Academic Policies

Academic Terms - CAS and SON Pre-licensure Nursing

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 SON 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
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:

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 semesters, a dean’s list for undergraduate students only in CAS and SON Pre-licensure Nursing is collected 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.” Students are notified by the Deans for this achievement.

Incomplete Courses

All course work is expected to be completed by the end of the semester in which the course is attempted. If medical or other extenuating circumstances arise that prevent a student from completing all course work in that semester, a professor may, at his or her discretion, award a grade of "I" (incomplete).

Criteria for awarding an incomplete grade:

1. Incapacitating illness which prevents a student from attending classes for a minimum period of two weeks
2. A death in the immediate family
3. Change in work schedule as required by employer
4. Judicial obligations
5. Other emergencies deemed appropriate by the instructor

Students may be asked to supply documentation of the problem.

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 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 https://myiwu.indwes.edu/RAS/Forms.

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 or through College of Adult & Professional Studies.

If a student is retaking a course that has a corresponding lab requirement, the lab requirement must be taken.

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

Grade Reporting

At the midpoint of fall and spring semester, grades for undergraduate students below “C” are reported to the Director of Registration & Academic Services. Students and their campus support system (Academic Advisor, Resident Director, Faculty, etc.) are notified. 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 grades are posted and accessible through their IWU Portal after final grades are submitted and verified by the Director of Registration & Academic Services.

Grade Changes

A final grade cannot be changed after it has been verified by the Registration & Academic Services 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 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 in all levels of study. Transcripts will include undergraduate and graduate work with the GPA divided into undergraduate and graduate calculations. 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 with a signature by the student, for protection of the student's confidentiality. A transcript is official only when it bears the university seal or is electronically delivered with a proof of authenticity attached to the transcript.

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 $5 fee is charged for each transcript, with an additional $2.50 Parchment ordering free. Payment must be provided, along with a complete address to which the transcript is to be delivered. Please provide a current address if request is to be sent to student's home. Transcript requests can be accessed by visiting http://www.indwes.edu/Academics/Registrar/Transcript and submitting the request through the ordering service.

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.

Students enrolled in the School of Nursing residential programs should also review GPA requirements established in the SON portion of the catalog for further GPA requirements and established policies on academic standing.

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	<2.00   any term	1.80 - 1.89	1.70 - 1.79	0.00 - 1.69
45-89 credits	<2.00   any term	1.90 - 1.99	1.80 - 1.89	0.00 - 1.79
90 + credits	<2.00   any term			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).

Academic Warning

Academic Warning is a courtesy notification to the student. The purpose is to make students aware that their recent term GPA, if repeated in future terms, could lead to cumulative GPA that would result in Academic Suspension, Academic Dismissal and loss of Financial Aid.

Probation

Students who fall below the minimum GPA levels indicated above and are allowed to remain at the university will be placed on "academic probation". Undergraduate students will discuss appropriate number of enrolled credit hours with Director of CSS and Director of RAS, must meet all requirements made by the Academic Standing Sub-committee, and are ineligible for most extracurricular activities. No student is entitled to more than one semester on probation. Any second semester on probation may result in academic suspension or dismissal and require the student to appeal to the Academic Standing Sub-Committee.

Students who fall below the minimum GPA levels indicated above and 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 IWU-National & Global.

Most student leadership positions have requirements in addition to the minimum above. Please reference IWU Student Handbook at https://myiwu.indwes.edu/directory/ResLife/Forms.

Certain organizations have requirements in addition to the minimum above.

Suspension

Undergraduate students suspended for academic reasons may reapply through Admissions 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:

1. Must attend a regionally accredited college.
2. 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.)
3. Must earn a minimum of 2.2 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale.
4. Fulfill all other readmission requirements.

Dismissal

Undergraduate students dismissed for academic reasons may reapply through Admissions 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:

1. Must attend a regionally accredited college.
2. 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.)
3. Must earn a minimum of 2.2 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale.
4. Fulfill all other readmission requirements.

Attendance Policy - CAS and SON Pre-licensure Nursing

Attendance is essential to the philosophy of learning, character formation, and post-college life preparation at IWU. CAS undergraduate and SON Pre-licensure students are expected to attend all sessions of classes for which they are registered. A student failing to attend classes and not withdrawing officially may receive a grade of "F."

Students may be administratively withdrawn from any registered class that is not attended by the last day to drop a class in any term. Please see Academic Administrative Withdrawal policy.

