Academic Expectations
UWF Student Athlete Handbook academic expectations information.
Table of Contents
Good Academic Standing
At University of West Florida, an undergraduate student is considered in good academic standing if they:
- Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
- Are not on academic probation or suspension.
- Complete required credit hours per term.
- Make appropriate progress toward degree completion.
If a student’s GPA falls below 2.0:
- They are typically placed on academic probation.
- Continued deficiency can lead to academic suspension.
Courses With C or Better Standards
If a class requires a “C” or better to count for a student’s academic major, students must earn a “C” or better for the course to be included in progress toward degree requirements.
Repeat Courses
If a student makes a “D” or better in a class that does not require a “C” or better, and the course meets degree requirements a student may not take that class a second time and have it count for progress toward degree requirements. This includes classes taken at other institutions.
Any questions regarding eligibility, exceptions, and progress towards degree waivers need to be directed to the Compliance Office & Assistant Athletic Director of Academic Services.
University Attendance Policy
Student-athletes are expected to attend all classes. Absences due to the participation in extracurricular activities in which students are official representatives of the University, such as Athletics, shall be recognized as excused absences. An official travel letter will be submitted by the Asst AD for Academics/SADEV from NAVIGATE listing the dates of travel which may result in missed classes. Each student- athlete must personally inform the instructor(s) of absences from classes prior to each trip. It is the responsibility of each student-athlete to make arrangements prior to a scheduled travel date for any assignments or tests which may be missed due to the absence.
Missed Classes
General Statement
- Class attendance is regarded as an academic matter and is essential for student success.
- Students are responsible for knowing the attendance policy for each course in which they are enrolled.
- Students are expected to attend all classes for which they are registered and to inform their instructors of any absence prior to the class meeting when possible, or as soon as possible following the absence.
- Instructors may request verification for excused absences.
- Students are responsible for all coursework , including assignments and examinations, regardless of attendance.
Excused Absence
Students who miss class for excused reasons must be allowed to make up work without penalty to the final course read, provided that the absence is properly documented when required. A Professor can come up with reasonable accommodations for missed assignments/exams.
Excused absences include:
- Observance of religious holidays in accordance with University policy.
- Imposed legal responsibilities (e.g., jury duty, court appearance) and military obligations.
- Participation in university- sanctioned extracurricular activities in which the student is an official representative of the University.
- Serious illness or serious illness/death in the immediate family.
- Other reasons deemed reasonable and appropriate by the instructor.
Student Code of Academic Conduct
The University is dedicated to the highest principles and standards of academic integrity. An academic violation by a student can negatively impact a class, program and/or college in ways that are unique to each discipline. Therefore, the University believes that the severity of an academic infraction is best evaluated by the faculty of the institution. The University seeks to offer students an opportunity to respond to allegations of academic misconduct before a decision is rendered. This regulation seeks to provide faculty and students with a fair process for addressing allegations of academic misconduct.
Violations of the University’s Academic Code
Academic misconduct includes all acts of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional assistance, attempt to assist, planning to assist, or facilitation of another Student to engage in an act of Academic Misconduct. Academic Misconduct includes, but is not limited to, each of the following acts when performed in any type of academic or academically related matter, exercise, or activity:
- Cheating - Using or attempting to use material or information where such use is not expressly permitted by the Faculty Member on exams, quizzes, homework, essays, discussion board posts, and lab activities or reports, or other assignments.
- Academic Theft - Obtaining examinations, quizzes, or other academic materials without authorization.
- Plagiarism - Misrepresenting words, data, works, ideas, computer programming or output, or any other material as one’s own when the material was not self-generated. Some examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, copying phrases, sentences, sections, paragraphs or graphics from a source and not giving credit by properly quoting or citing the source; having another person or source write an assignment (for pay or for free) and submitting it as one’s own; or modifying or paraphrasing another’s ideas or writings and submitting them as one’s own.
- Resubmission of Work - Resubmitting a paper, assignment, or portion thereof that the Student originally created for another assignment or course constitutes Academic Misconduct unless both Faculty Members in concurrent courses expressly agree to accept the same work or a Faculty Member expressly agrees to accept previously submitted work.
- Fabrication - Presenting as genuine any invented, falsified, or inaccurate citation, data, or material.
- Bribery - The offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of anything of value to influence a grade or other academic evaluation.
