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Academics : Policies and Procedures
It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with all policies and procedures of the College. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to meet all graduation requirements.

Academic policies and procedures are established by the faculty to ensure the integrity of the academic program at Kalamazoo College. The Committee on Academic Standards is charged by the faculty to take action on petitions made by students for adjustments to academic rules and policies.

A petition must be made in writing and submitted to the Registrar to be forwarded to the Committee on Academic Standards.

Earning Course Credit
Credit
The Kalamazoo College credit is referred to as a unit. Each unit is equivalent to 5 quarter hours or 3.33 semester hours.

Credit Load
Kalamazoo College is on the quarter system. Each quarter is composed of ten weeks of class plus an examination week, for a total of 11 weeks. Students normally carry a full-time course load of three units per quarter. This credit load enables a student to complete all graduation requirements within 12 quarters.
Registration
Students are expected to register during the designated preregistration periods for their next quarter on campus. Prior to registration, students are required to acquaint themselves with the class schedule, academic policies, procedures, and regulations in this catalogue and the student handbook as well as consult with their advisor and other faculty regarding course selection options. Each student must have his/her advisor’s signature on the registration form in order to register for classes. The Registrar’s Office may move students from one section of a course to another to both balance the sections (requested by the department) and to accommodate the schedules of all students registered for a particular course.

Registration and validation are not complete until fees are paid or arrangements for payment have been made with the business office. The College reserves the right to withdraw a student for failure to meet the designated deadlines of registration and validation.

Registration may be denied a student for failure to adhere to health center regulations, lack of tuition payment validation, or disciplinary action.

Drop/Add
Students may drop/add courses through the end of the first week of a quarter. All changes made to a student’s class schedule must be on file in the Registrar’s office by the end of the first week.

Students are responsible for accurate registration and are held accountable for courses that appear on the final registration. All academic courses, 200-level partial credit classes, and PE activities must be added or dropped within the official time limit or they will be subject to failing grades. Subsequent to the drop/add period, students may exercise their option to withdraw from a course earning a W or WF (see Course Withdrawal section for additional information). Students will be held accountable for classes remaining on their class schedules at the end of a quarter and will be graded accordingly. Students will not receive a grade for courses not appearing on their class schedule.

Underload
Students may choose to underload (carry two units) in a given quarter in consultation with their advisor, the Office of Financial Aid, and the Registrar. Students who are underloading are not considered full-time and are, therefore, ineligible for Dean’s List consideration and may be ineligible for certain forms of financial aid, insurance coverage, and participation in intercollegiate athletics. Students should also consider the ramifications underloading may have on timely completion of graduation requirements.

Overload
An overload is defined as a total registration of 4 units in a single quarter, not including courses numbered 200 or applied music courses. Overload and transfer credit policies apply to first-time and transfer students entering Kalamazoo College with fewer than 18 transfer units. Once students have begun their studies at Kalamazoo College, they may attempt four overloads, or complete four transfer units, or combine overload and transfer credits up to a maximum of four units. To overload, students must meet the following GPA minimums:
First-Year  
Sophomore Cumulative GPA of 3.50 at the time of the request 
Junior   Cumulative GPA of 3.25 at the time of the request 
Senior   No minimum GPA

Transfer students entering Kalamazoo College with the maximum of 18
units may overload up to four units, in accordance with the GPA guidelines,
but may not transfer in any additional course work.


Course Withdrawal
Students may initiate a total of four course withdrawals during the completion
of their degree. A student may exercise more than one course withdrawal per
academic year; however, no student may withdraw from more than one course
during a given quarter. If a student feels withdrawal from more than one course
is necessary, or if a student is advised to withdraw from more than one course
due to a health or family emergency situation, the student will be withdrawn
from the quarter and from the College. Students will be required to go through
the formal readmission process to resume their study. If a student is advised to
withdraw from one or more courses for health reasons, this withdrawal will not
be counted against the four allowable.

