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THE UNIT OF CREDIT
The unit of credit is the semester credit.
COURSE NUMBERS
Lower division (freshman and sophomore) courses are numbered
100-299. Upper
division (junior and senior) courses are numbered 300-499.
CLASS STANDING
The class in which a regular or conditional student is ranked
at the beginning of the college year is based upon the following:
Freshman standing
Entrance requirements have been met.
Sophomore standing
Completion of 28 credits of work.
Junior standing
Completion of 60 credits of work.
Senior standing
Completion of 90 credits of work.
GRADES AND TRANSCRIPTS
Grade Reports
Mid-semester and winter session marks are delivered directly to
students (during the freshman year, mid-semester marks are
delivered to the freshman advisor).
Final fall semester marks, when possible, and final spring
semester marks are mailed.
Copies of marks are sent to parents only if authorized by
the student.
Transcripts of Record
Official transcripts of record should be ordered at the Office
of the Registrar. Transcripts are released only when financial
obligations to the college have been met. Federal law requires
that release of such records be authorized personally by the
student concerned, and no third party may legally have access to
that record without the student’s written consent (by letter or
fax (208) 459-5415, not email). This stipulation is stated on each
transcript.
Unofficial transcripts may be obtained at the Registrar’s
Office.
Repeating Courses
Upon notifying the registrar and with the permission of the
instructor, a student who has earned a mark of D or F in a course
may repeat the course for the purpose of improving the grade. Both
marks are entered on the student’s permanent record, but only the
second mark is used in calculating the grade-point average. Only
one enrollment is used in computing the total number of credits.
Such repeated courses count in the calculation of the student’s
load for veterans’ benefits only if the original mark was F, or if
a mark higher than D is required for graduation. If the repeated
course is to be taken other than in residence at Albertson,
permission must be granted by the Vice President for Academic
Affairs in accordance with limitations on credit listed under
Graduation Requirements.
Petitions
Individuals or groups of students always have the privilege of
petition. Academic
petitions should be addressed to the Vice President for Academic
Affairs. Other
petitions should be directed to the appropriate administration
officer.
Grades
The following chart indicates the meaning of the marks assigned
and the number of quality points given per credit for each mark.
Students who fail to register or enroll officially are not
assigned a mark or given credit for a course.
Marks used in the grade point average calculation:
Excellent |
Good |
Satisfactory |
Poor |
Failure |
A
4.00 |
B+
3.30 |
C+
2.30 |
C-
1.70 |
F
0 |
A-
3.70 |
B
3.00 |
C
2.00 |
D+
1.30 |
|
|
B-
2.70 |
|
D
1.00 |
WF*
0 |
|
|
|
D-
0.70 |
*Withdrew failing
|
Marks not used in the
grade point average calculation:
S |
Satisfactory |
The only passing mark assigned in
varsity athletics and theatre activity courses. |
P |
Passing |
The only passing mark assigned in
courses designated as workshops and in certain other courses.
May be elected by students in some instances under the
Pass-Fail option. |
U |
Unsatisfactory |
The failing mark in courses for which
the passing mark is P. |
W |
Withdrawal |
Clear withdrawal.
No credit given. |
I |
Incomplete |
This mark indicates partially completed
work of passing quality (see incomplete policy). |
Grade-Point Average
The grade-point average (GPA) is obtained by dividing the total
number of quality points earned by the total number of credits
attempted except those credits granted for Advanced Placement
Examination, credits marked P, S, U, W and I, and other
credits awarded which do not carry quality points. Credits of F
and WF are used in the calculation.
Dean's List
To receive Dean’s List recognition, a student must complete at
least nine or more graded credits (excluding marks of P and S) in
a given semester and achieve a GPA of 3.75 or higher for that
semester. Dean’s List
recognition is given only for the fall and spring semesters.
Academic Honors
One may graduate cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude
upon attaining a grade-point average of 3.5, 3.75 or 3.85
respectively in each of the following categories:
the total undergraduate record, the total record at the
college, the major field of study and the courses taken therein at
the college.
