Policies and Procedures

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs serves as the official university distribution point for all academic policies and procedures. Memoranda, forms, policy statements and other communications are used to distribute all policies and other information that must reach administrators, faculty and staff, and students across the University. For more information about any of the policies listed below, please contact the Provost's Office.

Academic Affairs Policies

Effective for Fall 2023 Admits Forward

This policy supersedes and replaces the Fall 2008 policy on General Education/Pre-baccalaureate degrees. It is effective for all students admitted for Fall 2023 semester.

Any student who transfers to CSU with an Associate or Arts or an Associate of Science Degree that fully satisfies the Illinois GECC requirements will be deemed to have completed ALL University general education requirements including those University requirements which exceed the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum. This policy does not override the requirements of any College, Department, Program or Major.

Any student who transfers to CSU WITHOUT an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science Degree, but with 75 or more credit hours and has completed the Illinois GECC requirements BEFORE transferring, will be deemed to have completed all University general education requirements including those University requirements which exceed the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum. This policy does not override the requirements of any College, Department, Program or Major.

Any student who transfers to Chicago State University with an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science Degree will not be required to take proficiency examinations in English, Mathematics, or Reading. However, if individual courses in specific majors require a passing score on a proficiency examination as a prerequisite, all students, including transfer students, must satisfy the prerequisite by taking the proficiency examination.

Effective Summer 2023

Initial Program Assignment

Upon acceptance to Chicago State University, each entering student is assigned an academic career (grad, undergrad, professional, continuing education), program, plan, and academic requirement term, consistent with the academic major or program of study choices made by the student. Students are required to follow the academic program/plan requirements in the Academic Catalog in effect at the time of their initial enrollment.

Program/Plan Changes

Students may request to change their academic program/plan at any time. The effective date of the change will be the date processed in the student system. The student’s degree audit will immediately reflect the program/plan change, and program requirements will follow the academic catalog for the year that the change is taking place. Students should contact their advisor to discuss the impact of a major change on the time to graduation.

For financial aid processing and certain reporting purposes, any change made to the student’s academic program/plan after the tenth day of the term or between terms will take effect on the first day of the next term. Changes to the major or program of study does not impact six-year guaranteed tuition rates as described in the Tuition & Fees section of the catalog

Effective Date: Fall 2022

Category: Faculty Credentials

Policy Statement: Please see the attached document.

Effective Date: Fall 2010

Category: ADA Compliance

Subject: All Students

Policy Statement/Language: Petitions by students based on circumstances that could constitute a request for an academic adjustment or modification on the basis of a disability as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 will be referred to and processed by the Abilities Office for Disability Services.

Category: Graduation Requirements

Subject: Undergraduate Students

Policy Statement/Language: Effective Fall 2010, all undergraduate students who enroll fall 2010 or thereafter and who graduate in Spring 2015 or thereafter will be required to complete a Senior Thesis (project/ research paper) as defined by the student’s program of study to satisfy one of the culminating university requirements for graduation.

Effective Date: Spring 2010

Category: Graduation Requirements

Subject: All Students

Policy Statement/Language: The mathematics placement examinations are removed from the list of graduation requirements.

Effective Date: Fall 2008

Category: Graduation Requirements

Subject: Examination Policy

Policy Statement/Language: Students are no longer required to take and pass the state and federal constitution examinations as part of their graduation requirements.

Category: Degree Requirements

Subject: Exception for Military Personnel

Policy Statement/Language: Active duty Military Personnel may complete the 30 hour residency requirement at any time during their academic program, if all such courses counted toward the completion of the 30 hours be upper division level.

Effective Date: Fall 2007

Category: General Education

Subject: Critical Thinking Course

Policy Statement/Language: All CSU students are required to complete a Critical Thinking course and a Diversity course. These courses are embedded in the curriculum, so that a course may be used to fulfill BOTh a general education social sciences course requirement, for example, AND the diversity requirement.

Effective Date: Fall 2006

Category: Admission Requirements

Subject: No individual grades of D

Policy Statement/Language: No individual grades of D will be accepted in transfer. Grades of D earned by students who have earned an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree will be accepted as part of the degree. ( Individual departments or majors, however, may not accept D's for courses required for the major.)