Academic Policies

Academic Terms - CAS and Pre-licensure Nursing

The regular academic year consists of a fall semester and a spring semester. Fall and spring semesters consist of 13 weeks of schedule classes and a two hour comprehensive final exam. As a general rule, a credit hour includes a minimum of 42 hours of coursework with 1/3 being classroom or equivalent instruction and 2/3 being outside course engagement. On average a three credit hour course requires a minimum of 126 hours of work. An equivalent amount of work is required for non-classroom credits. An undergraduate student is classified as full time when enrolled for 12-16 credit hours in a semester. Graduate students are classified as full time when enrolled for 9 credit hours in a semester. Students may complete the 124 semester credits required for a baccalaureate degree with four semesters of 15 credits and four semesters of 16 credits.

Undergraduate students who wish to register for more than 16 credit hours must meet the following criteria:

To enroll for 17 credit hours, the student must have a 2.75 GPA.
To enroll for 18 credit hours, the student must have a 3.0 GPA.
To enroll for 19 hours, the student must have a 3.5 GPA.

Special sessions include:

May Term (MA) - three weeks. May term courses are offered at discounted rates in an approximately three-week period immediately following the spring graduation. Most May courses are three credits but a maximum of four credits may be earned. Two credit hours in May is considered full time. A maximum of four credits may be earned.
Summer Session 1 (S1) - five weeks. Three semester hours of credit is considered full time. A maximum of four credits may be earned.
Summer Session 2 (S2) - five weeks. Three semester hours of credit is considered full time. A maximum of four credits may be earned.
Summer1Term (S1T) - 13 weeks. Six semester hours is considered full time. A maximum of twelve credits may be earned.

Students may earn a maximum total of sixteen CAS credits during the summer terms (May, S1, S2 and S1T).

Classification

Undergraduate CAS and Pre-licensure Nursing students enrolled for 12 hours or more are considered full time. All students having met regular entrance requirements are classified by the university registrar. Classification is based on the following scale:

Freshman	0-28 Semester Hours Completed
Sophomore	29-59 Semester Hours Completed
Junior	60-89 Semester Hours Completed
Senior	90 or more Semester Hours Completed
Graduate	For semester-based graduate programs, full time is nine hours.

Grading and Evaluation - CAS and Pre-licensure Nursing

A letter grade is used to evaluate coursework. For the purpose of determining scholastic standing and awarding honors, grade points are granted according to the letter grades and semester hours of credit. The grade-point average (GPA) is the number of quality points earned divided by the number of credit hours attempted.

Grade	Quality Point	Definition
A	4.0	Superior
A-	3.7
B+	3.3
B	3.0	Above average
B-	2.7
C+	2.3
C	2.0	Average
C-	1.7
D+	1.3
D	1.0	Passing
F	.0	Failure/Also given for all unofficial withdrawals
WF	.0	Failing work at time of official withdrawal after the tenth week of the semester and is counted as “F” in grade-point average

The following grades are not figured into the student’s grade-point average:

O	Outstanding
S	Satisfactory
U	Unsatisfactory
W	Passing work at time of official withdrawal
I	Incomplete
CR	Credit
NC	No Credit
AU	Audit
NA	No Audit

Dean's List

At the end of fall and spring semester, a dean’s list for undergraduate students only in CAS and SON Pre-licensure Nursing is published that includes all students who have passed a minimum of 12 semester hours with a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher. All 12 hours must be passed with a letter grade other than “CR.”

Incomplete Courses

A grade of “I” may be given if circumstances beyond the student’s control prevent completion of the work. A faculty person, at his or her discretion and within approved guidelines, may award an incomplete grade to a student. No more than 1/3 of the course work may be left to complete and the student must be passing the class at the time the incomplete grade is awarded. Any incomplete extended beyond the end of the next term must be approved by the Associate Dean of the governing school. Once an incomplete grade has been awarded, the student cannot withdraw from the class. Students may not register for new courses for subsequent semesters if more than 12 hours of undergraduate or 6 hours of graduate incompletes remain on a transcript. Students who have an incomplete on file are not eligible to participate in graduation ceremonies. The entire incomplete policy is available at the Residential Academic Services office.

