Academics

Academics: Policies & Information

The academic policies and information in this section of the College Catalog are of general interest to new students. Additional policies and information are stated in the Simpson College Student Handbook. All students are responsible for the material contained in both the Catalog and the Handbook.

Course Re-Take
Credit Earned Abroad
Full Time Load, Over Load, Graduate Credit
Course Drop/Add
Late Withdrawal
Final Grade Appeal
Special Topics 190, 290, 390
Dead Week
Posthumous Degree
Incomplete Grades
Incompletes By Faculty Who Leave the College
Minimum Credits a Transfer Needs to Take at Simpson College to Complete a Simpson Major and/or Minor
Graduation Requirement Waiver Policy
Participation in Commencement Ceremony
Probation, Suspension and Dismissal
Final Grades and Withdrawals
Earning a Second Degree
Honors at Graduation
Withdrawal from a Course or the College
Readmission
Ordering Transcripts and Grade Reports
Residence Requirements
Continuous Attendance and Requirements for Graduation
Academic Petitions Committee
Academic Council

 Honors Programs: 391-392

A number of departments of the College offer a special procedure whereby a student can obtain a designation of "Honors in the Major" upon graduation.  Students who have completed at least 64 credit hours and have at least a 3.0 or better overall GPA and a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in the major may apply to the department chair for admission to its honors track.  The department faculty must approve the selection of honors students.

Although the requirements may vary by department, all students must complete six credit hours of research and writing over two semesters (usually, though not in every case, Honors 391 and 392), and produce a thesis and defend that thesis before a committee of faculty.  The thesis work may be completed under the 391-392 rubrics or in a set of other courses as determined by each department.

All courses designated as part of the Honors track must receive a grade in the A range and the thesis must receive the grade of A to receive Honors designation.  

COURSE RE-TAKE POLICY

Courses taken at Simpson College and graded D- or better must be repeated at Simpson College if the student wishes to improve their GPA at Simpson College. Each time the course is retaken, it must be on a letter-graded basis. Grades for each time a course is taken remain on the permanent academic record; however, credit will be given only once and only the last grade (for Simpson College coursework) will be computed into the grade point average.

Courses taken at Simpson College which have been failed may be repeated at Simpson College or at another institution. If they are repeated at Simpson College, the original grade will stay on the transcript but only the last grade will be calculated into the Simpson College grade point average. If failed courses are repeated elsewhere, the original grade will stay in the Simpson College GPA and the new grade will not be calculated into it, but the student will receive the credit for the repeated course that is transferred in. If a student who has received a D- or better in a course at Simpson College wishes to retake the course elsewhere and transfer it in, the student’s Simpson College GPA will not be affected, because the grade of the course transferred in will not replace the grade of the course taken at Simpson College. The repeated course transferred in is not added to the Simpson College record, but it is noted in the student’s degree audit that the "spirit of the requirement" has been fulfilled by the transferred in course. The outside transcript is a part of the student's file, but the course is not added to the record since the student has already passed the course at Simpson College and cannot get credit for the same course twice.

All courses to be transferred in from another institution must have at least a C-.

 
CREDIT EARNED ABROAD

Any student who takes courses at a Simpson College approved institution of higher education in another country will be able to transfer in the courses based upon individual course evaluation made by the chair of the appropriate academic department and the Registrar. Credits will be transferred in according to standards already established through Educational Credential Evaluators (http://www.ece.org).

FULL TIME LOAD, OVERLOAD, GRADUATE CREDIT

A full time load is defined as taking at least 12 credits in a semester with at least 6 of those credits being day credits.  Mod 1 and Mo2 are counted in fall; Mod 3 and Mod 4 are counted in spring.

A student is said to be in overload when the student is taking more than five courses, and the sixth course does not have the Overload Exemption code (OV) and it puts the student over 16 credits.  Labs are not counted against the five course limit.

A student may receive Graduate level credit in a course if they have already completed a Bachelors degree.

COURSE DROP/ADD POLICY

Once classes begin, if a student wishes to drop or add a course, a drop/add slip must be used.

In order for a request to withdraw from, drop or add a course to be properly processed in the Registrar’s Office the signature of the instructor and the advisor are both required on the appropriate drop/add form. The meaning of the signature of the advisor is that the advisor is aware that the student is withdrawing/dropping/adding the course. In the case of a student seeking to add a course, the signature of the faculty instructor indicates the approval from the instructor to add the course. It should be noted that the instructor has no obligation to approve the student’s late enrollment in the course after the beginning of the term and before the drop/add deadline. The instructor is in the best position to determine whether or not the student is able to make-up missed class work.

