Academic Policies

Contents

Southeastern University is a Christ-centered institution of higher learning. The educational programs of Southeastern University are designed to foster successful academic achievement in order to equip students to discover and develop their divine design, to serve Christ and the world through Spirit-empowered life, learning, and leadership. We are committed to equipping the next generation of leaders so that they can go into the world as influential servants in their careers and their communities.

This catalog gives general information on the academic regulations and degree requirements. In upgrading all areas of the university, Southeastern University reserves the right to change the rules regulating admission, instruction, graduation and any other activity affecting the student body, including prospective students and currently enrolled students.

New Students

New students must complete the Admission process before they may register for classes. New students must submit:

A high school transcript with the graduation date listed by the beginning of the semester. Transfer students with at least 60 earned credits on a college or university transcript that are eligible for transfer will not need to submit the high school transcript.

Students eligible for an English Composition I course exemption due to ACT/SAT test scores must make up the waived credit in general elective.  An exemption or waiver does not grant academic credit.  An ACT score of 26 or higher in the English section or an SAT score of 700 or higher in the EBRW section is required for exemption.

Students who have completed the admission process will receive an instructional email from the Registrar’s office that includes information for new student registration. Students needing assistance may call or email the Registrar’s office (phone: 863-667-5015; email: registrar@seu.edu) or the student’s assigned Academic Advisor.

Orientation

Upon acceptance, new students should access the new student virtual orientation located on the SEU website.  Students will learn to navigate financial aid processes, how to access student support services, and how to register for the appropriate courses. The virtual orientation also directs students to our online bookstore, where they can purchase all required textbooks and course materials they need. This portal walks each student through all the necessary steps for a successful start.

The Academic Year

Main Campus Programs

Southeastern University operates its main campus-based programs on a fall and spring semester system with an optional summer semester.

The fall and spring semesters are normally 16 weeks in length. Class sessions during the regular semesters are scheduled so that they equate to 15 fifty-minute sessions per credit hour, although they may vary depending on the nature of the instruction and schedule. Hybrid classes, mixing online and individual study with face-to-face sessions, are also held, as well as some online delivery courses, structured for campus-based students.

The summer semester typically consists of study abroad and internship opportunities over a 16 week semester, and two eight week online course sessions.

Traditional main campus students are permitted to take up to two courses via online delivery in each fall and spring semester and up to four courses in the online delivery each summer semester. Courses will be billed according to the traditional student tuition rate in the fall and spring, but the reduced online per credit hour rate will be billed in the summer term.

SEU Network Programs

Southeastern University operates its online and partner site programs on a fall and spring semester system with an optional summer semester.

The fall, spring, and summer semesters are 16 weeks in length, comprised of two 8 week back to back sessions in each semester.

Class Attendance Policy

Students are both expected and encouraged to attend classes regularly. The lack of attendance may affect a student’s grade.

In online courses, attendance is collected in the first week when the student completes the SEU Student Acknowledgement. Failure to complete the acknowledgment will result in the student being dropped from the course. Ongoing participation in the online course is expected through class discussions, assignment submissions, synchronous sessions, and other integrated assessments. Please review the online course syllabus for details.

Students in face to face courses must complete the Student Acknowledgement in MyFire during week 1 of the course. Failure to complete the acknowledgment will result in the student being removed from the course. A student may miss a class without penalty equal to the number of times a class meets per week as follows:

• If the class meets once a week, a student may miss one class.

• If the class meets two times a week, a student may miss two classes.

• If the class meets three times a week, a student may miss three classes.

If a student’s absences exceed the number of times a class meets per week, a professor may:

• Subject the student to a penalty of not more than one letter grade based on attendance alone.

• Recommend to the Registrar that a student with excessive absences be withdrawn from the course.

Working within the framework of the above guidelines, faculty will clearly articulate their attendance policy in the course syllabus.

Prolonged and/or unusual absences not covered by the policy may be appealed to the Office of the Registrar by either the professor or the student. Appeals must be submitted in writing.

Syllabi

Please refer to our Academic Policies: Syllabi  page.

Classification of Students

A student is classified as a degree seeking or non-degree seeking student.

Undergraduate degree seeking students are classified by the number of earned semester hours of credit.

The qualifications for each class level are:

• Freshman 0 to 29 hours*

• Sophomore 30 to 59 hours*

• Junior 60 to 89 hours

• Senior 90+ hours

*The associate’s degree typically comprises the freshman and sophomore years and may transfer on a course-by-course basis toward a bachelor’s degree.  Students who earn an associate’s degree typically begin a bachelor’s degree as a junior.

Degree Seeking

Undergraduate degree seeking students apply through Admission as degree seeking and take classes that apply to an associate’s or bachelor’s degree with the intent of completing the degree program. A minimum of 25% of an undergraduate degree must be earned at Southeastern University in accordance with SACSCOC standards.

Non-Degree Seeking

A student who is not pursuing a degree program is considered non-degree seeking.  An admission application for non-degree seeking enrollment is required for admission.

• Certificate-Seeking - The student is taking courses that comprise a certificate, separate from or independent of an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program.

• Audit status - The student is enrolled in a course for which he or she will not earn credit. A grade and credit type of AU is posted to the transcript and is not transferable for credit to another institution.  Auditing a course does not result in or impact GPA.

• In-service Teacher status - The Polk County teacher-employee taking courses to meet requirements for certain state certifications.

• Special status - An individual taking any course for personal or professional reasons without the intent of acquiring a degree.

• Academy Program - Students taking annual courses to obtain certification, licensing, or ordination with the Assemblies of God.

• Transient status - The student is classified as a degree candidate from another institution who enrolls at SEU for the purpose of transferring credits back to the host school. A transient student must present an official statement attesting to good standing at his/her institution and approval of courses to be taken at Southeastern University, generally in the form of a transient letter.

• Dual-Enrolment status - The high school student taking courses to gain high school and college concurrent credit. Courses taken must be approved by the student’s high school guidance counselor.

Internships and Practicum

Experiential learning courses are designed primarily for degree-seeking students who work in partnership with advisors and faculty mentors on preparation and placement over multiple terms. As representatives of SEU to employers, community partners, and affiliates, placements in practicum and internships are prioritized for current degree-seeking students. On a limited basis and with the approval of the Director of Experiential Learning or applicable department chair, non-degree-seeking students may be considered on a case-by-case basis for practicum and experiential learning courses. 

Students Seeking a Certificate

Certificates are offered at the undergraduate division as standalone credentials, or, when available, integrated into a bachelor’s degree program. Students seeking a standalone certificate should apply through SEU Admission as a non-degree certificate-seeking student.  Financial aid is not available for standalone undergraduate certificate programs.

Certificates Integrated into Degree Program

Courses required for a certificate may double count toward a full degree program within the following parameters: if the certificate courses are embedded into the full degree course requirements, or, if the courses required for the certificate meet the required divine design elective credit hours toward the full degree program.  Students enrolled in a full degree program may not simultaneously complete a certificate that does not meet these parameters.  Students enrolled in both a certificate and full degree program will have both conferred at the same time even if the coursework for the certificate is completed prior to the full degree.  A graduation application* must be submitted by the deadline for timely conferral of the certificate and degree.

Standalone Certificates

Courses earned in a standalone certificate may, upon completion of the certificate, apply on a course-by-course basis toward a full degree program should the student choose to advance into a full degree program in the same division as the certificate.  Courses earned in a standalone certificate may also apply on a course-by-course basis toward another certificate, should course requirements overlap.  A graduation application* must be submitted by the deadline for the timely conferral of the certificate.  Currently, SEU does not offer financial aid, including Title IV funding, toward a standalone certificate program.  Any cost incurred as a result of taking courses for a standalone certificate must be paid in full or may be paid via an approved SEU payment plan.  

*A graduation application fee is generated at the time of processing and payment is required prior to the release of the certificate, diploma, and official transcript.

Students Seeking a Second Bachelor’s Degree

Graduates holding a baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution that meets SEU’s transfer eligibility requirements can apply for admission to pursue a second bachelor’s degree at SEU. They must meet the regular admission requirements of the major, as applicable. These students, as well as students who earned the first bachelor’s degree from Southeastern University, are considered to have completed SEU’s Foundational Core requirements.

Students with degrees from institutions that do not meet SEU’s transfer eligibility requirements or from foreign institutions may need to fulfill all or part of SEU’s Foundational Core requirements as detailed in the SEU Undergraduate Catalog.

The university’s minimum requirements for a second degree are 150 total credit hours (including the first bachelor’s degree), including at least 30 credit hours (or 25% of the total degree program) in residence at SEU. This 25% must be earned through standard instruction and cannot be obtained through prior learning or test credit.

Departments and colleges may have additional requirements. Students transferring a first bachelor’s degree are evaluated on a course-by-course basis according to SEU’s credit transfer policies. Students must complete any remaining degree program requirements not met by transfer or other acceptable credit-granting methods. 

Students seeking a second bachelor’s degree are generally admitted at the senior level if their transferred credit was earned from a U.S. regionally accredited institution. All students should consult with Student Financial Services to learn about financial aid options for earning a second degree.

Course Schedules 

The class schedule is developed with the degree-seeking student in mind. Certain courses are offered every semester, others during alternate semesters, or as needed. The university reserves the right to regulate the number of students in a class and to cancel any class with insufficient enrollment to justify its continuance.

Students may use the add/drop period to adjust their schedules due to canceled classes without incurring fees. Students are responsible for checking their course schedules during the add/drop period for class cancellations and additions, room relocations, class enrollment fluctuations, and assigned faculty changes.

Students are expected to note prerequisites or other special requirements when registering for specific courses. Students are not permitted to register for courses without completing prerequisites unless special permission is obtained from the chair of the department or the Dean of the college which offers the course.

The four digit numbering of courses represents the level of enrollment: freshman-1000; sophomore - 2000; junior - 3000; senior - 4000. The credit value of a course is listed with the description of the course in this catalog and appears in the Student Information System under the course offerings each term.

Appeals concerning enrollment and registration may be submitted to the Registrar.

Registration

Degree seeking students who have completed all admission requirements register for classes in MyPortal (JICS) according to advisor recommendations and the degree program 2 or 4 Year plan. Registration instructions and assistance are available through the Office of Academic Advising or the Office of the Registrar. Technical issues with MyPortal should be reported to helpdesk@seu.edu. 

Registration for returning or continuing students:

• Is preceded by the open advising period. Students are encouraged to discuss their academic plans with advisors. Although advisors are available to guide students in course selection and degree fulfillment, the student is ultimately responsible for his or her own educational choices, by following the two or four year plans and degree program schedules.

• Is scheduled based on class level for Lakeland campus undergraduate students. Seniors, athletes, ADA, ROTC, and honors students will have first registration preference. Registration is then opened to juniors, sophomores, freshmen and all others. 

• Is not based on class level for online or site based undergraduate students. All returning students who are cleared for registration can register as early as the first-day registration opens.

Registration for Incoming Students

• Incoming Lakeland campus undergraduate students can register for classes after all returning student registration has opened.  

