Admissions

1. Principles and Purposes

Woodbridge N. Ferris founded Ferris Industrial School in 1884 on three basic educational principles; which are still a part of the University’s philosophy today. These ideas are that:

1. Higher education should be available to anyone wishing to profit from it;
2. Students should be counseled so they can be helped to make the most of their abilities;
3. While college admission should pose few obstacles to students, the institution should not compromise the quality of work it expects once the student is enrolled.

In keeping with this philosophy, the University is dedicated to educating the student who possesses the academic preparedness to learn. The purpose of its educational programs is to prepare a student with the skills needed for a chosen occupation or profession and to help fulfill career objectives. The University also seeks, through its educational programs, applied research, and expertise, to support and strengthen the economy of Michigan and the nation.

2. Admissions Policy - General
   1. The University has an admissions policy which, within the limits of its resources, allows applicants, including some who need additional preparation, the advantage of being able to achieve a university education. This policy is backed by the University’s commitment to provide students the opportunity for a successful experience by offering provisional admission and making developmental classes available.
   2. Aimed at serving a diverse student population, the admissions policy grants University admission to an applicant who has graduated from an accredited high school or is 18 years of age or older and has passed the GED examination, subject to the limitations described below. To be considered for admission, an applicant below the age of 18 who has passed the GED test, but has not completed high school, must have the recommendation of a high school and the approval of a parent or guardian. These latter requirements are waived for a student with an “emancipated” legal status, giving full adult legal rights and responsibilities, or for the student whose application is filed after the graduation date of the high school class of which the student would normally have been a part.
   3. Admission to the University does not guarantee admission to individual programs, many of which have additional entry requirements. Acceptance in a particular program is based upon an individual’s qualifications. In most instances where enrollment demand for an undergraduate program exceeds capacity, the date on which the University receives the paid application of a qualified applicant serves as the determining factor for admission to the program. Programs have separate admission criteria and application deadlines.

Note: Applicants should refer to the Academic Program section in the University Catalog or contact the Office of Admissions for information regarding specific requirements, admissions criteria and application deadlines for individual programs.

4. Under some circumstances, admission decisions may also involve other considerations. An applicant, particularly a non-traditional student, may have acquired competencies beyond those reflected in the high school grade point average, ACT scores, or previous college level work. For that reason, consistent with the University’s role and mission, an applicant may be admitted on the basis of an assessment of the skills and knowledge the applicant may have acquired outside the traditional educational setting. The University will also consider the criminal, juvenile and disciplinary history of the applicant and the University reserves the right to deny admission based on those considerations.
5. The University reserves the right to deny admission to an applicant who, in the judgment of the admissions staff, is not prepared to benefit from the course of study offered. An applicant denied admission may appeal to the Admissions Review Committee by submitting to the Dean of Enrollment Services a letter requesting reconsideration. The decision to admit or to uphold denial of admission will be based on the individual merits of each case and will be presented to the applicant, in writing, within seven (7) working days of the date of receipt of the appeal, whenever possible.
6. In most undergraduate programs, a student may enter the University at the beginning of any regular enrollment period: Fall, Winter, or Summer Semester. However, the University cannot guarantee completion of the admissions process in time for enrollment unless the application is received at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the desired semester. Even though the normal application deadline for on-campus associate degree or bachelor’s degree program admission is 30 days prior to the first day of classes for the semester, the University reserves the right to establish earlier application dates, by program or University-wide, as necessary.

Note:

A graduate and first professional degree applicant should refer to the appropriate section of the University Catalog and contact the Office of Admissions for specific application deadlines.

7. Admission and enrollment are privileges bearing certain responsibilities. The University reserves to itself, and the student concedes to the University, the right to cancel admission and/or enrollment and to require withdrawal whenever evidence indicates the student has not satisfied the University’s established standards of scholarship or conduct.
8. All Ferris State University admissions applications shall require applicants to provide information about their prior criminal conviction record, pending criminal charges, juvenile determinations of delinquency, and disciplinary records from other universities or secondary schools. Admission may properly be denied or revoked based upon a review of prior criminal, juvenile or disciplinary actions of the applicant. Failure to accurately and completely provide this information may result in denial of admission, revocation of admission, or discipline, up to and including permanent dismissal from the University.

