Guidelines for Member and Associate Schools


CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS


Classification is based upon the student’s academic standing in terms of hours at the beginning of the semester.  New students will be classified as “fully-admitted” or as “provisional.”  Provisionally admitted students have one semester to meet all official entrance requirements.  If such requirements are not met, they will not be allowed to enroll for the next semester.

Full-time students are those enrolled for a minimum of twelve (12) semester hours.  Part-time students are those enrolled for fewer than twelve (12) semester hours.

Fully admitted students are those who have satisfied entrance requirements and are following a program leading to a degree.  They are classified as follows:

1. Freshman - High School diploma or its equivalent; 
2. Sophomore - must have at least 30 hours;
3. Junior - must have at least 60 hours; and
4. Senior - must have at least 90 hours.

Students are limited to courses plus or minus one level of their current status.  Therefore, Freshmen are eligible to take Freshman or Sophomore level courses.  Sophomores are eligible to take Freshman, Sophomore or Junior level courses.  Juniors are eligible to take Sophomore, Junior, or Senior level courses.  Seniors are eligible to take Junior and Senior level courses.  If a senior elects to take a lower level course (Freshman/Sophomore) additional work may be required, at the discretion of the professor.
 
SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS AND PROBATION
Students who fail to maintain a grade point average of 2.0 will be placed on academic probation for the following semester.  A student placed on academic probation will be limited to no more than (12.5) semester hours each semester on probation.  During that semester the student must achieve a 2.00 average in order to be allowed to continue the following semester.  Failure to achieve a 2.00 while on academic probation will result in termination of enrollment.  Any future enrollment will not be permitted unless the student shows definite evidence of intention to do acceptable work (a minimum of 9 hours, with a grade of C or better, from an accredited school).  For students participating in federal programs for financial aid, standards of satisfactory academic progress are published in the Financial Aid Handbook and are in compliance with current Federal Regulations.  When placed on academic probation, the student must meet academic standards in order to continue to receive federal aid for education.  If it is necessary to dismiss a student for unsatisfactory progress, the student may be reinstated after one semester’s absence, only after sufficient evidence that the causes of unsatisfactory progress have been removed and that maintenance of satisfactory progress can be achieved. Reinstatement will be granted only after interviews and recommendations by the Student Life Committee and/or the Academic Committee have been completed.

PETITIONS
Students faced with situations or circumstances beyond their control and who find an academic policy or procedure impeding progress toward completing course work or a degree may file an Academic Petition.  Academic Petitions are located in the Registrar’s Office and should be filed with the Office of the Academic Dean. Filing a petition does not guarantee a waiver of policy.  The Academic Committee will give individual attention and consideration to each student’s request. Only requests of a serious nature will warrant a waiver of present academic policy.  The decision of the Academic Committee is final.

DROP/ADD
Students may drop or add a course according to the schedule on the Academic Calendar.  Typically campus students will be allowed to add or drop a course no later than six (6) school days after classes begin.  Online students will be allowed to add or drop a course no later than three (3) school days after classes begin.  After the drop/add period students may withdraw from a class as described under “Withdraw from Class.”  

Campus students desiring to drop or add a class must submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar’s Office prior to the end of the drop/add period.  Students adding a modular class after the drop/add period will be charged a late registration fee.  It is the student’s responsibility to secure the written consent of his/her academic advisor.

Online students desiring to drop or add a class must submit an online Drop/Add Request.  This request must be posted no later than 5 PM (EST) of the third day of an online session.  Students are encouraged to contact their online advisor regarding decisions to drop or add classes.
 
WITHDRAW FROM CLASS 
After the drop/add period, a student may withdraw from a course.  A student wanting to withdraw from a course should consult his/her advisor.  Withdraw From Class forms which may be obtained from the registrar’s office, are not official until they are signed by both the advisor and the registrar.  Online students may use the online Withdraw From Class form to notify both the advisor and the registrar of their decision to withdraw. 

When the withdrawal becomes official, a “WP” or “WF” will be assigned according to the schedule on the appropriate Academic Calendar and the student’s academic standing in the class at the time of withdrawal.  Tuition refund, if any, will be calculated after the withdrawal becomes official.  Refunds amounts will be based on the college Refund Policy.  All deposits are immediately forfeited upon notice of withdrawal and fees are non-refundable.

Students failing to submit a Withdraw From Class form will receive a course grade of “F” and be charged for the course by the Business Office.  If a student withdraws from a course, regardless of grade earned, that student will be allowed to re-enroll only once for the same course. The Academic Committee will consider exceptions.


WITHDRAW FROM SCHOOL 
A student wanting to withdraw from school should consult his/her advisor.  Withdraw From School forms which may be obtained from the registrar’s office, are not official until they are signed by both the business office and the registrar.  Online students may use the online Withdraw From School form to notify both the business office and the registrar of their decision to withdraw from school. 

When the withdrawal becomes official, a “WP” or “WF” will be assigned to courses according to the schedule on the appropriate Academic Calendar and the student’s academic standing in the class at the time of withdrawal.  Tuition refund, if any, will be calculated after the withdrawal becomes official.  Refunds amounts will be based on the college Refund Policy.  All deposits are immediately forfeited upon notice of withdrawal and fees are non-refundable.

Students failing to submit a Withdraw From School form will be issued an Administrative Withdrawal and receive an “F” in all their unfinished courses.  Students will also be charged for the semester by the Business Office.  



