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SECTION EIGHT

ACADEMIC POLICIES

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

ACADEMIC POLICIES

8.1

ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE

8.1.1

Academic Advisors. Each student is assigned to an academic advisor based upon the student’s major.

8.1.2

Support Services for Students. The College provides a variety of resources to students, including the Office of Disability Services, the Career Center for Vocation and Development, and the Engle Center for Health and Counseling.

8.1.3

Math Help. A Math Help Room is open four evenings a week for problem-solving assistance.

8.1.4

Study Skills Course. This one-credit course offered each semester is mandatory for provisionally admitted freshmen and highly recommended for students who are on probation or otherwise need help with academic skills.

8.1.5

The Writing Center. The Writing Center offers students personal assistance with any writing projects. Clients work one-to-one with peer tutors who are trained to help them work on individual assignments and to help them develop the writing skills they will need throughout their careers. Workshop tutoring is useful to students at all levels of competence, and it is especially helpful for those who lack confidence in their writing abilities. The Writing Center is open Monday through Thursday afternoons and evenings.

8.1.6

The Learning Center. The Learning Center offers students personal assistance with study skills and teaches the student to apply those skills to the course content the student is attempting to master. The Center is available and beneficial to students of all levels of competence and should not be perceived as remedial. Students benefit from the one-on-one interaction with a trained tutor who tailors the sessions to each individual’s needs. Additionally, small study groups are formed as needed. The Center is open afternoons and evenings four days a week, Monday through Thursday, in addition to Sunday evenings. Although some students are faculty referrals, selfreferrals are most welcome.

8.1.7

Supplemental Instruction targets “high risk” courses rather than “high risk” students. Most supplemental instruction to date has been in the sciences. The College pays trained Supplemental Instruction leaders to attend class lectures, take notes, read course material, then plan and conduct three or more review sessions outside of class each week. The Supplemental Instruction review sessions are interactive and utilize a variety of collaborative learning strategies as they combine how to learn with what to learn. Students acquire effective study strategies as they review course material and

Messiah College

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

prepare for tests. The sessions are not remedial, but beneficial to all who choose to attend. Statistical data suggest that students who attend Supplemental Instruction sessions earn one-half to a full letter grade higher than students who choose not to attend. 8.1.8 8.1.8.1

8.1.8.2

8.1.8.3

8.1.8.4

8.1.8.5

8.1.9

Messiah College

Disability Services Students with disabilities requiring accommodation in classes, programs, or services can arrange for accommodations through the Office of Disability Services. Students are required to self-identify, present current documentation of eligibility (generally no older than 3-4 years) and specify any needed accommodations. Following verification of eligibility, an accommodation profile is developed with the student. Students are then provided with a document verifying their eligibility and the accommodations for which they qualify. For campus-based courses, students may submit a copy of their accommodation letter to any instructors from whom they wish to request accommodations. They must discuss with their instructor how the accommodation will be provided. That dialogue should continue periodically throughout the course, especially if further adjustments are necessary. Failure to verify need for eligibility early in the semester may limit the student’s options for completing course requirements because accommodations cannot be provided retroactively. The College reserves the right to deny an accommodation if that accommodation fundamentally changes the nature of the course, or if it results in lowered course standards. Furthermore, the ADA allows the College to offer an alternative, lessexpensive accommodation when that alternative is as effective as the requested accommodation. The College is committed to helping students and instructors find workable solutions that meet student needs while preserving course integrity. For online courses, the nature of the instructional process may require a different set of accommodations than those required for traditional courses. When a student with a disability needs to request an accommodation, the student should contact the Office of Disability Services to verify eligibility, and to describe the perceived barrier. The student is expected to work cooperatively with the instructor and the Office of Disability Services to develop appropriate accommodations when possible. The College will actively work to assure that all course materials are available in a form that assures students full, equal access to content and instruction. Students who think they may have a disability but who have not been evaluated are encouraged to meet or speak with the Director of Disability Services to arrange an off-site assessment to determine whether their learning difficulties meet the definition of a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and its revisions. This can be a lengthy process. The Office of Disability Services can in some situations offer temporary accommodations during the time when a student is actively pursuing evaluation for eligibility under the ADA. Temporary accommodations are available for a maximum of one semester. Student-in-Difficulty Forms. Student-in-Difficulty forms are now available on-line to faculty for the purpose of informing students that they are performing poorly or are

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

failing a given course. After the faculty member completes the form, it is submitted and distributed to the student, the student’s academic advisor, and appropriate Residence Life staff.

Messiah College

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.2

UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC CALENDAR [Approved 04/23/03, Community of Educators Senate]

8.2.1

Background. The Community of Educators has primary responsibility for the Academic Calendar. The Community of Educators initiates actions for the Academic Calendar and after receiving a recommendation from the College Council, makes final recommendation to the President.

8.2.2

Parameters [Revised 11/23/04, Community of Educators Senate; Approved 12/4/08, College

8.2.2.1

There will be at least 107 days between Commencement and the first day of classes in the Fall Semester of the subsequent year. The school year will begin on either the last Tuesday in August or the first Tuesday in September. Given PA state regulations, classes will meet for an equivalent of 14 weeks each term excluding final exams. This amounts to around 2100 minutes of class time per term. Length of classes and meeting times are as follows: Fall: MWF: 50 minute classes; 41 meeting times (excluding finals) TTH: 75 minute classes; 28 meeting times (excluding finals) J-term: 150 minute classes; 15 meeting times (including finals) Spring: MWF: 60 minutes; 35 meeting times (excluding finals) TTH: 90 minutes; 24 meeting times (excluding finals) In order to balance out the Tuesdays and Thursdays during the Fall Semester, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving will always be treated as a “Thursday” for course purposes. In order to guarantee that there will be an equal number “Tuesday” classes and “Thursday” classes during each Spring-term, the last Tuesday in Spring-Term will always be treated as a “Thursday” for course purposes. There are four days of final exams both in the Fall Semester and in Spring-Term. There will be no Reading Day in the Fall since finals begin on a Monday. There will be a Reading Day in the Spring since finals begin in the middle of the week. Reading Day is on the Wednesday following the end of regular classes in the Spring. When there are five Saturdays in October, Fall Break will fall on the Thursday and Friday after Homecoming. When there are four Saturdays in October, Fall Break will fall on the second Thursday and Friday of October. There is a three-day Thanksgiving Break starting on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The last day of regular fall semester classes is a Friday. The end of the fall semester is a Thursday. The employee Christmas Break will begin based on the following parameters: Christmas Break will begin on December 24 if Christmas day is a Tuesday or Saturday. Christmas Break will begin on December 23 if Christmas day is a Sunday. Christmas Break will begin on December 25 if Christmas Day is a Monday,

Council.]

8.2.2.2 8.2.2.3 8.2.2.4

8.2.2.5

8.2.2.6

8.2.2.7 8.2.2.8

8.2.2.9

8.2.2.10 8.2.2.11 8.2.2.12 8.2.2.12.1 8.2.2.12.2 8.2.2.12.3

Messiah College

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.2.2.13 8.2.2.14 8.2.2.14.1 8.2.2.14.2 8.2.2.15 8.2.2.16 8.2.2.17 8.2.2.18

8.2.2.19 8.2.2.20 8.2.2.21 8.2.2.22 8.2.2.23 8.2.2.24

Messiah College

Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. The first College working day after Christmas Break falls on the first week day after New Year’s Day. J-Term begins on a Wednesday. If January 1st is a Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday, J-Term begins on the first Wednesday in January. If January 1st is a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, J-Term begins on the second Wednesday in January. There are no classes on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The College is closed. There is a two-day break between J-Term and Spring Term. Spring Term begins on a Monday. Spring Break normally begins on a Monday and ends on a Friday. Spring Break will normally follow the sixth week of classes of Spring Term, as long as there is one full week of classes between Spring Break and Easter Break. When Easter falls in such a way as to preclude this, Spring Break will follow the fifth week of classes of Spring Term. On years where beginning Spring Break after five weeks does not allow one full week of classes between Spring Break and Easter Break, Spring Break will begin on the Friday of the sixth week of classes and run directly into Easter Break. Easter Break will always begin on Good Friday through Easter Monday. There are no classes on Good Friday and Easter Monday. There are no day classes on Service Day, which falls on a Thursday in April. Spring Term ends on a Tuesday. Commencement takes place on the Saturday following the end of finals. May Term begins the second Monday after Commencement. May Term ends the Friday of the third week of the term.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.3

ACADEMIC DEFINITIONS

8.3.1

Bachelor of Arts. The B.A. degree is conferred for completion of a program with focus on broad and liberal education in the humanities, arts, social sciences, and sciences. Curricula leading to the B.A. emphasize ways of knowing and approaches to understanding consistent with the liberal arts. B.A. requirements typically promote broad preparation within the discipline and among related fields.

8.3.2

Bachelor of Science. The B.S. degree is conferred for completion of a program with focus on in-depth education in the sciences, social sciences, or professional fields. Curricula leading to the B.S. emphasize ways of knowing and approaches to understanding consistent with the sciences and/or professional or pre-professional preparation. B.S. requirements typically promote depth of preparation within a discipline and/or related disciplines.

8.3.3

Specialized Degrees. Messiah College may offer specialized degrees such as Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) or Bachelor of Science in Engineering (B.S.E.). Such specialized degrees will be treated as Bachelor of Science degrees.

8.3.4

Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science for Same Discipline. Messiah College allows a department to apply to offer both a B.A. and a B.S. in the same discipline. When this occurs, appropriate distinctions must be made in the required curricula and the new program approved as a new major.

8.3.5

Major. A prescribed set of courses and other requirements recommended by the department and approved by the Community of Educators as a valid representation of the area of study. Generally these courses focus on a specific academic discipline; however, there are some interdisciplinary majors which include work from two or three disciplines. Satisfactory completion of this prescribed set of courses leads to a degree in that area of study.

8.3.6

Interdisciplinary Majors. Interdisciplinary Majors are major programs that combine in-depth study in at least tow disciplinary areas that cross department lines. a. In some instances the educational focus will be on learning objectives requiring a synthesis of two or more discrete disciplinary areas (e.g., Spanish Business, Biopsychology, Biochemistry, etc.). b. In other instances, the educational focus is an issue or theme that can naturally be addressed by a number of disciplines (e.g., Peace and Conflict Studies, Leadership, Women Studies, Cultural Studies, Humanities, etc.).

8.3.7

Double Major. [Approved 4/28/08, Community of Educators Senate] a. Students at Messiah may complete more than one major within the normal timeline and requirements for earning their baccalaureate degree.

Messiah College

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

b. Unless additional requirements are met (see the “Dual Degree Policy”), a student completing tow majors will in all instances graduate with one degree type (either a B.A. or a B.S.). c. A student pursuing a double major must determine which major is the primary major and which is secondary. The primary major determines whether a B.A. or a B.S. will be granted. d. The primary major is also the standard by which General Education, other requirements, and the degree are determined. e. In pursuing a double major, no more than one-third of the credits a student uses to complete the primary major may be used toward the requirements for a secondary major. Conversely, no more than one-third of the credits a student uses to complete the secondary major may be used toward the requirements for a primary major. [Approved 2/15/11, Academic Council] f. A student completing a double major receives only one diploma and one degree representative of the primary major. g. One cumulative GPA is calculated, and it is based on all the credits earned at Messiah. h. Graduation honors are based on the GPA of credits earned at Messiah in the same fashion as a student completing one major. i. If the required work for both majors is completed by graduation or within one calendar year of the commencement ceremony at which the first major was awarded, both majors are noted on the final transcript. 8.3.8

Messiah College

Dual Degree Policy. [Approved 4/28/08, Community of Educators Senate] a. A dual degree is the concurrent awarding of two different majors each with a different baccalaureate degree type, e.g., a B.A. and a B.S. b. In order to graduate with dual degrees, the following conditions must be met. 1. There is no more than a one third overlap between the major associated with each degree. 2. The student completes the general education requirements related to each major. 3. At least 30 additional credits beyond the larger baccalaureate degree program are completed. [Since Messiah’s baccalaureate programs currently range from 123 to 128 credits, anyone completing two degrees must currently complete from 153-158 credits.] c. One cumulative GPA is calculated, and it is based on all the credits earned at Messiah. d. Graduation honors are based on the GPA of credits earned at Messiah in the same fashion as a student completing one degree. e. Commencement protocol: 1. Both degrees will be listed in the program. 2. Students will choose to march with one of the departments of their two degrees. 3. Students will only “walk through” and be hooded once in the commencement ceremony. The one hood will correspond to the degree of the chosen march

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

department. However, students will be issued two hoods and two diplomas, one for each degree earned. 8.3.9

Subsequent Degree Policy. [Approved 4/28/08, Community of Educators Senate] a. A student with a degree from Messiah can return to the College and graduate with a different second degree. b. The following conditions must be met. 1. The student must matriculate as a student of Messiah College. 2. The student must complete all the requirements for a second major. 3. The second degree must be different from the degree already earned from Messiah. 4. There can be no more than a one third overlap between the major associated with the first degree and second degree. 5. The student must complete the general education requirements related to the major of the second degree. 6. At least 30 credits must be completed at Messiah beyond the credits required and earned in completing the first degree. c. The cumulative GPA is based on the Messiah courses that are counted toward the completion of the second degree. d. Graduation Honors are granted in accordance with the College policy.

8.3.10

Minor. A prescribed set of courses which focuses on a particular academic discipline. The goal is to allow the student to develop some depth of understanding in that discipline. Minors require 18 course credits with a maximum of 28 allowed.

8.3.11

Concentration. A prescribed set of courses in a sub discipline of a major or closely related discipline consisting of a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 36 credits. Students may complete the requirements for more than one concentration. The requirements for concentrations will be delineated in the catalog. Concentrations will be included in official counts or lists of Messiah College majors and/or programs.

8.3.12

Emphasis. A prescribed set of courses in a sub discipline of a major or closely related discipline consisting of a minimum of 12 credits of requirements. The requirements will be delineated in the catalog. Emphases will not be included in official counts or lists of Messiah College majors and/or programs.

Messiah College

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.4

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY [Revised 5/14/2013, Community of Educators Senate]

8.4.1

Policy. Personal integrity is a behavioral expectation for all members of the Messiah community: administration, faculty, staff, and students. Violations of academic integrity are not consistent with the community standards of Messiah College. These violations include: Plagiarism. Submitting as one’s own work part or all of any assignment (oral or written) which is copied, paraphrased, or purchased from another source, including on-line sources, without the proper acknowledgment of that source. Examples: failing to cite a reference, failing to use quotation marks where appropriate, misrepresenting another’s work as your own, etc. Cheating. Attempting to use or using unauthorized material or study aids for personal assistance in examinations or other academic work. Examples: using a cheat sheet, altering a graded exam, looking at a peer’s exam, having someone else take the exam for you, sharing information about exams, using any kind of electronic mobile or storage devices (such as cell phones, PDA’s, Blackberry, iPods, iPhones, iPads, Flash drives, DVD’s, CD’s, photocopy pens) for unapproved purposes, communicating via email, IM, or text messaging during an exam, using the internet, sniffers, spyware or other software to retrieve information or other students’ answers, etc. Fabrication. Submitting altered or contrived information in any academic exercise. Examples: falsifying sources and/or data, etc. Misrepresentation of Academic Records. Tampering with any portion of a student’s record. Example: forging a signature on a registration form or change of grade form. Facilitating Academic Dishonesty. Helping another individual violate this policy. Examples: working together on an assignment where collaboration is not allowed, doing work for another student, allowing one’s own work to be copied. Computer Offenses. Altering or damaging computer programs without permission. Examples: software piracy, constructing viruses, introducing viruses into a system, copying copyrighted programs, etc. Unfair Advantage. Attempting to gain advantage over fellow students in an academic exercise. Examples: lying about the need for an extension on a paper, destroying or removing library materials, etc.

8.4.1.1

8.4.1.2

8.4.1.3 8.4.1.4 8.4.1.5

8.4.1.6

8.4.1.7

8.4.2

Education Regarding Academic Integrity Policy. Messiah College is responsible to clearly articulate the Academic Integrity Policy to students by publishing it in the student handbook and by informing all incoming students of this policy through the new student orientation program. Faculty should reference the policy in their course syllabi. However, primary responsibility for knowledge of and compliance with this policy rests with the student.

8.4.3

Records of Violations of Academic Integrity. As the custodian for student education records, the Registrar will maintain records of academic integrity violations for all students in accordance with the College’s Schedule for Records Retention.

