Credit
MAT 437	Differential Equations	1 Course Credit
PHY 130/PHY 225	Applied Mah for Physics & Eng.	1 Course Credit
PHY 225	Math Methods in Physics I	1 Course Credit
PSY 325	Stats & Rsrch Meth-Behav Sc II	1 Course Credit
SENS 320	Intro-Geographical Info System	1 Course Credit
SOC 340	Social Statistics-Diverse Soc	1 Course Credit
TAD 352	Quality Control	1 Course Credit

Practical Reasoning (PR)

BUS 114	Business App & Prog (CSC)	1 Course Credit
BUS 120	Accounting I	1 Course Credit
CFS 145	Consumer Decision Making	1 Course Credit
COM 201	Argumentation and Debate	1 Course Credit
COM 203	Persuasion	1 Course Credit
CSC 111	Storytelling-Comp Animation	1 Course Credit
CSC 114	Business App & Prog (BUS)	1 Course Credit
CSC 126	Intro to Robotics	1 Course Credit
GST 235	Intro to Behavioral Sciences	1 Course Credit
HIS 316	20th Cent Europe:Div & Recon	1 Course Credit
MAT 203	Geometry-Midl Grades/Elem Tchr	1 Course Credit
MAT 315	Fundamental Concepts of Math	1 Course Credit
PHI 104	Morality, Law & Philosophy	1 Course Credit
PHI 106	Introductory Reasoning	1 Course Credit
PHI 204/PSC 204	Justice&Law-Class Pol Phi(PSC)	1 Course Credit
PHI 207/PSC 207	Human Rights, Intl Law (PSC)	1 Course Credit
PHI 209/PSC 209	Freedom,Law,&Modern State(PSC)	1 Course Credit
PHI 214	Approaches to Ethics	1 Course Credit
PHI 218	Symbolic Logic	1 Course Credit
PHI 230	Reflecting on Nature	1 Course Credit
PHY 111	Introduction to Astronomy	1 Course Credit
PSC 204/PHI 204	Justice&Law-Class Pol Phi(PHI)	1 Course Credit
PSC 207/PHI 207	Human Rights, Intl Law (PHI)	1 Course Credit
PSC 209/PHI 209	Freedom,Law,&Modern State(PHI)	1 Course Credit
PSY 100	General Psychology***	1 Course Credit
REL 235	Christian Social Ethics	1 Course Credit
SENS 100	Intro-Sustainability & Environ	1 Course Credit
SOC 335	Methods of Social Research	1 Course Credit

***PSY 100 does not meet the Practical Reasoning Requirement if brought in as a Transfer Course.

Six Perspective Areas--All Six Areas Required

Individual courses may be approved to satisfy more than one Perspective Area; however, no single course will be designated to satisfy more than two Perspective Areas. Each course counts only once in the earned-credit minimum needed to graduate. The six Perspective Areas are:

Arts

develops an understanding and appreciation of artistic form and creation through the study and/or practice of the visual arts, creative writing, literature, music, dance, and/or theatre.

Social Science

develops a scientific understanding of human behavior at the individual, group, or community level.

Western History

develops an understanding and appreciation of history as a way of knowing through the study of one or more major traditions, institutions, events, or achievements of Western Civilization. The “West” denotes those regions in which the primary influence has been European in origin.

Religion

develops an understanding and appreciation of the role of religion in human experience through the study of one or more major religious traditions, institutions, or ideas.

African Americans’, Appalachians’, Women’s

develops an understanding and appreciation of diversity through the study of one or more of those groups central to Berea’s Commitments: African Americans, Appalachians, and/or Women.

International

develops an understanding and appreciation of world citizenship through the study of languages or world cultures. This perspective area may be met by the completion of either:

two courses in the same, non-English language, one of which may be waived by a placement examination (i.e., at least one language course must be taken after entering Berea College).
NOTE: Some majors require study in a foreign language. Students should check requirements for the department(s) they wish to pursue before deciding which option in the International Perspective to complete.