• Incoming online or site based undergraduate students can register for classes as early as the first day that registration opens for the semester, as long as all admission requirements have been met.

• Students requiring testing for placement, vocal or instrumental auditions, faculty advising or department chair /advisor approval will be assisted with registration during an Orientation when faculty members are on campus.

All students are expected to complete registration prior to the first day of class. However, schedule adjustments are permitted during the add/drop period without penalty. Each term’s add/drop deadline is posted in the Academic Calendar. Late registration after that deadline is permitted only by the permission of the Registrar and requires a written appeal.

Add/Drop Policy

The add/drop period is designated as the first week of each term. Add/drop deadlines for all courses are one week after the start of the term, as designated in the Academic Calendar. Students may add, drop, or change their class schedule during this period. Students should see an academic advisor prior to making a scheduling change; however, the student is ultimately responsible for his or her educational choices and following the course plan for his or her degree.

Students are required to complete the SEU Student Acknowledgement in MyFire for every course enrolled by the add/drop deadline. Students who do not complete the SEU Student Acknowledgement may be removed from the course.  This does not absolve the student of the responsibility to drop from the class. The student will be charged for every class on their schedule after the add/drop deadline closes.

The web registration permissions will be inactivated at 11:59 p.m. EST on the last day of the add/drop period. Failure to attend class or drop the course via your online account access is not proper procedure and may result in the recording of “F” grades. Technical difficulties on the final day of the drop/add period do not absolve the student from responsibility. Contact the Office of the Registrar for assistance.

Dropped course(s) will not appear on any permanent academic record, and no tuition or fees are charged for dropped courses. 

Financial Aid is based on the total number of hours a student is enrolled in on the last day of the add/drop period. Schedule adjustments are not permitted after the add/drop deadline for this reason. Registration errors may be appealed by contacting the Office of the Registrar during that same semester.

Course Registration Appeals

Course drops after a semester add/drop deadline are not allowed without a written appeal from the student to the Registrar. The appeal must contain reasons that justify such an exception to the deadline. The outcome of a student appeal request will be based on the student’s financial aid awarded, the point in time during the semester, and other contributing factors. A class that has been attempted cannot be dropped without an approved written appeal.

Course Load

The normal academic load is 15 hours per semester. This enables the student to complete associate degree requirements in approximately two years and bachelor’s degree requirements in approximately four years. The minimum course load for full-time classification is 12 hours per semester.  A student may register for up to 17 hours per semester. Students may register for more than 17 credit hours in a semester within the following parameters:

Incoming freshmen with 0 credits earned may take up to 17 credits maximum

Returning students with a cumulative GPA of less than 2.5 are permitted to take 17 credits maximum (May not submit overload request)

Returning students with a cumulative GPA between 2.5 and 3.0 may be permitted to take up to 19 credit hours, but must sign the Petition for Overload Contract.

Returning students with a cumulative GPA between 3.0 and 3.49 are permitted to take up to 19 credit hours without signing the Petition for Overload Contract. Students must sign Petition for Overload Contract to take 20-21 hours.

Returning students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher may take up to 21 hours without signing the Petition for Overload Contract.

Main Campus Undergraduate Tuition

Main (Lakeland) campus students are billed for hours fewer than 12 and more than 17 at the regular (traditional student) credit hour tuition rate during the fall and spring semesters. Traditional students can take up to two online courses in a normal semester as part of their total 12 – 17 hours. 

All courses will be billed according to the traditional student tuition rate or tuition package pricing for main campus traditional students in the fall and spring semesters.  Traditional students are billed according to the reduced online tuition rate in the summer semester.

Online and Partner Site Undergraduate Tuition

The student will be billed at the regular (online or partner site) credit hour tuition rate.   Partner Site students will be billed a site fee per semester in addition to tuition.  

Certain majors may have different tuition rates.  The SEU website offers information on current tuition rates.

Any additional student fees applied can be viewed on the student’s bill in the MyPortal JICS Student Information System.

Semester Continuance Policy

Semester Continuance:  Medical

A student may occasionally have an issue or life event that prohibits him/her from finishing a semester successfully within the 15 week or 8 week term. This Semester Continuance Policy is designed to assist a student in completing a semester of courses successfully by extending the deadline for a specified time in order to complete required coursework. Reasons can be varied and unexpected. Various triggers for continuation may be identified as medical, such as an accident resulting in an injury or hospitalization due to an unexpected illness, or emotional and psychological issues due to a personal trauma or criminal attack. A requested semester continuation for any of the above listed reasons will be coordinated by the Director of Academic and Auxiliary Services.

To be granted a semester continuance, a student must have successfully completed 60% of the course or courses, which is 9 weeks of a 15 week term or 5 weeks of an 8 week term, with satisfactory progress in each course under consideration for an extension of the coursework deadline.

Requests for a semester continuance are submitted to the Director of Academic and Auxiliary Services. Submission of medical or other appropriate documentation will be required. If the student has not yet completed 60% of the course and course work, it will be recommended that the student withdraw from the course. Depending on the situation and the amount of time that has been spent in the course or courses, a written appeal to drop the course or courses and financial charges or reparations of charges will be considered. The written appeal must be from the student rather than the parent if the student is able to write an appeal. The appeal will be reviewed by the Registrar. Southeastern University is not obligated to drop charges for any course that has been attempted past the drop/add deadline.  

Professors of each course under consideration for an extension of the deadline will be consulted. The extension will be determined and documented in writing with a definite list of expectations and the new deadline for all assignments to be submitted. Failure to finish the coursework by the new deadline will result in the grade earned by the student.  Again, if satisfactory progress has not been made in a course at the point of the need for continuance, the professor and the Director of Academic and Auxiliary Services will recommend the student withdraw from the course. A grade of W will be posted, which does not impact the GPA. The student may appeal to have a late withdrawal granted after the 60% mark has passed. Arrangements and notifications to Housing, Financial Aid, and other pertinent departments of the university must be made by the student.

Communication with parents or family members may take place as needed while guarding specific student academic records based on the FERPA authorization that the student has made or has not made. Protected information may include the courses in which the student is enrolled

Semester Continuance: Non-Medical

The coursework to be completed by the student will be determined by each professor based on the number of weeks that have passed and the progress made so far in each course. In order to be granted a semester continuance, a student must have successfully completed 60% of the course or courses, which is 9 weeks of a 15 week term or 5 weeks of an 8 week term, with satisfactory progress in each course under consideration for an extension of the coursework deadline.  Every consideration should be given in order to assist the student to finish the course successfully within the guidelines described in the policy. The requirements for completion of the course will not be reduced or waived.

Once the Dean of Student Success has determined a course of action based on the feedback from professors or the Registrar, Semester Continuance forms will be signed by the student. Professors will be notified that the semester has been extended for the student with a definitive deadline for all work to be submitted.

The following points should be understood and communicated to the student:

• A shorter extension will result in better outcomes. Financial aid for future semesters is impacted by having Incompletes in courses when a new semester begins. If the work can be completed within 30 days, agree to that time frame; however, the student may be given up to one full semester to complete all course work.

• The student must be advised that if the deadline is not met for all course work, the grade earned will be issued. The grade for non-completion will be F.

• Professors may not be accessible in the summer, since it is not a recognized semester. Agreement should be made in advance as to when the professor will be available.

The Dean of Student Success will set a reminder to follow-up on the student’s progress in courses by contacting the student and the professors, as needed. Follow-up attempts and outcomes will be documented in the student’s record.

Bereavement and Grief

In communication with your professor, there is grace provided for one week of class absence to allow for funeral attendance in the event of a death in the immediate family. “Immediate family” includes a student’s spouse, parents, children, grandchildren, step-children, sister, sister-in-law, half-sister, step-sister, brother, brother-in-law, half-brother, step-brother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandparents of the student or spouse, uncles of student or spouse, aunts of student or spouse, or any other close relative who was currently residing within the student’s household to include both biological, foster and adoptive members. 

If further support is needed beyond a week of grace, such as additional time away, grief support, or counseling referrals, students are encouraged to reach out or be referred to Student Outreach and Support for case management services. 

Directed Study

Directed Study is a regular course taken by special arrangement under the supervision of an instructor. A student enrolled as a degree-seeking candidate may apply for Directed Study. Directed Study (DR) Forms are available from the Office of the Registrar. Prior to registration, the Academic Advisor, supervising instructor, Department Chair, Academic Dean, and Provost must approve the directed study.

The following apply to Directed Study registration:

1. Registration for Directed Study must be completed during the regular registration period as stated in the academic calendar.

2. Directed Study courses must be completed within the term of enrollment. Extensions must be requested and approved in the same manner established for standard courses (see university policy on incompletes).

3. The regular grading scale applies to courses completed by Directed Study.

4. The following additional conditions must be met for Directed Study request:

   1. The course is required to complete the degree program, and no course substitution is available.

   2. The student has an unavoidable scheduling conflict with another course.

   3. The course cannot be taken in a later semester.

5. Directed Study is restricted by faculty availability.

6. Directed Study may be utilized to pursue an area of study that can be individually designed by the professor in collaboration with the student.

7. The professor and the student should not proceed with the course of study until the registration is approved, entered, and reflected on the student’s official course schedule.

Grades and Quality Points

The following scale of letter grades is used in recording a student’s academic progress:

GPA Calculation

Quality points are the numerical equivalent of the letter grades and are assigned for each credit hour earned as indicated by the above scale. For example, a three credit hour course with an earned A grade equals 12 quality points.

In determining a grade point average (GPA):

Total number of quality points earned divided by total number of semester hours attempted for which quality point values are assigned = GPA.

Grades for all attempted courses will remain on the student’s permanent record. If a course is repeated, the highest of the grades will be computed in the student’s grade point average (GPA) with the lower grade forgiven from the GPA, but all attempts will remain documented on the student’s transcript. Students who wish to appeal a grade must do so within the immediate succeeding semester. Otherwise, the recorded grade is permanent and can be changed only by repeating the course. No grades, GPA, or test scores may be changed or added after the degree and diploma are awarded.

Incomplete Grades

An “I” grade indicates incomplete course work and may be recorded when a student is passing but cannot complete the course due to illness or a serious personal emergency. In order to be granted an incomplete grade, a student must have successfully completed 60% of the course, which is 9 weeks of a 15 week term or 5 weeks of an 8 week term, with satisfactory progress.  The student is required to initiate consultation with the professor and the Department Chair or Dean of the college by filing a written request for an “I” grade. Supporting documentation must accompany the written request which must be submitted to both the Professor and the Department Chair or Dean of the college. An “I” may be recorded for a maximum of one semester and is not computed in the student’s GPA. If an “I” is not changed by the end of the immediately succeeding semester, the grade automatically converts to an “F” and is recorded on the student’s permanent record. An “F” grade is computed in the GPA. Once an incomplete grade is awarded, course withdrawal is no longer an option.  Students with an incomplete in a previous semester may not register for more than 17 hours including the current semester and the previous incomplete hours. Students should be aware that an incomplete course may hinder the award of financial aid in a subsequent semester.

