Student Classification 
Students who have been admitted to the college are classified according to the number of semester hours of credit they have earned as follows: 
 

Students are unclassified if they have not been admitted as degree-seeking students
but are enrolled on a limited basis.

Academic Advisor 
When a student is admitted to the College, a faculty adviser is appointed to give the student assistance in developing a program and to monitor progress toward completion of that program. During the advising periods each semester, the adviser will help select courses that meet the goals of the student’s program. The initial adviser appointment is made on the basis of the student’s interests as stated on the application form. A student should visit the registrar’s office to request a change of adviser whenever interests or goals change.

Academic advising is an important area of faculty responsibility in a supportive environment which emphasizes the importance of teaching and learning. Throughout the educational program at Trinity, each student is offered advisement in the selection and planning of his/her academic program. Academic advising is seen as a continuous process through which the student clarifies and evaluates personal goals in life, career and education. Ultimately, however, a student’s educational program is
his/her own responsibility. By recognizing the student’s right to personal decisions and freedom of choice, Trinity seeks to stimulate and support the individual person’s development and maturation.

Registration Procedure
The following Registration procedure has been established for students in the traditional program at Trinity.

1. Shortly after the mid-point of each semester, the process of academic advisement begins for the subsequent semester.
   
   
2. Registration materials are sent to student and faculty mailboxes.
   
   
3. Students sign up to meet with their faculty advisers to review their academic history, including the courses for which they are currently registered, and to plan for the next semester’s course load.
   
   
4. Once an academic program is developed and mutually agreed to, the student completes and signs the Registration Form, provides all other required information, the adviser signs the form, and the student brings the form to the registrar’s office, at the assigned time, for data entry to complete the registration process.

Note: Students with holds on their accounts will not be allowed to complete the registration process until the holds are cleared.


Financial Hold – You will not be permitted to complete the registration process if your tuition account is in arrears. You will be asked to report to the Business Office to make arrangements for payment and receive permission to register.

Immunizations Hold – You will not be permitted to complete the registration process if you have not met the College’s immunization requirements. You will be directed to the Student Development Office to make arrangements and receive permission to register.

Registrar’s Hold – You will not be permitted to complete the registration process if you are a graduating senior and have not completed the Application to Graduate Form.




5. Once data entry is complete, a copy of the schedule is given to the student.
   
   
6. Billing statements, with due dates are mailed to each student on dates established by the Business Office.
   
   
7. Final registration for the semester will be held the morning of Wednesday before the first day of class.

Student Load 
The student load is normally 16 hours per semester. A heavier load is permitted only with the approval of the advisor. An overload is taking more than 18 hours per semester and students are assessed a per credit fee as established by the College. A student’s previous academic record and current employment responsibilities are important factors in the number of semester hours he/she is permitted to take. Twelve hours is the minimum number for classification as a full-time student.

Attendance
Students are expected to attend all class and laboratory sessions for which they are registered. While faculty members are not required to take attendance, no system of“cuts” is recognized. A student’s attendance record will affect the instructor's evaluation of his or her classwork. Any anticipated absence on the part of the student must be cleared with the instructor. Penalty or makeup privileges for absences are left to the discretion of the instructor.

In the case of a prolonged absence, it is the duty of the student to notify his or her instructors and the student development office. Faculty members are requested to bring to the attention of the student development office when an absence on the part of a student that can be considered detrimental to the student’s academic performance. Each instructor is expected to emphasize in the syllabus the importance of class attendance and to inform the students of policies and procedures regarding absences, makeup privileges and the extent to which class attendance will be factored into the final grade for the student's performance. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor of the reasons for all class absences.

Auditing
A student may elect to audit a course rather than take it for credit. Permission to audit a course must be obtained from the class instructor. An auditor may attend all classes and participate in all activities of the course but does not have an obligation to fulfill any of the requirements of the course, nor does the instructor have an obligation to evaluate the auditors work. Changes from audit to credit and vice versa will be allowed until the grade “W” is no longer used during the semester. Full-time students are permitted to audit a course at no cost. All others will be charged $90 per credit hour. An audit form is available online and at the registrar’s office, and must be submitted at the time of registration.

