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Below is a
summary of the policies pertinent to students
and is not intended to override the Academic Policies described in the
official College Catalog. Please refer to the College Catalog for
further information/clarification.
Academic Honesty
When we
engage in scholarship, we seek answers to questions we care about; we
learn from others’ work, and we add our contributions to a growing body
of knowledge. However, we cannot honestly value that knowledge unless
we also value truth. Acts of academic dishonesty are lies. They
degrade our shared search for understanding as a community of scholars,
and they undermine the integrity of that community by injecting
falsehood into our dialogue. As a historically Quaker college, Whittier
honors the Friends’ testimonies of truth, community, and equality, where
equality reflects our conviction that we are all worthy of equal
respect. Thus, when members of our community commit acts of academic
dishonesty, they are not committing victimless crimes. By violating –
even in secret – the respect which they owe their colleagues, they tear
the fabric of our community. Further, by shrinking from the
self-defining work of scholarship, they hurt themselves.
General Policy on Academic Honesty
Because
the preservation of academic honesty is as fundamental to our shared
enterprise as the transmission of knowledge, the faculty and
administration of the College regard educating students in academic
integrity to be as important as inspiring them to rise to the challenge
of learning. Students are expected to produce independent work and to
cite sources of information and concepts. When these principles are
breached and a student misrepresents his or her level of knowledge, the
basic framework of scholarship is broken. In these instances, students
will be held accountable and will face sanctions that range from a
warning to expulsion from the College. Ignorance of what constitutes
plagiarism or cheating is not a valid defense. If students are
uncertain of policies, they should consult the instructor for
clarification. Adherence to the policies delineated below reflects the
commitment of our community to a single standard of truth, a standard
binding on students, faculty, and administrators alike.
Definitions
These
definitions do not represent a complete list of possible infractions;
rather, they are intended to generally reveal the range of conduct which
violates academic honesty.
1. plagiarism - Submitted
work should be one’s own work and it should properly acknowledge ideas
and words from others: ideas from another source should be cited in both
the body and the works cited section of the paper, and exact words from
another source should be placed within quotes. Plagiarism is submitting
work done by others as your own work, and it is the failure to properly
and appropriately reference and acknowledge the ideas and words of
others. This can include submitting an entire paper downloaded from a
website or another source, copying and pasting parts of different papers
to form your own paper, failure to put quotes around exact wording used
from another source, and failure to appropriately reference ideas from
another person. Citation guidelines can be found in any writing
handbook. While incorrect citation format may not necessarily be
defined as plagiarism, individual instructors may penalize students for
using an incorrect citation format. Please be aware that different
disciplines use different forms for citing work. While each department
should make these citation styles available, one is ultimately
responsible for finding out this information. Students will be
instructed on when and how to appropriately cite other people's work in
their own papers in the College Writing Seminar and in the Writing
Intensive Courses. Departments are also strongly encouraged to instruct
students on appropriate citation in their introductory courses;
2. cheating –
Honesty involves presenting one’s own
level of knowledge as accurately as possible. Misrepresentation of
one’s knowledge is considered cheating; examples include copying or
sharing exam answers, presenting work done by others as one’s own,
changing in any way work which may be reviewed in response to a grade
consideration request, having a falsely identified person take an exam,
or using notes, books and the like in closed-book examinations;
3. misrepresentation of
experience, ability, or effort -
One is expected to accurately and fairly present one’s experience,
ability, or effort for any purpose. Providing false information
concerning academic achievement or background in an area of study is
academically dishonest. Examples include falsely reporting the
substance of an internship, falsely representing the content of prior
coursework, or falsely representing effort on a group project;
4. unauthorized collaboration - In
many course activities, other than examinations, collaboration is
permitted and encouraged. Course syllabi and in-class instructions will
usually identify situations where collaboration is permitted, but the
student shares responsibility for ascertaining whether collaboration is
permitted. Collaboration on homework, take-home exams, or other
assignments which the instructor has designated as “independent work”
will be considered academically dishonest;
5. submission of same work in
two courses without explicit permission to do so-
Presenting all or part of work done for
one course in another course requires permission of the instructors of
the involved courses. Connected or paired courses may require
submission of the same work in the two associated courses; this will be
explicitly stated for this type of assignment. Failure to gain
permission from the instructors in submitting the same work will be
considered academically dishonest;
6. falsification of records –
Records document a person’s past accomplishments and give one measure of
assessing those accomplishments. Any attempt to change grades or
written records pertaining to assessment of a student’s academic
achievement will be considered academically dishonest;
7. sabotage – Valuing community
means that one should respect another person’s work and efforts.
