Academic and Department Regulations
Rules and regulations are a necessary part of community life, even in an academic environment, for they define boundaries of conduct that allow an individual the maximum degree of freedom consistent with the effective functioning of that community. The following regulations, derived from state law, city law and experience, define some of these boundaries at IIT. It is important that all students familiarize themselves with this material, as well as with information listed in the current IIT Undergraduate Bulletin. Graduate students should become familiar with regulations and procedures listed in the current IIT Graduate Bulletin and other publications from the Graduate College. Law students should see the current Chicago-Kent Bulletin and Chicago-Kent Student Handbook. Stuart School students should familiarize themselves with the Stuart School Bulletin.
It is the responsibility of all students to know and to adhere to relevant academic regulations and procedures outlined in these publications.
Each undergraduate student is assigned an academic advisor who is available to discuss opportunities and career plans in the student’s chosen field and to plan and approve coursework to meet department and university requirements. Students are urged to consult their advisors often. The associate chairs of departments (or associate deans in colleges without chairs) also offer information on university requirements and academic procedures.
A graduate student is required to complete any necessary forms with the approval of the appropriate Graduate College staff. Special advisors are available to counsel undergraduates on preparation for entry into advanced programs in law, medicine and education. Special advisors will be assigned to students working in combined undergraduate/graduate degree programs with the associated medical schools, Chicago-Kent College of Law, the Graduate College or Stuart School of Business.
The minimum registration required for full-time status is 12 credit hours for undergraduate students and nine credit hours for graduate students. During the summer session, six credit hours is regarded as full-time enrollment for financial aid consideration. Students who wish to enroll for more than 18 credit hours during the fall or spring semester must obtain permission from their academic dean. Students who wish to enroll for more than two courses during the summer must obtain permission from their academic dean. Part-time degree-seeking students who wish to enroll for 9 to 11 credits hours must have permission from their academic dean. Non-degree students requesting a course overload must obtain permission from the Office of Educational Services.
Non-degree graduate students are limited to a maximum of nine credit hours prior to a formal admission decision. Graduate students who wish to enroll for more than 15 credit hours in a semester, or more than two courses during the summer session, must obtain written permission from the Associate Dean of Graduate Academic Affairs.
An official academic audit provides a summary of a student’s academic status to date and lists the courses to be completed in order to receive a degree. Most undergraduate students who have completed at least 60 semester hours (including applicable transfer credit) will receive an audit from the Office of Educational Services. After receiving their first audit, students may request periodic updates.
DegeeWorks is an online degree audit system available to students via the MyIIT portal. DegreeWorks allows students to monitor academic progress and investigate different programs of study
All students who are degree candidates are expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress. This includes earning a satisfactory grade point average and maintaining a satisfactory rate of progress toward the completion of their degree programs. Undergraduate students who do not earn at least 2.00 cumulative GPA, a 1.85 current GPA, or 2.00 GPA in their major field are placed on academic probation.
Degree-seeking students are also expected to maintain a satisfactory rate of progress. For full-time students, this means earning a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester applicable to their degree. For part-time students, a satisfactory rate of progress will enable them to graduate within 12 academic years after achieving degree-seeking status. Students who do not maintain a satisfactory rate of progress in a given semester are placed on probation the following semester..
Students on academic probation are not permitted to:
- Register for more than 15 credit hours per semester.
- Hold office in any student organization.
- Represent the university on any athletic team, student organization or committee.
- Participate in the cooperative education program.
Students who are on academic probation for two consecutive semesters are subject to dismissal.
If the grades a student receives at the midterm of the semester during which he or she is on academic probation indicate the student may not complete the semester with the requisite grade point average or at a satisfactory rate of progress as delineated above, the student must meet with the appropriate university administrator(s) (currently the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs and the Dean of Students) to discuss his or her performance. After such meeting the student may choose to voluntarily withdraw from all of his or her classes. A student may be granted a leave of absence under these circumstances for up to one academic year subject to certain academic conditions imposed by the university administrator(s). Upon satisfactory completion of these academic conditions, the student may return to IIT to complete his or her degree program. The student must also complete the Official Withdrawal Form from the Office of Educational Services prior to leaving the university.
The progress of non-degree part-time students also is reviewed and any student who does not maintain an acceptable academic record is subject to being placed on probation or being dismissed. A student dismissed by the university can petition the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs to review his or her case. The student must present substantial academic or other relevant new evidence not available at the time of dismissal in support of the petition for reinstatement.
A student must submit an application to express their intent to have their degree conferred for the upcoming semester. The application deadline to have a degree conferred at the end of a given term can be found in the Academic Calendar.
Undergraduate students can consult the Office of Educational Services for degree checkout planning, and graduate students should contact the Graduate College. General information about Graduation and Commencement can be found at www.iit.edu/graduation.
An undergraduate student who wishes to change or declare a major should, after consulting his or her advisor, should log into the MyIIT portal and enter a petition using DegreeWorks or send an email to the Office of Educational Services, edsvcs@iit.edu.
Regular class attendance is expected of all students. When illness or emergency requires a student to miss class, the student should notify his or her instructor(s). For extended absences, the student should notify the Dean of Students office and additionally may need to provide written documentation of the reason for the absence to the instructor(s). Faculty members determine their own policies for attendance and make-up work. Students may not attend any class unless they are properly registered for that class.
Academic Complaints: Students should refer concerns about academic matters to the instructor of the course, then to the chair of the department or director of the institute in which the course is offered, then to the academic dean, the associate dean for Graduate Academic Affairs, the Assistant Dean at Chicago-Kent College of Law or the Dean at Stuart School of Business. Punitive grades issued for violations of the Code of Academic Honesty are subject to appeal procedures. Nonpunitive grades are not subject to these appeal procedures.
Administrative Complaints: Any student who feels that he or she has been improperly treated by an administrative department may contact the Ombudsperson in the Dean of Students office. The ombudsperson will inquire into facts pertaining to the complaint and will make informal attempts to resolve the matter to the satisfaction of the complainant and the administrator or administrative office against which the complaint is brought. If resolution is not accomplished by informal means, the student may file a written complaint, a copy of which will be sent to the administrator or administrative office, and the ombudsperson may refer the complaint to the Dean of Students, Provost, an Administrative Appeals Board or to the University Faculty Council for resolution.
All students receiving federal and/or state financial aid funds must demonstrate reasonable academic progress toward graduation from IIT. Reasonable academic progress includes both a satisfactory cumulative and major grade point average and sufficient credit hours earned each semester toward the completion of a degree program. IIT has established a Reasonable Academic Progress Policy in compliance with federal and state regulations. Failure to comply with IIT’s Reasonable Academic Progress Policy will lead to the student’s losing eligibility for financial assistance.
0 – 99 No Credit
100 – 299 First/Second Year Undergraduate Level Courses
300 – 399 Third Year Undergraduate Level Courses
400 – 499 Advanced Undergraduate/Introductory Graduate Level Courses
500 – 699 Graduate Level Courses
700 – 799 Intensive Graduate Level Courses