General Academic Information
Course Numbering System
The alpha characters of a course number indicate the department or subject of study, the first numeric character indicates the academic level of the course:
- 100-499 Undergraduate Courses
- 5000-6999 Masters Courses
- 7000-7499 Advanced Master's Courses
- 7500-8999 Advanced Master's Courses or Doctoral Courses
- 9000-9999 Doctoral Courses
Academic Year and Semester Hour of Credit
The regular academic year is divided into two semesters of fifteen weeks each including the examination period. A semester hour of credit represents one class period (fifty minutes) per week, with two hours of preparation for each class period. During May term, semester hour credits are based on the same number of instructional hours as the regular school year.
Like the traditional college, adult undergraduate courses (both face-to-face and online) operate within a semester system. These courses are divided into six units each, and their learning outcomes are the same as those in the traditional college.
TIU Credit Hour Policy
A credit/semester hour is an amount of work represented by specific learning outcomes and is verified by evidence of student achievement that is an established institutional policy that reasonably approximates not less than
- one hour (not fewer than 50 minutes) of in-class or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester hour of credit. This accounts for approximately 700 minutes of in-class or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of 1,400 minutes of out-of-class student work for a total of approximately 2,100 minutes for one semester hour of credit; or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
- at least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other activities as established by TIU, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.
Grading
The following descriptions provide some guidance to the use of grades at Trinity. These descriptions are not precise and should not to be confused with the precision of grade point averages (GPAs), which reflect levels of program progress. GPAs for candidacy, graduation, and honors are stipulated by program and are noted under each program in the Catalog.
“A” : outstanding work—superior achievement of course objectives.
“B” : good work—commendable achievement of course objectives.
“C” : acceptable work—satisfactory achievement of course objectives.
“D” : minimal work—marginal achievement of course objectives.
“F” : failure—unacceptable work. “F” is also assigned when a course is dropped after 50 percent course meetings.
The following grade points are assigned to letter grades:
| A | 4.0 |
| A- | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B- | 2.7 |
| C+ | 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 |
| C- | 1.7 |
| D+ | 1.3 |
| D | 1.0 |
| D- | 0.7 |
| F | 0.0 |
Technology and Students
Classrooms are equipped with appropriate instructional technology. Students are given MyTIU password information and a Trinity e-mail account upon receipt of the tuition deposit in the admissions process and are expected to become familiar with and use their computer skills as part of the academic and student process. Education in the twenty-first century demands technology skills, including the use of a computer for course assignments.
Transcripts and Records
Admissions documents are retained for an accepted student who does not enroll for two years and for those who enroll for a period of five years beyond the date of last attendance.
Academic records are retained permanently. Official transcripts bear the seal of the school and are distributed in a sealed envelope. They may be requested from the Records Office by presentation of the Transcript Request Form or a signed letter and will be sent directly to the student, to an institution upon request, or may be picked up in the Records Office. Unofficial transcripts are also available and may be faxed.
Allow seven business days for completion of transcript requests. Transcripts are not issued for students who have outstanding accounts unless payment arrangements have been made, or the request falls under an exemption category outlined by the amended Student Debt Assistance Act (Illinois Public Act 103-0054, Sec.15). Consult the Catalog or the Records Office for any minimal fees for transcripts.