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Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.4.4

Messiah College

Procedures for Perceived Violations of Academic Integrity a. If a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is suspected, the faculty member should discuss the incident with the student(s) and determine to the faculty member’s satisfaction whether or not a violation has occurred. b. If the faculty member determines that it is more likely than not that the student is innocent, the student should be informed of this determination in writing. No report of the incident or of the faculty/student meeting should be filed with the Dean. c. If the faculty member determines that it is more likely than not that a violation has occurred, he/she should send a formal report to the student, and copy the Dean of the faculty member’s school and his/her Department Chair. The formal report should include a complete description of the incident, including date of the violation, the nature or type of the violation, and the nature and type of evidence. The formal report should also include appropriate sanctions. The Dean will send copies of the faculty member’s report to the student’s advisor(s). d. Faculty teaching a course that is not housed in an academic department should send the formal report to the Associate Provost, who will direct it to the appropriate Dean or Supervisor. e. The faculty member should keep originals of tests, papers, etc., that provide evidence of the violation. f. With issues related to computer offenses or misrepresentation of academic records, the case may be referred to the Associate Dean of Students Office for processing. g. If a staff member or an administrator discovers violations of the Academic Integrity Policy, he/she should contact the School Dean of the school in which the violation occurred, who will contact the student. h. The student may appeal in writing to the academic department in which the course is offered. A student’s intent to appeal a faculty member’s response to a violation must be communicated to the Department Chair in writing within one week of the receipt of the written notification from the faculty member dealing with the incident. The faculty member filing the initial report of a violation should be recused from the department committee handling the appeal. A student in a course that is not housed in an Academic Department should appeal to the Associate Provost, who will direct the appeal to the appropriate Dean or Department. The Associate Provost should ascertain that a group of Faculty, with a majority of Ranked Faculty, will hear the appeal. i. The student may appeal the decision of the academic department in writing to the School Dean, whose decision will be final. j. When the appeal process ends, the Dean will notify the Registrar, and determine if this is a first or second violation.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.4.5

Procedures for Multiple or Egregious Violations of Academic Integrity a. If the student has committed two or more violations of academic integrity, or if the Dean determines that the violation is egregious, the Dean of the school in which the violation occurred will meet with the student who has committed the violation. Unless the violation is egregious, this meeting will take place after the appeals process ends. b. The Dean of the school in which the violation occurred will consult with the faculty member who first determined that a violation had occurred; with that faculty member’s Department Chair; and with the Dean of the school of the student’s major, if other than the reporting Dean. The Dean of the school in which the violation occurred will determine appropriate sanctions. c. The Dean of the school in which the violation occurred will notify the student in writing of the sanctions determined, and send copies to the student’s advisor(s), and to the Dean of the school of the student’s major, if other than the reporting Dean. d. The student may appeal the decision of the School Dean in writing to the Provost, whose decision will be final.

8.4.6

Penalties for Violations of the Academic Integrity Policy a. In all instances of violations of the Academic Integrity Policy, the faculty member will assign sanctions within the context of the course. If the violation is a second offense, or is determined to be an egregious offense, the School Dean will assign appropriate sanctions that go beyond the course. In the case of an egregious offense, the Dean may temporarily suspend the student before and during any appeal process. b. For a non-egregious first offense, a faculty member may exercise broad discretion when responding to violations of the Academic Integrity Policy. The range of responses may include failure of the course to a grade reduction of the given assignment. The typical consequence for violations will be failure of the assignment. Some examples of serious offenses which might necessitate the penalty of the failure of the course include cheating on an examination, plagiarism of a complete assignment, etc. c. The policy of the College is to act, whenever possible, in redemptive rather than merely punitive ways. We believe that simply to ignore an offense is to be neither loving nor redemptive. Consequently, if a second report of a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is received, or if the Dean determines the violation to be egregious, the range of possible responses includes suspension of the student, disciplinary probation, or other appropriate sanctions.

8.4.7

Time and Record-Keeping Considerations a. Academic integrity violations should be processed in a timely manner: 1. Faculty should report academic integrity violations within a week of their discovery. 2. Student appeals must be filed within a week of receiving the written report of an academic integrity violation.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

b. c. d. e. f.

g. h.

3. The recipient of student appeals should acknowledge receipt of the appeal within one week. Timing constraints only apply when school is in session, but processing of violations may continue during breaks. When violations occur at the end of the semester, faculty may file a grade of incomplete until the investigation and possible appeals are complete. Academic Integrity Violations will continue to be processed if the student withdraws from the course in which the violation occurred. Academic Integrity Violations may be reported within one semester after the course if first discovered at that time. The final results of all Academic Integrity investigations, including all appeals, should be filed with the Registrar. A record of academic integrity violations will be maintained by the Registrar in accordance with the College’s Schedule for Records Retention. However, undergraduate records will not count against students who return as graduate students. If a student carries two majors, notification of Academic Integrity Violations will be sent to the Dean of the student’s primary major. The School Dean will notify the faculty member filing the report and the student’s advisor(s) of the results of all appeals. In the case of multiple or egregious violations, the School Dean will also notify the Dean of the school of the student’s major, if other than the reporting Dean, of the results of any appeal. On-campus program areas conducting required background checks of students (for example, teacher certification, professional advisor) should submit the students’ names and ID numbers to the registrar’s office for clearance. The Registrar will determine that an appropriate need to know exists under FERPA guidelines. If a department chair and the registrar have established that that department chair has an on-going need to know about academic integrity violations, the registrar will automatically notify the department chair of any violations by students in that major after all appeals are resolved.

8.5

ACADEMIC PETITIONS

8.5.1

Academic Policies Petitions. When a student finds it necessary to request an exception to any academic policies, the following procedure shall be followed: a. Secure an Academic Policies Petition form from the Office of the Registrar. b. Complete the form and obtain the signatures of the student’s Department Chair and academic advisor and return the petition to the Office of the Registrar. c. The petition is then reviewed and acted upon by the Registrar. d. The decision of the Registrar will be indicated on the bottom half of the form, and copies will be distributed to the student’s file, the student, and the student’s advisor.

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Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.5.2

Messiah College

General Education Petitions. When a student desires to request an exception to a General Education requirement or a substitution for a General Education requirement, the following procedures shall be followed: a. Secure a General Education Petition form from the Office of the Registrar. b. Complete the form and obtain the signature of the Department Chair and academic advisor and return it to the Office of the Registrar. c. The petition is then reviewed by the Registrar and/or the chair of the General Education Committee who may act on the petition based on approved guidelines for course substitutions and waivers or refer it to the General Education Committee for action. d. A copy of the petition with the decision will be returned to the student, with copies being distributed to the student’s advisor and placed in the student’s academic file.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.6

ACCELERATED BACHELOR-MASTER’S DEGREE COLLABORATION [Approved 4/19/05, Community of Educators Senate]

8.6.1

Parameters. Any such program must meet all of the following: a. The program fits with Messiah’s mission and identity. b. The program is financially viable and sustainable. It does not create a burden on existing programs or administrative offices. Any new costs must be covered by new income or by a reallocation of existing revenue. c. The approved Messiah curriculum is designed in such a way that Messiah’s curricular distinctives as expressed in both the General Education requirements and the major requirements are sufficiently maintained and exhibited. d. The program does not detract from or weaken existing programming by significantly reducing the students enrolled in Messiah’s major. In some instances, caps might be necessary to ensure the strength of existing programs. e. All approved programs are monitored and reviewed by the Office of the Provost to make sure that, individually and collectively, they are having a positive impact on Messiah’s overall curricular and cocurricular programming. f. The approved Messiah curriculum is designed to guarantee that a student who chooses not to complete the M.S. degree can finish the baccalaureate degree in at least a year. g. Coordination must be made with the academic departments which could be impacted by the program.

8.6.2

Rationale. There are several types of legitimate rationales. It should not be assumed that each and every rationale identified below must be met for a partner program to be approved. a. Provides a sound and desirable educational opportunity to exceptional students. b. Provides an opportunity to partner with a high-quality academic institution with such partnering leading to greater visibility and positioning for Messiah. c. Provides the opportunity for attracting a significant number of students who would otherwise not come to Messiah, i.e., it is an enrollment management strategy. d. Provides a strategy for better maintaining a desirable program area currently offered at Messiah.

8.6.3

Approval. Approving a specific collaboration would not a. imply that the door is now open for the development of graduate programs at Messiah. The Messiah College and Carnegie Mellon/Heinz School Collaboration 3-2 Program (see Section 8.06.04) is not a Messiah graduate program; Messiah is providing only a B.A. degree. Any proposal for a Messiah graduate program would have to be made on its own and on different terms. The Carnegie Mellon/Heinz program in no way prejudices the outcome of any future discussion.

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Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

b. imply that the College has a serious and strategic interest in developing or expanding this genre of programming. All such programming would have to be analyzed independently in accordance with the above parameters and potential rationales for such programs.

Messiah College

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.7

ADVISING

8.7.1

General Guidelines a. Personal student-faculty association provides the small college with unique opportunities to influence students. The concept of faculty as role models takes an added meaning in this setting. b. All students, new and returning, need to feel that they belong. Faculty advisors can do much to help students acquire and maintain this sense of belonging. c. The success of an advising program is dependent on the participation of everyone. It is a team effort. d. Every faculty member is in a position to help students. The potential of each faculty advisor to help students depends upon faculty accessibility and availability. e. An advisor cannot make decisions for an advisee, but he/she can be sympathetic, an understanding listener, and can offer various suggestions and possible solutions to the student’s questions or concerns. f. A faculty advisor is commissioned to do an interpretive, preventative, and sometimes a corrective job.

8.7.2

Curricular Advising. In advising students regarding their academic programs, the following factors should be kept in mind: a. The student’s satisfaction with the curriculum under which he/she is registered. b. The student’s general progress, including semester and cumulative scholarship records. c. Overall graduation requirements. d. General Education requirements. e. Requirements in the major or curriculum of specialization. f. Desired sequence of courses. g. Course prerequisites, restrictions, etc. Crucial to effective advising is the availability of a faculty member to students. Faculty are expected to be available six to eight hours per week for student conferences, activity counseling, and committee work. Office hours should be announced to classes, posted on the faculty member’s office door, and filed with the School Dean’s office at the beginning of each semester. An Advising Handbook is maintained by the Academic Advising Office. It is the faculty member’s responsibility to update his/her copy when replacement material is provided by the Academic Advising Office. Advising Overloads. [Revised Ranked Faculty Meeting, 3/26/07] The normal advising assignment for each full-time Ranked Faculty member will be between 15 and 30 students, except in cases where a Ranked Faculty member is exclusively advising “undeclared students,” in which case the minimum shall be ten advisees. A Ranked Faculty member advising 30 students or more (as of December 1), in a case where all Ranked Faculty from the department meet normal advising expectations, will be granted .5 overload credit. A Ranked Faculty member advising 30 students or more

8.7.2.1

8.7.2.2

8.7.2.3

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.7.2.4

8.7.3

Messiah College

(as of May 1), in a case where all Ranked Faculty from the department meet normal advising expectations, will be granted .5 overload credit. Each year, every student will submit an evaluation of his/her academic advisor. The results of this advisor evaluation will be sent to the academic advisor and the Department Chair, and one copy will be placed in the academic advisor’s Evaluation File. [Approved 5/2/05, Ranked Faculty Meeting] Class and Group Advisors a. It is the responsibility of every group advisor to interpret the aims and objectives of the College to the group. b. The advisor will attempt to guide the decisions of the group along the lines of College principles and philosophy. c. The advisor is the channel of understanding between the advisee and the faculty or administration. Students will gain confidence if advisors act promptly on their behalf. d. A class or group advisor is responsible to provide a chaperon for each function. If such a function includes an overnight stay off-campus, approval must be obtained from the Vice Provost/Dean of Students.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.8

STUDENT CLASS ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCE POLICY [Revised 2/9/12, Community of Educators Senate]

8.8.1

Introduction a. Class attendance is important to student learning and hence central to Messiah College’s educational mission; therefore, regular class attendance is expected. b. However, the College recognizes that certain types of educational activities take place outside the classroom and can lead to conflicts with class attendance. The purpose of this policy is to spell out guidelines for student attendance and absence, in general, and to clarify policy and protocol related to four out-of-class educational activities, in particular. These “College-endorsed” activities requiring College review and approval include:  Intercollegiate athletic contests (this does not include regularly scheduled practices or club sports)  Artistic performances (this does not include regularly scheduled rehearsals)  Academic field trips  Student presentations at professional conferences

8.8.2

Course Attendance Policies a. Individual course policies on class attendance are left to the discretion of the instructor (or academic department). Individual faculty members (or academic departments) are expected to design and implement attendance policies that are supportive of the College-endorsed educational programming outside of the classroom and, to the extent it is possible, provide ways a student can make up the portions of the courses missed due to student participation in Collegeendorsed educational activities without penalty. b. Attendance policies must be conveyed to students at the beginning of the semester and must be delineated in the syllabus. Attendance policies must address the following: (1) the extent to which attendance is required, (2) the role absences play in the attendance policy, (3) the policy for making up absences, and (4) the impact of attendance/absences on student evaluation. c. Faculty should be respectful of student schedules and the class time assigned to other courses. Faculty have been given an assigned time for their courses, and it is, in general, expected that instruction will take place within this designated time. Any exceptions must be stated in the syllabus. d. If an out-of-class requirement in one course conflicts with the class time of another course, the faculty member making the out-of-class requirement must provide other ways for the student to fulfill the requirement of the required outof-class requirement.

8.8.3

Procedures and Protocol for Absences Related to College-Endorsed Activities a. Steps will be taken to minimize student absences related to College-endorsed activities. Toward this end,

Messiah College

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

1) All athletic contest schedules will be reviewed and approved by the Athletic Director and the Faculty Athletic Representative prior to the beginning of the semester. 2) All artistic performance programming will be reviewed and approved by the Dean of the School of the Arts prior to the beginning of the semester. 3) All academic field trips by faculty or departments will be reviewed and approved by the appropriate School Dean or the Assistant Dean of General Education and Common Learning (for IDS courses) at least one month prior to the activity. 4) All student absences due to student professional presentations will be reviewed and approved by the appropriate School Dean at least one month prior to the activity. b. All parties involved will be made aware of the scheduled absences well ahead of the date(s) of absence. 1) To the extent it is possible, absences due to College-endorsed activities will be identified at the beginning of each semester or term. a) At the beginning of each semester the Faculty Athletic Representative will send all teaching faculty the approved dismissal times for all scheduled athletic contests. b) At the beginning of each semester the Dean of the School of the Arts will send all teaching faculty a schedule of approved performances which may result in class conflicts. 2) Upon receipt and approval by the appropriate supervisor, anyone sponsoring the College-endorsed educational activity must complete the “Instructor Notification System” that is available in Banner Self Service under the Faculty and Advisors menu two weeks prior to the activity. This form must be filled out in full, and upon completion will be sent to each faculty member that is impacted. 3) Students participating in College-endorsed activities are still required to directly notify in advance the faculty member of any class they must miss. This must be done at least a week prior to the planned absence. Students are also responsible for meeting with the faculty member to work out the conditions for completing any work or assignments in advance with the attendance policy of the course. c. No College-endorsed activities that result in student absences may be scheduled on the days before or after any College break or during finals week. Any exceptions must be approved by the Athletic Director, Vice Provost/Dean of Students, School Dean or Provost. d. It is understood that flexibility in these procedures will be granted in the case of conference and NCAA playoffs, or approved late-developing opportunities for student performance or presentation. 8.8.4

Messiah College

Absences Due to Student Illness or Critical Illness/Death in the Immediate Family

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a. For class absence due to personal illness, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor(s) prior to the class, if possible. If prior notification is not feasible, the student should ensure that s/he notifies her/his instructors by the end of the day on which the class(es) meet. b. For deaths in the family and similar emergencies, students should notify Student Affairs through the Office of the Dean of Students. As the Dean’s Office will notify the faculty of the student involved, it is important that the student notify the office as soon as possible. 8.8.5

Messiah College

Appeal Process. If a student believes that the above policy has not been followed, he or she can appeal to the Provost.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.9

CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS [Revised 2/6/12, Community of Educators Senate]

8.9.1

Regular Students. Students who are pursuing a degree program are regular students. Regular students are classified according to the following guidelines: a. First-Year Student: Satisfaction of entrance requirements b. Sophom*ore: 24 earned credits c. Junior: 57 earned credits d. Senior: 87 earned credits

8.9.2

Unclassified Students. Students who are not pursuing a degree program but are simply picking up courses for their own special needs are unclassified students.

8.9.3

Conditionally Admitted Students. Conditionally admitted students are those new students who have not met the regular entrance requirements but have been allowed to attend Messiah College. These students are required to register for a two-credit developmental Study Skills course and limited to 14 additional credits. Conditionally admitted students must meet the usual grade point average (GPA) levels for academic good standing, probation, and suspension.

8.9.4

Visiting Students. Visiting students are technically students who are matriculated at another institution, who have received permission from that institution to attend Messiah College. Visiting students receive their financial aid from their home institution and intend to transfer their Messiah College credits back to their home institution.

Messiah College

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.10

COCURRICULAR ELIGIBILITY

8.10.1

Purpose of Academic Probation. The purpose of placing a student on academic probation is to help the student reorder his/her priorities and time commitments in the direction of greater emphasis on academic studies, in order to help that student attain the College’s minimum standards for satisfactory academic progress as soon as possible.

8.10.2 .

