Academic Policies, Regulations, and Procedures

Academic Appeal

Any request for waiver or exception to the general policies and regulations stated in the catalog should be submitted as a written petition to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. A written response is sent to the petitioning student. Petitions should clearly and specifically state the grounds for the request. Exceptions to specific academic program course requirements may be considered by the appropriate Academic Dean.

Academic Integrity

The College expects all students to conduct themselves in a manner that supports an honest assessment of student learning outcomes and the assignment of grades that appropriately reflect student performance. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand and comply with instructions regarding the completion of assignments, exams, and other academic activities. At a minimum, students should assume that at each assessment opportunity they are expected to do their own original academic work and/or clearly acknowledge in an appropriate fashion the intellectual work of others when such contributions are allowed. Students helping others to circumvent honest assessments of learning outcomes, or who fail to report instances of academic dishonesty, are also subject to the sanctions defined in this policy.

Instances of academic dishonesty may be discovered in a variety of ways. Faculty members who assign written work ordinarily check citations for accuracy, run database and online checks, and/or may simply recognize familiar passages that are not cited. They may observe students in the act of cheating or may become aware of instances of cheating from the statements of others. All persons who observe or otherwise know about instances of cheating are expected to report such instances to the proper instructor or Academic Dean.

In order to promote academic integrity, the College subscribes to an electronic service to review papers for the appropriate citations and originality. Key elements of submitted papers are stored electronically in a limited access database and thus become a permanent part of the material to which future submissions are compared. Submission of an application and continued enrollment signifies your permission for this use of your written work.

Should an occurrence of academic misconduct occur, the faculty member may assign a failing grade for the assignment or a failing grade for the course. Each incident of academic misconduct should be reported to the Academic Dean and the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA). The VPAA may suspend for two semesters students found to be responsible for multiple instances of academic dishonesty. The reason for the suspension will be noted on the student’s transcript.

A faculty member needs to present only basic evidence of academic dishonesty. There is no requirement for proof of intent. Students are responsible for understanding these tenets of academic honesty and integrity. Students may appeal penalties for academic dishonesty using the process established for grade appeals.

Academic Load

(See “Full-Time Student Status.”)

Academic Probation and Suspension

Academic Probation: Students with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) below 3.0 at the close of a semester, regardless of the number of attempted hours, are placed on academic probation. Students on probation must obtain a minimum 3.0 GPA for each successive semester of attendance (continued probation) until the required cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher has been achieved and students must attain the 3.0 GPA within two semesters of academic probation or the student will be suspended. Students must also re-take any courses that received a grade below a “C.” Students who have two courses with grades below a “C” will be suspended from the program.

Academic Suspension: Students are withdrawn from the program and may not take Peru State College graduate courses for credit towards a graduate degree. Students may reapply for admission of the Dean of Graduate Programs after one semester of academic suspension. The Dean will determine the conditions to be met for acceptance back into the program.

Assessment

All Peru State students participate in outcomes assessment activities that determine whether specific learning goals have been achieved.

Master of Science in Education:
Capstone experiences (competencies) are core components of academic program assessment at Peru State College. Program faculty assess whether students have mastered the content, methodology, and base of their discipline. Each graduating student must successfully complete the capstone competency.

The capstone competency for the Master of Science in Education is EDUC 623 - Assessment of Instruction .

Master of Science in Organizational Management:
Capstone experiences (competencies) are core components of academic program assessment at Peru State College. Program faculty assess whether students have mastered the content, methodology, and base of their discipline. Each graduating student must successfully complete the capstone competency.

The capstone competency for the Master of Science in Organizational Management is MGMT 695 - Graduate Internship  or MGMT 696 - Thesis/Action Research Project I  and MGMT 697 - Thesis/Action Research Project II  .

Attendance and Scholastic Attitude

Students are expected to attend classes regularly and to complete all assigned work. Attendance is a privilege and a responsibility represented not only by the student’s investment, but also by a significant investment by the State of Nebraska.

When it is necessary for a student to miss class, he/she has the responsibility to notify his/her instructor in advance whenever possible. Faculty members have the prerogative of allowing students to make up and complete work missed during the absence.

Instructors have the right to base a portion of a student’s grade on attendance. Instructors must present their grading practices and attendance policies to students in writing during the first week of the semester.

Whenever absences or other elements of scholastic attitude (regardless of cause) become detrimental to the student’s standing in class and/or the success of the class as a whole, the instructor may confer with the student. The instructor and the student may mutually agree that the registration in the course should be withdrawn, or the instructor may issue the student an “early warning.” Future conferences for the same, or related, reasons may result in the student being administratively withdrawn from the class. If the student requests, the appropriate Academic Dean of the School may be asked to participate in the decision. The grade will be a “W” if the course withdrawal is prior to the last date to withdraw with a “W.” An “F” will be recorded after this date.

Called to Active Duty Policy

Peru State College recognizes and appreciates the important contributions made by students in service to our country. In support of these students, the College has developed procedures to provide each student with maximum flexibility in the event the student is called to active duty.

