College of Arts & Sciences

CAS Policies and Procedures

The regulations given below supplement the general University policies and procedures detailed in the front of this bulletin. Academic regulations continually undergo review. Students are responsible for acquainting themselves with any published revision in academic regulations.

Academic Information

The CAS Student Records Office in CAS Room B3 contains all student records. Personnel in CAS Room B3 process most academic forms relevant to the College and make regular postings of action taken. The coordination of academic advising for declared and undeclared concentrators and the interpretation and implementation of policies related to the academic regulations of the College are carried out in the Dean Ralph W. Taylor Academic Advising Center located in CAS Room 105. Both offices act as liaisons between the students and faculty of the College, the Admissions Office, and the University Registrar’s office. Relevant academic data processed by these offices are maintained in individual student folders.

Copies of this bulletin, final examination schedules, current lists of academic information, and all academic forms are available in these offices or on the Web. Notices of importance are posted on the official bulletin boards.

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Registration


Registration is conducted under the direction of the University Registrar. A student accepted for the freshman class may register during one of the summer orientation sessions conducted for freshmen. Students who cannot come to campus in person in advance of the semester receive registration instructions by mail and may arrange to register by telephone with a faculty advisor.

Transfer students are encouraged to register in advance of the semester for which they are admitted, in particular, during the summer transfer registration program. Students unable to attend the on-campus program are encouraged to contact the Academic Advising Center in CAS Room 105 for information about advising. Those who cannot register in advance must do so during the on-campus registration period at the start of the semester.

Continuing students may register on the Web beginning in April for the fall semester and beginning in November for the spring semester. For continuing students who do not register on the Web, registration materials are made available in the department of concentration or in CAS 105 (for undeclared concentrators), completed with an advisor, and returned with the advisor’s signature to the University Registrar’s office, 881 Commonwealth Avenue.

Cross-Registration

Within the University College of Arts & Sciences students may cross-register in any of the undergraduate schools and colleges of Boston University and receive degree credit for elective courses. Enrollment in courses offered in a school outside CAS is always based on that school’s prerequisites and on the availability of space. Cross-registration into Metropolitan College is ordinarily limited to the junior and senior years and to one course per semester or to certain specific courses offered only in Metropolitan College. No more than four MET courses may be counted toward the degree in CAS.

Students with approved independent concentrations may credit toward the College of Arts & Sciences degree as many courses outside the College as their programs may require.

See the BUCOP section of this site for dual degree programs.

At Other Universities  Formal cooperative arrangements for cross-registration have been made between the College of Arts & Sciences and nearby institutions. During the fall and spring semesters, matriculated students may not enroll concurrently in any course or institution other than those that are a part of the consortium agreement.

A consortium agreement among the College of Arts & Sciences of Boston University, Boston College, Brandeis University, Hebrew College, and Tufts University permits College of Arts & Sciences students to cross-register for one course per semester at any of the other institutions after completing their freshman year.

Credit for any course carried in another college or university under any cooperative arrangement with Boston University requires specific approval before students can register for the course. Except with such approval, registered CAS students are not granted credit for courses taken outside the University. All courses must be taken for a letter grade. There are no pass/fail courses in the College of Arts & Sciences, and CAS students may not receive credit for academic courses taken pass/fail at another school or college of Boston University or at another institution.

For information concerning cross-registration at other universities and an application, see the cross-registration advisor at the University Registrar’s office.

Credit for Physical Education and Military Science

Physical education and military science courses, regardless of the school, college, or program in which they are offered, are not applicable for degree credit. Such courses may, however, be carried in excess of the normal four courses per semester. Grades for military science courses are not included in a student’s College of Arts & Sciences grade point average, but do appear on a student’s transcript. Physical education courses are graded on a pass/fail basis, with those grades also appearing on the student’s transcript.

Application for Change in Status

College of Arts & Sciences students wishing to transfer within the University, to return after a leave of absence, or to change their concentration should consult CAS Room 105 or B3 to determine the appropriate procedure. Those wishing to withdraw or to request a leave of absence should make an appointment for an exit interview at the University Service Center at 881 Commonwealth Avenue. Those wishing to change their class year or expected date of graduation should make their request in CAS Room B3.

Continuing students who in a given semester do not register for any courses at the University must apply for a leave of absence at the University Service Center in order to remain eligible to register in subsequent semesters.

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Summer Study at Other Universities


It is generally expected that College of Arts & Sciences students will complete their degree requirements in approved courses within Boston University. Students may, however, wish to receive credit for academic work done elsewhere during the summer.

Students pursuing a program of study outside Boston University who wish to transfer credit must do so in an accredited program at an accredited college or university. A minimum grade of C is required in any course for which a student seeks transfer credit.

By University policy, students pursuing summer coursework within the metropolitan Boston area must take such courses at Boston University unless a) the course is a program requirement and is not offered in the Boston University summer term, or b) the student receives pre-approval from the chairman of the relevant Boston University department and the CAS Dean’s Office.

Courses accepted for transfer are given CAS elective credit only. If the student wishes certain courses to count as concentration or related credit, or for general education or other graduation requirements, he or she must obtain written approval, preferably in advance. Such courses must carry at least 2.5 Boston University credits.

No summer courses, whether taken at Boston University or elsewhere, may be applied toward the residence requirement. Further information on summer study and forms for transfer equivalency are available in CAS Room 105 or CAS Room B3.

Adding or Dropping a Course

A student should consult with his or her advisor before dropping or adding, except where the drop-add consists merely of a change of section within the same course. Courses may not be added after the second week of classes (or—in foreign languages, mathematics, and the College Writing Program—after the first week of classes). In some cases, adding a course requires the signature of the instructor on a drop-add form. Students may drop classes themselves via drop-add forms or on the Web. Courses dropped after the fifth week of classes are noted on a student’s transcript with the mark of W. A course cannot be dropped after the end of the tenth week of classes.

See the University Policies and Procedures section of this site for additional information.

Auditing


Undergraduates in the College of Arts & Sciences may not register for AU grades within the College of Arts & Sciences or in other colleges at the University, nor may undergraduate students from other colleges take College of Arts & Sciences courses for AU grades. Full-time students from the College of Arts & Sciences and other colleges are welcome to attend classes on a space-available basis and with the instructor’s permission if they do not wish to take a course for a grade. No indication will appear on the student’s record.

Declaring or Changing a Concentration

To ensure that each student is well advised in electing a concentration or in changing from one concentration to another, and to ensure that all faculty and administrative offices concerned are properly informed, it is important that students file a Declaration or Change of Major/Minor Concentration Form in CAS Room B3.

All students must declare a concentration before registering for the junior year. Students making application to the independent concentration program are encouraged to do so well before official registration periods.

Although a minor concentration is not required, students who wish to elect a minor concentration must file a CAS Declaration or Change of Major/Minor Concentration Form in CAS Room B3.

Grades


There are no pass/fail courses in the College of Arts & Sciences. All academic courses must be taken for a letter grade. No courses taken pass/fail will be accepted in transfer.

Questions about a grade should be first addressed to the instructor of the course and then, should the question persist, to the chair of the department.

Incomplete Coursework, Repeated Courses, Final Examinations, and Grade Changes

No incomplete grades shall be reported unless the instructor and the student have conferred, the student has presented a compelling reason why a course cannot be completed on schedule, and the instructor has assigned a date within the succeeding 12 months by which time all course requirements must be completed. Students may not complete an incomplete course for degree credit by sitting through the course or a significant portion of the course a second time.

No credit for incomplete courses will be granted unless the work is completed by the date assigned, which must be within one calendar year of the end of the semester for which the incomplete grade is reported.

In the event that coursework remains incomplete on the assigned date, the I grade will be changed to an F grade by the faculty member. All remaining I grades are changed to permanent F grades 12 months after the end of the semester for which the I grade has been assigned.

Repeated courses can receive credit toward graduation only once. The grade received for a repeated course does not replace the grade for the original course; both grades are computed in the student’s grade point average.

Students who have missed a final examination for reasons acceptable to the faculty member must make appropriate arrangements with the faculty member for a makeup examination.

All changes of grades other than the I grade must be recorded within six months of the completion of the course. No change of grade can be made on the basis of work submitted after the course has been completed, and no changes of grade can be made on a student’s record after graduation from the College. Change of Grade Forms for graduating seniors must be on file at the Office of the University Registrar no later than the last day of classes; a grade change dependent on a scheduled final examination must be reported to CAS Room B3.

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Promotion and Graduation


A Declaration of Intent to Graduate form must be submitted to the Student Records Office in CAS Room B3 one calendar year in advance of the intended date of graduation. These forms are available in CAS Room B3. The University is not responsible for the graduation of any student who fails to submit this form. Students are responsible for the accuracy of their Declaration of Intent to Graduate and for ensuring that their transcripts accurately reflect their academic records at the time they submit a Declaration of Intent to Graduate.

Degree Advice is an advising tool available to students and their advisors via the Student Link. It provides a snapshot of the student’s progress-to-date toward degree completion and thus functions in conjunction with this bulletin and in the context of advising appointments as a useful reminder of coursework still needed at a given point in time. Students should check their Degree Advice periodically for updates resulting from registration, completion of additional courses, or changes of concentration. However, Degree Advice is not a substitute for substantive discussion with the advisor about degree programs and course selection, and Degree Advice does not certify students for graduation. The process of certification can be initiated only by submission of the Declaration of Intent to Graduate form one year before intended graduation.

Students should be aware that substitutions for required courses, as well as the use of some courses taken in Boston University study abroad programs, must be approved in writing in order for them to apply toward degree requirements. Otherwise, Degree Advice will not recognize such courses, and delays may occur in the review of Declarations of Intent to Graduate.

Students may verify that they are listed among tentative candidates for graduation at the ensuing graduation date in CAS Room B3 in December, April, and July.

Voluntary Withdrawal and Reinstatement

A student wishing to withdraw or take a leave of absence from the College must do so by submitting a signed request to the University Service Center (881 Commonwealth Avenue), where he or she may also meet with a member of the University Service Center staff. A withdrawal or leave of absence is effective on the day the signed request is received; tuition and fees are canceled in accordance with the University’s refund schedule, which is published by the Office of the University Registrar and is available at the Registrar's Office. Failure to officially take a leave of absence may jeopardize a student’s privilege to return. Any student who is absent for any reason from the College and returns after a period of three years must complete all requirements in effect at the time of return in order to receive the BA degree.

No student who withdraws or takes a leave of absence may receive academic credit for any portion of the courses taken during that semester.

Reinstatement  Students returning from an official leave of absence should meet with their faculty advisor. All others must reestablish their standing in the College. Applications to reestablish standing as a former student are available in CAS Room B3. Students who matriculate at another institution must reapply as transfer students through the Admissions Office and are not guaranteed readmission to the College.

Academic Standards

After the completion of each academic semester, the Academic Standards Committee reviews the records of all students in the College of Arts & Sciences. Students are required to maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average and complete at least six, and preferably eight, 4-credit courses during the academic year, with no more than one D grade. The Academic Standards Committee is empowered to place students who fail to make satisfactory progress on warning or probation, for a stated time or until stated conditions are met, or to require their permanent dismissal.

All students should become familiar with the College of Arts & Sciences Academic Standards Policies and Procedures, copies of which are available in CAS Rooms 105 and B3.

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Academic Conduct


For College of Arts & Sciences students, charges of academic misconduct, such as cheating on examinations, theft of examinations, plagiarism, alteration of work after submission, or alteration of records, are referred to the CAS Dean’s office for investigation and possible referral to the CAS Academic Conduct Committee.

Students are advised that, by vote of the College faculty, the penalty against College of Arts & Sciences students for cheating on examinations or for plagiarism may be “. . . expulsion from the University or such other penalty as may be recommended by the Academic Conduct Committee, subject to approval by the dean.” All students are responsible for having read the College of Arts & Sciences Academic Conduct Code.

In all charges of academic misconduct against a student, the student is entitled to full procedural fairness in any disciplinary proceedings that may be conducted. A description of the procedures adopted by the Academic Conduct Committee appears in the Academic Conduct Code, available from CAS Room 105.

Dean's List

Students who attain a Grade Point Index (GPI) of 3.5 or higher in academic coursework in the fall or spring semester will be placed on the Dean’s List for that semester.

A student will remain on the Dean’s List for each consecutive semester thereafter providing that the student maintains a GPI of 3.5 or higher in each of those semesters.