Grade Forgiveness Policy

In order to improve their knowledge of a subject and cumulative grade point average, students may elect to repeat a course in which they have earned a less than satisfactory grade, especially a “D” or an “F.” The higher grade will be the grade that contributes toward the cumulative grade point average, however all attempts will be posted on the student transcript. Students may only attempt a failed course up to three (3) times total.  Should the student not pass the course with three attempts, the student must complete the course via transient, or petition the Chair or Dean for a course substitution.  In situations where the course needed to be repeated is no longer available or offered, a similar course may be substituted with the approval of the Dean of the college and the Registrar. A major core course in which a grade of “F” was earned at Southeastern can be repeated only at Southeastern, unless dean or department chair approval has been granted to take it elsewhere as transient.  The failed course will remain on the student’s transcript, even after the course has been repeated.

Generative Assistance AI Use Policy
Using Generative AI in Coursework
Generative AI Assistance (GAIA) Policy

Intent
Students should learn how to use AI text generators and other AI-based assistive resources (collectively, AI tools) to enhance rather than damage their developing abilities as writers, coders, communicators, and thinkers. Instructors should ensure fair grading for both those who do and do not use AI tools. The GAIA policy stresses transparency, fairness, and honoring relevant stakeholders. In accordance with Turnitin, we recognize that the “AI writing detection model may not always be accurate (it may misidentify both human and AI-generated text) so it should not be used as the sole basis for adverse actions against a student,” https://help.turnitin.com/ai-writing-detection.htm. To that end, the GAIA policy adopts a few commonsense limitations on an otherwise embracing approach to AI tools.

Students shall
1. Confirm with their professor that using ChatGPT or other content produced by generative artificial intelligence (AI) is acceptable before citing it.https://libguides.slcc.edu/ChatGPT/Citations 
2. Give credit to AI tools whenever used, even if only to generate ideas rather than usable text or illustrations.
3. When using AI tools on assignments use the AI Support Report   template to report the following:
        a. Save a transcript of your chat. Make it available to or retrievable by your reader, possibly by including it as an appendix to your work or as an online supplement.
        b. Describe the prompt that generated the specific ChatGPT response.
        c. Include the date when the response was generated or the date of access. This is important as these tools will be updated regularly.
        d. Acknowledge how you used the tool. You can do this even if you only use ChatGPT to plan your paper or generate ideas and don’t include any of its generated content. https://libguides.slcc.edu/ChatGPT/Citations 

4. Not use AI tools during in-class examinations, or assignments, unless explicitly permitted and instructed.
5. Use AI tools wisely and intelligently, aiming to deepen understanding of the subject matter and support learning.

Instructors shall
1. Seek to understand how AI tools work, including their strengths and weaknesses, to optimize their value for student learning.

2. Understand AI detection tools as a basis for discussion with the student rather than a definitive finding.
3. Impose a significant penalty for low-energy or unreflective reuse of material generated by AI tools and assign zero points for merely reproducing the output from AI tools.
4. Submit an Academic Integrity Alert after instructors have communicated with the student and determined that AI tools were not used properly. 

This policy recognizes that.
1. This policy depends on goodwill, a sense of fairness, and honorable character.
2. There may be some courses or assignments where AI tools must be strictly prohibited, either at the direction of disciplinary accreditors or in preparation for certain certification exams. In those instances, professors may restrict the use of AI and communicate such restrictions clearly on the course syllabus. 
3. This policy takes account of the existence of subscription versions of AI tools, which are not affordable for some students; the policy may need to be revised as the differences between subscription and free versions become better understood.
4. This policy may be revised in light of other policies and novel technological developments in AI tools.

How to Cite AI Tools (Examples)
1. MLA Citations: https://style.mla.org/citing-generative-ai/ 
2. APA Citations: https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt

Generative AI Example   

AI Support Report  

Academic Integrity

Southeastern University seeks to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity in students.  The University expects students at SEU to embody the same spirit of commitment to high ethical standards and academic integrity in all aspects of their participation in the program.

Therefore, any work submitted by a student must represent original work produced by that student.  Any source used by a student must be documented using appropriate scholarly references and citations. The university commonly uses MLA, APA, AMA, and Turabian citation and writing styles. Students may find additional information about these general styles by clicking on the following link: Steelman Library Citation Education and Resources

“Academic dishonesty” (regardless of intention) refers to plagiarism, cheating, and fabrication (see definitions below). Should a professor suspect academic dishonesty of any kind, the professor will follow the guidelines below and will refer the student to the Academic Center for Enrichment (ACE) by submitting an Early Alert (the Early Alert link is available through JICS). The intervention will be noted in the student’s file. University personnel will follow up assuring that all consequences dictated by the professor and university policy have been completed.  To effectively counter academic dishonesty, professors must follow these guidelines in all instances of plagiarism and cheating. The processes stated in the Student Appeal and Complaint Policy are to be utilized should a student seek an appeal of any decision rendered under the Academic Integrity policy.

University Expectations

The university maintains a high expectation of student character and ethical conduct. The university expects students to apply critical thinking to ethical standards and to appropriately use summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting, and citation of all sources according to the writing style required by the professor. 

The university commonly uses MLA, APA, AMA, and Turabian citation and writing styles. Students may find additional information about these general styles by clicking on the following link: Steelman Library Citation Education and Resources

This policy applies to all coursework, assessments, and comprehensive exams.

Early Alert Program Appeal Process

When there is an instance of academic dishonesty, students will be referred to the Academic Center for Enrichment for plagiarism avoidance counseling, and the student will be required to complete the Academic Integrity course in My Fire (if the plagiarism was a level 2 or higher).  In the event a student desires to be removed from the course, or to appeal the outcome of the course, the following must be completed:

1. The student must write a letter of appeal to the Academic Intervention Committee stating reasons as to why they want to be removed from the Academic Integrity course and/or not incur a Z grade on their transcript.  Students will deliver or e-mail the letter of appeal to the program coordinator.
2. The appeal will be reviewed by the Academic Intervention Committee.
3. The student will be notified with the committee’s decision. All decisions of the committee are final.

Undergraduate - Academic Dishonesty Reporting & Procedure

In each instance of academic dishonesty, the professor will (a) contact the Academic Center for Enrichment to determine the level of the offense and the appropriate consequences according to the guidelines listed below; (b) communicate with the student to discuss the nature of his or her academic dishonesty, the academic integrity policy, and the consequences to be assigned; and (c) submit an academic dishonesty report to the Academic Center for Enrichment and, as appropriate, to the department chair or program director.

The academic dishonesty report should include: 

• Name and ID number of the student

• Professor, course, and term

• Description of the academic dishonesty (plagiarism or cheating), indicating the level of offense (See Academic Levels and Outcomes Chart)

• Documentation of each step of the academic integrity procedure that has been followed

• Copy of the TurnItIn plagiarism report, if applicable

• A copy of the plagiarized work, if applicable

• Any other supporting documentation

• An indication of the consequences already assigned (See Academic Levels and Outcomes Chart for outcomes that may be determined by the professor).

Outcomes

When an allegation of academic dishonesty has been made, the university and students will follow the process listed below to resolve the case:

1.        Professors (mandatory case reporters) will submit the case to the academic integrity program facilitated by the Academic Center for Enrichment and, as applicable,  to the department chair or program director.

2.        The Academic Success Coordinator will contact the student to schedule a hearing to research the case. If the hearing aligns with the professor’s report, the case will progress according to the outcomes assigned to the level of the case. 

3.        Students may appeal the findings or outcomes of a case by submitting an appeal to the Academic Integrity Committee. All decisions of the Academic Integrity Committee are final.

o The processes stated in the Student Appeal and Complaint Policy are to be utilized should a student seek an appeal of any decision rendered under the Academic Integrity policy. 

If an allegation of Academic Dishonesty has been confirmed by the university, students must comply with the following policies:

• Complete an assigned Academic Integrity course (if not taken previously). 

  • The student must successfully complete the course prior to registering for additional courses or continuing the dissertation/capstone process. 

  • The Z grade annotation may be placed on the student’s transcript if the Academic Integrity Course is not completed successfully.

• Students may not withdraw from a course in order to avoid consequences for academic dishonesty. 

• Complete any plagiarism and ethics education/tutoring assigned by the university. 

• Complete all requirements prescribed by the university according to level assigned to the individual case.

  • A case may be escalated to a Level 3 at any time if the student becomes defensive or belligerent when any level of academic dishonesty is addressed.

Please refer to the Academic Levels and Outcomes Chart for additional details.

Undergraduate - LEVEL 1

Level I is only used for undergraduate students. Academic Dishonesty for undergraduate students will be considered a Level 1 offense when it is the first instance of plagiarism in a student’s career at Southeastern 

Outcomes for a Level 1 plagiarism offense must include one or more of the following:

• Completing an Academic Integrity (AI) course that includes strategies for avoiding plagiarism and cheating.

  •  Failure to complete the course with a minimum of 70%,  may result in a “Z” annotation on the student’s transcript. 

  • The course must be completed prior to registration for additional courses.

• Complete any plagiarism education or tutoring assigned by the university. 

Additional outcomes may include one or more of the following

• Correcting the plagiarism in the assignment for a grade.

• Receiving a grade penalty up to the total grade value of the assignment.

Undergraduate - LEVEL 2

Academic Dishonesty will be considered a Level 2 offense when it is:

• The second instance of plagiarism in an undergraduate student’s career at Southeastern; OR

• The first instance of cheating.

 Consequences for the student for a Level 2 offense must include:

• Completing an Academic Integrity (AI) course that includes strategies for avoiding plagiarism and cheating (required if not already taken); AND

• Receiving a grade penalty in the course; AND

• Receiving a Z grade annotation (may only be removed by successful completion of the AI course with a minimum of 70% ).

Additionally, the consequences may include any or all of the following:

• Correcting the plagiarism in the assignment for a grade

• Failing the course

• In the first instance of cheating, at the discretion of the professor of the course in which cheating occurred, the student may be required to retake the academic course the next time it is offered to replace the course grade.

• Students may lose eligibility to take online courses for the remainder of their careers at Southeastern.

Undergraduate - LEVEL 3 

Academic Dishonesty will be considered a Level 3 offense when it is:

• The third (or higher) instance of plagiarism in an undergraduate student’s career at Southeastern

• Is the second instance of cheating.

Consequences for Level 3 offenses must include the following:

• Receiving a grade penalty in the course; AND

• Completing an AI course that includes strategies for avoiding plagiarism and cheating (required if not taken previously); AND

• Receiving a Z grade annotation (required, see below);

Additionally, consequences may include any or all of the following:

• Failing the course; AND OR

• Losing eligibility to take online courses for the remainder of their careers at Southeastern; AND OR

• Expulsion from the University at the discretion of the Provost.

