Academics > Continuing Education and Academic Outreach > Distance Learning > Correspondence Courses > Policies and Procedures
Policies and Procedures
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Enrollment Requirements
Correspondence courses are only available to students in the United States of America and U.S. territories. Each student desiring to earn credit by correspondence study assumes full responsibility for determining if these courses will fulfill the requirements for their degree or certificate and are solely responsible for all payments.. If you have questions, check with your academic advisor before enrolling.
The credit hours assigned to a correspondence course will be considered in determining the total semester hours of a MSU resident student. Credit earned by correspondence study will be credited to the term in which the course is enrolled. A Correspondence Course cannot be used to repeat a non-correspondence course where a grade has already been given. On the application the student must state whether he/she is or is not currently enrolled in residence, correspondence, or extended campus study at MSU or any other institution; otherwise, credit is jeopardized. A student will be allowed to receive credit for a maximum of six hours each semester, or 12 hours during the regular academic year of nine months, or 16 hours within a calendar year through correspondence study.
Special Regulations A maximum of 32 semester hours of requirements for a baccalaureate degree from Murray State may be earned by correspondence study. A student who has 96 semester hours of credit shall be eligible to complete no more than 12 semester hours by correspondence and/or transfer. Courses taken by correspondence study are normally not acceptable as part of the major or minor. Students desiring to take a correspondence study course in their major or minor field must obtain written permission from the department chair.
Procedures
A student who desires to enroll in a correspondence course should use the application provided. The application should be mailed to the address listed. Once the application has been processed, the student will receive information on how to add the class using their myGate account. Once the student has officially added the class, the course outlines and lessons will be mailed to the student to the address listed on the application. The student purchases the necessary books and materials and begins work. Lessons are mailed to Murray State’s Center for Continuing Education and Academic Outreach where they will be logged and forwarded to the instructor for grading. Graded lessons are returned to the student. The instructor reserves the right to have any paper reworked. There is a two-week time allowance for instructors to grade papers and finals. Each student is provided detailed instructions regarding procedures and practices of the correspondence study program when course materials are sent.
Beginning/Term Dates
FALL TERM August 1-November 30
SPRING TERM December 1-April 30
SUMMER TERM May 1-July 31
The beginning date for a correspondence study course is the date of enrollment using myGate. Your class will be attached to the term in which you enroll. A student may enroll for a course any time during the calendar year. The course must be completed within 52 WEEKS from the date of enrollment. Murray State students who anticipate a graduation date within a year from the date he/she enrolls in a correspondence course need to contact the Graduation Office at 800-272-4MSU. It is his/her responsibility to inquire about possible Graduation Office deadlines to complete the course that may occur before the deadlines set by the Continuing Education/Academic Outreach Office.
Payment
The cost for correspondence courses is $274 per credit hour for the 2011-2012 academic year. You can mail payment by personal check or money order made to Murray State University with your application or you can pay by credit card or electronic check on your myGate account after you have registered for the class. Payment in full MUST be received before the lesson packet will be mailed to the student.
Financial Aid
Murray State University students wishing to use Financial Aid to pay for a Correspondence Course MUST contact Tammy Thompson at 270-809-5056 or tammyg.thompson@murraystate.edu for further instructions before they submit their application.
Withdrawal/Refunds
Partial refunds are granted if withdrawal request is received in writing within six weeks from the date of enrollment. No refund will be made after six weeks from the date of enrollment. For questions regarding our withdrawal/refund policy, please email msu.correspondencecourses@murraystate.edu.
Materials
All texts and instructional materials are furnished by the student. Textbook information will be mailed along with lesson assignments for each course. Most texts may be purchased directly from the publishing companies or the Murray State University Store. Used books are sometimes available at the MSU Store. You are encouraged to call them at (270) 809-4388 or 1-800-749-8580. Phone orders may be paid for with a credit card and books will be shipped directly to you.
