Academic Policies

Faculty Handbook

ACADEMIC POLICIES

505 ACADEMIC ADVISING AND STUDENT REFERRAL

510 ATTENDANCE PRIVILEGES (STUDENTS)

515 CLASS LISTS

520 CLASSROOM POLICIES

523 ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

523.1 ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND FACULTY

523.2 ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND STUDENTS

524 HUMAN SUBJECTS IN RESEARCH

525 COLLEGE COMPUTER AND NETWORK POLICY

528 CLASSROOM RECORDKEEPING

530 ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

533 DROPPING VS. WITHDRAWING FROM CLASS

535 FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT (BUCKLEY AMENDMENT)

540 UNDERGRADUATE GRADING SYSTEM

540.2 GRADE CHANGES

540.3 GRADE DISPUTES

540.4 GRADE REPORTING

540.5 PASS/FAIL

541 GRADUATE GRADING POLICY

545 GUEST SPEAKERS AND HONORARIA

555 SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS POLICY

555.1 COMPLETION RATE COMPLIANCE CHART FOR FULL AND PART-TIME STUDENTS

560 STUDENT CONDUCT CODE

565 TEACHER AIDES

505 ACADEMIC ADVISING AND STUDENT REFERRAL

The Academic Advising Office provides information, guidance, and referral assistance to students both on academic and on personal matters related to their college career. Because the goal of Academic Advising is to give academic direction to Columbia's students, active faculty involvement in the advising process is encouraged. It is important for faculty to get to know both the Advising Office and the advisor assigned to his/her department for both referral and consultation purposes. However, faculty members are reminded of their advising responsibilities (as detailed in 330 FACULTY RESPONSIBILITIES). For further details, see Section 700.

510 ATTENDANCE PRIVILEGES (STUDENTS)

Attendance and punctuality standards must be made clear and distributed in writing to your students at the beginning of each term. Many departments adhere to no-more-than-three-absence attendance policy. Individual faculty members are encouraged to check as to a specific departmental attendance policy. There is no College-wide attendance policy. You will be notified when any student has withdrawn from your class. At the end of the term, a final grade of "F" can be assigned to students who do not meet class attendance standards and do not withdraw.

A student's registration form is a written contract between the student and the College. The student agrees to pay tuition and fees for the privilege of attending classes and using institutional facilities and equipment. Unless a student voluntarily drops/withdraws from a class or is administratively withdrawn, the student may attend class. Class attendance privileges, however, may be suspended when a student's behavior is disruptive. Faculty are advised to consult with their Chair and the Dean of Students before suspending attendance privileges. An instructor may deny a student's admittance to a class session once the class has begun if policies on punctuality have been made clear and distributed in writing to students. Having been denied admittance to one class session does not, however, preclude a student form attending future class sessions provided the student observes the punctuality requirements established for the class.

Standards of attendance and punctuality imposed by faculty and/or departments may be measurements of student performance and as such should be reflected in the evaluation of the student. A student cannot be denied the right to continue attending a class because the number of absences or tardies that would result in a failing grade has been exceeded. Policies on permissible absences and tardies must be made clear and distributed in writing to students.

Faculty are advised to keep accurate and up-to-date records on their students' attendance and punctuality.

515 CLASS LISTS

Class lists showing the names of those students officially registered in a class are provided by the Registrar four times each semester. The first class list reflects class enrollment at the end of registration; the second list reflects class enrollment at the end of the revision period (first week of school). These two lists are for your records; they do not have to be returned to the Records Office.

Only those students whose names appear on a class list are officially registered for the class. A student attending a class, whose name is not on the list, should be directed to the Records Office.

A third class list is provided at the end of the fourth week. This list is used to assign "FX" grades. The FX grade is an attendance grade. The Undergraduate Student Handbook describes it as "Failure, Non-Attendance." FX grades are to be submitted by every instructor for each class at the end of the fourth week of the term. Students who have never attended the course at any time should be given a FX grade on the fourth week class roster sent to each instructor for that purpose by the Registrar. If the student has attended at least one class session, the FX grade is not to be given. The FX grade also functions academically as a failing grade in students' programs, and carries all the weight of an F.

The FX grade is important in financial audits performed periodically by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission; and it can become a factor in audits performed by the federal student aid- granting agencies. Therefore accuracy and timeliness are essential in submitting this information.