Cocurricular Eligibility During Academic Probation a. A student who has been placed on academic probation shall be ineligible for participation in the cocurricular activities noted below, with the only exceptions to be those cases where such participation earns academic credit as a college course and that course meets a graduation requirement for the student’s academic major. b. Students on academic probation are ineligible for participation in the following cocurricular activities or positions. The person identified in parentheses is responsible for implementing the policy. 1. Intercollegiate athletics and club sports (Director of Intercollegiate Athletics) 2. Theatre productions (Chair, Department of Theatre) 3. Music ensembles (Chair, Department of Music) 4. Student Government Association Officers (Director of Student Leadership Programs) 5. Officers in any Student Government Association chartered organization, including team managers of Outreach Teams (Director of Student Leadership Programs) 6. Music Ministry Teams, whether sponsored through the Admissions Office, Outreach Group, or any other College office or organization (Head of sponsoring office or organization) 7. WVMM Radio Station staff (Chair, Department of Communication) 8. Resident Assistants (Associate Dean for Residence Life)

8.10.3 8.10.3.1

Procedures for Implementing Cocurricular Policies The Registrar is responsible for notifying students of their being placed on (or removed from) academic probation immediately upon completion of the grading process for the period of study leading to such status. Students placed on academic probation as a result of fall semester grades shall become ineligible for cocurricular participation on the first day of the J/spring semester. Students placed on academic probation as a result of J/spring semester or summer session grades shall become ineligible for participation on the first day of the fall semester. Students who remove themselves from academic probation as a result of fall, J/spring, or summer grades shall become eligible for cocurricular participation as soon as grades are officially recorded for that period of study. A student who is placed on academic probation may appeal for an exception to this policy on cocurricular eligibility in the same manner that students have the option of

8.10.3.2

8.10.3.3

Messiah College

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.10.3.4

Messiah College

appealing the results of any academic policy of the College. The letter from the Registrar notifying the student that he/she has been placed on academic probation shall refer the student to that portion of the Student Handbook dealing with academic appeals, which will indicate that an appeal of cocurricular ineligibility must be sent, in writing, to the Registrar by the end of the first week of the next semester (fall or J/spring), and must be accompanied by letters of recommendation from the student’s academic advisor; the person in charge of the relevant cocurricular activity, and the student’s Residence Director (if applicable). The Academic Council shall act on the appeal and the decision of the Council shall be final. Prior to the involvement of any student in any of the activities or positions identified in Section 8.10.02, the person identified in Section 8.10.02b is responsible for verifying the eligibility of each student interested in participation by checking the academic probation list available in the Registrar’s Office.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.11

CONFIDENTIALITY OF STUDENT INFORMATION

8.11.1

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) limits disclosure of student educational records. Therefore, faculty are not to post student grades by name, College identification number, or in any format in which the list is alphabetical. If you wish to post grades, it should be done numerically by the last six digits of students’ Social Security numbers or by a randomly generated number that you assign. The Grade Book Manager has the capability of generating grade lists using the last six digits of students’ Social Security numbers.

8.11.2

Similarly, faculty are not to distribute graded papers, projects, or other graded course assignments by placing them outside an office door such that any student can see the results. If such graded materials are returned to students outside of class, this must be done in a manner that insures confidentiality for each student.

8.11.3

The College’s policy regarding compliance with FERPA is described in Community of Educators Handbook Section 8.21. Any questions of interpretation should be directed to the Registrar or the College Counsel.

Messiah College

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.12

8.12.1

When Copyright Permission Is Not Required. Copyright permission is not required if all of the following conditions are met. Single Copying for Faculty Use. A single copy may be made of any of the following by faculty for scholarly research or use in teaching or preparation to teach a class: a. A chapter from a book. b. An article from a periodical or newspaper. c. A short story, short essay, or short poem, whether or not from a collective work. d. A chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon, or picture from a book, periodical, or newspaper. Multiple Copies for Classroom Use. Multiple copies (not to exceed more than one copy per student per course) may be made by or for faculty for classroom use or discussion, provided that: a. The copying is spontaneous. b. The copying is used only once in a single course. c. The same author is represented only once, i.e., only one selection per author. d. No more than three selections are used from a collective work or periodical volume. e. No more than nine instances of multiple copying occur for one course during one term. f. Each copy includes notice of copyright, e.g.: © Jackson, J.K., and Jackson, J.J. (1952). The Effects of Birth Order on Career Selection. Green Bay, WI: Green Bay Press.

8.12.1.1

8.12.1.2

8.12.2

8.12.2.1

8.12.2.2

Messiah College

When Copyright Permission Is Required. Copyright clearance request forms as well as publishers’ names and addresses may be obtained from either the Library or Faculty Services. For Material to Be Put on Library Reserve: a. A completed copyright clearance request form shall be submitted to the Library. b. The Library will process the request and, if requested, will notify the faculty member when permission is received. c. The copyright charges will be the responsibility of the Library budget. For Materials Which Are to Be Distributed in the Classroom or Through the Bookstore: a. A completed copyright clearance request form shall be submitted to Faculty Services. b. If requested, Faculty Services will notify the faculty member when approval is obtained with the required copyright charges before copying. Otherwise, they will begin copying upon receipt of approval. c. For classroom distribution items: 1. Copies will be available by the requested pick-up date. 2. The copyright charges will be billed to the department.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

d. For material to be sold in the Bookstore: 1. The copies will be delivered directly to the Bookstore. 2. The copyright charges will be included in the cost of the copies.

Messiah College

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.13

COURSE FIELD TRIPS

8.13.1

All course field trips contemplated for a given semester will be registered with the Department Chair at the beginning of that semester together with supporting rationale for the trips. The Chair will release the resulting semester field trip slate to the School Dean for announcement to the faculty.

8.13.2

When exact dates cannot be assigned for field trips registered at the beginning of the semester, these dates are to be determined at least four weeks in advance of the trips and reported to the School Dean for announcement to the faculty.

8.13.3

Field trips should be planned to minimize their disruptive effects. For example, midsemester and end-of-semester scheduling should be avoided.

8.13.4

Students are expected to participate in a planned field trip unless excused by the faculty member planning the event.

Messiah College

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.14

COURSE LISTING AND NUMBERING

8.14.1

Course Numbering System. Courses are listed by department; the alpha prefix in the course number indicates in which department and discipline the course is offered. The course numbering is to be interpreted by the following principles: a. All courses are numbered at a 100, 200, 300, or 400 level. These numbers represent a progression in academic rigor and expectation. b. Lower-level courses (numbered at 100 and 200) are introductory and foundational and designed for first-year and sophom*ore-level students. c. Upper-level courses (numbered at 300 and 400) are designed for junior- and senior-level students. Upper-level courses 1. presuppose exposure to the content of a prior course or courses at the lower level, and 2. possess an academic rigor and a level of expectation for student work and performance that is significantly greater than for lower-level courses (i.e., demonstrate an advanced level of independence, writing ability, and critical thinking skills in learning difficult content material within various academic disciplines).

8.14.2

See Also

Recent Advances in Otitis Media

8.22.5.2

8.22.5.3

8.22.6 8.22.6.1

8.22.6.2

Messiah College

Incomplete Grades Policy. A grade of incomplete is recorded for a student only when, for emergency reasons, the course cannot be completed on schedule. To receive credit for the course, the unfinished work must be completed within four weeks of the close of the term. Procedure a. When the student presents a legitimate emergency request to his/her instructor and the instructor agrees to record an I grade, the instructor will enter a grade of “I” in self-serve Banner. He/she will then be prompted for an explanation. Banner automatically sends an e-mail message of confirmation to the instructor and the Registrar’s Office for review. b. When a student completes the course work, the instructor must contact the Registrar’s Office with the student’s correct final grade. c. If a course is not completed within the extended timetable, the incomplete grade is converted to an F. Any exceptions to the following timetable must be cleared in advance with the Registrar. 1. Fall Semester: before the opening of Spring Term. 2. All other terms: by the end of the fourth week following the close of the term. Rationale. This policy serves as a necessity of keeping grade records up to date, provides for student emergencies, and yet provides a reasonable deadline to help students avoid doing two semesters’ work at the same time. It also discourages procrastination. Auditing Policy. Students who wish to attend a course but not receive college credit or a grade for their work may audit the course. This option assumes students will attend the class on a regular basis but are not required to do any of the course work (though they may opt to do so) or take any tests in the course. A student must drop the course if he/she decides not to attend the course since the course appears on the transcript as an audited course. The option of auditing courses is open to both full-time and part-time students. (Note: Students should be alerted to the fact that courses taken as audit cannot be included for financial aid purposes. Encourage those students to contact the Financial Aid Office.) Procedure a. Declaration of the audit is done at the time of registration through the Registrar’s Office. b. Students may change from credit to audit and vice versa during the drop/add period. c. The Business Office bills audit credits at the published tuition rate for audits. d. When the course is complete, the student’s transcript indicates the symbol “AU” and the name of the course audit—no credit or grade is given. e. If the student decides not to attend the course, he/she must drop the course so it will not appear on his/her record.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.22.6.3

Rationale. Accommodates degree program students who want to broaden their horizons into a field of interest or part-time students who wish to take a course purely for their own interest and do not need to work for college credit.

8.22.7

Change of Grade a. If, after final grades have been assigned and submitted, an error in a student’s grade is discovered by the instructor, or brought to the attention of the instructor by the student, the instructor should go to the Registrar’s Office and complete the Change of Grade form. All changes of grades must be accompanied by a rationale and be approved by the Registrar by the end of the following semester. b. A student’s final grade may not be raised by doing additional assignments after the course has concluded or by revising previously submitted assignments.

8.22.8

Grade Appeal Procedures. If a student disagrees with a grade which has been given in a particular course, and it has been determined that the grade recorded was not in error, the student may initiate the grade appeal process. Informal Discussion Between Student and Instructor. If the discussion results in a grade change, a grade change request form is submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the instructor. If the matter is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction, the student is referred to the Department Chair. Informal Discussion Between Student and Department Chair. The student should informally discuss the matter with the Department Chair. The Department Chair should discuss the concern with the instructor. If the discussions result in a grade change, a grade change request is submitted by the instructor. If the matter is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction, the student is informed that there is a formal appeal procedure. The first informal contact with the Department Chair must be before the end of the semester following the semester in which the grade was earned. Formal Discussion Between Student, Instructor, and Department Chair. The Department Chair should arrange a meeting to discuss the matter with the student and instructor together. If this discussion results in a grade change, a grade change request form is submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the instructor. The student should be informed in writing of this decision. If the matter is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction, the student should be informed in writing of this decision, along with options available to the student. Student Appeal in Writing to Department Chair. This written appeal must be made within ten working days of the written notification of the student by the Department Chair of the outcome of the formal discussions. Within ten working days of the student’s appeal, the Department Chair must inform the instructor of the appeal and provide a copy of the student’s appeal. The instructor has ten working days to provide a written explanation of the student’s grade. The Department Chair has ten working days to convene a departmental meeting (without the instructor or student present) to review the case and come to a decision based upon the student’s written appeal and the instructor’s written response. The Department Chair will inform the student of the departmental decision in writing, with copies to the instructor and the School Dean. If the decision results in a grade change, the Department Chair will

8.22.8.1

8.22.8.2

8.22.8.3

8.22.8.4

Messiah College

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8.22.8.5

8.22.8.6

Messiah College

submit a grade change request to the Registrar with a copy of his/her response to the student attached. Student Appeal in Writing to the School Dean. If the decision of the department is not to the student’s satisfaction, the student may appeal the decision to the School Dean. This appeal must be made in writing, within ten working days of the Department Chair’s letter to the student. The School Dean shall investigate carefully and render a decision in writing within 30 days, which shall be final. Cases Involving the Department Chair. In any case where the instructor is the Department Chair, another member of the department will serve in the role of the Chair in these proceedings.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.22.9

8.22.9.1 8.22.9.1.1

8.22.9.1.2

8.22.9.1.3

Messiah College

Transcripts. The student’s permanent record of courses taken and grades achieved comprise the academic transcript. Courses taken by Philadelphia students at Temple University are so indicated on the transcript, as are courses taken as visiting students at other institutions or other Approved Off-campus Study Programs. Credits taken at all other colleges and universities are entered as transfer credits and are not computed in the student’s GPA. Request for Transcript Policy: Academic transcripts are issued by the Registrar’s Office upon a student’s written request and must be accompanied by payment (contact Registrar’s Office for fees or see www.messiah.edu/offices/registrar/transcript.html). The student’s financial account with the College must be cleared before any transcripts are issued. Official transcripts are sent for the student; only unofficial copies may be released to the student. Procedure a. The student requests a transcript from the Registrar’s Office, using the form provided, accompanied by the appropriate fees. b. The Registrar verifies that the student’s business account has been cleared, mails the transcript, and records the date the transcript was issued. c. The student is notified of the date the transcript was sent. The student is also notified if we are not sending the transcript due to an outstanding balance on the financial account. Rationale. Transcripts are issued only by the Registrar for reasons of confidentiality and security. The Business Office hold is necessary to provide the College a means of collecting overdue bills.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.23

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS AND COMMENCEMENT

8.23.1 8.23.1.1

Degree Candidacy Policy. Students working toward a degree must file an on-line Application for Degree with the Registrar’s Office at the beginning of their senior year. Applications require the approval of the Academic Council and the Community of Educators before students are formally admitted to degree candidacy. Procedure a. By the beginning of the fall semester, the students who have completed 90 credits are notified which General Education requirements they have yet to complete. b. During September, the students who have accumulated enough credits to be able to graduate the following May are sent an informational memo. Those who actually plan to graduate that year complete the on-line Application for Degree and submit it to the Academic Records Specialist in the Registrar’s Office. c. During the student’s last semester, a degree audit is sent to the student’s advisor. The student’s advisor and the major and minor Department Chairs are asked to certify that all requirements for the major(s) and minor(s) have been met. d. The Registrar prepares a list of certified degree candidates and presents it to the Academic Council and Community of Educators for their approval. Rationale. These procedures are needed to identify the graduating seniors and keep the Registrar’s Office in contact with them throughout the senior year in preparation for graduation.

8.23.1.2

8.23.1.3

8.23.2 8.23.2.1

8.23.2.2

8.23.2.3

8.23.3

Messiah College

Verification of Academic Progress Policy. While each student is responsible for seeing that all General Education and major requirements are met, the Registrar’s Office monitors each student’s progress toward the chosen degree in order to assist in this responsibility. This progress includes completion of General Education requirements, satisfactory academic progress, and sufficient hours completed in order to graduate on schedule. Procedure. The Academic Records Specialist checks each student’s record in the summer prior to the senior year. Special attention is paid to completion of General Education requirements. Students are notified concerning the results of the degree audit. Rationale. To monitor the academic progress of potential graduates. Students are notified of the results of the degree audit during the beginning of the new academic year in order for them to have the opportunity to adjust their schedule if necessary to complete outstanding requirements. Requirements for All Degrees [Revised 4/19/05, Community of Educators Senate] a. A minimum of 123 hours of credit b. A minimum scholarship quotient (GPA) of 2.0 for all work taken at Messiah College c. A minimum scholarship quotient (GPA) of 2.0 for all work listed as specific requirements for the major

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

d. The last 30 credits preceding the conferring of the degree earned at Messiah College with a minimum of 12 credits in the major e. Completion of a major with requirements as specified under the department of instruction in which that major falls, or as offered at the Philadelphia Campus in conjunction with Temple University 8.23.4

Attendance at Commencement. Graduating seniors are expected to participate in the Commencement exercises unless excused in writing by the Provost at least two weeks prior to Commencement. The Registrar’s Office must be notified in writing if the student will not be attending Commencement.

8.23.5

Release of Diplomas. In order for diplomas to be released, the following guidelines must be met: a. All course work, including approved off-campus study programs and transfer credit, must be completed and recorded on the student’s Messiah College transcript. b. All student accounts in the Business Office must be cleared.

8.23.6

Graduation Honors. The College awards three levels of honors according to a graduating senior’s cumulative grade point average (GPA): summa cum laude (GPA 3.90 or above), magna cum laude (GPA 3.60–3.89), cum laude (GPA 3.30–3.59) The following guidelines are used in determining the eligibility and level of honors granted: a. Only credit for courses taken at Messiah College and approved off-campus study programs are calculated in the GPA. b. A minimum of 60 graded credit hours must be taken at Messiah College. c. Honors published in the graduation Commencement bulletin will be based on the student’s cumulative GPA at the conclusion of the preceding fall semester. d. Final honors as noted on the student’s diploma and transcript will be based on all credits earned at Messiah College.

8.23.7 8.23.7.1

Late Completion of Requirements Policy. Students who are within six credits of completing academic requirements for their degree, but do not have all the work completed by graduation day of the year they wish to graduate, may be permitted to go through the ceremony with their class and then complete requirements in the summer following Commencement. Such students must contract with the College to complete all work by September 1 following the Commencement date. If they fail to complete all work by this date, a three-hour penalty course will be added to their graduation requirements. Procedures a. Students wishing to graduate but not having all work complete must complete an Application for Late Completion of Degree Requirements form available from the Registrar’s Office. b. The Registrar rules on these applications prior to Commencement. c. Approved students may march with their class at Commencement.

8.23.7.2

Messiah College

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

d. After completion of all requirements and payment of all bills to the College, the student requests the diploma from the Registrar’s Office where all the withheld diplomas are kept.

Messiah College

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.24

INTENSIVE TERMS

8.24.1 8.24.1.1

January Term An integral part of the second semester, January term gives students an opportunity to concentrate on a single course for three weeks. Transcultural travel programs are among the innovative courses offered. Students may also enroll in an approved January term at another institution. The academic load for the spring semester is the sum of courses taken during January and spring term. Therefore, students normally earn three or four credits in January and 12 or 13 credits during the spring term, for a total of 15 to 17 credits in the second semester. All students are expected to register for a course during January term each year. Since January term and spring term together compose the second semester, all fees are applied accordingly. No discounts for tuition or room and board are given to students who do not enroll for a January term course.

