Academic Policies

Full-time students may register for 12-17 credits during the 14-week terms. Students in good academic standing may register for up to 18 credits. There is an additional charge for registration in excess of 18 credits. Students wishing to register for more than 18 credits must obtain approval for the overload from the Subcommittee for Academic Review and Recommendation no later than the last day to add a regular course.

Many courses are not taught every term. Most course descriptions in the College Catalog indicate the terms in which departments intend to offer the courses. This schedule information is an aid to planning, but the College reserves the right to revise such course plans in response to changes in student interest, enrollment demand, and staff availability.

Courses primarily designed for freshmen are numbered 1000 to 1990; those for sophomores and juniors are numbered 2000 to 3990; those for seniors are numbered 4000 to 4990.

• Freshman: 0-27 credits
• Sophomore: 28-63 credits
• Junior: 64-97 credits
• Senior: 98 or more credits

The College maintains progress records that are furnished to students on a regular basis. At the completion of a course, each student is assigned a letter symbol: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, S and P for passing grades; I for incomplete, which is given only in special cases of illness or some other uncontrollable factor; W for official withdrawal; U for unsatisfactory; and F for failure or unofficial withdrawal.

A student who has received an I must finish the incomplete work within 30 days following the end of the term in which it was received, or the grade will be recorded as an F. Letter grades convert into the following point system for determining cumulative grade point average i.e., an A is worth four points per credit.

• A 4.00
• A- 3.67
• B+ 3.33
• B 3.00
• B- 2.67
• C+ 2.33
• C 2.00
• C- 1.67
• D+ 1.33
• D 1.00
• D- .67
• F No points

Grades of P, S, and U do not affect the grade point average.

Auditing Courses

A student who wishes to audit a course must seek the permission of the instructor and file a report with the Registrar’s Office by the add deadline for the term. There is an additional fee for students wishing to take a course as an Audit. Courses taken as an audit will not count in the credit totals toward graduation requirements.

Repeating Courses

Only courses with a grade of C- or lower may be repeated. When a course is repeated, the earlier grade remains on the student’s transcript, but the new grade is factored into the cumulative GPA and the old grade is removed from the calculation. On multiple attempts the most recent grade will be used in computing the cumulative grade point average. If a student is repeating a Carthage course for the purpose of replacing the earlier grade, the repeat must be with a course in class at Carthage. A course may not be repeated by correspondence study, by independent study, or by study at another institution.

A credit hour at Carthage College is determined by the Carnegie credit hour definition. This standard commonly used by the Federal Government indicates that:

A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally-established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:

(1) one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or (2) at least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other activities as established by an institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading toward to the award of credit hours. (HLC website)

No student is permitted to add or drop a course after the deadline. Any course changes after the add/drop deadline date must be made with the permission of the Subcommittee for Academic Review and Recommendation.

A student may withdraw from a course after the add/drop deadline. (Please refer to the academic calendar for specific dates.) The course will show on the student’s transcript with a W. Students who wish to completely withdraw from the College must secure a withdrawal form from the Registrar. If students withdraw within the first nine weeks of the term, they receive a W in each course. Exceptions must be authorized by the Subcommittee for Academic Review and Recommendation or by the Provost of the College. Any student who does not complete all steps in official withdrawal is assigned an F in all courses.

Students may not receive credit from any course in which they are not properly registered. Responsibility for proper registration rests with the student. The student is also held responsible for observing the requirements of the degree and the proper sequence of courses. The student accepts responsibility for class attendance. Since there is no college-wide attendance policy, instructors determine their own class-attendance policy.

The College permits students to elect up to two courses on the pass-fail (P or F) grading system, subject to the following conditions:

• The student must have achieved junior or senior standing.
• A student may not register for more than one pass-fail course during a term. A student may not enroll for a final grade of P or F in:
  • Any course used to satisfy the general education requirements.
  • Any course required for your major or minor programs (including any course in related fields) or offered by the major department, except those courses designated in the catalog as pass-fail courses.
• A student at the time of registration will indicate the course to be taken for a final grade of P or F; this information will reside with the student, the advisor, and the Registrar; the course instructor will be informed at the end of the term.
• To receive a P grade for a course graded pass-fail, the student must receive a letter grade of D- or better. The P grade does not calculate into the GPA; however, if the student receives an F for the course, it does calculate like a regular F into the grade point average.

