Policy

The following policy has been adopted by Montana State University-Northern to implement the Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education policy entitled "Application for Graduation or Final Degree Requirement Check Sheet." The purpose of the policy is to ". . .establish and publish a formal process by which students and faculty may reach final agreement about minimum graduation requirements for a baccalaureate degree in any given academic program."

Policies

1. Every student in a bachelor's degree, baccalaureate program must complete the "degree check" process adopted by MSU-Northern.
    
2. That process must be initiated by the student after he/she has earned his/her 75th credit. For purposes of this policy, earned credit means any credit for which the student has received a traditional letter grade. I.E.: A, B, C, D, F or P.
    
3. The "degree check" procedures must be completed by the student before he/she has earned his/her 90th credit.
    
4. If a student transfers to MSU-Northern after earning his/her 90th credit, that student will have one semester to complete the requirements of the "degree check" policy.
    
5. If a student fails to follow the timelines or procedures established in this policy, any avenues of review or appeal for exceptions to academic policy on the MSU-Northern campus are NOT AVAILABLE to the student.

1. The only exception to this limitation is the situation where a student can prove, by clear and convincing evidence, that the failure to comply with the policy is the fault of MSU-Northern and its employees.

6. The following procedures have been established to complete the "degree check":

1. The Registrar's office will notify all students and their respective chairs/deans, in writing, about the policy and its expectations the semester before each student earns his/her 75th credit.
   
2. Students are expected to work with their faculty advisor to complete a program sheet, a general education sheet, and a check sheet prepared by the Registrar's office that sets out additional requirements that must be satisfied to earn the bachelor's degree.
   
3. That information should clearly set out the work that the student has already completed; and the work that still needs to be done to earn the bachelor's degree.
   
4. The information described in VI.b., above, must be signed by the student and the faculty advisor.
   
5. The information must be submitted to the Registrar's office, according to the time frames described in Parts II., III. and/or IV. above, depending on which of those sections applies to each student.
   
6. The "degree check" is only complete and official when it has a signature from the Provost or the Provost's designee.
   
7. The original copy of the official "degree check" form will be kept on file in the Registrar's office. A copy will be provided to each student.

7. The "degree check" will only be valid and enforceable for three (3) years from the date of the official approval by the Registrar's office, described in section VI.f. above.

1. If a "degree check" expires under the terms of this section, the student covered by the lapsed "degree check" will have the same rights as if he/she had never filed the appropriate "degree check" paperwork. Those rights are described in section V. above.

8. If a student completes the "degree check" process, as set out in section VI. above; and if the student fails to follow the additional requirements that must be satisfied to earn a bachelor's degree as specified in the official record described in section VI.f. above, that student will have the same rights as if he/she had never filed the appropriate "degree check" paperwork. Those rights are described in section V. above.