Academic Policies

A. Disclaimer for Academic Policy and Program Changes

The University reserves the right to make changes in courses, programs, faculty, calendar, tuition and fees, grading procedures, graduation requirements, admission criteria, and any other information contained in this catalog at any time without notification. Changes become effective when the University so determines, and applies to prospective students as well as students currently enrolled. The University will notify students of changes through publications and notices.

B. Disclaimer for Course Availability

All reasonable care is taken to ensure that both course offerings and degree requirements contain no erroneous, deceptive, or misleading information by omission, actual statement, or implication. Every effort will be made by the University to offer at least the courses listed in this catalog during the period in which it is in effect; student enrollment and faculty availability, however, may affect the courses offered. Some courses listed in this catalog are offered only as needed. The decision to offer such courses rests with the Chairperson in consultation with the appropriate Dean. Final course information is published on ZAGWEB.

C. Course Numbering System

Lower Division Courses:

Below 100 - Remedial in nature; University credit is granted for no more than two courses numbered below 100 and they do not fulfill any core or major requirements.
100-199 - Primarily first and second year courses for which there are normally no prerequisites.
200-299 - Courses with usually one prerequisite; primarily for first and second-year undergraduates.

Upper Division Courses:

300-399 - Courses usually with prerequisites; primarily for third and fourth-year undergraduates.
400-499 - Courses with prerequisites; primarily fourth-year undergraduates.
500-599 - Graduate courses which may be taken by third and fourth-year undergraduates with Dean’s permission (these courses do not count toward a baccalaureate degree).
600-699 - Graduate courses for graduate students only.
700-799 - Graduate courses for doctoral students only.

D. Classification of Students

An undergraduate student is classified as a First Year, Second Year, Third Year or Fourth Year based upon the cumulative number of semester credits he/she has earned.

A post baccalaureate student holds a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and has not been admitted to a graduate program. They may be pursuing a second bachelor’s degree or attending for personal enrichment.

E. Transfer and Evaluation of Credits

Applicants with credit earned at other colleges and universities (including dual-enrollment and running start) should note the following conditions regarding the transfer of college credit:

Official Transcripts 
To be eligible for transfer credit, applicants must provide official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended.

• An official college transcript is one that is marked as such and often contains security enhancements for authenticity.
• Official transcripts must be issued directly from the originating college or university in a sealed envelope by mail or secure electronic delivery and delivered to Gonzaga’s Office of Admission. 
• Transcripts issued directly to the student or delivered open or unsealed are considered unofficial and cannot be used for the purpose of awarding transfer credit.
• Students with credit earned through a foreign institution must provide certified original documents. Any materials or transcripts in a language other than English requires an official English translation provided by the sending institution or a translation agency. 
• College credit earned outside of the U.S. must generally be accompanied by a NACES approved professional foreign credential evaluation unless credit was earned through an approved study abroad program.

Accreditation 
Gonzaga University will evaluate and consider transfer credit from post-secondary institutions recognized by a U.S. regional accreditation organization as defined by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (www.chea.org):

• Higher Learning Commission
  
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  
• New England Commission of Higher Education
  
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
  
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
  
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges:
  
  • Senior College and University Commission
  • Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges 

 

 

Foreign college-level coursework completed outside of the United States must originate at an institution fully recognized by the Ministry of Education, or similar accrediting body, in the country in which the institution resides. Post-secondary coursework from a foreign institution meeting accreditation requirements will be evaluated for transfer credit in accordance with the domestic transfer credit policies that follow.

Transfer Credit Eligibility 
Gonzaga University will evaluate and award transfer credit on a course-by-course basis. Transfer coursework must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Eligible for Credit	Ineligible for Credit
College-level and above	Remedial, preparatory (i.e., ESL), below 100-level, and learning support courses
Academic coursework	Technical, Vocational/Career-oriented, Certification programs, Portfolio, Continuing Education Units, Workshops, and Non-credit bearing coursework
Credit awarded directly from an accredited institution	Credit listed or identified on a transcript as transfer credit, test-credit, credit for prior learning, or credit by exam

Transfer Credit Grades

Gonzaga University accepts college-level coursework completed with a minimum of a 2.00 (or “C”) grade. 