GRADE MEDIATION POLICY
If a student believes a course grade was improperly or unfairly
assigned, the college has a grade mediation procedure to help
resolve the matter. The evaluation of a student’s academic
performance is the sole responsibility of the person appointed to
teach or supervise the course. A student who questions the
validity of a faculty member’s final evaluation of his or her
academic work should confer with that faculty member within the
first six weeks of the next full academic term (i. e., Discussion
of fall or winter grades must be begun within the first six weeks
of spring term, and spring grades within the first six weeks of
fall term). If the matter cannot be resolved between the faculty
member and the student, the student is encouraged to seek the
appropriate department or division chair or academic advisor to
act as a mediator between the student and faculty member. However,
the faculty member assigned to teach the course retains the final
responsibility for assigning the course grade. After the final
outcome, if the student and/or person acting as mediator feels
that the faculty member in question has been unprofessional in
resolving the matter, a letter by either or both persons should be
given to the Vice President for Academic Affairs to be put in the
file of the faculty member and considered by the Faculty
Evaluation Committee as part of the regular evaluation process.
If the student writes a letter to the Vice President for
Academic Affairs to be put in the file of the faculty member, a
copy of the letter will be given by the Vice President for
Academic Affairs, to the faculty member, and to the person who
served as the mediator, so that they may be informed of the
comments. Either or both the faculty member and the person who
served as mediator may write (a) letter(s) for the file, as well.
The person who served as mediator will prepare a brief summary
of the interaction with the student, and its outcome, and will
give a copy of the summary to the student, the faculty member, and
the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
He or she will also retain a file copy. The file copy and
the Vice President’s summary will be retained through the
subsequent evaluation period of the faculty member, in case it
would need to be referred to for any reason.
If the faculty member whose grade is questioned is no longer
employed by the college or is otherwise unavailable because of
sabbatical leave or some other reason:
- the student meets with the department chair of the faculty
member’s department (or, if the faculty member involved is the
department chair, then the student meets with the division
chair)
- the department chair (above) and the student’s academic
advisor help the student prepare a petition for review by a
special committee appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs
in consultation with Academic Council, the committee to consist
of one member from the faculty member’s department or a closely
aligned discipline, one faculty member from the division, and
one faculty member from outside the division
- this special committee will review all available material
and speak with people who may have insight into the situation,
and will come to some resolution which may include—but is not
limited to—changing the grade(s) in question to Pass
- the timelines for beginning the grade mediation procedure
are the same whether or not the faculty member continues at the
college
- the decision of the special committee is final
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND MISCONDUCT
Albertson College maintains that academic honesty and
integrity are important values in the educational process and
that violations in this area should be dealt with in an
appropriate and effective manner.
VIOLATIONS
Academic Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to,
cheating on exams or assignments, plagiarism, ghost writing,
interference, buying or using a term paper-exam-project that
was not composed by the student turning it in, use of crib
notes or information stored in a computer during an exam,
taking an exam for another student, collaboration on take-home
exams where it has been forbidden, or furnishing false or
misleading information on any official college form or the
college website.
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s product,
words, ideas, or data as one’s own work.
When a student submits work for credit that includes
the product, words, ideas, or data of others, the source must
be acknowledged by the use of complete, accurate, and specific
references, such as footnotes.
By placing one’s name on work submitted for credit, the
student certifies the originality of all work not otherwise
identified by appropriate acknowledgments.
A student will be charged with plagiarism if there is not
an acknowledgment of indebtedness.
Acknowledgment must be made whenever:
- one quotes another person’s actual words or replicates
part of another’s product;
- one uses another person’s ideas, opinions, work, data,
or theories, even if they are completely paraphrased in
one’s own words;
- one borrows facts, statistics, or other illustrative
materials – unless the information is common knowledge
(already published in at least three other sources without
citation).
PENALTIES
The burden of proof of student academic dishonesty or
misconduct lies with the professor; the imposition of
penalties is also the responsibility of the professor.
Professors have the discretion to require that the
student repeat the assignment or exam, or may give a failing
grade for the assignment, exam or course, or may otherwise
deal with the academic dishonesty in a manner he or she
determines to be appropriate.
Before determining an appropriate disposition of the
situation the faculty member is encouraged to consult with
the Vice President for Academic Affairs to
see if there are other instances of academic dishonesty by
the student on file in the Vice President’s records.