Destruction of or deliberate inhibition of progress of another person’s
work related to a course is considered academically dishonest. This
includes the destruction or hiding of shared resources such as library
materials and computer software and hardware to tampering with another
person’s laboratory experiments;
8. complicity concerning any of the
above – Valuing community also means that one is honest with respect
to another person’s work as well as with one’s own work. Any act which
facilitates or encourages academic dishonesty by another person is
itself an act of academic dishonesty.
Sanctions
Various sanctions exist which may be applied in
response to an act of academic dishonesty. The severity of sanctions
will correlate to the severity of the offense. Judgment of the severity
of an academic dishonesty offense is the responsibility of the faculty
member. The faculty member is encouraged to seek counsel of faculty
colleagues, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and/or the Dean of
Students in gaining perspective concerning the severity of the offense.
All grade related sanctions shall be levied by the
faculty member teaching the course within which the offense occurred.
The Associate Dean of the Faculty and the Dean of Students are available
to provide guidance concerning appropriate sanctions. In addition, the
following are some recommended sanctions for various degrees of
academically dishonest acts.
Violations: Examples may
include plagiarizing anywhere from one sentence to
one paragraph in a paper, submission
of the same work in two classes
without the instructor’s permission, and unauthorized
collaboration on a minor assignment.
Recommended range of
sanctions: Reduction in letter grade for the assignment up
to a failing grade on the
assignment. Repeated violations in the same course may result in
a failing grade for the course.
Flagrant Violations: Examples may include plagiarizing an
entire paper or most of a paper, cheating on a quiz or exam, and
unauthorized collaboration on a major assignment.
Recommended range of sanctions: Failing grade on the
assignment up to a failing grade in the course.
Faculty members who wish to apply sanctions other
than the recommended range of sanctions listed above, must explicitly
state this in their syllabus for a course.
The Process
Faculty
members must provide the student with a written account of the offense
and the sanction. Faculty members must also report cases of academic
dishonesty to the Office of the Dean of Students, including a brief
written account of the offense and the sanction levied through an
on-line form, and a copy of the plagiarized paper. The Dean of Students
must take a student to the Hearing Board if the student has a minimum of
two flagrant violations or three total violations. The Dean of Students
has the discretion to take students to the Hearing Board for fewer
violations if there are other outstanding circumstances. Also, the Dean
of Students must communicate with involved faculty members if a student
is scheduled to appear before the Hearing Board.
The
Hearing Board considers whether any further action should be taken which
may include suspension or expulsion from the college. The Hearing Board
does not reconsider the grade sanction given by the faculty member
earlier in the process, but rather considers whether additional
sanctions are merited. The Board will consider the entire student
record of misconduct when making its decision and it will not limit
itself just to acts of academic dishonesty.
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Academic Petitions Policy and Process
The Petitions Committee, composed of faculty and
the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, reviews and makes decisions on
student petitions for waivers of admissions requirements, specific
graduation requirements as outlined in the College catalog, or other
academic requirements. The committee normally grants such waivers only
in the presence of strong and sufficient evidence supplied by the
student. The Committee considers petitions on an individual basis and
does not grant blanket waivers of graduation or other requirements.
Ignorance of College requirements and/or financial hardship are not
sufficient reasons for the granting of a petition.
The procedure for filing a petition is as
follows:
-
The Student discusses a petition request with
his or her faculty advisor and/or the Associate Dean for Academic
Affairs.
-
The Student fills out the petition form as
completely as possible, paying particular attention to “Petition
Request” and “Rationale for Request.”
-
The Student reviews the petition with
his or her faculty advisor and has it signed by the advisor. If
necessary, the advisor provides additional comments.
-
The Student returns the petition and any
supporting materials that may assist the committee in the evaluation
of the request to the Registrar’s Office.
-
The Petitions Committee reviews the request
and provides a written response to the petition.
-
Students may appeal Committee decision. The
procedure for appeal is as follows:
-
The Student reviews the Committee’s decision
with the faculty chair of the Petitions Committee (the name of the
chair can be obtained from the Registrar’s Office or the Advisement
Office).
-
The Student reviews with the faculty advisor
the decision of the Committee and the explanation given by the chair
of the committee. Before an appointment to appeal the decision is
made, the student should be sure to discuss any new and relevant
arguments or materials that might persuade the Committee to
re-evaluate the original request.
