Mar 28, 2024  
2013-2014 Graduate Catalog 
    
2013-2014 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Academic Policies: UH Law Center


Colleges  > UH Law Center  > Academic Policies: UH Law Center

 


Full-Time Students

Full-time students register for 14 semester hours in the fall and 16 semester hours in the spring of the first year. After the first year, they must take at least 12 hours each semester. Students will not be permitted to drop below the required course load or withdraw from a course during the first year without permission from the Law Center.

The maximum course load is 16 semester hours in the fall and spring, and no more than seven semester hours in a six-week summer session or twelve hours over the entire summer. Students must petition the Law Center to take more than the recommended number of hours, but students cannot take more than 18 hours.

Part-Time Students

Students employed more than 20 hours per week are considered part-time and may not take more than 10 semester hours in the fall and spring, or more than one course in each six week summer session, and no more than 7 hours total during both six week summer sessions. All part-time first-year students must register for courses as required by the degree plan; they will not be permitted to withdraw from courses during the first year without permission from the Law Center, which will be granted only under exceptional circumstances.

After the first year, part-time students may not drop below six semester hours in the fall and spring without permission from the Law Center. The dean will take notice of work-related hardships for part-time students.

Change of Classification

Students normally remain enrolled in the division in which they were initially admitted to the Law Center. Changes in classification must be requested in writing to the Law Center prior to registration for the semester in which the change is to take effect.

Minimum Load

During the first year, failure to complete the minimum number of hours during a semester will result in involuntary withdrawal from the Law Center unless permission is received from the Law Center. Students will not be permitted to enroll for additional courses, but may reapply for admission at a future date to be considered on the basis of standards in effect at that time.

A student who is withdrawn from a class by an instructor and falls below the minimum load will be withdrawn from all courses and subject to readmission as stated in the above paragraph.

Graduate Course Credit

After completing 45 semester hours of law school courses with an acceptable grade point average, a student may petition the Law Center to take up to 12 semester hours of graduate credit. Permission must be received prior to enrolling in graduate courses, and a grade of “C” or better is required. However, the grade will not be calculated into the student’s cumulative grade point average.

Other Law School Credit

After completing the first year, a student may request permission from the Law Center to take up to 30 semester hours of credit at another approved law school. A grade of “C” or above is required and only the hours, not the grade, will be noted on the student’s permanent record.

Class Standing Information

The Law Center does not publish class standings. Instead, a percentile ranking is provided based on entering class year so individual students may determine their general position within the group of students with whom they entered the Law Center. A final individual class rank may be obtained only after graduating.

Good Standing and Academic Suspension

1. Effective for classes entering prior to May 2006 - Good Standing and Academic Suspension:

Students must have a cumulative grade point average of 1.67 after 20 hours of coursework, a 1.84 after 40 hours of work and a 2.00 after 60 hours of work in order to remain enrolled at the Law Center. These requirements are based on hours attempted, rather than hours passed.

Upon a student’s academic suspension, the student is administratively withdrawn, if currently enrolled, and will not receive a tuition refund. (Thus, if a student enrolls in a subsequent semester prior to the posting of grades, once grades are posted the suspended student will be administratively withdrawn. The Law Center will be unable to obtain a tuition refund for the student.)

2. Effective for classes entering May 2006 and thereafter - Good Standing and Academic Suspension:

To be eligible to continue at UHLC in good standing, a student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 at the completion of each semester or summer session. Any student on probation will have one semester to raise the cumulative GPA to the required 2.5 or be dismissed for academic deficiency.

A student will be placed on academic probation if the cumulative GPA falls below 2.5.

If a student is enrolled in the part-time program, the student will be placed on academic probation if:

  1. After completing the first summer semesters and fall semester the cumulative GPA falls below 2.5;
  2. After completing the first spring semester and the second summer semesters, the GPA falls below 2.5;
  3. Beginning in the third long semester, if the cumulative GPA falls below 2.5.

While on academic probation a student may not do the following:

  1. Hold a leadership role within student organizations (or significant role, i.e., President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer);
  2. Participate in Externships, Judicial Clerkships or Clinics;
  3. Participate in Moot Court or Mock Trial teams;
  4. Engage in employment without permission;
  5. Take graduate courses outside of the UHLC;
  6. Take courses Pass/Fail;
  7. Receive permission to visit other Universities;
  8. Register for more than 13 credit hours without permission; or
  9. Serve as an Academic Enrichment Program tutor.

While on probation a student must do the following:

  1. Have his/her proposed schedule approved by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs (or a delegate) prior to registering;
  2. First year students must participate in the second semester of the Academic Enrichment Program.

Removal from academic probation:

To be removed from academic probation the student must raise his/her cumulative GPA to a 2.5 by the following semester.

During the first year part-time students will be evaluated after completing the first summer semesters and first fall, then again after completing the first spring and the second summer semesters. Thereafter, they will be evaluated each semester.

Academic Dismissal

A student will be academically dismissed if s/he fails to meet a 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA following the probationary semester.

Academic Warning

A student on academic probation is subject to the conditions set forth above. A student who is not on academic probation, but

  1. who has a cumulative GPA of less than 2.7 at the end of the first year and any semester thereafter, or
  2. the semester GPA falls below 2.5 (notwithstanding the cumulative GPA); is subject to the following:
    1. Must have his/her proposed schedule approved by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs (or a delegate) prior to registering;
    2. May not engage in employment without permission; and
    3. May not take graduate courses outside of the UHLC.
    4. Readmission:

All academically dismissed students have the right to apply for readmission to the Law Center.

Such applications will be acted upon by the Executive Committee. Petitions for Readmission should be submitted to the Office of Student Services.

Academically dismissed students may be readmitted only upon showing substantial likelihood of satisfactory completion of the curriculum. The following are examples of bases for readmission which may be favorably considered:

  1. resolution of a family crisis;
  2. resolution of a financial crisis;
  3. completion of course(s) that might assist academic performance in law school; or
  4. overcoming a serious illness.

The Executive Committee has the discretion to readmit a student on stated conditions, including the condition that the student starts over again. The previous grades are changed to a Withdrawal (“W”), but previous enrollment will remain on the student’s permanent record.

A readmitted student whose grades subsequently fall below the academic probation minimum prescribed above will be dismissed from the Law Center with no opportunity for readmission

Readmission:

All academically dismissed students have the right to apply for readmission to the Law Center.

Such applications will be acted upon by the Executive Committee. Petitions for Readmission should be submitted to the Office of Student Services.

Academically dismissed students may be readmitted only upon showing substantial likelihood of satisfactory completion of the curriculum. The following are examples of bases for readmission which may be favorably considered:

  1. resolution of a family crisis;
  2. resolution of a financial crisis;
  3. completion of course(s) that might assist academic performance in law school; or
  4. overcoming a serious illness.

The Executive Committee has the discretion to readmit a student on stated conditions, including the condition that the student starts over again. The previous grades are changed to a Withdrawal (“W”), but previous enrollment will remain on the student’s permanent record.

A readmitted student whose grades subsequently fall below the academic probation minimum prescribed above will be dismissed from the Law Center with no opportunity for readmission.

Attendance and Absences

The Law Center has a minimum 80 percent attendance policy for students. Any student who attends fewer than the minimum percentage of classes may be dropped automatically from class. Faculty members are free to impose stricter attendance standards. Faculty members may consider those who come in late or leave early as absent, or in the interest of avoiding distraction for others, may decline to let a late student attend that day.

Full-time students may not average more than 20 hours of work per week during the fall and spring semesters. Students who must work to finance their education should consider enrolling part-time.

Electives

Because the practice of law consists of diverse types of activities, the Law Center maintains a program of electives available for second- and third-year students. Students are encouraged to select elective courses in a manner that will provide both depth of exposure in fields of special interest and also provide general exposure to diverse areas of law.

Academic Honesty

Students will be governed by the Law Center’s Academic Honesty Policy Honor Code (PDF).

3. Effective for classes entering August 2010 and after - Good Standing and Academic Suspension:

To be eligible to continue at UHLC in good standing, a student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.33 or above at the completion of each semester or summer session. A student on probation will be permitted to continue without an appeal according to the guidelines below:

  • A student whose cumulative GPA is at least 2.167 after 30 hours; or
  • A student whose cumulative GPA is at least 2.25 after 45 hours.
  • If a student’s cumulative GPA does not fall within the guidelines above s/he will be subject to academic dismissal. If s/he wishes to continue at UHLC, s/he must appeal to the Executive

While on academic probation students may not do the following:

  1. Hold a leadership role within student organizations (or significant role, i.e. President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer);
  2. Participate in Externships, Judicial Clerkships, or Clinics;
  3. Participate in Moot Court or Mock Trial teams;
  4. Engage in employment without permission;
  5. Take graduate courses outside of the UHLC;
  6. Take courses Pass/Fail;
  7. Receive permission to visit other Universities;
  8. Register for more than 13 credit hours without permission; or
  9. Serve as an Academic Enrichment Program tutor.

While on probation a student must do the following:

  1. Have his/her proposed schedule approved by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs (or a delegate) prior to registering;
  2. Must participate in any academic support programs being offered by student services.
  3. Meet with professors to discuss exams.

Committee, as provided below.

Removal from academic probation:

To be removed from academic probation the student must raise his/her cumulative GPA to a 2.330 by the following semester.

Academic Dismissal

A student will be academically dismissed if s/he fails to maintain a cumulative GPA at or above the guidelines referred to above.

Readmission

All first-time academically dismissed students have the right to apply for readmission to the Law Center. Such applications will be acted upon by the Executive Committee. Petitions for Readmission should be submitted to the Office of Student Services.

First-time academically dismissed students may be readmitted only upon showing substantial likelihood of satisfactory completion of the curriculum. The following are examples of bases for readmission which may be favorably considered:

  1. resolution of a family crisis;
  2. resolution of a financial crisis;
  3. completion of course(s) that might assist academic performance in law school; or
  4. overcoming a serious illness.

The Executive Committee has the discretion to readmit a student on stated conditions, including the condition that the student starts over again. The previous grades are changed to a Withdrawal (“W”), but previous enrollment will remain on the student’s permanent record. A readmitted student whose grades subsequently fall below the academic probation minimum prescribed above will be dismissed from the Law Center with no opportunity for readmission.

At Risk Students

In efforts to improve our student performance on the bar, students with GPAs below 2.7 after the completion of the first year will be:

  1. Individually counseled on steps that can help students pass the bar exam, including recommendation not to work during bar study and to participate in an outside bar review course
  2. An in-house bar preparation program will be designed and students will be highly encouraged to participate during their third year.

 

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