In the case of the student dropping or withdrawing from the class, the instructor’s signature simply indicates that the instructor is aware that the student is dropping/withdrawing from the course.

In a situation where a student cannot obtain the signature of the advisor or the instructor, the Registrar will decide whether or not to accept the request. If the request is accepted, the Registrar’s Office will notify both the advisor and the instructor of the action taken.

LATE WITHDRAWAL POLICY

Students who wish to withdraw late after the official withdrawal deadline must petition giving the reasons for the late withdrawal. The petition will be reviewed by the Academic Petitions Committee and the Registrar for approval or denial. Normally, only reasons beyond the control of the student; e.g.: medical, personal, family, military, etc. will be approved.

FINAL GRADE APPEAL POLICY

If a student receives a final grade for a course that they do not believe was computed correctly the student shall go to the faculty member who gave the grade, and provide a rationale for why they believe the final grade was not computed correctly. If the instructor disagrees with the student’s position, then the next course of action for the student is to contact the Dean for Academic Affairs. The student must provide a written explanation as to how the grade was computed incorrectly. It should be noted that the Dean for Academic Affairs will not substitute his/her judgment on the quality of the student’s work for that of the instructor. The inquiry by the Dean must focus on the alleged mathematical error made by the instructor in formulating the final grade. The Dean shall then render a decision based on the information provided by the student and the faculty member. The decision of the Dean shall be the final resolution of this matter.

SPECIAL TOPICS: 190, 290, 390

Each department may set up a course or courses in selected special topics. Special topics courses examine content not covered by the current curriculum.

The course numbers are 190, 290, and 390. These courses are not to be confused with Independent Study 380, which is planned for study by a single student. Submit the title of the special topic to the registrar. The basis for course designation is as follows:


190 – Special Topics. This designation will be for any special topic that is designed for freshmen and sophomores.

290 – Special Topics. This designation will be for any special topic that is open for students of any rank, but the emphasis should be on upper-class students.

390 – Special Topics. This designation will refer to courses that are advanced in nature and would require junior-senior status or permission of instructor.

Note: It is recommended that departments use special topics courses as a way to offer a new course, but it is expected that courses that have been offered as special topics for 2 semesters be proposed as catalog courses if the course will be taught on a regular basis.

 
DEAD WEEK

The week immediately preceding finals week during the fall and spring semester, shall be a normal and typical week of class. Classes shall meet as they normally would during any other time of the semester. New material may be covered and quizzes may be given during this week.

Permission to grant exceptions to this rule shall be petitioned to the Registrar who will consult with the instructor involved.


POSTHUMOUS DEGREE

To award a degree or certificate from Simpson College posthumously, a request to do so should be made to the EPCC. The request should state the reasons that the degree should be granted. The student to be awarded the degree must have completed at least 75% of the credits required for graduation.

If the EPCC approves the request, it will be forwarded to the full faculty at its next regularly scheduled meeting. If the faculty approves the degree, the proposal will be sent to the president of the college, the secretary of the board, and the academic dean. If all three approve, the degree will be granted.

INCOMPLETE GRADES

The student has until 30 days into the next full semester to complete an incomplete grade.  If the student does not complete the work, and the incomplete is not changed, and the instructor has not requested an extension from the Registrar’s Office, then the incomplete grade will be changed to an “F”.  For purposes of determining GPA, the incomplete grade will always be calculated as if it is an “F”.

INCOMPLETES LEFT BY FACULTY WHO LEAVE THE COLLEGE

Faculty who leave the college need to make certain that they give the chair of their department the information regarding what student has an incomplete, and in what class, and what will be required by the student to complete the course. Department Chairs need to make certain that the faculty leaving the College meets with them in an exit interview, at which time any information concerning incompletes would be shared. In the absence of the instructor, the chair of the department shall determine whether or not the student has completed the course successfully and will enter an appropriate grade for the course. A pass/non-pass may be given unless the course is required for such things as teacher licensure, CPA credit, or other requirements. If the course is

needed for partial completion of a major or minor, the department chair of the department sponsoring the major or minor may allow the P or H to count as partial fulfillment of the major or minor. In the case of fulfilling a Cornerstone, the Cornerstone Director will make that determination, and in the case of a Competency, the department responsible for the competency shall make that determination.


Minimum Credits a Transfer Needs to Take at Simpson College to Complete a Simpson Major and/or Minor

All students must take at least 15 credit hours of required course work (excluding internship) in the major at Simpson to obtain a degree from Simpson College.  All students must take at least 9 credits at Simpson in a minor if they wish to earn that minor at Simpson College.  Exceptions to this rule may be made in the case of students who spend the first three years in residence, who have satisfactory academic records, and who arrange in advance with the Dean for Academic Affairs to spend the fourth year in a professional program in an accredited institution.   