Pass (P), Satisfactory (S), or Credit (CR) grades and the equivalent, will be accepted as general elective credit when the sending institution clearly states that these grades are the equivalent of a C (2.0) grade or higher.

• Pass (P) graded coursework accepted in transfer will not fulfill any core, major, minor, or concentration requirements.
• No more than five (5) Pass (P) graded courses may be accepted as transfer credit and count toward a baccalaureate degree. 
• Transfer course grades are not calculated into the Gonzaga University GPA. Once accepted and applied to a student record, transfer credit is assigned a ‘T’ grade and will not be included in the Gonzaga GPA calculation.
• Repeated courses are reviewed and accepted for credit only once, even if completed at different institutions.
• The most recent grade received is generally used in the transfer credit evaluation process. 
•  When transfer credit is awarded the equivalent of a Gonzaga course, and the student elects to retake that course at Gonzaga, the transfer credit will be removed from the student’s academic record.
• When exam scores (AP, IB) and eligible college credit are equivalent to the same Gonzaga course equivalency, the student may not receive the equivalency twice. 

Credit Conversion 

College coursework completed on a quarter or unit educational system will be converted to semester credits upon transfer credit evaluation. If the originating institution operates on a unit-system calendar, conversion of credit hours will be based on that institutions formula for converting values to semester credits. To convert quarter credits to semester credits, multiply total quarter credits by 0.66. When a credit conversion results in partial credit and a Gonzaga course equivalent is offered, the partial credit is awarded to the Gonzaga equivalent. If the partial credit is less than one full credit short of the Gonzaga equivalent credit, the requirement will be considered complete (for example, quarter credits converted to semester credits between 2.50 - 2.99  will fulfill a 3-semester credit course equivalency). 

All students must complete a minimum of 128 semester credits total to qualify for a Gonzaga degree. Any partial credit totaling less than 128 semester credits, but greater than 127 credits, must be earned by completing a one semester credit course.  

Foreign credit conversion to semester units follows the best practices of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) and may require further review of class hours for comparison to hours required per credit on a semester calendar system. 

Credit for Prior Learning

Service member education earned while in the Armed Forces is eligible for transfer credit at Gonzaga University. This training is ungraded coursework, therefore credit for prior learning will not be included in a student’s evaluation for admission purposes. 

Gonzaga University may offer up to 25 general elective credits for successfully completed educational training received during military service. Up to 8 of these 25 elective credits may be granted for physical fitness courses and training. To receive credit, submission of an official Joint Service Transcript is required.

Credit for military training and education is evaluated according to available American Council on Education (ACE) credit recommendations. Credit considered for Gonzaga course equivalency must be comparable to a GU course offering in content, level, depth, and duration. Faculty review of learning outcomes will determine if direct course equivalency may be offered. 

Graded college-level coursework that is academic in nature and earned at an accredited institution such as the Community College of the Air Force or the Defense Language Institute, will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis. Vocational and technical level coursework is non-transferable. No more than 64 semester credits may be granted for academic credit from institutions only offering two-year degrees. 

Credit by Exam

Gonzaga currently accepts Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge International (A & AS level), and German Abitur exam scores meeting the level and minimum scores outlined in the Running Start & Credit by Exam policies online. Official exam scores must be issued to the Office of Admission before transfer credit can be awarded. Exam scores will not be included in a student’s evaluation for admission purposes, with exception to global applicants from countries that include credit by exam within secondary education requirements. 

Gonzaga University does not currently accept CLEP or DANTES credit by exam for undergraduate transfer credit. Exam credit used to fulfill coursework at prior institutions may need to be completed at Gonzaga if the coursework is required for a GU degree.

