Academic Policies and Services

ACADEMIC POLICIES AND SERVICES

Academic Honesty | Class Attendance | Prerequisites and Placement Testing | Classification | Course Load | Catalog Authority | Registration | Changing Registration | Repeated Courses | Auditing | Application to Major and Minor | Grading | College Honors | Satisfactory Academic Progress | Academic Probation and Dismissal | Withdrawal Policy | Release of Transcript and Grade Report | Student Records | Release of Information | Graduate Placement Report

Academic Honesty

Policy Statement of Policy

Academic honesty and integrity are highly valued in our campus community. Academic honesty directly concerns ethical behaviorswhich affect both the academic environment and the civic community. Academic dishonestly seriously violates the integrity of the academic enterprise and will not be tolerated at St. Scholastica.

Definition

Academic dishonesty is defined as follows: Misrepresentation of the work of others as one's own; dishonesty in testing; violating authorized guidelines established by instructors for individual assignments; sabotaging or damaging the work of others; or engaging in dishonesty in other academic work.

Implementation

To minimize student misunderstanding, faculty shall state inwritingwhat degree of cooperation or help is authorized and what behaviors constitute academic dishonesty on collaborative efforts by students (team projects,groupwork,etc.). Students shall be responsible for asking faculty for clarification in any unclear situation.

Enforcement

Since academic dishonesty is a transgression against the entire college community, the entire community should be involved in handling the problem. Students and faculty are encouraged to contact instructors with reports of, or concerns about, academic dishonesty. If a faculty member has determined that a student has been academically dishonest, the violation must be reported to the vice president for academic affairs of the vice president for student affairs. Duties of these offices include referral of students for counseling if needed, handling of repeat offenders, and administering of penalties.

Penalties

In cases of academic dishonesty, the minimum penalty to be applied by the faculty member shall be failure of the assignment or test,and the maximum penalty shall be failure of the course. In addition, a department may deny admission to or dismiss froma programa student who has engaged in academic dishonesty, and the vice president for academic affairs or vice president for student affairs may exclude such a student fromextracurricular activities or expel himor her from the College, even on the first instance of academic dishonesty.

Appeals

An aggrieved student may appeal any adverse decision regarding academic dishonesty by following the procedure outlined in the academic appeal procedure. In an appeal concerning academic dishonesty, the decision of the appeal panel shall be final.

Class Attendance

Students are expected to be responsible for their educational progress by attending classes regularly, participating during class sessions, and completing required work outside the classroom. Specific attendance requirements are set by instructors. Students receiving veteran's benefits are expected to attend all scheduled classes. Students are encouraged to discuss any attendance issues(s) with their faculty member or an academic advisor.

Only registered students may participate in classes.

Prerequisites and Placement Testing

Prerequisites (eligibility requirements) are stated after each course description. A student who fails the first course in a sequence may not register for the succeeding course unless the prerequisite course has been successfully repeated or the student has the permission of the instructor. All placement testing not done during regularly scheduled student orientation will be done in the Center for Academic Success under the supervision of the director of academic support services.

Classification

Classification of students is determined by the number of semester credits satisfactorily completed. Sophomores must have completed at least 28 credits; juniors, 61 credits; and seniors, 93 credits.

Course Load

Traditional full-time student load is 16 semester credits. In exceptional cases,permission to enroll in more than 18 semester credits may be obtained from the student's advisor. An additional fee is assessed for course loads beyond 18 credits. To be classified as full time, a student must carry at least 12 semester credits:a student carrying less than 12 credits is part time and pays tuition per credit. The State of Minnesota requires a student to be registered for 15 credits in order to be classified as full time for state financial aid purposes.

In the Accelerated Degree Evening Program, a full-time student load is 8 semester credits per eight-week session.

Catalog Authority

The St.Scholastica catalog in effect at the time a student first enrolls is the matriculation plan for the student while attending St. Scholastica; the student should refer to the appropriate catalog when needed.Should the student re-enroll after an absence of two years, the new catalog is in effect.

Registration

Registration (the act of officially enrolling in classes) is difficult to personalize while maintaining efficiency,but this is what St.Scholastica attempts to do. Registration, therefore,becomes part of the orientation programfor new students and a special process for all students every semester thereafter. Only registered students may participate in classes.