Students may withdraw from a course from the second week through the
eighth week of a quarter. After eighth week, students may not withdraw from a
course. (They may exercise the option to fully withdraw from the College.)
Course withdrawals exercised between second and eighth week will receive a
grade of W or WF. The grade will be issued by the instructor based on the
earned grade at the time of the withdrawal request. Students will be required to
obtain signatures from the instructor, their advisor, and the Registrar. Students
should be aware that course withdrawal may affect a student’s financial aid eligibility
and grace period, medical insurance coverage, athletic eligibility, study
abroad eligibility, sequencing of classes, and timely completion of
degree requirements.

Course Attendance
Attendance is the responsibility of the student and is regulated within each
course. Faculty members may report to the Early Alert Committee those
students whose absences may be impairing their performances.

Final Examinations
Examinations are held at the end of each quarter for most courses. Students and
faculty are required to follow the exam schedule as set by the Registrar.
However, if a student has three final exams scheduled for the same calendar
day, one of these exams may be changed by making arrangements with
the instructor.

Credit/No Credit Option for Seniors
During the senior year, a student may elect to complete one on-campus course
as credit/no credit (CR/NC) if the following conditions are met:

  • the course must be outside the major, minor, concentration, or cognate of the major or minor;
  • the individual instructor must approve the CR/NC option; and
  • the appropriate forms must be on file in the Registrar’s office by Friday of first week.

    The CR/NC option is irrevocable after Friday of first week, and is not
    subject to appeal by either the student or the instructor.

    Audit
    Students may audit a course with permission of the instructor. There is no
    official registration or notation on the transcript. There is no audit fee for registered
    Kalamazoo College students. There is a minimal audit fee for all non-
    Kalamazoo students.

    Other Means of Earning Credit
    Advanced Placement (AP) Credit, International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit,
    Dual Enrollment Credit
    Please refer to the “Admission” section of the Academic Catalog.

    Interinstitutional Enrollment
    Students at Kalamazoo College may take advantage of opportunities offered by
    the Kalamazoo Consortium for Higher Education by enrolling in courses at
    Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, or
    Davenport University. Kalamazoo College students must be registered for an
    on-campus quarter and must include this course as part of a normal full-time
    registration. Admission to classes is offered on a “space available” basis.
    Specific registration information and forms are available from the Registrar’s
    office. Courses taken under the interinstitutional program are included in
    Kalamazoo College tuition charges and will appear on the Kalamazoo College
    transcript; the grade(s) received will be calculated in the Kalamazoo College
    GPA. Interinstitutional courses are not considered transfer course work and,
    therefore, do not apply toward the maximum allowable transfer units.

    Michigan Guest Student Enrollment
    Students wishing to take courses, during a period in which they are not
    enrolled at Kalamazoo College, at another Michigan college or university may
    do so through the Michigan Uniform Undergraduate Guest Application
    process. A Kalamazoo College student must have preapproval and must be in
    good standing to participate. The College reserves the right to deny credits that
    are not preapproved. Further information is available from the Registrar’s office.

    Independent Study
    Generally, an independent study (398/498) is limited to superior students
    taking advanced work in their major field of study. This option is open to
    juniors and seniors only (overload criteria applies). Students may not receive
    credit for more than one independent study course per quarter or for more than
    two independent studies during degree completion.

    Transfer Credits
    New Transfer Students
    For students whose first full-time enrollment was not at Kalamazoo College,
    determination of transfer credit will be made at the time of enrollment. All
    credit is awarded by the Registrar in consultation with the departmental faculty.
    Kalamazoo College accepts a maximum of 18 units in transfer credit. Students
    transferring the maximum of 18 units at the time of enrollment at Kalamazoo College
    may not transfer additional units. All transfer credits must be earned from a
    regionally accredited institution with a grade of C or above (C- is not acceptable).
    Transfer units to the College come in as credit only. The GPA is not
    carried over from the transfer institution to Kalamazoo College.