If a Peru State College military/veteran student is called to active duty while currently enrolled, the student must present a copy of the official orders to the Student Records Office. Students have three (3) options depending on the length of the activation: take a temporary leave of absence, withdraw completely, or take incompletes in their courses.

1. If the student is being temporarily activated for duty, including annual and/or monthly training, or mobilized:
   1. The student may take a leave of absence from their course(s).
   2. Student needs to inform professor of absence dates ahead of the absence.
   3. Student will not be penalized for missed classroom time but is responsible to complete any coursework that was assigned during dates of absence.
2. If the student is being mobilized or deployed for an extended period of time or is being reassigned or transferred permanently, the student may withdraw from classes immediately.
   1. Peru State College will not hold the student accountable for tuition-related expenses for the term, session, or semester.
   2. A “W” grade will be represented on the student’s official transcript to show the reason for the withdrawal and withdrawal date.
3. If the student is being mobilized or deployed for an extended period of time or is being reassigned or transferred permanently, the student may request a grade of “Incomplete” for their course(s).
   1. If the student has completed a substantial portion of the course and required coursework, the instructor may approve the student request for an “incomplete” in the course.
   2. I to F Policy: Students called to active military duty will be exempt from the subsequent semester automated changes of I to F grades for the term of deployment and the year prior to deployment. Students may complete work upon their return from duty or may choose to maintain the “I” grade. Therefore, “I” grades for students called to active military duty will remain listed as “I” until a change of grade is submitted by the faculty member, or indefinitely, if so desired by the student. Tuition and mandatory fees would be assessed in full.
   3. If arrangements are made with only some of the instructors for grades or incompletes, the registration for those courses would remain intact and tuition and mandatory fees would be assessed for those courses. Any courses for which arrangements cannot be made for grades or incompletes could be dropped and the tuition and mandatory fees for those courses would be refunded.

Students will be eligible for readmission to the College after completion of their active duty.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is refunded in accordance with existing college and federal policies for each of the above situations. In addition to the above-mentioned College procedures, there are implications related to any financial aid you may have through the various federal programs. The rules on these are not necessarily within the control of this institution. Consultation with the One Stop office is advised as soon as it is convenient.

Credit Limit

The maximum load without special permission per 8-week term is 9 credit hours; the Dean of Graduate Programs may approve loads greater than 9 hours provided the student obtained a minimum 3.5 grade point average the previous semester.

Full-time Student Status

Peru State students who are enrolled for twelve (12) credit hours or more during a semester are considered full-time students. However, the normal course load for a student who expects to complete a master’s degree within six (6) semesters (2 years) is 6-9 hours, allowing the student half to partial-time. Class withdrawals subsequent to the drop/ add period are included in the credit hour load.

Veterans and other eligible persons attending Peru State under the benefits of U.S. Code, Title 38, as full-time students must be enrolled for at least 12 semester hours, or the equivalent.

Grade Appeal Policy

Students who disagree with the assignment of a final grade by an instructor may file an appeal under these procedures.

Grade Decision Review

This process is available only to review allegedly unfair final course grade decisions, not mere differences of opinion regarding the professional judgment of the instructor who made the grade decision or to dispute grades on assignments, tests, or other work within a course. A grade decision may be considered unfair if the decision:

• Was based on factors other than performance in the course and/or compliance with course assignments and requirements;
• Involved more exacting or demanding standards than were applied to other students in the same course section;
• Constitutes a substantial departure from the instructor’s standards as articulated in the course syllabus, catalog descriptions, and/or other written materials.
• Procedures

A student who wishes to appeal a grade decision must proceed as follows:

1. Informal Meeting
   1. The student must attempt to resolve the matter directly with the instructor through a personal conference as soon as possible after the grade decision is known, but no later than the end of the first full week of the following regular academic term. If the student is unable to arrange a conference or is not satisfied with the instructor’s explanation of the grade, the student may request in writing that the appropriate Academic Dean of the school which offered the course convene a conference with the student and instructor. If the instructor is unavailable or unwilling to confer with the student, the student may request a formal review by the appropriate Academic Dean.
2. Academic Dean Review
   1. If the student and the instructor cannot reach a mutually satisfactory resolution to the problem, the student may file a formal appeal. The appeal must be presented in writing, together with relevant documents, to the appropriate Academic Dean no later than the 20th day of college instruction in the following academic term. The student must describe the appeal, identify which of the three (3) reasons the appeal is based on (See Grade Decision Review), detail the reasons the student believes the decision unfair, and document the student’s attempts to resolve the appeal informally. For purposes of this section, fall semester and spring semester shall each constitute an academic term. The student shall send a copy of the appeal to the instructor. The instructor shall have ten (10) working days to respond after receipt of the appeal. If the instructor does not respond within that time frame, the Academic Dean will consider the appeal and documents formally submitted by the student.
   2. The Academic Dean shall review the appeal and all of the submitted documentation, interview persons relevant to the appeal when necessary, and render a written decision within ten (10) working days of receipt of the instructor’s response. A copy of the Academic Dean’s decision will be given to the instructor and the student. If the Academic Dean is also the instructor whose grade is the subject of the appeal, the Vice President for Academic Affairs shall select another Academic Dean to conduct the appeal process.
3. Faculty Senate Review
   1. The student or the instructor may appeal the Academic Dean’s decision. Such appeal must be filed in writing and submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs within five (5) working days of receipt of the Academic Dean’s decision, with copies to the instructor, the student, and the Academic Dean. The written appeal shall deal only with the part or parts of the Academic Dean’s decision that the appellant disputes. New evidence, information, or supporting documents cannot be included as part of the appeal except when, by clear and convincing evidence, it is established that such information was not available at the time of the original appeal. The Vice President for Academic Affairs will submit the appeal to the Faculty Senate for review. The Faculty Senate may interview the student, the instructor, the Academic Dean, and other appropriate persons, but only to discuss the issues in dispute in the appeal. The Faculty Senate will submit a written decision to the student, the instructor, and the Academic Dean. The decision of the Faculty Senate is the final decision of the College.

Grading System

A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and a grade of “C” or above in all courses are required on the Program of Study. A maximum of 6 hours of “C” will be accepted on the approved Program of Study. Students must re-take any course that received a grade below a “C.”

Grading Scale

The following grades are currently used at Peru State College:

A: 4.0
B+: 3.5
B: 3.0
C+: 2.5
C: 2.0
D+: 1.5
D: 1.0
F: 0.0
CR: Credit - does not affect grade point average; applicable to graduation hours
NC: No Credit - does not affect grade point average
I: Incomplete - Work must be completed within the next semester or the record will show an “F”. Work is to be completed whether the student is in attendance or not. Students who have filed an application for graduation are not eligible to receive an Incomplete grade.
W: Withdrawal

CR and NR do not affect grade point average; CR is applicable to graduation hours.

Incomplete Coursework

To designate a student’s work in a course as incomplete at the end of a term, the instructor records the incomplete grade (I). Students may receive this grade only when serious illness, hardship, death in the immediate family, or military service during the semester in which they are registered prevents them from completing course requirements. In addition, to receive an incomplete a student must have substantially completed most of the course’s major requirements.

Unless extenuating circumstances dictate otherwise, students must initiate requests for an incomplete by filling out an Incomplete Grade Completion Contract, which requires the signature of the student, instructor, and the appropriate Academic Dean. The Incomplete Grade Completion Contract cites the reason(s) for the incomplete and details the specific obligations the student must meet to change the incomplete to a letter grade. The date by which the student agrees to complete required work must appear in the contract. The Academic Dean, the instructor, and the student receive signed copies of the Incomplete Grade Completion Contract.

Even if the student does not reenroll for additional classes at Peru State, all prior incomplete course work must be finished by the end of the subsequent semester. The incomplete grade automatically becomes an F if the student does not fulfill contract obligations in the allotted time, unless the appropriate Academic Dean approves an extension.

Students who have filed an application for graduation for the current semester are not eligible for a grade of Incomplete.

myPSC Student Access

Peru State College students can access information through their myPSC student portal.

How to log in to myPSC:

1. Go to https://www.peru.edu/
2. Under the “Students” tab, select the myPSC link
3. Enter your NUID and password

Students will be able to:

• Add/drop courses
• Accept/decline financial aid
• Change contact information
• Check their academic requirements
• Check their “to do” list
• View their advisor(s)
• View their bill

Prerequisites

Students who do not meet the prerequisites of a course as stated in the current catalog and who have not received permission to enroll from the appropriate Academic Dean may be administratively dropped from the course. Students who are so identified after registering for a course will be notified within the drop/add period by the appropriate Academic Dean that they do not meet the prerequisites and should institute the procedures for dropping the course. Students who do not drop will be notified by the Academic Dean of the School that they are being withdrawn. The Academic Dean will notify the Student Records Office to have the student withdrawn.

Repeat Courses

Students are encouraged to repeat courses in which they have performed poorly. The initial course title and grade are not removed from the student’s permanent record. The higher grade is used to determine the new grade point average. There may also be occasions when students repeat a course for review on an audit basis without a change of grade. Tuition and fees are paid for repeated courses, but additional credit hours are not earned. Financial Aid may be affected by repeating courses, so students should review their situation with the One Stop.

Student Email

Students are required to access their college-issued email regularly. Faculty and staff members of the College will only utilize this email address when emailing student information.

USERNAME: Student’s first name, period, student’s last name, and the first five (5) digits of their NUID number (ex: John.Doe12345)

PASSWORD: Student’s entire, eight (8) digit NUID (ex 12345678 or 00123456)

Suspension

(See Academic Probation and Suspension)

Transcripts

Transcripts are not issued to students who have financial obligations to the College or holds on their academic records. Transcript requests are made through the College website at www.peru.edu/transcripts.

Waiver

(See Academic Appeal)