Students are not allowed to attend classes for which they are not registered.

Faculty are required to keep an accurate record of student attendance for pedagogical and legal reasons.  All faculty must check class lists carefully during the first and second weeks of the semester to ensure their accuracy.  All discrepancies must be reported to Registration & Academic Services (see Class Enrollment Policy, Faculty Handbook).

Individual faculty must publish their attendance policy in their syllabus and should adhere to it consistently for all students in the class.  Given that some medical conditions and challenges (e.g. physical health, mental health, and disabilities) may not easily align with university-approved excused absences criteria, faculty should work with the student regarding class attendance to reach an appropriate resolution, provided the student notifies the faculty member ahead of time.  (The standard practice for class attendance has been to offer excuses up to one weeks’ equivalent of classes.)  Beyond this recommended minimum, faculty may be as rigid or lax as they choose on this matter so long as they keep accurate attendance records.

Online Attendance Policy (IWU-Marion)
Fall/Spring Online Courses: During the fall/spring term, a student will be considered as having attended the course when they complete a requirement for the course (posting, assignment, etc.). Non-attendance is reported at the end of week one and week two of the fall and spring terms. Any student who has not completed a requirement or notified the Faculty of their intended participation will be reported as not attended. Faculty are required to report non-attendance by the last day to drop.

Policies for Absences

Students pursuing an excused absence from class should first consult with their individual professors prior to the absence to request class absences or ascertain possible penalty.  Undergraduate students may pursue excused absences for limited reasons; graduate students should consult their relevant graduate program for applicable attendance policies.  Students are responsible directly to the instructor for all classes missed and to see that all work is made up.  Students missing more than 20% of total seat time due to lack of attendance (unexcused absence) may be administratively withdrawn from that course or fail the course due to nonattendance.  The Instructor of the course may inform that a student be administratively withdrawn to the Office of Student Engagement of Life Calling and Integrative Learning. In the case the student is administratively withdrawn, the Office of Student Engagement of Life Calling and Integrative Learning will notify the student and RAS. 

Tier 1: Excused Absences without Academic Penalty

1.A. Excused Absences for Personal and Family Emergencies: 

University-approved excused absences may be given by the Office of Student Engagement of Life Calling and Integrative Learning in CAS and the Associate Dean of the School of Nursing, Pre-licensure Nursing** for absences from classes or chapel due to emergency medical care, hospitalization, the death of a first-degree relative or primary guardian,  or other emergencies.  To request an excused absence for personal and family emergencies, students should submit the request form within a reasonable time frame and with appropriate supporting documentation to the Office of Student Engagement. If a personal or family emergency absence request is approved, professors will be notified. Students are not to be penalized for these approved absences.  Form: Located on the Portal under “Top Forms”

 

Tier 2: Conditionally Excused Absences without Academic Penalty*

Tier 2.A. University Sponsored Performances and Competitions

Students who represent the university through select university-sponsored activities, such as academic performance ensembles, athletic competitions, and university-sponsored World Impact Trips, will be excused from class. Requesting faculty are responsible for generating the electronic notifications forms to distribute to other faculty, within the first two weeks of the semester.  If individual faculty are not notified via e-mail within the first two weeks, faculty members will not be required to excuse these requests.  Students are excused for performances or competitions only, not to attend practices or rehearsals. (See Athletic Attendance Policy for full details.) 

 

 

2.B. Field Trips  and On-Campus Academic Experiences

To request an excused absence for an academic field trip, class trip, or on-campus academic experience, the requesting faculty must submit electronic notification forms to individual faculty instructors within the first two weeks of the semester.  The field trips/experiences must be identified in the course syllabus as required.  If alternative dates for the field trip/ experience are available, students should select the optimally non-conflicting date.  If individual faculty members are not notified via e-mail within the first two weeks, faculty members will not be required to excuse these requests.               

When registering for classes, please note that laboratory courses may or may not be able to provide a make-up activity. 

**As delegated by the Academic Affairs Office

Tier 3: Faculty-Determined Excused Absences

3.A. University Sponsored Activities and Club/Organizational Activities

Students participating in student clubs or organizations may appeal for up to 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 electronic form and include a written justification based upon the IWU mission. This request must be made at least two weeks prior to the activity and submitted electronically directly to the instructing faculty members. Faculty members may excuse these requests but are not obligated to do so.