Definitions

For the purpose of this policy, 

• “professor” is defined as any person providing academic support or assessment of a student’s work.  These persons include course instructors, mentors, writing support professors, and members of the dissertation/capstone committee (chair, methodologist, content specialist, and third reader), and

• “submission” is defined as all coursework, comprehensive exams, as well as drafts and final versions of the dissertation/capstone projects and/or sections of the dissertation/capstone project submitted to professors and to graduate writing support.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when a writer (regardless of intent) uses someone else’s language, ideas, or other original material without acknowledg­ing its source.

Plagiarism includes unattributed use of any source, in any medium, published or unpublished.  Work already submitted for a grade in another course may not be resubmitted unless the professor specifically states otherwise.

 Some examples of plagiarism include but not limited to:

• Quoting or paraphrasing material without attributing it to its source

• Copying segments from the work of others without giving proper credit

• Submitting as original work written entirely by someone else

The policy also applies to incidents of self-plagiarism, resubmission, or multiple submissions (the use of a single project in two or more academic settings either at Southeastern University or another academic institution). Work submitted in another course may not be resubmitted unless both professors specifically state otherwise.

Some examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:

• Quoting or paraphrasing material without attributing it to its source

• Copying segments from the work of others without giving proper credit

• Submitting work written by someone else

• Allowing another student to submit their work to use as his or her own when that individual had not done the work

Widely known facts do not require citation and do not count as plagiarism as long as they are communicated in the writer’s own words. Ideas and observations original to the writer also do not require citation.

Avoiding Plagiarism

Professors at Southeastern University work diligently to help students understand and avoid plagiarism. However, the responsibility ultimately rests on students to make sure their work does not contain plagiarism. Students can avoid plagiarism by properly citing and quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing all material they use from sources.

Common forms of citation include parenthetical citations, footnotes/endnotes, and attributive statements such as “According to Smith and Rodriguez…” 

Quotations include entire sentence(s), key phrase(s), or specific term(s) that match a source word for word.  All quotations must be cited using the appropriate quotation format.  

Paraphrases and summaries include material (usually information or ideas) taken from a source and put into a writer’s own words.  All paraphrased and summarized materials must completely rephrase the original source and be properly cited. 

The bottom line in avoiding plagiarism is that students must clearly indicate the material in their writing is original to them and the material taken from sources.

Cheating

Cheating is attempting to present (regardless of intent), as one’s own, work that one has not performed, or using improper means to pass an examination. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• The sharing of unauthorized information regarding specific content of assignment/examinations or using books, notes or other material without the instructor’s permission.

• The discussion of any aspect of the assignment/examination before all students have completed it.

• Speaking or otherwise communicating with one another in English or any other language or manner during an examination.

• Submitting work the student has not personally completed.

• Submitting of the same paper or assignment, or material portions thereof, for more than one course (except by both instructors’ approval and in accordance with criteria established by each of them).

• Falsifying of research data.

• Preventing student or faculty access to course material. This includes mutilating or stealing materials provided by the university for the examination, and/or disabling and interfering with required equipment (i.g. computer equipment or databases).

• Using electronic devices such as cell phones or calculators to store/share information or materials that are not authorized by the instructor.

Fabrication

Fabrication is (regardless of intent) falsification or creation of false data or information.  If fabrication is discovered, the case level may be escalated at any time. 

Other violations may include:

• Failing to follow any other explicit regulation or expectation announced by the instructor, and/or circulated to each student.  This includes failure to use surveillance equipment or software as required by the professor. It is the responsibility of the student to confer with an instructor when procedures are unclear.

• Falsifying a signature on any official university document.

• Altering any official university document.

• Intentionally helping or attempting to help another student to violate any provision of this policy.

Undergraduate Z Grade Annotation

When a professor, Academic Integrity Committee, or Academic Deans conclude that academic dishonesty has occurred (plagiarism or some other form of cheating), the following will occur:

• A report will be submitted to the Academic Integrity office for processing.

• The student will be informed of the report and the university policies that apply to the report.

• The student may submit an appeal to the Academic Integrity Committee (See Student Appeal and Complaint Policy for the complete process)

• When submitting final grades, the intervention coordinator will inform the Registrar’s Office, which will affix a “Z” in front of the grade. 

• The intervention coordinator will also inform the faculty and appropriate college personal involved in this process.

• The student’s course grade will be preceded by the letter Z (ZB, ZC, ZD, ZF, with +/- designations as appropriate). 

• The transcript key will indicate that the Z grade annotation is assigned in cases of cheating. 

• If the student has withdrawn from the class in which the cheating occurred, he or she should be added back to the roster and assigned a Z grade annotation. 

After the first cheating offense in the student’s SEU career:

• The student may complete a required AI course, normally prior to the start of the next eight-week term. 

• At the discretion of the professor of the course in which cheating occurred, the student may be required to retake the academic course the next time it is offered to replace the course grade.

•  Upon receiving documentation of successful completion, with a minimum score of 70%, on the AI course and, if required, the retaken academic course, the intervention coordinator will instruct the Registrar to remove the Z from the student’s transcript. After a second or subsequent cheating offenses, the Z grade annotation cannot be removed. This penalty may be requested at the professor, coordinator, chair, Academic Dean, or Academic Integrity Committee level. All requests will be processed by the Academic Integrity Office according to university policies.   The processes stated in the Student Appeal and Complaint Policy are to be utilized should a student seek an appeal of any decision rendered under the Academic Integrity policy.

Summary of Civil and Criminal Penalties for Violation of Federal Copyright Laws 

Copyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal authority, one or more of the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner under section 106 of the Copyright Act (Title 17 of the United States Code). These rights include the right to reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work. In the file-sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement. 

Penalties for copyright infringement include civil and criminal penalties. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or “statutory” damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For “willful” infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorneys’ fees. For details, see Title 17, United States Code, Sections 504 and 505. 

Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense. 

Violation of Federal Copyright Laws 

“102. Subject matter of copyright: In general

(a) Copyright protection subsists, in accordance with this title, in original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.” (https://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html).

“506. Criminal offenses

(a) Criminal Infringement.—

(1) In general.—Any person who willfully infringes a copyright shall be punished as provided under section 2319 of title 18…” (https://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap5.html).

For detailed information, please see the website of the U.S. Copyright Office at www.copyright.gov.

Transcripts

The official academic record for each student is maintained in the Office of the Registrar. Authorization from the student must be received before an official transcript can be released as is required by law. Students should request a transcript through the  SEU website, which leads to the transcript ordering service through Parchment. Transcripts are normally processed within the same day upon receipt of the request as long as all requested information is provided.  The cost is $12 per copy.

To order a transcript from Southeastern University’s site:

• Go to www.seu.edu

• Click the “Transcripts/Verifications” link under “Resources”  at the bottom of the homepage

• The Office of the Registrar page will open

• Click on “Transcripts & Replacement Diploma Request”

• Follow the instructions to place your order

  • Create an account by providing the following:

    • First & Last name

    • Date of birth

    • Years of attendance

    • Student ID number or SSN

  • Be sure to keep your order number for reference.

  • Check your email for updates on your transcript or diploma request.

  • Select the best option for when the transcript should be sent

    • Send Now

    • Hold Until Final Grades Are Posted

    • Hold for Degree (if waiting on degree conferral to be posted to the transcript)

Withdrawals

Withdrawal from a Course

Students may withdraw from a course without academic penalty through the withdrawal deadline, which is notated on the academic calendar and occurs at the 60% point of the course. The official course withdrawal date will be the date the Course Withdrawal form is filed with the Office of the Registrar. A grade of “W” will be recorded on the student’s record. Complete withdrawal from the university is not part of this policy. Forms for course withdrawal are available in the Office of the Registrar and on the Southeastern University website. There is no refund for a course withdrawal. Too many “W” grades will hinder academic progress and financial aid coverage. Withdrawn courses are not covered by Veteran’s benefits.

Administrative Withdrawal from a Course

Professors may request an administrative withdrawal in which a “WF” grade will be recorded for students who are not actively participating or attending courses.  The WF grade may be requested after the add/drop deadline and prior to the course withdrawal deadline, and does not impact the student’s GPA.  Students who attend and participate after the course withdrawal deadline are not eligible for an administrative withdrawal.  Too many “W” type grades will hinder academic progress and financial aid coverage. Withdrawn courses are not covered by Veteran’s benefits.

Withdrawal from the University

A University Withdrawal occurs when a student officially communicates with the Office of Student Success and Retention that he/she wishes to withdraw from all courses and exit the institution. University Withdrawals happen after the add/drop period through the withdrawal period (60% mark of the term/semester). Upon completion of the University Withdrawal process, a grade of “WD” will be recorded for each current course as a final grade. The “WD” has no impact on a student’s cumulative or term GPA.

Withdrawing from the University may impact financial aid and could result in a balance owed, as students will remain financially responsible for all tuition and fees incurred. Any refunds for which the student is eligible will be processed in accordance with the refund policy described in the Financial Information section of the catalog. 

The Office of Student Success and Retention will guide students throughout the process to ensure informed decision-making.  Students who wish to pursue a University Withdrawal will initiate the process by contacting the Office of Student Success and Retention by emailing retention@seu.edu for assistance. Communication will be directed to the student’s official @seu.edu email account. It will be the student’s responsibility to check this account for information and/or documentation regarding the University Withdrawal process.

Students seeking to exit the University between semesters/terms will initiate the process by contacting the Office of Student Success and Retention by emailing retention@seu.edu for assistance.

Military Leave of Absence Policy

Southeastern University recognizes that students who serve in the U.S. armed forces may encounter situations in which military obligations require them to withdraw from a course of study, often with little notice. This policy applies to all branches of military service and is intended to recognize and make
appropriate allowances for students who find themselves in such situations. Specific inquiries regarding the Military Leave of Absence process should be directed to the Office of Retention and students should reach out to Student Financial Services for questions about the impact to their student account.

Military Leave and Refund Procedures

A. Definition
For purposes of this policy, a “military service leave” is a university-approved withdrawal from all in-progress University classes that is necessitated by a call to service, whether voluntary or involuntary, in the United States Armed Forces. This includes service by a member of the National Guard or Reserve, active duty, active duty for training, or full-time National Guard duty under Federal authority, for a period of more than 30 consecutive days under a call or order to active duty of more than 30 consecutive days.

B. Student Responsibilities
A student who is called to active duty or active service in a branch of the United States Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force, National Guard, or Reserve) and wishes to take a military service leave must: Provide the University with advanced notice of such service and the intention to take a leave of absence. As soon as possible, after receiving military orders that require withdrawal from a program or course of study, a student must contact the Retention Office to request a formal leave of absence and attach a copy of the military orders or other appropriate documentation to the request. This notice can be made by the student or may be made by an appropriate officer of the U.S. Armed Forces or an official of the U.S. Department of Defense to the University Registrar. It is optional to include a statement of an intention to return to the University. If military necessity renders it impossible to provide advance notice to the advisor, the student may initiate a military service leave by providing notice at the first reasonable opportunity, in writing, personally signed, and with a copy of the military orders attached.