Independent Study
Independent study offers students the opportunity to explore a selected topic when the academic interests cannot be met by regular curricular offerings. Students must be matriculated to the College, and in good academic standing to enroll in an independent study. Credit earned through an independent study is determined by the supervising faculty member.

A maximum of six (6) hours of independent study will be computed in requirements for graduation. A maximum of one course (3-4 hours) of independent study may be used to fulfill the requirements for a given major or minor. Students should complete the Independent Study Request form in cooperation with the faculty supervisor who will determine the format of the independent study. The form is available in the Registrar’s Office, as well as online. The completed request form should be submitted by the student to the Registrar’s Office. Final approval of the independent study is granted by the Provost in accordance with faculty load. Instructors are not obligated to offer
independent study courses.

Grading System 
One of the following grades will be issued for each course taken at Trinity and will
appear on the official transcript: 
 
 

Plus (+) grades add 0.3 grade points per hour and minus (-) grades subtract 0.3 grade points per hour.

Grade-point average is determined by dividing the number of grade points earned by the number of semester hours attempted. To meet graduation requirements, a student must earn at least 125 hours with a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.0.

Course Grade Change
A student’s course grade, after having been submitted by the instructor, shall not be changed unless an incorrect grade, by reason of clerical error or miscalculation, has been submitted for the student. All exceptions to the above policy must receive the approval of the Registrar and the Provost. Instructors may pick up a grade change form at the registrar’s office.

Incomplete Grades
A temporary grade of I is given only when the student is not able to complete required coursework for reasons deemed acceptable by the instructor. A student must request permission from the instructor to receive an I grade and identify, with the instructor, the precise work that remains to be done and the deadline for completion. The work must be made up within the time period agreed upon by the student and instructor, but in no case may it be more than 30 days after the end of the semester in which the I grade was given. If the work is not made up within the time period allowed, the instructor will submit a grade on the basis of the student’s performance in the course to date, and this grade will be recorded on the student’s transcript. If more days are needed, due to truly extraordinary circumstances, approval from the instructor must be obtained. If an extension is granted the instructor must notify the registrar’s office of the new deadline. The hours for each I grade are counted as attempted hours in calculating the GPA.

Students with incomplete grades, whose GPA’s are below good-standing, are not eligible to enroll in the following semester until the incomplete grades are finished.

Academic Honors 
Academic achievement of full-time students is recognized each semester by publication of a Dean’s List. To qualify for this honor, a student must achieve a semester GPA of 3.5 or better.

Academic achievement upon completion of a degree program is recognized at graduation and on the final transcript in the following categories:

Graduating with honors .........................................   GPA of 3.500 to 3.699 
Graduating with high honors ..................................   GPA of 3.700 to 3.849 
Graduating with highest honors ..............................   GPA of 3.850 or higher 

Repeated Courses 
The policy for repeating a course to improve a previously earned grade includes the following provisions: 

1. The repeated course is subject to regular registration and financial policies. 
   
   
2. The higher grade earned will be used to determine the student’s GPA and academic status. The lower grade will be shown along with a notation indicating a repeated course, which will no longer affect the calculation of the cumulative GPA. 
   
   
3. A grade earned at Trinity cannot be replaced by transferring the equivalent course from another college. 
   

Changes in Registration 
Through the first full week of classes, courses may be dropped or added without any charge for the registration change, but appropriate tuition charges will apply. After the first full week a charge will be assessed for any change in registration. After the 10th day of a semester, students cannot add a course.

Withdrawal from Courses 
A student may withdraw from a course without a transcript entry through the first full week of the semester. After the 10th day of the semester, every registered course will have a transcript entry. Normally a student is not permitted to withdraw from a course after the 10th week of the semester.

Academic Probation 
The records of all undergraduate students are reviewed after each semester, and the academic status of full-time students is determined using the following schedule:

1. A student will be placed on academic probation if either of the following conditions occurs:
   
   
   1. Cumulative grade point average (GPA) meets minimum GPA needed for continuation but falls below the minimum cumulative GPA required for good standing.
      