Transfer Course Equivalencies

College coursework deemed acceptable for transfer credit requires an initial review of the course description to determine comparability to a Gonzaga equivalency. Transfer credit will be designated as elective credit when a Gonzaga course equivalency is possible but cannot be readily determined upon initial review by the Office of Admission. In such cases, the student must provide a syllabus, learning outcomes, and relevant lab schedules to the Office of Admission for distribution to faculty for review. If coursework is originating at a foreign institution, all original course materials must be accompanied by an English translation.

Academic department chairs may determine course equivalents to respective major, minor and concentration requirements at Gonzaga. Course equivalents respective to Gonzaga’s Core Curriculum may be determined by the discipline’s department chair faculty or the Core Director. Upon approval, the initial transfer credit equivalency may be updated to reflect the decision. 

Coursework completed at the community college level is considered lower division (100-200 level) and will not generally be considered for upper division (300-400 level) equivalency, unless approved following the Department Chairperson and/or the Dean review of a course syllabus. A transferring institution must generally offer bachelor’s level coursework for upper division equivalency. 

Transfer Credit Appeals

If an admitted student wishes to appeal a transfer course equivalency or appeal for credit not originally awarded, the student may initiate the appeal process in writing. Appeals must be directed to the transfer credit evaluation team at transfercredit@gonzaga.edu within 60 days of receiving an official transfer credit offer following admission to the University. Supporting documentation includes course syllabi with learning outcomes, topics covered, and lab schedules, must be attached to the appeal request.

Transfer Credit Restrictions

Transfer credit from a two-year institution (community or junior college) is limited to a maximum of 64 semester credits (96 quarter credits) that can be applied to a baccalaureate degree at Gonzaga.

• Students transferring with a maximum of 64 semester credits from a community or junior college are not permitted to further enroll at a two-year institution for additional transfer credit.

There is no limit to the amount of credit that may be transferred from an accredited baccalaureate institution. However, all transfer and post-baccalaureate students must complete a minimum of 30 semester credits at Gonzaga immediately preceding graduation from the University (see Senior Residency Requirement below).  

• At least 50% of required upper-division degree credits must be earned at Gonzaga. 
• Transfer students in the School of Business Administration must earn at least 50% of business credits at Gonzaga University. 

Senior Residency Requirement: The last 30 semester credits immediately preceding graduation must be earned in Gonzaga University course work. Students can petition for a waiver of this requirement via the Permission to Transfer Credits/Senior Residence Waiver form available in the University Registrar’s Office. Under a Senior Residence Waiver, students may petition to take up to a maximum of 18 credits off campus. Students whose cumulative or major GPA is below a 2.00 are not eligible for a waiver.

Advanced Placement Exam Policy

Recognizing that prospective students and their families would be served by a clearly articulated policy on the Advanced Placement (AP) examinations, the Policy and Planning Committee moves that the following AP policy be adopted at Gonzaga: 

1) The University identifies relevant AP subject exams and informs the appropriate academic areas. 
2) A student who scores 4 on an AP exam receives credit for a relevant introductory course. 
3) A student who scores 5 on an AP exam receives credit for the first course toward the relevant major. 
4) Departments may establish specific policies through an appeal process with the area Dean and AVP. 
5) The courses identified and the scores necessary to receive credit for them will be listed on the University website. 

F. Transfer Degrees

Students enrolling at the University with an earned associate degree as identified below, are generally given third-year credit standing (60 to 64 semester credits) and will have fulfilled many of the requirements within the University Core curriculum. University Core requirements to be completed upon matriculation with an approved transfer degree include: First-Year Seminar, Christianity & Catholic Traditions, and the Core Integration Seminar. Students will also take a major-appropriate college Mathematics, Reasoning, Human Nature, and Ethics, unless they have already fulfilled these requirements with approved transfer credit. Communication and Speech is recommended, but not required, for students who have not completed a course in public speaking.