At St. Scholastica, registration takes place near the middle of the semester when each student meets with his/her advisor to review educational plans and specify class schedules for the succeeding semester. To insure accurate fee statements, grant allocations and statistics upon whichmany decisions are based, it is imperative that all students complete registration each semester according to the announced procedures and deadlines.

Changing Registration

Studentsmay drop a course during the first two weeks of a semester without that drop being officially recorded. However, the instructor and the advisormust sign all drops after the first day of the term. Through the ninth week, students may withdraw from individual courses but a grade of W will be entered on the students' records. No drops or withdrawals are permitted after the ninth week of a semester unless there are circumstances beyond the control of the student that prevented an earlier, timely drop or withdrawal. In no circumstances will drops or withdrawals be permitted after the close of the fiscal period in which the course was held. Drop and withdrawal deadlines for courses that begin or end on nonstandard dates will be set by the Registrar, but the drop and withdrawal intervals will be proportional to intervals for a full academic semester.

Once registered for a semester, students may add additional courses to their enrollment until the end of the second week,with instructor permission. No addswill be permitted after the second week. Students who are registered for a class but who do not attend the class by the end of the second week, will be dropped from the class list.

The forms to be completed for dropping, withdrawing from, or adding classes are available in the Registrar's Office.

Repeated Courses

Unless there are extenuating circumstances, a studentmay repeat only those courses in which he/she earned a C- or lower grade at The College of St. Scholastica. In the case of extenuating circumstances, the student may appeal through the Registrar's Office for permission to repeat a course in which he/she earned a "C" or higher grade at St. Scholastica. Consideration of an appeal will be made in consultation with the course instructor. In either case,both grades will remain on the student's permanent record but only the grade earned in the second enrollment will be used in grade point computations; similarly, creditwill be awarded onlywith the second enrollment. Except in very unusual circumstances, courses may not be attempted a third time.

Courses failed at The College of St. Scholastica may not be repeated at any other college.

Auditing

A student may audit a course only with prior approval of the instructor. A student who registers to audit receives no academic credit in the course and is charged one-third the tuition of those who register for credit in the course. Changes from credit status to audit status or from audit to credit status are allowed only during the first two weeks of a semester and are subject to instructor approval.

Application to Major and Minor

To major or minor in a given department, most students apply for acceptance during the spring semester of the sophomore year or at 61 credits or above. Some majors require an earlier application process. Forms are available in the Registrar's Office.

Grading

A student's performance is recorded in grades as follows:

A	4.0 grade points
A-	3.7 grade points
B+	3.3 grade points
B	3.0 grade points
B-	2.7 grade points
C+	2.3 grade points
C	2.0 grade points
C-	1.7 grade points
D+	1.3 grade points
D	1.0 grade points
D-	0.7 grade point
F	0.0 grade point

An incomplete "I" may be assigned by the instructor at his/her discretion at the end of a term. A limit is placed on the length of time that "I" may stand on the student's record unless extended by the instructor. That limit is the 10th week of the subsequent term, excluding summer terms. The temporary grade"IP" is awarded when a course is designed to continue beyond the boundaries of an academic term. The instructorwill change "IP" grades to "F" if the coursework is not completed within the time agreed upon by the student and the instructor.

Students also have the option of taking courses under the "Pass-No Credit" evaluation system. A student wishing to exercise this option is required: (1) prior to registration, to obtain signatures of approval from both the advisor and from the chair of the department in which the student has declared a major; (2) to indicate on the registration form any course to be taken "Pass-No Credit."

Students who have not yet declared a major should not take courses on a "Pass-No Credit" basis,as"Pass-No Credit"courses are not typically permitted within the major.

Individual departments may also decide that certain courses will be offered as "Pass-No Credit" (P/N) courses, and all students enrolled in the coursewould be so evaluated. A grade of "P" indicates the student has done at least "C" work in the course.