-
The Student makes an appointment, through
the Registrar’s Office, with the Petitions Committee. All appeals
must be made in person before the Committee. Students are entitled
to bring an advisor to the meeting. Most students bring their
faculty advisor, but any member of the faculty may accompany a
student to the appeal.
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Academic Progress Policy
Whittier College students are expected to make
continuous progress toward their educational goals. In order to monitor
student progress, a faculty committee reviews all academic records after
the end of each semester. Students who have received any grades of
non-completion have their records placed in an advisement file. Students
who have encountered more serious academic problems are advised to seek
assistance from their faculty advisor, the Advisement Office, and the
Office of Student Life.
Continuing academic problems may result in
academic probation with restrictions on enrollment and extracurricular
activities. Students who do not meet the obligations of probation or who
cease to make satisfactory progress may not be permitted to register for
one or more semesters.
Academic Review
A. Good Standing
Students are considered in Good Standing if
their overall and last semester grade point averages are both 2.00 or
above.
B. Academic Difficulty
Students who earn a semester grade point average
of below 2.00 will be categorized as follows for the next semester:
1.50 - 1.99 into Partial Probation
1.00 - 1.49 into Full Probation
.00 - .99 into Suspension
C. Partial Probation
-
Students on Partial Probation who received a
semester grade point average above 2.00 will continue on Partial
Probation if their overall grade point average is below 2.00; they
will resume Good Standing if their overall grade point average is
above 2.00.
-
Students on Partial Probation are not
restricted from participating in any activities except that they may
not join a society.
D. Full Probation
-
Students on Partial Probation who earn a
semester grade point average below 2.00 will be placed on Full
Probation. Students on Full Probation may not hold any office in
student government, the residence halls, or a society, or participate
in athletics, club sports, drama or music productions, the yearbook,
or the Quaker Campus, unless required to do so for graduation. Other
conditions may be attached to Full Probation by the Academic Review
Committee on an individual basis.
-
Students on Full Probation who earn a semester
grade point average of 2.00 will be moved to Partial Probation if
their overall grade point average is below 2.00; they will resume Good
Standing if their overall grade point average is above 2.00.
E. Suspension. Students on Full Probation who
earn a semester grade point average below 2.00 will be suspended for at
least one semester.
F. Academic Review Committee. Students placed
on Partial Probation, Full Probation or Suspension will receive a letter
of notification from the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic
Advisement.
Students who wish to appeal the conditions that
pertain to their level of academic difficulty (Full Probation or
Suspension) may request a meeting with the Academic Review Committee.
This committee, comprised of faculty and administration, meets prior to
the onset of the fall and spring semesters.
G. Guidelines. The following guidelines may be
applied by the Academic Review Committee as it deems appropriate:
-
The above policies are designed primarily for
full-time students.
-
In considering suspensions, some consideration
may be given to the total number of units earned toward graduation.
-
Students may appeal Committee decisions to the
Associate Academic Dean. In the case of successful appeal of a
suspension, students will be reinstated on Full Probation and
additional conditions may be attached to the probation.
-
Students finishing Incompletes successfully
may have the severity of the sanction reduced.
-
Incompletes, W’s, CR’s, and Evaluations will
not be used in calculating grade point averages.
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Appeals
There are two avenues of appeal, one applicable
to appealing grade sanctions, the other applicable to appealing
suspension or expulsion decisions. The Grade Appeal Committee of the
faculty will consider appeals of grade sanctions. The Dean of Faculty
will hear appeals of suspension and expulsion sanctions. No further
opportunities for appeal are available.
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Attendance Policy
Faculty may, through the end of the fifth school
day for semester classes, drop students who have never attended class.
Individual faculty members establish their own
attendance policies for each course they teach. Students are advised to
check with faculty members about the attendance policies for each class
(Also see the Withdrawal Policy).
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Auditing
Lecture and recitation courses may be audited
without credit with the consent of the instructor. The normal audit fee
is assessed. Courses such as laboratory or studio work may be audited,
but regular tuition and fee charges apply. A student auditing any course
takes no examinations and receives no grade or credit.
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Class Standing
The total number of units earned, including
those accepted from other colleges or universities, determines
classification of undergraduate students.
Classification is established as follows:
Freshman
0–29 semester credits
Sophomore 30–59 semester credits
Junior 60–89
semester credits
Senior 90+
semester credits
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Commencement
The College conducts one Commencement each year
in late May. However, the date of the degree noted on the student’s
permanent record is the last day of the term during which degree
requirements were completed.
