Understanding Virginia Tech's Semester System: A Comprehensive Guide

Virginia Tech operates on a semester calendar system, utilizing the credit hour as its unit of credit. This article provides a detailed overview of various aspects of Virginia Tech's academic policies and procedures within the semester framework, including grading, credit transfer, and special academic opportunities.

Credit Hour Definition and Academic Load

Virginia Tech adheres to the federal definition of a credit hour, where academic effort aligns with intended learning outcomes and is validated by student achievement. This applies to all academic levels and instructional delivery methods. The university also follows the State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV) definition, which defines a credit hour as a unit of measure representing an hour (50 minutes) of instruction over a 15-week period in a semester.

The normal teaching load is 12 didactic hours, but the loads vary widely and are usually adjusted to permit time for other scholarly activities, for outreach which is related to the missions of the university and the faculty member's disciplinary expertise, and for faculty development related to the quality of instruction. A didactic hour is defined here as one contact hour in a lecture course or 0.60 hour for each contact hour in a course designated as a laboratory course.

Weighted Student Credit hours (WSH) are computed by multiples of credit hours by headcount (enrollment) at census.

Grading System and GPA Calculation

Virginia Tech employs a standard grading system where each final grade is assigned a numerical value: A=4, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B=3, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C=2.0, C- = 1.7, D+ = 1.3, D=1.0, E=O. The Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated by dividing the total number of quality credits earned by the total number of hours attempted at Virginia Tech, excluding courses passed on a Pass/Fail basis and courses with an "X" (Continuing Course). "NG" grades are computed as "F" grades in determining GPA. The GPA is unaffected by the "I" grade, unless or until the "I" is converted to an "F" for failure to complete the course requirements within the allotted time.

Dean's List

Undergraduate students who attempt at least 12 credit hours with all credits graded on the A-F option and who earn a 3.4 GPA for either spring or fall semester will be included on the Dean's List for that term. The Deans' Lists are not compiled for summer sessions.

Midterm Grades

Midterm grades are produced for freshmen and transfer students whose first term of enrollment is fall semester. Beginning Fall 1996, students whose first term of enrollment is summer will also receive a midterm grade report during fall semester. "Satisfactory" is given for work earning a grade of C or better and "unsatisfactory" is given for work earning a grade of C- or below. The "total credits" figure on the displayed grade report is not necessarily the same as the total hours (often referenced as hours passed) required for completion of the degree (not all credit hours are effective toward graduation requirements).

Grade Appeals

As Per University policy, the assignment of a grade is the sole prerogative of the instructor of the class. It is incumbent on the instructor to establish the criteria for grading in the syllabus that is distributed at the beginning of the term. All grades are to be based on established grading criteria and not on personal conduct or opinions unrelated to academic standards. An individual student may not do extra work to raise his/her grade. If a student feels that a grade has been calculated incorrectly or has been assigned in a prejudiced or capricious manner, the student should discuss the matter with the instructor. If discussion between the instructor and the student cannot resolve the issue, the student should appeal to the department/division head. In the unusual circumstance that resolution does not occur at the departmental/divisional level, the student may appeal to the college dean who will attempt to reconcile the matter by whatever mechanism seems most appropriate for that college and for that case.

Incomplete Grades

A grade of "I" (incomplete) may be given when the requirements of a course other than the final examination have not been completed due to illness or extenuating circumstances beyond the student's control. To remove an "I" grade, lecture course requirements must be satisfied during the student's first subsequent term of enrollment, and laboratory course requirements must be satisfied prior to the end of the first term during which the course is offered and the student is enrolled. An "NR" grade is assigned automatically by the system when a student is enrolled for a class and no other grade is assigned by the instructor.

Withdrawal Grades

”W” Grade: Courses from which a student withdraws under the terms of the policy, will appear on their transcript with a "W" grade, but will not count in the GPA hours nor in any GPA calculations. The "W" signifies that this policy was invoked and does not reflect the rationale for its use.

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Repeating Courses

Beginning Fall 2016 students may only attempt to repeat a course three times. An "attempt" is when a student is enrolled in a course on the last day to add courses during each semester. Courses designated as repeatable credit (to the limit allowed) are excluded from this policy (e.g. All course repeats should be done in consultation with a student's academic advisor. Any student who enrolls for a fourth attempt will be dropped from the course. If a student's extenuating circumstances prevent successful completion of the course on a third attempt, the student may appeal (petition) to repeat the course again. Repeating a course subsequent times may affect financial aid and eligibility for certain programs. Students receiving financial aid should check with University Scholarships and Financial Aid to determine what, if any, financial aid implications there are for repeating courses. Veterans, athletes and international students may have additional rules associated with course repeats.

A student may not repeat courses in order to improve his or her grade average where a grade of "C or higher has been earned. An assigned grade of "A-D" for the second occurrence will be changed to a grade of "P" whenever a graduation analysis (DARS report) detects a repeated course with a "C" or better grade.

Pass/Fail Grading Option

A limited pass/fail (P/F) grading system is available to encourage students to enrich their academic programs and explore more challenging courses outside their majors, without the pressures and demands of the regular grading system. The P/F grading option is available to all undergraduates who have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours at Virginia Tech and have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above. These restrictions do not apply to courses that are only offered P/F. Under the pass/fail system students are allowed to attempt twelve (12) credit hours in their degree program on a pass/fail basis exclusive of courses only offered pass/fail. Students enrolled in five-year designated programs (College of Architecture and Urban Studies) may attempt twelve (12) credit hours or ten percent of the total hours required for the degree whichever is greater. Courses offered pass/fail only are not included in the twelve total hours allowable under the pass/fail system. Additional degree programs may not be used to increase the number of pass/fail credits that a student is permitted to use toward any degree. Under the P/F grading system, a "P" is granted for earning a "D" or better in the course; otherwise, an "F" is given. A "D-" is a failing grade under the P/F option. The "P" or "F" is recorded on the student's transcript and credit is given if the course is passed. If the course is failed, the "F" is considered equivalent to an "F" received under the "A-F" grading system and is included in calculation of the grade point average (GPA). Any course to be taken under the P/F option should be designated as such upon request for the course.