3.B. Professional Development Days

 

 

 

Students in their final two semesters at IWU may receive permission from their professors to miss each class up to two times for graduate school interviews, job interviews or fairs, and other professional development opportunities that are closely aligned with supporting their immediate, post-graduation future.  To receive an excused absence, a student must submit a request with supporting documentation to their individual faculty members at least two weeks in advance of the absence.  Faculty members are encouraged to support these excused absence requests but are not obligated to do so.

Form: Located on the Portal under “Top Forms”

 

 

ADDITIONAL NOTE:  Accommodations for Medical Conditions

Disability Services oversees “attendance accommodation” for a student facing an ongoing medical condition that is regulated by ADA (disabilities) or Title IX (pregnancy) guidelines. Disability Services is responsible for contacting the instructor to discuss the need for absences and the impact of the absences on course objectives and activities.  Disability Services will draft an agreement with the faculty member and the student regarding these absences. 

 

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. Although certain kinds of courses such as clinicals, practica, student teaching, studio instruction, and seminars may be exempted from final examinations, students must still plan to meet for instruction in the scheduled time. Alternative activities in such courses should be described in the course syllabus.

Scheduled final examination times are expected to be adhered to with rare exceptions.

In the event a student has three or more final exams scheduled on one day, arrangements can be made with the professor no less than one week prior to change the exam or exams that fall in the middle. Whenever possible, the rescheduled exam should be given at a time later than the originally scheduled period. If three or more exams fall on the final day of exams, it is then acceptable to move the middle exam(s) to one of the other final exam days. Request forms for moving an exam may be obtained from the portal on the registration page.

If a student or an entire class requires a makeup examination due to an emergency, the exam must be given at a time later than the scheduled period. This may mean that the student(s) may need to request an "Incomplete" in the course until the exam has been submitted.

If a student requires an examination be moved to an earlier time for other reasons, the student must request a written exception be issued by the appropriate Associate Dean/Dean. Under normal circumstances, students may not take final examinations early.

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 and with all university records. Incidents of cheating, plagiarism, falsification of any university documents or any other dishonest action will be investigated and judged by the appropriate academic leader. 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.

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:

1.   Submitting work for academic evaluation that is not the student’s own.

2.   Copying answers from another student during an examination.

3.   Using prepared notes or materials during an examination.

4.   Permitting another student to copy one's work.

5.   Plagiarism – see below for definition

6.   Falsification.

7.   Other misrepresentations of academic achievement submitted for evaluation or a grade.

8.   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.

9.   Facilitating the academic dishonesty of others. Examples include, but are not limited to, uploading work to a tutoring website or sharing work with friends, roommates, and classmates.

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:

1.   Copying another person's actual words without the use of quotation marks, source citation, or footnotes.

2.   Presenting another person's ideas or theories in your own words without citing the source.

3.   Failing to acknowledge contribution and collaboration from others.

4.   Using information that is not common knowledge without citing the source.

5.   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

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. Evidence must be in hand before any action will be taken to confront and accuse a student of cheating.

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

1.   First incident of cheating: no credit (i.e., no points given) in paper, assignment, or exam.

2.   Second incident of cheating: failure in the course involved.

3.   Third incident of cheating: dismissal from the university.

4.  Students in graduate programs or graduate courses are expected to understand clearly the nature of cheating and are subject to dismissal from the university for any egregious act of academic dishonesty or cheating, without the need to follow the steps listed above.

5. Discovery of any dishonest action for students who have been awarded an IWU degree may result in rescinding of said degree without the need to follow the steps listed above.

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

University Records: Falsifying or forging any university record or using unauthorized access to any university system is considered a dishonest action and is subject to review and possible sanctions. Incidents of such will be investigated and judged by the appropriate academic leader. 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.

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 the following sanctions:

Sanctions:

1. Dismissal from the university for a single incident.
2. Discovery of any dishonest action for students who have been awarded an IWU degree may result in rescinding of said degree.
3. The university may consider legal action for any individual found to have participated in these actions.

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

 

Petition, Appeals, and Grievances (Academic)

During a student's academic career, there may be occasion to file an academic petition, an appeal or a grievance. (Information on non-academic appeals or grievances can be found in the University catalog or on the portal at http://myiwu.indwes.edu/directory/casfaculty/documents/grievance%20and%20appeal%20non%20academic.pdf).

Petition: A petition is used to request an exception to an academic policy. Academic petitions are available at the RAS Office located in the student center or at https://myiwu.indwes.edu/directory/RAS/forms.