After the last day to drop courses, students who register for grades of P or F will not be permitted to change that registration in order to receive regular grades; nor will students who register for regular grades be permitted to change that registration in order to receive pass-fail grades.

In some cases, depending on the course, an enrolled student may challenge the course by examination, but credit is prohibited in courses that the student has audited previously or attended officially or unofficially. Students may not challenge fieldwork, field placements, or student teaching courses by examination. Students should contact the chairperson of the department to make arrangements for an examination. A grade of C or better on the examination is required to excuse the student from the course and to give credit toward graduation. The cumulative grade point average is not changed by the examination because no grade is recorded for a course completed in this manner. There is no tuition charge for courses earned through examination. However, an administrative fee is assessed. A maximum of 32 credits may be earned by examination for credit.

A student enrolled at Carthage who wishes to apply transfer or correspondence courses taken elsewhere to Carthage must secure advance approval from the involved department chairperson and the Registrar by the end of term prior to enrollment in the course.

Upon receipt of an official transcript from institutions accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and similar regional associations, appropriate value will be given for comparable courses or areas taught at Carthage.

Courses at other institutions are counted as part of a student’s term load. Credit will only be transferred for courses in which a grade of C- or better is earned. Credit will not be transferred from a junior college after a student has accumulated 68 credits.

College-level courses taken in high school are credited on the same basis as other transfer credits, provided that the courses have not been counted for entrance requirements. These courses must appear on a college transcript.

The maximum total credits allowed for specialized testing (CLEP) and correspondence courses is 32.

Transcripts from institutions outside of the United States must be evaluated by Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE).

At the midpoint of each term, all faculty members are asked by the Provost to submit midterm grades for all students. Students are notified by the Registrar’s Office on how and where to check their midterm grades. Faculty advisors are also notified by the Registrar’s Office on how and where to check midterm grades for their advisees.

Students are required to have a minimum of a 2.0 grade point average overall and in their major(s)/minor(s) in order to graduate from the College. Students with a 2.0 or above are in good academic standing. The records of students who are not in good standing are reviewed at the end of each fall and spring term by the Subcommittee for Academic Review and Recommendation.

Grade Point Averages

Academic standing will be evaluated with the help of the following guidelines, based on the number of credit hours attempted at Carthage plus all credit hours transferred into Carthage.

Attempted Credits	Probation	Dismissal
12-16 credits	1.0-1.99	0.999 or below
17-36 credits	1.2-1.99	1.199 or below
37-56 credits	1.4-1.99	1.399 or below
57-72 credits	1.6-1.99	1.599 or below
73-86 credits	1.8-1.99	1.799 or below
87+ credits	1.999 or below

Students whose cumulative average, for the first time, falls below the required minimum for dismissal or who have been on academic probation for three consecutive terms are placed in a show-cause category. The student is contacted to show cause why he or she should not be dismissed from the College. If there is cause for the student to be allowed to continue, he or she will be placed/continued on probation.

Students placed on probation are required to cooperate with the advising services. At the end of the term, the Provost will meet with the Subcommittee for Academic Review and Recommendation to determine whether the student has satisfactorily fulfilled the obligations of the support program. At that time, the Subcommittee for Academic Review and Recommendation will make a decision to dismiss the student from the College or allow the student to stay another term.

ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Students who disagree with the Sub-Committee for Academic Review and Recommendation decision may petition the Committee for review. A student who is reinstated and fails in scholarship a second time is permanently dismissed.