- Misrepresentation - Any act or omission taken with intent to deceive a Faculty Member or the University so as to affect a grade, a Student’s academic performance, or to gain admission to a program or course. Some examples of misrepresentation include, but are not limited to, submission of falsified documentation to justify the absence of unsubmitted work or circumventing or failing to utilize required online proctoring software.
- Facilitation - Knowingly contributing to, assisting, or planning with others to engage in Academic Misconduct or failing to inform the proper authorities when a violation has occurred regardless of one’s participation.
Any violation of professional standards or ethics as defined by the academic program.
Academic Warning, Probation, and Suspension
Academic Warning formally notifies a student that academic improvement is needed. A student who has received an Academic Warning is in good academic standing, as the student is neither on probation nor suspended. This status only applies to students with less than 30 semester credit hours.
Academic probation serves as formal notice that a student may not be making satisfactory progress. It gives students an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to meet the University’s academic expectations. Students whose cumulative UWF grade point average (GPA) is below the minimum listed will be placed on academic probation by the student’s college. Students who are on probation, and make sufficient academic progress during the term of probation, may be continued on probation. Generally, students who achieve a semester UWF GPA of 2.30 or higher are considered making sufficient academic progress.
Students who have been suspended for academic reasons may request reinstatement after being absent from the University for at least one semester. Immediate reinstatement may be requested only for documented exceptional circumstances (serious illness of the student, serious illness or death in the immediate family, or military orders).
First Time in College (FTIC) Students
FTIC students who are placed on academic warning or academic probation in the fall semester will be limited to no more than 13 credits and may be required to enroll in a 1-credit hour Academic Foundations course, participate in a structured mentoring activity during the following semester, or participate in other activities or classes deemed appropriate by the University. Students with extenuating circumstances may request an increase in hours with approval from their academic advisor and the Director of First Year Advising.
Student-Athlete Academic Services
Navigate
All student-athletes are expected to know and use their NAVIGATE account through MyUWF. This application allows students to schedule appointments with their athletic and departmental advisors. It is also where they can request subject coaches (tutors), track their study hall hours, and receive their travel letters for class. This application will allow any student-athlete to request and schedule all academic services. This will be the formal communication between students and academic resources.
Freshmen Academic Advising
All freshmen will be advised by the First Year Advising Center Advisor. The advisor will assist these students with scheduling of classes, monitor academic progress levels, and administer an academic early warning program.
Upper-Class Advising
Upper-class student-athletes and sophomores are advised in their chosen major. The athletic academic advisor is available as a liaison for transfer students and those uncertain where to secure advising within their desired major. Students should check their DegreeWorks Audit, Advising Status on MyUWF, and contact their major department to obtain the name of their academic advisor.
Argonaut Center for Excellence
The Argonaut Center for Excellence is located in Building 73, Room 120, along with Athletic’s Academic staff offices, and is reserved for student-athlete use only. The ACE is the central location used for monitoring study hall using sign-in through Navigate to track hours.
Tutoring and Learning Resources
Students of the University are able to access free tutoring resources provided by Tutoring and Learning Resources. Appointments for tutoring services can be scheduled on Navigate.
Writing Laboratory
The Writing Lab is located in Building 51, Room 157 and offers resources in grammar and usage, CLAST and TSWE practice test, a grammar hotline and an essay bank. Call 850.474.2029 or visit the Writing Lab website for more information.
Library
The library consists of more than 600,000 volumes, 1 million pieces of microfilm and 3,000 current subscriptions to journals and newspapers. Remember, the library is open 24 / 7 on-line. Computers and other applications are located on the first floor. Also, as a member of the Florida State University System, UWF is provided on-line to all 10 state university libraries and 28 Florida community college library holdings. For additional information, call 850.474.2424 or visit the University Libraries website.
Helpful Hints for Academic Success
- Sit in front of the classroom.
- Take good notes and review often.
- Read your syllabus carefully.
- Read all assignments.
- Get to know your professor on a personal basis.
- Choose a good, quiet study place.
- Go to every class meeting.
- Seek help early.
Assistant Athletic Director-Academics & Student-Athlete Development
Student-Athletes at the University of West Florida have a Asst AD for Academics and SA Development as well as a UWF advisor, i.e. College of Business, etc. The Asst AD will serve as the academic liaison for any student-athletes who are in need of an advocate in any academic matter.