C. University Procedures
Upon receiving notice of a student’s request to withdraw from the University or a program or drop all enrolled courses because of military obligations, the Retention office shall work with the student, providing them with a military leave of absence checklist and university withdrawal form. Once complete, this office will notify the appropriate offices such as Student Financial Services, Accounts Receivable as well as the School Certifying Official. The office of Student Financial Services will review the student’s eligibility for financial aid funds received before the time of withdrawal and inform the student about the status of his or her financial aid and actions required to defer loan repayments based on military obligations. Students granted a military service leave will receive a 100% refund of tuition and fees charged for the semester or academic term in which they withdraw. If living on campus, the student will be refunded for any housing and meals payments made to the student account. The student will be assigned “W” grades which will not affect their overall GPA. If the University determines that it is appropriate to award academic credit for work completed in the semester or academic term in which a student takes military service leave, the student shall not receive a refund for the portion of the course of study for which academic credit is awarded. No refund will be provided until the University receives a copy of the military orders necessitating the withdrawal. If a student decides to finish the courses currently enrolled the student will be given an (I) incomplete grade and allowed additional time to finish the course. This should be communicated to professors to work with the student to complete the course. No refunds will be issued if a student remains enrolled in courses. Students who are granted a military service leave may be on leave for up to five academic years, after which an extension may be granted with the Registrar’s approval. To apply for an extension, students must contact the office of the Registrar. Students who do not request an extension will be withdrawn from the University and at a later date may choose to seek readmission. To seek readmission at a later date, students must contact the Office of Enrollment.

Military Re-Enrollment Procedure

A. Definition
For purposes of this policy, a “military re-enrollment” is a university-approved re-enrollment after a military service leave.

B.Student Responsibilities
A student who has taken military service leave from the University or has had studies interrupted because of active duty or active service in a branch of the United States Armed Forces and wishes to re-enroll must follow these steps:
A student must notify the Registrar’s Office of the intent to return to resume a course of study upon conclusion of duty or service and present appropriate documentation prior to the semester in which the student is requesting re-enrollment. To qualify for military re-enrollment, a student must notify the
University of the intention to re-enroll within two years of the time he or she is discharged from military service or is placed on inactive duty. Notices should be provided in writing to the Registrar’s Office and include an official certificate of release or discharge, a copy of duty orders, or other appropriate
documentation to confirm(verify), that the student’s withdrawal was related to service in the armed services and that the student is able to resume studies.

1. Military re-enrollment guarantees a student who meets these requirements access to the same
course of study he/she was in at the time of withdrawal without incurring a reapplication fee
unless a student receives a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge or has been sentenced in a
court-martial.
2. Any student who, because of military necessity, did not give written or oral notice of service to
the office of Retention prior to withdrawal, may, at the time the student seeks readmission,
submit documentation that the student served in a branch of the U.S. Armed Services that
necessitated the student’s absence from the University.

C. University Procedures
A student who meets the notice requirements set forth herein will be granted military re-enrollment in the semester following the notice of intent to return, or, if the student chooses, at the beginning of the next full academic year. Upon returning to the University, the student will resume his or her course of
study without repeating completed coursework and will have the same enrollment status and academic standing as before the military leave. For the first academic year after military leave, the student will be charged the same tuition and fee charges as when the servicemember left, unless military benefits will pay the increase, but never more than the institution is charging other students; and for subsequent academic years or for a different program, by assessing tuition and fee charges that are no more than the institution is charging other students.

If, in the judgment of the University, a student is not academically prepared to resume a course of study in which he or she was previously enrolled, or is unprepared to complete a program, the University will determine whether reasonable means are available to help the student become prepared. The University may deny the student re-enrollment if it determines that reasonable efforts are not available, or that such efforts have failed to prepare the student to resume the course of study or complete the program.

A student who has been away from the University on military service for more than five years (including all previous absences for military service obligations after initial enrollment but including the only time the student spends actually performing service in the uniformed services) will not be guaranteed
military re-enrollment, but may petition for consideration of military re-enrollment. A student who chooses at the conclusion of military service to enroll in a different course of study than the one the student was in at the time of military withdrawal must complete the regular admission and enrollment
process for that course of study.

Notes
1. The University shall determine the adequacy of documentation with reference to 34. C.F.R. Sec. 668.18(g).
2. The appropriate point in a course or program for a student to resume studies, the timing of re-enrollment, and the determination of the “same course of study” will be determined by the University, taking into account the unique characteristics and requirements of that course or program and the modes in which it is offered (e.g., non-degree vs. degree, evening vs. day program, special program vs. standard program). If the program in which the student was enrolled has been discontinued or is no longer offered, the University will enroll the student in the program that it determines to be most similar to that program or in a different program for which the student is qualified. If the student is admitted to a different program, and for subsequent academic years for a student admitted to the same program, the University shall assess tuition and fee charges that are no greater than other students in the program are assessed for that academic year.
3. The appropriate tuition and fee amounts will be reflected on the bill that the student receives.
4. As defined in section 480(c) of the HEA.

5. This cumulative leave of absence restriction shall be interpreted and applied with reference to 34C.F.R. Sec. 668.18(c) and (e), which set forth rules for calculating cumulative absence due to military service. Reference: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/guid/readmission.html

Military Leave of Absence Checklist

As you prepare to leave or return from a military leave of absence, use this checklist to ensure

you complete all the necessary steps at SEU.

Preparing for Military Leave
● Review the SEU military leave of absence policy located in the university catalog.
● Notify the Retention office regarding your intent for military leave of absence and include
a copy of your military orders or signed letter from your command pertaining to the
service obligations. Please black out any sensitive information.
● The Retention office will provide you with the university withdrawal form. This is a
required step in the SEU withdrawal process. Upon completion your withdrawal or leave
of absence will be communicated to all necessary departments.
● Monitor your student account for any financial aid changes and return of Title IV federal
funds. The Student Financial Services office will review your account and contact you if
any aid changes as a result of withdrawing from the university. Set up a phone
appointment with a Student Financial Services counselor at https://calendly.com/seusfs
● If using VA benefits or military tuition assistance, contact the School Certifying Official to
notify them of your intent to take a military leave of absence so they may report it to the
Department of Veteran Affairs and Department of Defense. Contact information for the
School Certifying Officials can be found here:https://seu.edu/admission/financial/veterans/
Re-Enrollment from Military Leave
Notify the Office of the Registrar regarding your intent to return to SEU. The contact
information is registrar@seu.edu
Register for classes for the term or semester you intend to return.
Notify the School Certifying Official of your intent to re-enroll. If you plan to use VA
benefits, complete the VA Request for Certification form. Contact information for the
certifying official can be found here: https://seu.edu/admission/financial/veterans/
If you are planning to receive financial aid, complete the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) for the academic year you are returning via studentaid.gov and
contact the Student Financial Services office to complete the necessary steps to apply

and receive aid. Contact for Student Financial Services is https://studentaid.gov/ or via appointment
at https://calendly.com/seusfs

Transient Policy

Transient enrollment means a degree seeking student is enrolled at a second school with the intention of transferring credits to Southeastern. A request for a transient letter from Southeastern University to the second school is required for credits to be considered for transfer. Transient letters are issued by the Office of the Registrar. Students who have earned an associate degree or 64 semester hours may not enroll at the junior college level unless they are deficient in specific general education courses. Students are responsible for the applicability of courses taken elsewhere to their Southeastern program. Students are strongly encouraged to obtain written advisor, department chair, or Academic Dean for approval for major core course transiency.

Transfer credit on the college level is accepted according to the following guidelines, from regionally accredited schools:

Up to 62 general education credits are accepted with a State of Florida AA degree in order to cover our general education core. AS and AAS degrees are evaluated on a course-by-course basis for acceptance into the general education core.

Up to 90 transfer hours can be accepted when a student comes to SEU, but there will be no other transient credits approved during the student’s tenure at SEU.

Transient status is permitted for current students, with specific limitations, including the following:

1. Transient courses must be taken at a regionally accredited institution, an ABHE accredited institution, or an institution that SEU has an active articulation agreement with.

2. The Transient Status form, available on the JICS website, must be submitted and approved by the Office of the Registrar in order to consider any course for transfer while you are a student at SEU.

3. Major core requirements must be completed at SEU. Any exception made must be approved by the Department Chair or Academic Dean.

4. 25% of all degree programs must be completed through SEU. Once a student is accepted at SEU, a bachelor degree candidate may not take transient courses if they have transferred in and/or earned test credit for a combined 90 hours or more and an associate degree candidate may not take transient courses if they have transferred in and/or earned test credit for a combined 45 hours or more. 

5. Students are responsible for the applicability of courses taken elsewhere to their Southeastern program.  A transient course must receive a grade of “C” (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or above to be considered for transfer to SEU.

6. Students must obtain written department chair or Academic Dean approval for financial aid coverage of the transient registration.

A student’s enrollment in an SEU-approved program of study at a different college or university may be considered for the purpose of applying for financial aid assistance through SEU.  Please contact the Office of the Registrar (863-667-5015)  for more information, or you may contact the Student Financial Services department (863-667-5018)

Academic Advising

The Office of Academic Advising provides comprehensive services to help students achieve academic success. Academic advising is an interactive process in which the advisor helps the student set and achieve academic goals and make responsible decisions consistent with degree requirements. Advising is personalized to consider the needs of each student, which may include appropriate referral services. Academic advisors serve as a guide to students along their academic journey, but it is the student’s responsibility to know and meet the program requirements of their declared major.

Academic Advisor Assignment

All enrolled students are assigned an academic within the Office of Academic Advising. The assigned academic advisor is based on which extension site or regional campus the student is enrolled in. Students can view their assigned academic advisors on the university’s student information system (JICS).

Academic advisors will help students plan an educational program consistent with their interests and abilities, assist students by monitoring their academic progress using the JICS degree audit, advise students on course selection which moves students toward graduation, refer students to university services as needed, and help students understand university policies and procedures.

Degree Audit (JICS)

All enrolled students are provided an electronic degree audit within the university’s student information system (JICS). The degree audit is used as an internal document to communicate the student’s degree requirements to the student, Office of Academic Advising, and Office of the Registrar.

The degree audit is a personalized document listing the student’s major/minor requirements based on their declared catalog year. The audit provides up-to-date course information listing in progress, met, and unmet requirements. On a regular basis, students should utilize the JICS degree audit, as an advising tool, to assist in registration planning, track course requirements, and monitor progress toward graduation.

Declaration of Major

Every student who is accepted for enrollment as a degree-seeking student should declare their major as soon as possible, for the best advisement and degree plan. Your initial indication of a major or interest in a major based upon your admission application will be honored. A student may change his/her program of study by filing a new Declaration of Major form at any time during his/her period of enrollment. Change of major may place a student under different catalog requirements, and may impact federal financial aid eligibility. Counsel from academic advisors and student financial services counselors is encouraged. 