OR
two world culture courses, one of which must be Non-Western; one or both of which may be met by approved courses taken abroad.

Approved Courses

Courses below have been designated by the Committee on General Education to meet the indicated requirement. Special topic courses are approved on a term-by-term basis and approvals are listed in the Schedule of Classes. Cross-listed courses are listed only once but are approved as meeting the associated perspective under either disciplinary rubric.

African Americans', Appalachians', and Women's Perspective

AFR 202/PSC 202/WGS 202	Women & Afr Amer-Pol(WGS/PSC)	1 Course Credit
AFR 222	Intro to African-Amer Studies	1 Course Credit
AFR 230/APS 230	African Amer-Appalachia(APS)	1 Course Credit
APS 121	Appalachian Cultures	1 Course Credit
APS 113	Appalachian Weaving	1 Course Credit
APS 140/ENG 140	Appalachian Literature (ENG)	1 Course Credit
APS 229	Contemporary Issues-Appalachia	1 Course Credit
CFS 207/WGS 207	Family Relations (WGS)	1 Course Credit
CFS 209/APS 209	Appalachian Foodways (APS)	1 Course Credit
CFS 366/WGS 366	Cross-Cultrl Persp-Fam (WGS)	1 Course Credit
COM 310/WGS 310	Communication and Gender (WGS)	1 Course Credit
ENG 135/AFR 135/WGS 135	Afr-Amer Women Writer(AFR/WGS)	1 Course Credit
ENG 141/AFR 141	African-American Lit (AFR)	1 Course Credit
ENG 212/AFR 212/WGS 212	Lit-Caribbean Women(AFR/WGS)	1 Course Credit
ENG 237/WGS 237	Women And Literature (WGS)	1 Course Credit
HIS 102/WGS 102	West Civ II:Std in Gendr (WGS)	1 Course Credit
HIS 165/AFR 165	Intro to Afr Amer His(AFR)	1 Course Credit
HIS 253/APS 253	Appalachian America (APS)	1 Course Credit
HIS 356/AFR 356	Sem: African-Amer History(AFR)	1 Course Credit
HLT 210/APS 210	Health in Appalachia (APS)	1 Course Credit
HLT 236/WGS 236	Women and Health (WGS)	1 Course Credit
MUS 224/APS 224	Appalachian Music (APS)	1 Course Credit
MUS 234/AFR 234	Afri-Amer Mus:Overview (AFR)	1 Course Credit
PSJ 210	Diversity and Social Justice	1 Course Credit
REL 211/WGS 211	Women in Religion (WGS)	1 Course Credit
SENS 215/APS 215	Sustainable Appal Comm (APS)	1 Course Credit
SENS 225/AFR 225/APS 225/PSJ 225/WGS 225	Envr Justice(AFR/WGS/PSJ/APS)	1 Course Credit
SOC 132/AFR 132	Intro to Race in America (AFR)	1 Course Credit
SOC 330/APS 330	Comm Analysis:Appal Case(APS)	1 Course Credit
TAD 213/APS 213	Appalachian Crafts (APS)	1 Course Credit
WGS 124	Intro to Women's & Gender Stds	1 Course Credit
WGS 127	Riding the Waves of Feminism	1 Course Credit
WGS 220/APS 220	Gender in Appalachia (APS)	1 Course Credit
WGS 315	Classic Texts in Women's & Gen	1 Course Credit