A committee of appropriate University officials shall develop and implement a procedure for making admissions decisions regarding applicants who provide information regarding prior criminal records, pending criminal charges, juvenile determinations and relevant disciplinary actions.

3. Admissions Policy – First-Year Students
   1. The First-Year Student Admissions Policy pertains to an applicant who has not attended any college or university, and may apply to an applicant who has successfully completed fewer than 30 semester credits or fewer than 45 quarter credits of college level work.
   2. An application may be submitted only after completion of the junior year of high school.
   3. A First-Year Student applicant is admitted to the University and considered in good standing if they have either an ACT composite score of 17, SAT combined score of at least 820, or a high school grade point average of 2.5 as determined by the University. Please note that some academic programs have additional admission requirements. Consequently, an applicant should refer to the appropriate academic program section in the University Catalog and/or consult the Office of Admissions.
   4. An applicant who does not meet the minimums for admission in good standing may nevertheless be considered for conditional admission to any of the University’s programs, University College or Directed Studies.
   5. The ACT composite requirement shall not apply to international students and nontraditional students aged 23 and older.
4. Admissions Policy – Transfer Students (General)

Students transferring to the University from other institutions of higher education may be granted transfer credit, subject to the following criteria:

1. If the University has an institutional articulation agreement with the student’s prior institution, that agreement governs the student’s transfer determination if covered by the articulation agreement. Otherwise, the student’s transfer determination is governed by individual course equivalency evaluations and the University’s transfer policies or as determined by the University in its sole discretion.
2. Institutional articulation agreements will focus on conditions for accepting students (with specific degrees and GPA’s) and transferring them into the University’s programs, not determining course-by-course equivalencies.
3. Credits are considered for transfer upon presentation of official evidence of completion (e.g., official transcripts, DD214, etc.)
4. College-level course work taken at a regionally accredited institution is transferable to the University. An applicant with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher is admissible, and the University accepts transfer courses in which the student earned a grade of “pass,” “credit,” or a letter grade of “C” or better. An applicant with a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 may be admitted in the sole discretion of the University. Individual University colleges or programs, however, may have more stringent program-specific requirements for a GPA in courses that are related to the major emphasis within a program area, a program core, a minor, and/or established prerequisites to University courses.
   Consistent with program progression policies, identified required courses with earned grades below a “C” (2.0) may need to be repeated even though transfer credit has been granted. All references to 2.0 GPA are on a 4.0 scale.
5. Additional information concerning the transferability of college credit is included in the sections of the catalog which describe the degree programs offered through a specific University college. Under special circumstances after twelve (12) semester credits of work at the University have been successfully completed, the appropriate college dean’s office may accept course work from institutions which are not regionally accredited, according to the guidelines of this subpart.
6. Credit may be granted for military training courses, group study, or correspondence work if the course(s) or other work is recommended for credit by the American Council on Education or approved through the appropriate Ferris Competency Assessment Process. Credits earned through any form of Competency Assessment will be considered valid for five years after the credits have been earned. After five years, competency assessments may need to be retaken.
7. Credits from transferred course work are recorded on the University transcript, but do not count toward the University cumulative GPA or academic honors computation.

5. Admissions Policy – Transfer Students (MACRAO)

The Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (MACRAO) Agreement applies to students entering bachelor’s degree programs only, as follows:

1. Transfer determinations made with respect to students who transfer to the University from a Michigan community college with a MACRAO-stamped Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree are governed by the provisions of the University’s MACRAO Articulation Agreement then in effect, including the limitations, provisos and exceptions contained therein.
2. The University may, in its sole discretion, elect to make transfer determinations with respect to students who transfer to the University from a Michigan community college with an Associate of Applied Arts (A.A.A.) degree or an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree, and whose pre-transfer curriculum fulfills all of the general education requirements established for a MACRAO-stamped Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree or Associate in Science (A.S.) degree, in accordance with the provisions of the University’s MACRAO Articulation Agreement then in effect, including the limitations, provisos and exceptions contained therein.
3. Transfer determinations as to lower division general education requirements, when made with respect to students who transfer to the University from a Michigan community college with a MACRAO-stamped transcript but who do not possess an associate degree, are governed by the provisions of the University’s MACRAO Articulation Agreement then in effect, including the limitations, provisos and exceptions contained therein.