 
GRADUATION REREQUIREMENT WAIVER POLICY

Departmental Waiver Policy:

Should a waiver or substitution of required classes, minimum GPA or other academic requirements be determined to be necessary within an academic major, the department chair acting on behalf of the department faculty will send a notice of waiver or substitution to the Registrar. The waiver or notice of substitution will be noted on the student’s transcript and become part of the student’s academic file.

General Education/Graduation Waiver Policy:

Should a waiver or substitution of required classes or other academic requirements be determined to be necessary as to the courses required for graduation, the Academic Petitions Committee will hear the petition. Generally, the affected student will submit the petition to the Registrar. The Academic Petitions Committee may decide to make its judgment on the basis of the petition, or it may seek additional information from the student, the Registrar, faculty or other members of the academic community. The Registrar will communicate the committee’s decision to the student. The student may appeal the decision to the Academic Appeals Committee. The minimum GPA required for graduation and the minimum number of credits required for graduation, as specified in the applicable catalog pursuant to which the student has declared their course of study, cannot be changed except by a majority vote of the faculty.

Students who wish to withdraw late after the official withdrawal deadline must petition giving the reasons for the late withdrawal. The petition will be reviewed by the Academic Petitions Committee and the Registrar for approval or denial. Normally, only reasons beyond the control of the student; e.g.: medical, personal, family, military, etc. will be approved.

 
PARTICIPATION IN COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

Participation in the annual May graduation ceremony will be limited to students who: 1) have completed all degree requirements by the date of the ceremony and are in good academic standing, or 2) are within two courses (8 hours maximum) and in good academic standing.

Note: For those students who fall under #2 above, participation in the commencement ceremony does not mean the student has actually graduated. The student will not be graduated and will not receive a diploma until they have completed all requirements for graduation. If degree requirements are completed within the calendar year of the student’s participation in the ceremony, the student will be a member of that year’s graduating class.

 
PROBATION, SUSPENSION, AND DISMISSAL

If a student’s cumulative grade point average falls below the minimum expectations for good academic standing, that student will be placed on academic probation by the Dean for Academic Affairs. Academic probation is a proving period during which a student’s continuance at Simpson College is in jeopardy. During this period the student must give evidence of significant progress toward satisfying the graduation requirements as outlined as follows.

The student is expected to earn at least a 2.00 GPA in their first semester of probation. If the student does not earn at least a 2.00 GPA in that first semester of probation, but shows improvement, the student may be granted a continuation of probation. If the student shows no improvement after their first semester of probation the student will be academically suspended.

If the student shows improvement and academic probation is continued, then in the second semester of probation, the student must earn at least a 2.00 GPA or be academically suspended. If the student does complete at least a 2.00 GPA in the second semester on probation, and therefore is still not off probation, the student will have one more semester to raise their cumulative GPA high enough to get off probation. If after the third semester the student is still not off academic probation, the student will be academically suspended.

Students who have been academically suspended have a right to appeal the suspension by contacting the office of the Dean for Academic Affairs. The appeal must be in writing, and the Dean will present the case to the Academic Appeals Committee for a final decision.

If a student is suspended, the suspension lasts one regular semester (fall or spring) at which time the student may apply for readmission. If after readmission the student still fails to get off probation, the student will be academically dismissed. Dismissed students may not apply for readmission.

 
FINAL GRADES AND WITHDRAWALS

Final Grades

Except as noted below, final grades may not be entered prior to the end of the term in which the course was taken. Final grades must be entered by the deadline for grades which is determined to be two business days after the final exam day. Final grades may be entered late with specific

permission from the College Registrar. (The end of the term is determined by the last day the class being graded meets.)

Exception: in the case in which the student has intentionally committed academic dishonesty and the instructor has determined that the student will fail the course, the instructor will immediately enter a grade of “F” as the final grade.

Withdrawal From A Course In Cases of Academic Dishonesty

If the instructor determines that an act of plagiarizing or cheating is such that the student will fail the course, the student will NOT be allowed to withdraw even if the date of such determination is still within the withdrawal period. A grade of “F” will be entered immediately for that student. In all cases of intentional academic dishonesty the instructor will report it to the Academic Dean and the student’s advisor and a record will be entered into the student’s file.

If the instructor determines that the academic dishonesty is such that just the assignment or test will be failed, but not the whole course, then the student will be allowed to withdraw from the class if the withdrawal is processed within the withdrawal period. In all cases of intentional academic dishonesty the instructor will report it to the Academic Dean and the student’s advisor and a record will be entered into the student’s file.

A student may appeal the outcome of this policy by filing an appropriate and timely appeal with the Academic Appeals Committee, as set forth in these Academic Policies.

 
EARNING A SECOND DEGREE

A student who wishes to secure a second degree must successfully complete one additional year in residence study, and earn at least 29 hours of credit beyond the requirements of the first degree.  She/he must fulfill the requirements of a second major and meet all specific requirements for each of the two degrees desired.  The authority to change the requirements for degrees is vested in the faculty.

 
HONORS AT GRADUATION

The distinction Summa Cum Laude is given to those students who earn a cumulative grade point average of 3.900 or better, Magna Cum Laude to those who earn an average of 3.750 through 3.899, and Cum Laude to those whose average is 3.600 through 3.749.  To be eligible for Epsilon Sigma, the Trustees Award, or honors at graduation, a student must have attended Simpson for at least four semesters and have earned at least 64 semester hours of credit at the College excluding Honors/Pass/Non-Pass course credits.  The cumulative grade point average is computed only on the total hours earned in residence.  The numerical grade is never rounded up for such honors.

WITHDRAWAL FROM A COURSE OR FROM THE COLLEGE

Students who wish to drop a class after the Add/Drop period may withdraw from the class up and until the stated last day to withdraw.  If a student withdraws within that period a “W” will appear on the student’s transcript beside that course.  It will not adversely affect the student’s GPA.  If a student wishes to withdraw from a course after the withdrawal date, please see the policy above regarding late withdrawal.

If the student wishes to withdraw from the college the student must contact the Dean of Students and make the request to withdraw from the college.  At that time the Dean of Students will arrange an exit interview for the student.


READMISSION

Students who withdraw from the College or who are suspended may apply for readmission to the College through the Office of the Registrar.  Students who have been suspended must wait one full semester, excluding summer, before applying for readmission.  If a full-time student seeks readmission within one year of having withdrawn or having been suspended, they will readmit under the catalog in which they had declared their major.  If a part-time student seeks readmission within two years of having withdrawn or suspended, they may readmit under the catalog in which they had declared their major.


ORDERING TRANSCRIPTS AND GRADE REPORTS

Students, who wish to order a transcript, whether official or unofficial, must submit a written and signed request to the Registrar’s Office.  Students may request grade reports with a written and signed request.  No transcripts, whether official or unofficial will be emailed due to privacy protection issues.

 
RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS

A candidate for a degree is required to be in residence at Simpson College during the final 32 semester hours of the senior year.  Exceptions to this rule may be made in the case of students who spend the first three years in residence, who have satisfactory academic records, and who arrange in advance with the Dean for Academic Affairs to spend the fourth year in a professional program, such as law or medicine, in an accredited institution.  The 3/2 program in Engineering is also exempted from this policy.


CONTINUOUS ATTENDANCE AND REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION

In the event a student does not remain in continuous attendance at Simpson, the requirements for graduation at the time of initial registration shall remain in force, provided that the non-attendance period does not exceed one full calendar year for full-time students and two calendar years for EWG students.  In the event that the non-attendance period exceeds the amount of time allowed for full-time or for EWG students, the student will be required to complete the catalog requirements in force at the time of readmission.

The requirements for the major are to be those in effect at the time of the declaration of the major program.  The time of declaration of the major is determined by the date of its receipt in the Office of the Registrar.  The student should declare a major on a Declaration of Major form submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the time he/she has completed 40 semester hours of credit.

Students who initiate their studies at Simpson College through the Evening, Weekend and Graduate program and become degree-seeking students will retain their status of duly admitted student if they interrupt their studies for no more than two consecutive calendar years.


ACADEMIC PETITIONS COMMITTEE

The Academic Petitions Committee shall consist of three members of the Educational Policies and Curriculum Committee (EPCC), including the current chair of the EPCC and two volunteers from EPCC.

The Academic Petitions Committee will provide an avenue for students to petition for exemption from the academic policies established by the faculty of the college.

This committee shall meet once a month, dates to be announced, and review all appropriate academic petitions making the decision to either approve or deny the petition.

Academic Petitions shall come through the Registrar, who will then make copies and distribute to the members of the Academic Petitions Committee prior to the stated meeting.


ACADEMIC COUNCIL

The Academic Council shall be made up of the five Academic Division Heads and the Academic Dean.  If the Academic Council is considering an issue that directly involves a member of the Academic Council, the member may recuse themselves in which case the Council will appoint a temporary replacement.

The Academic Council may operate as an Academic Appeals Committee when a decision made is being challenged by the student making the appeal.

Last Updated: 10/28/09