Transfer Credit

Enrolled students in good standing at Virginia Tech must receive pre-approval from their academic dean's office to transfer credit to Virginia Tech. Pre-approval from the academic dean does not guarantee transfer of the course if the student has duplicate credit in the approved course. Students must review their degree requirements (viewing DARS) to assure credits are degree applicable. The rules below govern the transfer of credit on a university level. Some colleges at Virginia Tech have additional policies and procedures regarding transfer credit. Only courses with a "C" grade or better will transfer. Many colleges and universities will require a letter of good standing from Virginia Tech before they will enroll a student from another university who wishes to transfer credits back.

Under the "Obsolete Academic Records Policy," former Virginia Tech students returning to the university after an absence of at least five years may request in writing to have their academic records evaluated by the appropriate academic dean. Such transcripts will be evaluated in the same manner that transfer student transcripts are considered; credits will be allowed only for those courses appropriate for the degree.

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Credit by Examination

Virginia Tech awards AP, IB, Cambridge Exam equivalencies after faculty review of content and applicable Virginia Tech credit. Credit, not to exceed 12 semester hours, may be allowed by special examination where exceptional command of a subject can be demonstrated in lieu of formal course work. This privilege is not available to a student who has previously audited or enrolled in the course, or has previously attempted credit by examination in the course. Credit established by examination may not be used to satisfy the in-residence requirements for graduation. There is a per-credit fee for the examination. The current fee is $10.00 per credit hour and is subject to change at the beginning of an academic year. Only currently enrolled undergraduate students are eligible for special examinations allowing university credit.

Final Examinations

Final examinations are held at the close of each term according to a schedule established by the university. An instructor may not change the date or time of a final exam without the approval of the dean of the college. Students may request permission from their college dean to reschedule a final exam if they have conflicting exams or if they have three final exams in 24 hours. Otherwise, permission to reschedule a final exam is granted by the dean only in very unusual circumstances.

After a term is over, a re-examination in one course in which the final grade earned is C- or below may be authorized if the student was enrolled in the course during the final term of his or her senior year and if a satisfactory re-examination in the course will qualify the student for graduation. For the student to be granted a re-examination, approval is required by the instructor, the student's department head, and the student's academic dean. In determining the validity of the student's request, consideration is given to class performance and completion of assigned work.

Study Week

Study week refers to the last three calendar days of classes for each semester. All written work, with the exceptions noted below, should be assigned so that it can be graded and returned during a regularly scheduled class meeting of the term. In-class hour-long examinations or other major in-class written assignments or tests shall not be given during study week. Graduate courses also have specific exceptions which may differ from those for undergraduate courses.

W Grade Option Policy

The policy is intended to assist undergraduate students who find themselves enrolled in undergraduate level courses for which they are insufficiently prepared, or for those who initially enroll in majors that they subsequently change. This policy allows currently enrolled students to designate a grading option of "CW" to a course. Courses with this option are not gradable but remain on the academic transcript with the letter grade of "W". Students must formally request to apply the W Grade option to a course by the last day of classes of each term. Courses with the new grade mode of "W" will appear on the transcript with a "W" grade, but will not count in the GPA hours nor in any GPA calculations. The "W" signifies that this policy was invoked and does not reflect the rationale for its use. There are no refunds of tuition and fees as a result of application of the policy. However, utilization of this grade option policy may affect Reasonable Academic Policy requirements for continued receipt of federal financial aid. Application of the W grade option may not be employed to reduce or obviate any penalty otherwise accruing to students under the University Honor System. Students may request a W grade option change for any course, irrespective of the evaluation earned in it up to the point of their request for withdrawal. However, if a registration hold exists at the time of application of this policy, the student must take action to remove the hold within five (5) working days of the application or the request will be voided.

Special Considerations

In some majors, not all ROTC courses may be applied toward a bachelor's degree.

The courses designated as Undergraduate Independent Study and Undergraduate Research are generally unique educational experiences between an instructor and a student. Such studies require prior approval by the instructor's department head or chair and by the dean.

VCOM Admission Requirements

Non-Traditional Applicants or Applicants with >140 hours applying to VCOM:VCOM realizes that students often have difficulty in their first year of college and/or may be returning to college after a prior career (non-traditional students).

Applicants must meet the Technical Standards for Admission and Continued Enrollment. All students must read carefully and affirm that he/she meets the technical standards for admission.

Bonus Credit

After the grade point average of the student has been determined, bonus credit will be added for advanced placement courses and specifically approved courses such as international baccalaureate and select academy courses. The Department of Teaching and Learning will determine which courses are to receive bonus credit. Bonus credit will be awarded as follows for year courses: (A, A-) =.0488, (B+, B, B-) =.0366, (C+, C, C-) =.0244, (D+, D) =.0122, E=O. Students completing courses labeled “Advanced Placement” and specifically approved courses will receive weighted credit to be averaged for class rank. Certain courses in the International Baccalaureate program, Governor’s School for the Arts, and some academy courses have also been approved for weighted credit.

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