8.24.1.2

8.24.2 8.24.2.1 8.24.2.2

8.24.2.3

8.24.2.4 8.24.2.5

8.24.2.6

8.24.2.7 8.24.2.8

8.24.2.9

Messiah College

May Term [Approved 2/4/03, Community of Educators Senate; Revised 10/5/04] Second semester includes a 12-week Spring Term preceded by a three-week January Term (J-Term) and followed by a three-week May Term. May Term involves only approved cross-cultural courses. A modest summer session program runs on campus at the same time as May Term. Summer session is not a part of second semester, and as such, it should not be confused with May Term. Registration for May cross-cultural courses occurs during the regular November registration period for second semester classes. Whether there is sufficient enrollment to run the May Term course will be determined after registration. The drop date for May Term courses coincides with the drop date for J-Term courses. May Term begins the second Monday after Commencement. Faculty may choose to begin their May Term courses earlier; however, no May Term course may begin until after Commencement. The length of each course must be within established crosscultural course parameters. Grades for May Term are due to the Registrar no later than two weeks after the completion of the course. Faculty members who plan to miss May Development Week should be sure to inform their Department Chair and School Dean that they will be gone during that week. Graduating seniors who require a May Term course to meet graduation requirements are allowed to participate in Commencement but will not receive their diploma until May Term has been successfully completed. Second semester tuition covers 12-18 hours. Students who enroll in J-Term, Spring Term, and May Term will be charged any overload hours over 18. For full-time students who enroll in May Term but choose not to enroll in J-Term, a. Second semester financial aid will apply to May Term. b. The normal room and board rebate will apply (unless they live on campus during J-Term). For full-time students who choose to enroll in both J-Term and May Term, a. The normal overload rate will be charged for any hours above 18 for the semester.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.24.2.10

8.24.2.11

8.24.3 8.24.3.1

8.24.3.2

8.24.3.3

8.24.3.4

Messiah College

b. Second semester financial aid will apply to May Term. c. There will be no room and board rebate for May Term. If the May Term course is a part of the faculty member’s normal load (24 load units), the course should have at least 12 students per faculty member. If the faculty member is teaching the course as an overload, the course should have an enrollment of at least nine students. Only one cross-cultural course can be built into a faculty member’s 24-hour load. If a faculty member teaches a course (cross-cultural or other) during J-Term, the May Term cross-cultural must be taught as an overload. Overload pay will be prorated if enrollment is less than the nine students per faculty member. Summer Session Summer session is designed to meet specific needs of Messiah College students. Several courses which satisfy Messiah College General Education requirements are offered each year, including a cross-cultural course in Philadelphia. Course titles, dates, and meeting times for each course are announced in the fall semester in order for students and their families to plan ahead for the following summer. In addition to the General Education courses, a wide variety of independent studies is available to Messiah students during the summer months. Internships offer students an opportunity to combine full-time employment with academic components to receive credit. Students who register for SVC 231, 232 Foundations of Service, Mission, and Social Change integrate a spring semester course on service with a summer service experience followed by a fall reflection course. Students may also elect to take courses at other colleges over the summer and transfer the credits to their Messiah program. To assure transfer of credit, these students should complete the “Approval for Transfer Credit” form available in the Registrar’s Office. Since summer session is not considered a part of the spring semester, fees for summer session courses are charged independent of fees for the regular academic year.

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.25

MAJORS

8.25.1

Selecting a Major. A student must select a major no later than the second semester of the sophom*ore year. This is necessary to allow adequate time for meeting graduation requirements in that major.

8.25.2

Pre-Major Status. There are certain programs for which program accreditation or certification of graduates is essential if graduates are to pursue careers in those fields (e.g., nursing, engineering, teacher education, athletic training). If a program is subject to such accrediting or certification requirements, then that program should apply to the Academic Council for internal admission requirements to the program. If additional internal admission requirements to a particular program are approved, then the following conditions apply: a. Students initially declaring an intent in the program will be designated by a “premajor” status (e.g., pre-engineering, pre-elementary education). b. Internal admission requirements to the program must be clearly delineated and publicized (e.g., in the catalog description of the program). c. Internal admission requirements must be such that “first-time, first-year” students who enter Messiah College as “pre-majors” are evaluated before the end of their sophom*ore year for admission to the particular program. Transfer students (both internal—from another Messiah major—and external—from another institution) must be evaluated by the end of the first semester junior year.

8.25.3 8.25.3.1

Change of Major Policy. After having declared a major, students who wish to register for another course of study must obtain the signature of the Department Chair who will assign an advisor in the major field to which they wish acceptance. Changing a major must be done through the Office of the Registrar. Procedure a. The student obtains the Change of Major Request card from the Office of the Registrar, obtains the signature of the Department Chair in which the new major is housed, and returns it to the Office of the Registrar. b. The Office of the Registrar makes the change and asks the former advisor to send the student’s advisor file to the new advisor. Rationale. This policy has been instituted to ensure that students wishing to change majors receive adequate counseling and to enhance campus communication by having all involved individuals know what major the student is pursuing.

8.25.3.2

8.25.3.3

8.25.4

Declaring a Double Major [see Section 8.3.7]

8.25.5 8.25.5.1

Individualized Major [Revised 11/12/07, Community of Educators Senate] Individualized majors are designed for students who have special interests that are not accommodated by any combination of existing majors or minors at the College. Students may develop a proposal for an individualized major that combines various

Messiah College

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.25.5.2

8.25.5.3

Messiah College

academic resources available to all Messiah College students (including the Philadelphia campus and other external programs). Each proposal must stand on its own as a unique, individual initiative of the proposing student. Students completing an individualized major will graduate with a B.A. degree. The following guidelines apply to all individualized majors. Parameters for the Individualized Major a. The individualized major must be between 36 and 72 credit hours chosen from at least two different disciplines offered at Messiah. b. Two disciplines will be considered the primary disciplines and the major curriculum can have no fewer than 12 credit hours from each of these disciplines. c. At least 18 credit hours must be chosen from courses numbered 300 or higher. d. Each individualized major must include a senior-level (400) capstone course. This may be an existing course or an independent study course supervised by one of the faculty advisors. e. Each individualized major must include an existing writing intensive course from the primary disciplines from which the individualized major draws upon. f. No more than two courses can be taken as an independent or directed study.. g. The student must meet all the General Education requirements and all other requirements for graduation (e.g., residency requirements, total required credits, etc.). Any proposed overlaps with General Education must be approved by the Associate Dean of General Education and Common Learning and cannot exceed 12 credits. g. In order to propose an individualized major, the student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0. h. The individualized major may be proposed after the student has completed 30 credit hours. No proposal will be accepted after the student has completed 72 credit hours. Development of the Proposal. The student will develop a proposal for the major in conjunction with two faculty advisors from the two primary disciplinary areas, with one of these two faculty advisors to serve as the student’s primary faculty advisor. The proposal must include the following elements: a. A title for the major that does not duplicate the name of any existing majors or minors and clearly captures the nature of the proposed program of study. b. An explanation of how the major will enhance the student’s personal learning goals and objectives including possible connection with vocational and/or graduate school interests. c. Curriculum sheets (similar to those found in the Advising Handbook for existing majors) describing which specific courses will meet the major requirement and which will meet the College’s general education requirements. d. A semester by semester plan for completing the required courses. Note that any planned independent or directed study courses must be pre-approved. e. The proposed courses must fit together logically and demonstrate the coherence, breadth, and depth which is characteristic of a college major. Proposals that simply piece together existing majors and minors are not acceptable.

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.25.5.4

Messiah College

A statement that clearly explains how each required course satisfies the College’s learning objectives for all majors (i.e., CWEO #4) and contributes to achievement of the goals and learning objectives of the proposed major (as articulated in point b). Approval Process. The primary faculty advisor will convene and chair an ad hoc committee composed of the two faculty advisors, the Registrar, and the Associate Dean of General Education and Common Learning to review the proposal. If approved by this committee, the individualized major proposal will be forwarded to the Department Chairs of the two primary disciplines represented in the proposal for review and approval. Following the approval of the Chairs, the proposal will be reviewed by the Dean of the School of the primary advisor for final approval. If approved, it will be officially recorded as the student’s declared major and a copy of the approved proposal will be sent, for information purposes, to the Dean of the School housing the other primary discipline. In order to assure prompt processing of a completed proposal, the approval process should take no longer than two months during the academic year from the time it is submitted. In the event that a sponsoring faculty advisor’s employment ends, the department chair of the respective department will either supervise the completion of the major or appoint another faculty member capable of supervising it to completion.

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.26

MINORS

8.26.1

Definition. A minor is a prescribed set of courses which focuses on a particular academic discipline or area of study. The goal is to allow the student to develop some depth of understanding in that discipline or area of study. a. Students are not required to complete a minor. b. Minors require a minimum of 18 semester hours in a discipline other than that of the student’s major. c. A student may complete more than one minor. d. To earn a minor, a student must attain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 for the course listed as meeting the requirements for the minor. e. Only one-third of the credits in a given minor may count toward the requirements of another minor or a major. f. At least one-third of the total credits must be taken at Messiah.

8.26.2

Procedures for Completing a Minor a. Information about available minors and minor curricular requirements can be found in the College catalog, in DegreeWorks, or obtained from the student’s advisor or Department Chair. b. Students are encouraged to discuss their interests in a minor with their advisor during registration times. If the student has specific questions, he/she can contact the Chair of the department in which the minor is housed. c. During their third semester or anytime thereafter, students may declare their intention to complete a minor by filling out the Minor Request Form available in the Registrar’s Office. d. Once the completion of all minor requirements has been verified, the minor will be recorded on the student’s final transcript. If, at the time of graduation, a student has not completed the requirements for a minor, the minor designation will be added to the student’s transcript if he/she completes the requirements for the minor within one calendar year of the graduation ceremony at which his/her most recent Messiah degree has been awarded.

Messiah College

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.27

PEACE AND CONFLICT STUDIES INITIATIVE

8.27.1

Mission. The Peace and Conflict Studies Initiative connects to Messiah College’s theological identity (“rooted in the Anabaptist, Pietist, and Wesleyan traditions of the Christian Church”) and educational mission (“to educate men and women toward maturity of intellect, character, and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society”). This means, at the very least, it will aim toward providing opportunities for students (1) to understand and appreciate the Christian foundations for peacemaking/reconciliation; (2) to understand the nature of conflict and approaches to resolving conflict; (3) to understand the relationship of justice to peacemaking, and (4) to become actively involved in peacemaking, conflict resolution, violence reduction, etc.

8.27.2

General Goals a. Build on and support the peacemaking resources within the Brethren in Christ/Anabaptist tradition. At the same time, given Messiah’s “embracing” theological character, this initiative will draw on and expose students to a variety of theological and ethical understandings of and approaches to peacemaking within the Christian community and in other religious traditions. b. Develop and support programs that are sensitive to the theological and cultural diversity among students and among faculty on issues related to peace and conflict studies. c. Develop and support curricular (credit bearing) and cocurricular (non-credit bearing) educational programs related to peacemaking. This initiative may also include extracurricular programming—programming that includes external constituencies as an audience. d. Develop and support programs that intentionally implement the College-Wide Educational Objectives. This should include but is not limited to the following College-Wide Educational Objectives: 1. Gaining knowledge of the Bible’s content and themes, including the biblical witness on service, leadership, and reconciliation; 2. Learning about historic Christian beliefs, practices, and ecclesiastical expressions and the particular emphases of the Anabaptist, Pietist, and Wesleyan traditions; 3. Understanding the nature and causes of violence in the world and the means for promoting peace; 4. Recognizing the implications of living in an increasingly interdependent world; 5. Evaluating institutional policies and social/cultural practices on the basis of whether they promote peace, justice, and reconciliation; and 6. Developing the courage to act responsibly and receptively in a complex world. e. Develop and support programs that are sensitive to Guiding Educational Assumptions. This includes, but is not limited to, the following: 1. Common learning—Some programming should strive to impact all students,. 2. Experiential (contextual) learning—Students should be given the opportunity to express their knowledge and commitments in real-life settings.

Messiah College

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8.27.3 8.27.3.1

8.27.3.2

8.27.3.3

8.27.3.4 8.27.3.5

8.27.4 8.27.4.1

8.27.4.2

8.27.4.3 8.27.4.4

8.27.5 8.27.5.1

8.27.5.2

8.27.6 8.27.6.1

Messiah College

3. Holistic learning—Programming should involve coordination and partnering between curricular and cocurricular programs and between campus and community partners. Develop and support programs that serves as resources for General Education and major curricula.

Curricular Programming Whatever programs are developed need to have a good chance of success. In other words, there must be sufficient student interest, faculty interest, institutional support, and the resources to sustain them. The initial and primary curricular focus of this initiative will be to support an interdisciplinary minor. Curricular programming should include a “core” that includes foundational theological, historical, and ethical explorations and incorporates Messiah College’s theological distinctive. Curricular programming should be interdisciplinary in nature: a. Courses relevant to peace and conflict studies can and should come from a variety of disciplines, including both the liberal and applied arts; ideally each School will be represented in the curriculum. b. All courses must meet established peace and conflict studies curricular parameters. Curricular programming should provide opportunities for experiential learning. Curricular programming should, as much as possible, be developmental in nature, beginning with foundational issues and building toward a more specialized application of one’s learning that requires integrative thinking. Cocurricular Programming Cocurricular programming should provide learning opportunities for students who are not involved in the curricular component of the Peace and Conflict Studies Initiative; at the same time, it should complement the curricular program, giving students/faculty involved in the curricular program added opportunities for learning. Some cocurricular programming should be open to the larger community; i.e., our educational endeavor should foster conversations that extend beyond students and educators on our campuses. Some cocurricular programming will provide experiential opportunities for student learning. There should be administrative clarity, good communication, and adequate coordination between various peacemaking cocurricular programs across campus. Extracurricular Programming Study might be given to the possibility of Messiah College-sponsored external programs orientated toward the community, such as conflict resolution, restorative justice, peace and justice education, etc. Partnering with Messiah College programs (e.g., Harrisburg Initiative, Agapé Center, and Boyer Center) that have interests in peace and conflict studies. Administrative Organization Since the Peace and Conflict Studies Initiative transcends the curricular and the cocurricular and has an interdisciplinary focus, it is best not to “house” this initiative in any one academic department or perhaps in any given School.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.27.6.2

8.27.6.3

8.27.6.4

Messiah College

The most reasonable option is to house the initiative in the Sider Institute. Part of the mission of the Sider Institute is to promote and articulate Anabaptist concerns—one of its most central being peacemaking. There is no other organizational structure on campus which has peacemaking as firmly embedded in its mission and identity as does the Sider Institute. Situating the Peace and Conflict Studies Initiative in the Sider Institute will raise the profile of the Institute both on and off campus. This is important for the growth of the Institute, which is in the College’s best interests. By situating this initiative in the Sider Institute, not only will students be introduced to the Institute, but they will also become involved with it. This connection between the Institute and the students is critical. Moreover, by locating the Peace and Conflict Studies Initiative in the Sider Institute, off-campus constituents who are deeply committed to issues of Peace and Conflict Studies will have a focused place to direct their energy and their resources. As the home of the Peace and Conflict Studies Initiative, the Sider Institute will: a. Provide administrative oversight to the Peace and Conflict Studies Minor. b. Provide leadership to the Peace and Conflict Studies Committee c. Sponsor an annual Peace and Conflict Studies lecture. d. Sponsor/Co-Sponsor chapels, “events,” and conferences on campus. e. Partner with other organizations and initiatives on campus concerned about peacemaking. f. Coordinate student efforts on Peace and Conflict Studies across campus. g. Serve as a clearing house for information about cocurricular and extracurricular activities related to Peace and Conflict Studies. h. Improve communication among various groups on campus who are concerned about Peace and Conflict Studies. Since the Peace and Conflict Studies Initiative, in general, or the Minor, in particular, are not housed in any academic department or School, a Peace and Conflict Studies Committee will be formed. This will be a standing committee of the Community of Educators, and its primary responsibilities will be to oversee the Minor and advise and aid the Director of the Sider Institute in relation to the broader Peace and Conflict Studies initiative.

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.28

SERVICE-LEARNING PROGRAM [Approved 4/2/2007, Community of Educators Senate]

8.28.1 8.28.1.1

Definitions and Perspectives Service-Learning. A pedagogical model which intentionally integrates academic learning with community service in a credit-bearing academic course. Students participate in an authentic service activity which meets needs identified by the community (designed within the framework of a mutually beneficial relationship) and critically reflect on that activity. Thus, students gain a deep understanding of course content, a commitment to socially responsible citizenship, and develop skills and understanding needed to contribute to civic well-being. Learning-Guided Community Service. While this proposal concerns itself with credit bearing Service-Learning, Learning-Guided Community Ser5vice is a non-credit bearing activity where students, educators and staff volunteer in a service which meets community needs. Although the primary emphasis is on service, LearningGuided Community Service differs from “community service” in that it recognizes that much learning can occur for those serving when proper training and reflection is completed. Intentionality in purpose, placement, effective service outcomes, and applied holistic learning outcomes in relationship with the community partner remain a priority.