Repeating Courses

A student may repeat once any course in which a grade below “C” (“C-,” “D+,” “D,” “F,” or “NC”) was previously earned. Some specific graduate level courses are identified as repeatable and can be repeated if a student earns a grade higher than “C” but below the level required for that specific course. Whenever a course is repeated, the last grade and credits earned replace the previous grade in computing the student’s grade-point average (GPA). All entries, however, remain a part of the student’s permanent academic record. Duplicate credit hours are not given for two or more passing efforts. A course taken in a classroom format may not be repeated for a grade through independent learning, credit-by-examination, by assessment of prior learning, by transfer of credit, or online.

Since a course may be repeated once, failure to achieve a satisfactory grade in a required course after two attempts may result in academic suspension or ineligibility to complete the major in which the course was repeated.

Grade Reporting

At the midpoint of each semester, grades for undergraduate students below “C” are reported to the director of records. A progress report is then available on the wildcat portal to each student who falls into this category and a copy of that report is mailed to parents if a signed waiver is on file. In addition this information is available to the advisors for counseling purposes. Mid-semester grades are not recorded in any way on the student’s permanent record. Final grade reports are available to all students at the end of each term on the wildcat portal.

Grade Changes

A final grade cannot be changed after it has been verified by the Registrar's Office unless there has been an error in calculation or assignment. Faculty may submit grade changes only in the case of faculty error within 30 days of the final grade due date. In the event a non-routine change of grade becomes necessary, a written recommendation must be submitted by the faculty member to the school Associate Dean who will determine the validity of the recommendation.

Transcripts

The student’s official transcript is prepared by the Indiana Wesleyan University Registrar's Office and will show the course, grade, credit and dates of instruction for each course. Requests for transcripts of coursework at Indiana Wesleyan University must conform to the Privacy Act of 1974, which requires that all transcript requests be submitted in writing and signed by the student, for protection of the student's confidentiality. A transcript is official only when it bears the university seal.

It is university policy not to release a transcript if the student has any financial holds on their record or if he or she is delinquent on any loan received through Indiana Wesleyan University. A $3 fee is charged for each transcript and must be enclosed, along with a complete address to which the transcript is to be mailed. Please provide a current address if request is to be sent to student's home. Students requesting a transcript should write to the Indiana Wesleyan University Registrar's Office, 4201 South Washington Street, Marion, IN 46953. For more information, call 1-765-677-2966 or see http://www.indwes.edu/Academics/Registrar/Transcript

GPA Requirements

The following table indicates the cumulative grade-point averages (GPA) that will result in the application of academic sanctions. The table also indicates term grade-point averages that may result in students receiving a letter of academic warning.

Classification	Academic Warning	Academic Probation	Academic Suspension*	Academic Dismissal*
First semester Freshman	1.80 - 2.00	1.00 - 1.79		0.00 - 0.99
Continuing Freshman 0-28 credits	1.80 - 2.00	1.70 - 1.79	1.50 - 1.69	0.00 - 1.49
29-44 credits	1.90 - 1.99	1.80 - 1.89	1.70 - 1.79	0.00 - 1.69
45-89 credits		1.90 - 1.99	1.80 - 1.89	0.00 - 1.79
90 + credits				0.00 - 1.99
*Students suspended or dismissed based upon their GPA may appeal this status following directions included in their suspension or dismissal letter.

The sequence of levels of achievement is allowed in order to help students accommodate the graduation requirement of 2.0 for most programs (students should be aware that some programs require more than this minimum for graduation).

Probation

Undergraduate students who fall below the minimum GPA levels indicated above and who have been placed on “academic probation” status are ineligible to participate in campus leadership or represent the university unless such participation is connected with a credit bearing course required in the student's current major area of study. Ineligibility for participation includes, for example, cheer team, club teams, extramural teams, intercollegiate athletics, music performance groups, ministry teams, student organization officer, and theatre productions/performances. Students on academic probation are not eligible to enroll in courses offered through the College of Adult and Professional Studies. In addition, most undergraduate student leadership positions have requirements in addition to the minimum above. Please reference IWU Student Handbook. http://www.indwes.edu/Residence-Life/.