Appeal: An appeal is used either to request a change in grade or to appeal the decision of a petition.

Grievance: An academic policy grievance involves those situations in which a student believes that the university has not followed published policies regarding an academic decision or discrimination based on race, national origin, color, sex, disability, or age including Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504.

A student who has an appeal or a grievance related to a course grade or policy should follow these procedures below 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. Indiana Wesleyan University allows its instructors some leeway in implementation of generally accepted practices.

Appeal of Grade

If the student feels that an instructor has not followed his or her own published grading policy or if the student feels there is an error in grade calculation, the student is encouraged to begin the informal procedure, outlined below. However, at any point in time the student may choose to end the informal process, and initiate the formal procedure. The procedures for both processes are outlined below.

A. Informal Procedure

1.   Within 15 school days of receiving the grade, the student should contact the professor requesting a full explanation of the grade given and the basis for making the grade. If the student's appeal has merit, the professor may decide to submit a change of grade to the Registration & Academic Services (RAS) Office.

2.   If the student is unhappy with this outcome, the student may request a review with the Division Chair of the academic unit that offers the course in question. If the complaint involves the chairperson then the academic dean of the school in which the course is offered will conduct the review. If the complaint involves the academic dean then the Provost will conduct the review.

3.   The Division Chair or academic dean will notify the faculty member of the review and seek to mediate the dispute through the following steps:

•     Informal discussion of the facts of the case between all parties seeking resolution will occur within 10 working days of the appeal.

•     If the faculty member’s stated policy for calculating the grade has not been followed, the Division Chair will insist that it be followed and a change in course grade submitted by the professor if appropriate.

•     If the dispute is about a grade on a specific paper or an examination, the Division Chair will request that the professor re-evaluate the paper, according to the rubric, or the examination to examine the grade given and make a change in course grade if appropriate. If upon completion of the informal process, the student is not satisfied with the decision, the formal procedure may be initiated.

B. Formal Procedure

1.   If not initiated earlier, students must begin the formal procedure within 10 working days of receiving the Informal decision. Formal Academic Grievance/Grade Appeal forms are available in Academic Affairs Office.

2.   If the dispute is over a grade received on a specific project or examination, within 5 working days, the academic dean will request a second reading of the specific paper, and the grading rubric, or examination, by two faculty members with knowledge in the academic discipline. The faculty members will submit their evaluations to the academic dean within 10 working days. If the dispute is over a course grade, the academic dean will review the course information including but not limited to the course syllabus, grading policies and grade calculations. 

3.   Once the academic dean receives all information, they will make a judgment within the next 10 days, as to whether the grade has been misevaluated by more than one full grade. If so, the grade may then be changed by the academic dean. The decision of the academic dean will be final in all grade appeals. If the complaint involves the academic dean then the Executive dean will conduct the review.

The complainant will be notified of results at each step of the grade appeal process. All documentation related to the complaint will be reported to the Academic Affairs Office where all files will be kept.

Academic Grievance

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 is encouraged to begin the informal procedure, outlined below. However, at any point in time, the student may choose to end the informal process and initiate the formal procedure. The procedures for both processes are outlined below. In cases involving allegations of discrimination against a University employee, students may also contact the Human Resources Department at extension 2117, and for sex discrimination cases, the University's Title IX Coordinator at extension 2175.

A. Informal Procedure

1.   If comfortable, the student should contact the faculty member with whom they have a grievance 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.

2.   If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved, the student may request a hearing with the division chairperson. (If the grievance involves the division chairperson, the grievance will be referred to the academic dean of the school.)

3.   If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved with the division chairperson, the student may request a hearing with the academic dean of the school.

4.   If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved with the academic leader informally, the formal procedure may be initiated.

B. Formal Procedure

1.   If not initiated earlier, the complainant may begin the formal procedure by submitting a written grievance form. Written grievance forms must be submitted no later than 30 days after the decision from the informal procedure. Formal Academic Grievance forms are available in the CAS Academic Affairs Office or the RAS Office.

2.   The student may then make a request a hearing, to take place within 15 working days, with the appropriate academic dean of the school or Executive Dean to review the formal grievance.

3.   If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved, the student may then request a hearing, to take place within 15 working days, 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.

The complainant will be notified of results at each step of the grievance process. All documentation related to the complaint will be reported to the Academic Affairs Office where all files will be kept.

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