8.28.1.2

8.28.2

8.28.2.1

8.28.2.2

Messiah College

Service-Learning Course Parameters and Criteria Approved Service-Learning courses will incorporate the following general parameters and components. The Service-Learning Committee will use these criteria to approve curricula and evaluate service activities. General Service-Learning Parameters. Incorporates nationally established and recognized best practices in each Service-Learning course. Criteria: 1. Awards academic credit. 2. Requires educator orientation and training in the pedagogies and best practices of Service-Learning. 3. Incorporates research and theory from experiential/contextual learning and Service-Learning in course design and delivery. 4. Provides evaluation and feedback for students. Components. Approved Service-Learning courses incorporate the following components: 1. Content Component. Service readings and activities will relate service to the course objectives. Criteria: a. Introduces students to research problems and community partnerships that address a significant need in our community, region, country, or the world. b. Prepares students for service by studying theories and gaining academic knowledge relevant to the problem. c. Prepares students for service by orienting them to the problem and the context in which they will work. d. Uses readings and discussions to connect learning to College-Wide Educational Objectives. 2. Service Component. Service assignment addresses a significant need in context. Students will satisfy the service requirement by choosing from a variety of

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

activities approved by the Director of the Agapé Center for Service and Learning and by the faculty member teaching the course. Criteria: a. Provides opportunities for students to express value commitments and disciplinary knowledge in an authentic, real-life setting. b. Enables students to personally connect with people involved with the issue to which the service is directed. Ideally, this will include a relationship with persons directly affected. c. Relates to programs with long-term commitments to the communities and issues they address. d. Includes sufficient contact time and duration to allow students to build relationships with people facing the issue and to develop deep understanding. 3. Reflection Component. Incorporates structured reflection activities that relate the student’s major and service experience to Christian discipleship and vocation. Criteria: a. Includes students, faculty and community partners. b. Requires written and oral reflection activities. c. Critically analyzes the theories, structures and assumptions of students’ academic disciplines in the context of the service experience. d. Helps students to link their values and academic learning to other parts of the curriculum and cocurriculum. e. Encourages students to evaluate their personal values and commitments, and to grow in discipleship and toward a mature Christian faith. f. Helps students develop a theological understanding of vocation that enables them to contextualize their faith. 8.28.3

Types and Classifications of Service-Learning Courses Any course approved as a Service-Learning course by the Service-Learning Committee will be given a “service-learning” attribute and will be identified as such in the course schedule under the comments section for each semester. (Example: ACC 247 Basic Income Tax, “Comments”: Service-Learning.) In some instances, Service-Learning will be an essential aspect of the course and hence will be approved and permanently catalogued as a Service-Learning course. In other instances (analogous to writing courses with a designated “W” attribute), the course will be given a Service-Learning attribute for given semesters. The deadline for securing signatures from the Department Chair, School Dean, and Service-Learning Committee are October 1 fro Spring courses and March 1 for Fall courses. The Agapé Center will forward the list of approved courses each semester to the Registrar. There are three types of Service-Learning courses that would receive a ServiceLearning attribute:

8.28.3.1

Messiah College

Discipline-Based Courses. Courses that are limited by and housed in respective academic departments. There are two types of discipline-based Service-Learning courses: 1. Those permanently designated within the discipline.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.28.3.2

8.28.3.3

8.28.4 8.28.4.1

Messiah College

2. Those selectively designated for a given semester. These courses or sections are developed by faculty and are approved by the Department Chair and the ServiceLearning Committee for a given semester. Free-Standing IDS Courses: Courses initiated by the General Education Committee and housed either in the department or in General Education. There are two types of IDS Service-Learning courses: 1. Those permanently designated within General Education. 2. Those selectively designated for a given semester. These courses are developed by faculty and are approved by the General Education Committee and the Service-Learning Committee for a given semester. Free-Standing Service-Learning (“SERV”) Courses. Courses initiated by the Director of the Agapé Center for Service and Learning, approved by the Service-Learning and Curriculum Committees, and housed in the Agapé Center for Service and Learning. 1. The content of these courses is focused more specifically on themes of service, social justice, development and mission. A required service activity meets community-identified needs. 2. Example: SERV 231/232: Foundation of Service, Mission and Social Change (approved in 1989). Formalizing Service-Learning at Messiah College Service-Learning Committee Service-Learning programming will be administered by a Community of Educators Service-Learning Standing Committee housed in the Agapé Center. The purpose of this committee will be to work with the Director of the Agapé Center to give leadership to campus-wide Service-Learning. (See Section 4.4.22, Service-Learning Committee, for information about the membership, recommending functions, and action functions of this committee.)

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8.29

PHILADELPHIA CAMPUS

8.29.1

Mission Statement. The Philadelphia Campus, a multifaceted educational center, situates Messiah College in a major urban center with its ethnic, cultural, and academic diversity. The mission of the Philadelphia Campus is to provide access to and enrich Christian higher education in the urban context, engage the wider academy, and address the challenge and potential of the urban world.

8.29.2

Purpose Statement. The Mission Statement for the Philadelphia Campus is facilitated through programs and activities designed to address the following objectives: To provide students from Christian colleges, primarily Messiah College, the benefits of a major secular university concurrently with the context of an intimate, Christian, academic environment. a. Students may complete majors not available at their primary campus. b. Students may take courses at Temple University for enrichment of their primary campus curriculum. c. Students attending the Philadelphia Campus will have opportunity to continue study in a Christian academic setting through courses taught by Messiah faculty. d. Students will engage, from a Christian perspective, the disparate worldviews encountered in these academic contexts. e. The residential setting provides a unique experience for promoting the students’ social development in the midst of a major urban and academic context. To provide students from Christian colleges, primarily Messiah College, the opportunity to live alongside, learn from, and serve among people in one of America’s major urban centers. a. Students may experience and participate in cultural and ecclesiastical opportunities not available in suburban and rural environments. b. Through this experience students may observe at close range the social, political, and religious challenges facing a large city and may be encouraged to become involved in seeking appropriate responses to these opportunities. c. Through experiences in the urban context, and influenced by campus programs, students will be encouraged to become aware of, reflect on, and respond to contemporary issues of justice (whether economic, ethnic, racial, or religious). d. Within the urban context, Messiah College will offer curricular and cocurricular programs which will intentionally equip students for vocations in an urban society. To provide an entree to Messiah College for ethnically diverse students from greater Philadelphia, through diverse means. This may possibly include: a. College-preparatory programs for urban high school students; b. An urban transitional entry program for early college students. To provide opportunities for students and faculty from Temple University to engage in academic and faith affirming activities with their peers at Messiah College in Philadelphia. a. Temple University students may register for classes at the Messiah College campus in Philadelphia. b. Structures, facilities, and programs will be developed which support both formal and informal dialogue between members of the Temple and Messiah communities.

8.29.2.1

8.29.2.2

8.29.2.3

8.29.2.4

Messiah College

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.29.2.5

To provide an academic setting wherein dialogue is fostered concerning important contemporary issues of faith, learning, and living. This may possibly include: a. Programs designed to foster geographical (urban, suburban, rural) and racial reconciliation; b. Efforts to promote inter-faith conversation, cooperation, and mutual understanding; c. Faculty development opportunities, with attention to bringing together conscientious scholarship, effective pedagogy, and careful theological reflection in the Christian college classroom; d. Conversation between the Church and the Christian academy for mutual support of the convergence of the spiritual and the intellectual.

8.29.3

Application Process. Any sophom*ore, junior, or senior Messiah student desiring to spend one or more semesters at the Philadelphia Campus must formally apply. There is a cumulative GPA requirement of 2.25. Students must also be in “good standing” with the College. Three areas are reviewed to determine standing: academic, chapel, and discipline standing. Procedures a. Students apply to the Philadelphia Campus on-line at http://www.messiah.edu/philly/admissions early in the semester prior to the semester they wish to attend. While the Enrollment Office accepts applications as long as housing is available, it is in a student’s best interest to apply as early as possible. b. Once a student applies on-line, an e-mail is sent to the student’s advisor for approval of the student’s application. c. After an advisor approves a student’s application, the student receives notification confirming an advisor’s approval. d. The Enrollment Office sets up an interview/informational session with the student. e. After receiving a final approval letter confirming the student’s admission to the campus, the student should pick up registration materials in the EpiCenter. Registration commences 3-4 weeks prior to Messiah’s registration period, so advisors should prepare to advise their students going to the Philadelphia Campus or currently at the Philadelphia Campus earlier than their other advisee students. f. Upon the affirmative decision to accept, the applicant is formally admitted to the Philadelphia Campus, and all offices with a need to know are informed of the pending change in student status. Resident students have their room released at Grantham, and other administrative changes are initiated. Rationale for the Application Process a. To assure that all important steps in the application/registration procedure for Temple University are properly executed. b. To assure that the student has a clear understanding of the relationship between the campuses and Temple University and the implications of such relationship for the student. c. To assure that adequate academic counseling has been obtained by the student regarding curriculum and graduation requirements, particularly as they are modified by the Philadelphia experience.

8.29.3.1

8.29.3.2

Messiah College

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

d. To identify failure-prone students for whom attendance at the Philadelphia Campus may not be in their best academic interest. 8.29.4

Courses Offered at Philadelphia. Each semester, Messiah College students are required to take at least one course from Messiah College faculty taught at the Messiah College Center. Courses are designed to fit into the General Education sequence. With proper planning, students in Philadelphia Majors can postpone the following General Education requirements and take them at Philadelphia, thus meeting two requirements simultaneously: World Views, Ethics, Bible 200, and Christian Beliefs.

8.29.5

Basic Policies. The following policies are designed to establish a structure and atmosphere in which the student’s relationship with Messiah College is enhanced while living and learning at Messiah College’s Philadelphia Campus. Room and Board. Students attending the Philadelphia Campus are required to live on-campus and participate in the Philadelphia meal plan option. Exceptions are made for married students. Guided Discovery Program (GDP). In lieu of chapel, Philadelphia Campus students participate in an integrated cocurricular initiative engaging them in community contexts such as local churches, service agencies, universities, museums, and civic organizations. Messiah College Courses. The Philadelphia Campus courses are an integral component of the curricular and cocurricular educational experience at the Philadelphia Campus and provide a directive and reflective framework for students’ experiences with Temple University, the neighborhood in which they live, and the city. Each Messiah student is required to take a minimum of one 3-hour course per semester from Messiah College faculty teaching at the Philadelphia Campus even if it does not meet any other requirement. Miscellaneous Policies a. A maximum of two semesters may be spent at the Philadelphia Campus unless the student’s major requires or their department allows more. b. Second-semester Philadelphia students are not permitted to participate in January Term due to calendar overlap. c. Physical Education requirement is a minimum of 3 credits and 3 courses; thus a single 3-credit Temple course does not fulfill this General Education requirement. Temple University’s course Fitness for Life is approved to meet the Life Fitness requirement.

8.29.5.1

8.29.5.2

8.29.5.3

8.29.6

8.29.7

Messiah College

Temple “I” and “NR” Grades. Messiah College policy states that incomplete grades at the end of a semester must be completed within four weeks of the close of the term in order to receive credit for the course. However, Temple University allows a full year for completion of “incomplete” and “not reported” grades. The following procedure will help the Philadelphia Campus student to handle “I” and “NR” grades he/she may receive on his/her Temple transcript. a. Temple grades of “I” and “NR” will be changed to “F” on the Messiah College transcript when the four-week limit has passed unless a specific exception has been granted by the Director of Enrollment. Any student who anticipates receiving one of these grades or who discovers such a grade on his/her copy of the transcript should immediately contact the Director of Enrollment. The

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Director shall determine whether an exception is warranted. Exceptions are not granted where the student is responsible for delaying the completion of course work. If the problem is a result of bureaucratic difficulties at Temple, an exception will be made and the grade will remain “I” on the Messiah College transcript until the final grade is posted b. Messiah students are responsible for seeing that “I” and “NR” grades are removed as soon as possible. Delay in dealing with the problem may result in permanent loss of contact with the instructor or other officials whose cooperation and knowledge are essential to resolving the problem. c. When Messiah converts an “I” to an “F,” regular Messiah policy shall apply in determining grade point average (GPA) and any other factors determined by GPA (semester hours, graduation honors, probation, etc.). d. If and when a letter grade is assigned by Temple University, Messiah College will correct the “F” on the Messiah transcript to correspond with the Temple grade. When a student believes such a correction has been made, he/she must inform the Director of Enrollment at the Philadelphia Campus so a Temple transcript can be obtained to change the grade on the Messiah College transcript. 8.29.8

Advising for the Future Philadelphia Student. In addition to the information described above, the potential Philadelphia student and his/her advisor should consult the Philadelphia Campus publication entitled Meeting General Education Requirements at Philadelphia which is available from the Director of Enrollment. An advisor can also check course descriptions for different majors on Temple University’s web site at www.temple.edu/tucourses. Philadelphia staff are available for consultation and research on this subject.

8.29.9 8.29.9.1

Urban Semester Program Overview. The Urban Semester Program provides a semester-long credit-granting curriculum which focuses on the contemporary urban context. Students enrolled in the program will be required to be in residence at the Philadelphia Campus. The program is designed primarily for sophom*ore and junior students, although seniors may also enroll. The curriculum is intentionally structured to allow Messiah College students to satisfy selected General Education [and possibly academic major or minor] requirements. The curriculum is also designed to allow for flexible transfer credit for students from other colleges and universities. Student Enrollment Students from Grantham will be encouraged to enroll in this program as a way of enriching their traditional curricula with a semester-long program of study, in Philadelphia, which focuses specifically on the contemporary urban context. All courses in the Urban Semester Program will be available to each student enrolled in the Philadelphia Campus. Consequently, a student attending the Philadelphia Campus, for purposes other than completing the Urban Semester curriculum, can benefit from this curriculum to whatever extent is permitted by the student’s other curricular requirements or the student’s level of interest. Curriculum. The Urban Semester Program requires all students to complete (1) a three-credit-hour core course, Urban 310 Field Experience offered by Messiah College, (2) one three-credit Temple University course with an urban focus, (3) at least two additional three-credit urban courses offered by Messiah College, selected

8.29.9.2 8.29.9.2.1

8.29.9.2.2

8.29.9.3

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8.29.9.4

Messiah College

from approved options, (4) one additional three-credit course with an urban focus from either Temple University or Messiah College. Cross-cultural Studies Waiver: The General Education three-credit requirement for cross-cultural studies will be waived for students who complete the 15 semester hour Urban Semester curriculum. All Philadelphia majors (at least four semesters at Philadelphia Campus) receive a cross-cultural waiver.

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8.30

REGISTRATION

8.30.1 8.30.1.1

Standard Registration for Fall Semester Policy. Students admitted to the College formally register for classes through the academic advisem*nt process. Prior to registration, students must ensure their accounts are up to date with the Business Office and their health records file is current with the Engle Health Center. Students with a Chapel Hold must receive clearance from the College Ministries Office. Any student not in compliance with these requirements will be blocked from registration. Procedure a. Registration materials, including the Schedule of Classes, are distributed to current students around March 30. b. Students meet with their academic advisor to discuss course selections for the upcoming registration. Desired courses are listed on the Registration Request form. This form is signed by the student and his/her advisor. A copy remains with the advisor, and the student retains a copy. c. At the conclusion of the advisem*nt meeting, the advisor issues the student’s personal identification number (PIN). The PIN is required to log on to the on-line registration system and is therefore tightly controlled, disseminated only by the advisor or the Registrar’s Office. Rationale. Uniformity of procedure is required to handle the large volume of students and ensure fairness to all students. Advisor’s signature is required to ensure the student is taking courses appropriate to his/her major, interests, and abilities. Proof of payment is required to ensure that students do not build up large balances which they are unable to pay. Clearance from the Engle Health Center is required to ensure that all health records are complete and accurate for each student in case of emergency. Obligations with the College Ministries Office are an essential component that requires the student’s commitment.

8.30.1.2

8.30.1.3

8.30.2

Second Semester Registration. Registration procedures for the second semester are similar to the fall registration procedures. Students will register for both the January Term and the Spring Term. Registration materials are distributed to current students around October 30.

8.30.3 8.30.3.1

Drop/Add (Change in Registration) After the registration, changes of courses to the original schedule should be discussed with the advisor. After the first week of classes, changes in courses require the written approval of the instructor(s) and advisor on a Drop/Add Request form. The requests are submitted to the Registrar’s Office in accordance with the published deadlines. Procedure [Approved 2/15/11, Academic Council] a. Students contact their advisor prior to changing courses on their schedule. b. Subsequent to the contact with their advisor, students log on to the on-line registration system (through the end of the first week of classes) to make schedule adjustments. c. Beginning with the second week of classes, all changes to the student’s schedule will be processed through the Registrar’s Office using the Drop/Add Request form. The signatures of the instructor(s) and advisor are required.

8.30.3.2

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8.30.3.3

Messiah College

1. During the first third of the semester/term, courses may be dropped. Dropped courses will not appear on the academic transcript. 2. During the middle third of the semester, students may withdraw from courses with a grade of W. The grade will be posted on the academic transcript but it will not affect the student’s GPA. 3. During the final third of the semester, withdrawals are not permitted, except for medical or other emergencies. Unofficial withdrawals are recorded with a grade of F. d. After the first week of the fall semester or the spring term, a fee is assessed to the student’s account for each processed Drop/Add Request. There is no fee for any Drop/Add Request made during the January Term. e. All requests for dropping or adding courses after the published deadlines will be reviewed by the Registrar. A late registration fee will be assessed if the change is approved. Rationale. Drop/Add procedures emphasize the importance of student responsibility and the advisor/advisee relationship while providing flexibility and convenience to the process. Changes occurring later in the semester ensure students have the opportunity for counseling.

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8.31

REPEATING COURSE WORK

8.31.1

A student may repeat any course in which a grade of D+, D, or F was received. With repeated courses, the second grade and credits count in the calculation of the student’s cumulative GPA, but the original grade and course will remain on the student’s transcript. All repeat courses must be taken at Messiah College, including Temple courses taken through the Philadelphia Campus and any other approved offcampus program, subject to the assessment of course equivalency. [Revised 2/27/98, Curriculum Committee]

a. It is the responsibility of the student and advisor to monitor the registration for repeated courses. The student should complete a Repeat Course form at the time of registration to notify the Registrar’s Office that a course is being repeated. b. Both occurrences of repeated courses will be marked on the transcript. c. The credits earned for the first grade remain in the term and cumulative calculations until completion of the repeated course. At the end of the term in which the course is repeated, only the credits earned for the second grade are used in the calculation of the student’s cumulative GPA and total credits earned. d. Students need to be advised of possible financial aid or athletic eligibility consequences of repeating courses for which credits has been earned. A student must successfully complete 24 credits each academic year. Repeats of successfully completed (D or D+) courses may not count toward the 24 credits. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office for specific information.

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8.32

SERVICE DAY

8.32.1

Date. Service Day will coincide with Special Olympics and will be planned to complement Special Olympics activities. Service Day generally falls on the third Thursday in April.