Commencement at Whittier College is a very
special event. The faculty are proud of the College’s graduates and, as
such, attendance at Commencement is a College requirement if clearance
from the Business Office has been secured. Students may be excused only
by approval from the Office of the Registrar.
In order to be listed in the Commencement
program and to participate in the graduation ceremonies, all graduation
requirements must be satisfied before Commencement. To be eligible as a
summer graduate and participate in Commencement, a student must register
and pay (or make suitable arrangements with the Business Office) for the
courses needed in the summer at least three weeks prior to Commencement.
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Concurrent Enrollment Policy
The purpose of concurrent enrollment is to allow
currently enrolled students to take approved courses at other
institutions and not lose their current enrollment status at Whittier
College. A student must obtain a Concurrent Enrollment Form from the
Office
of the Registrar and have prior approval for all
courses taken at another institution. Concurrent enrollment courses may
not be used for the Liberal Education requirements. A student may not
register for credit at Whittier College and elsewhere simultaneously
without advance permission from the Registrar. Credit will not be
guaranteed unless the Concurrent Enrollment Form is filed and approved
prior to enrollment at the other institution. Credit will be awarded
after an official transcript has been received and evaluated by the
Office of the Registrar. Actual grades from other institutions will not
transfer to Whittier College; only the credits will transfer.
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Credit by Examination
College credit totaling a maximum of 30 semester
hours may be earned by satisfactorily completing approved examinations.
Acceptable examinations include College Entrance Board Advanced
Placement Tests and International Baccalaureate Higher Level
Examinations. No more than eight units may be awarded from a single
department.
Entering students who have passed Advanced
Placement Tests with a score of four or five will receive credit toward
graduation if the tests are in subject areas taught at Whittier and the
academic department approves. The Registrar’s Office can provide
information on specific departmental policies on numbers of credits
awarded and course equivalencies.
Entering students who have passed International
Baccalaureate Higher Level Examinations with a score of five or above
will receive credit toward graduation on a case-by-case basis with the
approval of the academic department.
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Dean’s List
An undergraduate student will be awarded Dean’s
List honors if he/she earns a 3.70 GPA while completing 12 gradable
units (letter grades of A through F) in the Fall or Spring terms. No
Dean’s List honors will be awarded for Summer or January terms.
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Directed Study
Directed Study is a tutorial arrangement with a
faculty member. Directed Study requires permission of the faculty member
and operates under the following guidelines:
-
The student should have completed the basic
courses offered by the department in which the work is to be done.
-
The substance of the study should not
duplicate the work of any course listed in the catalog; however,
students may petition to meet specific course requirements through
Directed Study.
-
The student may take only one Directed Study
in a given semester.
-
Directed Study courses may be arranged for one
to three credits.
-
Directed Study is offered at the discretion of
the faculty member who will be supervising the tutorial
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Distinction in the Major
The Whittier College faculty believes that
students who have achieved excellence in their majors should receive
recognition at graduation. Because this is an award for academic
achievement, rather than service, the criterion will be either a
superior grade point average in the major (3.5 minimum, at the
discretion of the department) or other extraordinary academic
achievement (published or publishable papers, presentation at a
conference, significant research or creative project). The GPA will be
based on seven semesters, including the first semester of the senior
year. For transfer students, at least 50% of the units required for the
major should reflect work done at Whittier College, or in programs under
the auspices of the College, in order to be considered for the award. In
addition to recognition in the graduation program, the student’s
achievement will be noted on the transcript.
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Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act
The purpose of the Educational Rights and Privacy
Act of 1974 is to assure students at Whittier College access to any and
all records kept by Whittier College that are defined as educational
records and to assure the privacy of students by restricting the
disclosure of information from educational records only to those persons
authorized under the Act. Procedures and policies for access to specific
records may be obtained from the appropriate office.
Information from educational records
is not available to unauthorized persons on campus, or to any person off
campus without the express written consent of the student involved,
except under legal compulsion (e.g. subpoena, warrant), or in cases
where the safety of persons or property is involved. In compliance with
judicial order or subpoena, an attempt must be made in advance to notify
the student. A signed consent from the student must be presented, where
appropriate, to the Dean of Students, the Registrar, or other
appropriate college officials, before information will be released to
those persons who are not institutional authorities specifically
authorized to inspect these files.
Students in attendance at Whittier
College, and parents of such a student with prior written consent of the
student, have access to any and all education records maintained by
Whittier College, including the right of obtaining copies by paying copy
fees.