Suspension

Undergraduate students suspended for academic reasons may reapply after one semester away. Readmission is not guaranteed; however, all applications will be reviewed by the Academic Standing Sub-committee. Students must complete the following to be considered for readmission:

Must attend a regionally accredited college.
Must complete 12 semester credit hours of coursework numbered at 100 or above (not developmental courses) with a "C" or above. (Note: It is recommended that, when possible, these courses not include those previously taken at IWU so that if a student is readmitted, courses with C- or below can be repeated, if appropriate, at IWU to improve the IWU GPA.)
Must earn a minimum of 2.2 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Fulfill all other readmission requirements.

Dismissal

Undergraduate students dismissed for academic reasons may reapply after two semesters away. Readmission is not guaranteed; however, all applications will be reviewed by the Academic Standing Sub-committee. Students must complete the following to be considered for readmission:

Must attend a regionally accredited college.
Must complete 12 semester credit hours of coursework numbered at 100 or above (not developmental courses) with a “C” or above. (Note: It is recommended that, when possible, these courses not include those previously taken at IWU so that if a student is readmitted, courses with C- or below can be repeated, if appropriate, at IWU to improve the IWU GPA.)
Must earn a minimum of 2.2 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Fulfill all other readmission requirements.

Attendance Policy - CAS and Pre-licensure Nursing

CAS undergraduate and SON Pre-licensure students are expected to attend all sessions of classes for which they are registered. Official excuses may be given by the Academic Affairs Office or the Dean of School of Nursing for absences due to university-sponsored activities* (see below), for illness requiring hospitalization, death of a first degree relative, or other emergencies. University and World Impact groups taking students on off campus trips which require those students to miss class shall notify and gain approval of the Academic Affairs Office/School of Nursing prior to final arrangements for the trip. Faculty may not give a penalty for a university approved absence. The student is responsible directly to the instructor for all classes missed and to see that all work is made up. A student failing to attend classes and not withdrawing officially will receive a grade of "F." Students may not attend classes for which they are not registered.

Students may be administratively withdrawn from any registered class that is not attended by the last day to drop a class in any term.

* Policy on Excused Absences for Organizational Activities

Students participating in one or more student organizations may receive only one excused absence per semester for each course (evening courses excluded) in order to participate in an approved activity.

Requests for the student to be excused must come from the faculty advisor of the student organization on the prescribed form and include written justification for the absence based upon the university's World Changer outcomes.
Organizations without a faculty advisor must submit the same form, including justification and approval from the Academic Affairs Office/School of Nursing, at least one week prior to the activity.
This form must be received by the instructor of the class prior to the missed class period.
A student may request to be excused from evening classes; however, the decision in these cases will be at the discretion of the course professor.
Faculty must be notified of the anticipated absence during the first week of classes for the term.

Graduate students should consult their relevant graduate program handbook for applicable attendance policy.

Final Examination Policy

A final examination is required in each course. It should be comprehensive in nature, requiring the student to use the accumulated knowledge and skills of the whole course. The two hours of final examination are scheduled as part of the total hours required in the semester. As a general rule students may not take final examinations early. If a student has more than two final exams scheduled on one day, arrangements can be made with the professor to change the exam that falls in the middle. Whenever possible, the rescheduled exam should be given at a time later than the originally scheduled period. Request forms may be obtained in the Residential Academic Services office.

Certain kinds of courses such as clinicals, practica, student teaching, studio instruction, and seminars may be exempted from final examinations but must plan to meet for instruction in the scheduled time.

Scheduled final examination times are expected to be adhered to unless an emergency situation arises. If a student requires a makeup examination, it must be given at a time later than the scheduled period.

Honesty, Cheating, Plagiarism, and Forgery

Academic dishonesty is inconsistent with scholarship and the pursuit of knowledge and Christian character. Thus, Indiana Wesleyan University expects students to be honest in all academic work.

Coursework

Students are expected to exhibit honesty in the classroom, in homework and on quizzes and tests. Each instructor should define what constitutes honest work in a specific course. Any deviation from ordinary standards, such as the permitted use of notes for an examination or an “open book” test, should be stated clearly by the instructor.

Cheating is defined as the use or attempted use of unauthorized materials or receiving unauthorized assistance or communication during any academic exercise. Examples of cheating include:

Submitting work for academic evaluation that is not the student’s own.
Copying answers from another student during an examination.
Using prepared notes or materials during an examination.
Permitting another student to copy one's work.
Plagiarism.
Falsification.
Other misrepresentations of academic achievement submitted for evaluation or a grade.
The submission of papers or other work that one has submitted in a previous class or classes without appropriate citation and/or permission of the instructor.

