Academic Policies

Academic Terms - College of Arts and Sciences

Classification

Undergraduate CAS 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 - College of Arts and Sciences

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 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 coursework 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 on the Registration & Academic Services portal page.

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 $10 fee is charged for each transcript. 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 Parchment.

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. Academic standing is assessed after final grades are due for fall and spring terms only (excluding summer terms). Students who complete 12+ credits during the summer terms from IWU’s residential campus that raise their GPAs, may request their academic standing be reassessed within 7 days of their grades being verified. Academic Standing will not be reassessed after the beginning of the semester.

Students should also review specific GPA and additional requirements for progression within their individual majors/degrees.

Classification	Academic Warning	Academic Probation	Academic Suspension*
First semester Freshman	1.80 - 2.00	1.20 - 1.79	0.00 - 1.19
Continuing Freshman 0-28 credits	1.80 - 2.00	1.70 - 1.79	0.00 - 1.69
29-44 credits	<2.00   any term	1.80 - 1.89	0.00 - 1.79
45-89 credits	<2.00   any term	1.90 - 1.99	0.00 - 1.89
90 + credits	<2.00   any term		0.00 - 1.99
*Students suspended based upon their GPA may appeal this status following directions included in their suspension 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 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 may be required to take or retake specific courses as outlined by the Registration & Academic Services (RAS) Office. Students on probation (or re-admitted on probation) must meet all requirements made by RAS on behalf of the Academic Standing Sub-committee. Students with a probation or re-admitted on probation status will be assigned an academic advisor in RAS, in partnership with their Faculty Advisor(s). Students must follow through on all meetings and requirements established for them. Students failing to comply with the requirements made by RAS may have their courses dropped or withdrawn, or be suspended or dismissed from the institution for failure to comply. No student is entitled to more than one semester on probation. 

Students who fall below the minimum GPA levels indicated above and have been placed on academic probation status are ineligible to participate in most campus extracurricular activities and campus leadership, or to 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. 

Certain organizations have requirements in addition to the minimum above.

Students may also earn a probation status if they have outstanding incompletes and their current cumulative GPA is below the probation threshold.

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 Director of Registration & Academic Services and/or the Academic Standing Sub-committee. Students are required to re-apply to IWU and submit demonstration of growth and ability to be  academically successful. This could be demonstrated in several ways, such as: Attendance at another institution with grades in approved courses at the “C” or above level, or learning through involvement in the workforce or community involvement and reflection on their experience and ability to succeed. Students may be required to complete additional requirements to return, and should communicate with Admissions in advance of the start of a semester to ensure they can complete requirements.

Students may also be suspended if they show a lack of academic progress toward completing courses to ensure they can attain a degree. If this occurs for more than one semester, students may be suspended. Lack of academic progress means that students are completing less than two-thirds of their coursework. 

Dismissal

Undergraduate students who receive their third suspension status may be dismissed from the institution. Undergraduate students dismissed for academic reasons may not reapply to the residential campus to pursue the same academic level (or lower) degree. 

This dismissal would not prevent a student from returning to complete a TTN degree if they have since completed a Bachelor’s degree. 

Attendance Policy - College of Arts and Sciences

Attendance is essential to the philosophy of learning, character formation, and post-college life preparation at IWU. CAS undergraduate 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 non-attendance. The Instructor of the course may inform that a student be administratively withdrawn to the Academic Affairs Office.  

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 Academic Affairs Office 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 Academic Affairs Office via the Portal. If a personal or family emergency absence request is approved, professors will be notified. Students are not to be penalized for these approved absences. Complete Excused Absence form located on the Portal under “Top Tools”.

 

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 four 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 future employment or internship opportunities both before and after graduation. 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. Complete Excused Absence form located on the Portal under “Top Tools”.

 

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 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 Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, (7th, 2020) indicates “Plagiarism is the act of presenting the words, ideas, or images of another as your own; it denies authors or creators of content the credit they are due, whether deliberate or unintentional, plagiarism violates ethical standards in scholarship” (p. 254). Students must not take credit for work that is not their own. Plagiarism is a moral, ethical  and legal offense.

Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:

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.

6.   Submitting papers acquired or purchased from another individual or organization.

7.   Submitting an original paper or work completed for one course to meet the requirements for another course (self-plagiarism as per the 7th edition of the APA manual, p. 256).

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 any programs or any 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 a petition, an appeal or a grievance.

Petition: A petition is used to request an exception to an academic policy. The exception to academic policy must be due to the situation being outside the circumstances for which the policy was intended.

Appeal: An appeal is used to either request a change in grade, dispute academic dishonesty, or appeal the decision of a petition or academic suspension.

Grievance: A grievance is an assertion that the university has not followed published policy, has applied policy incorrectly or non-uniformly, or that the policies and/or actions of the university are unjust.

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.

A student who has an appeal or grievance related to a course grade or academic policy should follow these procedures outlined below.

