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Policies, procedures
and forms

School for the Future of Innovation in Society policies

The transdisciplinary programs and coursework offered by the School for the Future of Innovation in Society focus on the intersections of science, technology, development, innovation and society, enabling students to engage and rethink the social and technical aspects of innovation. They are then able to envision, design and build the futures people would want to inhabit. The school’s transdisciplinary team of faculty has an extraordinary track record of research and service. The faculty members are dedicated to teaching and mentoring students and cultivating the knowledge, skills, and dispositions with which the school’s graduates will approach and construct the future.

Academic integrity

At ASU, students are part of an academic community engaged in learning and inquiry and based on the quest for truth, thus committing themselves to a path of honesty and integrity. Therefore, it is expected that they integrate that responsibility in their conduct. Students’ course work, research, and projects must be original and reflect individual effort and integrity. When in doubt about appropriate conduct, students should consult a faculty mentor to seek clarification. The School for the Future of Innovation in Society has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of academic misconduct. Penalties for unethical behavior range from being placed on academic probation to being dismissed from the program.

The ASU Student Academic Integrity Policy determines all related violations of this policy and will be strictly enforced and followed. A copy of the policy is available at here.

Undergraduate policies

Academic standing

To be considered in academic good standing in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, students must achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.

Probation

Students who do not achieve a 2.00 GPA will be placed on university academic probation and must meet with an advisor to discuss academic success strategies. Students on academic probation will be required to take UNI 220 Academic Refresher. UNI 220 will appear on the students’ DARS as a graduation requirement. In addition, students who have fewer than 24 credit hours will be required to participate in the ASU PASS [2] program.

Within one semester, a student on academic probation must do one of the following:

  1. Raise their ASU cumulative GPA to 2.00 or higher, to return to academic good standing.
  2. Obtain a semester GPA of 2.00 or higher, to be continued on probation. Students on continued academic probation may continue for as many semesters as needed to achieve academic good standing.

Disqualification

Students who fail to meet the criteria for continued probation may be disqualified from ASU. Students who have been disqualified may attend summer sessions, but not fall or spring sessions.

Once readmitted, the student may be placed on academic probation for at least one semester. Students on probation will have one semester to raise their cumulative or semester GPA to meet ASU academic good standing (2.00). Failure to do so will result in disqualification from the university.

Academic policy appeals

Academic appeals regarding school policies should be discussed with the student’s academic advisor, and students may be required to submit a petition. Some petitions may require a secondary review by the ASU University Undergraduate Standards Committee. Standards Petition Form (link to our standards petition form)

Academic advising

All students are encouraged to seek advising before registration. Students must follow the calendar published in the registration and tuition payment guide each semester for information and deadlines pertaining to enrollment, adding or dropping classes and withdrawals.

In addition to information provided by an academic advisor, students are expected to read the requirements for university general studies and major degree requirements in their edition of the ASU academic catalog. The ASU academic catalog is the governing source for all degree requirements.

Advising Information can be found here.

Mandatory advising

The following students in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society must receive advising clearance prior to course registration:

  • new students in their first two semesters of attendance
  • readmitted students in their first returning semester
  • students with 87 credit hours or more completed
  • students on academic probation or continued probation
  • students who have been disqualified
  • students who are off track for graduation

Students are encouraged to check their advising status requirements each semester before attempting any registration transactions through My ASU.

Credit/registration

Students enrolling in courses offered by the School for the Future of Innovation in Society are expected to follow the rules and deadlines specified in this catalog and the current registration and tuition payment guide. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisor before registration.

Course load

Students may enroll in a maximum number of 18 credit hours per fall or spring semester, with a maximum number of nine credits taken in session A or session B. Students may enroll in a maximum of 14 credits for a summer session, with no more than seven credits in session A or session B. Any student wishing to enroll in more than the 18 credit hour limit in the fall or spring (or 14 in summer) or more than the nine credit hour limit in an A or B session (or seven hour limit in summer) should first meet with their academic advisor to discuss a course overload. Please contact [email protected] to request a credit hour limit increase.

More details on credit hour limits are available here.

Repeat/replace policy

Students wishing to repeat courses and possibly replace prior course grades must follow the policy stated in the university’s Student Services Manual regarding the number of credit hours that can be repeated and the types of courses that are eligible for a grade replacement.

Generally, students may not repeat an undergraduate course for credit when a grade of “C” or higher is earned. Students wishing to repeat a course with a grade of “C” or higher must petition the School for the Future of Innovation in Society Undergraduate Program Committee.  

Students wishing to repeat a course for a third time must petition the School for the Future of Innovation in Society Undergraduate Program Committee. Students should contact the advising office for information.

Pass/fail grade options

A grade of “Y” (satisfactory) contributes to a student’s earned hours, but does not affect the GPA. A failing grade of “E” is calculated into the GPA.

The pass/fail grade option may be used under the following conditions:

  • Approval has been granted from the instructor and school/college offering the course.
  • Enrollment for the pass/fail option must be indicated during registration and may not be changed after the drop/add period.
  • A maximum of 12 hours taken for pass/fail may be counted toward graduation.

