Academic Policy Handbook Liberty University Online Undergraduate Programs 2014-2015 1971 University Blvd. Lynchburg, Virginia 24515 434-582-2000 Jerry Falwell, Jr. President Dr. Ronald S. Godwin Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs / Provost Liberty University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Liberty University. Adapted from the Undergraduate Catalog
Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS... 1 LUO ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2014-2015... 3 INTRODUCTION... 4 DEGREES, CERTIFICATES AND DIPLOMAS OFFERED AT LIBERTY UNIVERSITY... 4 STUDENT CLASSIFICATIONS... 4 APPLICATION TO LIBERTY UNIVERSITY ONLINE... 5 DECLARATION OF MAJOR... 6 MINORS... 6 CHANGE OF DEGREE/MAJOR/MINOR... 6 DOUBLE MAJORS... 7 EARNING A SECOND DEGREE... 7 DEGREE COMPLETION PLANS CHOOSING CORRECT COURSES... 7 DCP AUDIT NAVIGATION... 8 MILITARY DEGREE COMPLETION PLANS (SOC)... 8 REGISTERING FOR CLASSES / ON-LINE REGISTRATION... 9 ENROLLMENT AGREEMENT AND FINANCIAL CHECK-IN... 9 ADDING, DROPPING, AND WITHDRAWING FROM COURSES... 10 AUDITING A CLASS... 11 SPECIAL STUDENT REGISTRATION... 11 CONDITIONAL ENROLLMENT... 11 TERM LOAD... 12 OVERLOAD POLICY... 12 CLASS ATTENDANCE... 12 GRADES AND QUALITY POINTS... 12 COMPUTING GPA... 13 DEAN S LIST... 14 INCOMPLETES... 14 1
COURSE REPEAT POLICY... 14 GRADING RESPONSIBILITIES AND PROCEDURES... 15 ERRORS IN THE GRADE REPORT... 16 GRADE APPEAL PROCESS... 16 REQUEST FOR A COURSE SUBSTITUTION... 17 SCHOLASTIC REGULATIONS... 18 ACADEMIC STANDING... 18 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY... 19 TRANSFER CREDIT... 21 MILITARY TRANSCRIPT EVALUATIONS... 22 INTERNATIONAL TRANSCRIPTS AND EVALUATIONS... 22 FERPA ACT: CONFIDENTIALITY OF STUDENT RECORDS... 22 ADDRESS, NAME, AND SOCIAL SECURITY CHANGES... 23 TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDS... 23 WITHDRAWING FROM SCHOOL... 23 BROKEN ENROLLMENT... 24 TAKING COURSES AT ANOTHER INSTITUTION WHILE ENROLLED AT LIBERTY... 25 CREDIT BY EXAMINATION AND PORTFOLIO... 25 INTERNSHIP PROGRAM... 27 GRADUATION INFORMATION... 28 GRADUATION HONORS... 29 CERTIFICATE COMPLETION INFORMATION.29 FORMS AND MORE INFORMATION... 30 2
Academic Calendar Fall 2014 Subterm Length Acceptance Deadline Registration Deadline Financial Check-In Deadline Sub-term Start Date Sub-term End Date A 17-week 7/23/14 8/06/14 8/11/14 8/18/14 12/12/14 B 8-week 7/23/14 8/06/14 8/11/14 8/18/14 10/10/14 C 8-week 8/20/14 9/03/14 9/08/14 9/15/14 11/07/14 D 8-week 9/24/14 10/08/14 10/13/14 10/20/14 12/12/14 Spring 2015 Subterm Length Acceptance Deadline Registration Deadline Financial Check-In Deadline Sub-term Start Date Sub-term End Date A 17-week 12/17/14 12/31/14 1/05/15 1/12/15 5/08/15 B 8-week 12/17/14 12/31/14 1/05/15 1/12/15 3/06/15 C 8-week 1/14/15 1/28/15 2/02/15 2/09/15 4/03/15 D 8-week 2/18/15 3/04/15 3/09/15 3/16/15 5/08/15 Summer 2015 Subterm Length Acceptance Deadline Registration Deadline Financial Check-In Deadline Sub-term Start Date Sub-term End Date A 14-week 4/15/15 4/29/15 5/04/15 5/11/15 8/21/15 B 8-week 4/15/15 4/29/15 5/04/15 5/11/15 7/03/15 D 8-week 6/03/15 6/17/15 6/22/15 6/29/15 8/21/15 3
Introduction The purpose of this Academic Policy Handbook is to outline policies and procedures for all undergraduate, diploma, and certificate students taking Liberty University Online classes. Degrees, Certificates, and Diplomas Offered at Liberty University Doctoral a 33-hour D.Min. program; 60-hour Ed.D., Ph.D., or D.B.A. program Masters a 30 to 90-hour program leading to an Ed.S, M.A., M.A.R., M.A.T., M.B.A., M.Div., M.Ed., M.R.E., M.S., M.S.N. or Th.M. Bachelors a 4-year liberal arts degree with a choice of many majors Associates a 2-year liberal arts degree with a choice of several majors Diploma a 2-year program in pursuit of a Th.G. Certificate an 18-hour professional development program with a choice of several areas of study Student Classifications Undergraduate students are recognized by classification, which is determined by hours successfully completed toward graduation. ( In Progress courses are not calculated.) Student Classification Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Hours Toward Graduation 0-23.99 hours 24-47.99 hours 48-71.99 hours 72 and above hours 4
Application to Liberty University Online Prospective students who wish to speak to an Admissions Consultant about the admissions process or admission policies may do so by contacting the Liberty University Online Admissions Office. Prospective students are encouraged to apply over the phone with an experienced Admissions Consultant, or online at http://www.luonline.com. Liberty University Online Admissions Office: Phone: 1-800-424-9595 Fax: 1-888-301-3577 Email: luoadmissions@liberty.edu Website: http://www.luonline.com Hours: Mon. Fri. 8:00 am 10:00 pm EST Sat. 10:00 am 9:00 pm EST Mailing Address: Liberty University Online Attn: Admissions Office 1971 University Blvd. Lynchburg, Virginia 24515 The Application Fee will be posted on the current application for Liberty University Online