Graduate Faculty

• Graduate students have mandatory advising each term and their assigned faculty or staff advisor will need to release the advising hold in order to enable registration.
• Students may self-register on CougarNet or seek assistance from the Service Center at 618-650-2080 or servicecenter@siue.edu.
• Students may encounter various registration holds that can be viewed on the “View Holds” page within the faculty information in CougarNet. Students should contact the department listed as placing the hold for information on how to resolve it. Additional information on registration holds is found near the bottom of the Registrar’s registration information website.

• Students’ advisory committee must be composed of at least three SIUE graduate faculty members, one of which serves as the chair. Students enroll in course credit during the completion of the thesis/dissertation, as directed in the program’s curriculum.
• If a graduate student desires an external thesis/dissertation committee member, their committee must still be comprised of three SIUE graduate faculty per Policy 1L8. An external member may serve as a fourth committee member, and graduate faculty status is not allowed or required for the in that circumstance.
• Completion of formal theses/dissertations requires formatting compliance with Graduate School guidelines as well as submission through the ProQuest system by the required deadlines for the relevant graduation term. It is critical that students be made aware of these requirements early on in their thesis/dissertation development process.
• The thesis/dissertation guidelines provide information on how students may utilize a prepared, submitted or published manuscript to serve as a part of or all of a thesis. Journal articles and conference papers where the student is the primary author are eligible.
• The Graduate School provides a variety of writing and formatting resources for students to assist as they complete their theses/dissertations.

• If a student has completed all degree coursework but is still completing the exit requirement, they are required* to enroll in UNIV 500, Continuous Enrollment, for 0 credit hours each term. The course does not generate tuition charges but does incur a $37.50 fee to ensure that the student maintains access to academic and technology resources including SIUE email, Blackboard, Lovejoy Library, etc. Student may self-enroll on CougarNet or request assistance from the Service Center at 618-650-2080 or servicecenter@siue.edu.
  • International students should consult with International Student & Scholar Services prior to enrolling in UNIV 500 to discuss if a waiver should be requested due to their OPT status and health insurance fees. If recommended, international students may request a waiver to the continuous enrollment requirement by submitting a Graduate Student Request Form.
• If students have degree coursework remaining but do not intend to enroll for one or more semesters, enrollment in UNIV 500 is not appropriate as it is designed specifically for students with all coursework completed who are still completing the exit requirement. Students who are not enrolled for a year or more will need to formally reapply to gain readmission to a program.
  • The only exception to the above is that Co-op PhD students must enroll in UNIV 500 when not enrolled in any other credit-bearing courses at SIUE during a semester without any fees incurred.

• The term prior to completing the degree, students should utilize the Graduate Student Completion Checklist to be sure they are on track to graduate as intended. The items on this checklist are the students’ responsibilities.
• The appropriate faculty or staff member for each program must submit the online Summary of Completion form for each graduate student to verify successful completion of the exit requirement (thesis/research paper defense, exit exam passed, exhibition completed, etc.) no later than the last day of the semester of graduation. This form is automatically routed to the Registrar’s Office for processing.

• Policy 1F1 requires the completion of a master’s or certificate program within six years, a specialist’s program within seven years, and a doctoral program within eight years. This means only courses completed within that timeframe will count towards the degree. If a program requires completion within a timeframe less than graduate policy, it will be listed in the Graduate Catalog.
• Requests for exceptions for courses beyond the allowed timeframe to count toward the degree are submitted on a Graduate Student Request Form.

• Credit earned from another institution (and credit hours beyond 6 hours as unclassified status at SIUE) must be petitioned for transfer via the Graduate Student Request Form. The GPD must indicate how the credit should be accepted if approved (e.g., for a specific SIUE course or as an elective) when approving the GSRF. Students should use the GSRF to request pre-approval to earn credit elsewhere to transfer it to SIUE.
• Credit must be earned with B or better grades on an A-F grading scale from an accredited institution for graduate credit as a graduate student and applicable to the SIUE degree program.
• Credit earned in undergraduate courses for foreign language or pre-requisite requirements must be submitted for evaluation but are not recorded on the graduate transcript. Undergraduate foreign language requirements will be recorded in the degree completion software.

• Students may attempt a course for a total of four times (i.e. a student may repeat a course up to three times). All grades appear on the transcript but only the grade in the most recent attempt is used in the GPA. Refer to Policy 1J2 for more information on repeat grades.