8.32.2

Participation. The entire Messiah College community will be eligible to participate in Service Day. This will encourage interaction among staff, faculty, administrators, and students. Students a. While participation is not mandatory, all students who do not have off-campus academic work (internships, student teaching, etc.) are expected to participate. b. Classes will be cancelled and many academic support areas will be closed. c. Students in work-study positions who are scheduled to work during Service Day will determine with their supervisor if they can make up hours at a different time. Students who want to serve and can be freed from their work-study responsibilities, but cannot make up the hours at a different time, will be compensated if they worked during Service Day. For some work-study students, participation will not be possible due to their essential role. Community of Educators a. While participation is not mandatory, all members of the Community of Educators are expected to participate. b. Classes will be cancelled; many campus-wide offices will be closed. c. Department and committee meetings should be rescheduled. Staff/Administration a. While participation is not mandatory, staff are welcome to participate depending on their work assignment and in consultation with their supervisor. b. For some staff, participation will not be possible due to their essential role at the College. For others, work schedules will be adjusted and services reduced to make participation possible. Specific details will need to be worked out between staff and their supervisors. c. Staff who participate in service activities during regular work hours will be compensated as if they were doing regular work.

8.32.2.1

8.32.2.2

8.32.2.3

8.32.3 8.32.3.1 8.32.3.2

8.32.4

Messiah College

Classes Classes that fall between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. will be cancelled on Service Day. Evening classes will not be cancelled. If Special Olympics are postponed due to rain, classes will operate as scheduled, and Service Day will be held on the rain date. All employees and students will be asked to arrange their class and work schedules accordingly. Administration. Service Day will be administered by the Agapé Center and coordinated by the Director of Local Community Services. The Service Day Student Committee will provide general direction and coordination with various segments of campus.

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8.32.5

Project Approval. Efforts will be made to work with current groups and organizations on campus to facilitate recruitment and to implement service activities. If groups do not already include staff, faculty, students, and administrators, they will be asked to include representatives from all groups to encourage a mix of participants. Groups organizing a service activity for Service Day must communicate their intent and receive approval from the Agapé Center.

8.32.6

Service Locations. Other than Special Olympics, most service activities will occur off-campus and will relate to local agencies and programs. Locations will include programs that are church related as well as secular, governmental and private, rural and urban. The following criteria will be used to select service sites: a. The activity will provide both a needed service for the agency and a meaningful experience for participants. b. The mission and approach of the agency is consistent with the philosophy of Messiah College. c. The assignments provide opportunity for participants to interact with local people. d. The agency has an ongoing relationship with Messiah College or a College employee. e. The organization can provide strong local coordination and supervision.

8.32.7

Learning. Where possible, a learning component will be included. This might include an introduction to the purpose and program of the agency, and introduction to the need the agency serves, an introduction to the community, or other educational components.

8.32.8

Schedule. Activities will be organized to begin after 8:00 a.m. and end around 4:00 p.m. Efforts will be made to plan activities to fit this schedule. Transportation will be coordinated by the College and will include College vehicles, contracted buses or vans, and private cars. Arrangements will be made to provide meals for students on meal plans.

8.32.9

Philadelphia Campus. The Philadelphia Campus will participate in Service Day in a way that fits their situation. Because Temple classes will not be cancelled, the Philadelphia Campus will plan activities in the spirit of Service Day, but most likely these activities will occur on a different day.

8.32.10

Funding. The Local Community Services program budget will cover some of the expense. Other financial support will be provided through existing programs, special contributions, and from corporate sponsorship. Messiah College will respect and not intrude upon the funding relationships currently used by Special Olympics.

8.32.11

Celebration. Service Day will include an evening of celebration in collaboration with Koinonia Week.

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8.33

SPECIAL COURSES AND CREDIT PROGRAMS

8.33.1 8.33.1.1

Independent Study Guidelines Policy. Independent study is available to students who wish to explore a particular area of study outside a classroom setting. Projects must be carefully designed and directed toward a specific goal under the direction of a qualified faculty member who meets regularly with the student during the study. A faculty member may direct a total of two independent and directed studies during a given semester and three during a given summer. Procedure a. The student obtains an Application for Independent Study form for each project undertaken, obtains the required approval signatures, and writes a proposal according to the guidelines given on the application. b. The student submits the signed application and a copy of the proposal to the Registrar’s Office. c. The Registrar reviews the application, and if approved, the student is registered for the course. One copy of the application and proposal is sent to the faculty member supervising the experience, and another is retained in the Registrar’s Office. The third copy of the application is returned to the student confirming the registration. d. Grades are submitted by the faculty member to the Registrar along with other grades at the end of the semester.

8.33.1.2

8.33.2 8.33.2.1

8.33.2.2

8.33.2.3

Messiah College

Directed Study Guidelines Policy. Directed study is available to junior and senior students who need to complete a catalogued course at a time other than when it is offered. Each department has designated which courses may be offered by directed study. Each study must be done under the supervision of a qualified faculty member who will meet with the student from three to five hours per credit hour of the course. A faculty member may direct a total of two independent and directed studies during a given semester and three during a given summer. Procedure a. The student obtains an Application for Directed Study form for each course, obtains the required signatures, and returns the application to the Registrar’s Office. b. The Registrar reviews the application. If approved, the student is registered for the course. One copy of the application is returned to the student, and one is sent to the sponsoring faculty member. c. Grades are submitted by the faculty member to the Registrar along with other grades at the end of the semester. Rationale. To allow students to complete certain catalogued courses at times when they are not normally offered and to ensure that the proper amount of supervision is given to each student doing a directed study.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.33.3

Cocurricular Activities Guidelines a. Students participating in a full session of an intercollegiate sport may register, at most, twice for one credit per season of involvement. However, only one credit may be applied toward the General Education physical education activity requirement. Students participating in two intercollegiate sports may apply only one toward the General Education physical education activities requirement. A maximum of one credit may be counted as an elective. Credit may be granted only during the semester in which the completion of participation occurs and will not be awarded after the fact. b. Students participating in music ensembles register for .5 credits during the semester of participation. This registration can be for credit or as an audit. If the registration is for credit, a pass/fail grade will be recorded. c. The editors of the College newspaper, The Swinging Bridge, and the College yearbook, Clarion, may register for the course ENG 204 Student Publications Practicum (1). Permission of the advisor is required before enrollment. The course may be repeated for a total of four credits.

8.33.4

Credit Earned Through Examination Programs. Messiah College awards credits earned through the approved testing programs listed below. A maximum of 32 credits may be earned by all forms of testing. [Approved 2/8/97, Dean’s Council] Advanced Placement (AP). Students who have taken college-level courses in high school may possibly receive college credit for them by taking the AP Examination of the College Entrance Examination Board, if their high school offers it. Granting such credit may reduce the number of semester hours students need for graduation. Official transcripts of AP test results should be sent to the Messiah College Admissions Office for evaluation. International Baccalaureate (IB). IB is a curricular program with university entrance examinations which may be taken in any country and recognized in any country. Students who have taken IB courses in high school may possibly receive college credit for them by taking the IB examination. Granting such credit may reduce the number of semester hours students need for graduation. Official transcripts of IB test results should be sent to the Messiah College Admissions Office for evaluation.. Credit by Examination Policy. Messiah College offers a limited number of courses by which students may earn credit for the course by taking a “challenge” exam in lieu of the course. The Registrar’s Office will maintain a list of courses which may be challenged. Procedure a. Prior to taking the exam, the student must obtain an application form from the Registrar’s Office. b. The student pays the credit by examination fee at the Business Office, obtaining the approval signature showing that payment was made. c. The student presents the form to the appropriate Department Chair who will make arrangements for the challenge exam or designate the examining professor. d. When the exam has been taken, the Department Chair or examining professor will indicate the grade (pass/fail) on the application form and return it to the Registrar’s Office. e. The Registrar records credit on the student’s transcript (pass/fail only) if the examination is passed. If the student fails the exam, no record is made on that student’s transcript, and the student will be required to take the courses or credits

8.33.4.1

8.33.4.2

8.33.4.3 8.33.4.3.1

8.33.4.3.2

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.33.4.4

8.33.5

Messiah College

that were to have been waived by successful completion of the exam. Completion of the course is not required if it was intended to be elective credit. College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Students who wish to verify knowledge of college-level work in a given discipline may take the CLEP test (Messiah is not an approved test site) and receive CLEP credit on the transcript. These credits are evaluated by the Registrar and may be applied to General Education and major requirements. Any student considering CLEP opportunities should contact the Registrar for further information. Departmental Honors Courses [Revised 3/21/13, Academic Council] a. To encourage scholarly initiative and in-depth investigation within a limited area of study, Messiah College provides able students with an opportunity to pursue honors courses within their major. Students may qualify for an honors course by (1) earning a GPA of 3.50 for all courses completed at the College to the middle of their junior year and (2) meeting all other requirements as prescribed by the department (e.g., GPA for major courses). b. Each department offering an honors course prescribes the nature of the work, the point at which it shall begin, and whether the credit in whole or in part may be counted toward fulfillment of a student’s major requirements. The Department must also approve a student’s work for a given semester before permission can be given to proceed with the next semester’s work. c. A minimum of four credits and a maximum of six credit hours in honors courses may be earned at the rate of one to four hours per semester. Academic credit will be awarded for grades of A or B only. If the honors work is of such high quality as to merit the grade of A, the student will graduate with honors in his/her major field. d. Students participating in the College Honors Program may meet their senior honors project requirement through an approved Departmental Honors Course. e. Graduation with honors in a discipline is recognized at Commencement and is noted on the student’s diploma. Only senior students may participate in Departmental Honors courses.

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8.34

STANDARDS OF SCHOLARSHIP

8.34.1

Minimum Grade Point Average. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 1.8 (0-23 credits), 1.9 (24-56 credits), or 2.0 (57 or more credits) to be considered in good academic standing.

8.34.2

Academic Warning. When a student’s term GPA falls below 2.00 but the cumulative GPA is at or above the required minimum, the student will be given an academic warning. This warning is not part of the student’s permanent academic record. However, it does alert the student to potential difficulties.

8.34.3 8.34.3.1

Academic Probation, Suspension, and Dismissal Academic Probation. Any full-time student who fails to maintain a cumulative GPA as outlined above will be placed on academic probation. A student will be removed from academic probation when his/her cumulative GPA meets the required minimum. A student on academic probation will be advised to take a maximum of 14 credits per semester while on probation. Academic Suspension. A full-time student on academic probation whose cumulative GPA after a probationary semester remains below the minimum required will be suspended. A part-time student, who after going on probation completes an additional 18 credits but has not met the required minimum cumulative GPA with the inclusion of those 18 credits, will be suspended. Any student taking six or more credits in a semester who receives less than a 1.00 term GPA for the semester will be suspended, whether or not the cumulative GPA would have warranted it. Appealing Suspension. [Approved 12/06/10, COE Senate] A suspension may be appealed within the time limit stated in the suspension notification. The student must file a written petition with the Registrar stating the reason for the appeal. Appeals are reviewed by the Academic Appeals Subcommittee. If the suspension appeal is granted, the student will continue on academic probation for a specified number of terms, usually two, to allow the student to achieve good academic standing. If good academic standing is not achieved within the specified period, the student will be dismissed. When academic suspension occurs as a result of the fall semester grades, students who file an appeal are ineligible for J-term enrollment. If the appeal is approved, the student will be eligible to continue enrollment for the spring term which begins on or about February 1. Readmission. Suspended students may apply for readmission after two semesters have elapsed. When applying for readmission, the student should present evidence of the potential for academic success. Normally, this is demonstrated by presenting a transcript of courses successfully taken elsewhere during the semesters of suspension. Readmission is not automatic and is contingent upon evidence that the student has the ability and motivation to succeed in college. Requests for readmission will be considered by the Academic Appeals Subcommittee. If accepted for readmission, a student must meet the College’s standards for good academic standing within two semesters of full-time study. If this has not occurred after two semesters, the student will be academically dismissed. Academic Dismissal a. A student who is academically suspended for a second time is considered academically dismissed.

8.34.3.2

8.34.3.3

8.34.3.4

8.34.3.5

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b. A student who is academically dismissed may not apply for readmission for two years. In addition, such a student must present 24 credits of transferable work taken after the dismissal from Messiah. Requests for readmission will be considered by the Academic Appeals Subcommittee. Readmission is not automatic and is contingent upon the evidence presented and the likelihood of the student succeeding at Messiah.

Messiah College

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8.35

TEXTBOOKS

8.35.1

Textbooks are designated by the faculty member teaching a course. If a course is team taught, the textbooks should be chosen by the team.

8.35.2

The College Bookstore orders all of the required textbooks. The Bookstore will request proper information far enough in advance of a new semester to facilitate the acquiring of the necessary materials. Faculty members need to cooperate with the College Bookstore to facilitate this acquisition.

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8.36

TRANSFER CREDIT

8.36.1 8.36.1.1

Evaluation of Transfer Credits for Incoming Students Policy for Transfer Students. Any student who has taken work at another institution(s), applies to Messiah College, and desires that work transferred to Messiah, must have the previous institution(s) send an official transcript of work to Messiah College to be evaluated by the Registrar. Procedure a. When a student applies, he/she requests the former college to send an official transcript of work to the Registrar’s Office. b. The Registrar evaluates the transcript on a course-by-course basis. Only those courses in which a grade of C (2.0) or better has been earned are eligible for transfer. The Registrar sends the student a written report of credit accepted in transfer. The student’s advisor will also receive a copy of this report. c. The Registrar is available to discuss or clarify the evaluation of credits for the student. Rationale. This policy has been instituted to ensure that transfer students have done satisfactory college-level work appropriate for transfer credit. It also provides students with a clear understanding of how much work is needed to complete degree requirements. The evaluation of transfer credit is often instrumental in the decision whether or not to transfer.

8.36.1.2

8.36.1.3

8.36.2 8.36.2.1

8.36.2.2

8.36.2.3

Messiah College

Approval of Transfer Credits for Currently Enrolled Students Policy. A student who is currently enrolled at Messiah but planning to take summer courses at another institution must complete a Transfer Credit Approval form prior to enrolling. A student should first obtain the approval of his/her advisor, Department Chair (if necessary), and the Registrar in order to verify that the courses taken will meet specific major or General Education requirements or will be considered as elective credit. Only courses with grades of C or better will be transferred. Approved course work will be designated on the transcript as “Transfer Credit” with the number of credits earned. Course titles and grades earned will not be listed. Grades will not be included in the student’s term or cumulative GPA. Procedure a. Pick up the form for Transfer Credit Approval from the Registrar’s Office. b. Complete the form, and obtain the signatures of advisor and any necessary department heads. c. Submit the completed form, and course descriptions of requested courses, to the Registrar’s Office. d. Upon approval, the Registrar will return one copy to the student, one to the advisor, and retain one for the Registrar’s Office records. e. At the close of the session taken at the other institution, the student must request that institution to forward an official transcript to Messiah College, Office of the Registrar. Rationale. This procedure has been instituted to assure both the student and Messiah that courses taken at an another institution during the summer will meet specific requirements.

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8.37

WITHDRAWAL FROM THE COLLEGE

8.37.1

End-of-Semester Procedure. The withdrawing student completes a Termination of Attendance Notice form at the Registrar’s Office. The Registrar’s Office keeps a list and count of students not returning and circulates this information to other offices after the close of the semester.

8.37.2 8.37.2.1

During Semester Procedure Policy. Students wishing to withdraw from the College before the end of a semester must notify the Registrar’s Office of their intention and arrange for payment of all bills in order to secure honorable dismissal. Procedure a. The student wishing to withdraw contacts the Registrar’s Office to complete the proper form. b. The Registrar’s Office informs the Student Affairs Office, Business Office, and Financial Aid Office of the withdrawal. c. The Registrar informs other administrative offices and the student’s professors and withdraws the student from classes. d. The Business Office in conjunction with Financial Aid determines the student’s bill according to the procedures listed in Section 8.35.04 and sends the student a statement of balance due or refund. Rationale. To facilitate campus communications about a student’s withdrawal.