If a student chooses to declare more than one major, course credits earned may be used to meet the same requirements of both declared majors. This multiple-use policy has only one limitation and that is the student must meet the appropriate number of credit hours for his or her primary major, or major requiring the highest number of credit hours.  If a student chooses to declare a major and a minor within the same discipline, a maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward both the major and the minor; twelve or more unique credit hours must be earned in the minor separate from the major. Students must earn 25% of their minor, equivalent to six credit hours, at Southeastern University.  The dean or department chair over the minor may grant exceptions to this policy, on a case-by-case basis.

Practicum Academic Integrity

Any dishonesty from  a student in regards to the number of practicum hours completed and/or falsification of signatures on course documents within the Divine Design practicum courses will result in failure of the course. It is possible that further consequences from the university will be imposed if deemed necessary. If a student commits a subsequent violation of this policy, the student will be ineligible to register for additional  Divine Design practicum for the remainder of their academic career at SEU.

Academic Standing

Academic Standing is evaluated by the Office of the Registrar at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters. Students with a 2.0 or higher semester and cumulative GPA are considered to be in good academic standing. Students with a semester or cumulative GPA below a 2.0 are placed on academic condition status, as noted in the chart below.

Academic Conditional Process

At the end of each fall and spring academic semester, the Office of the Registrar reviews student academic progress. Students that earn below a 2.0 semester GPA but retain above a 2.0 cumulative GPA will be placed on Academic Notice (AN). Students that earn below a 2.0 semester GPA and cumulative GPA will be placed on Academic Probation (P1) and will be eligible to register at a limited load of 13 credits for the upcoming semester (fall or spring). A second consecutive semester of Academic Probation (P2)  is granted if the student earns a 2.0 or better semester GPA but the cumulative GPA is below a 2.0. Students on P2 will be eligible to register at a limited load of 13 credits for the upcoming semester (fall or spring). If at the end of Academic Probation (P1 or P2) a student’s cumulative and semester GPA is below a 2.0, the student will be recommended for Academic Suspension (SU) for one regular semester (fall or spring).  If a student is placed on academic suspension at the end of the spring semester, the student will not be eligible to register in both the summer and fall semester.  Students on Academic Suspension have the option to appeal their suspension standing. If approved, the student will be permitted to return at the P2 level.

Academic Expulsion

Permanent separation, or expulsion, from the University are to be decided by the Academic Condition Committee. Expulsions disallow future participation in University-wide academic programming. The Committee will review each case and make a decision. The student will be notified of the Committee’s decision through email. Documentation of the expulsion will become part of the student’s permanent academic record at the University. Expulsions will be considered based on factors that could include:

• repeated offense(s) of the University’s Academic Integrity policy

• severe offense(s) of the University’s Academic Integrity policy

• offense(s) with malicious intent or blatant disregard for the University’s Academic Integrity policy

• lack of compliance/follow through with suspension sanctions

Students have the right to appeal the expulsion decision within 3 days. Appeals are submitted to the Committee then forwarded to the Provost for final decision. The student will be notified of the appeal decision through email.   Documentation of the appeal decision and expulsion will become part of the student’s permanent academic record at the University.  

Non-Academic Expulsions 

Permanent separation, or expulsion, from the University for non-academic reasons is to be decided by the Student Development Assessment Committee. Expulsions disallow future participation in University-wide programming. The Committee will review each case and make a decision. The student will be notified of the Committee’s decision either face to face, when possible or through email if necessary.

Documentation of the expulsion will become part of the student’s permanent transcript record at the University.  

Expulsions will be considered based on factors that could include, but are not limited to:

• repeated offense(s) of the University’s Conduct/Title IX policies

• severe offense(s) of the University’s Conduct/Title IX policies

• offense(s) with malicious intent or blatant disregard for the University’s Conduct/Title IX policies

• lack of compliance/follow through with previous sanctions assigned.

Students have the right to appeal the expulsion decision within 3 business days. Appeals are submitted to the Committee then forwarded to the Executive Director of Student Development for final decision. The student will be notified of the appeal decision via email. Documentation of the appeal decision and expulsion will become part of the student’s permanent transcript record at the University. 

Academic Recovery

Federal regulations require students to maintain satisfactory academic progress in order to remain eligible to receive financial aid. Your academic probation/suspension may indicate you are also at risk for losing all or a portion of your federal, state, or institutional financial aid. To determine if you are at risk, please contact Student Financial Services (sfs@seu.edu) to ensure you have all the information you need for your next steps.

Academic Intervention Initiative

Academic Center for Enrichment (ACE), administers a process in which students in jeopardy of failing courses or having an unsatisfactory attendance record are identified and referred. This intervention initiative occurs during the midterm of each semester. Students who are identified in the initiative will be required to participate in online tutoring for subjects that directly relate to their status and are required to contact their academic advisor.

Willingness to participate in the Academic Intervention Initiative on the part of the student will be considered in the probation/suspension process.

Credit and Transfer of Credit

Definition of Credit Hour

One semester credit hour will be awarded for a minimum of 750 minutes (50 minute class x 15 weeks) of formalized instruction that typically requires students to work at out-of-class assignments an average of twice the amount of time as the amount of formalized instruction (1,500 minutes). It is acknowledged that formalized instruction may take place in a variety of modes.

While awarding of semester credit hours typically occurs for instruction delivered in accordance with an institution’s standard semester calendar, it may also occur for instruction that may not follow the typical pattern, as long as the criteria for awarding such credit is met. The expectation of contact time inside the classroom and student effort outside the classroom is the same in all formats of a course whether it be fully online, a hybrid or face-to-face contact with some content delivered by electronic means, or one delivered in lecture or seminar format. Courses that have less structured classroom schedules, such as research seminars, independent studies, internships, practicums, or any other academic work leading to the award of credit hours should state clearly learning objectives, expected outcomes and workload expectations that meet the standards set forth above.

This credit hour policy applies to all courses at all levels (graduate, professional, and undergraduate) that award academic credit (i.e. any course that appears on an official transcript issued by the University) regardless of the mode of delivery including, but not limited to, self-paced, online, hybrid, lecture, seminar, and laboratory. Academic units are responsible for ensuring that credit hours are awarded only for work that meets the requirements outlined in this policy.

General Test Credit Parameters

A maximum of 90 semester hours of credit toward a Bachelor’s degree and 45 semester hours of credit toward an Associate’s degree may be earned through any combination of the following: AP, CLEP, IB, Military, Credit by Assessment, Credit by Examination or Specialized Training/Certification that the Registrar approves.  Students must earn 25% of their degree through Southeastern University courses, per SACSCOC regulations.  The 90/45 hour maximum of prior learning/test credit may be reduced for transfer students in order to meet their 25% coursework requirement.  Please see credit hour limits for specific tests in the sections to follow.  Students who earn an Associate’s at SEU, who move on to seek their Bachelor’s degree may request additional transfer credit be added to their record.

Advanced Placement (AP)

Southeastern University awards college credit to students who participated in the Advanced Placement program in high school. Students receive college credit based on credit recommendations of the Florida Articulation Coordinating Committee. Most courses with a score of three, four or five earn three college credits. No grade or quality points are assigned for awarded credit. Applicants must submit official AP scores directly from The College Board to Southeastern University for evaluation.  Transcripts received from the student will not be considered official. A maximum of 90 semester hours of credit toward a Bachelor’s degree and 45 semester hours of credit toward an Associate’s degree may be earned through any combination of the following: AP, CLEP, IB, Military, Credit by Assessment, Credit by Examination or Specialized Training/Certification that the Registrar approves.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The College Level Examination Program provides an opportunity for a student to earn college credit by examination.

Southeastern University accepts all CLEP exams listed on www.collegeboard.com, with these exceptions:

• Intro to Educational Psychology (general elective credit only)

• College Composition Modular

For a detailed list of CLEP exams approved for credit through SEU, visit this link. 

SEU Approved CLEP Tests

CLEP exams are offered through the SEU Testing Center. You do not have to be a Southeastern University student to utilize our Testing Center.  Contact the SEU Testing Center (testing@seu.edu) to schedule an appointment to take a CLEP exam. All SEU students must complete an eligibility form before an appointment can be scheduled. The form will be reviewed to determine if the student meets SEU guidelines for awarding CLEP credit. These guidelines are listed below. One form per CLEP exam must be completed.

SEU Guidelines for Awarding CLEP Credit

• Official CLEP scores must be submitted to the Office of the Admission for evaluation.

• To receive credit, a minimum scaled score at or above an established national percentile must be earned on each area tested. Details are available at www.collegeboard.com.  

• To receive credit for a qualified CLEP test, a degree-seeking (Associate’s or Bachelor’s) SEU student must not be currently enrolled in, have completed, earned a “W” grade, or have attempted an equivalent or more advanced college-level equivalent course.

• A minimum of twenty-five percent of a college degree must be earned through Southeastern University course credit.

• Southeastern University recommends that degree-seeking students interested in CLEP credit complete the CLEP by the end of their sophomore year.

• Credit cannot be duplicated.

• For non-SEU students, please contact your host institution regarding CLEP eligibility.

Testing Conditions

To receive credit a CLEP test must be taken before a student earns credit in a comparable college/university course or subject area. Credit cannot be duplicated. To receive credit, a minimum scaled score at or above an established national percentile must be earned on each area tested. Details are available at www.collegeboard.com. No grade or quality points are assigned for awarded credit. A maximum of 90 semester hours of credit toward a Bachelor’s degree and 45 semester hours of credit toward an Associate’s degree may be earned through any combination of the following: AP, CLEP, IB, Military, Credit by Assessment, Credit by Examination or Specialized Training/Certification that the Registrar approves.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma

Students who have received the International Baccalaureate Diploma and have earned a score of four or better in the higher level and standard level examinations may qualify for credit for subjects taken. Without the earned diploma, a score of five is required and credit is only given for higher level examinations. No grade or quality points are assigned for awarded credit. Applicants may submit official IB scores to the Office of the Registrar for evaluation.  Request transcripts from www.IBO.org. A maximum of 90 semester hours of credit toward a Bachelor’s degree and 45 semester hours of credit toward an Associate’s degree may be earned through any combination of the following: AP, CLEP, IB, Military, Credit by Assessment, Credit by Examination or Specialized Training/Certification that the Registrar approves.

Credit for Military Education

Veterans who have successfully completed courses in the military service training program may submit a record of the courses to Southeastern University for review. The amount of credit granted will not exceed that recommended by the American Council on Education in the “Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Forces.” No credit is awarded for technical or vocational training. No grade or quality points are assigned for awarded credit. A grade of “CR” is recorded. Students must request an official transcript available from the military.  A maximum of 90 semester hours of credit toward a Bachelor’s degree and 45 semester hours of credit toward an Associate’s degree may be earned through any combination of the following: AP, CLEP, IB, Military, Credit by Assessment, Credit by Examination or Specialized Training/Certification that the Registrar approves.

• Request your Army, Navy, Marines, or Coast Guard transcript from the Joint Services Transcript (JST) website. 
• Request your Air Force or Space Force transcript through the Community College of the Air Force website.  
• This information is also available on the Veterans Administration (VA) website.