• Students who have not attended SIUE for one calendar year or longer and wish to return must submit a formal admission application to seek readmission. In cases where the student has lapsed credit due to time limitations being exceeded or program requirements have changed since their last attendance, the student must submit a Graduate Student Request Form. The GPD can indicate any stipulations on older credit, credit remaining, deadlines, and changes in program requirements.
• If a student seeks to return to complete a degree and only has the exit requirement remaining, and they have had a break in enrollment for one calendar year or longer (due to not enrolling in UNIV 500, Continuing Enrollment), then they must still seek readmission by submitting a formal admission application.

• To provide graduate students with the opportunity to overcome previous poor performance in a graduate program in order to earn a graduate degree in a new program, Policy 1L18 allows graduate students entering a new program to seek Graduate Student Forgiveness via submission of a Graduate Student Request Form. Students should be advised to submit the application immediately upon admission to the new graduate program and must apply before more than 9 credit hours are completed in the new program. The GPD of the new academic program, the Graduate School, and Provost’s Office must all approve the application.
  
  
• If the application is granted, the cumulative graduate GPA will be computed without specific previously earned graduate-level grades in the prior graduate program approved in the application. Grades that have been assigned as a result of academic discipline and grades that were assigned prior to previously earned degree or certificate programs may not be excluded from GPA calculation.
  
  
• This policy does not apply to professional programs (e.g., DMD, DNP, and PharmD), including joint degrees with professional programs. It can be applied to post-baccalaureate certificates.
  
  
• Academic forgiveness may only be applied to a student's graduate record once and is not reversible once applied. Each course that is approved to be removed from the GPA will remain on the transcript with the earned grade visible. The assigned grade will be noted to signify removal from GPA calculation and credit hour accumulation as of the term of the approval. No other changes will be made on the student's transcript. Once forgiven, courses may not be acknowledged to satisfy degree or certificate requirements.

International students have unique needs and challenges, as many are in the U.S. for the first time and have never navigated the U.S. educational system before. Consider the below when working with international graduate students, both in an advising role and in the classroom.

• The below enrollment requirements apply to international graduate students as of spring 2023. Please consult with International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) with any questions or unique situations.
  • Must be enrolled in 9 credit hours per fall/spring term without a graduate assistantship, or 6 credit hours per fall/spring term with a graduate assistantship.
  • May only be enrolled in one online class per semester
  • May apply with ISSS for a reduced course load ONLY in the first or last semester
  • Withdrawals can create significant issues in satisfying enrollment requirements. Students should consult with ISSS prior to withdrawing from any course.
  • International students must maintain a physical presence on campus for the entire duration of each semester (excluding holidays and break periods) they are enrolled, including their final semester. If a student communicates that they plan to move out of the area during their final semester or travel for an extended period of time during fall/spring semesters, please refer them to ISSS to be advised by an immigration specialist.
• Be explicit about classroom expectations, as they are often not obvious to international students. Explain the function of a syllabus, explain how Blackboard works, explain what “office hours” mean and encourage them to engage with faculty. Continue to reinforce these ideas beyond initial orientation discussions.
• Explain and reinforce the operational definitions of plagiarism. Give examples of all actions considered plagiarism in the U.S. educational system, including use of online essays, use of AI writing tools, using the same paper in multiple courses, and collaboration with peers. Be clear about the consequences of any type of plagiarism.
• Utilize “intrusive advising” practices, particularly for new students. Proactively ask them how their transition is going, understanding that many students may feel homesick and be experiencing overwhelm and culture shock. Encourage engagement with the campus community, use of campus resources, and seeking support when needed.

• At the end of every semester, the Registrar’s Office sends a list of students in each program with cumulative graduate GPA below 3.0 to the GPD. If students have 15+ hours, the GPD is required to submit the online Academic Review Form to indicate retention or dismissal from the program. It is recommended to develop a retention plan even for those with <15 hours.
  
  
• It is expected that students are retained their first semester below a 3.0 and that a retention plan is developed to assist in their success in the majority of cases. Ideas include:
  • Check in regularly with instructors on progress
  • Submit report to GPD monthly with current grades in each course and review of progress
  • Utilize specific campus resources (Writing Center, ACCESS, Counseling Services, research assistance at Library, etc.)
  • Retake specific courses where a grade of C or lower was earned
• Dismissals require a justification and approval by Graduate School and are typically not approved after just one semester of attendance or one semester with a deficient GPA.
  
  
• Programs are encouraged to develop a thorough retention plan to allow students an opportunity to receive a warning and take action to improve their GPA. Conversely, it is not recommended to allow students to continue with below a 3.0 GPA for multiple semesters without demonstrating academic improvement.

• Credit earned in a post-baccalaureate certificate program may be used toward fulfillment of a master’s degree and does not need to be transferred; however, the degree completion time period and grade requirements still apply.
  