programs, upon enrollment for the student s first semester. Students who have broken enrollment (did not take at least one class through Liberty in the previous academic year) must reapply to Liberty University Online. When a re-application is made, an RO Checklist is sent to the Registrar s Office for the Registrar to either approve or deny the student for readmission. An application for a re-applicant is also keyed with a Business Office Checklist. The Business Office Checklist is used to determine any outstanding debts for a student. Debt exceeding $50 prevents student re-admission. Additional admissions requirements may be requested, depending upon a student s past record. In the event that a student fails to meet the minimum GPA standing for admission to the desired course of study (program), to submit certain admissions requirements, or to meet admissions standards, he/she will be rejected from the program. UG students are evaluated for acceptance based on the following criteria: High School GPA (minimum of a 2.0) or a GED score (passing score) College GPA (minimum of a 2.0 cumulative) Students need to have a 2.0 GPA to be accepted in good academic standing. For those students who do not meet the 2.0 GPA requirements, the following criteria apply: Students who have a 1.5-1.99 GPA will be admitted on probation. Students who are accepted on caution may need to register for CLST 101 (1 credit hour course), CLST 100, ENGL 100 and MATH 100 (unless already taken). 5
Students who have a 1.49 GPA or below will be rejected as a degree-seeking student. UG students who fall below the academic standing guidelines are automatically denied acceptance as degree-seeking students. Candidacy for these students is automatically adjusted to SPCU status (nondegree seeking), and these students are accepted under non-degree seeking guidelines. These students can take up to 12 credit hours in an attempt to earn a 2.0 or higher GPA. After the successful completion of those courses, students can re-apply as degree-seeking students. Students whose record is automatically adjusted to non-degree seeking are not eligible for federal financial aid. Declaration of Major The declaration of a major occurs at the time of application to a given program. If a change in program is desired, the student must contact LU Online Advising by phone or email to make the request. There are no time restrictions. Note, however, that students must meet the admissions requirements to each program for which they apply. Students may be accepted into certain programs for which they meet admissions requirements, and may be rejected from a different program for which they do not meet the standard admissions requirements. All degree changes are processed for the next academic semester/term. Minors Students who wish to declare a minor must contact LU Online Advising. Since the selection of a minor is not a requirement for any major at Liberty University, courses in the minor may be used to fill other requirements on the student s Degree Completion Plan. 50% of the semester hours in the minor must be completed through Liberty University Students must receive a grade of C or higher in all upper-level courses in the minor. Change of Degree / Major / Minor Students should contact an LU Online Advisor to request a change in their degree (from AA to BS or from BS to AA), major or minor. Students should contact LU Online Admissions to request a change in their program from degree-seeking to certificate-seeking (or from certificate-seeking to degree-seeking). 6
Double Majors Students who wish to complete either an Associate of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree with double majors (e.g. Business and Religion) must contact LU Online Advising. For BS degrees with double majors, there must be 30 hours within the second major that were not used within the first major; for AA degrees with double majors, there must be 15 hours within the second major that were not used within the first major. The General Education courses may be shared if they are the same; however, if any requirements are different, the student must fulfill the higher of the two requirements. The requirements from one major can be used as electives for the second major, and vice versa. Earning a Second Degree Students with a conferred Bachelor of Science degree who wish to earn a second BS degree must complete at least 30 additional Undergraduate Institutional hours, in conjunction with completing all requirements unique to that degree. The same rule applies to those students who have completed a degree at another accredited institution. Courses may transfer into Liberty from the completed degree. There must also be at least 30 unique hours in the major of the second degree. Students with a conferred Associate of Arts degree who wish to earn a second AA degree must complete at least 15 additional Undergraduate Institutional hours, in conjunction with completing all requirements unique to that degree. The same rule applies to those students who have