Illinois State University is accredited through the doctoral level by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. In addition to this comprehensive accreditation, curricula in some of the colleges and departments are individually accredited by their respective associations.

Authenticity Confirmation

To test for authenticity, apply liquid bleach to the red print background. If authentic, the color will turn brown. When photocopied in color or on the darker settings of black and white copiers, the word COPY will appear several times in large letters. A black and white transcript is not an original. Alteration of the transcript is a criminal offense. Further authentication may be obtained by calling (309) 438‐2188.

Effective with the 1987 Summer Term, Illinois State University course work appears on a computer –generated transcript. Students who took course work prior to Summer 1987 may have either a computer‐generated transcript or a manual transcript. A computer‐generated transcript is printed on light red security paper, the University Official’s signature is printed in black and a raised seal is not required. A manual transcript is printed on light red security paper with the University seal and signature printed on the back. A raised seal is not required.

Course Numbers

100‐199 Lower division courses for freshmen and sophomores
200‐299 Upper division courses for juniors and seniors
300‐399 Courses for juniors, seniors and graduate students
400‐599 Graduate courses

E ‐ Extension, F ‐ Foreign Exchange, G or * ‐ Graduate Credit only, H ‐ Honors, M – Major or Minor, U or @ ‐ Undergraduate Credit only, X – Not for credit in a degree program

Credit

Each credit earned before September 1930 is equal to 2 ½ semester hours. Between September 1930 and September 1932, each credit is equal to 2 2/3 semester hours. Between September 1932 and September 1935, quarter hours were earned . Each quarter was 12 weeks in length and each quarter hour is equal to 2/3 of a semester hour. Prior to 1980, when the credit hours of a course are circled, the course was not used toward graduation.

Departmental Name/Course Prefix Changes

Industrial Technology (IT) became the Department of Technology (TEC)-July 1, 2002
Applied Computer Science (ACS) became the School of Information Technology (ITK)‐May 1, 2003
Effective January 18, 2011, the School of Information Technology's departmental abbreviation changed to (IT)
Department of Foreign Languages (FOR) became Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures (LAN)‐July 1, 2006
Women’s Studies (WS) became Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS)‐July 1, 2006
Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology (PAS) became Communication Sciences & Disorders (CSD)‐July 1, 2007
School of Theatre (THE) became School of Theatre and Dance (THD) - April 12, 2012
Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) became the School of Teaching and Learning (TCH)-January 14, 2013

As of these dates, all courses will be listed with the new prefixes regardless of the semester taken. The one exception will be on manual transcripts where the prefix in use during the semester will appear.

Grades

Before September 1935, numerical grades were given and 70 was the passing grade. Prior to Spring 1986, graduate grade‐point averages were not computed or printed. Current grades are in use are as follows:

A, B, C, D - Passing grades (A‐4.0, B‐3.0, C‐2.0, D‐1.0)
F & WF - Failing grades. No credit earned ‐ used in computing grade‐point average
WX, WP & W - Withdrawal without prejudice
AU - Auditor
CR - Credit earned for completed satisfactory work, passing
CT - Credit earned under CT/NC option
NC - No credit earned under CT/NC option or in competency‐based courses
I - Incomplete
DE - Deferred (Graduate level only)

Hours

Cumulative Transfer Hours is the number of transfer hours which may count toward the minimum graduation requirement of 120 hours. Transfer credit from two‐year colleges is limited to a maximum of 70 academic credit hours. Additional credit for military service is also possible. Maximum transfer hours applied is 90 semester hours.

Grand Total Earned Hours/Total Hours Earned include A, B, C, D, CR, CT and transfer hours for undergraduate students. For graduate students, it excludes courses with a grade of D or any courses numbered below 300. Effective Summer 1985, UGrad Total Hours Earned under the New Start policy will include all previous work in which credit was earned.

Placed Transfer Hours is the number of transfer hours considered for curricular requirements.

Undergraduate: Total accumulated GPA hours exclude graduate coursework, transfer hours or courses in which a grade of CR, CT or DE was assigned. Grades of F and WF are included except from Fall 1976 through Summer 1978 when WF grades were not included in the total hours or grade‐point average.

Graduate: Total accumulated GPA hours exclude undergraduate coursework, transfer hours or courses in which a grade of CR, CT or DE was assigned. Grades of F and WF are included except from Fall 1976 through Summer 1978 when WF grades were not included in the total hours or grade‐point average.

Mennonite College of Nursing

Illinois State University acquired Mennonite College of Nursing on July 1, 1999.

New Start Policy

Qualified students who left Illinois State University with less than a 2.0 cumulative grade‐point average may return and begin with a new cumulative grade‐point average calculated from the point of their re‐entry in limited situations. The program was initiated in Summer 1985 and affects only the cumulative grade‐point average. A student may exercise the New Start option only once.

Repeated Courses

A grade which has an R beside it was repeated and not used in computing the grade‐point average through Spring 1980. From Summer 1980 through Spring 2003, all grades earned in repeated courses are used in grade‐point calculation. Beginning with Summer 2003, the repeated grade replaces the original grade in computing the cumulative grade‐point average. However, approved third and subsequent repeat enrollments are averaged with the last graded attempt in computing the cumulative grade‐point average. As of Summer 2004, for all repeated courses, only the last graded attempt will be used to calculate the student’s grade‐point average.