Academic Petition

If a student wishes to request an exception to an academic policy, the steps for an academic petition are as
follows:

1. Students must complete a General Academic Petition, available in the RAS Office in the Barnes Student Center or on the RAS portal page. This form requires the signature of the student’s  academic advisor as well as the Division Chair of the division that oversees the policy or course in question.
2. Students must submit the completed document to RAS who will forward the petition to the appropriate academic leader.
3. The academic leader will issue a final ruling on the petition and RAS will inform the student of the decision.

Appeal of a Petition

A student may appeal the outcome of an academic petition under limited circumstances, namely if new information that could affect the outcome has become available that was not previously available. The appeal must include additional information, appropriate justification, and/or relevant documentation that further explains why the appeal should be granted. To file an appeal, students must submit a Formal Academic Grievance / Grade Appeal form available from the Academic Affairs Office. Appeals will be reviewed by the appropriate academic leader.

Appeal of Grade

If the student feels that an instructor has not followed the published grading policy or if the student feels there was an error in grade calculation, the student is encouraged to discuss their concerns with the faculty member directly or through the facilitation of the Division Chair. This must be done within 10 business days of when the grade was made available to the student. After that conversation, if the student still feels the grade was unjust due to error or inconsistency with those grades assigned to other students, the student may file a formal appeal. The steps for a formal appeal are as follows:.

1. The student must complete and submit the Formal Academic Grievance / Grade Appeal form, available in the Academic Affairs Office (AAO) in the Jackson Library. If the grade concern involves a faculty member, the student must provide evidence to request a review with the Division Chair of the academic unit that offers the course in question. If the grade concern involves the Division Chair, then appropriate academic leader from the area in which the course is offered will conduct the review. If the grade concern involves an academic leader, then another appropriate academic leader will conduct the review.
2. The appropriate academic leader will notify the faculty member of the review and seek to mediate the dispute. The appropriate academic leader will then review the details of the case with the student and faculty member (separately).
   1.  If the dispute is over a grade received on a specific project or examination, the academic leader will request a second evaluation of the specific project or examination, with the grading rubric, by two faculty members with knowledge of the academic discipline. The faculty members will submit their evaluations to the academic leader within 10 business days.
   2. If the dispute is over a course grade, the academic leader will review the course information including but not limited to, course syllabus, grading policies and grade calculations.
3. Once the academic leader has received and reviewed all information, they will make a judgement as to whether the grade has been misevaluated by more than one full grade. If so, the grade may then be changed. If a Division Chair conducts the review, the recommendation will be forwarded to the appropriate academic leader. The decision of the academic leader will be final in all grade appeals. If the complaint involves academic leader, then another appropriate academic leader will conduct the review. All decisions on appeals will be completed within 10 business days of receipt of the faculty review.
4. A student may appeal the outcome of this process to the VPAA if new information that could affect the outcome has become available that was not previously available or if the decision included institutional error or gross inconsistency. The appeal must include additional information, appropriate justification and/or relevant documentation that further explains why the additional appeal should be granted.

Academic Dishonesty Appeal

To appeal the finding of academic dishonesty:

1. Students must complete the Formal Academic Grievance / Grade appeal form available from the Academic Affairs Office, in Jackson Library.
2. The form is then submitted to the appropriate Division Chair for review (if the Division Chair is also the faculty member then the appeal is submitted to the Academic Dean). Appeal forms must be submitted within 10 business days of official notification of Academic Dishonesty.
3. The Division Chair conducts a review of the information and makes a decision on the appeal, within 10 business days of receipt of appeal. If the Division Chair overturns the appeal, the student will be notified of the decision.
4. If the Division Chair denies the appeal, it will be forwarded to the appropriate academic leader. The academic leader may choose to meet with the student and/or faculty member. The decision will be final in all appeal cases. All decisions will be completed within 10 days of receipt of denial from Division Chair.
5. A student may appeal the outcome of this process to VPAA if new information that could affect the outcome has become available that was not previously available. The appeal must include additional information, appropriate justification and/or relevant documentation that further explains why the additional appeal should be granted.

Grievance

If a student believes that the university has not followed published policies regarding academic decisions or actions of the university are unjust, the student may file a grievance. If possible, students are encouraged to first pursue the informal procedure

(Title IX Violations, sexual harassment or illegal discrimination issues have separate and particular processes for resolution Any such issue should be immediately reported using the University’s Incident Reporting Form https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?IndianaWesleyanUniv&layout_id=0

1. 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.
2. If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved, the student may request a meeting with the Division Chair.
3. If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved with the Division Chair, the student may request a meeting with the school's academic leader.
4. 4. If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved with the academic leader informally, the formal procedure may be initiated.

B. Formal Procedure

1. 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 Academic Affairs Office.
2. The student may then make a request within 15 working days for a meeting with the School Dean to review the formal grievance.
3. If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved with the school dean, the student may then request within 15 working days a hearing with the VPAA.

The decision of the VPAA 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 grievances, with all papers, recommendations, and decisions related to federal or state regulations, will be reported to the VPAA in whose office all files will be kept..

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