      Minimum GPA Levels Required for Continuation and Good Academic Standing

      Cumulative Hours Attempted	Min Cumulative GPA Needed for Continuation	Min Cumulative GPA Required for Good-Standing
      1-15	1.00	1.50
      16-30	1.10	1.60
      31-45	1.20	1.70
      46-60	1.30	1.80
      61-75	1.40	1.90
      76-90	1.50	2.00
      91-105	1.70	2.00
      106-120	1.90	2.00
      121 or more	2.00	2.00

      
      
   2. Cumulative completion rate falls below the minimum standards for academic progression
      

      Minimum Academic Progression Standards

      Cumulative Hours Attempted	Min Percentage of Successful Completion
      1-30	50%
      31-45	55%
      46-60	60%
      61-75	65%
      76-90	70%
      91-105	75%
      106-119	80%
      121 or more	85%

      
      The minimum standards for academic progression at the end of a semester are
      based on the number of cumulative semester hours earned as a percentage of the
      cumulative semester hours attempted. This calculation includes all courses with a
      W, WP, or WF grade. Repeated courses count towards cumulative hours
      attempted.
   
   
   
2. Students placed on academic probation will be required to meet a number of conditions outlined by the Academic Performance Review Committee. Conditions will include, but are not limited to, a reduced number of semester hours, faithful class attendance, and meeting with the director of Academic Support and Services who, along with the student, will determine the appropriate academic assistance for student success. All students on academic probation are expected to limit extracurricular activities and the number of hours of employment. Failure to meet the specified conditions of probation will subject students to immediate dismissal.
   
   
3. During a probationary semester, the student must achieve a current semester GPA as defined below. Failure to meet this current semester goal will result in academic dismissal.
   
   

   Probationary Student Current Semester Minimum Requirement

   Cumulative Hours Attempted	Min Current Semester GPA Required to Avoid Dismissal
   1-15	1.70
   16-29	1.80
   30-45	1.90
   46 or more	2.00

   
   
   Example: A student who has attempted 14 semester hours during the first semester is placed on probation in the second semester must average a 1.80 or above in the second semester. Students who fail to meet the semester GPA goal during the semester they are on academic probation will be subject to academic dismissal. Students may continue on probation for successive semesters if they meet the minimum semester GPA requirement during a probationary semester, however, their cumulative GPA is still below good-standing.

Academic Dismissal 

1. A student will be subject to academic dismissal if any of the following conditions occurs:
   1. Failure to achieve the minimum cumulative GPA needed for continuation.
   2. During a probationary semester, failure to achieve the minimum current
      semester GPA required to avoid dismissal.
   3. Failure to achieve the minimum academic progression standard by the end of
      a probationary semester
   4. During a probationary semester, failure to meet the conditions of probation.
      
      
2. A student who wants to appeal an academic dismissal decision must observe the
   following procedures:
   
   1. Submit an appeal in writing to the Registrar within five days after receiving
      notice of dismissal. The appeal should explain previous academic difficulties
      and outline a detailed plan for improved academic performance. The Registrar
      will refer the appeal to the Academic Performance Review Committee for
      disposition before the final registration date of the next semester.
      
      
   2. The basis of the appeal must be truly extraordinary circumstances such as
      serious and documented illness or injury, family crisis, or unique academic
      difficulty for which a specific remedy plan has been included in the appeal
      letter.
      
      
   3. Students readmitted on the basis of an appeal will be placed on academic
      probation and subject to the probation policy stated above.
      
      
      
3. A student who is dismissed and does not appeal or whose appeal is not granted must
   demonstrate significant progress before he/she is readmitted. The reapplication must
   nclude a letter of appeal that explains activities during the time away from Trinity,
   rationale for re-admittance, and a plan for improved academic performance. A request
   or readmission will be reviewed by the Academic Performance Review Committee.
   Readmission following academic dismissal will be based upon evidence that the
   difficulties previously encountered can be overcome and that eventual completion of
   degree requirements can reasonably be expected. Students readmitted on the basis of an
   appeal will be placed on academic probation and subject to the probation policy stated
   above.