completed a degree at another accredited institution. Courses may transfer into Liberty from the completed degree. There must also be at least 15 unique hours in the major of the second degree. Students with a conferred Bachelor of Science degree who wish to earn an Associate of Arts degree must complete at least 15 additional hours, in conjunction with completing all requirements unique to that degree. The same rule applies to those students who have completed a degree at another accredited institution. Courses may transfer into Liberty from the completed degree. There must also be at least 15 unique hours in the major of the AA degree. Degree Completion Plans Choosing Correct Courses Degree Completion Plans are used by the student and advisor to track progress and to guide the student in successful completion of degree requirements. Students are encouraged to download a copy of the basic degree plan at http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?pid=29534. Students and Advisors will track degree progress through a web-based portal called DCP Audit. Instructions for DCP Audit are included in the next section. 7
New students should review their degree plan and transfer credit with an Admissions Consultant or Advisor before enrollment. At this time, students may enroll in prerequisite and required courses. Students will find a complete list of approved general education courses at www.luonline.com/generaleducation. Courses cannot fulfill both a core competency or skills and knowledge requirement and a major requirement. Degrees that are not supported on DCP Audit: Upon completion of 45 credit hours for an Associate degree or 90 credit hours for a Bachelor degree, students may contact their Academic Evaluator in the Registrar s Office and request an evaluation to confirm they are on track for graduation. They can also receive a Degree Completion Plan that confirms how their completed credit hours are applicable towards their degree In addition to requirements that are unique to each degree program, the following requirements must also be met for graduation: o o o o o o o Submission of Graduation Application at the beginning of the final semester 120 total hours for a Bachelor s degree (60 hours for Associate s) 30 hours of upper-level courses (300/400 level Bachelor s degree only) 50% of the major taken through LU (will vary for military students on a SOC agreement) 30 hours completed through LU (15 hours for Associate s) 2.0 Cumulative GPA (some degrees require higher) Grade of C or higher in all upper-level courses in the major (some degrees require a C or higher in all courses in the major) DCP Audit Navigation Log in to ASIST Choose the Student Menu Go to Student Records Select Degree Completion Plan Audit Note: Please report concerns or errors to dcpa@liberty.edu. Military Degree Completion Plans (SOC) SOC agreements are official Degree Completion Plans for military students, veterans, and their spouses. The SOC is used by the student and advisor to track progress and to guide the student in enrollment of degree requirements. Download the corresponding SOC agreement from the Military Affairs webpage: http://www.luonline.com/index.cfm?pid=14264. Once an active military student or family member has been accepted into Liberty University, an official SOC agreement is automatically created and sent to the student via email within 4 weeks of acceptance. The SOC agreement reflects all prior college credits earned via transfer, as well as military training that is applicable to the degree plan. 8
Students should review their transfer credit with the Liberty Online Admissions Department or Academic Advising upon receipt of the SOC Agreement. At this time, students may enroll in prerequisite and required courses. Military students are not required to complete 50% of the major courses through LU, per the SOC agreement. However, military students must complete at least 1 course in the major through LU. A student with an already completed Bachelor s degree must take an additional 30 hours minimum in order to earn a second Bachelor s degree, in conjunction with completing all requirements unique to that degree. The same rule applies to those students who have completed a degree at another accredited institution. Courses may transfer into Liberty from the completed degree. For additional majors, each program of study must contain 30 unique hours. For more information about the SOC program follow the link provided: http://www.soc.aascu.org/. Registering for Classes / On-Line Registration Online students who need assistance with their first registration should contact Liberty Online Admissions. Students may also contact an Advisor in advance of registration for following terms. Students must register prior to the registration deadline of the start date of a particular term or subterm, as well as complete Financial Check-In prior to the Financial Check-In deadline. Students who register after the Financial Check-In deadline may be charged a late check-in fee. Military students who use TA may be given special deadlines to complete their Financial Check-In. To register for a course: 1) Log in to ASIST 2) Click on Student 3) Click on Registration 4) Select the term for which you would like to register. The term must not say view only. If the term is view only, the term is not open for registration. 