Arts Perspective

ARH 210	Topics in Islamic Art & Archit	1 Course Credit
ARH 220/AST 220	Topics in Indian Art H (AST)	1 Course Credit
ARH 230	Topics in Latin American Art	1 Course Credit
ARH 232	Classical Art & Archaeology	1 Course Credit
ARH 233	Art&Arch Ancnt Nr East&Egypt	1 Course Credit
ARH 242	Medieval Art	1 Course Credit
ART 111	Printmaking I	1 Course Credit
ART 115	Drawing Fundamentals	1 Course Credit
ART 116	Painting I	1 Course Credit
ART 123	Ceramics I	1 Course Credit
ART 125	Fibers I	1 Course Credit
ART 130	Sculpture I	1 Course Credit
CFS 238	Human Environments II	1 Course Credit
CLS 222	Classical Mythology (REL)	1 Course Credit
COM 211	Broadcast Journalism I	1 Course Credit
CSC 111	Storytelling-Comp Animation	1 Course Credit
ENG 124	Intro to Creative Writing	1 Course Credit
ENG 141/AFR 141	African-American Lit (AFR)	1 Course Credit
ENG 200	Studies in Time	1 Course Credit
ENG 282	Workshop in Creative Writing	1 Course Credit
FRN 320	Panorama of French Lit I	1 Course Credit
FRN 321	Panorama of French Lit II	1 Course Credit
FRN 325	Seventeenth Century Frn Lit	1 Course Credit
FRN 330	Nineteenth Century French Lit	1 Course Credit
FRN 340	Twentieth Century French Lit	1 Course Credit
GER 320	German Poetry	1 Course Credit
GER 325	German Narrative Prose	1 Course Credit
GER 330	German Drama	1 Course Credit
GER 340	German Novel	1 Course Credit
HHP 245	Dance Education	1 Course Credit
HHP 248	World Dance	1 Course Credit
HHP 249	Dancing Through Space & Time	1 Course Credit
HHP 305	Improvisation & Choreography	1 Course Credit
LAT 210/HIS 210	Classical Roman Civ (HIS)	1 Course Credit
LAT 223	Virgil	1 Course Credit
LAT 321	Latin Historians	1 Course Credit
LAT 324	Classical Poetry	1 Course Credit
MUS 106	World Music	1 Course Credit
MUS 115	Intro to Music Literature	1 Course Credit
MUS 216	Perceptive Listening to Music	1 Course Credit
MUS 224/APS 224	Appalachian Music (APS)	1 Course Credit
MUS 234/AFR 234	Afri-Amer Mus:Overview (AFR)	1 Course Credit
REL 110	Religion and the Arts	1 Course Credit
REL 222	Classical Mythology (CLS)	1 Course Credit
SPN 315	Intro to Spanish Literature	1 Course Credit
SPN 320	Peninsular Literature I	1 Course Credit
SPN 321	Peninsular Literature II	1 Course Credit
SPN 330	Spanish American Literature I	1 Course Credit
SPN 331	Spanish American Literature II	1 Course Credit
SPN 340	The Novel	1 Course Credit
TAD 180	Graphic Com and Design	1 Course Credit
TAD 202	Photography	1 Course Credit
TAD 213/APS 213	Appalachian Crafts (APS)	1 Course Credit
THR 331	Film Production: Documentary	1 Course Credit
THR 332	Film Production: Feature Film	1 Course Credit

International Perspective (two options)

The International Perspective is met by taking EITHER

Foreign Language Option —two courses in the same foreign language, one of which may be waived by a placement examination (at least one language course must be taken after entering Berea College unless transfer credit has been awarded for a foreign language through the second level) OR
World Culture Option —two approved World Culture courses, at least one of which must be approved as Non-Western. Here is a list of courses that have been approved to meet the World Culture component of this perspective, first Non-Western, then Western:

International Perspective (Non-Western)