Academic Monitoring / Progress Reports
All student-athletes are monitored for their academic progress. In the fall and spring terms, instructors are notified of the student-athletes in their course(s). The instructor is asked to give feedback as to whether or not the student is experiencing any difficulty regarding:
- The students’ attendance - whether the student is attending class and;
- Test grades or quiz grades.
The information received from the instructors is sent as a report to the respective coach. Appropriate intervention is made for students identified as being “at-risk”. During the semester, the advisor will also work on an individual basis with those students who are experiencing academic difficulty.
The UWF Progress to Degree Academic Checkpoints are early warning systems used to identify at-risk students. This allows advisors to provide swift intervention and resources.The four Academic Checkpoints:
- Attendance confirmation occurs during the first week, which helps trigger the release of financial aid.
- Early alert at week 4 focuses on whether a student is logging in, attending class, and keeping up with assignments.
- Midterm warning at week 10 evaluates course performance and identifies risk of failing.
- Final reports near the end of the term is the final opportunity for faculty to report potential D, F, or NF grades.
UWF will address APR issues by utilizing a dual-platform strategy that integrates specialized academic tracking with comprehensive athletic operations. UWF utilizes Navigate as the primary academic success platform to monitor real-time student-athlete progress and bridge the communication gap with faculty. UWF also utilizes Teamworks’ as the centralized operational hub to ensure administrative accountability and streamlined departmental messaging. UWF creates a campaign to schedule appointments and track data and notes associated with early warnings. By combining Navigate’s targeted academic tracking with Teamworks' operational efficiency, West Florida maintains a proactive and transparent environment that prioritizes both student-athlete success and APR stability.
Advising and Registration
Student-athletes must also act in a responsible manner regarding their academic careers. Student-athletes have the privilege of priority registration. However, they must be proactive and make an appointment with their academic advisor to have the courses approved, PIN number must be assigned, and any holds removed before they can register. If the student-athlete does not register during the priority period, they risk not getting the courses needed and/or at the times needed. Student-athletes are notified about registration via UWF email in advance of any registration period.
Student Athlete Hold
A hold is placed on a student-athlete’s account when they have an unresolved issue. Some holds they may see include: immunization holds, financial responsibility holds, or orientation holds. Each type of hold will need to be remedied differently. When they view the hold there will be a contact number for the department they need to contact. Below is a link to help identify any holds on the student-athlete's account. Visit the Viewing Holds guide in Confluence for more information.
Change Major / Minor
Student-athletes should consult with Athletic Academic Advisors to determine whether/how a major change would affect eligibility. To change major/minor, consult with their current Academic Advisor to ensure they understand how the change impacts their graduation timeline. Reach out to the department of their new intended major to verify if there are any specific GPA or prerequisite requirements. Schedule an appointment with their new Program Academic Advisor to officially submit the University of West Florida Change of Major/Minor Form. Advisors will submit the electronic form on their behalf after a consultation. Once their new major is declared, they will need to set up a new degree plan. The Asst. AD for Academics/SADEV must approve all major changes.
Note that they will need a minimum 2.00 UWF GPA to officially declare or change their major, and the change must be submitted before the Drop/Add period of the given semester ends to take effect for that term.
Dean’s & President’s List
The President's List recognizes undergraduate students who earn a semester GPA of 3.90 or higher. Undergraduate students who earn a semester GPA of 3.50-3.89 are recognized on the Dean's List. Both lists require enrollment in a minimum of six graded semester hours.
Transient Student Information
The Transient Student Application is available online through FloridaShines. For step-by-step instructions on the UWF Transient Student Application process, please see the UWF Student Tutorial for Outgoing Transient Students guide in Confluence.
UWF students should consult with their advisors prior to enrolling in any courses at other institutions to ensure transferability of course. UWF students wishing to earn credit at a Florida private institution or an institution outside the State of Florida, to transfer back to a UWF degree program, must obtain prior departmental approval for specific courses from the department, school, or college advising office. Credit earned without prior departmental approval may not be accepted.
Transient students may also be required to submit additional information such as, but not limited to, an Admissions application or transcripts prior to registration to the outside institution. Students should contact the institution at which you intend to enroll in courses for institutional policies regarding transient students.
UWF students enrolling in courses at another institution through a consortium agreement should contact the UWF Office of Financial Aid for additional information.