Plagiarism is defined as "the false assumption of authorship; the wrongful act of taking the product of another person's mind and presenting it as one's own" (A. Lindey, 2006, Plagiarism and Originality). The Prentice Hall Reference Guide (2006) indicates, “To plagiarize is to include someone else’s writing, information, or idea in a paper and fail to acknowledge what you took by indicating whose work it is” (p. 292). In other words, it is not giving credit where credit is due. Plagiarism is both a moral and ethical offense and sometimes a legal one.

Examples of plagiarism include:

Copying another person's actual words without the use of quotation marks, source citation, or footnotes.
Presenting another person's ideas or theories in your own words without citing the source.
Failing to acknowledge contribution and collaboration from others.
Using information that is not common knowledge without citing the source.
Submitting downloaded papers or parts of papers, "cutting and pasting," or paraphrasing or copying information from Internet sources without proper acknowledgment of a source.

Sanctions

It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of policies regulating academic conduct including definitions of academic dishonesty, the possible sanctions, and the appeals process.

Any undergraduate student apprehended and charged with cheating, including plagiarism, during his or her college matriculation, shall receive the following discipline:

First incident of cheating: no credit (i.e., no points given) in paper, assignment, or exam.
Second incident of cheating: failure in the course involved.
Third incident of cheating: dismissal from the university.

In addition to the above, a graduate student is expected to understand clearly the nature of cheating and is subject to dismissal from the university for any egregious act of academic dishonesty or cheating, without the need to follow the steps listed above. Incidents of cheating and/or plagiarism will be investigated and judged by the appropriate academic leader.

Because the matter of cheating cumulatively leads to dismissal, faculty are required to report each case to the appropriate university administrators who in turn reports the case to the academic leader of the specific college/school. Unquestionable evidence must be in hand before any action will be taken to confront and accuse a student of cheating.

A student who is not satisfied with the disciplinary action may follow the grievance and appeal policies of the appropriate academic unit.

Falsification of Academic Records or University Documents: Falsification of academic records or documents includes but is not limited to altering any documents affecting academic records; forging signatures; or falsifying information of an official document such as a grade report, ID card, financial receipt, or any other official university letter or communication. This includes information downloaded (printed) from student information available via Web (online) services.

Unauthorized Access to Computerized Academic or Administrative Records or Systems: Unauthorized access to computerized academic or administrative records or systems means viewing or altering the university's computer records without authorization; copying or modifying the university's computer programs or systems without authorization; releasing or dispensing information gained through unauthorized access; or interfering with the use or availability of computer systems information.

Students who are found to have falsified university documents or participated in unauthorized access to computerized academic or administrative records or systems are subject to dismissal from the university for a single incident. The university may consider legal action for any individual found to have participated in these actions.

Grievance and Appeal Policy (Non-academic)

A student may seek recourse from any university nonacademic program or employment-related dispute, alleged discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, color, sex, disability, or age, including alleged violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments Acts of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or other state or federal legislation through the following procedures:

A. Informal Procedure

The student should seek informal resolution with the individual department concerned before initiating a written complaint.
If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved, the student may request a hearing with the dean for mentoring and accountability, the assistant vice president for Student Development or the associate dean of Adult and Professional Studies.
If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved at this level, the student may request a hearing with the vice president for Student Development or the vice president for Adult and Professional Studies.
If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved at this level, the student may submit a written grievance form.

B. Formal Procedure

The informal resolution may be ended at any time and the complainant may begin the formal procedure by submitting a written grievance within 30 days of the event or action. Grievances must include the demographic information regarding the complainant, the clear facts of the case, the disposition or resolution achieved thus far and the requested resolution by the complainant. Additional information or clarification may be requested before a hearing is scheduled. NOTE: Appeals that are based solely on the severity of a sanction that upon investigation are within the parameters of the available sanctions for an event or action are not considered grounds for appeal.
A hearing will be held with the dean for mentoring and accountability, the assistant vice president for Student Development or the associate dean of Adult and Professional Studies, ordinarily within 15 working days from the filing of the written grievance.
If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved with the respective assistant vice president, the student may then request, within 15 working days, a hearing with the vice president for Student Development or the vice president for Adult and Professional Studies. This hearing will ordinarily be held within 15 working days following the request.
If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved with the respective vice president, the student may then request, within 15 working days, a hearing with the Student Development Council, which will make recommendations back to the vice president within 15 working days.
If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved with the Student Development Council and the vice president, the student may then request, within 15 working days, a hearing with the president of the university. This final hearing with the president will ordinarily take place within 15 working days. This is the final appeal.