8.37.2.2

8.37.2.3 8.37.3 8.37.3.1

8.37.3.2

8.37.3.3

8.37.3.4 8.37.3.4.1

Messiah College

Medical Leave Medical Leave is available for students who, due to documented serious physical or psychological illness, need to leave the College during the semester without completing their course work or to withdraw from the College for no longer than two consecutive semesters. Students on medical leave are not regarded as having permanently withdrawn from the College and need not apply for readmission through the Admissions Office. However, students must be approved for fitness to return to campus through the process described in the policy. A student may request a more limited medically excused status if he/she is medically unable to complete the final 40 percent of a semester but intends to return to the College at the beginning of the following semester. Request is initiated in the same manner as described below. A student approved for medically excused status need not request permission to return to the College for the following semester unless conditions for returning had been stipulated by the College at the time of departure. Initiation of Request for Medical Leave. A student requesting medical leave must make the request in writing to the Director of Counseling and Health Services. The request may be for either one or two semesters. The Director will notify the Registrar of the request and will direct the student to provide appropriate documentation from a physician, therapist, or other qualified caregiver. Determination of Request A decision approving or disapproving the medical leave request will be made by the Director of Counseling and Health Services. The Director will provide a copy of the decision to the Registrar, the appropriate School Dean, and the Vice Provost/Dean of Students. The Registrar will notify appropriate offices on campus of the student’s status and send a copy of the decision to the student for his/her records.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.37.3.4.2

8.37.3.5

8.37.3.6 8.37.3.6.1

8.37.3.6.2

8.37.3.7 8.37.3.7.1

8.37.3.7.2

8.37.3.8 8.37.3.8.1

8.37.3.8.2

8.37.3.9

Messiah College

Copies of the decision will be maintained in the student’s academic and student life files. Original documentation from the student’s medical records will be maintained by the Director of Counseling and Health Services. Deadline for Application for Medical Leave Status. A request for medical leave for the current semester must be made prior to the last week of class in the fall or spring semester, or prior to the last day of class in January Term. Effective Date of Medical Leave Status A student whose request for medical leave is approved during the first 60 percent of the semester will be deemed to have medical leave status as of the date on which his/her request was made to the Director of Counseling and Health Services. The student will remain on medical leave status for the balance of that semester and may request an extension for the next semester by filing a request as described below. A student whose request for medical leave is approved during the final 40 percent of the semester will be deemed to be a medically excused continuing student for the balance of that semester, but will have medical leave status as of the first day of the following semester. The student may request an extension for one additional semester by filing a request as described below. Extension of Medical Leave Status A student on medical leave status may request a one-semester extension by providing new documentation to the Director of Counseling and Health Services by August 1 for the fall semester or December 1 for the spring semester. A decision approving or disapproving the request will be made by the Director of Counseling and Health Services. The Director will provide a copy of the decision to the Registrar, the appropriate School Dean, and the Vice Provost/Dean of Students. Medical leave status may continue no longer than two consecutive semesters. After this time, a student who does not return to the College will be deemed officially withdrawn. Grades and Completion of Academic Work A student whose request for medical leave is approved during the first 60 percent of the semester will be given a grade of “W” (Withdrawal) in each course for which he/she is registered. No “I” (Incomplete) grades will be given. No credit will be earned for any course, and a prorated refund of charges will be made as described in Section 8.35.04. A student whose request for medical leave is approved during the final 40 percent of the semester may be deemed medically excused and may be given a grade of “I” for one or more courses with the approval of the faculty member(s). When a grade of “I” is not deemed feasible, a grade of “W” will be given. No refund of charges will be made for courses in which a grade of “I” is given. To receive academic credit for a course, incomplete work must be completed by the final day of the semester following that during which medical leave was approved. It is the responsibility of the student to contact individual instructors to arrange for the timely completion of course work. If the student does not complete work in a course within this time, the grade of “I” for that course will be changed to a “W.” Required Medical Leave Under Extreme Circ*mstances. Under extreme circ*mstances, a student experiencing emotional or psychological illness to the extent that he/she is deemed to be a danger to himself/herself or others may be required to withdraw from the College and will be given medical leave status.

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.37.3.10 8.37.3.10.1

8.37.3.10.2

8.37.3.10.3 8.37.3.11

8.37.3.12

8.37.3.13 8.37.3.13.1

8.37.3.13.2

8.37.4 8.37.4.1

Messiah College

Determination of Fitness for Return to Campus A student requesting to return from medical leave will be asked to sign a release allowing the Director of Counseling and Health Services to communicate with the physician, therapist, or other caregiver, as well as with other persons at Messiah College involved in determining the student’s fitness to return. The student must provide documentation from his/her physician, therapist, or other caregiver concerning current medical status by August 1 to be considered for approval to return for the fall semester, or by December 1 to be considered for approval to return for the spring semester. The student also may be required to have an interview with the Director of Counseling and Health Services and/or the Director of Disability Services. All information will be reviewed, and a decision regarding fitness to return will be make by the Director of Counseling and Health Services, who will notify the Deans and the Registrar. The Registrar will notify the student and appropriate offices on campus if approval is given. The granting of medical leave by the College does not guarantee that the student will be allowed to return. Registration and Housing for Returning Students. A student on medical leave will retain all accrued seniority for housing and registration purposes and may register conditionally for courses if he/she intends to return for the following semester. Any money paid to the College as deposits against tuition or charges anticipated for the following semester will be refunded in full if the student is not approved to return. Documentation for determination of fitness to return must be received by the deadlines listed above and approval to return granted in order for registration to be considered final. Seniority for housing preferences cannot be guaranteed for students who do not meet these requirements. Financial Aid Implications. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the Financial Aid Office individually to discuss the implications of medical leave for his/her financial aid. Refunds of Tuition and Fees Refunds for students who are granted medical leave during the first 60 percent of a semester are determined as follows: a. Refunds on all charges, including tuition, room, board, and special fees will be prorated on a per diem basis based on the boarding calendar. b. Refunds and adjusted bills will be sent to the student’s home address following withdrawal for medical leave. No refunds will be given for students who are granted medical leave during the final 40 percent of the semester. Refund Policy Policy a. Students withdrawing before the last day to add classes for a given term will receive a 100 percent refund of tuition, room and board, course fees, and the student activity fee. b. Students withdrawing after the last day to add classes, but before the 60 percent point of the semester, will receive a per diem prorated refund based on the boarding calendar for tuition, room and board, course fees, and the student activity fee. c. Students withdrawing after the 60 percent point of the semester will receive no refund.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.37.4.2

8.37.4.3

8.37.5

Messiah College

d. For the purposes of billing and calculating refunds, the January Term and May Term are considered part of the spring semester. Students who withdraw after the January Term, but before the Spring Term add date, will be treated as part-time students for refund purposes. e. Refunds and adjusted bills will be sent to the student’s home address following withdrawal. Procedures a. Students contemplating withdrawal from the College should report to the Student Affairs Office. This date will be used as the date for calculating the refund or balance due on the student’s Business Office account. b. During a waiting period, not to exceed three days, the student will evaluate his/her situation in consultation with counseling personnel. The Student Affairs Office will check with the Business Office, Financial Aid Office, Library, and College Bookstore and inform the student of any financial obligations. c. If the student and counselor agree that withdrawal is advisable, the student will complete the withdrawal form in accordance with the procedure indicated above. Rationale a. To provide a fair and equitable policy for determining refunds for withdrawing students. b. To establish an official withdrawal date. c. To provide for student counseling regarding withdrawal implications and provide a waiting period at no expense to the student. Grading Policy. Students who complete registration for a given semester will have grades recorded on their permanent academic record. All courses will be graded with a “W” if the student withdraws from the College.

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.38

ONLINE COURSE POLICIES [Administrative Updates, 1/7/11]

8.38.1 8.38.1.1

Institutional Context Introduction. Online courses and programming involving significant online delivery can be educationally and pedagogically sound. However, online course delivery will only actually be educationally and pedagogically sound if the courses are adequately designed, if the faculty are committed and adequately trained, if students and faculty are supported, if there is an adequate technological infrastructure, if there are policies in place to insure quality and efficiency of delivery, and if the courses are structured realistically into the College’s educational and financial planning. This policy is written to assure that these standards for quality online programming are met. This policy addresses a variety of issues related directly to the development and teaching of online courses at Messiah College. Any related issues not covered by these policy statements are subsumed by other policies of the College.

8.38.1.2 8.38.1.2.1 8.38.1.2.2 8.38.1.2.3

8.38.1.2.4 8.38.1.2.5 8.38.1.2.6

8.38.1.3 8.38.1.3.1

8.38.1.3.2

8.38.1.3.3

8.38.1.3.4

8.38.2 8.38.2.1

Messiah College

Definitions Online Course. A course where instruction is fully delivered via an electronic course management system, where classes meet virtually, not physically. Traditional/Classroom-based Course. A course where instruction is delivered via face-to-face meetings in a physical course delivery context (e.g., classroom). Blended Course. A course where instruction is delivered using components of both online and classroom-based courses and, hence, some face-to-face meeting time (e.g., seat time) is replaced by virtual instruction. Online Program. An academic program that contains only online courses. Hybrid Program. An academic program that contains both traditional/classroombased courses and online courses or blended courses. Electronic Media. Consisting of software, electronic courses, web pages, video and audio productions, CD-ROMs, DVDs, digital imagery, and other creations stored or published in electronic formats. Guiding Assumptions Online courses and blended courses will only be offered as part of the program design and financial plan of approved programs. Currently, online courses have been approved as a part of the Summer Session and graduate programs. At this time, the traditional, undergraduate program during fall and spring semesters will not offer online or blended courses. Messiah College expects the traditional, residential, undergraduate curriculum to be presented via classroom-based courses in a face-to-face manner (i.e., be delivered with the assigned seat time and/or contact hours.) The learning management system can be used to supplement a classroom-based course with resources or capabilities such as assignments, homework, discussion groups, tests and quizzes, and posting of lectures and presentations. At this time, the instructor of a classroom-based course may not exchange traditional classroom-based instructional hours for online instructional hours. Institutional Commitment Learning Management System. Messiah’s Learning Management System (LMS) is

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

Sakai. Sakai is an open-source LMS and is developed by the Sakai Foundation which is a non-profit corporation. Sakai staff provide technical support, speak at conferences about Sakai, and manage Sakai's own conferences and meetings. The Sakai Foundation Board includes members from the following colleges and universities: University of Cambridge, Marist College, Stanford University, Georgia Tech, University of Michigan, University of Cape Town, Indiana University, and Toronto University. Sakai provides learning spaces for each course that allow faculty and students to collaborate asynchronously through Forums, Blogs, Email, and Wikis tools. It also provides the ability for faculty and students to communicate synchronously through a Chat tool. In some cases, however, a course will use a different LMS when it is pedagogically necessary to use a different system. For example, some courses in Modern Languages are taught through a web-based system hosted offsite by a publisher tailored for this disciplinary focus. The use of a system other than Sakai must be approved by the Associate Provost/Chief Information Officer. In addition to the LMS, some courses may use a synchronous component allowing for real time audio, video, shared whiteboard, and desktop sharing. 8.38.2.2

The Organization and Administrative Structure for Online Education. The Associate Provost/Chief Information Officer gives administrative oversight to online education. The Director of Learning Technology Services reports to the Associate Provost/Chief Information Officer and provides direct oversight to the undergraduate and graduate online education. The Educational Technology Committee, chaired by the Associate Provost/Chief Information Officer, is the College’s standing committee that gives oversight to educational technology in general and online education in particular. The Educational Technology Committee reports both to the Community of Educators Senate and the College Council. The Faculty Services office provides a central location for faculty to obtain copyright clearance requests, learning management system training and assistance, test scoring, and word processing services.

8.38.2.3

Information Security. The Chief Information Officer provides oversight for the College’s information security. This plan complies with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB Act). The intent is to guard against the unauthorized access to, or use of such information that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to any student. The details of the College’s Data Security policies are available through MCSquare (the College’s portal).

8.38.2.4

Copyright. Online transmission of course content that includes display and performance of copyrighted works is governed by the federal TEACH (Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization) Act. TEACH allows an accredited, nonprofit educational institution to transmit performances and displays of copyrighted works as part of a course without prior permission from copyright holders if certain conditions are met. If these conditions are not or cannot be met, the copyrighted material may be used only if it qualifies as a “fair use” or prior permission from the copyright holders has been obtained. Works which are in the public domain may be used freely.

Messiah College

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

Each course will provide notice to students that materials used in connection with the course may be subject to copyright protection. Specifically, the notice will state, The materials on this course website are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated. In addition, technical safeguards will be in place before copyrighted works are transmitted as part of any online course. Possible safeguards may include password protection, limitation of the time that the material is posted, streaming of video, and use of HTML coding to prevent downloading and copying. Messiah College’s full copyright policy can be found in the Community of Educator’s Handbook. Helpful information can be found in “The Society for Cinema and Media Studies’ Statement of Best Practices for Fair Use in Teaching for Film and Media Educators.” Source: 17 U.S.C. 110(2); 117 U.S.C. 112(f); http://www.copyright.iupui.edu/teach_summary.htm; http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/scc/legisative/teachkit/overview.html; http://www.copyright.com/services/copyrightoncampus/basics/teach.asp 8.38.3 8.38.3.1

8.38.3.2

8.38.3.3

8.38.3.4

Messiah College

Curriculum and Instruction Scope. To assure the coherent integration of online courses into the College, we have instituted the following policy: Online courses can only be delivered as a part of an approved program. In other words, while faculty can (and are encouraged to) use web-based pedagogies in traditional classroom settings, faculty members cannot simply choose to offer a course completely online. Online courses can only be offered when they are approved as a part of a particular academic program that has incorporated online courses into its educational and financial plan. Currently, online courses are only approved to be offered within the College’s Summer Session and in the proposed graduate programs. This policy allows the College to control the use of online education rather than having online education impact the instruction educationally and financially in unforeseen ways. Class Size Expectations. In many, if not most, cases the class size of an online course will be smaller than the size of the course when offered in a traditional classroom environment. Course Format. Faculty must deliver online courses through a College approved and supported learning management system. Sakai is currently the College designated learning management system. Exceptions must be approved in writing by the Associate Provost/Chief Information Officer. All online courses will be password protected and each student enrolled in the course will be given a user name and password to the course. Course Design and Syllabus. Basic parameters for online course design include (in summary form): • Courses must be developed using the Checklist for Online Courses established by the College and based on the Quality Matters model (see Standards and Approval for Online Delivery below). • Courses must meet the same course objectives and content standards as courses approved by the department within which the course is housed. • The course design for all courses offered online must be fully developed and approved by the Director of Learning Technology Services before they can be delivered. Once fully developed, courses must be updated and or modified as

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.38.3.5

necessary before being offered during a subsequent term (see Evaluation and Assessment – Review/Update/Deletion of Online Courses below). • All courses must be designed in accordance with the instructional time guidelines set by the State as interpreted by the College (see Instructional Time: Compliance with Pennsylvania Department of Education below). • Syllabi are required for online courses and must meet the content requirements as listed in the College’s policy found in the Community of Educator’s Handbook, Section 8.15. Course syllabi must be made available for posting to the web as soon as possible before the course begins. Each syllabus must provide a schedule for assignment completion to help pace the student through the course. Due to the nature of web-based courses, students need a guide and calendar for completion of assignments. • All courses must contain information directing students to appropriate resources for assistance (see Student Support below). This may be accomplished with a self-directed link from the course to the pertinent areas. • Faculty teaching online courses must enroll their Department Chair, Program Coordinator/Program Director, Associate Provost/Chief Information Officer, and the Director of Learning Technology Services in the courses to allow access for observation and evaluation. • Interaction must be provided that involves the students, the faculty member and the course content. An asynchronous online discussion forum, synchronous discussions, and student collaboration on projects through a wiki are examples of ways in which this interaction may occur. (See Instructional and Seat Time: Compliance with Pennsylvania Department of Education.) • All grades should be released to students as soon as possible within the LMS and are to be kept confidential. Students must be informed of the method for accessing their grades within the LMS. Instructional and Seat Time: Compliance with the Pennsylvania Department of Education. When courses are delivered online, consideration must be given to instructional time expectations. In other words, how does the normal “seat time” expectations within the traditional classroom based courses relate to courses delivered online? The Pennsylvania Department of Education has established guidelines for addressing this issue. Online courses at Messiah will be designed and delivered within these guidelines. These guidelines indicate “the required number of hours of classroom instruction for the amount of credit awarded.” Each college or university must ensure compliance with these guidelines in traditional classrooms as well as online courses. In short, “one college semester credit is defined as 14 hours of classroom instruction. A threecredit semester based course would need to meet for 42 hours of rigorous college classroom instruction over the semester.” Thus each college must define “classroom instruction” and ensure the amount of time allocated to “classroom instruction” meets the minimum of 42 hours per 3 credit course. To identify high quality curricular content that is the equivalent of classroom instruction, the following should be considered. The activities that are the equivalent to classroom instruction would best be: • Directly related to the objectives of the course/program • Be measurable for grading purposes

Messiah College

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

• •

Have the direct oversight or supervision of the faculty member teaching the course In some form be the equivalent of an activity conducted in the classroom

The following activities are not the equivalent of Classroom Instruction as taken directly from the policy: • Homework assignments • The amount of time the student spends accomplishing a task Messiah College has established online activities that are equivalent to classroom instruction. All courses must be designed and delivered in accordance with this determination.  All tasks must relate directly to the course objectives.  All tasks involve faculty/student interaction.