Credit by Assessment

Credit by Assessment is a means to gain credit for courses offered at Southeastern University by demonstrating knowledge of the course content. Students enrolled at Southeastern University who wish to attempt credit by examination or other appropriate assessments, or to challenge a course in which they are enrolled, may petition the Department Chair or Dean of the college for the opportunity to demonstrate competency in the usual material covered in the course. The petition must be approved by the Department Chair or Dean of the college. The Department Chair and/or Dean of the college will determine if a standardized test is appropriate. The testing instrument will become part of the student’s academic record.

For the successful petition, the examination or assessment will be scheduled at the convenience of the Office of Testing and Proctoring Services.  At the equivalent minimum grade of “C” earned on the examination or assessment, a grade of “CR” will be recorded on the student’s academic record for the subject tested. Credit by Assessment fees must be paid prior to test administration/assessment evaluation. Credit by Assessment forms are available in the Office of the Registrar. A maximum of 90 semester hours of credit toward a Bachelor’s degree and 45 semester hours of credit toward an Associate’s degree may be earned through any combination of the following: AP, CLEP, IB, Military, Credit by Assessment, Credit by Examination or Specialized Training/Certification that the Registrar approves.

Prior Learning Assessment

Students with significant experience in a subject area that could possibly be aligned with a course at a college or university may be able to gain credit through the prior learning assessment process. For guidance through the process, read the document, Prior Learning Assessment Instructions and the Prior Learning Assessment Handbook, located in the SEU catalog.  

At the equivalent minimum grade of “C” earned on the assessment, a grade of “CR” will be recorded on the student’s academic record for the subject. Prior Learning Assessment fees must be paid prior to the credit posting to the student’s transcript record. A maximum of 90 semester hours of credit toward a Bachelor’s degree and 45 semester hours of credit toward an Associate’s degree may be earned through any combination of the following: AP, CLEP, IB, Military, Credit by Assessment, Credit by Examination or Specialized Training/Certification that the Registrar approves.

General Conditions for All Credit Transfer

• New transfer students must submit an official transcript from each of the previously attended institutions by the end of the student’s first semester to have credit transferred in.

• An official transcript must be submitted in a sealed envelope or electronically delivered from the originating college or university. SEU will not accept an opened transcript as an official to award credit for transferred courses.

• Undergraduate credits accepted in transfer must be graded with a “C” (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or higher.

• Courses accepted in transfer are calculated into the student’s SEU career GPA.

• 25% of the credit for any undergraduate program must be earned at Southeastern University through credit-bearing course completion.

• To take credits through another institution while enrolled in a degree program at Southeastern University, a student must obtain transient approval to have credits accepted toward the SEU degree.

Transfer Practices

The Transfer Credit Practices of Designated Educational Institutions published by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers is referenced.

• The university reserves the right to deny credit for specific courses from any college or university, regardless of accreditation.

• College-level credits are eligible for transfer with the exception of developmental, vocational, technical, or occupational courses.*

• Transfer evaluation is conducted for SEU degree-seeking students only.  Non-degree seeking students are ineligible to transfer credit to SEU.

• Southeastern University will accept transfer credits earned at an institution accredited by any accrediting body listed in the acceptable accrediting bodies below or with an active articulation agreement with Southeastern University.

• International credits must come from a college or university recognized by the country’s education department or ministry. Credits will only be reviewed after an official transcript has been submitted to the Office of the Registrar, and an approved independent evaluation service has performed an evaluation. Contact the Office of the Registrar for a list of approved service providers. The student is responsible for the cost of this service.

• Credits eligible for transfer will not be removed at a student’s request.

• Southeastern University does not generally accept credit from one institution for another institution’s transferred credits.  Individual final, official transcripts must be submitted from each and every institution attended.

*In conjunction with the Southeastern University School of Trades Program Chair and the American Council on Education (ACE), the Office of the Registrar will evaluate and determine transfer eligibility for vocational, technical, and career course and industry certifications.  Courses and certifications approved for transfer must meet the standard qualifications for an equivalent SEU Trades course.  Transfer courses earned as clock hours will be transferred using the clock-to-credit hour equivalence formula.

Acceptable Accrediting Bodies 

Southeastern University accepts courses in transfer from institutions accredited by an accrediting organization recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).  Programmatic Accrediting Organizations acceptance is determined at the program level. Acceptable accrediting bodies include the following accrediting organizations:

• Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE)

• Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools (AARTS)

• Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS)

• Distance Education Accreditation Commission (DEAC)

• Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)*

• New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)

• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

• Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS)

• Western Association of Schools and Colleges – Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (WASC - ACCJC)

• Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools

• Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WASC - SCUC)

*MSCHE credit is accepted although it is no longer recognized by CHEA.

Transfer Credit Appeals

Transfer students have the right to appeal transfer credit decisions made by the Office of the Registrar. The student must write a letter of appeal accompanied by any additional documentation requested by the Office of the Registrar. The appeal will be reviewed by the appropriate academic department chair/college dean with additional documentation and the student will be notified of the decision rendered.

Transfer of Credit to Other Institutions

The transferability of credits earned at Southeastern University is at the discretion of the receiving college, university, or other educational institution. Students considering transferring to any institution should not assume that credits earned in any program of study at Southeastern University will be accepted by the receiving institution. Similarly, the ability of a degree, certificate, diploma, or other academic credential earned at Southeastern University to satisfy an admission requirement of another institution is at the discretion of the receiving institution.

Accreditation does not guarantee credentials or credits earned at Southeastern University will be accepted by or transferred to another institution. To minimize the risk of having to repeat coursework, students should contact the receiving institution in advance for evaluation and determination of transferability of credits and/or acceptability of degrees, diplomas, or certificates earned.

Degree Requirements

A candidate for the associate’s or bachelor’s degree must complete the required number of hours for his/her chosen degree program with an overall average grade of 2.0 in order to graduate. Various colleges and departments within the university may require a higher GPA to qualify for graduation; refer to the program of study section of the catalog for details. Each candidate for a degree must complete the required foundational education core and major requirements in the selected program of study. Students seeking teacher certification must complete requirements in appropriate professional education and teaching specialization courses.

Degree requirements are based on the requirements in effect at the time the student first declares a major. Students may elect to complete the requirements in effect at the time the student first declares the major or they may elect to complete the requirements of the current catalog. The degree requirements of the current catalog must be applied for all students who are readmitted to degree seeking status and have not attended Southeastern University for two or more semesters.  Students may not elect to adopt prior year catalog requirements.  

Candidates for the associate’s and bachelor’s degree must complete 25 percent of their program of study at Southeastern University.

Dual Major vs. Dual Degree

A dual major is a program of study that meets the requirements of two distinct majors in a single Bachelor’s degree. The program of study consists of courses required to meet the degree requirements for each of the two majors, together with the foundational core courses needed to meet the general education requirements for the degree. The minimum number of credit hours required for a dual major equals the total number of credit hours required for the major comprising the larger number of credit hours for the degree; however, the student may be required to complete additional credit hours to fulfill the second major core when the major core exceeds the general elective core of the primary major.  Students must complete both majors prior to degree conferral.

Dual major programs lead to a single Bachelor’s degree when both majors are the same degree type (ie. Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Science).   Students who complete the requirements for a double major in the same degree type receive a single diploma that acknowledges both majors.

Dual major programs that lead to two Bachelor’s degrees upon completion (ie. Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts) will receive two separate diplomas acknowledging each major upon degree conferral.  Courses that double count toward both majors may not exceed 75% of either degree program; a minimum of 30 unique credit hours must be earned for each individual degree.

Students enrolled in a dual major or dual degree program should consult with Student Financial Services to learn more about financial aid options that are available for earning a second major or second degree.

Confidentiality of Student Records

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level, except in certain specified circumstances. One of these exceptions permits the nonconsensual disclosure of information derived from education records to that student’s parent if the student is a dependent for tax purposes. Neither the age of the student, nor the parent’s status as custodial parent, is relevant to determining whether disclosure of information from the education records of eligible students to a parent without written consent is permissible under FERPA. If a student is claimed as a dependent by either parent for tax purposes, then either parent may have access under this provision, absent a court order specifically prohibiting it.Students to whom the rights have transferred are “eligible students.”

• Eligible students have the right to inspect and review their education records maintained by Southeastern University. SEU is not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents or eligible students to review the records.
• Eligible students have the right to request that SEU correct records which they believe to be inaccurate or misleading.
• Generally, SEU must have written permission from the student in order to release any information from a student’s education record. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31):
  • School officials with legitimate educational interest;
  • Other schools to which a student is transferring;
  • Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes;
  • Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;
  • Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school;
  • Accrediting organizations;
  • To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;
  • Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and
  • State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law.

Schools may disclose, without consent, “directory” information such as a student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. SEU notifies students annually of their rights under FERPA.

Disclosure of Information in Health and Safety Emergency

Based on 34 FERPA CRF 99.36, an educational agency or institution may disclose personally identifiable information from an education record to appropriate parties, including parents of an eligible student, in connection with an emergency if knowledge of the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals.

SEU may include in the education records of a student appropriate information concerning disciplinary action taken against the student for conduct that posed a significant risk to the safety or well-being of that student, other students, or other members of the school community;

SEU officials may disclose appropriate information to teachers and school officials within the institution who it has been determined have legitimate educational interests in the behavior of the student; or

SEU officials may disclose appropriate information to teachers and school officials in other schools who have been determined to have legitimate educational interests in the behavior of the student.

SEU officials may take into account the totality of the circumstances pertaining to a threat to the health or safety of a student or other individuals, in making this decision. If the institution determines that there is an articulable and significant threat to the health or safety of a student or other individuals, it may disclose information from education records to any person whose knowledge of the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals.

Graduation

Application

In order to graduate, a student must fulfill the following responsibilities by the deadlines provided by the Office of the Registrar. Students gain a thorough understanding of these requirements in published graduation documents on the SEU website and in the JICS Graduation Tab.

• Submit a graduation application

• Provide transcripts of all approved transfer courses 6 weeks before graduation

• Clear all holds

• Meet all academic, non-academic, and program-specific requirements 

Students on academic probation or otherwise academically deficient will not be eligible to apply for graduation or participate in commencement until the condition of probation or deficiency is resolved.

Senior Degree Audit Policy

Students who are within one year of graduation must file an Application for Graduation in JICS. The office of Academic Advising reviews each applicant’s degree audit to determine if the student is eligible to graduate.  

The degree audit, found in JICS, is an outline of degree requirements based on the catalog year that the student declared their major.  The degree audit enables the student and academic advisor to assess academic progress and remaining coursework needed to fulfill specific degree requirements. The degree audit is a valuable tool to guide students with academic planning, course selection, and degree completion, and is used as the final graduation audit to ensure completion of degree requirements.

How to complete an Application for Graduation:

1. Fill out the Graduation Application in JICS under the “Graduation” tab by the deadline established by the Office of the Registrar (April 15 for upcoming fall graduates, November 15 for upcoming spring graduates).