AFR 136/REL 136	African Trad Religion (REL)	1 Course Credit
AFR 212/ENG 212	Lit-Caribbean Women(ENG/WGS)	1 Course Credit
AFR 260/HIS 260	Survey of African His (HIS)	1 Course Credit
ARH 220/AST 220	Topics in Indian Art H (AST)	1 Course Credit
ARH 239	Native Nrth Amer Art&Archaelog	1 Course Credit
AST 132/REL 132	Religions of China (REL)	1 Course Credit
AST 135/REL 135	Religions of Japan (REL)	1 Course Credit
AST 322/HIS 322	Sem in Chinese History (HIS)	1 Course Credit
AST 323/HIS 323	Sem in Japanese History (HIS)	1 Course Credit
ENG 242	Intro to Non-Western Lit	1 Course Credit
HHP 248	World Dance	1 Course Credit
HIS 122/AST 122	History of China (AST)	1 Course Credit
HIS 123/AST 123	History of Japan (AST)	1 Course Credit
HIS 223	Hist of Pre-Modern Middle East	1 Course Credit
HIS 270	Recent History of Middle East	1 Course Credit
MUS 106	World Music	1 Course Credit
PSC 175/HIS 175	His & Pol of Arab-Isr (HIS)	1 Course Credit
PSC 352	Politics of Developing Nations	1 Course Credit
REL 100	Religion in Global Context	1 Course Credit
REL 240/HIS 240	Islam (HIS)	1 Course Credit
REL 260/AST 260	Buddhism (AST)	1 Course Credit
REL 308/AST 308	Themes in Asian Tradition(AST)	1 Course Credit

International Perspective (Western)

ARH 230	Topics in Latin American Art	1 Course Credit
CFS 225	Food, Culture and Society	1 Course Credit
CFS 366/WGS 366	Cross-Cultrl Persp-Fam (WGS)	1 Course Credit
ECO 341	Economic Dev:Theory & Appl	1 Course Credit
ENG 103	ESL and American Culture	1 Course Credit
GER 140	German Civilization	1 Course Credit
HIS 131	Britain & the Emp, 1688 to Pre	1 Course Credit
HIS 224	20th Century World History	1 Course Credit
HIS 229/AST 229	Modern Imperialism (AST)	1 Course Credit
HIS 311	Seminar: Medieval History	1 Course Credit
LAT 117	Classical Etymology	1 Course Credit
PHI 207/PSC 207	Human Rights, Intl Law (PSC)	1 Course Credit
SOC 341	Soc of Dev & Social Change	1 Course Credit
SPN 140/HIS 140	History of Spain (HIS)	1 Course Credit

Religion Perspective

ARH 210	Topics in Islamic Art & Archit	1 Course Credit
ARH 242	Medieval Art	1 Course Credit
CLS 222	Classical Mythology (REL)	1 Course Credit
HIS 202/REL 202	Christians & Pagans (REL)	1 Course Credit
HIS 215/REL 215	Christianity to 1600 (REL)	1 Course Credit
HIS 223	Hist of Pre-Modern Middle East	1 Course Credit
HIS 240/REL 240	Islam (REL)	1 Course Credit
HIS 311	Seminar: Medieval History	1 Course Credit
HIS 314	Renaissance and Reformation	1 Course Credit
HIS 355	Sem in American Rel Hist (REL)	1 Course Credit
PSJ 205	Movements & Commnty Organizing	1 Course Credit
REL 100	Religion in Global Context	1 Course Credit
REL 109	Intro to Christian Thought	1 Course Credit
REL 110	Religion and the Arts	1 Course Credit
REL 126	Poverty and Justice	1 Course Credit
REL 132/AST 132	Religions of China (AST)	1 Course Credit
REL 135/AST 135	Religions of Japan (AST)	1 Course Credit
REL 136/AFR 136	African Trad Religion (AFR)	1 Course Credit
REL 211/WGS 211	Women in Religion (WGS)	1 Course Credit
REL 212	Rel, Rhetoric, & Rationality	1 Course Credit
REL 215	Christianity to 1600 (HIS)	1 Course Credit
REL 222	Classical Mythology (CLS)	1 Course Credit
REL 225	Images of Jesus	1 Course Credit
REL 228	The Bible, His., & Archeology	1 Course Credit
REL 235	Christian Social Ethics	1 Course Credit
REL 250	Judaism	1 Course Credit
REL 260/AST 260	Buddhism (AST)	1 Course Credit
REL 309	Themes in Abrahamic Traditions	1 Course Credit
REL 312	Religious Thought & Ethics	1 Course Credit
REL 308/AST 308	Themes in Asian Tradition(AST)	1 Course Credit
REL 320	Advanced Biblical Studies	1 Course Credit
REL 355	Sem in American Rel Hist (HIS)	1 Course Credit