INCOMPLETES
Under exceptional circumstances, a faculty member may permit additional time for the completion of course requirements after the end of the semester.  In such cases, a grade of “I” (Incomplete) is assigned to the student.  An “I” is not to be given to enable a student to do additional work to raise a deficient grade.  It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with the professor whatever action is needed to remove the “I.”  The student has no longer than one additional semester to remove the “I.”  The “I” grade does not carry quality points and is not calculated in the GPA.  An “I” will automatically change to an “F” after the next semester has completed.  A student may not graduate with an “I” on his or her transcript.  A student does not need to be enrolled to be working on the removal of an Incomplete.


AUDIT TO CREDIT
Students that take a course for “audit” that wish to change the “audit” to a for credit grade, must do the following: notify the professor in advance (at least by the end of the first week of class), complete all course requirements, and have the letter grade submitted to the Registrar’s office at the end of the course.  The student has one semester to pay for the course and have the letter grade recorded.


ACADEMIC ADVISING
Every student has, from the beginning of his/her freshman year, an assigned faculty advisor with whom consultations concerning curriculum planning, course registration, and other academic decisions must be made.  Although the student is urged to make full use of the help the advisor can provide, the student is expected to read and understand the catalog and to accept the ultimate responsibility for the decisions made in his/her behalf while enrolled.


ACADEMIC HONESTY
It is assumed that students will endeavor to be honest and of high integrity in all matters pertaining to their college life. A lack of respect and integrity is evidenced by cheating, fabricating, plagiarizing, misuse of keys and facilities, removing books and defacing and altering property belonging to other students or faculty and disruption of classes.

Cheating is defined as intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise. It is assumed that whatever is submitted by a student is the work of that student and is new work for that course.  Fabrication is intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise or form. Plagiarizing is intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own in any academic exercise.  Any student who assists another student with cheating will share the responsibility for the violation of College policy.

Penalties may include restitution, an “F” on an individual paper or exam, loss of campus position or employment, an “F” in a course, disciplinary probation, and/or suspension.


CLASS ATTENDANCE
Because College education assumes that significant learning takes place in the campus classroom and the virtual classroom (online), regular class attendance is required.


Attendance Policy for On-Campus Courses
Students are required to participate in the campus classroom regularly throughout the term of the course.  Any absences may result in the loss of points as detailed in the class syllabus.


Attendance Policy for Online Courses
Students are required to attend the virtual classroom at least five out of seven days each week.  Any absences may result in the loss of points as detailed in the class syllabus.


FACULTY RESPONSIBILITY
An instructor may prescribe reasonable regulations and course requirements, as he/she feels necessary in accordance with College policy.  At the beginning of each semester, the instructor shall inform the students in his/her class of these special regulations.  The instructor is expected to keep a record of student attendance for the Registrar’s Office.  When a student has been absent for three (3) consecutive class periods, the instructor shall notify the Academic Dean, the Registrar, the Financial Aid Officer and the Student Life Officer.


REGISTRATION
All students are expected to register on the days designated by the College calendar and begin classes on the first day.  Late registrants will be charged a fee.  The Registrar publishes a specific schedule of classes prior to the beginning of each semester. Students are urged to use the Course Offerings schedule available from their advisor to make tentative plans.  In addition, students need to be aware of certain course requirements (e.g. prerequisites) that impact scheduling. 


FINAL EXAMS
Students are required to take final examinations as specified in course syllabi.  The final examination schedule covers the last six days of each semester.  The Registrar publishes the schedule each semester.  The last week of each semester will be kept free of institutionally sanctioned extra-curricular activities.


TRANSCRIPTS
Only upon the student’s written request will the College release a transcript or any other information from an academic record.  The first transcript will be released free of charge.  A fee will be charged for each additional transcript.  Requests for transcripts should be sent to the Office of the Registrar.  Transcripts from other institutions contained in student files may not be copied or released to the student or another party.


INDEBTEDNESS
All indebtedness to the College must be satisfactorily settled before a diploma or transcript of record will be issued.


CHANGE OF ADDRESS
It is the obligation of every student to notify the Registrar’s Office of any change in name or mailing address for grades and bills.


COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL LAWS
The College does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, color, national origin, or handicap in its educational programs, activities or employment.  The College also complies with the Family Education and Privacy Act of 1974.
 
The following offices may be contacted for information regarding compliance with legislation:

  • Business Office-Wage and Hour Regulations, the Civil Rights of 1964 (race, color, or national origin), and Age Discrimination.
  • Dean of Students -Title IX (Non-discrimination on Basis of Sex).
  • Officer of Financial Aid-Title IV (Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended), the Pell
    Grant Program, Supplementary Educational Opportunity Grants, the Stafford Loan Program, Supplementary Loan Program, Plus loan Program, Work-Study Program, and Student Consumer Information.
  • Registrar-Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Veteran’s Benefits, Immigration and Nationality Act, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, North Carolina Immunization Rules (G.S. 130A – 440).


FAMILY EDUCATION RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT
Pursuant to the provision of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, students are advised that the College construes the following information to be “directory information”: the student’s name, campus and home address, classification, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, class schedule, honor roll listing, participation in college activities and sports, degrees and awards/honors received, previous schools attended, dates of attendance, denominational or religious preference, parents’ names and addresses, and for members of the athletic teams, height, weight, and positions played.

The designation of the above information as “directory information” means that it may be released to third parties, such as in news releases.  Such “directory information” is contained specifically in the College Directory, in the student’s various files, and in the Business Office.  Photographs, both group shots and individual, are also considered by the College to be “directory information.”  As such, release of photographs also is provided.

Students may request the “directory information” not be released to third parties.  To make such a request, please advise the Registrar in writing in a signed and dated statement.  Otherwise, all photographs and information listed above will be considered as “directory information” according to federal law.  Information, notably grade records, is released to third parties ONLY on written request of the student.

 
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