5) Click on Add or Drop classes. If you do not know the Course Reference Number (CRN) of the course you intend to add or drop, click on Class Search, located at the bottom of the screen. 6) Select the criteria for the class you intend to add. Press Class Search. All courses that meet the criteria selected will appear. 7) To add a class, select the check box to the far left of the class for which you intend to register. If the course is unavailable or closed, a C will appear to the far left instead of a check box. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click Register. Students who have a hold on their account will receive an error message when they attempt to register through ASIST. Holds might include, but are not limited to: Academic Hold see the Registrar s Office (LUO/Graduate) Financial Hold see the Student Accounts Office International Hold see the International Office Admissions Hold see the Admissions Office Enrollment Agreement and Financial Check-In All students must complete an Enrollment Agreement and Financial Check-In by the Financial Check-In deadline for the given term. In order to complete Financial Check-In, students should: 1) Log in to 9
ASIST 2) Click on Student 3) Click on Financial Check-In. Students will be prompted to forecast the amount of hours they intend to take per term. All financial aid will be packaged based on the Enrollment Agreement. Once the Enrollment Agreement is set, students will be asked to complete Financial Check-In. Students will have the opportunity to pay for classes via payment plans if paying out of pocket, as well as utilize financial aid and other tuition reimbursement plans. Students must complete the Financial Check-In process by deadline dates for each term. Adding, Dropping, and Withdrawing from Courses SPRING/FALL TERM AND SUMMER SESSION: Course Drops: An online course may be dropped without a grade before the start date of the session. There is no charge for classes dropped during this period. After this time period, no class may be added or dropped without a grade. Students may drop the course by selecting drop via web on their current schedule through the add/drop page under registration on the Student tab on ASIST (up until two weeks before the start of the course), or by calling LUO Advising by phone or email any time before the first day. This is also possible during the first week of class until students have attended. Class attendance is defined as any submission to Blackboard within enrollment dates of the course, any required submissions outside of Blackboard within the enrollment dates of the course, or initiating any communication with your professor regarding an academic subject. Course Withdrawals: A student may withdraw from an online course with a grade of W from the first day of the course until the last day of the course. The request must be processed submitting a withdrawal request via the link they will receive when they contact Liberty Online Academic Advising. The student remains responsible for tuition and fees for the course(s) from which the student has withdrawn. (Online students who enroll in Intensives or Residential classes at Liberty University must abide by the withdrawal policies for those specific classes). Course charges: Courses can be officially added or dropped until on-line registration is discontinued. Once a student completes Financial Check-In, all classes selected will be charged. Only courses requiring special permission, prerequisite override, or closed classes have to be processed by an academic advisor. The advisor will submit a Drop/Add form and/or Prerequisite Override form. Independent Study/Directed Research courses must be completed and approved in the term prior to registration. Once Independent Study/Directed Research forms are submitted to the Registrar s Office, the course(s) cannot be dropped. If the course cannot be completed, the student may request a withdrawal. INTENSIVES: An intensive course may be added up to 30 days prior to the first day of class by 4:00 p.m. After this point, the professor s signature must be obtained on an Intensive/ Summer School Registration form from the Registrar s Office due to pre-class assignments. An intensive course may be dropped without a grade or tuition charges through the first day of class until 4:00 p.m. Students who do not attend any sessions of an intensive in which they are enrolled will be dropped from the course. A student may withdraw from an intensive course with a grade of "W" through noon on the last day of the course. The student is responsible for tuition and fees. NOTE: If dropping a class changes your enrollment status, you may have a reduction or cancellation of Financial 10 Aid Awards.
