This fall, new academic regulations went into effect, which updated guidelines on repeating courses and credential overlap.<\/p>\n
At the end of August, the Office of the Provost <\/a>issued new academic regulations<\/a> for all students at Pitt. The regulations highlight new directives for student course and credit evaluations \u2014 with a new credential overlap policy, students can have an unlimited overlap of credits between a major and certificate, and fewer credits are needed to complete a double degree from two different schools within Pitt. Additional areas affected by the new regulations include advanced standing credits \u2014 credits from an outside institution put towards a degree at Pitt \u2014 and definitions of online and hybrid education.<\/p>\n The former course repeat policy<\/a> stated that students could attempt a single class up to three times \u2014 something that has not changed with the new policy. However, some grading systems have adjusted.<\/p>\n Previously, NG grades<\/a> \u2014 a no-credit grade given when a student does not complete all the assigned classwork due to extenuating circumstances \u2014 and withdrawals would appear on transcripts, but they would not be identified as a course repeat. Now, under the newly passed regulations<\/a>, NG grades and withdrawals count as course repeat attempts.\u00a0<\/p>\n The only grade that doesn\u2019t count as an attempt is a resignation \u2014 which occurs when a student withdraws from all enrolled classes for the semester. If a student resigns for the semester, they are still able to register for classes the next term.<\/p>\n According to Adam Lee, vice provost for undergraduate studies, the new course repeat policy will be applied starting this fall. However, NG grades and withdrawals dated before this semester will not be affected.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe tend to make [policies] effective for everybody at the same time, and that might lead to some implementation hiccups that need to be handled through exceptions,\u201d Lee said. \u201cFor the most part, program changes you face are based on when students start a program.\u201d<\/p>\n The new academic regulations also include a policy about credential overlap<\/a>. In the new policy, the number of required credits for double majors from two different schools may decrease. Instead of completing 150 total credits, students pursuing two different types of degrees now only need to meet the credit requirements to satisfy both degrees, according to Lee. The requirement of 150 credits still applies to double degrees within the same school.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to satisfy the requirements for both degrees, but there\u2019s not a requirement of needing to take additional credits [just to meet 150],\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n The new policy also allows students to have unlimited credential overlap between a major and a certificate. Previously, students could only overlap two classes between a major and a certificate.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Lee, the new policy was put in place to prioritize student learning.<\/p>\n \u201cThe philosophy behind that change was to focus on student learning outcomes,\u201d Lee said. \u201cIf a course satisfies an outcome, it should be applied wherever it can. If [a student is] taking two credentials and the same course helps [them] make progress, we should lean into that.\u201d<\/p>\n Redefinitions for advanced standing credits<\/a> are also included in the new academic regulations. Advanced standing credits include transfer credit, standardized tests, credit by course examination and educational experiences in the armed services. The new academic regulations state<\/a> that the initial acceptance of advanced standing credits doesn\u2019t necessarily mean they will satisfy specific degree requirements.\u00a0<\/p>\n The details on what counts as an advanced standing credit are unclear, according to some advisers \u2014 including Meredith Guthrie, the director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Communication<\/a> and an undergraduate adviser.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are some rules that are way more nebulous about transfer credits,\u201d Guthrie said. \u201cThey redefine what counts as an online class or distance learning. Those are going to become more relevant later when they have more details for us \u2026 but they weren\u2019t able to give us a lot of detail [yet].\u201d<\/p>\n The new academic regulations also include definitions for distance education<\/a>. Education that uses one or more technologies to deliver instruction to students who are separated from their course instructor is the core of Pitt\u2019s distance education definition, which is directly in line with the Federal Academic Regulations<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n With the national expansion of online programs<\/a>, Pitt is similarly advancing their digital education programs, according to Lee. In 2024, Pitt EDGE <\/a>\u2014 the new University Center for Excellence in Digital Education \u2014 was formed to \u201cdevelop, advance and promote<\/a>\u201d Pitt\u2019s educational efforts in the digital space.\u200b<\/p>\n \u201cPitt EDGE is going to support the development and implementation of the online and hybrid program,\u201d Lee said. \u201cThere\u2019s a national trend that there\u2019s a market for online education, and we want to make sure that we\u2019re thoughtful and intentional on how we engage with it.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2026, Pitt will be launching its first fully online undergraduate degree<\/a> in Health Informatics and Artificial Intelligence.\u00a0<\/p>\n Development of the new academic regulations began in the 2023-24 school year and underwent revisions in the 2024-25 school year. Subgroups for development were formed from members of PACUP<\/a>, the Provost Advisory Council on Undergraduate Programs, and UCGS<\/a>, the University Council on Graduate Studies.<\/p>\n \u201cEach subgroup was asked to benchmark against our peer institutions and make recommendations on how we think revisions should look,\u201d Lee said. \u201cIt included student representatives and also brought in folks from places like the Office of the Registrar<\/a> to weigh in where appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n Alongside the regulations put into place this semester, two more will be implemented next fall.<\/p>\n \u201cOne [regulation] looks at academic standing<\/a>, and one looks at incomplete grades<\/a>,\u201d Lee said. \u201cBoth of those had changes that were substantial enough and impact the enrollment system that we wanted to take some additional time to get that out there and actually build up the implementation.\u201d<\/p>\n With class planning for next semester underway, Guthrie sees these new regulations as a positive change and has yet to face any outstanding issues with them in context to her students.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c[The regulations have] all been positive,\u201d Guthrie said. \u201cSome certificates are going to see a real bump in popularity with [communication rhetoric] majors because they use so many communication classes. I\u2019m sure that there will be certificates that become popular within other majors too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This fall, new academic regulations went into effect, which updated guidelines on repeating courses and credential overlap. 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