  
• A student may complete a second graduate degree by: (1) completing all of the requirements for the first degree; (2) applying to and being admitted to the second degree; and (3) completing no less than two-thirds of the total hours required for the second degree as approved by that program on a Graduate Student Request Form; and (4) completing all of the requirements for the second degree. The student may request to jointly satisfy both degrees' exit requirements with one committee and one exit requirement, however, both programs must provide approval for this option to be permitted. See Policy 1L12 for more information.
  
  
• A student who holds a master's degree from SIUE may complete a second degree and have it added to the official transcript, provided the department offering the second degree admits the student for this purpose. Course equivalencies from the former master's program amounting to no more than one-third of the total hours for a degree in the second major may be considered for application toward the second major program by completing a Graduate Student Request Form. See Policy 1L12 for more information.

• There are two University policies that focus on academic misconduct and plagiarism. The first, which covers all forms of academic misconduct (including plagiarism), is Policy 3C2, Student Academic Code. In addition, there is a stand-alone policy just on plagiarism, Policy 1I6.
  
  
• Faculty members have two basic roles under University policies:
  • Select and apply the appropriate sanctions for instances of academic misconduct which occur within their own classes.
  • Report incidents of intentional academic misconduct (including plagiarism) to the Coordinator for Policy—Office of the Provost by completing the Academic Misconduct Reporting Form online.
• Faculty Imposed Sanction:
  • When an instructor believes academic misconduct has occurred, University policy gives the instructor broad discretion to choose and apply one of the following sanctions:
    • “Teaching Moment”: Discuss the situation with the student and give them an opportunity to correct the problem. [University Policy 3C2, Section D]
    • “Fail the Assignment”: Failing grade for the assignment. Instructors who impose this sanction shall immediately notify, in writing, the student. [University Policy 3C2, Section D]
    • “Fail the Course”: Failing grade for the course. Instructors who impose this sanction shall immediately notify, in writing, the student. The instructor should also immediately notify the chair or coordinator, and the appropriate Dean. Instructors should also notify the Service Center immediately, in writing, of the action and specify that the students may not re‐enroll in any other section of the course for that term nor drop the course or change the registration to an audit. [University Policy 3C2, Section D]
      1. “Removal from Field Experience.” Removal from the field experience. Instructors who impose this sanction shall immediately notify, in writing, the student. [University Policy 3C2, Section D]
    • Critical Points:
      1. The instructor of record, not the Office of the Provost, determines which of the four sanctions described above is appropriate.
      2. Instructors must notify the students, in writing, of the sanction being imposed. (Email to official SIUE accounts is acceptable.)
      3. Students have rights, too. A student who contends the sanction to be inappropriate may grieve the imposition of the sanction in accordance with the Student Grievance Code, Policy 3C3.
      4. Instructors are required to report incidents of academic misconduct that are deemed to be “intentional” to the Coordinator for Policy, Office of the Provost.
         
         
  • All students reported to the Coordinator (Office of the Provost) are entered into an academic misconduct database. As new reports come in, these are checked against the database to determine if the student has multiple incidents or not.
    • First complaint: If this is a first complaint, then the following steps are taken:
      1. Student is sent a warning letter from the Office of the Provost, and the instructor is copied on this communication.
      2. Student’s name is entered into the academic misconduct database.
    • Subsequent complaints or multiple reports of Academic Misconduct:
      1. The Coordinator for Policy, on behalf of the University, initiates a “formal charge” of academic misconduct against student. 
      2. Formal charges of academic misconduct allow the University to apply sanctions that are above and beyond those available to individual faculty members. For example, suspending a student from the University, or even expulsion.
    • If you have any questions, please contact Tom Jordan, PhD, Coordinator for Policy, Ext. 3678, thjorda@siue.edu.

• Find more information on current tuition rates. A net price calculator and a tuition and fees estimator are also available.
• Information on scholarships and awards available to graduate students can be found on Scholarships and Awards.
• Graduate students may be eligible for student employment, loans, and grants to support their studies. For information, contact the Financial Aid Office.
• Students seeking graduate assistantships can apply per the posted instructions. Resources for the unit hiring the GA can be found at the Graduate School’s Hiring Unit Resources.
• GradSense.org is a comprehensive interactive online resource designed specifically to assist graduate students in planning for their financial futures.

Faculty members are strongly encouraged to utilize CARE Reports to refer students facing various challenges, including mental health concerns as well as basic needs insecurity including housing, food, transportation, childcare, medical care, technology needs, and other financial needs.

For students facing physical or mental health conditions that significantly impact their ability to function safely or effectively within the SIUE community, they may consider applying for a Medical Leave of Absence per Policy 3C16. For questions about this policy or procedure, students and faculty can reach out to the Dean of Students at deanofstudents@siue.edu.