Distance Learning Academic Policies

Class Standing

GRADING SYSTEM

Other Notations

Incomplete

Withdrawal in Good Standing

Dishonorable Withdrawal

Audit

Credit

Failure, Excess Absences

GRADING POLICIES

A student may repeat a course once in which a grade of “D” or “F” is received. All final grades earned will appear on the official transcript, but if a course is repeated, only the most recent grade will be used in calculating the student’s grade point average. If a student repeats a course at another institution, the grade received at this university is the only grade that will be used to determine grade point average. Students must obtain advance approval from the University Registrar to repeat a course and the student will pay normal tuition prices for courses repeated.

INCOMPLETE COURSES

If a student is unable to complete course requirements during a term, he can discuss with his instructor the possibility of obtaining an “Incomplete” for the course. If the instructor agrees, the student may receive up to two extra weeks to complete course requirements. If a student does not discuss this option with the instructor and does not fulfill all coursework, the student will receive an “F” for the course.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Family of Faith Christian University students must maintain a high level of academic integrity. It is important that a student completes his or her own work for all assignments. All students should be familiar with the following definitions and policies. When in doubt, a student should contact his instructor for clarification and direction on citing, summarizing, paraphrasing and quoting sources.

The word plagiarism comes from the Latin word for kidnapper and literary thief and is defined as using the ideas or words of another as one’s own. Plagiarism is a serious offense that can be grounds for failure of a course or even expulsion from university. Plagiarism includes, but is not necessarily limited to: direct copying without citation; paraphrasing or summarizing the ideas of another without citation; and presenting as one’s own research paper one that has been purchased or obtained in some way from another source. All information except “common knowledge” and the student’s own thoughts must be documented. Common knowledge is information that most educated people know, although they might have to remind themselves of certain details by looking up information. If the student is uncertain whether it is knowledge held in common or knowledge learned from research, he should credit the source. A student’s own thoughts include the student’s own ideas, conclusions, and opinions drawn from the research he does.

If the instructor has determined that plagiarism has taken place, the instructor will report the incident and present the evidence to the Vice President of Academic Affairs who will use this information to determine if any other violations have occurred by the same student. The instructor will provide the student an opportunity to write a paper that would be of acceptable quality to the instructor. The paper would receive a grade of “0”, but would be counted as having been submitted. If the student fails to submit a paper in the time as determined by the instructor, the student will have the paper appear as “incomplete” and the policy for incomplete work will be applied.

The faculty will assign a member to counsel with the student for a period of one semester. Counseling will involve regular contact and a Bible study using standard topic guidelines. The student will submit a written apology to whomever the faculty deems appropriate. If the instructor feels the violation warrants more than the above and/or for repeated offenses by the same student, a quorum of core faculty members will be assembled to consider the incident. Upon a majority vote, the following actions may be taken by the faculty: For more than one incident that occurs in the same semester (same or different classes), the minimum penalty will usually apply. The faculty may determine that failure of one or all of the courses is warranted. For more than one incident that occurs in different semesters, the general penalty would be failure of the course in which the second violation occurs. If repeated violations occur after counseling and warning, the faculty may elect to suspend or expel the student. Single violations that the faculty determines warrants more than the minimum penalty could result in failure of the course, probation, suspension, or expulsion.

Cheating is generally considered to be the act of copying someone else’s answers to a test or a quiz in a class for a grade. It can also involve any other form or misrepresentation in an attempt to improve the (grade) position of the student. This could include, but is not limited to such things as copying the answers of another student on a test or quiz, providing false statements regarding amount of material read during the semester, and possession of and/or use of “cheat sheet” during a test or quiz.

After the instructor determines that cheating has taken place, the instructor will contact the student or students involved and explain what has been discovered. The instructor will provide the student a chance for defense. If the defense is unacceptable, the instructor will assign a grade of “F” for that assignment with no opportunity for retaking it. The student will be required to submit a written apology to the faculty and to the individual faculty member for the class in which the violation occurred. Additionally, the student will be required to  participate in counseling. During this period of counseling, the student will prepare a paper from a Bible study using a standard topic guideline. Repeated violations will be dealt with by majority vote of a quorum of core faculty members. This can lead to such further actions as probation, suspension, or expulsion.

ACADEMIC PROBATION AND SUSPENSION, BEHAVIORAL PROBATION, SUSPENSION, EXPULSION, FINANCIAL SUSPENSION, GRIEVANCES AND APPEALS 

ALCOHOL AND DRUG-FREE CAMPUS POLICY 

POLICIES ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND OFFENSES

It is the policy of this university to provide students and employees with an environment for learning and working that is free of sexual harassment whether by members of the same sex or opposite sex. University administrators are responsible for assuring that effective measures are taken to implement this policy’s procedures. It is a violation of this policy for any member of the university community to seek gain, advancement, or consideration in return for sexual favors, or to make any intentionally false accusations of sexual harassment. It is a violation of this policy for any member of the university to engage in verbal or physical sexual harassment. Any person who feels offended by the behavior of any other person in the FFCU community is encouraged to resolve the problem informally prior to filing a complaint according to the enforcement procedures below. Any person who has been accused of sexual harassment pursuant to the terms of this policy, who retaliates against his or her accuser in any manner, shall be charged with violating this policy. Any member of this university community who is found in violation of this policy will be subject to appropriate sanctions, which may include discharge, expulsion, or probation.

Penalties and Sanctions:

Any member of the university community who believes that he or she has experienced sexual harassment as defined in this policy should immediately notify his or her immediate supervisor, the University President, Provost, Vice President of Student Affairs, Vice President of Academic Affairs, or the Director of Spiritual Life. Any complaints of sexual harassment must be filed within 60 days from the date of the alleged harassment. The complainant shall explain, in writing, the nature of the harassment and indicate what remedy he or she seeks. The University President, working with the Administrative Cabinet, shall promptly and  confidentially investigate the complaint. In determining whether the alleged conduct constitutes sexual harassment, the supervisor/administrator will look at the record as a whole and at the totality of the circumstances, such as the nature of the sexual conduct, the context in which the conduct occurred, and the history of the relationship between the parties. During the investigation, the individual accused of sexual harassment must be given an opportunity to respond, either orally or in writing, to the complaint. After the investigation of the complaint, the supervisor may propose mediation in order to secure a written agreement that satisfies all parties to the complaint. A resolution by agreement of the parties may include the imposition of a sanction upon the accused individual, which the accused individual agrees to accept as a sanction. If such an agreement is reached, a copy of the agreement shall be provided to each of the parties involved. If no agreement is reached between the two involved parties, the matter will go before the Board of Trustees with whom the final decision and action rests.

If you are a Victim of a Sexual Assault:

If you are a victim of a sexual assault at this institution, your first priority should be to get to a place of safety. You should then obtain necessary medical treatment. Victims should retain all clothing worn during the attack and should not shower or use the restroom, and should not disturb the scene of the attack if at all possible. The university administration strongly advocates that a victim of sexual assault report the incident in a timely manner, as time is a critical factor for evidence collection and preservation. An assault should be reported directly to an administrator or a faculty member.

Confidential Reporting:

Students should remember that reports can be made confidentially. The university will insure that a university representative accompanies the student through the reporting process, if desired. Filing a police report will not obligate the victim to prosecute, nor will it subject the victim to scrutiny or judgmental opinions from officers. Filing a police report will (1) ensure that a victim of sexual assault receives the necessary medical treatment and tests, at no expense to the victim; (2) provide the opportunity for collection of evidence helpful in prosecution, which cannot be obtained later (ideally a victim of sexual assault should not wash, douche, use the toilet, or change clothing prior to a medical/legal exam), and (3) assure the victim has access to free confidential counseling from counselors specifically trained in the area of sexual assault crisis intervention. The victim of a sexual assault may choose for the investigation to be pursued through the criminal justice system and university’s disciplinary committee, or only the latter. A university representative will guide the victim through the available options and support the victim in his or her decision. Both the accuser and the accused are entitled to have others present during the disciplinary meeting. Both parties will also be informed of the committee’s decision which may include expulsion (this statement does not constitute a violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The victim will be informed of the various counseling options available from the university, through Family of Faith Church, and through Project Safe. Student victims have the option to change their academic and/or on-campus living situations after an alleged sexual assault, if such changes are reasonably available.