    Transfer students are responsible for meeting the residency requirement: a
    minimum of six full-time quarters, the last three of which must be in the senior
    year. Students transferring the maximum number of 18 units must earn a
    minimum of 18 academic units, in addition to the LACC and PE activity units,
    at Kalamazoo College. If a student must register for 9 or fewer quarters to
    complete the degree, the LACC requirement will be prorated.

    Transfer units may be used to satisfy Area of Study, language, and quantitative
    reasoning requirements and, at the discretion of the departmental faculty,
    may be used toward majors, minors, and concentrations. Transfer units may not
    be used to satisfy the cultures requirement.

    All work to be considered for transfer credit must be submitted on an
    official transcript sent directly from the transfer institution to Kalamazoo
    College within the first quarter of enrollment. The College reserves the right to
    deny transfer credit not reported within the first quarter of enrollment.

    Continuing Students
    Students who first enrolled at Kalamazoo College are limited to a maximum of
    four transfer and overload combined units during enrollment and degree completion.
    (AP, IB, and dual enrollment credits brought into Kalamazoo College at
    the time of enrollment are not included in this restriction.) Transfer credits must
    be preapproved and earned from a regionally accredited institution with a
    grade of C or better (C- is not acceptable). After students have reached junior
    standing at Kalamazoo College, only junior- and senior-level courses (usually
    numbered 300 and above) from four-year institutions will be considered for
    transfer credit. The College reserves the right to deny credit that has not been
    preapproved. A student may not repeat a course either at Kalamazoo College or
    at another institution to replace a D or F once they have taken a higher level
    course. No repeated course at an institution other than Kalamazoo College will
    change the Kalamazoo College cumulative GPA. Transfer credit does not fulfill
    cultures requirements.

    Kalamazoo College Placement Examinations
    Foreign Language Placement
    Students who have previously studied a foreign language must take the
    Kalamazoo College placement test. Placement in foreign language courses
    depends on the score earned on the Kalamazoo College placement test or the College Board Advanced Placement Examination or SAT II. Students who have
    completed three or more years of foreign language in high school are ineligible
    to receive credit for the same language at the 101 level and must begin at the
    102, or higher, level of study. Academic credit is not granted for foreign
    language placement.

    Mathematics Placement
    Placement in mathematics courses depends on the score earned on the
    Kalamazoo College placement test or the College Board Advanced Placement
    Examination. Students planning to enter the fields of science, math, and/or
    computer science should take a math placement examination upon arrival at
    the College. This is critical for proper placement in the math sequence.
    Academic credit is not granted for math placement.

    Grading Practices
    Grades
    The grade point system at Kalamazoo College is:
    A+, A, A- = 4 quality points (excellent)
    B+, B, B- = 3 quality points (above average)
    C+, C, C- = 2 quality points (average)
    D+, D, D- = 1 quality point (below average)
    F = 0 quality points (failure)

    CR (credit) and NC (no credit), H (honors), IP (in progress), W
    (withdraw), and WF (withdraw failure) do not affect the grade point average
    (GPA). IP is used to indicate the status of a course that continues over more
    than one quarter. Pluses and minuses appear on transcripts but are not used to
    calculate the Kalamazoo College GPA.

    Incomplete Grades
    An I (incomplete) is recorded when work is of acceptable quality but has not
    been finished because of illness or other extraordinary circumstances. An I automatically
    becomes an F (or NC) if the work has not been completed by the end
    of the sixth week of the next quarter, whether the student is on or off campus,
    has left the College, or has graduated.