Auditing a Class Students who wish to audit a course may do so for a fee. Audit fees are not covered in block-tuition billing, and audited courses will not be used to determine full or part-time status. Auditors will not be expected to take quizzes or examinations. A grade of AU will be recorded on the auditor s permanent record. Audited courses will not count toward graduation requirements. Requests to audit a course will only be accepted before the registration deadline. Audit requests will be processed and added up until the registration deadline. A student wishing to change from credit to audit status for a course may only do so up until the registration deadline. Requests to change to or from audit status after the registration deadline will be denied. Students should follow the procedures listed below to make sure that their class is listed as audited. STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED: Current students must register for the class they intend to audit by contacting an Academic Advisor, who will work with the Registrar s Office to make sure that the class is audited and the correct charges are applied. Students cannot drop or withdraw a course being audited STUDENTS NOT CURRENTLY ENROLLED: Students not currently enrolled must submit a Special Student application to the admissions office. Students may also register by contacting Liberty Online Admissions, who will process a manual registration for the class to be audited. Special Student Registration Students who are not interested in completing a degree must apply under the category called Special Student and receive confirmation of acceptance. Special Students may not accumulate more than 12 credit hours under this status without special permission from the Registrar. Tuition and fees must be paid in full prior to registering for classes. Financial Aid is not available. After the above procedures have been completed, students must speak with the Liberty Online Admissions Office to register for classes. Conditional Enrollment Liberty University Online students may be allowed to register on a conditional basis based on the information on the application alone. Students who register on a conditional basis may enroll for up to 12 11
semester hours pending receipt of all official transcripts and standardized test scores. Students who have not submitted the required documentation by the completion of the first twelve hours will not be allowed to enroll in additional courses until the documentation is received and full acceptance is granted. Conditional Enrollment is not a guarantee of full acceptance into a degree program. In addition, students are not allowed to use Federal Financial Aid under this classification. Term Load An Undergraduate, Certificate, or Diploma seeking student must be enrolled for at least 12 credit hours in a term (Fall, Spring, or Summer) to qualify as an LUO full-time student. In addition, an Undergraduate, Certificate, or Diploma seeking student must be enrolled for at least 6 credit hours in a term (Fall, Spring, or Summer) to qualify as an LUO part-time student. Overload Policy Registering for 19-21 credit hours in a term requires an Institutional cumulative GPA of 3.0 and approval from the Associate Registrar for LU Online. Registering for 22 or more credit hours in a term requires an Institutional cumulative GPA of 3.5 and approval from the Associate Registrar for LU Online. Class Attendance Regular virtual attendance in online classes is expected of all students at Liberty University. Students are responsible for requesting and completing any class work that is missed or late. Unless there is an extenuating circumstance, students must be present: during each week of the 8-week term during any intensive course Students registered for an 8-week course must be active the first week of class. Activity in class includes any submission to Blackboard, any required submission outside of Blackboard, or initiating any communication with the professor regarding an academic subject. Students who fail to attend or submit an assignment during the first week of an 8-week session will be administratively removed from the class roster. The course will be dropped from the student s schedule. The student will not be charged for the course, and will need to register again at a later time. Grades and Quality Points All coursework is graded with letters, which are assigned quality points. The conversion from a letter grade to quality point is illustrated below: Grade Meaning Quality Points Per Term Hour A Excellent 4 12
AU Audit 0 B Good 3 C Average 2 D Poor 1 F Failure 0 FN Failure for Non-Attendance 0 I Incomplete 0 IP In Progress 0 NP Non-Pass (for Pass/Fail courses) 0 P Pass 0 Q Academic Amnesty* 0 W Withdrew 0 *See section on Academic Standing Computing GPA The Grade Point Average (GPA) is determined by credit hours and quality points. Every Liberty University course is allocated a specified number of credit hours. Upon the completion of a course, the letter grade awarded is assigned a definite number of quality points (see chart above). Example: A student received the following grades: Course Credit Hours Grade Quality Points BIBL 110 3 A 12 EVAN 101 3 B 9 ENGL 101 3 C 6 CLST 101 1 A 4 BIOL 101 3 (not counted in the W 0 total below due to W) HIUS 221 3 D 3 TOTAL 13* 34* *GPA = Quality Points / Credit Hours 2.61 (GPA) = 34 (Quality Points) / 13 (Credit Hours) (BIOL 101 does not count here because the student withdrew with a grade of W ) FACTORS NOT AFFECTING GPA: W grades The grades for any Pass/Fail courses R grades after the Repeat Policy has been applied ( R grades are retired and are no longer used for the Repeat Policy. Please see Repeat Policy starting on page 14) WHY GPA IS IMPORTANT: A student s GPA is used to determine placement on the Dean s List (See section on Dean s List). Honors at graduation are determined by a student s GPA (See section on Graduation Honors). 13
The cumulative GPA is used to verify satisfactory academic standing at Liberty University (See sections on Scholastic Regulations and Academic Standing). Dean s List Full-time undergraduate students (enrolled in 12 hours or more in the semester) with a GPA of 3.50 or above in the semester are eligible for the Dean s List. Incompletes Students who are unable to complete coursework by the last day of class due to unavoidable circumstances such as personal illness/injury or family emergencies may appeal to their instructor for a temporary course grade of I (Incomplete). The authority for the decision to grant an incomplete completely lies with the instructor. Denial of the request for an incomplete may include, but is not limited to, the student s inability to earn a passing grade with completion of the remaining requirements, as well as an insufficient reason for the request. Students must initiate the request for an incomplete directly to the instructor by the last day of class (before the final exam period for residential classes). The instructor will establish a new deadline for the completion of the remaining coursework, based on the circumstances. The instructor may grant up to two weeks beyond the last day of the term (or sub-term for LUO courses) for non-medical circumstances and up to four weeks beyond the last day of the term (or subterm for LUO courses) for personal medical circumstances. For extreme personal medical circumstances, a maximum of eight weeks for LUO courses and 16 weeks for residential courses may be given as long as sufficient medical documentation (from a medical professional) is presented along with the request. However, while the decision to grant an extended incomplete remains with the instructor, the request and medical documentation needs to be submitted to the Registrar s Office. The instructor will be responsible to communicate the remaining requirements, as well as the extended deadline, to the student. The instructor will post a final grade within two weeks from the deadline established for the incomplete. If a final grade is not posted within two weeks of the deadline, a grade of F will be posted by the Registrar s Office. A grade of I may not be changed to a withdrawal. The GPA is unaffected by the incomplete until a final grade is posted after the deadline. However, grades of I will count as hours attempted and not completed, and will negatively affect a student s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Course Repeat Policy The Liberty University Undergraduate Repeat Policy is designed to assist undergraduate, diploma, and certificate seeking students in raising their cumulative grade point average (GPA) by repeating courses in 14
which they previously performed unsatisfactorily and by removing the previous grade from the GPA calculation. Undergraduate, diploma, and certificate seeking students are subject to the following conditions: 1. When an undergraduate course is successfully repeated*, the Undergraduate Repeat Policy will automatically be applied, all earned grades will remain visible on the student s permanent record, and the most recent grade earned will be the only grade to count toward the student s GPA. The Registrar s Office will automatically apply the Undergraduate Repeat Policy at the end of each semester^, including the summer semester, to all eligible courses. 2. On the student s transcript, the letter E will follow the previous earned grade(s) to indicate that the grade has been excluded from the GPA. The letter I will follow the most recent grade to indicate that the grade has been included in the student s GPA. The grades which have been excluded from the GPA calculation will not count toward GPA hours or hours earned, but will remain on the student s record as attempted hours. Consultation by the student with the Financial Aid office may be needed to determine how the Repeat Policy will affect the student s Satisfactory Academic Progress. 3. There is no limit on the number of different courses or retakes in which the Undergraduate Repeat Policy may be applied. However, there may be a limited number of times that Federal Financial Aid will pay for a course taken and passed (grade of D or higher). It would be wise to consult with a Financial Aid counselor if there are any questions about this. 4. The Undergraduate Repeat Policy will only be used on Liberty University courses that have been repeated at Liberty University. No transfer credit or credit earned though institutional or standardized testing may be used in the Undergraduate Repeat Policy. 5. The Undergraduate Repeat Policy will only be applied when the same course number/title is retaken, unless there s been a university approved course number/title change and the department confirms that the courses are the same. Course replacements/substitutions are not eligible for the Undergraduate Repeat Policy. 6. Undergraduate courses in which a grade of B, C, D, F, or FN was awarded are eligible for the Undergraduate Repeat Policy. Courses which are NOT eligible for the Undergraduate Repeat Policy are: pass/fail courses, zero-credit courses, CSERs, and courses with grades of AU (audit), I, M, Q, R, W, WF, X, and Z, or those courses failed due to academic dishonesty. Also, courses that are designed as repeatable courses within certain majors will not have the Undergraduate Repeat Policy applied automatically. 7. Activation of the Undergraduate Repeat Policy for a prior semester will not affect the academic standing or dean s list award for that semester. Academic standing or dean s list in a prior semester can only be changed as a result of an approved grade change. 