Social Science Perspective

ARH 234	Intro to Archaeological Method	1 Course Credit
ARH 238	History & Analysis of Craft	1 Course Credit
BUS 257	Consumer Behavior	1 Course Credit
CFS 207/WGS 207	Family Relations (WGS)	1 Course Credit
COM 220	Theories of Communication	1 Course Credit
ECO 101	Principles of Macroeconomics	1 Course Credit
ECO 102	Principles of Microeconomics	1 Course Credit
ECO 301	Intermediate Macroeconomics	1 Course Credit
ECO 302	Intermediate Microeconomics	1 Course Credit
ECO 360/PSC 360	Int'l Political Economy (PSC)	1 Course Credit
ECO 370	Environ Issue in Public Policy	1 Course Credit
GST 235	Intro to Behavioral Sciences	1 Course Credit
HIS 200	Intro to Historical Study	1 Course Credit
PSC 100	Intro to Study of Politics	1 Course Credit
PSC 110	American Government	1 Course Credit
PSJ 305	Conflict Transformation	1 Course Credit
PSY 100 *	General Psychology	1 Course Credit
SOC 100	Sociology of Everyday Life	1 Course Credit
SOC 110	Prob of American Institutions	1 Course Credit
SOC 220	Cultural Anthropology	1 Course Credit

Western History Perspective

HIS 314	Renaissance and Reformation	1 Course Credit
AFR 356/HIS 356	Sem-African-Amer History (HIS)	1 Course Credit
ARH 232	Classical Art & Archaeology	1 Course Credit
ARH 242	Medieval Art	1 Course Credit
ARH 255	20th & 21st Century Art	1 Course Credit
FRN 140	Frn Civilization Past/Present	1 Course Credit
GER 140	German Civilization	1 Course Credit
HIS 101	Western Civilization I	1 Course Credit
HIS 102	West Civ II:Std in Gendr (WGS)	1 Course Credit
HIS 130	Albion & Eire: British Isles	1 Course Credit
HIS 131	Britain & the Emp, 1688 to Pre	1 Course Credit
HIS 161	American History to 1865	1 Course Credit
HIS 162	American History Since 1865	1 Course Credit
HIS 165/AFR 165	Intro to Afr Amer His(AFR)	1 Course Credit
HIS 209	Classical Greek Civilization	1 Course Credit
HIS 215	Christianity to 1600 (REL)	1 Course Credit
HIS 310	Seminar in U. S. History	1 Course Credit
HIS 316	20th Cent Europe:Div & Recon	1 Course Credit
HIS 335	Topic Sem-Modern European His	1 Course Credit
HIS 355	Sem in American Rel Hist (REL)	1 Course Credit
LAT 210	Classical Roman Civ (HIS)	1 Course Credit
PHI 204/PSC 204	Justice&Law-Class Pol Phi(PSC)	1 Course Credit
PHI 209/PSC 209	Freedom,Law,&Modern State(PSC)	1 Course Credit
PHI 305	Classical Philosophy	1 Course Credit
PSY 420	His & Systems of Psychology	1 Course Credit
REL 202/HIS 202	Christians & Pagans (HIS)	1 Course Credit
SPN 140/HIS 140	History of Spain (HIS)	1 Course Credit
TAD 118	History of Technology	1 Course Credit

Lifetime Health and Wellness

As of Fall 2017, all incoming students are required to complete WELL 101 and WELL 102 in their first year of attendance. Students not successfully completing WELL 101 and WELL 102 in the first year must complete the sequence in the second year. Students who do not complete the sequence by the 5th term are subject to suspension. Students admitted on previous catalogs must complete HLT 100 (prior to 2016-17) or WELL 101 (2016-17 catalog).