Degrees that transfer directly to Gonzaga University are as follows:

Arizona State Community Colleges:

• Associate in Arts with Arizona General Education Curriculum A (AA with AGEC-A)

California State Community Colleges:

• Associate in Arts with Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (AA with IGETC certification)

Idaho State Public Universities and Community Colleges: 

• Associate of Arts (AA)
• Associate of Science (AS)

Oregon State Community Colleges:

• Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT)

Washington State Community Colleges:

• Associate of/in Arts – Direct Transfer Agreement (AA-DTA), including DTA’s for Major-Related Programs in Business and Computer Science.
• Associate of Science Transfer (AS-T), Engineering – Track 2.

Gonzaga’s acceptance of the DTA is part of an interinstitutional transfer agreement upheld by the Intercollege Relations Commission (ICRC) for Washington State. https://www.wa-council.org/icrc/

Acceptance of a transfer degree does not guarantee admission to the University. Prospective students are encouraged to contact the Office of Admission for advice in advance of an application for admission.

Reverse Transfer Degrees:

Gonzaga does not currently participate in Reverse Transfer partnerships and will not recognize an approved transfer degree that is obtained using Gonzaga coursework. Therefore, former Gonzaga students who re-enter the University from a two-year college to complete their undergraduate degree will not benefit from the core waiver privileges offered to an approved associate degree holder from a community college in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, or Idaho. All readmitted Gonzaga students must fulfill the University’s Core requirements entirely. Eligible transfer credit completed by a reapplying student, however, will be evaluated and accepted on a course-by-course basis.

Associate of Applied Science Degrees:

Gonzaga does not currently accept the associate of applied science degrees from the community and technical colleges. Eligible transfer credit completed by a student matriculating with an earned applied science degree will be evaluated on a course by course-by-course basis.

Post Baccalaureate Students:

Post-baccalaureate students matriculating for a second bachelor's degree may benefit from the same Core Waiver policy that Gonzaga affords a transfer student with an approved AA-DTA or AS-T from a Washington State community college. Bachelor degrees earned at recognized foreign institutions are evaluated on an individual basis to determine U.S. equivalency.

Post-baccalaureate students who had earned their first undergraduate degree from Gonzaga will be considered as having completed the Core entirely, including the designations, regardless of when the student completed their first degree.

All other requirements within a student’s post-baccalaureate degree may be waived (such as a lower division major, minor, concentration requirement) if completed as a requirement of the first degree earned, or if completed at Gonzaga.

Any waiver or substitution of upper division major requirements would be at the discretion of the department chair for which the student is completing the post-baccalaureate major.

Post-baccalaureate students will be required to complete a minimum of thirty semester credits in residence to earn a second bachelor degree from Gonzaga along with completion of any outstanding major, minor, or concentration courses required for the degree.

University Core Waivers

• Students transferring to Gonzaga with 30 or more earned semester credits are permitted to waive the College of Arts and Sciences language requirement.
• Students transferring to Gonzaga with 45 to 59 earned semester credits are permitted to waive the following University Core requirements: World or Comparative Religion and its corresponding Global Studies designation, one Writing-Enriched designation, and one of the additional three designation requirements (either Writing Enriched, Global Studies or Social Justice).
• Students transferring to Gonzaga with 60 or more earned semester credits are permitted to waive World or Comparative Religion and all designation requirements. 

Permission for Transfer of Credits by Current Students

Consistent with University policy and existing articulation agreements, courses accepted in transfer must be similar in content and depth to courses taught at Gonzaga. Courses should generally align with the course/designation descriptions and learning outcomes.

For students entering the University prior to Fall of 2016, in order to fulfill a Core requirement, a major-specific requirement, or elective credit at Gonzaga, the transferred course must receive the approval of the department Chairperson and Dean of the college or school by way of the Permission to Transfer Credits/Senior Residency Waiver form.

For students entering the University in Fall of 2016 and forward, course syllabi detailing course requirements must be provided; course titles and descriptions are not sufficient. AP courses will not be accepted in fulfillment of designation requirements (e.g., GS, SJ, WE).