A brief report of the incident and penalty imposed will
be filed with the professor’s department chair and the
student’s advisor.
A copy will also be placed in a special file in the
Vice President’s office, separate from the student’s
academic file.
In any instance the student has the right to appeal the
professor’s accusation and penalty, first to the department
chair, then to the division chair, and then to the Vice
President for Academic Affairs.
In the case of repeated or more serious violations of
academic honesty, the professor or department chair may
recommend to the Dean of Students and the Vice President for
Academic Affairs that the student either be placed on
academic probation, or be suspended or expelled from the
college. The
Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Dean of Students
will hear and determine the charges and the course of
action. They may consult with the Admission and Academic
Standing Committee if they wish, before determining a course
of action.
Academic Standing
Students are placed on academic probation at the end of
any fall or spring semester in which their cumulative
grade point average falls below 2.00.
Students remain on probation until their cumulative
grade point average reaches the minimum 2.00 standard.
Any student on probation who does not earn a minimum
2.00 semester grade point average in either a Fall or
Spring semester will be dismissed from the college.
Any student who has been dismissed may petition the
Admission and Academic Standing Committee for readmission.
All petitions must include:
- Substantiation of any extraordinary circumstances
- An academic plan approved by the student’s advisor.
Students who have been dismissed may be considered for
readmission upon presentation of evidence of ability to do
satisfactory college work.
Normally, the Admission Committee expects at least
12 semester credits completed elsewhere, with no grade
below a C.
Students who have been dismissed may not enroll in any
classes at Albertson College unless they have the
permission of the Admission and Academic Standing
Committee.
Such permission will be granted only in exceptional cases.
Academic Reprieve
Students who have completed two consecutive full-time
semesters or sessions at Albertson with a grade-point
average of at least 2.00 in each period may once and only
once, after consultation with and approval from their
advisor, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the
registrar, eliminate one entire previous semester’s,
session’s, or quarter’s work from the computation of
credits and grade points in their academic record.
The eliminated work may have been attempted at any
college or university.
Nothing will be erased from the record, but the
work in question will be bracketed to indicate that it is
not being counted.
None of the work undertaken in the session which
the student chooses to eliminate may be counted toward any
requirement for graduation.
Students may repeat the eliminated courses only if
they have not subsequently taken and passed courses to
which the eliminated courses are prerequisites.
Incomplete Marks
The mark of I, or Incomplete, may be
assigned only when the student has completed most of the
work of the course with a D or better and when the
instructor judges the student’s inability to carry the
course to completion on time to be due to legitimate
causes beyond the student’s reasonable control.
The Incomplete is always accompanied by a tentative
mark, recorded on an official form, indicating the quality
of the work completed and a description of the work to be
completed.
An Incomplete must be removed from a student’s record
no later than the end of the next semester (fall or
spring) in which the student is enrolled or it becomes an
F. By
petition and with the permission of the instructor
concerned, the Vice President for Academic Affairs may
extend the time in cases of hardship.
Pass-Fail Option
At any time before the Monday of the ninth week of
instruction (fall and spring semesters) or the Monday of
the fourth week of instruction (winter session), a student
may elect to take a course on a Pass-Fail basis by filing
a form with the registrar.
The choice is, as of the limiting dates noted,
irrevocable.
Limitations:
- No more than one course per semester may be taken
Pass-Fail.
- No more than 18 credits of P may be counted toward
graduation.
(This does not apply to courses where P is the only mark
given and the student has no option.)
- Courses to be counted toward a major, minor or
concentration may not be taken Pass-Fail.
- Courses used to fulfill a General Graduation
Requirement may not be taken Pass-Fail.
Note:
Since the mark of P indicates any assigned
grade of D- or above, students should be aware that some
postgraduate institutions may discount grade-point
averages.
- In some programs, such as study abroad, only
Pass-Fail marks may be recorded.
These courses, in which students have no option
for letter grades, may be exempt from the limitations
listed above.
Students must request a waiver of limitation with
the Foreign Study Committee at the time they file the
application for overseas study with the committee.
The student must also file an academic petition
for the waiver.
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