School for the Future of Innovation in Society students may not enroll under the pass/fail option in the following courses:

  • first-year composition requirements
  • major, minor, concentration area, or certificate program
  • honors credits
  • language proficiency requirements
  • general studies requirements

General studies courses

In order to earn an undergraduate degree at ASU students must take a distribution of general studies courses to ensure that they get not only depth, but a breadth of education. These courses fall into five core areas – Literacy and Critical Inquiry; Mathematical Studies; Humanities, Arts and Design; Social-Behavioral Sciences: and Natural Sciences – and three awareness areas – Cultural Diversity in the United States; Global Awareness; and Historical Awareness. To help students graduate quickly and to illustrate the interdisciplinary education the SFIS undergraduate programs offer, a number of FIS courses meet a variety of general studies requirements.  Courses that meet the different general studies requirements are generally noted in the course catalog.  However, it is possible in special circumstances for a student to get general studies credit for a course that is not officially registered as a General Studies course. To request such a replacement course, students should fill out and submit this form.

Grade appeal and academic grievance process

The College of Global Futures follows the university policy for grade appeals. Please use the ‘More information’ link below for the steps a student can take if they wish to appeal a grade or the results of a defense or exam. This process only applies to courses and programs offered through the College of Global Futures.

More information

Degree requirements

All candidates for graduation are required to complete at least 120 credit hours, of which at least 45 hours must consist of upper-division courses. A minimum ASU cumulative GPA of 2.00 is required for graduation. All new School for the Future of Innovation in Society freshman students are required to enroll in the FIS 101 course during their first ASU semester.

Minors

The school offers a minor in Innovation in Society. Students may not use courses in their minors toward their majors and, similarly, students may not use courses in their majors to fill the requirements of their minors.

Concurrent degrees

The school allows students to request approval to pursue a concurrent degree if they:

  • have completed at least 30 graded credit hours
  • are in good standing
  • have a minimum GPA of 2.00

Concurrent degrees may not be from the same discipline or have overlap in the core courses required for each major.

Students must earn at least 30 unique credit hours for each degree.

To request a concurrent degree, the student must meet with an academic advisor and fill out the petition form. If the second program is outside of SFIS, the student is also required to get approval from the other college or school that offers the concurrent degree program.

Critical and necessary requirements

All undergraduate majors at ASU provide an eight-term course plan leading to four-year graduation called a major map. School for the Future of Innovation in Society students must meet the critical and necessary requirements listed on their major maps.

A student who does not comply with the critical requirements is off track and will have a hold placed on their record, and the student will be required to meet with the School for the Future of Innovation in Society academic advisor to have the hold removed. For more information about critical requirements, please refer to the corresponding major map or eAdvisor.

Readmission

Students who have been disqualified from ASU may be readmitted to the School for the Future of Innovation in Society for a fall or spring semester if they complete one of the following:

  1. Raise their ASU cumulative GPA to good academic standing (2.00) by taking ASU summer session courses.
  2. Complete 12 or more transferrable credit hours at a community college or university with no grades lower than a “C” and a GPA of 2.50 or better. Courses in which the student failed or received a “D” at ASU should not be repeated at another institution.

Once readmitted, the student may be placed on academic probation for at least one semester. Students on probation will have one semester to raise their cumulative or semester GPA to meet ASU academic good standing (2.00). Failure to do so will result in disqualification from the university.

SFIS Standards Petition Form

Graduate policies

The school’s graduate policies are guided by the university polices on graduate studies. For details, please see here.

Degree requirements

Each student in the school will be required to file an interactive plan of study. Once matriculated, the student will meet with the faculty or program advisors to prepare their plan.

While the ultimate responsibility of understanding the requirements of their respective academic degrees lies with each student, the School for the Future of Innovation in Society provides advising services to students that will help them understand the school’s policies and procedures and allow them to set their academic goals.

Students must fulfill all requirements of their individual graduate programs and abide by all university policies, including those of the Division of Graduate Education. Full details of policies and procedures related to the school’s graduate programs can be found on each program’s webpage.

Academic standing

Students are expected to make planned and systematic progress toward completion of their graduate program. This progress includes being in good academic standing and achieving the benchmarks and requirements set by the programs, including additional satisfactory progress policies. Students are responsible for verifying all these requirements are met as well as additional requirements on satisfactory academic progress, probation and disqualifications are met.

Students failing to satisfy their graduate program requirements or the benchmarks outlined below may be recommended to the Division of Graduate Education for dismissal from their programs. For details, visit here.

To be in good academic standing, students are required to maintain a minimum 3.00 GPA on all GPAs (plan of study, cumulative, and graduate). These include all course work on their approved interactive plan of study, on all postbaccalaureate course work taken at ASU, and on graduate credit courses (those numbered 500 or higher).

A student with a cumulative GPA less than 3.00 will be placed on academic probation and may be subject to dismissal. If any GPA falls below 3.00, the student must develop, with the advisor, an academic performance improvement plan that includes the conditions and time frames for making satisfactory academic progress in their degree program. The student is considered to be on academic probation until the conditions specified in the academic performance improvement plan are met and GPAs are greater than 3.00. Course work such as research and dissertation and any course that is graded with a “Z” (in progress) or “Y” (satisfactory) cannot be included in the GPA.

Students must also satisfy the maximum time limit for graduation from the student’s graduate program (six years for master’s degrees and certificates, 10 years for doctorates). Doctoral students must comply with the five-year time limit for completion after passing the comprehensive examinations.

Students must successfully pass any comprehensive exams, qualifying exams, foreign language exams, and an oral defense of the proposal or prospectus for the thesis, dissertation or any other culminating events required for their program.

Students must stay continuously enrolled in their graduate degree program. Failing to do so without a Division of Graduate Education-approved request to maintain continuous enrollment is considered to be a lack of academic progress and will lead to automatic dismissal of the student from the graduate program.

Graduate Student Grade Appeal Policy and Process

Graduate students who disagree with the final grade they received for a graduate course should refer to this document to determine the steps they can take to appeal the grade.