Course Numbering
The numbers used to identify courses are as follows:
001-089 Special category post-secondary
090-299 Lower-division undergraduate
300-499 Upper-division undergraduate
500-599 Upper-division undergraduate courses or graduate courses (require at least a junior classification)
Course Completion Time
The minimum completion time is as follows:
2 semester hours completed in not less than four weeks
3 semester hours completed in not less than five weeks
4 semester hours completed in not less than eight weeks
5 semester hours completed in not less than nine weeks
6 semester hours completed in not less than ten weeks
Students wishing to complete a correspondence course in less than the minimum allowable time must have written approval from the instructor and the CEAO Dean on their application.
Students are given 52 weeks from the date of enrollment for the completion of a course. Extensions of three months and six months are considered on an individual basis. Requests for extension should be made in writing to the CE/AO Distance Learning Specialist.
Course Grade Information
A student who enrolls and completes a correspondence course within one term will have their final grade applied to their myGate account. If the course is not completed in the same term as it was enrolled, the student will receive an In Progress (IP) until the course is completed. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm that this will not interfere with any financial aid/grant/scholarship monies they are receiving. Once the class is completed, the final grade for the class will be added to the student’s transcript for the semester in which the course was enrolled. If the student fails to complete the course by the expiration date, the student will receive an E on their transcript.
Final Examination Procedures
A final examination is required at the completion of all of the courses and must be taken within 30 days from the time the last lesson is completed. The final exam counts at least 60% of the course grade. Applications for final exams should be received in the CE/AO office at least one week prior to the requested date of examination. If you plan to take the exam on campus, in our office, call 270-809-5056 to set up a time and date. The examination can be given any weekday between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., depending upon availability. These hours are specified so the student will have time to complete the examination before MSU closing hours. For students who cannot come to the MSU campus, arrangements may be made with an employee/instructor at your local community college, learning center, public school, or other college or university to proctor the examination. A family member can NOT proctor an exam.
The date of successful completion of the course will be the date the final examination paper is received in the CE/AO Office. If credit is needed by a certain time, the student should plan far enough ahead so that the course can be completed according to the rules and regulations of CE/AO. There is a two-week time allowance for instructors to grade papers and finals.
As a student completes a course, his/her record will be sent to Murray State's Admission and Registrar's Office. A notice of completion of the course with the final grade will be mailed to the student. If a student wants credit transferred, he/she should go to www.murraystate.edu/Academics/RegistrarsOffice/Transcripts to read the information and to download the request form. You can also reach the Admissions and Registrar’s Office at 270-809-3741 or 1-800-272-4678 ext. 2. Results of the work done through Continuing Education will be recorded in the Admissions and Registrar's Office as follows:
A - Exceptionally high quality, valued at four points per credit
B - Good, valued at three points per credit
C - Satisfactory, valued at two points per credit
D - Poor, valued at one point per credit
E - Failure, no credit, valued at no points but counted as hours attempted
Academic Honesty
As stated in MSU 2009-2011 Undergraduate Bulletin (p. 9), the Policy on Academic Honesty is:
Cheating, plagiarism (submitting another person's material as one's own), or doing work for another person which will received academic credit are all impermissible. This includes the use of unauthorized books, notebooks, or other sources in order to secure or give help during and examination, the unauthorized copying of examinations, assignments, reports, or term papers, or the presentation of unacknowledged material as if it were the student's own work. Disciplinary action may be taken beyond the academic discipline administered by the faculty member who teaches the course in which the cheating took place.
Note: Faculty reserve the right to invalidate any examination or other evaluative measures if substantial evidence exists that the integrity of the examination has been compromised.
In addition, the Center for Continuing Education reserves the right to assemble a committee made of three administrative staff representing CEAO, the faculty member who teaches the course, and the departmental chair from which the course originates. The purpose of the committee would be to determine if substantial evidence exists that the integrity of an examination or other evaluative measure has been compromised.