For current students irrespective of the semester of entry, the following applies:

• Students must obtain permission to transfer credits prior to taking these credits from department Chairperson, Deans or the Core curriculum director.
• Pass (P) grades, or the equivalent, will be accepted as elective credit only and will not fulfill any Core, major, minor, or concentration requirements.
• Transfer course grades are not calculated into the Gonzaga University cumulative GPA.
• When transfer credit has been posted to a student record that has equivalency to a Gonzaga course and a student elects to complete the same course at Gonzaga, the transfer credit entry will be removed from the student's academic record. If a student elects to complete a transfer course deemed equivalent to a course previously taken at Gonzaga after the Gonzaga course has been completed with a D grade and credit earned, the transfer course will not be accepted in transfer at Gonzaga.
• Taking a course in transfer in order to replace a grade earned at Gonzaga (excluding W, V or F grade) does not qualify under Gonzaga's Repeat of Credit Policy.
• Quarter credit hours are convertible to semester credit hours when multiplied by 0.66.
• Transfer credit from a two-year institution (community or junior college) is limited to a maximum of 64 semester credits (96 quarter hours) that can be applied toward a baccalaureate degree at Gonzaga.
• It is not permissible for students who transfer to Gonzaga with a maximum of 64 semester credits from a community or junior college to further enroll at a two-year institution to complete additional transfer credit.
• There is no limitation to the number of credits that may be transferred from a baccalaureate institution. However, all transfer and post-baccalaureate students must complete a minimum of 30 semester credits at Gonzaga immediately preceding graduation from the University.
• Students may not register for courses through any other institution while on a Leave of Absence status through Gonzaga (with the exception of non-sponsored study abroad programs.) Doing so will invalidate the Leave of Absence request and students will be required to reapply for admission.
• Credit earned from transfer courses is not rounded up. Current students may view the Transfer Guide on the Admissions website as a guideline for courses previously approved in transfer from other universities; individual approval is still required by way of the Permission to Transfer Credits/Waiver of Senior Year in Residency form.
• As soon as credit is completed from another institution, students must request official transcripts be forwarded to the Office of the University Registrar, Gonzaga University, AD Box 83, 502 E Boone Ave, Spokane, WA, 99258-0083. Official electronic transcripts will be accepted, but only when sent directly from the transfer credit institution to Gonzaga. Electronic transcripts forwarded from students will be considered unofficial. 
• A student wishing to register simultaneously at Gonzaga and another college or university must obtain prior written permission from the appropriate academic Dean. 
• Transfer students in the School of Business Administration must earn at least 50% of their business core and major coursework at Gonzaga University. 

G. Transfer Transcripts

Based on standard institutional practice, copies of transcripts from other educational institutions attended by Gonzaga students are housed in student files and will not be provided back to the student. Students are asked to contact the issuing transfer institutions directly to obtain additional copies of their transfer transcript records.

H. Registration Procedures

Every semester, a Student/Advisor Action Guide, providing a detailed registration timeline can be found on the Office of the University Registrar's web pages. If a student attends a course section in which he or she is not registered or financially confirmed, no credit or grade will be recorded. Attendance in a course without registration is not permissible.

I. Change in Course Registration

Courses may be changed only during the period listed under Important Dates and Deadlines on the web pages of the Office of the University Registrar. 

Courses dropped during the official change of registration period do not appear on the student’s record; courses officially withdrawn after that period will appear on the transcript with a designation of “W” (Official Withdrawal).

J. Course Overload

Students in good academic standing may petition their college, school, or institute's Dean to take more than the maximum of 18 credits. Additional tuition charges apply for the extra credits. Students in the Honors Program, the Comprehensive Leadership Program, the ROTC Program, or the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, however, with the approval of the respective Program Director, may take extra credits beyond 18 without charge.

