Academic Policies

Academic policies, procedures and forms for faculty and staff:

Policies for Graduate Students are located on the Graduate Catalog website under the "Academic Policies & Information" tab:

Classifications
Students are academically ranked based on their earned semester credit hours per the following classification:

               Freshman 0- 29 credit hours earned

               Sophomore 30- 59 credit hours earned

               Junior 60- 89 credit hours earned

               Senior 90 or more credit hours earned

Dropping and Adding Courses
After a student has completed registration, he or she may add courses until the end of the designated "add/drop" period (see appropriate academic calendar), in consultation with their advisor. After the add/drop" period has ended, a student may withdraw from a course with a grade of "W" up to the date posted in the academic calendar. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with their advisor before withdrawing from any course(s). Any student who has a pending charge of academic dishonesty may not drop the course in which the academic dishonesty is alleged to have occurred. A student may not be withdrawn from any course after the designated date. Dropping a course is not a guarantee that a student will not be charged for the course. Please see withdrawal policy and the finance office for further details.

Transferring Credit
In general, Catawba College accepts transfer course credit from other institutions of higher education under the following conditions:

1. The course work was taken at a regionally accredited college or university where the Catawba College Registrar determines to be acceptable for transfer credit.
2. The subject matter and the level of the course must be appropriate to Catawba’s curriculum.
3. The grade that is earned for the course must be at least a C-.

Academic Advisors
In order to assist students with following academic policies and procedures, the College assigns an academic advisor to every student. The advisor is the primary contact for all academic advice, including questions regarding a class schedule, course selection, declaring or changing major, adding or dropping classes and academic standing. Advisors are experienced in assisting students in following Catawba’s academic policies, as well as meeting graduation requirements, both in general education and majors.

Students are expected to know the College’s policies, procedures and terminology as outlined in the College Catalog (catawba.edu/catalog). Advisors are obligated to give the best professional advice possible based on a student’s academic information and knowledge of the College’s policies, but each student must assume full personal responsibility for adhering to all policies and procedures, including but not limited to, scheduling classes, and meeting all graduation requirements within a student’s own timeframe.

Class Attendance
Effective learning is facilitated by an interaction between the professor and students regarding course material. The classroom is the principal arena for such interaction. Thus, students have an obligation to themselves, to fellow students, and to the faculty member to attend and participate actively in classroom sessions, regardless if the class is held on-campus or online.

The class attendance policy followed by the College assigns to each faculty member the responsibility for establishing and communicating to students the specific attendance requirements for his or her courses consistent with the objectives of the course. Thus, specific course attendance policies will vary from course to course. The attendance policy for each course will be presented to the student in written form, usually as part of the course syllabus, at the beginning of the course and before the end of the drop-add period.

The course attendance policy and practices, however, will subscribe to the following general guidelines:

1. Each student is personally responsible for regular and punctual class attendance.
   1.1. Online classes will use the parameters of weekly LMS logins, communication with faculty, and completion of assignments as attendance.
2. A student who misses a class bears personal responsibility for completing any assignment presented during that class to the extent permitted by the nature of the assignment and/or the course syllabus.
3. The faculty member has the option of assigning a failing grade to any student who misses more than one- quarter of the class meetings, but this option must be stated in the course syllabus.
4. Whenever possible, the student should inform the faculty member about an absence and make arrangements concerning missed assignments due to that absence.
5. The student is responsible for initiating discussions with the faculty member about a make-up opportunity for missed assignments or examinations.
6. The faculty member has no obligation to allow or facilitate make-up work except for absences due to “extenuating circumstances.” Three sets of extenuating circumstances are recognized by the College: severe personal illness, death in the immediate family, or (when announced in advance through the Dean of Students’ Office) authorized representation of the College.
7. If an extenuating circumstance is the cause of a student’s missing a class period (or an examination), the student should not view the absence as an exception to the course attendance arrangements, as outlined in the course syllabus, but as a “just cause” for arranging a make-up opportunity. The faculty member, however, will determine the means of compensating for the missed course work or examination.
8. Students should remain in a class for at least ten minutes after the class is scheduled to begin, after which, if the faculty member has not arrived or given word about arriving late, the students may leave without penalty.

Withdrawals and Suspensions
Withdrawal from the College can occur on a voluntary or involuntary basis. A student seeking to withdraw from the College should follow the proper withdrawal process, starting in the Office of Student Affairs. The process includes completing a withdrawal form that is circulated and signed by various offices at the College. Please note that when a student withdraws from the college for any reason (voluntary or involuntary) or if he or she is suspended, the student is responsible for his or her student account.

A student who wishes to withdraw completely from the College after the last day to add a class must complete the withdrawal process before the end of the tenth week of the semester. A student must initiate the process by requesting a withdrawal form from the office of the Dean of Students and complete the process with the Office of the Registrar by the deadline.

Voluntary Withdrawal
A student who wishes to withdraw completely from the College after the last day to add a class must complete the withdrawal process before the end of the tenth week of the semester. (See the “Academic Calendar” for the precise date each term.)