Berea College offers courses, programs, and facilities intended to promote the wellness and personal well-being of students and employees. This commitment is reflected in the adoption of the FRESH Start Quality Enhancement Plan. In addition to WELL 101 and WELL 102, each student must complete two 1/4-credit activity courses chosen from the 200-level HHP activity courses (from two different areas). Waivers from the 1/4-credit activity courses are provided for students awarded a letter in an intercollegiate sport. Students who are awarded one letter in each of two different sports may waive both of the 1/4-credit requirements. If the student’s swimming skills are below the minimal safety/survival levels, students are required to complete HHP 200 and this may count as one of the two 1/4-credit activity courses.

Active Learning Requirement

The Active Learning Experience (ALE) is an opportunity for students to explore interconnections among various venues for learning—courses, labor, service, research, internships, etc. All ALEs must include: a) learning through sustained, continual engagement in, reflection on, and assessment of experiences; b) the use of knowledge, imagination, and judgment to address questions in novel contexts; and c) the exploration of connections between theory and practice, and between learning in courses and from experiences outside the classroom. When the experience has a strong Service-Learning component, it is designated as ALE-SL which indicates that the course is an active learning experience as a result of its incorporation of Service-Learning. Students must complete one approved ALE or ALE-SL.

Developmental Mathematics Requirement

The Development Mathematics Requirement must be waived on the basis of test scores OR met by completing MAT 010, MAT 011, and MAT 012. Each of these full-term courses carries one full load term credit but not earned credit toward graduation. The grades for these courses are “satisfactory,” “satisfactory completion,” or “unsatisfactory.”

Students are required to enroll continuously--Fall-Spring-Summer--in MAT 010, 011, and 012 until their Developmental Mathematics requirement is competed. Those students not completing their Developmental Mathematics requirement by the beginning of their third regular term are subject to suspension for two regular terms.

By policy, students initially placed in MAT 010 are required to attend the summer session following their first year in order to complete MAT 012. Students placed in MAT 011 who do not successfully complete in their initial attempt are required to attend the summer session following their first year in order to complete MAT 012.

Incoming Student Requirements (GSTR, WELL, and Developmental Math)

GSTR 110 and GSTR 210 must be completed by the end of the third regular term of enrollment. GSTR 110 must be taken in the first regular term of enrollment and GSTR 210 in the second regular term. GSTR 210 may be delayed until the third regular term only if a student re-takes (and passes) GSTR 110 in the second term, or if a student takes (and passes) GST 150 for additional writing instruction. WELL 101 and WELL 102 must be taken in sequence during a students first year.

Students who do not waive Developmental Math must maintain continual enrollment until the sequence is completed (see Developmental Math Requirement)

Twenty Earned Course Credits Outside the Major Requirement

Students must complete 20 earned course credits outside the core and distribution requirements of their major. GSTR courses are counted outside the major. When a course is used to satisfy both a General Education requirement and a major requirement, the credit is counted only one time, and in the major discipline. Collateral courses are included in the 20 credits outside the major.

Note: If a collateral course or a substitution for a collateral course is within the major rubric, it does not count in the 20 credits outside the major.

Collateral courses are included in the major’s GPA calculation. Cross-listed courses may be counted as being outside the major if the course does not count toward any requirement for that major—including collateral courses—and if it is taken under the non-major rubric.

Residency Requirement

To earn a Berea College degree, students must complete a minimum of four (4) regular (fall and spring) terms as a degree-seeking student at Berea College.