College Honors

A student whose cumulative grade point average is 3.75 or above graduates with highest honors. A student whose cumulative grade point average is between 3.50 and 3.75 graduates with honors. A minimum of 48 St. Scholastica credits with grade points is required to graduate with honors or with highest honors. A Dean's List of full-time students achieving a 3.75 grade point average is published each semester.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

In order to continue at The College of St.Scholastica, a student must maintain satisfactory academic progress. Satisfactory academic progress means that a student maintains a cumulative grade point average (GPA) at the minimum standard or higher and completes the minimum number of course credits required to complete degree requirements in the maximum allowable time frame. Minimum academic standards expected at The College of St. Scholastica are:

First-year students: cumulative GPA of 1.75 at the end of the first semester and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 at the end of the second semester; completion ratio of 75 percent.

Sophomores, juniors and seniors: a cumulative GPA of 2.0 at the end of each semester; completion ratio of 75 percent.

Academic Probation and Dismissal

A student whose cumulative GPA and/or completion ratio at the end of either semester falls below these minimum academic standards will be placed on academic probation.

Students on academic probation remain on probation for the entire following semester and remain eligible for financial aid during the probationary semester. They are required to maintain no fewer than 12 credits during the probationary semester. They may not take courses with the grade option of "Pass-No Credit." The Vice President for Academic Affairs may set additional conditions that must be met during the probation semester.

A student whose cumulative GPA and/or completion ratio remains below the minimum standards at the end of the probationary semester may be dismissed. However, if satisfactory progress has been made toward the required GPA and/or completion ratio, the studentmay be able to repeat probation for a second semester and may be eligible for financial aid. Final decisions on repeat probations aremade by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. In addition to dismissal for lack of satisfactory academic progress, students may be dismissed for conduct that is not in harmony with the policies of the College.

Accelerated Degree Evening Program students will be monitored at the end of Fall Term II, Spring Term II and Summer Term II.

Students on probation must develop a plan for academic improvement with an academic advisor. This may include use of the tutor center, developmental courses and/or reduction in work hours and extra curricular activities. Probation precludes holding elective office, participating in athletics or theatre productions or any other time-consuming extra curricular activities. Eligibility for varsity sports will be determined each semester. For the purposes of financial aid, students working under a plan to improve will be considered making satisfactory progress during the probationary term.

Recognizing that there may be extenuating circumstances which account for the student's not making satisfactory academic progress such as a death in the immediate family or serious illness, the student may appeal to have the status changedwithin threeweeks of the time of being placed on probation or being dismissed. The appeal should state both the reason for lack of academic progress and steps planned to improve the academic situation.

Withdrawal Policy

Any student who withdraws from the College during the course of the academic year holds an exit interview with the dean of students. A student is legally registered until he/she files an official withdrawal or completes the period of registration. Enrollment certifications and refunds are based upon two documents: the official registration form and official withdrawal form. A studentwho has left the Collegewhile in good standing may reenter at any time by simply following the designated readmission and registration procedures.

No withdrawals are permitted after the ninth week of the traditional semester or the fifth week of the Extended Studies term. From the first day of classes until the ninth week of the semester or the fifth week of the Extended Studies term, withdrawals and subsequent refunds followthe Course Drops and Withdrawals Policy.

Appeals for withdrawals after the ninth week of the semester or the fifth week of the Extended Studies term are considered only under the following circumstances:

1. institutional error (student was never here; not withdrawn; financial aid and/or registration problems);
2. medical circumstances (non-routine, serious medical concerns; documentation required);
3. family emergency (specific written explanation required);
4. unusual circumstances (specific written documentation required).

Each request will be submitted to the dean of students.All decisions of the dean are final. Extended Studies student requests are submitted to the campus director of the campus of enrollment. All decisions are final.

Release of Transcript and Grade Report

Copies of transcript and grade reports will not be released if the student has an unpaid balance at St. Scholastica resulting from charges made for tuition and fees, fines, room damage assessments, student emergency loan, health hold, library hold or delinquent/defaulted Federal Perkins, Nursing or Ordean Student Loans.

When all debts to the college are paid in full, students who wish a copy of their transcript must submit awritten request to the Registrar's Office or complete an information release form supplied by a third party requester.