A student must initiate the process by requesting a withdrawal form from the Office of the Dean of Students and completing the process with the Office of the Registrar by the deadline. Students who comply with the deadline will receive transcripts showing “W” grades for all courses. Failure to withdraw officially will result in receipt of the letter grades earned in each course.

A student who has withdrawn from the College under this provision more than once will not be readmitted. The Faculty Academic Policies and Standards Committee must approve any exceptions to this policy.

Voluntary Medical or Compassion Withdrawal
Upon presentation of documentation deemed adequate and compelling by the Dean of Students or his or her designee(s), a student may be permitted to withdraw from the College during the semester and receive the grade of “W” for coursework being attempted at the time of withdrawal. Students seeking Voluntary Medical or Compassion Withdrawal after the last day for voluntary withdrawal from the College will be subject to scrutiny as such withdrawals entail relief from the academic consequences of late withdrawal. Students should submit documentation no less than two weeks prior to the last day of class unless there are unforeseen circumstances at the end of the semester.

Involuntary Withdrawal
Administrative Withdrawal from the College
This type of academic intervention is imposed in response to poor performance within a semester by the student; specifically, the student has not withdrawn from the College but is making no appreciable attempt to attend and pass classes. Students who fail to meet these basic academic standards or policies in each semester will be withdrawn by the Provost or his or her designee(s) and a letter put in their file indicating the academic issues that necessitated the withdrawal. Any Administrative Withdrawal that is carried out on or before the last day to voluntarily withdraw from classes will result in grades of “W”. After the last day to voluntarily withdraw, Administrative Withdrawal will result in grades of “F”.

Administrative Withdrawal from a Class
This type of academic intervention is imposed in response to poor performance, disruptive or other inappropriate behaviors that hinder the normal conduct of the class. Upon referral from a faculty member, the Dean of Students will work in concert with the Offices of the Provost and Registrar to assess the documented facts and determine an appropriate intervention.

Medical Withdrawal
The College, upon advice from its professional staff, may require a student to withdraw for medical or psychological reasons. In these cases, the student will be encouraged to seek professional care. Such action is not taken for punitive reasons, but because the welfare of the individual and the community mandates the procedure. A Medical Withdrawal will result in grades of “W” regardless of when the withdrawal occurs.

Short-term Leave of Absence
The Provost may, at his or her discretion and upon the advice of College health care providers and Student Affairs staff, authorize the absence of a student from the College for up to two weeks for the student to receive treatment for a medical condition or respond to a crisis that necessitates absence. There must be reason to believe the circumstances can be resolved in the short-term, and this provision is limited by the faculty’s ability to make accommodations, which may vary considerably. The Provost will verify the student’s circumstances to faculty and request consideration for accommodations. The student will be responsible for managing specific plans for make-up work during the absence and/or upon return.

Suspension
Suspension from the College of any type is, by definition, involuntary.
Social Suspension
A student suspended under the provisions of this category has committed transgressions of the Student Code of Conduct or the Honor Code serious enough to make the student “ineligible to continue enrollment and/or to re-enroll at the College for a specific period of time.” The Dean of Students or his/her designee(s) is responsible for activating this process at any time during the semester. A Social Suspension that is carried out on or before the last day to voluntarily withdraw from classes will result in grades of “W.” After the last day to voluntarily withdraw, Social Suspension will result in grades of “W” or “F” at the discretion of the Dean of Students.

Academic Suspension
This type of academic sanction is imposed in response to a prolonged period (typically at least two complete semesters) of poor academic performance by the student. A student in this category has failed to meet minimum GPA standards after attempting 19 or more hours of study. Refer to the Catawba College Catalog for a list of semester hour and GPA thresholds. The Provost is responsible for activating this process at the end of the fall and spring semesters upon recommendation from the Academic Policies and Standards Committee. Please refer to the College catalog regarding appeals to Academic suspension.

Interim Suspension
In certain circumstances, the Dean of Students, or a designee, may impose a College or residence hall suspension prior to the Student Conduct Board hearing.

• Interim suspension may be imposed only:
  1. to ensure the safety and well-being of members of the College community or preservation of College property;
  2. to ensure the student’s own physical or emotional safety and well-being; or

• if the student poses an ongoing threat of disruption of, or interference with, the normal operations of the college

• During the interim suspension, a student shall be denied access to the residence halls and/or to the campus (including classes) and/or all other College activities or privileges for which the student might otherwise be eligible, as the Dean of Students or the Student Conduct Administrator may determine to be appropriate.
• The interim suspension does not replace the regular process, which shall proceed on the normal schedule, up to and through a Student Conduct Board hearing, if required.

Appeals Process
Students wishing to appeal the initial decision regarding a suspension must submit a letter of appeal with all supporting documentation to the Dean of Students within 48 hours. The Dean of Students will convene faculty and/or staff members to review the appeal within 7 business days.

Policies for undergraduate students are located on the Undergraduate Catalog website under the  "Academic Policies & Information" tab: