Advising

At Benedictine University, academic advising is grounded in Benedictine values and the University mission. It is an interactive process between the advisor and student and is supported by technology. The goal is to promote each student’s academic, career and personal development.

Faculty and staff are committed to creating a decision-making framework through which students can identify and realize their educational goals. Although academic advising is a collaborative function of both student and advisor, the final responsibility for satisfying University and major requirements rests with the student.

The student actively participates in the educational decision-making process. Students will:

• Become knowledgeable of all the University’s academic requirements, policies, and procedures.
• Develop and maintain a plan for a course of study.
• Keep an accurate record of academic activities and documents.
• Value the role of the advisor by preparing for and keeping advising appointments.
• Initiate and maintain open and honest communication with the advisor.
• Access additional University resources to facilitate the decision-making process.

The advisor listens to and guides the student through the educational decision-making process. Advisors will:

• Foster the student’s sense of responsibility for his/her academic progress.
• Help the student obtain accurate information about educational and career options, academic requirements, policies, and procedures.
• Help the student plan and monitor an educational program consistent with individual interests and abilities.
• Assist the student in maintaining an accurate record of course registrations and completions.
• Be available on a scheduled basis for academic consultation and advice.
• Refer the student to appropriate University resources.

Academic Requirements Report

Students starting their degree program Fall 2020 or later will be able to access the academic requirements report through MyBenU. This tool is designed to assist students and advisors to review for outstanding degree requirements based on their completed coursework. The report will allow students to self-review their degree requirements as needed without an advising appointment.

The report is built upon the degree requirements in the catalog. The report is a snapshot as of the day the report was generated of the student’s coursework and requirements. It is not an official transcript and does not represent an irrevocable contract between the student and the university. If the report contains any errors that does not automatically exempt the students from the degree requirements outlined in the catalog. Official graduation still requires a final audit review by the department and Office of the Registrar.

Repetition of Courses

For courses taken at Benedictine University, undergraduate students, both degree-seeking and students-at-large, may repeat a course in which they received grades of “W”, “D”, or “F” no more than two times. Students may not repeat any course in which they receive a grade of “P” or “C” or better. When a course is repeated for credit, the earlier earned grade remains on the student’s permanent record and will appear on all transcripts. Only the last enrollment and earned grade will be used in computing the cumulative GPA and awarding of credit. If a student wishes to repeat a course originally taken at Benedictine University and in which an earned grade was received, the repeat must be a course at Benedictine University. A repeat may not be by independent study or by study at another institution. The Academic Standing Committee may provide exceptions to this policy. An earned grade is a grade of “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, “F”, or “P.”

Once a student has graduated, their degree GPA is final. If a student repeats a course post-graduation that they earned an “F” grade for as part of their degree, the original “F” grade will still be counted in their degree GPA. Students who have graduated may not retake a course for credit in which they earned a grade of “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, or “P” previously. A student who has graduated may only audit a course in which they previously earned credit.

Active Students Enrolling at External Institutions

Students may enroll at external institutions. Students interested in taking a course at a another institution should check TES to confirm the course(s) are transferable to Benedictine.  If a course equivalent is not available in TES students may complete an Approval of Transfer Credit form prior to enrollment to determine equivalency. 

Undergraduates with Junior or Senior standing (60 or more semester credit hours earned) enrolling in and transferring in community college course credit is only allowed under special circumstances. Students seeking an exception must complete the Request for Exception to Community College Credit Limit form.  See the Community College Credit Policy below for more information.

Following completion of the course, students must submit an official transcript to Benedictine University. Students are responsible for understanding and complying with all curricular requirements stated in the current Undergraduate Catalog, including the Repetition of Courses policy.  External courses will not count toward full-time status unless taken through consortium arrangements.  Students in their final term of enrollment are advised against taking courses outside of Benedictine because a delay in transcript processing may delay degree conferral. 

Students are responsible for confirming course equivalence.  If equivalency is not confirmed in advance, the course will be evaluated upon receipt of the final transcript and the course may be determined ineligible for transfer credit. 

Community College Credit Policy

Students with junior or senior standing (60 or more semester credit hours earned) will not be eligible to transfer community college course credit back to Benedictine University. Credit from accredited four-year institutions is not affected. Coursework required by special agreements such as 3+1 or 2+2 programs may be exempt from the community college credit limit.

Request for Exception to Community College Credit Limit

An undergraduate student who is 15 or fewer semester credit hours from degree completion may petition to complete no more than 6-8 of those hours (two courses, including any labs or co-requirements) through eligible community college credit under the following conditions:

1. The student’s major advisor and chair of the major department and Dean all support the request in writing, and approval of specific transfer courses to complete the requirement(s),
   And
2. All other degree requirements have been met or are currently in progress, as demonstrated by current transcript and records;
   And one of the following:
3.  
   1. The requirements represented by the course(s) are not available in any format at or from the student’s home campus for a full term (relative to the student’s usual academic calendar, i.e. semester, quarter, etc.) following the planned degree completion date, thus delaying degree completion for two full terms;
      or
   2. The requirements represented by the course(s) are not available in any format at or from the student’s home campus prior to the student’s planned graduation date (as applied for and audited), and the student provides documentation establishing that failure to complete the degree by that date will result in loss of secured employment, promotion or professional certification already in progress;
      or
   3. The student’s permanent place of residence (as established by FAFSA, tax records, or other proof of long-term residency) is more than 100 miles from the home campus;
      or
   4. The student’s place of residence has been relocated as a consequence of active military service.

Any student who wishes to apply for such an exception is to file a Request for Exception to Community College Credit Limit form. As part of completing this form, the student must provide clear course equivalencies and indicate which of the above exceptions apply, and append any required documentation. The form must also be signed by the student’s academic advisor and approved by the chair of the program from which the student is seeking a degree. The completed form must be approved by the dean of the college and submitted to the Registrar’s Office before the student enrolls in the course. If such a request is approved, all other Benedictine University policies relevant to transfer and credit still apply, including but not limited to, those governing eligibility for GPA inclusion, non-repeatability, and articulation with native programs and requirements. Following completion of the course, students must submit an official transcript to Benedictine University.

Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses

A senior undergraduate student may register for a graduate course for undergraduate and/or graduate credit with approval from the major advisor and the head of the program/department offering the course. It is highly recommended the student has a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.800 on all University coursework to enroll in the course. The senior must be in satisfactory academic standing and is proceeding toward graduation as directly as possible. A student may earn no more than 9 semester credit hours of coursework toward their undergraduate degree. Students that have officially matriculated into a graduate program under special agreements, such as a 3+3, 4+1, or 3+2 program leading to a professional degree, are not subject to this limitation.