A student who is dismissed for poor scholarship may petition for immediate reinstatement. The student must send a letter to the Sub-Committee for Academic Review and Recommendation outlining reasons why they believe the Committee should reconsider its action. The Committee will then meet to decide whether or not to reinstate the student. Appeals for reinstatement may be heard in person.

A student who is dismissed and not reinstated must wait one year or complete at least twelve transferable semester hours with a 2.75 grade point average or better at another college before applying to return. Requests for readmission are considered by the Study Action Review Committee.

ACADEMIC PROBATIONARY RESTRICTION

Although there are no restrictions which apply to all students on academic probation, participation in intercollegiate athletics or holding an office in a student organization may be affected by a student’s probationary status. Specifically, athletes participating in intercollegiate sports must meet academic regulations established by the athletic conference during the season of participation in a conference sport. Also, the minimum cumulative grade point average necessary to be eligible for election or appointment to an office in a student organization is set forth in the constitution and/or bylaws of each organization.

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES POLICY

Carthage College sponsors co-curricular activities such as athletics or music ensembles and encourages student participation because these activities can be of substantial educational value. Occasionally, participation in these activities will conflict with class participation, and students must be prepared to choose between alternatives and accept the consequences of their choices. When students choose to participate in co-curricular activities, the Faculty and Office of the Provost recommend that their instructors excuse them from class, provided that the number of such absences does not become excessive.

Departments sponsoring such activities will make every effort to minimize the amount of class time that participating students will miss. The department will verify the participation of students for the faculty whose classes are affected. These departments will notify the instructors of such cases in advance. The Provost will have the final responsibility to ensure that sponsoring departments make serious efforts to minimize conflicts with class time.

While the student involved in a co-curricular activity may be excused from class attendance and may expect reasonable consideration and assistance from instructors when they miss classes, responsibility for making up assignments, for writing tests, for obtaining class notes, and for all other course activities rests clearly with the student. Further, students will take the initiative to complete these assignments as quickly as possible after their absence.

Because the period of examinations is a very small part of each term and because student absence during this period often poses serious problems of equity and reliability of evaluation, the policy stated above does not apply during examination times. Sponsorship of activities may be undertaken only with the understanding that excused absences may or may not be granted entirely at the discretion of the faculty members whose examinations are involved.

FINAL EXAM POLICY

Because final examinations usually affect student course grades substantially, Carthage does not require that any student take more than two final examinations on one day. In instances where the final examination schedule would require that a student take more than two finals in one day, all of the examinations except the first and last of the day may be rescheduled to other times during the exam period. Times for the rescheduled finals will be set by the course instructor provided that the new examination times do not conflict with previously scheduled examinations and do not require that the student take three examinations on one day.

Academic honesty is a necessary corollary to academic freedom; each concept presupposes the other. The goals and objectives of Carthage fall within the implicit context of academic honesty. Therefore, Carthage expects academic honesty from all of its members and maintains college-wide honesty guidelines and penalties that must be supported by the whole academic community. 

All types of academic dishonesty are forbidden, including the following:

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is the appropriation by any means of another’s work or words and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work or words in one’s written [as well as oral] work offered for credit. Some ideas have such wide currency that all may use them freely; some words, such as proverbs and clichés are public property. But when the writer borrows what belongs to another, the writer must indicate the source by way of an internal reference, and she/he must enclose all distinctive words of the source within quotation marks.

CHEATING ON A TEST

Cheating on a test includes copying from another’s test paper; having or using during a test, materials not authorized by the person giving the test; knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, or soliciting in whole or in part the contents of a test that had been administered or not; substitution for another student or permitting another student to substitute for one’s self in the taking of a test; collaborating with or seeking aid from another person during a test; bribing another person to obtain a test that had been administered or not or information about a test that had been administered or not; and using electronic devices in an unauthorized manner during a test.

COLLUSION AND UNAUTHORIZED COOPERATIVE WORK

Collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit. Collaboration must be based upon the explicit consent of the instructor and must be acknowledged in the statement of authorship of the report.

FALSE CITATION

False citation is any attribution to, or citation of, a source from which the reference material was not in fact obtained.

MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS

Multiple submission is the re-submission of any work by a student which has been used in identical or similar form in fulfillment of any academic requirement at this or another institution.

SUBMISSION OF WORK PREPARED BY ANOTHER

Submission of this type includes commercially prepared papers and work of any typewritten or developed by any other person.

FALSE DATA

False data are data that have been altered or contrived in such a way as to be deliberately misleading.

Computer Fraud

Computer fraud involves using accounts other than one’s own — including willfully and fraudulently gaining access, modifying, destroying, copying, viewing, or in any other way “hacking” on the system, other accounts, and their files. Removing output (printouts, plots, etc.) not belonging to the student violator is also considered academic dishonesty, as is tampering with equipment. (It should be noted that people who have used up their files and who remain “logged on” are subject to having material deleted, so that others may use the system). This does not constitute violation of the academic honesty guidelines.

Library Abuse

This form of academic dishonesty includes mutilation of materials or in other ways infringing upon the right of other students to fair and equal access to all library materials. Failing to sign for materials taken from the library and similar abuse of library privileges are considered academic dishonesty.

False Information

False information includes knowingly furnishing false information to the College (including advisors, registrar, professors, etc.) for the purpose of obtaining special consideration or privileges (e.g., postponement of an examination or deadline of the development of a special major). False information also includes knowingly providing information to the College which results in any undue academic advantage for any student or any undue academic disadvantage for any member of the college.

The penalty for these offenses listed immediately above is the report of the offense to the Office of the Provost. If it is the second report of any type of academic dishonesty the student is automatically dismissed. If it is the first report, at his or her discretion, the Provost can dismiss the violator (e.g., in cases of a particularly egregious violation such as the destruction of another’s work); or the Provost can choose to have the violation noted so a penalty can be administered in the case of a second violation.

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Penalties for academic dishonesty

Penalties for academic dishonesty are administered through the Provost’s Office and may include:

WARNINGS

Warnings are to be given by individual faculty at their discretion when they observe signs of inadvertent academic dishonesty. The student is to be warned in writing and no report is filed with the Provost.

FAILURE OF THE WORK IN QUESTION

This penalty may be administered at the discretion of the faculty member whenever he or she can show an academic honesty violation has occurred. A written report of the violation and penalty must be submitted to the Provost, and a copy must be given to the student.

FAILURE OF THE COURSE

This penalty may be administered at the discretion of the faculty member whenever he or she can show an academic honesty violation has occurred. It is up to the faculty member to decide if a student fails the course or the work in question on a first occurrence. A written report of the violation and penalty must be submitted to the Office of the Provost. A letter grade of F will be recorded for that course on the student’s transcript.

DISMISSAL FROM THE COLLEGE

Any time a student receives two academic dishonesty reports in the Office of the Provost, the student is automatically dismissed from the College. These can be reports of either failure in the course, failure of the work in question, or a report of one of the violations listed below. As always in academic matters, a student may appeal to the Provost and the President of the College in any case where the student thinks unfair or unfounded judgments have been made. (These guidelines and penalties were adopted by the Faculty of Carthage College on February 19, 1988).

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Academic Dishonesty Due Process Procedure

1. Any student charged with academic dishonesty has the right to request in writing that the Provost establish a committee to review the decision of the faculty member. The student must contact the Provost no later than one week after a faculty member has formally charged a student with academic dishonesty.
2. The Provost will form a committee of three departmental chairpersons and one student government representative. The chairpersons selected cannot be from the same department as the faculty who has made the charge.
3. The committee must set a hearing date no later than two weeks after receiving the formal request from the student. The faculty member who has made the charge must attend the hearing.
4. The student has the right to invite individuals who have pertinent information to attend the hearing or produce documents that are supportive of the student’s appeal.
5. All members of the committee are voting members. A minimum of three votes is required to override the faculty member’s charge. The final vote is confidential; therefore, the committee either upholds or denies the charge and conveys its decision to the Provost. Records of the hearing and appeals will be confidential and kept in the Provost’s Office for a period of five years. After five years the records will be destroyed.
6. The student has the right to appeal the committee’s decision in writing to the Provost within three days of the committee’s decision. The Provost must render a decision within one week of receiving the appeal.

Students who have concerns about course requirements, attendance or grading policies, and other similar matters should first discuss them with the instructor. If the concerns cannot be satisfactorily resolved, the student should then discuss them with the department chairperson, then the dean of the division. Following that, if necessary, contact the Provost.

Serious concerns about the quality of instruction in a particular course should be brought to the attention of the department chairperson, then to the dean of the division, and when necessary, to the Provost. Concerns related to final grades should be handled according to the procedures set forth in the Carthage College Policy on Grade Review.

Students who are uncertain about the appropriate way to deal with a particular academic concern are encouraged to discuss the issue with their faculty advisor before taking action.

Student Honor Pledge: “I have read, do understand, and will abide by the College academic honesty guidelines.”

 

The following grade review procedure is available to students who believe that a final term grade represents an unfair evaluation of his or her performance.

The student should first discuss the problem with the instructor, and then if necessary, with the department chairperson. If the chairperson so desires, he or she may present the matter to members of the department or division for their consideration.

If the problem cannot be resolved at these levels, the student may appeal for a review in writing to the Provost before the end of the second week of the following regular term. The actual review would consist of the student’s presentation of available tests, papers, and other items on which he or she was evaluated and the instructor’s explanation of the case. The Provost will conduct an investigation and consult with the affected party or parties.

If no mutually satisfactory resolution is made, the case will be given to an ad hoc committee composed of a minimum of four Department Chairs, two students (if possible one of whom shall have been in the class involved), plus one faculty member from the involved department (such member to be selected by the student whose complaint is being investigated). If the department involved is too small to permit compliance with this guideline, the student may choose a faculty member from the related division exclusive of the Department Chairs. The ad hoc committee will be formally constituted and appointed by the Provost. The ad hoc committee will review, investigate, consult and make a final recommendation to the Provost who will then transmit this recommendation to the faculty member for final action.

A student who wishes to withdraw from the College may be eligible to receive a full or partial refund based on the official withdrawal date applied to the withdrawal refund policy timeline as outlined below.

Semester Students

Timeframe of Withdrawal	Impact on Final Grade	Refund Policy
Week 1-3 (up to the add/drop deadline)	Courses are removed from transcript	Tuition: 100% Room: Prorated to move-out date Meal Plan: Prorated based on usage
Week 4	Final grade of “W” will appear on transcript	Tuition: Prorated up to 60% of the term Room: Prorated to move-out date Meal Plan: Prorated based on usage
Week 5-9	Final grade of “W” will appear on transcript	Tuition: Prorated up to 60% of the term Room: Prorated to move-out date Meal Plan: No refund
Week 10	Final grade of “W” will appear on transcript	Tuition: No refund Room: Prorated to move-out date Meal Plan: No refund
Weeks 11-15	Final grades are recorded on transcripts; Students are no longer eligible for the final grade of “W”	Tuition: No refund Room: No refund Meal Plan: No refund

Note: The grade of a “W” has no bearing on term or cumulate GPAs.
Prorated Credit: A partial refund based on the percentage of the term completed or the number of weeks/days remaining.

Dismissal

• If a student is dismissed for disciplinary reasons by the Office of Student Life or the Student/Faculty Judicial Board, a grade of W (withdrawal) will be recorded for each course on the official college record.
• When a student is dismissed, a notation will be made on the permanent record indicating that the student was dismissed for disciplinary reasons.

Suspension

• If a student is suspended for disciplinary reasons, the period involved should not prohibit the student from completing the academic term in the prescribed time.
• Faculty members instructing or advising suspended students will be notified by the Office of Student Life that action has been taken to suspend the student for a period of time because of irresponsible behavior.
• Faculty members have the option of providing students who have been suspended the opportunity to make up missed requirements.