Fees charged for each copy of official transcript are as follows:
Request made upon graduation First two free Each additional copy: $3.00

Student Records

Students are hereby notified that pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, students are entitled to review those records, files, documents and other materials which contain information directly related to themselveswhich are maintained by the College. It is further understood that a student may request a hearing, in accordance with the regulations issued by the Secretary of Education, to challenge the content of the educational records, in order to insure that the records are not inaccurate,misleading or otherwise in violation of one's rights.The studentmay insert in the records awritten explanation regarding the contents of such records if the College does not make the suggested corrections or deletions.

Student access and review is subject to the following conditions:

1. The College has 45 days to comply with a written request to the College official responsible for maintaining the record sought.
2. All information declared confidential by the Act or excluded fromthe definition of "education records" by the Act is unavailable for inspection.
3. After reviewing the records, the student may request the unit maintaining the record to remove or modify information believed to be misleading, inaccurate or inappropriate. If the request is refused, the student may insert in the records a written explanation regarding the contents to which he/she objects or may file an appeal with the President's Office which will be heard by a person or committee designated by the president.

Release of Information

Students are further notified of the fact that the Act states that the following informationmay be construed to be directory information which is available to the public,and is hereby so declared: name, address, telephone listing, date of birth, photograph, major field of study, parttime/ full-time status, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, classification, degrees and awards received and themost recent previous educational agency or institution attended. Students have the right to informthe College that any or all of the bold-faced information should not be released without prior consent. If a student wishes to restrict the release of this information, a written request to that effectmust be completed annually in the Registrar's Office prior to the fifth day of fall semester classes. After the student has filed the required written request, the College will notify the appropriate offices and begin to comply with the request as soon as possible.

No information other than the items listed above will be released without specific written permission except as provided by law. A complete statement of the St. Scholastica policy is available in the Registrar's Office.

Year	Grads	Respondents	Employed in Major Field	Employed Outside Major	Total Employed
1995	348	309 (88.7%)	178 (57.6%)	45 (14.5%)	223 (72.1%)
1996	379	326 (86.0%)	180 (55.2%)	38 (11.6%)	218 (66.8%)
1997	306	254 (83.0%)	142 (55.9%)	15 (5.9%)	157 (61.8%)
1998	308	263 (85.5%)	153 (58.2%)	14 (5.3%)	167 (63.5%)
1999	310	258 (83.2%)	133 (50.5%)	22 (8.5%)	155 (59.3%)
2000	291	254 (87.29%)	154 (60.63%)	22 (8.66%)	176 (69.29%)
2001	296	237 (80.07%)	139 (58.65%)	19 (8.02%)	158 (66.67%)
2002	318	249 (78.3%)	130 (52.21%)	41 (16.47%)	171 (68.67%)
2003	409	212 (51.83%)	97(45.75%)	41 (19.34%)	138 (65.09%)
2004	444	282 (63.5%)	164 (58.2%)	44 (15.6%)	208 (73.8%)
2005	567	306 (54%)	183 (59.8%)	52 (17%)	236 (77.1%)

Graduate Placement Report

	Grad School/Internships	Total Employed/School	Unemployed Seeking	Unemployed Not Seeking
1995	72 (23.3%)	295 (95.4%)	9 (2.9%)	5 (1.6%)
1996	97 (29.7%)	315 (96.6%)	8 (2.4%)	3 (0.9%)
1997	109 (42.9%)	243 (95.7%)	8 (3.1%)	3 (1.2%)
1998	100 (38.0%)	258 (98.1%)	2 (0.8%)	3 (1.1%)
1999	102 (39.5%)	255 (98.8%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (4.0%)
2000	79 (31.10%)	*245 (96.46%)	9 (3.54%)	0 (0.0%)
2001	75 (31.65%)	233 (98.31%)	2 (0.84%)	2 (0.84%)
2002	75 (30.12%)	246 (98.8%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)
2003	61 (28.77%)	199 (92.92%)	8 (3.77%)	5 (2.36%)
2004	62 (22%)	270 (95.7%)	9 (3.2%)	3 (1.1%)
2005	64 (20.9%)	300 (98%)	5 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)

'Unemployed not seeking'group not included in placement totals.
* Please note that for the year 2000 Total Employed/School there were 10 graduates working and attending graduate school consecutively. The majors include: Behavioral Arts and Sciences 1, Biology 1, Education 1, English 1, Exercise Physiology 1, Nursing 3 and Psychology 2 - Total of 10.