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Academics

Departmental Academic Policy

Responsibility and Accountability

The Department considers students to be individuals who are responsible for their own behaviors. Students are expected to make decisions with an awareness of the consequences which will most likely result from these decisions. Decision-making without considering the resulting consequences is not justifiable behavior if the consequences put the student’s academic efforts at risk. In other words, if you enroll in a class, you are obligated to meet the responsibilities of this class, regardless of other commitments, including work, family, and other class obligations.

Definition of Grades

The Department adheres to the following definitions as found in the General Catalog (page 40):

“The ‘A’ grade may be interpreted to mean that the instructor recognized exceptional capacities and exceptional performance.
The grade of ‘B’ signifies that the student has, for any combination of reasons, demonstrated a significantly more effective command of the material than is generally expected.
The ‘C’ grade is the instructor’s certification that the student has demonstrated the required mastery of the material.
The student is graded ‘D’ when his/her grasp of the course is minimal.
The ‘F’ grade indicates failure to master the essentials and the necessity for repeating before credit is allowed.”
It is the Department’s policy NOT to post any student grades at any time during, or at the conclusion of, the semester.
Posting of Grades
It is the Department’s policy NOT to post any student grades at any time during, or at the conclusion of, the semester.

Plagiarism

Cheating, in its multitude of forms, is a serious offense to the University and compromises the learning process of the violators and their classmates. Ultimately, the reputation of the institution is at risk. For these reasons, the Department expects students to understand the provision of the Student Conduct Code that addresses academic dishonesty and the penalties for it, and to conduct themselves with integrity in their academic efforts. To that end, students are expected to follow both the letter and the spirit of academic honesty and to consult beforehand with their instructors whenever those ethical standards are even remotely at risk.

Attendance

It is the Department’s policy that any student who misses twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the scheduled class days, for any reason, will receive a failing grade for the course. All days when a student is not present will be counted as an absence. Individual instructors may impose stricter attendance policies. Instructors are not responsible for reminding students about their total absences.

Civility

Students are expected to communicate in a civil manner in their academic interaction at all times, both in and out of the classroom. This means that interactions are to be carried out in a polite, courteous, and dignified manner, which are respectful and understanding toward both peers and professors. Failure to behave in a civil manner may result in disciplinary actions as described by the Student Conduct Code.