    Repeated Courses
    A grade of D, F, W, WF, or NC may be repeated if the repeated enrollment is at
    Kalamazoo College. Both attempts will appear on students’ transcripts, but
    only the second attempt will be used to calculate the Kalamazoo College cumulative
    GPA. Students who hope to earn a degree may not accumulate more than
    a total of 7 unsuccessfully attempted units. Unsuccessful attempts include all
    F’s, NC’s and W’s, excluding any W’s which have been explicitly mitigated by
    the committee on Satisfactory Academic Progress. Students may accumulate a
    maximum of 4 W’s within the total of 7 unsuccessfully attempted units.
    Students may not repeat a course either at Kalamazoo College or at another
    institution to replace a D or F once they have taken a higher level course. Any
    course repeated at another institution does not affect the original course grade
    on the Kalamazoo College transcript or figure into the calculation of the
    Kalamazoo College cumulative GPA. Repeating courses may also result in the
    inability to complete the graduation requirements in 4 years.

    Change of Grade
    Students seeking a grade change should first contact the course instructor who
    is responsible for the grade issued. Both students and faculty should understand
    that a change in an assigned grade should reflect only identifiable and distinct
    errors in the evaluation process. Students should initiate this process as soon as
    possible and no later than the end of the sixth week of the next quarter or
    within six weeks from graduation or withdrawal from the College. Students’
    grade changes, which may merit award of Dean’s List or commendation, will
    be reviewed upon receipt of the grade change(s). Further details are available
    from the Registrar.

    Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) Courses and Programs
    The SIP, GLCA programs, LAC, physical education, 200-level/partial credit
    courses (excluding music), and the senior CR/NC option receive a grade of CR
    or NC and do not affect the cumulative GPA. CR/NC options are not available
    in the major, minor, concentration, or cognate courses.

    Partial Credit Courses
    Partial credit (200-level) courses are offered for 1/3, 1/4, and 1/5 of a unit each
    registration. A student must complete the requisite number of partial credits (all
    in the same course) to receive one unit. The full unit for a 200-level course may
    be used once as part of a quarter load of three units during the quarter in which
    the credit is being completed. Students may count one 200-level course outside
    the major toward the 38 units required for graduation. A 200-level unit does not
    count as an official overload. The following partial credit courses are offered:
    BIOL 200 (CR/NC) 1/3 credit x 3 quarters = 1 unit
    JAPN 200 (graded) 1/2 credit x 2 quarters = 1 unit
    MUSC 200 (graded) 1/5 credit x 5 quarters = 1 unit*
    Applied Music (graded) 1/5 credit x 5 quarters = 1 unit
    THEA 200 (CR/NC) 1/4 credit x 4 quarters = 1 unit*
    * required for the major

    Music Ensembles
    One unit of credit is awarded after five quarters of participation in an ensemble.
    Only two ensemble activities per quarter may be credited toward the five
    required for the unit of credit. A music ensemble credit may be used to satisfy
    the creative expression requirement. Nonmusic majors may count only one unit
    of ensemble credit toward the 38 units required for graduation. Music majors
    may count two 200-level units toward graduation. The unit may be counted
    only once in a quarter load of three units and will occur in the quarter in which
    the credit is being completed.

    Grade Reports
    Grade reports are issued to students at the end of each quarter. The report is
    sent either to the student’s home address, to another address the student has given to the Registrar’s office, or to the student’s campus mailbox. Copies of
    grade reports will be sent to parents only if students present a signed statement
    of request to the Registrar.

    Records
    Student Information and Records
    The official educational record of students is the file maintained in the
    Registrar’s office. This file contains all official enrollment and academic information.
    It is the responsibility of students to have all pertinent information
    regarding declarations, changes, waivers, exemptions, scores, and transcripts on
    file in the Registrar’s Office.

    The College subscribes fully to the guidelines set forth in the Family
    Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 , Section 438 of the
    General Education Provision Act. It provides students who have matriculated
    access to records directly related to them and protects the information
    contained within those files from unauthorized persons.