The FX grade has an immediate effect on a student's eligibility for financial aid. Failure to attend class during the first four weeks of the term results in a decrease in the dollar amount of aid eligibility.

The fourth class list is the sheet upon which you'll record final grades and will be mailed to your home. (See section 540.4 GRADE REPORTING.)

Failure to return grades in a timely manner may profoundly affect students' ability to register, to qualify for financial aid, and to create a sound academic program for the subsequent semester. Returning grade sheets on time is an expectation of continued employment.

520 CLASSROOM POLICIES

Policies concerning classroom conduct are covered in a variety of sections of this Handbook. Faculty members should refer to the appropriate section for such information. Faculty are expected to observe and enforce institutional policies, especially where this is stipulated by law. Specific mention is made here of additional policies not covered elsewhere in this Handbook:

1. Each instructor is required to construct and provide each student with a syllabus that will include the following information:

2. Department name, course title, and course number

3. Course description and rationale

4. Course objectives, including general studies objectives, if appropriate

5. Class information, meeting times, and other details

6. Class requirements, including assignments, required texts, and other materials

7. Class policies on absences, late assignments, etc.

8. Grading criteria and procedures, including policy on incomplete grades

9. Course outline

10. Course prerequisites

In addition, instructor should consult departmental guidelines for further information to be included on the syllabi. Copies of all syllabi are to be kept on file in the department office.

1. The use of tape recorders by students in the classroom must be explicitly approved by the instructor. Generally such approval will be automatic for students with physical handicaps that make such use necessary. Where the instructor plans to use tape recorders for purposes other than those directly related to the teaching of a class, prior notice must be given to students.

2. Student work, whether created n the classroom or outside, in response to assignments integral to the course, remains the property of the student and may not be reproduced for distribution or publication without written consent of the student.

3. Attendance policies are covered in 510 ATTENDANCE PRIVILEGES (STUDENTS)

4. Faculty are entitled and expected to maintain a level of civility and decorum in the classroom consistent with the maintenance of an appropriate learning environment. Faculty are advised to consult with their chairperson when an individual student's behavior becomes disruptive of then faculty have questions regarding student conduct or discipline (See 560 STUDENT CONDUCT CODE)

5. Visitors to the classroom may be approved on an occasional basis at the discretion of the instructor. Faculty should take into consideration safety issues and the possibility of class disruption when making this decision. Whenever possible consult with your department chair.

6. When visiting lecturers are invited to conduct a class, the instructor is expected to be present to provide the continuity and context expected of an ongoing class.

7. Classes must meet at their specified times and places, for their specified length, and for their specified activities. No class is to be cancelled, except in the most extreme instance. In such cases, the department must be notified with as much advance notice as possible. Please consult with your department for other class cancellation policies. Procedures for make-up classes should be arranged with students and clarified in advance in writing. Student attendance at these makeup sessions is voluntary and grades will not be affected by non-attendance.

8. Smoking is permitted only in designated smoking areas.

523 ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The Columbia College faculty affirms its commitment to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity in the creative activity and research of faculty and students of the College.

In the spirit of this commitment, the College demands that faculty and students exercise the utmost care in planning and preparing work for distribution and/or publication.

523.1 ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND FACULTY

Faculty are expected to state clearly their policy on use of student work and then must act in a manner consistent with that policy. Faculty are expected to get written permission for the use of any student work in exhibitions, publications, and collaborative projects before those projects are exhibited, published, or otherwise presented to an audience beyond the classroom in which the student generated the work. Faculty are expected to provide attribution to any original sources in their own work, as appropriate to their disciplines.

Appropriation of student work without permission or failure to credit students or other original sources may result in disciplinary action. Instances of such misconduct will be subject to departmental rules and to the judgment of the Academic Dean, who, after receiving a written report detailing the facts of the case, will decide the appropriate course of action to be taken.

In cases where a faculty member does not agree with the course of action taken, that faculty member may file a grievance according to procedures outlined in Section 370 GRIEVANCE.

523.2 ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND STUDENTS

Faculty should make every effort to instruct students about the expectations of academic integrity in American institutions of higher education and in the need to uphold the highest standards of conduct in their creative work and research.

The Student Handbook states: "Academic Honesty is a cherished principle in the life of the College community. Students are expected to adhere to this principle by understanding the nature of plagiarism, and by not plagiarizing materials, by refraining from the use of unauthorized aids on tests and examinations, by turning in assignments which are products of their own efforts and research, and by refusing to give or receive information on tests and examinations. Persons who violate these principles of simple honesty risk embarrassment, course failure, or disciplinary action."

For purposes of this policy, violations of academic integrity occur when work is appropriated with out proper attribution of credit or when a student gives or receives aid on a test, examination, or other work where there had been no explicit permission given for such action.

The College cannot make a single policy about whether or not students may use work created in one class for fulfillment of requirements in another class. Therefore, faculty need to make their view of this policy clear at the beginning of the semester, especially if the reuse of work will result in an unsatisfactory grade or evaluation. If an instructor has expressly stated that multiple submission of work is disallowed, and a student is discovered to have violated this policy, the student will be liable for failure of the course. The student may also be liable to other disciplinary action, as indicated by the Student Handbook.

Before making a charge that the academic integrity policy regarding plagiarism or other unwarranted appropriation of work has been violated, an instructor should make a reasonable effort to locate the original source and gather evidence necessary to prove the violation. If it is certain that the student had been notified of the policy involved and still committee a violation, the instructor may assign a failing grade to the work in violation. If this failure is of sufficient weight to warrant a failing grade for the class, the instructor may assign such a grade. At the discretion of the instructor, the student may be advised to redo the work according to guidelines explicitly stated by the instructor. It is recommended that before undertaking any course of action regarding violations of academic integrity the instructor should consult with the department chair regarding the incident and any anticipated course of action leading to a resolution of the matter.

524 HUMAN SUBJECTS IN RESEARCH

To ensure the psychological and physiological safety and well- being of any individual involved in a research project, and to protect the privacy of students and staff, any faculty research not applicable to the specific class in which the research is conducted, using students or staff as subject matter (including, but not limited to, surveys, questionnaires, observations, interviews, or experiments) requires review by the department chair and prior written approval of the Provost/Executive Vice President and the Dean of Students when it involves students, or the Provost/Executive Vice President and/or Academic Dean when it involves staff.

525 COLLEGE COMPUTER AND NETWORK POLICY

The College recognizes and supports the First Amendment and supports without reservation the faculty and students' rights to academic and artistic freedom and to the unhampered expression of viewpoints, no matter how controversial. The network and Website facilities are, however, subject to the law -- and the use of them for purposes that are illegal or damaging to others is not condoned. You should be familiar with the regulations set forth in the College's World Wide Website, Computer and Network Usage Policies and Guidelines Handbook. See Appendix 921.

Faculty, staff, and students are advised that use of the network and Website for illegal purposes will not be tolerated. Likewise, the use of the network and Website for personal financial gain or commerce, or in ways that are damaging or hurtful to others or to the facilities themselves is prohibited. While the College neither sanctions nor prohibits the publication of material that may be deemed by some to be offensive on personal Website pages, colleagues are warned that copyright and other kinds of litigation may be instituted by outside entities. In this event, the College assumes no responsibility for legal counsel or defense. Faculty, students, or staff who misuse, abuse, or damage the network either intentionally or unintentionally may be prohibited from further access to it and may be found liable for costs or damages incurred.

528 CLASSROOM RECORDKEEPING

In order best to serve students and to help avoid personal embarrassment or litigation, faculty are advised to keep accurate classroom records each semester, and to keep them on file for at least one year thereafter. It is imperative that you keep an accurate class roll. Likewise, weekly quiz or project grades, test scores, grades of papers, reports, etc., should be recorded and kept. If attendance and punctuality are part of your grading criteria, students must be notified of this (as well as other curricular expectations) in writing at the first class meeting. Attendance, testing, and grading policies are generally determined by the individual faculty member, but departmental policies may vary. It is prudent to consult with your chairperson, if in doubt, to avoid conflicts with existing departmental policy.

530 ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

Students may enroll at Columbia College in any of the following categories:

Full-time undergraduate

Admission requirement: High school diploma or equivalent undergraduate application on file

Transcripts of previous academic work on file

Enrollment status: 12 semester hours or more

Financial aid status: Eligible if qualified

Part-time undergraduate

Admission requirement: High school diploma or equivalent undergraduate application on file

Transcripts of previous academic work on file

Enrollment status: fewer than 12 semester hours

Financial aid status: Eligible if qualified

Student-at-large undergraduate

Admission requirement: Student-at-large application on file

Enrollment status: Full or part-time

Financial aid status: Not eligible for aid

Second bachelors degree

Admission requirement: Undergraduate application on file

Official transcripts showing award of first bachelors degree

Enrollment status: Full or part-time

Financial aid status: Eligible for loans if qualified

Graduate

Admission requirement: Graduate application on file

Required documentation on file

Positive recommendation by departmental admissions committee

Acceptance by graduate school

Enrollment status: Full-time (part-time with approval)

Financial aid status: Eligible for loans if otherwise qualified

Continuing Education

Admission requirement: Continuing Education application on file

Enrollment status: does not apply

Financial aid status: Not eligible for aid

Second BA Degree

If a student has already received a Bachelor of Arts degree from another accredited institution, he or she may earn a second BA at Columbia College by completing 50 credit hours of required courses as specified by one of the major-granting department. All other academic requirements will be considered fulfilled by the first BA degree. Credits applied to the original degree or transfer credits cannot count toward the second degree; however, specific courses may be waived based on work experience or courses form the original major. Since waivers do not grant credit, additional courses must be taken to complete the 50 credit hour requirement.

As stated in the policy, the 50 credits required are specified by one of the major-granting departments or a preplanned interdisciplinary degree that includes one of the major-granting departments. This means that degrees are not granted in the No-Major category. Each department, if it has chosen to grant a second, BA, has formulated a list of course requirements. These are on file in the Academic Advising office.

533 DROPPING VS. WITHDRAWING FROM CLASS

Students may make changes in their academic program in two ways: by dropping or by withdrawing from courses.

A drop takes place during the first four weeks of the semester; courses dropped are removed from the student's record; and, in many cases, the student receives some tuition remission.

Withdrawals take place between the close of the fourth and eighth weeks of the term; those courses remain on the student's record with the grade of "W". No tuition remission is given for withdrawals. Withdrawing from classes can have an adverse effect upon the student's completion rate.

If a student decided to withdraw from a course, he/she must do so between the fifth and eighth week of the semester by completing a form obtained from the Records Office. An instructor can advise a student who is doing poorly in a course to withdraw from the course in lieu of the student's receiving a failing grade. Students are not permitted to withdraw from classes after the eighth week of the semester.

535 FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT (BUCKLEY AMENDMENT)

Columbia College complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("Act"), popularly known as the "Buckley Amendment". The Act prohibits the disclosure or release of any information about a student or their records to a third party without the student's prior written consent consistent with the Act. "Directory information" which is limited to the information described as "directory information" in the Student Handbook can be disclosed unless the student has chosen to restrict disclosure of this information by giving written notice to the Director of Records. Please refer to the Student Handbook for a complete explanation of the Act.

Faculty members cannot provide to any third party, including other classmates, information about a student's academic record, his/her home address, phone number, social security number, or age without the student's written permission.

A student may choose not to disclose any of the directory information. If a student has made this choice, the Director of Records will have a written notice from the student. In this situation, you may not disclose any information about that student unless you have specific, written consent from that student. Because a specific student may have chosen to restrict even directory information, you should check with the Director of Records before releasing directory information.

The Act is complicated. For example, you may not distribute or disclose a student's home address at which future "critique" will be held without the student's consent; you may not make non-directory personal information about your students available to solicitors or vendors interested in pursuing the College market; generally, you may not make non-directory personal information about your students available to outside researchers.

The penalties for violation the Privacy Act are serious. Faculty are strongly advised to direct all inquiries about a student's academic record or other non-directory information to the Registrar. (To review the text of the Act, contact the Records Office.)

Note Regarding Telephone Numbers: If it is necessary for students in your class to work on group projects together, or to form film or television crews together, please provide time during class for students to make their own arrangements to meet for any class- related project. Teachers are not allowed to disclose student phone numbers to other students or to anyone else.

540 UNDERGRADUATE GRADING SYSTEM

The College undergraduate grading system is listed below. Your grades should reflect your judgment of students' achievement, improvement, effort, and motivation within the framework of that system. Students are best served by evaluations that accurately describe their abilities, performance, and seriousness of purpose.

A grade of "I" (Incomplete) may be issued to a student who needs to submit work after the end of a term. This student-initiated request should be submitted to the faculty member with a plan for completion that is agreed upon by both the student and the teacher. Teachers are under no obligation to grant this request. This request constitutes the beginning of a paper trail: any extensions beyond the agreed-upon date should be documented. The incomplete should be finished no later than the end of the next Fall or Spring term. Incompletes not finished by that time automatically convert to an "F." It is not permitted for a faculty member to allow a student to attend class in a subsequent semester to complete the I. If class attendance is required, the student should be giving a failing grade for the first class and should re-register for it in the next term.

FX: This is an administrative grade only; it is not to be used to reflect academic performance. The FX grade is to be assigned only to those students who have never attended your class but whose names appear on your fourth-week class list. The FX grade should not be used as a final grade.

Many departments adhere to no-more-than-three-absence attendance policy. Individual faculty members are encouraged to check as to a specific departmental attendance policy. There is no College-wide attendance policy.

The following is a list of grades you may assign: A, B, C, D, F, P*, I. The W grade is not for faculty use.

*See "Pass/Fail" Section 540.5

GRADE DESCRIPTION GRADE POINTS AWARDED

|A |Excellent |4 | |B |Above Average |3 | |C |Average |2 | |D |Below Average |1 | |F |Failing |0 | |P |Pass (completed course work) |0 | |I |Incomplete (course work must be completed prior |0 | | |to the end of the following term to avoid | | | |conversion to "F") | | |W |Withdrawn (student initiated - no penalty) |0 | |FX |Student has never attended class (see above) |0 | |R |Classes repeated (administrative grade only) |0 |

540.2 GRADE CHANGES

If you wish to change a student's grade, Grade Forms must be obtained from the Records Office. These forms are issues to instructors only. These forms must be filled out, signed and submitted to both the department chairperson and the Academic Dean's Office for approval. Instructors may obtain Grade Change Forms though the mail (interoffice and US) from the Records Office. Changes of grades will not be made unless proper procedures have been followed.

Routine changes are grades are limited to one year immediately following the semester in which the original grade was issued. Extraordinary grade changes which exceed this limitation require approval from the Academic Dean's Office. In either case, only the original instructor may change a grade.

540.3 GRADE DISPUTES

In the event a student and a faculty member disagree about the quality of the student's academic work, the disagreement should be resolved in discussion between the parties involved. If this discussion does not resolve the matter, the student may appeal to the department chairperson. If no agreement is reached, the student may file a written summary of the disagreement. The faculty member replies to this statement in writing. The Academic Dean will then mediate the dispute.

540.4 GRADE REPORTING

Final class lists upon which final grades are to be entered are issued the last week of the semester. Final grades are due in the Records Office no later than one week following the end of the term. Specific dates are announced each semester. Always retain a copy of final grades for your own records. Final grades must be submitted by the instructor in person or directly through the mail to the Records Office. Final grades for a class are to be reported to the students by the Records Office only. Please check with your department, since it may require a copy.

540.5 PASS/FAIL

A student must complete a declaration form obtained from the Records Office before the end of the fourth week of the semester in order to exercise this option. Instructors will receive copies of the form. Students may not take more than 15 credit hours out of their total program under the pass/fail option. A student is not allowed to take any course that is required to complete either a general education or major requirement on a pass/fail basis.

541 GRADUATE GRADING POLICY

For separate graduate policies, refer to the Graduate Policy and Procedures Manual.

545 GUEST SPEAKERS AND HONORARIA

Please check with your department chairperson to see if honoraria for guest speakers have been budgeted for your class before you make any commitments to your speakers. Resumes of guest speakers should be on file in the departmental office. Requests for payment of guest speakers, including current address and social security number, must be submitted in writing in advance to your department chairperson for further processing.

When visiting lecturers are invited to conduct a class, the instructor is expected to be present to provide the continuity and context expected of an ongoing class.

555 SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS POLICY

To ensure satisfactory academic progress, a full-time course load consists of 12 to 16 credits. In exceptional cases, a student may enroll up to 18 credit hours.

All full-time undergraduate students will be given a maximum of twelve terms to complete their Bachelor's degree. Students enrolled part- time will have 20 terms to secure a degree.

During this time, students are expected to satisfactorily complete a minimum of ten credit hours per term of full-time attendance, or six credit hours for half-time attendance. Students enrolled for less than 6 credit hours must satisfactorily complete all course work. The minimum acceptable grade point average for each term is 2.0.

Transfer credit accepted from an accredited, post-secondary institution will be included in the determination of a student's academic progress rate. Transfer credit will also affect the remaining number of terms a student has in which to satisfy Columbia's degree requirements. Accepted Transfer credit will be the only component of a student's previous academic record to be incorporated into the computation of academic progress rate upon enrollment at Columbia College.

Note: Grades earned at another institution will have no effect upon a student's grade point average at Columbia College.

Grades of Incomplete (I), Withdraw (W), Pass (P) are not included in the computation of the grade point average, but they do affect the completion rate requirement. Grades of A, B, C, and D are included in grade point calculations and count toward satisfying the minimum completion rate. Failure grades (F & FX) affect the grade point average adversely but do not count toward satisfying the minimum completion rate requirements. Repeated courses, other than those required to fulfill major requirements, may affect the grade point average and completion rate.

Students who receive a failing grade (F) in an undergraduate course are permitted to retake the course once. The grade achieved in the retaken course is recorded on the academic record, counts toward satisfying the minimum completion rate, and is included in grade point calculation. If requested by the student, the failed grade is changed to an R, but the course title remains on the transcript.

A student may petition the department that offers the course for permission to retake the course a second time with the understanding that tutoring may be required. If the course is retaken a second time, only one of the failing grades can be changed to an R.

The completion rate is based upon a student's semester date of entry to the College and cumulative enrollment hours at the fourth week of each term of enrollment. Students' progress will be measured at the end of each term. Any student who fails to meet the minimum completion rate or required grade point average will be subjected to the following procedure:

1. Following each term of non-compliance, students will be notified in writing of their status. Financial aid may continue. However, all students on probation must be counseled by an academic advisor before receiving financial aid. Students who do not complete the degree requirements within the specified time may not be eligible to receive financial aid or continue enrollment.

2. Following the fourth consecutive term of non-compliance, the student will be excluded from the College for a minimum of one academic year. Students will be notified of academic dismissals after the Spring term of each year.

To apply for readmission, students must write a letter of petition to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Upon readmission, the student must achieve a cumulative 2.0 Grade Point Average before financial aid can be reinstated.

Since there may be extenuating or mitigating circumstances affecting a student's performance (i.e., personal circumstances, prior performance, etc.), students may appeal their academic progress status by submitting a written appeal to the Office of the Dean of Students. A student has a right to appeal the decision of the Dean of Students' office to an Academic Standards Review Committee. This committee consists of the Academic Dean, the Dean of Students (or his/her designated representatives), a faculty member, and the Registrar (a non-voting member). The decision of the Academic Standards Review Committee is final.

COMPLETION RATE COMPLIANCE CHART FOR FULL AND PART-TIME

1 STUDENTS

At end of term |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10 | | |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT | |Hours earned |10/6 |20/12 |30/18 |40/24 |50/30 |60/36 |70/42 |80/48 |90/54 |100/60 | |

At end of term |11 |12 |13 |14 |15 |16 |17 |18 |19 |20 | | |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT |FT/PT | |Hours earned |110/66 |124/72 |- /78 |- /84 |- /90 |- /96 |- /102 |- /108 |- /114 |- /124 | |

Completion rate is an important part of Columbia College's Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAPP).

With this chart, we can determine a student's completion rate.

1. With the first and fourth lines (numbers 1-20) are terms of enrollment.

Note: the policy allows 12 terms for a full-time student; 20 terms for a part-time student.

1. The second and fifth lines identify full-time or part-time status.

2. The third and sixth lines indicate how hours must have been successfully completed for each term (cumulative).

For example, a full-time student in the 8th term of enrollment must have successfully completed 80 semester hours; a part-time student must have successfully completed 48 semester hours.

Note: Adjustments are made for students whose enrollment varies from full- to part-time status.

560 STUDENT CONDUCT CODE

It is assumed that all students will conduct themselves with maturity and responsibility, and will be fully respectful of one another, of the staff and faculty of the College, and of the buildings and facilities. There is considerable traffic in all classrooms and facilities every day. It is imperative that all members of the College community contribute conscientiously to the order and cleanliness of the premises.

A student's violation of an article of the Code of Conduct may subject the student to disciplinary action, including immediate dismissal from the College. The Code of Conduct prohibits the following conduct:

1. Drinking, possession, distribution, or sale of alcohol or illegal drugs on College premises, or at events sponsored under the auspices of the College.

2. Abuse, vandalism, or theft of College property, or unauthorized entry to College facilities.

3. Students who knowingly obstruct or disrupt College activities may be subject to disciplinary action. Disorderly conduct shall include acts which violate the rights of others, which tend to break the peace or disrupt the learning environment, or which are deemed indecent or obscene.

4. Sexual harassment, racial discrimination, or other unacceptable acts of behavior.

5. All forms of dishonesty including cheating, plagiarism, knowingly furnishing false information to the College, forgery, and /or alteration or fraudulent use of College document, instruments, or identification.

6. Smoking is permitted in designated areas only.

7. Failure to comply with the directive of a College official or those appointed or selected to act on behalf of the College, including failure to give identity to College officials in situations concerning alleged violations of College policy, and /or failure to comply with oral, written, or judicial directives.

8. Violation of any federal, state, county, or municipal law, ordinance, or regulation.

Situations may arise not specifically covered by College regulations, but which adversely affect the welfare of the College community. In these instances, the Dean of Students will evaluate the situation and take appropriate action.

Any student, faculty member, or staff person who believes a student's conduct violated Columbia College's Code of Conduct should submit a detailed written statement describing the student or students' alleged conduct to the Dean of Students. (See Section 380, for complaints against Sexual Harassment.)

For those matters brought before the Dean of Students, the Dean will review the written statement of complaint and supporting evidence, if any, to determine whether further investigation of the student's conduct is warranted. The Dean of Students, in the exercise of the Dean of Students sole judgment, shall determine that:

1. The Dean of Students, without the need for further investigation or consultation, shall resolve the matter, in which case the Dean of Students shall issue his/her written decision within a reasonable period of time after receiving the complaint; or,

2. The Dean of Students shall determine that there is no need for further investigation and that the complaint is not sufficient and there shall be no further proceedings, in which case the Dean of Students shall issue his/her written decision within a reasonable period of time after receiving the complaint and the Dean of Students' decision shall be final; or,

3. The Dean of Students shall, within a reasonable time after receiving the complaint, determine that further investigation is warranted, in which case the Dean of Students shall appoint a member of the Dean's staff to conduct a thorough investigation, which shall culminate in a written report, including a recommended resolution(s) which shall be issued within a reasonable period of time after appointment of the Dean's representative.

Within ten (10) days either after receiving the Dean of Students' decision, pursuant to subparagraph (a) or, subparagraph (c) above, the aggrieved student(s) may file a written request with the Dean of Students asking for the formation of a committee to review further the aforesaid decision. However, prior to the appointment of the committee and as a condition in determining whether a committee should be formed, the Dean of Students shall first determine whether the written request for further review is meritorious.

If the Dean of Students determines, in the exercise of the Dean of Students sole judgment, that the written request for further review is not meritorious (in which case the Dean of Students' decision on that issue shall be final), the committee shall not be appointed and the decision previously issued pursuant to either subparagraph (a) or (c) above will be final.

If the Dean of Students determines that the written request for further review is meritorious, then the Dean of Students shall appoint a seven-person Committee composed of two students, to full-time faculty members, two members of the College's administration, and one chairperson.

The committee will review all documents relating to the complaint, and shall hear sworn testimony of the involved students and any witnesses the students ask to appear before the committee as well as witnesses requested by the Committee.

The committee shall issue in a written report containing the committee's recommendation(s) within a reasonable time following the conclusion of its investigation. The aforesaid written report shall be delivered to the Dean of Students, who shall be responsible for forwarding it to the Provost/Executive Vice President.

Within a reasonable time following the Provost/Executive Vice President's receipt of the committee's written report, the Provost/Executive Vice President shall either (1) adopt the committee's recommendation, or (2) adopt some but not all of the committee's recommendation. The Provost/Executive Vice President's written report shall be delivered to the committee, the Dean of Students, and the involved student(s). The Provost/Executive Vice President's will be final.

565 TEACHER AIDES

This program, administered through the Office the Academic Dean, was initiated in recognition of the special needs confronted by faculty with large enrollments in a single class.

The guidelines of the program provide that any faculty member who teaches a class of more than 50 students and can identify a student who is in good academic standing and can provide the necessary support services (i.e., taking attendance, see 525 CLASSROOM RECORDKEEPING) may apply to his/her Academic Dean for approval. Such approval will be given for a four to six hour commitment per week, and students are paid at the prevailing student worker wager rate.