K. Audit a Course

Audit grading option (AU grade assigned):

Auditors are students who register for a course under the 'Audit' grading option by signing the audit form in the University Registrar’s Office. Regular tuition is charged. Activity courses (e.g., physical education, music, art, etc.) are not permitted to be taken under the Audit grading option. Auditors will not be allowed access to individual instruction, to equipment, or to supplies in conjunction with the course. Once a course is registered for using the 'Audit' grading option, students who fail to attend the class according to the regular attendance requirements of the class are liable to receive a “V” grade at the discretion of the professor.

• Registration is available through the add/drop period. The auditor registers for a lecture method course under the Audit grading option and pays tuition based on this option and course credits. A designation of “AU” is recorded on the auditor’s academic transcript if the auditor satisfactorily attended the course. An “AU” on a student’s transcript reflects no academic credits earned and indicates that the person has received exposure to the course content for an academic semester/term. The “AU” designation does not apply toward meeting degree requirements.
• A professor may assign a “V” grade for unofficial withdrawal when attendance is unsatisfactory.
• Under this option, audited course credits are not counted toward meeting full-time credit requirements for financial aid eligibility, student loans, VA benefits, etc., although standard tuition is paid for the credits. Auditors should be very cautious about registering using the 'Audit' grading option.

L. Course Challenge Program

Students who have completed at least twelve credits at Gonzaga who are matriculated students may be able to take advantage of the Course Challenge option.  The “Course Challenge” policy provides students with an opportunity to receive credit for a course in which they have demonstrated mastery of the subject matter by way other than regular course attendance and completion of the formal course requirements. Detailed information and regulations regarding this program can be obtained from the University Registrar’s Office. There is a fee charged per credit challenged and credit taken under the program may not exceed the maximum credit allowed of 18 credits in a semester.

M. Complete Withdrawal from the University

Undergraduate students who register but decide not to attend the University should contact the University Registrar’s Office.   The complete withdrawal process requires approvals and an interview with personnel in the University Registrar's Office. Tuition adjustments are based on the date a University official is notified by the student that they wish to withdraw.  The tuition adjustment schedule for a complete withdrawal is posted on the Student Accounts webpage at https://www.gonzaga.edu/admission/tuition-scholarships-aid/student-accounts/refunds.   Refunds for room and board will be prorated throughout the semester.  Financial aid funds will be refunded in accordance with University and governmental regulations.

N. Leave of Absence

Students who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Gonzaga and must interrupt their education for a period of not more than two regular semesters (summer not included) may be eligible for a Leave of Absence (LOA) from the University. To be eligible for a LOA, a student must have a minimum G.P.A. of 2.00 in the preceding fall or spring semester and a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or higher, as well as obtain approval from the Office of the University Registrar and the Resolution Center for Conduct and Conflict. 

Students are not eligible to reside on campus, attend classes, or participate in regular campus activities during their absence. Students who attend another school during their LOA will have that status voided and they must apply for re-admission to the University. The LOA will not extend beyond two semesters. Students who wish to return to the University after the termination date of their LOA must apply for re-admission to the University.

Any LOA request completed by a student while allegations of misconduct are pending will have their LOA status revoked.

Students who have been suspended through the Resolution Center for Conduct and Conflict do not qualify for a LOA and must apply for re-admission to the University.

O. Final Exam Policy 

Gonzaga University operates on a semester system, which requires 16 weeks of instruction. The schedule for the 16th week is established by the University Registrar and it consists of 2 hour meeting times, Tuesday through Friday. All classes, except labs, are expected to meet during the 16th week, whether or not a final examination is given. The Saturday through Monday preceding the 16th week of the semester are designated study/reading days.

Faculty and students are encouraged to work out conflicts related to final exams whenever possible (e.g., taking the final at a different time, during a different section of the same course, proctored by another instructor within the department, etc.). When this course of action is not possible, a student can petition the Registrar to reschedule their exam. There is a form to facilitate the process. The criteria for moving a final exam are:

• 3 or more final exams scheduled on the same day.
• It will typically be the middle exam(s) that are moved.
• The deadline for submission for full consideration is the course Withdrawal Date.
• The makeup period for externally proctored exams is the last day of scheduled Final Exams