    Information about students contained in educational records must be
    made accessible to them, to persons authorized by students, and to Kalamazoo
    College faculty and staff who have legitimate educational interests. Information
    must also be furnished to comply with a judicial order or subpoena.
    The College shall disclose to the victim of an alleged crime of violence the
    penalty imposed in a judicial hearing concerning that allegation.

    Releasing Confidential Information
    Releasing confidential information (includes units attempted, units earned,
    grades, GPA, address, phone number, and class schedule) to anyone other than
    students or College personnel with a legitimate need to know will require
    written authorization from the students.
    1. Students must sign a request to be kept on file in the office to which
    the request has been made.
    2. Each release will require a new written authorization.
    3. The College reserves the right to withhold a request if there is an outstanding
    financial debt to the College or an unresolved
    disciplinary action.

    Transcripts
    Transcripts must be requested in writing by students. An official transcript
    bearing the seal of Kalamazoo College can be mailed to other educational institutions,
    certifying agencies, or employers; an unofficial transcript without the
    seal may be issued directly to the student and will be stamped “Issued to
    Student.” The charge for each official transcript is $3.00. Currently enrolled
    students may obtain an unofficial transcript free-of-charge at any time.
    Nonenrolled students will be charged $1.00 for each unofficial transcript. The
    College will not release an official transcript unless it has been paid for and satisfactory
    arrangements have been made with the business office for payment of
    any outstanding College bills or fines. The College will not send a transcript by
    fax. Transcripts can be processed by overnight express mail at the students’
    expense. The Registrar’s office requires a minimum of two to three business
    days to process a transcript request.

    Directory Information
    Directory information may be provided to anyone who inquires without the
    prior consent of students unless they have submitted a written request to
    withhold such information. Directory information includes the following:
    • campus phone number from the directory
    • dates of attendance
    • campus box number from the directory
    • degree(s) awarded
    • classification of any student
    • leadership positions within the College
    • date (but not year) of birth
    • place of birth
    • sports statistics
    • major field of study
    • awards received
    NOTE: Address/telephone information (such as the faculty, staff, and student directory)
    is not provided by the College to external agencies or individuals. This information is
    intended only for use by members of the immediate College community.


    Withholding Directory Information
    1. Students must file a written request to withhold directory information
    with the Dean of Students.
    2. The phone number and address will be removed from the quarter
    phone list and the student/faculty directory, if they have not yet
    been printed.
    3. The Dean of Students will provide written notification of this request
    to all appropriate parties within the institution.
    Students should realize that withholding this information may complicate
    enrollment verification to future employers or graduate schools and dissemination
    of information from within the College.

    Academic Progress
    Classification
    Classification is determined by the number of academic units (LACC and PE
    not included) accumulated. The class in which students are listed is generally
    determined as follows

  • First-Year 0–7 units*
  • Sophomore 8–16 units
  • Junior 17–25 units
  • Senior 26 units and above

    * First-year students who bring in AP, IB, or dual enrollment credits are
    reclassified, as appropriate, at the end of the first year.
    Students are classified once a year at the completion of the Spring quarter.
    However, transfer students may be reclassified at any time based on the
    units earned.

    Classification is regulated not only by the number of units earned, but
    also by the expected year of graduation. Changes may be made only by the
    Registrar in consultation with the Committee on Academic Standards.

    Good Standing
    Students who maintain two-thirds of all grades at the level of C- or better are
    considered to be in good standing at Kalamazoo College.

    Students should be aware that maintaining good academic standing does
    not ensure continued financial aid eligibility. Grades of NC, W, or WF may also
    affect an award. Please refer to the “Financial Assistance” section of this
    catalogue for further information.

    Graduation Standard
    All students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.00 to be eligible to receive a
    Kalamazoo College degree.