Faculty supervised ice breakers Synchronous Instruction Digital Samba (Lectures, Presentations, Discussions) Chat (Discussions, Question and Answer) Telephone (Discussions, Question and Answer) Presentations (Text, Audio, Video) that directly relates to the objectives of the course and provide stimulus for response Faculty supervised forums Reflection Paper or Article Review Presentations* Response to Specific Topics Analysis of Case Studies Video (lecture, clips, full length films) that provide stimulus for response Quizzes and tests when feedback is provided Student Creation and Sharing of Blogs, Journals, and Logs* Collaboration/Group Work through the use of synchronous software or through the use if a wiki to research, problem solve, etc.* Field Trips, Tours, Web Quests that provide stimulus for response Use of guest speakers through audio, video, or as part of a forum that provides stimulus for response For courses that have a lab component, those tasks that would normally be done in the (computer) lab Research*

Instructional Time = time required to participate = time required to participate = time required to review and respond = time required to review and respond = time required to review and respond = time required to complete and receive feedback = time required to read and provide feedback = time that instructor provides direction and feedback = time required to accomplish task = time required to review and respond = time required to accomplish task = time that instructor provides direction and feedback

*Time spent Blogging, Journaling, and recording in a log; Group Work that is unsupervised; any time that is spent researching and reading are NOT tasks that are Equivalent to Classroom instruction. 8.38.3.6

Messiah College

Standards and Approval for Online Delivery. Online courses created from already

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

existing courses must meet the same course objectives and content standards as courses offered in a classroom-based format. The establishment of any new course (classroom-based or online) must be approved through normal governance procedures. In consultation with the Department Chair, interested faculty member, Program Coordinator, and /or Program Director, the Associate Provost/Chief Information Officer will make decisions on course proposals on the basis of the college’s curricular needs and available funds. In addition, the Associate Provost/Chief Information Officer will approve the implementation of all online courses based on the Checklist for Online Courses, established by the College based on the Quality Matters model – http://www.qualitymatters.org/Rubric.htm

Checklist for Online Courses Training Introduction to Sakai Sakai Modules Create a Course Digital Samba Video/Audio

Basic Navigation; Exposure to the Tools and their Purpose; Resources Adding/Removing documents Use Test/Quizzes, Assignments, Gradebook and Forums Create your own online course in Sakai one step at a time through this online course Synchronous software allowing for real time collaboration via audio and video Connect (Need VPN? – contact desktop support at Ext. 4444), Create, Convert, Upload

Home Page and Course Organization Access to Professor Access to Tech Support Copyright Statement Tools (on menu bar)

Provides instructions on how to communicate privately with the faculty member (Phone, Text, email/Messages) Provides link to Student Technology Support Provides Copyright Protection Statement Tools are refined; Tools and uses for each are explained to the students

Syllabus and Calendar Complete Posted Calendar

Messiah College

Includes all required components Posted as PDF Lists important dates; Consistent with Syllabus, Assignments, Forums

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

Tools in Sakai First Announcement

Provides a welcome statement (letter, PowerPoint, video, etc.) introducing students to the course; Students are directed to the course syllabus; Faculty expectations and an Icebreaker are included Provide detailed instructions including when and how to complete required work; Provide assessment rubrics

Assignments *Student video assignments? Provide detailed instructions on how to post, copy and paste Forums Resources *ADA, Copyright, Uploading videos? Tests and Quizzes

text; Provide an open forum for introductions and Q & A, Netiquette rules, and assessment rubrics Organized in folders to reflect the learning objectives of the course (chronologically, by topic, etc,); Pictures and links to video files contain a text description of visual and transcript of audio; Properly cited All items are created, tested and published

Drop Box

Lists all graded components and is organized chronologically, by due date or in categories; Gradebook items and course grade are released to students For communication between and among faculty, students, and student groups As applicable

Library Link

As applicable

Gradebook Messages

*Faculty Training Required. Digital Samba *as applicable Provides a direct link to virtual room on Home Page (do not

Navigation

add to the menu bar) Clear, logical, consistent, efficient, and redundant

Activities/Assignments Best Practices Expectations, Requirements and Standards Dynamic and Interactive

Instructor/Student Interaction Feedback

Community

Messiah College

Syllabus, Rubrics, and Assignment instructions clearly define all expectations and support learning objectives Assignments include participation in the creation, compilation, discovery, and communication of material - videos, discussions, peer evaluation, group projects, etc. Faculty interacts daily in course (providing feedback, participating in Forum, etc.) Clear and appropriate standards for response time are communicated in the course syllabus; Faculty member adheres to and often exceeds these standards providing complete, timely, friendly feedback Participation in Forums, Wiki, and other group projects as assigned are assessed and included in the course grade; Faculty member initiates, fosters, and guides open, personal communication

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.38.4 8.38.4.1 8.38.4.1.1 8.38.4.1.2

Faculty Support Training and Technological Support for Faculty Hardware and Software. Faculty teaching online courses will be provided with all necessary hardware and software required for the delivery of the course. Required Training. Faculty cannot simply move from traditional classroom-based instruction to online instruction. The fact that a faculty member has taught a course in the traditional format does not mean the traditional course has been adequately designed for online delivery or that the faculty member is qualified and prepared to offer the course online. Thus, all faculty members who teach an online course go through mandatory training. This involves both training in developing an online course and in the delivery of online courses. The Director of Learning Technology Services, in conjunction with the Associate Provost/Chief Information Officer, Information Technology Services, and Faculty Services, is responsible for arranging training and support for faculty developing and delivering online courses as well as those faculty members using technology to supplement their traditional courses. Faculty who will be delivering an online course for the first time at Messiah College are required to complete training via an online course where they will learn about the features of the College’s LMS and the pedagogy of an online environment. This course requires a commitment of a minimum of 20 hours. This training will enable faculty to develop their course. Moreover, each faculty member teaching an online course must meet with the Coordinator for Educational Technology to determine if the faculty member is prepared to teach online. Faculty taking the required training are compensated for this training at a fixed rate determined each year. Faculty will have the opportunity to take part in this training multiple times throughout the year, generally during the fall, spring or summer sessions. Faculty, who have received compensation for this initial training and course development, will also be compensated for any new course they develop for online delivery.

8.38.4.1.3

Messiah College

Course development training, formal workshops, one-on-one support, and ongoing support related to trouble-shooting on demand will be provided throughout the year by the Director of Learning Technology Services and by Faculty Services. Faculty are encouraged to participate in the workshops and ask for support as needed to continue to grow in their knowledge of available technologies. We have found that one of the most valuable resources for training and ongoing development are the faculty themselves. A good number of faculty already have experience in teaching online. They have and will continue to be used as resource persons in the development and delivery of online courses. Course Delivery and Technical Support - A site within Messiah’s LMS, HELP (for faculty), is also available to faculty, providing tutorials, and documentation. Here, faculty will find links to resources and forums on the web providing a wealth of information on resources and pedagogy in an online environment. Faculty may use the Forum within this site for asynchronous discussions with their Messiah colleagues related to the online environment.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

During the delivery of courses, person-to-person support is available between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. (seven days a week). This support is available via instant messaging, phone, and email. Instructions on accessing this help are provided on the HELP (for faculty) site. 8.38.4.2

Intellectual Property and the Ownership of Online Courses. College policy related to intellectual property and ownership of online courses is described in the Messiah College Intellectual Property Policy. Messiah’s full intellectual property policy can be found in the Community of Educator’s Handbook.

8.38.5 8.38.5.1

Student Support Minimum System Requirements. The following list represents configurations that provide the best performance with our learning management system and synchronous software. These are the configurations the College is ready and able to support. Although students may find that other configurations may work as well, those configurations may not be supported by Academic Technology Services. Internet Connection Required: High speed or broadband cable Browser: Mozilla Firefox 3.0 or higher Operating System Version:  Windows ® (XP, Vista, Windows 7)  MAC (10.5 or higher) Processor: 2.0 – 4.0 GHz Memory (RAM): Minimum 2 GB or RAM Hard Disk Space: Minimum 40 GB of free space CD-ROM/CD-RW drive: DVD or combo drive helpful Office Suite: Ex., Microsoft Office 2007 or newer, OpenOffice 3.1, or Google Docs. Some courses will require additional software and/or hardware as it pertains to the instruction of the course. These additional requirements will be clearly spelled out in course syllabi.

8.38.5.2

8.38.5.3

Messiah College

Technological Support for Students. Messiah College’s online course website offers links to tutorials on Sakai providing valuable information to students so that they may assess whether online courses are suited to their needs. The College’s LMS provides a help tool that is accessible on every page. In addition, within the LMS, students are instructed to join a HELP (for students) site that offers tutorials, documentation, and links to supporting resources, which are intended to make using the LMS seamless. Person-to-person support is available between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. (seven days a week). This support is available via instant messaging, phone, and email. Instructions on accessing this help are provided on the HELP (for students) site. Links to this information are also available through a student’s course site. Library Access. Reference services are available from Librarians; hours and contact information are listed on the library website. Online course students have access via the Internet to online databases (including full-text articles) and the library catalog. Students can access the library through the Messiah College website or via McSquare or Sakai with their College login. Journal articles not available online can be requested through Interlibrary Loan and will be forwarded electronically to students.

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COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.38.5.4

8.38.5.5

Books owned by the library will be mailed to a student’s home address. Students may also present their Messiah College ID card at various Pennsylvania libraries to check out books from a local library. Students outside of Pennsylvania may visit their local college to see if they offer borrowing privileges. If in the area, students in online courses are always welcome to visit Messiah College’s Murray Library to do research, check out materials, or place ILL requests. Bookstore. All required textbooks and other required classroom materials for each course will be listed in the syllabus and also on the Campus Store website. Students can order their books online directly from the Textbook Express through the Campus Store website and have their orders delivered directly to their residence or pick them up at the College. Return policies will be clearly described on the Campus Store website. Academic Integrity Policy. Messiah College’s Academic Integrity Policy, which is referenced in all College syllabi and in the Student Handbook, has been amended to include the following examples of cheating: having someone else take the exam for you, using any kind of electronic mobile or storage devices, communicating via email, IM, or text messaging during an exam, using the internet, sniffers, spyware or other software to retrieve information or other students’ answers, purposely disconnecting from the internet to cause a lock on an online exam, etc. Prior to the submission of an assignment, students are required to acknowledge that they have read and understand the Messiah College Academic Integrity Policy and have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid in the completion of the assignment. Messiah College’s full Academic Integrity policy can be found in the Student Handbook.

8.38.5.6 8.38.5.6.1

8.38.5.6.2 8.38.5.6.3

8.38.5.6.4

Messiah College

Admissions/Registration/Orientation/Advising Admissions. Students enrolling in online courses are expected to meet the same admissions requirements as students in classroom-based courses. Any nonmatriculated or other new student seeking to enroll in an online course(s) must first complete an application for admission. The Admission process and procedures are available online. Registration. Registration is available fully online. The directions and protocol for registration will be provided to each student who is accepted into a program. Orientation. Messiah College’s online course website offers links to tutorials on Sakai providing valuable information to prospective students so they may assess whether online courses are suited to their needs. In addition, prospective students will be able to use guest login to navigate through sample courses and a student help site providing documentation on the use of tools within Sakai. All of these features (tutorials, guest access, and technical support documentation) within our online website will be useful orientation for prospective students within both the graduate and undergraduate programs. Advising. The College provides advising services to degree seeking students. Any current full-time or part-time student who takes an online course will be advised during the established advising/registration process. Communication will occur via email, phone, and through synchronous software providing real-time audio and video.

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

Students who are not matriculated but accepted to take a course (whether online or classroom-based) are routinely given brief, descriptive advice by the Registrar’s Office as part of registration for a course. Any more detailed questions are currently and will continue to be directed to the appropriate department chair or program coordinator/program director. Communication will occur via email, phone, and through synchronous software providing real-time audio and video. 8.38.5.7

Grievances. Students with the following grievances should follow the procedures as outlined in the Student Handbook on Messiah College’s website. • Americans with Disabilities Act - ADA • Harassment/Discrimination • Conflict with another student or employee of Messiah College • Grade Disputes • Other disciplinary actions

8.38.5.8

Behavior Expectations. Students will be provided with a safe educational environment in which to participate in the community of a Messiah College course. The same behavior expectations that exist in a traditional classroom setting exist in an online course. Students are expected to be respectful of others in the class, being respectful of other member’s identity, communication style, and information that is provided to the class. Sending unsolicited communication to the course site or to other student’s email accounts is not permitted. Online course sites are to be used to communicate with others in the class in a manner that is cordial and for the purpose of meeting the course objectives. Students using a course site for purposes other than those indicated in the course syllabus may be removed from the course. Students that are aware of any infractions are instructed to report details of the infraction to the Associate Provost/Chief Information Officer. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students with disabilities requiring accommodation in classes, programs, or services can arrange for accommodations through the Office of Disability Services. Students are required to self identify, present current documentation of eligibility (generally no older than three to four years) and specify any needed accommodations. For on-line courses, the nature of the instructional process may require a different set of accommodations than those required for traditional courses. The College will actively work to assure that all course materials are available in a form that assures students full, equal access to content and instruction. Messiah College’s full ADA Policy can be found in the Student Handbook.

8.38.5.9

8.38.6 8.38.6.1

Messiah College

Evaluation and Assessment Proctoring. Students in online courses may be required by the instructor to find and designate an approved proctor who will be responsible for administering examinations. The student will also be responsible for paying any fees required by the proctor. Unless the instructor specifies otherwise in the syllabus, the following steps are required when a proctor has been selected: • Well in advance of the first exam requiring a proctor, the student is responsible for ensuring that the proctor completes the Proctor Approval Form where the proctor states in writing to the instructor and Messiah College that he or she is employed as an instructor or administrator by a local college or university, community or public library, high school, or other public learning facility and

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.38.6.2

that they can fulfill the requirements for proctoring examinations for that course. • The Proctor Approval Form is mailed, scanned and emailed, or faxed back to the instructor for approval. • After each proctored examination, the proctor will complete a Proctor Verification Statement that indicates: o The student taking the exam presented them with a photo ID at the time of the exam; o The student finished the exam in the amount of time specified by the instructor; o The proctor was physically present during the entire time the student had the exam in his or her possession; and o The exam environment was otherwise secure. • The Proctor Verification Statement will be either faxed, mailed, or scanned and emailed to the instructor immediately following the exam. • One week in advance of each exam date an appropriate contact with the proctor will be made by the instructor to indicate instructions for the upcoming exam. • Proctors will send completed exams (if not completed in an online environment) directly to the instructor along with the Proctor Verification Statement verifying the integrity of the testing situation. Individual instructors and proctors will determine the appropriate method of delivery of the exams (web-based, e-mail, fax, standard mail, etc.). Course and Faculty Evaluations. Each new online course offered will be evaluated using the IDEA form (the assessment tool used for courses at Messiah College) as well as an additional assessment survey created specifically for online courses. The IDEA form instrument allows us to compare how the online delivery of courses compares to other similar courses in the IDEA national database and to our own other online courses. The IDEA form provides feedback on the instructor, pedagogical methods, and the effectiveness of both. The results will be reviewed by the Associate Provost/Chief Information Officer, the School Dean, and the director of the respective program. Faculty have the option of placing the results of these evaluations in their evaluation file. The survey created to assess online courses is based off a rubric produced by the Quality Matters (QM) project. This assessment allows students to provide feedback on the course’s online nature according to the following various characteristics: registration process, operation of the learning management system, quality of technical support, status of course completion, quality of syllabus, clarity of course objectives, quality of course organization, course structure/flow, course design, interaction with professor, interaction with other individual students, tests and quizzes, forums, projects, papers, and other interaction in groups. The first time each course is offered both instruments will be employed. All additional online offerings of a course will employ the student survey assessing the online course. The IDEA form must be employed every other time the course is offered.

8.38.6.3

Messiah College

Review/Update/Archive/Deletion of Online Courses. The professor of an existing online course is responsible for reviewing and updating the course content according to policies established at the time of review. The purpose of the review is to ensure

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

that the courses meet the needs of changing technology and comply with all requirements listed in the Messiah College Online Course Policies. Courses will be available to instructors for four years before a course is deleted from the system. Automatic course deletions will occur twice a year in January and July and will affect courses that are more than four years old at that time. Instructors will be contacted via email notification at two months, one month, and one week prior to the course site being deleted. Notifications will remind instructors that courses are being deleted on the designated date and time and will provide explicit instructions for archiving courses and content. 8.38.6.4

Messiah College

Program Evaluation and Assessment. Online education will be an integral part of our programming. Since all of our educational programming is a part of our Institutional Effectiveness/Program Review process, the online components of our programs will fall naturally into this program review and assessment process.

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.39

COURSE FEE POLICY

8.39.1 8.39.1.1

Policy for Course Fees It is the intent of the College that the collective tuition of all students covers the vast majority of expenses associated with instruction. It is not the intent of the College to establish various and numerous course fees as an avenue to collect additional revenue. A course fee is warranted only when the College incurs continuing and significant expenses for services supplied directly to the student taking that course as a requirement of the course. Each individual student in that course is required to bear the responsibility of those additional and special expenses. Course fees should be set at an amount no higher than necessary to cover the on-going additional expenses of the course. Course fees are not a mechanism by which to fund additional personnel or other operating costs of an academic area. Course fees must be posted on the schedule of classes available to students so students know about the fee upon registration for the course. In no case should a fee for a course requirement be collected by a faculty member or program director that has not been posted previously on the class schedule. Examples of acceptable situations or combinations of situations in which a fee may be attached to a course include the following: a. laboratory, studio, clinical, or other courses that involve substantial use of supplies or special expendable materials purchased in large quantities at significant savings to students (e.g. science lab fees, art studio fees, first aid course for athletic training majors); b. private instruction or mentoring for students (e.g. applied music instruction); c. courses that require the regular availability of specialized equipment, software, and/or facilities with current state-of-the-art capabilities (e.g. PDA’s for nursing students, heart monitors for health and physical education students); d. off-campus study - a field trip, cross-cultural, or a full semester of study at an alternate location or abroad (e.g. International Business Institute, Gaiety cross cultural, wilderness encounter, desert ecology); e. application fees for certification exams that are part of the completion of a major program of study (e.g. Education certification exams). There are very few instances where expenses other than a course fee may be passed on to students in a course. However, whenever this occurs, the expenses should be optional or voluntary, e.g. extemporaneous field trip (voluntary with alternatives for those who cannot go on the trip), deposit on equipment (an option for students who do not already own such equipment). The faculty member should provide alternate learning experiences if a student is unable to finance an expense.

8.39.1.2

8.39.1.3

8.39.2 8.39.2.1

Messiah College

Procedure for Establishing a Course Fee A request for a course fee may be initiated when the level of expense in a course validates the need for such a fee. The Department Chair in consultation with their School Dean should send the written request for the fee to the Associate Provost/Chief Information Officer. The request shall include a short justification for the fee with a description of how the fee revenue is intended to be spent, a specific proposal that identifies the amount of the fee to be charged, a budget that details the anticipated revenue and expenses associated with the fee account, and evidence that the faculty in the department or program have discussed the fee and the value added

Date Published: January 2010

COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS HANDBOOK Section 8: Academic Policies

8.39.2.2

Messiah College

for the course in which the special fee will be charged. The Associate Provost/Chief Information Officer will approve requests for course fees with the advice of the Curriculum Committee in accordance with this policy. If approved, the Associate Provost/Chief Information Officer shall forward the proposal to the Registrar’s Office and Business Office for implementation. Students may not be assessed special course fees that have not been approved in this fashion. Once approved, a course fee shall be noted in the official schedule of classes, and the fee shall be added to the tuition and fees billed when a student registers for the course. Should a student drop a course with a fee, the fee shall be subject to the normal College refund policies appropriate for that type of fee.

Date Published: January 2010