To qualify, a student must have successfully completed at least four semester courses (not fewer than 15 credits of academic coursework including J grades) with no I grades outstanding. Once established for a given semester, Dean’s List eligibility is not recomputed; late grade changes are therefore not reflected in the Dean’s List. Neither transfer credits nor Summer Term may be credited toward Dean’s List eligibility.

Degrees with Honors

For the degree of Bachelor of Arts cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude, the faculty of the College of Arts & Sciences recommends candidates whose scholastic performance reflects high achievement in all their college courses. To qualify for summa cum laude, a student’s grade point average (GPA) must fall in the top five percent of the graduating class. The next ten percent receive the designation magna cum laude, followed by the next fifteen percent, who graduate cum laude.

Transfer credits are not considered in the final decision of awarding honors. Only the College of Arts & Sciences average (all courses taken at Boston University except ROTC and PDP) may satisfy the GPA requirement for the awarding of honors. Transfer students must have completed one full year of residence (eight semester courses) during their junior and senior years at the College of Arts & Sciences by the end of the first semester of the senior year, and a minimum of 12 courses at the College of Arts & Sciences by the end of the senior year.

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Awards


The following awards honor outstanding CAS students:

Ada Draper Awards—made to “deserving senior women to complete their studies abroad”

Alumni Association Awards for Writing Excellence

William Marshall Warren Award—made to “a senior who exemplifies the qualities of mind, spirit, and character inspired by Dean Warren”

Phi Beta Kappa Centennial Awards for Academic Leadership

Trowel Award for Excellence in Archaeology

Center for Space Physics Award

Institute for Astrophysical Research Prize

Senior Book Award in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Senior Book Award in Biological Sciences

Excellence in Biology Award

Mason Memorial Prize in Chemistry

Elsbeth Melville Latin Prize

John Oddy Memorial Award in Classical Civilization & History

Meyer Reinhold Prize in Classical Culture & History

Department Prize for Excellence in Earth Sciences

Department Prize for Excellence in English

Franklin C. Erickson Prize for Excellence in Geography

Book Awards in Geography & Environmental Studies

Warren O. Ault Prize in History

Carole A. Chandler Award in International Relations

Department Prize for Excellence in International Relations

William J. Newman Book Award in International Relations

Ambassador Hermann Frederick Eilts Award in International Relations

Robert E. Bruce Memorial Prize in Mathematics

Elmer B. Mode Memorial Prize in Statistics

John E. Alman Award

Marvin I. Freedman Prize in Mathematics

Herbert H. Golden Award in Italian

Italian Consulate Senior Book Award

Gizio Association Award in Italian

Michelina Pietrangelo Award in Italian

Isabelle Leen Award in French

Ann D. Stein Award in French

Waldo C. Peebles Award in German

Magda Meisels Award in German

Barbara Argote Senior Awards in Comparative Literature, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, and Linguistics

Ken Hale Award in Linguistics

Peter A. Bertocci Award for Philosophical Excellence

Peter A. Bertocci Award for Academic Achievement and Humanitarian Service

Matchette Prize for Excellence in Philosophy

John N. Findlay Award in Philosophy

Robert S. Cohen Award in Interdisciplinary Studies

Alumni Student Award in Physics

Psychology Research Award

Psychology Service Award

Psychology Scholar Award

Richard E. Katz Award in Religion

Diedre H. Symington Memorial Scholars in Sociology

American Sociology Association Departmental Prizes

College Prizes for Excellence in each of the major concentrations offered in the College of Arts & Sciences

Recipients of these awards are recognized at Class Day ceremonies by the dean and faculty of the College.

Teaching Awards

Also honored each year are the faculty recipients of three awards for outstanding achievements in teaching: the Gitner Award for Distinguished Teaching in the College of Arts & Sciences, the Neu Family Award for Excellence in Teaching in the College of Arts & Sciences, and the Frank and Lynne Wisneski Award for Teaching Excellence in the College of Arts & Sciences. These awards celebrate and encourage the high quality of instruction provided to students in all departments and programs of the College.

Advising Awards

Three College Prizes for Excellence in Student Advising are awarded annually to members of the CAS faculty. All CAS students are invited to nominate their faculty advisors for this award.

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Published by Trustees of Boston University
One Silber Way
Boston, MA 02215

16 October 2009
Boston University
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