8. Once a student has graduated, the Undergraduate Repeat Policy may not be used on a course taken prior to graduation to enhance the cumulative GPA which was recorded at the time of degree conferral. The repeat of a class after graduation could, however, be used to enhance the students overall undergraduate GPA at Liberty. *Final grade has been earned and posted ^Including sub-terms Grading Responsibilities and Procedures Liberty University Faculty members, both residential and online, must submit final grades for all students to the Registrar at the end of each term. Faculty teaching online courses should have grades submitted to the Registrar on or before the second Wednesday after the course ends. Faculty teaching residential courses should have grades submitted to the Registrar one week after the end of each semester. Liberty University Faculty members, both residential and online, are urged to promptly complete and submit final 15
course grades. Confidentiality of student grades falls under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. Please see the FERPA section and policies for more information. Grading Scales: Liberty University incorporates a standardized 1,000 point system across all undergraduate programs. All undergraduate programs utilize a 100 point scale. Undergraduate 1000 point system 100 point scale A 900 To 1000 B 800 899 C 700 799 D 600 699 F 599 and Below Errors in the Grade Report WITHIN THE FIRST 30 DAYS of the next term, follow these procedures: Contact the professor. If the professor agrees there has been an error, he or she will submit a grade change request to the Registrar s Office. If the professor states that no error exists and there is still a grievance, the student will need to follow the grade appeal process outlined below. NOTE: Students can view their grades by logging in to their ASIST account Grade Appeal Process Liberty encourages students to have open and respectful communication with their professor to resolve any concerns regarding individual course assignment grades, and/or the final grade for the course. Criteria for appeal: Only final posted grades may be appealed beyond the professor. Appeals are accepted only when the grade assigned conflicts with: The published grading rubrics for the course assignments Written communication (i.e., email, announcements, etc.) Calculation error on an assignment (resulting in a change to the final grade) Appeals, other than those mentioned above, will not be reviewed. 16
The student must provide written documentation that demonstrates the occurrence of one or more of the above grounds for appeal. Documentation may be in the form of email correspondence, graded assignments, proof of timely submission, etc. Appeal process: A student wishing to appeal a final grade must submit the appeal to their professor and seek to resolve the situation with them. If the student wishes to appeal further they must follow the process outlined below: 1. Within 30 calendar days of the end of the term, the student may submit a written appeal to the Online Chair, but should do so through Liberty University Online Advising. The student must include the information required above. The Online Chair will consult with the instructor and review the student's written appeal. The Online Chair will then notify Liberty University Online Advising, the instructor, and the student of his/her decision. 2. If the student has additional support for their appeal, the student may submit a written appeal to the Online Associate Dean, through Liberty University Online Advising, after receiving the decision by the Online Chair. This written appeal must be received by Liberty University Online Advising within 5 business days of the Online Chair s email. The Online Associate Dean will review the student's appeal, as well as any information provided by the faculty member. When a decision has been reached, the Online Associate Dean will notify Liberty University Online Advising, the Online Chair, the faculty member, and the student. 3. If the student has additional support for their appeal, after receiving the decision by the Online Associate Dean, the student may submit a written appeal to the Online Academic Dean through Liberty University Online Advising. This written appeal must be received by Liberty University Online Advising within 5 business days of the Online Associate Dean s email. The Academic Dean will review the student's appeal, as well as any information provided by the faculty member. When a decision has been reached, the Online Academic Dean will notify Liberty University Online Advising, the Online Associate Dean, the Online Chair, the faculty member, and the student. The Online Academic Dean s decision is final. Request for a Course Substitution Students desiring to use another course in place of a required course must complete an LU Online Course Substitution Form. This form is found at: http://www.liberty.edu/online/forms-downloads/. Students may seek the advice of an Academic Advisor when preparing this request. Students must provide a detailed and sufficient rationale for the request. Course substitution requests must be submitted prior to the student s last sub-term. A course substitution should not be made from one discipline to another. An exception may be made in cases where the title and description of the course clearly show relationship to another discipline. Course substitutions should be made with discretion. The student must include a rationale for the request. They should not be used merely to enable a student to graduate on time. A course description for each request will be required from the year the course was taken; appropriate evidential documentation must be attached (i.e. copied cover of catalog or direct web link). 17