6. Admissions Policy – Former Students
   1. A student formerly enrolled at the University must file a readmission application if an interruption in enrollment has occurred. An interruption in enrollment occurs whenever a student withdraws from the University or fails to enroll for a succeeding semester, not including the summer semester. Admission consideration of a reentering student’s academic standing is based on all courses attempted at the University and at other colleges and universities attended. An applicant must meet the same academic requirements expected of new applicants, or obtain special admission permission from the Dean of the College where admission is sought.
   2. Depending on individual circumstances, certain other conditions may apply to the readmission process. If a student seeking readmission has attended another college or university since leaving the University, an official transcript from that institution must be submitted as part of the readmission application. If during a previous enrollment the student was suspended or dismissed from the University or disciplinary proceedings are pending, the student is subject to the criteria and standards of the program where admission is sought. If the student returns to the University after an interrupted enrollment (not including the summer semester), normally the requirements of the curriculum which are in force at the time of the return must be met, not the requirements which were in effect when the student was originally admitted.
   3. An application for readmission, though not required to submit the Application Processing Fee, is subject to the same application deadlines as a new student applicant, except when the Office of Admissions determines that an exemption from such deadlines is in the best interests of the University’s overall enrollment plan.
7. Transfer Students - Course and Transcript Evaluation
   1. Transcripts of transfer students are evaluated by the Dean’s office of the college in which the student enrolls.
   2. Transfer course equivalency evaluations are determined by the University department with comparable course work as indicated by the University course designator. These evaluations represent an institutional determination and will not be independently reconsidered by each University college. Accordingly, if a transfer student enters the University and then changes program and college, the initial transfer course equivalent determination is not changed.
   3. Course evaluations allow equivalency determination where courses are at least 75% of the same content. Course equivalency is not to be denied simply on the basis of differences in course numbering. For instance, a community college adolescent psychology course at the 200 level is not to be denied equivalency for a 300-level University adolescent psychology course, if the two courses are substantially the same in content.
   4. In those cases where specific course equivalencies are not transferred, prerequisite course requirements may be waived and the course equivalency granted when the transfer student completes the next course in a sequence with a grade of “C” or better, demonstrating prior preparation, equivalent to preceding courses in the sequence. Failure to achieve a grade of “C” or better in the latter course indicates that the student needs to take the appropriate University prerequisite course.
   5. Course sequences or clusters may be evaluated for University course equivalency as an entirety rather than on a course-by-course basis. For example, when a community college “packages” its course sequence differently but covers substantially the same content as the University course sequence, the entire sequence of transfer courses may be evaluated as a whole, rather than course by course.
8. Transfer Students - Credits in Residence Policy
   1. To fulfill the residency requirement for a bachelor’s degree, a student must earn a minimum of thirty semester credit hours from the University. To fulfill the residency requirement for an associate degree, a student must earn a minimum of fifteen semester credit hours from the University. The University expects that these hours are the final credits earned for the degree.
   2. It is expected that a maximum of one-half of the total hours required for completion of the degree at the University may be transferred from non-bachelor degree granting institutions. An exception is made for institutions which have articulation agreements with the University. In such case, additional lower-division courses which are required for a bachelor’s degree from the University may be transferred.
   3. Approved off-campus degree programs may be exempted from portions of this section. The dean’s office of the appropriate University College should be consulted for specific requirements.

Cross Reference:

Board policy, Subpart 3-3, Admissions Policy

Issue Date: 10/01/2004    Revision Date:05/01/2011

Policy No. 04:7

Office of Academic Affairs | 1201 S. State St. | Big Rapids, MI 49307
Phone: (231) 591-2300 | Fax: (231) 591-3592 | www.ferris.edu