    Early Alert
    Kalamazoo College maintains a system of “Early Alert” for students who we
    feel may be placing themselves in academic jeopardy. This process has been
    developed within the parameters of confidentiality and personal integrity of
    each student and College personnel involved. Each quarter instructors and
    advisors are asked to inform the Registrar of students who may be causing
    concern exhibited by, but not limited to, one of the following: poor attendance,
    missed assignments or tests, lack of participation in class, failing tests, showing
    signs of emotional or physical distress, or previous placement on academic
    probation. These “alerts” are, in turn, reviewed weekly by a small group of
    student development and academic administrators. This group works closely
    with the academic advisor, instructor and, where necessary, the student to help
    move that student in a positive direction. They also make referrals as warranted
    and generally encourage the student to begin developing strategies that will
    promote a positive academic experience.

    Academic Warning
    The Committee on Academic Standards meets at the end of each quarter to
    review the grades of all students. If it appears that a student is having a
    difficult time as indicated by more than one withdrawn course over a twoquarter
    period or falling grades as compared to previous work, a “warning”
    letter is issued by the Registrar. This warning is a mechanism used to let
    students know that they should seek out their advisors to develop strategies for
    improvement. If students fail to act upon this warning they may find themselves
    placed on academic probation.

    Academic Probation
    The Committee on Academic Standards will place students on academic
    probation whenever they have accumulated more than one-third of their total
    units below a C-, or the cumulative GPA falls below 2.00. Students may also be
    placed on academic probation if they are not making satisfactory academic
    progress toward the degree. Placing a student on academic probation is an indication
    that immediate action needs to be taken on the part of the student to
    improve academic performance. Students on academic probation are advised to
    meet with their academic advisor within the first two weeks of the subsequent
    quarter and perhaps weekly thereafter in order to develop strategies for
    success. It is the student’s responsibility to seek this assistance and ensure
    progress toward degree completion. In addition to meeting with their advisors,
    students are encouraged to seek assistance through our support services in the
    Academic Resource Center; subject tutoring through supplemental instruction
    and individual departments; career counseling and testing through the Career
    Development Center; and personal counseling through the Office of Student
    Development. Failure to meet these responsibilities may result in continued or
    final probation or dismissal from the College.

    Continued Academic Probation
    Placing students on “continued academic probation” indicates that adequate
    progress toward a degree continues to be in jeopardy. Unless improvement is
    made, students may be placed on final probation and subsequently may be
    subject to dismissal from the College. Students placed on continued academic
    probation are advised to meet with their advisors during the subsequent
    quarter. Failure to be removed from probation may result in final probation or
    dismissal from Kalamazoo College.

    Final Academic Probation—C Average
    Students placed on “final academic probation—C average” must be enrolled in
    and complete three letter-graded courses in the next quarter of residence and
    earn a minimum GPA of 2.0 for the quarter. Failure to meet this requirement
    will result in dismissal from the College.

    Final Academic Probation—Three Cs
    Students placed on “final academic probation—three Cs” must be enrolled in
    and complete three letter-graded courses in the next quarter of residence and
    earn a minimum grade of C- in each of the three courses for the quarter. Failure
    to meet this requirement will result in dismissal from Kalamazoo College.

    Veteran’s Administration
    The Veteran’s Administration (VA) requires that all recipients of veteran educational
    benefits maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 to remain
    eligible. A veteran who allows the cumulative GPA to fall below 2.0 will be
    placed on probation. A veteran will be allowed two quarters to bring the cumulative
    GPA to the level of 2.0. If the veteran fails to do so, the VA will be notified
    of unsatisfactory progress and enrollment will not be certified to the VA.
    Certification may resume once the cumulative GPA has reached 2.0. The
    Veteran’s Administration may rescind benefits if a veteran does not present a
    GPA of 2.0 at the time of graduation.