2. After the add/drop period and prior to the start of the B subterm of the semester the student applies to graduate, graduation applicants’ individual degree audits are reviewed by the Office of Academic Advising.  Applicants receive an email from advising@seu.edu confirming graduation eligibility status.  If the student is in good academic standing with a 2.0 or better GPA and has 6 or fewer hours outstanding after the semester in which the student applied to graduate, the student will be eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony.  If it is determined that the student is not eligible to graduate, the student will be notified by the Office of the Registrar, the graduation application is canceled, and the student should reapply for a later graduation date.  All academic requirements specified on the degree audit must be completed and the student must earn a 2.0 or better cumulative GPA for degree conferral.

3. A student is not classified as a candidate for graduation until the application has been received and an official degree audit review is completed.  Students who intend to graduate but miss the deadline to apply must still submit an application.  In this case, the student will be ineligible to participate in the commencement ceremony.

Honors

Honors recognition is made at commencement based on the cumulative grade point average at the end of the penultimate semester. If the grades of the final semester change a student’s honors status, the correct status is noted on the official transcript.

The credit hours and quality points accumulated at previous schools accepted as transfer will be averaged with the Southeastern GPA to determine honors recognition.

A candidate for the associate’s and bachelor’s degree will graduate with honors as follows:

• Cum laude (honors) -cumulative grade point average of 3.50-3.74

• Magna cum laude (high honors) -cumulative grade point average of 3.75-3.89

• Summa cum laude (highest honors) -cumulative grade point average of 3.90-4.00

Grade point averages are never rounded up to the nearest whole number. 

Adornment

Cords, medallions and stoles are the only graduation adornments that graduates will be allowed to wear at official commencement ceremonies of Southeastern University without written approval. Requests for other forms of adornment must be submitted to the Office of the Provost no later than 21 days prior to commencement. 

Honor cords should represent high academic achievement by graduates as recognized through their respective departments and colleges. Non-academic cords that have been awarded by University representatives may also be worn.

• Undergraduate-level students are allowed to wear a maximum of three adornments (cords, medallions, or stoles) for all commencement ceremonies

• Graduate-level students are allowed to wear SEU awarded cords and medallions at commencement ceremonies. However, stoles are not permitted.

Non-academic adornment: Graduates seeking approval to wear non-academic adornment, such as cultural representations, must submit a written request and photo of themselves wearing the adornment to the Office of the Provost no later than 21 days prior to commencement in order for the request to be processed. This privilege is for graduates only. Careful consideration will be given to all requests; however, approval is not guaranteed. Guidelines for consideration include the following.

 Adornment:

• Must lay flat around the neck

• Must be no more than 5” in width

• Must be of a length that is appropriate for commencement attire

• Must be consistent with SEU’s message & mission 

• Headdresses and/or attachments to graduation cap or gown will not be allowed

• Representation of political affiliation or controversial subject matter will not be allowed

Recognition of Academic Excellence

Alpha Chi

Alpha Chi is a national honor scholarship society which promotes academic achievement, ethical character, and professional advancement. Members of this society must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, comprise no more than 10% of junior and senior classes, and be elected to the society by the faculty. Alpha Chi sponsors forums, seminars, scholarships for students, and regional and national conventions for the exchange of scholarly papers and for professional networking.

Alpha Phi Sigma

Alpha Phi Sigma recognizes academic excellence of Undergraduate and Graduate students of Criminal Justice, as well as Juris Doctorate students.

The four goals of Alpha Phi Sigma are to honor and promote academic excellence, community service, educational leadership, and unity.

Alpha Phi Sigma is the only Criminal Justice Honor Society which is a certified member of the Association of College Honor Societies and affiliated with the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

Southeastern University’s assigned chapter name is Pi Beta Kappa. This chapter has been organized to promote the highest standards of criminal justice practice and to recognize and promote the four goals of Alpha Phi Sigma.  

Student members must have declared a major in Criminal Justice and must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5.

Chi Sigma lota

Chi Sigma Iota is an international honor society that values academic and professional excellence in counseling. Chi Sigma Iota promotes a strong professional identity through members (professional counselors, counselor educators, and students) who contribute to the realization of a healthy society by fostering wellness and human dignity. A student’s invitation to join the chapter at Southeastern University – Sigma Epsilon Upsilon, distinguishes them as an individual whose accomplishments are consistent with the mission of the international organization and of the Sigma Epsilon Upsilon Chapter. Eligibility for membership is extended only to those students who “have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better on a scale of 4.0, are deemed promising for endorsement as a professional counselor whose ethical judgment and behavior will be exemplary” (csi-net.org/bylaws, Article 4.1), and “who strive to serve Christ and the world through Spirit-empowered life, learning, and leadership” (Southeastern University Mission).

Dean’s Honor

Southeastern students who excel academically may qualify for the Dean’s Honor List. To qualify, a student must be enrolled for 12 hours or more and attain or surpass a scholastic grade point average of 3.5 from the previous semester of enrollment. Letters of Achievement are emailed to students who meet the criteria for Dean’s honor after final grades are posted at the end of each fall and spring semester.

Delta Mu Delta

Delta Mu Delta is a business honor society that recognizes and encourages academic excellence of students at qualifying colleges and universities to create a DMD community that fosters the well-being of its individual members and the business community through lifetime membership.

Kappa Delta Pi

Kappa Delta Pi, an International Honor Society in Education was founded in 1911 at the University of Illinois. Organized to recognize excellence in education, membership is elected based on ideals of scholarship, high personal standards, and promise in teaching and allied professions. High academic achievement required.

Kappa Mu Epsilon

Kappa Mu Epsilon is a specialized honor society in Mathematics. KME was founded in 1931 to promote the interest of mathematics among undergraduate students. Its chapters are located in colleges and universities of recognized standing which offer a strong mathematics major. The chapters’ members are selected from students of mathematics and other closely related fields who have maintained standards of scholarship, have professional merit, and have attained academic distinction.

Military Honor Cord

A red/white/blue cord designates faculty or graduating students who are honorably discharged U.S. veterans, are currently serving in the U.S. military (active duty, National Guard, or Reserves), or will be commissioned upon graduation.

Phi Alpha

The purpose of Phi Alpha Honor Society is to provide a closer bond among students of social work and promote humanitarian goals and ideals. Phi Alpha fosters high standards of education for social workers and invites into membership those who have attained excellence in scholarship and achievement in social work.

PHSO

The Pre-Health Service Organization is for those preparing for careers in the health profession. The primary objective of the organization is to take social action on campus and in the community, exhibit excellence in scholarship, provide practical field experience, and establish relationship between students committed to becoming outstanding health care professionals.

Psi Chi

Psi Chi, the national honor society in psychology, promotes excellence in scholarship and advancement in the science of psychology. Qualification for membership requires the completion of three semesters, or the equivalent, of college or university courses, completion of nine semester hours or the equivalent toward a declared major or minor in psychology, a 3.0 GPA in psychology courses, a cumulative 3.0 GPA, and rank in the upper 35% of their class in general scholarship.

Sigma Chi Pi

Sigma Chi Pi, the honor society for the Alliance for Assemblies of God Christian Higher Education, accepts into membership qualified graduates from Southeastern University. Nominations for membership are restricted to no more than seven percent of the graduating class and are made by the Registrar. Qualifications for membership require a scholastic average of not less than 3.5 on a four point system, or the equivalent, approved Christian character, and diligent servant leadership.

Sigma Tau Delta

Sigma Tau Delta is a recognized honor society in English. The organization was established in 1924 to confer distinction for high achievement in English language, literature, and writing. Its chapters are located in colleges and universities and is dedicated to fostering literacy and all aspects of the discipline of English.

University Honors Scholar

Graduating seniors who have fulfilled extensive program requirements for the Southeastern University Honors Program, including the successful completion of an in-depth Honors Thesis, receive the designation of University Honors Scholar. They are noted by the Honors Program medallion worn at commencement.

Graduation Requirements

A candidate for the associate’s or bachelor’s degree must complete the required number of hours for his/her chosen degree program with an overall average grade of 2.0 or better in order to graduate. Various colleges and departments within the university may require a higher GPA to qualify for graduation. Refer to the program of study section of the catalog for details. Each candidate for a degree must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours toward the required foundational education core and must complete all major requirements in the selected program of study. Students seeking teacher certification must complete requirements in appropriate professional education and teaching specialization courses.

Degree requirements are based on the requirements in effect at the time the student declares a major. Students may elect to complete the requirements in effect at the time the student first declares the major or they may elect to adopt the requirements of the current catalog. The degree requirements of the current catalog must be applied for all students who are readmitted to degree-seeking status and have not attended Southeastern University for two or more semesters.

Candidates for the associate’s and bachelor’s degrees must complete 25 percent of their program of study at Southeastern University to be eligible to graduate.

Career Services

Our Career Services team at Southeastern University strives to nurture the student’s divine design and empower them to successfully create a pathway between academic growth and career readiness. 

While enrollment in the university or completion of a program does not guarantee employment, the Career Services team assists students and alumni in making informed career decisions, discover and leverage their employable skills, obtain career-related experiences, and prepare for a successful job placement. We provide career assessments, career coaching, resume preparation, internship and job search help, professional networking and career workshops, career expos and recruiting events. 

Our goal, in collaboration with our SEU community, is to prepare our students for meaningful post-graduation academic and professional success.

Legal Name Changes

Students and alumni may submit documentation of a legal name change, resulting in all educational records being updated to the new legal name, by completing the name change request in JICS. A color copy of the Social Security Card, Driver’s License, or passport indicating the new name is required.

Constitution Day

Pursuant to federal regulations, (Division J of Pub. L. 108-447, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005,” Dec. 8, 2004; 118 Stat. 2809, 3344-45 Section 111), Southeastern University sponsors a Constitution Day annually, open to students and members of the community, with political and government representatives as featured speakers. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend.

Title IX Statement

Southeastern University is committed to creating an environment for every student to thrive academically, spiritually, and socially. An aspect of creating this culture is providing avenues for students to discuss and report any activity that may compromise this commitment.

 Under a federal law known as Title IX, “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance” (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972).

While students should feel comfortable approaching faculty with issues they may be struggling with or concerns they may be having, students should know that all faculty and staff are required to report certain information about Sexual Misconduct and certain crimes to the University’s administration, in order to help keep the University community safe and to connect students to all of the resources and reporting options that are available.

For example, if you inform faculty or staff (in private or during class discussions) of an incident of Sexual Misconduct, that individual will keep the information as private as possible but is required to bring it to the attention of the institution’s Title IX Office. If a student would like to talk to the Title IX office directly, they can do so by e-mail at smpowell@seu.edu, by phone at 863-667-5236, or in person at Pansler U210. For more information about Title IX reporting options at Southeastern, please go to https://seu.edu/about/title-ix/.

If you are struggling with an issue that is traumatic, unusually stressful, or results in disruptive behavior, faculty and staff will likely inform the office of Student Outreach & Support. If students would like to reach out directly to the office of Student Outreach & Support for assistance, they can do so by going to www.seu.edu/sos. Student Outreach & Support is located in Addison 110 and can be contacted by phone at 863-667-5218 or by  e-mail at sos@seu.edu.