Each stated time frame will be the ordinary process. More time may be necessary in the event of a lengthy investigation, hearing, illness, or other unforeseen circumstances.

The complainant will be notified of results at each step of the grievance process. All grievances, with all papers, recommendations, and decisions related to federal or state regulations, will be reported to the vice president for Academic Affairs in whose office all files will be kept.

Because grievance and appeal processes are private university administrative hearings, legal counsel or representation is inappropriate.

Grievance and Appeal Policy (Academic)

A student who has a grievance related to a course grade or an academic policy decision, including those believed to be discriminatory based on race, national origin, color, sex, disability, or age, should follow these procedures for resolution.

Students must begin with the awareness that the university follows generally accepted college and university practice in the development of academic policies, the operation of classrooms, and use of grading techniques. These differ widely from professor to professor and from college to college. Indiana Wesleyan University allows its instructors independence in following generally accepted practices.

Protest of Grade

If the student feels that an instructor has not followed fair practice nor followed his or her own published grading policy, the following procedures should be followed:

A. Protest of a Grade - Informal Procedure

The student should contact the professor for a full explanation of the grade given and the basis for making the grade.
If there is no resolution of the problem, the student may request a review with the division chairperson (or the dean of the college if the complaint involves the chairperson).
The chairperson or the dean will notify the faculty member of the grievance and its nature and seek to mediate the dispute through the following steps:
- Informal discussion of the facts of the case seeking resolution within 15 working days.
- If the faculty member’s stated policy for calculating the grade has not been followed, the chairperson or dean will insist that it be followed.
- If the dispute is about a grade on a specific paper or an examination, the chairperson or dean will request that the professor re-evaluate the paper or the examination to examine the grade given.
- If the student is not satisfied with this informal process, the formal procedure may be initiated.

B. Protest of Grade - Formal Procedure

The informal resolution may be ended at any time and the complainant may begin the formal procedure by submitting a written grievance form within 30 days of receiving the grade. Grievance forms are available in the office of the dean of the college.
The chairperson or the dean within 15 working days will request a second reading of the specific paper or examination by two faculty members with knowledge in the academic discipline. They will submit their evaluations to the chairperson or dean within 15 working days. That person will make a judgment, within 15 working days, as to whether the grade has been definitely misevaluated by more than one full grade. If so, the grade may then be changed by the academic administration. The decision of the academic dean will be final in all grade disputes.

Protest of Policy

If a student believes that the university has not followed published policies regarding academic decisions or has been discriminated against based on race, national origin, color, sex, disability, or age, including Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504, the student may follow the following procedures:

A. Informal Procedure

The student should contact the person who has made the decision for a full explanation of the university policy, or the federal or state policy, and how the policy was followed. If the university policy has been followed, that should resolve the complaint.
If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved, the student may request a hearing with the division chairperson.
If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved with the division chairperson or dean, the student may request a hearing with the vice president for Academic Affairs, the vice president for Adult and Professional Studies, Dean of the School of Nursing or the Dean of the Seminary.
If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved with the academic leader informally, the formal procedure may be initiated.

B. Formal Procedure

The informal resolution may be ended at any time and the complainant may begin the formal procedure by submitting a written grievance form within 30 days of the policy decision. Grievance forms are available in the office of the vice president for Academic Affairs.
The student may then make a request within 15 working days for a hearing with the vice president for Academic Affairs or the vice president for Adult and Professional Studies to review the formal grievance.
If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved with the vice president, the student may then request within 15 working days a hearing with the Academic Affairs Council of the university.

The decision of the Academic Affairs Council will be made within 15 working days of such a request and will be final in all academic policy disputes.

Because grievance and appeal processes are private university administrative hearings, legal counsel or representation is inappropriate.

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