    Withdrawal from the College
    If a student chooses to withdraw from the College, we recommend the student
    start the withdrawal process with either the Registrar or Dean of Students. In
    either case, the student will be asked to complete a withdrawal application to
    collect pertinent information. The student will also receive useful information
    about separating from the College and will be advised to meet with a staff
    person from the Financial Aid Office if he/she received federal financial aid
    while enrolled at the College. See the College’s refund policy in the “Expenses”
    section of this catalog for complete details on refunds and return of financial
    aid funds. A grade of W will be issued for all registered course work.
    If a student fails to return to campus for a planned on-campus quarter, the
    College reserves the right to withdraw the student. Students who elect to take
    one or more quarters off (with the exception of approved career development,
    study abroad, or GLCA programs) will be withdrawn from the College.

    Readmission
    If a student withdraws or is withdrawn from the College, application for readmission
    will be required. Students must file an application with the Registrar.
    If a student withdrew from the College while on academic probation or
    was dismissed or withdrawn for academic reasons, the application will be
    forwarded to the Committee on Academic Standards for review. Students must
    indicate in writing how the problem that led to probation, withdrawal, or
    dismissal has been resolved or addressed. If the withdrawal or dismissal was
    for academic reasons, students must provide evidence of successful completion
    of academic work at another institution. For students withdrawn for disciplinary,
    financial, or health-related reasons, readmissions must be initiated in the
    Dean of Students Office.

    Students applying for readmission are encouraged to do so before their
    anticipated quarter of return in order to allow time for any registration,
    housing, or financial aid processes. Students who interrupt their course of
    study for more than two quarters will be required to follow the degree requirements
    as stated in the Academic Catalogue at the time of readmission.

    Honors
    Dean’s List
    Students who earn a GPA of 3.5 or better for a full-time credit load of three
    letter-graded units within a given quarter will be placed on the Dean’s List.
    Students will not be considered for the Dean’s List during a quarter in which an
    I, W, or CR/NC is received. Dean’s list honors are not recorded on the
    academic transcript.

    Commendation
    Students who earn a GPA of 4.0 for a full-time credit load of three letter-graded
    units within a given quarter will be sent a letter of commendation from the
    faculty. Students will not be considered for commendation during a quarter in
    which an I, W, or CR/NC is received. Faculty commendation honors are not
    recorded on the academic transcript.

    Honors and High Honors
    Honors and high honors are awarded each year for the previous year’s achievements.
    To be eligible for honors/high honors, students must have completed at
    least one full term (three letter-graded units on campus) during an academic
    year and may not have failed, withdrawn from, or had an IP (in progress) grade
    in any course during that year, either on or off campus. Honors = 3.50 to 3.74
    GPA; high honors = 3.75 and above. This recognition is posted on students’
    transcripts for each year of eligibility, and students are recognized at the fall
    Honors Day Convocation.

    Graduation Honors (Latin Honors)
    The Bachelor of Arts degree is awarded cum laude if students maintain a cumulative
    grade point average of 3.50 to 3.74; magna cum laude with an average of
    3.75 to 3.99; and summa cum laude with an average of 4.0. Transfer students
    must earn a minimum of 15 letter-graded academic units at Kalamazoo College
    to be considered for academic honors at the time of graduation. This honor is
    announced at Commencement and recorded on the academic transcript.

    Honors in the Major
    Honors in the major may be awarded at the discretion of departmental faculty
    at the time of graduation. Usually, departments consider the grade point
    average in the major, the results of the comprehensive examination, and the
    senior individualized project in recommending students for honors.
    Departments may set additional requirements. This honor is announced at
    Commencement and recorded on the academic transcript.

    Graduation
    Diploma Granting Dates
    Kalamazoo College grants degrees in June and December of each year.

    Commencement
    Commencement ceremonies are held each year in June. Members of the senior
    class are expected to attend both Baccalaureate and Commencement. Students
    who have earned 27 units (exclusive of LAC and PE) upon completion of work
    for the winter quarter, or 30 units (exclusive of LAC and PE) by the time of
    Commencement, are eligible to march in the commencement ceremony. An
    actual diploma, reflecting the appropriate June or December degree date, will
    be released once all graduation requirements have been met.