Convocations

All full-time and part-time students are expected to attend Convocations each term of attendance at Berea minus one (usually the last term of attendance). A grade of CA (Convocation 'A') is recorded for all students who are marked as attending 7 Convocations by the Convocations program. No more than 8 CA (Convocation 'A') grades may count towards the student's cumulative GPA. Convocation credit is only GPA credit and does not count towards the total credits required for graduation. Exceptions are detailed below:

Students doing a Study Abroad term are exempt from the Convocation requirement during that term.
Students engaged in student teaching are exempt from the Convocation requirement during that term as well as during the preceding term (generally the student's 8th term).

See the Convocations program website for specific details about participation in the Convocation program.

Note: Participation in the Convocations program is not technically a degree requirement. Students are expected to participate. A grade of CF (Convocations Fail) is recorded and averaged in to a student's GPA each term a student is expected to participate and is not marked in attendance for 7 or more Convocation events. A grade of CA (Convocations 'A'') is recorded otherwise and averaged into the GPA.

Course Substitutions and Waivers of Degree Requirements

Requests for substitutions or waivers of degree requirements must be initiated by the Academic Advisor(s), supported by the Department Chair, and approved by the Division Chair who serves as a liaison to the Academic Program Council (APC). These requests should be made by the term prior to the graduation term, or as early as possible.

The process to request a change in curriculum begins when the Academic Advisor completes the form available on the Registrar's webpage.

For established majors or minors in the Catalog, the request is forwarded to the Department Chair. (The Dean of Curriculum and Student Learning serves as Chair for GST courses, General Education requirements, and Independent Majors.) If the Department Chair agrees to and supports the request for substitution or waiver, he or she will indicate support in an e-mail to the Division Chair that includes the Advisor(s) request and rationale and any additional information to support the request. If the Department Chair wishes to request that the course substitution is to be a blanket substitution for all students within the major, please indicate such in the e-mail of support. For Independent Majors, the primary and secondary advisors (both indicating agreement for the request) forward the request directly to the Dean of Curriculum and Student Learning.

The Division Chairs either will approve the request for substitution or waiver or will take the request to the Academic Program Council for its review and determination. The student, Academic Advisor, and Department Chair will be notified by e-mail of the outcome.

Application for Degree Requirement

Upon completion of six regular terms, degree-seeking students who have not yet applied for a degree will receive notification from the Associate Registrar informing them that they will need to submit the Application for Degree form, preferably within the following week. At the very latest, students are required to file this Application for Degree prior to registering for classes in their seventh term.

Before submitting this degree application, students should run another degree evaluation in myBerea to make certain that all degree requirements are recorded correctly. Any deficiencies can be discussed with their Academic Advisor prior to registration in the terms leading up to graduation. (Also see “Course Substitutions and Waivers of Degree Requirements” below.)

After the Application for Degree has been filed, it is the student’s responsibility to inform the Associate Registrar of changes in plans or programs. All requirements for the degree, except regular course work, must be completed 30 days prior to the commencement at which the student will graduate.

Students who file the Application for Degree are expected to attend Commencement Exercises.

Note: Neither diplomas nor transcripts will be issued to students with past-due student accounts.

Graduating with Honors

The cumulative GPA will be the measure to determine academic honors, which are designated as follows: summa cum laude 3.900 or higher; magna cum laude 3.750 to 3.899; cum laude 3.600 to 3.749. The College recognizes those students who have demonstrated such excellence by an honors notation on the permanent record, transcripts of the permanent record, diploma, and in the program for the commencement ceremony. The cumulative GPA on which the honors will be based in celebratory programs is that of the last term prior to the one of graduation. However, final transcripts will reflect the honor for the cumulative GPA earned at the end of the term of graduation.

To be eligible for honors, the student must have completed at least seventeen (17) course credits at Berea College. (Also see GPA under "Grades and Grading Scale" in this publication.)

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2017-2018 Catalog