Scholastic Regulations Students must maintain a satisfactory academic standing in order to remain at Liberty University. Satisfactory scholastic standing for students enrolled in the AA and BS degree programs is as follows: Academic Level Required Cumulative GPA Level 1 (0-23.99 hours toward graduation) 1.50 Level 2 (24-47.99 hours toward graduation) 1.65 Level 3 (48-71.99 hours toward graduation) 1.85 Level 4 (72-95.99 hours toward graduation) 2.00 Level 5 (96 or more hours toward graduation) 2.00 Academic standing is calculated at the end of each term, including the Summer Session. The Registrar will generate a list of students on Academic Warning, Probation, Suspension, and Dismissal, and the appropriate emails and/or letters will be forwarded to those students. Academic Standing Academic Warning When students fail to meet their required cumulative GPA at the end of a term, they are placed on Academic Warning (see Scholastic Regulations above). While on Academic Warning, students are advised to limit registration to a maximum of 12 hours. During the term in which students are placed on Academic Warning, they are advised to complete CLST 100 to assist them in their academic progress; this course will count toward the 12-hour maximum. Academic Probation Students on Academic Warning who fail to return to good standing by the end of the following term will be placed on Academic Probation. While on Academic Probation students are advised to limit registration to a maximum of 12 hours. During the term in which students are placed on Academic Probation, they are advised to complete CLST 100 to assist them in their academic progress, if they have not previously taken the course, or if they have taken the course, but received a failing grade. Academic Suspension Students on Academic Probation who fail to return to good standing in the next term of attendance will be Academically Suspended. If they desire to continue their studies, they must submit an appeal to the Registrar s Office. The Associate Registrar will review their appeal, and if it is approved, an Academic Contract will be formulated to enable them to return to good academic standing. The students must agree in writing to abide by the terms of their Contract before being permitted to register for courses. If they are re-applicants, they must agree in writing to abide by the terms of their Contract before they will be approved for re-admission. Appeals of Academic Suspension should be emailed to LUOAcademicStanding@liberty.edu. NOTE: Students who are enrolled full-time and earn grades of "F" for all courses will be Academically Suspended, regardless of their prior academic standing or current GPA. 18
Academic Dismissal Students who were Academically Suspended and earn less than a 2.0 Term GPA will be Academically Dismissed. If they desire to continue their studies, they must submit an appeal to the Registrar s Office. The Associate Registrar will submit their appeal to the Vice-Provost for review. If the Vice-Provost approves their appeal, an Academic Contract will be formulated to enable them to return to good academic standing. The students must agree in writing to abide by the terms of their Contract before being permitted to register for courses. If they are re-applicants, they must agree in writing to abide by the terms of their Contract before they will be approved for re-admission. Dismissed students who were approved to continue on an Academic Contract, and who do not meet the terms of their Contract, will again be Academically Dismissed, and will be bound by the provisions of the Academic Amnesty policy. Academic Amnesty Students academically dismissed or academically suspended from the University must satisfy the subsequent guidelines for re-admission on Academic Amnesty: 1. Not enrolled at the University for a period of two (2) years. 2. Eligibility for re-admission affirmed in writing to the Registrar s Office by the following departments: (1) Student Accounts and (2) Student Affairs 3. Upon receiving a written appeal from the student, the Registrar s Office will consult with the Vice Provost s Office to determine a decision regarding approval or denial of re-admission. Said appeal must be stated clearly and contain: (1) reason for request, (2) efforts made to improve during absence from Liberty. Such corroboration as may be deemed necessary may be requested of the student (i.e., transcripts from other institutions, etc.). 4. Grades of A, B, and C will remain on the student s record and will calculate into the GPA. 5. Previously earned grades of A, B, and C will calculate into his or her GPA. As determined by the Registrar and Vice Provost s Offices, grades of D and F are revised to Q. 6. Students who have been granted Academic Amnesty are limited in credit hours upon their first semester back at Liberty and are not eligible for graduation honors. Academic Dishonesty During examinations, academic dishonesty shall include the following: Referring to information or materials not specifically approved by the professor Receiving or soliciting information from a fellow student Stealing, buying, selling, or transmitting a copy of any examination or papers Plagiarism Plagiarism (papers, projects or any assignment prepared for the class) shall include the following: Omitting quotation marks or other conventional markings around material quoted from any printed source Paraphrasing a specific passage from a specific source without properly referencing the source Replicating another student's work or parts thereof and submitting it as an original Purchasing a paper and (mass) representing it as your own work Resubmitting a work that was prepared by the student for another class Reporting Procedure The reporting procedure is as follows: The professor will confront the student within two weeks of the discovery of the infraction 19