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Academic Standing, Probation, Suspension, and Dismissal Policy

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, pass required and core courses, and demonstrate continuing academic engagement and competency. The College may advance a student to the level of academic action appropriate to the circumstances.

Grading Authority

Faculty members have primary and substantial discretion to evaluate student performance, interpret course requirements, apply academic standards, and assign grades. Grades reflect the faculty member’s academic judgment based on the syllabus, assignment instructions, rubrics, course objectives, and the quality and completeness of the student’s work.

Finality of Faculty Grades

A grade assigned by a faculty member is final unless:

  • The faculty member voluntarily corrects a clerical, calculation, recording, or evaluation error; or
  • The Chancellor or President of the College changes or directs correction of the grade through the formal appeal process described.

The Program Administrator, academic staff, advisors, committees, and other faculty members may collect information, facilitate communication, or make recommendations, but they may not overrule or change the assigned grade. Only the Chancellor or President of the College has institutional authority to overrule a faculty member’s grade.

Student Responsibility

Students are responsible for reviewing assignment feedback and posted grades promptly, retaining copies of submitted work and supporting records, understanding the grading standards stated in the course materials, and raising questions within the deadlines below. A student should not wait until graduation, dismissal, transcript review, or another later event to dispute a grade that was previously available. It is the students responsibility to retain records that prove the student did not use AI. This can include copies of drafts, or writing their papers using Google Docs.

Questions About Individual Grades

Students may ask a faculty member to explain an assignment or examination grade. A request for explanation is not a formal appeal and does not require the faculty member to change the grade. Except when an individual grade prevents continued participation or creates an immediate and material academic consequence, concerns about individual assignments ordinarily should be addressed with the faculty member and may be included in an appeal after the final course grade is posted.

Permitted Grounds for a Formal Grade Appeal

A formal grade appeal must identify at least one of the following grounds:

  • A clerical, calculation, transcription, or recording error materially affected the final grade.
  • The grade was determined using criteria materially inconsistent with the published syllabus, assignment instructions, rubric, or a written modification communicated to the class.

A grade appeal is not a second evaluation of the student’s work merely because the student disagrees with the faculty member’s academic judgment.

Matters That Are Not Grounds for Appeal

The following ordinarily do not establish a valid appeal:

  • Dissatisfaction with a grade or a belief that greater effort deserved a higher grade.
  • A comparison with another student’s grade without evidence that materially different standards were improperly applied.
  • The effect of the grade on academic standing, financial obligations, graduation, employment, ministry, licensure, or future plans.
  • A request for extra credit, additional work, resubmission, or an exception not authorized by the course requirements.
  • Disagreement with the faculty member’s professional or academic judgment when the grade was assigned under the stated standards.
  • A challenge submitted after the deadline without documented circumstances that made timely submission reasonably impossible.

Step One: Request for Faculty Review

The student must first send the faculty member a written request for review within five business days after the final course grade is posted. The request must identify the disputed grade, explain the specific concern, and include relevant supporting information. The faculty member will ordinarily respond within ten business days and may affirm the grade or correct it voluntarily. Informal discussion does not extend the formal appeal deadline unless the Program Administrator confirms an extension in writing.

Step Two: Formal Appeal to the Chancellor

If the matter is not resolved, the student may submit a formal written appeal to the Chancellor through the Program Administrator within five business days after the faculty member’s response. If the faculty member does not respond within the ordinary response period, the student may file within five business days after that period expires.

The appeal must include:

  • The student’s name, identification number, academic program, course, term, faculty member, and final grade.
  • The specific permitted ground or grounds relied upon.
  • A concise explanation of the alleged error and how it materially affected the final grade.
  • Copies of the syllabus, instructions, rubric, disputed work, faculty feedback, relevant communications, and other supporting information.
  • The date and result of the faculty-review request.
  • The precise correction requested.

An incomplete appeal may be returned for correction or dismissed if the missing information is not provided by the stated deadline.

Program Administrator’s Role

The Program Administrator receives the appeal, confirms that procedural requirements are met, gathers the relevant academic record, provides the faculty member an opportunity to respond, and transmits the record to the Office of the Chancellor. The Program Administrator may communicate procedural information and facilitate resolution but may not substitute a grade, order a grade change, or overrule the faculty member.

Administration Review and Authority

The Chancellor or President of the College reviews the written record and may request additional information from the student, faculty member, Program Administrator, or another person with relevant knowledge. The student does not have a right to attend the Chancellor’s deliberation or to demand a new grading by another faculty member. The Chancellor will give substantial deference to the faculty member’s academic judgment.

The student bears the burden of showing by clear and convincing evidence that a permitted ground occurred and materially affected the final grade. The Chancellor may:

  • Affirm the grade.
  • Return the matter to the faculty member with instructions to correct an error or reconsider the grade under the proper standards.
  • Direct a specific grade correction when the record establishes the appropriate result.
  • Dismiss the appeal for lack of a permitted ground, insufficient evidence, untimeliness, or failure to comply with the process.

No person other than the original faculty member acting voluntarily or the Chancellor acting through this process may change or overrule the grade.

Academic Warning

Normally applied as early intervention when an advisor, faculty member or administrator believes the student needs to be aware they are at risk of failing a grade. This could be poor grades in a certain course, a violation of school policies, poor communication, or lack of activity. Student is notified of the concern, given guidelines on how to correct the academic standing, and proceeds as with full access during the enrolled term.

Academic Probation

May apply when student drops below a 3.0 GPA or when a required or core course is failed. Conditions may include controlled enrollment, mandatory advising, an improvement plan, or academic support. Student will be required to immediately correct the action otherwise be dismissed.

Academic Dismissal

May be imposed after sustained academic failure, failure to satisfy reinstatement conditions, failure to adhere to academic improvement plan or demonstrated inability to meet program expectations. Dismissal is typically permanent from the program. The dismissal will outline whether or not the student is eligible to reapply for enrollment. If a student is dismissed from the college, all prior financial aid packages are voided and if they are eligible to return, they would be ineligible for financial aid.

Appeals

Appeals must be submitted via e-mail within five business days of receiving the notice, explain the relevant circumstances, include supporting documentation when applicable. Students may submit written material but do not attend committee deliberations. Student cannot appeal the decision simply because they do not like the fact they are no longer in good standing. Student must have a material fact that the administration can consider in their academic standing deliberations. The student may submit the information via e-mail within five business days and the administration will consider the facts. The decision of the administration issued after review is final.