University Admissions - Mercer University
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MERCER UNIVERSITY’S FOUR-YEAR GRADUATION PLEDGE
Download your Student Participation Agreement here.
National trends over the past decade demonstrate that college students are increasingly failing to graduate on time. At a growing number of colleges and universities, a
four-year undergraduate degree is going the way of the dinosaur. Nationally, the average time from matriculation to graduation now exceeds five years, with only 37 percent of students graduating
in four years. This trend is making a college education significantly more expensive by inflating the direct costs of college (tuition, fees, room and board) as well as the indirect costs
associated with delaying entry into the employment market.
Mercer University is committed to ensuring that an undergraduate education at Mercer remains a four-year program. In keeping with our 177 year tradition of excellence,
leadership, and innovation in higher education, Mercer University pledges to provide an educational environment that enables and encourages students to graduate within eight semesters of
matriculation. Students who do their work, pass their classes, and follow the advice of our academic advisors will graduate within four years. And if such a student does not graduate within
this time frame, the cost of whatever additional courses are required to graduate will be absorbed by the University.
This is Mercer’s pledge to our students. Beginning with the fall 2009 entering class, Mercer will join a handful of colleges and universities nationwide in making this
pledge. And we’re backing up the pledge with investments to demonstrate that we’re serious, including significant technology upgrades to allow even better tracking, monitoring, and advising as
students and their academic advisors navigate progress toward a four-year degree. We commit to provide annual written audits to students at the end of each academic year documenting their
progress toward their goal of graduating in four years. Mercer will continue providing millions of dollars in institutionally funded scholarships to ensure that the University offers the
affordable value that national publications have recognized. The Princeton Review has designated Mercer as a “Best Value” for our excellent academics and “relatively low costs of
attendance,” while U.S. News & World Report includes Mercer on its list of “Great Schools, Great Prices.”
With this pledge, we seek to ensure that our students enter the next phase of their lives much faster than the national average – avoiding the additional financial burden that results
from prolonging an undergraduate education and accelerating their journey to becoming productive and successful citizens. To qualify for the four-year pledge:
- Students must select the four-year pledge program. Students and their parents must participate in an orientation program prior to enrollment to learn their
responsibilities and what is required to maintain their participant status within the program. Of course, even students who do not elect to participate in the four-year pledge program are
encouraged to complete their undergraduate education within four years.
- Students must choose their primary academic program within the required time frame and stick with it. Programs with greater flexibility (Business and liberal
arts) must be chosen by the third semester following matriculation, while programs with more structure (education, engineering, music and nursing) must be chosen at matriculation. Engineering
majors must be calculus ready by their first fall semester of enrollment to be eligible for the pledge, although many who are not will graduate within four years. Obviously, students who change
their primary academic program may delay their graduation.
- Students must seek and follow the guidance of their academic advisor. Students must meet with their academic advisor prior to each pre-registration period. Any
unauthorized deviation by the student from the schedule arranged between the student and the advisor may delay graduation depending on the circumstances.
- Students must make satisfactory academic progress. Students should strive to earn an average of 15 credit hours per semester and must earn 30 credit hours per
academic year (including credit earned during the summer) for all four years. A few programs require more than 120 hours to graduate and the academic progress requirements are adjusted
appropriately. College credits brought in by students upon matriculation may be included in these averages if specific course requirements are met in their academic programs.
- Students must maintain acceptable grades. Upon the completion of their second full semester following matriculation, students must earn a cumulative grade point
average sufficient to avoid academic probation. Following completion of their third full semester, students must maintain a minimum of a 2.0 cumulative grade point average and must meet the required
grade-point-average for their primary academic program. Repeating courses to achieve these minimum academic requirements, when permitted by University policy, must be accomplished in addition to
academic progress standards to keep the pledge in force.
- Students must register promptly each semester and maintain full-time enrollment status throughout all four academic years. Prompt registration helps ensure that
needed courses will be available. Students must attempt to register for classes within 24 hours of their earliest assigned time during the registration period every semester and must meet relevant
academic program deadlines. Failure to meet these conditions may adversely affect a student’s ability to graduate in four years.
The four-year pledge covers only an on-time completion of the minimum requirements for graduation from a student’s college or school—up to 130 credit hours earned. Any student may elect
to pursue more than the minimum graduation requirements, but doing so may delay graduation.
Mercer’s Pledge: If the student adheres to all pledge stipulations and is not able to graduate within four years of matriculating, Mercer will provide the student
a waiver of tuition and fees for all additional courses required for graduation. If the student has lived in campus housing all four years, then the University will provide a waiver of on-campus housing
costs. If the student has utilized campus meal plans for all four years, then the University will provide an equivalent meal plan at no cost for the additional required time of enrollment.
The Mercer four-year pledge reflects the commitment of our faculty to the success of our students. It is designed to encourage students to be intentional and responsible in successfully
pursuing an undergraduate degree within four years of matriculation. And it encourages the University to be a responsible partner in working with students to achieve this desired outcome. A college
education represents one of the most precious opportunities in our society. Mercer University is committed to helping reduce the cost of higher education, thus lightening the financial burdens on our students
and their families.