The College will not disclose
personally identifiable information from the educational records of a
student without the prior written consent of the student, with some
exceptions, except information that has been designated as directory
information: the student’s name, id number (not Social Security Number)
address, telephone number, major field of study, participation in
officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of
members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards
received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution
attended by the student.
Whittier College will give public
notice as to the information designated as directory information. The
student has the right to prohibit the designation of any or all of the
categories of personally identifiable information with respect to that
student, provided that said student notifies the Office of the Registrar
in writing that such personally identifiable information is not to be
designated as directory information with respect to that student.
Notification must be made to the Office of the Registrar within three
days after the student registers each semester.
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Final Examination Policy
It is the policy of Whittier College that all
final examinations are to be given only at the officially scheduled time
for the course as published in the schedule of classes each term. In
addition, no take-home final examinations or papers assigned in lieu of
a final examination will be due prior to the scheduled time of the final
examinations.
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Grade Appeal Policy and Process
The faculty of Whittier College believes that
grading is the responsibility and prerogative of individual faculty
members according to their professional judgments of students’
performance, and that this responsibility and prerogative should be
safeguarded. Nevertheless, the faculty also recognizes the need to
safeguard students of Whittier College against possible bias or lack of
uniformity in the evaluation process, and thus has provided a mechanism
to address this concern.
The maximum time allowed for filing a grade
appeal with the Associate Academic Dean, whether the student is enrolled
or not, is one year from the date the grade was awarded.
This mechanism will be used only in cases where
strong and demonstrable evidence of bias or lack of uniformity in
assigning grades to members of a class exists, and only after all other
avenues of appeal have failed to resolve this question.
I. The process to be observed prior to
utilizing the grade appeal petition is as follows:
-
The student will discuss a disputed grade for
a course with the faculty member in person, in an attempt to resolve
the differences over the grade. If no agreement is reached, then
-
The student will consult with the chair of the
department in which this faculty member is teaching. If the question
is still unresolved, or in the event that the teacher giving the
disputed grade is also the department chair, then
-
The student will refer the question to the
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. The Associate Dean will inquire
into the matter and attempt to bring about an amicable solution. If no
agreement can be reached, and the Associate Dean decides that the
matter requires further attention, then
-
The Associate Dean of Academic Affairs will
direct the student to complete a Grade Appeal Petition, which will be
forwarded to the Grade Appeals Committee, composed of the Dean of
Faculty, the Chair of the Academic Standing Committee, and one faculty
member, appointed by the Faculty Executive Council.
II. The Grade Appeals Committee
The Committee will investigate the underlying
facts of an appeal, which may include interviewing the student, faculty
member, and any other persons whom the committee feels might be able to
help it clarify the matter. If, in the course of this process, an
amicable resolution of the difference can be affected, the Committee’s
consideration of the matter will end.
If, after making a full inquiry into the matter,
no resolution is reached, the Committee will decide the outcome of the
grade appeal. Possible decisions may include leaving the grade as it is,
changing the grade to correct demonstrated evidence of bias or lack of
uniformity in grading, or working out other possible solutions as the
Committee sees fit. No grade may be changed unless the Committee reaches
consensus on the proposed change.
Academic policies and procedures for
post-baccalaureate and graduate students may differ from those cited
above for undergraduates. Please see the document, Academic Policies and
Procedures for Graduate Programs and Programs in Education, available in
the Education Department, for details.
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Grade Definitions
| A |
Excellent |
Generally reserved for the very highest level of
academic work |
| B |
Good |
Meeting course requirements with a high level of
performance |
| C |
Satisfactory |
Awarded for satisfactory completion of all or most
of the course requirements. |
| D |
Passing |
Awarded for barely meeting the minimum standards of
the course. |
| E |
Failing |
Not meeting the minimum standards of the course. |
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Grading Philosophy
The members of the Whittier College faculty regard
the evaluation of student performance as one of their most important
responsibilities. They further believe that grading is a vital element
in this evaluation in that it allows for the reporting of student
progress to the students themselves, to the college for the purposes of
advisement and for the awarding of honors upon graduation, and to the
outside world, at the request of the student, for the applications to
graduate school and for prospective employment.
The awarding of grades by the faculty
reflects the quality of the students’ performance as measured against
the individual faculty member’s expectations based upon objective
criteria, including the nature of the discipline and the faculty
member’s experience in evaluating student performance within that
discipline. Thus, grading will not always be uniform from course to
course.
Moreover, the boundaries of academic
freedom allow discretion on the part of individual faculty members in
the awarding of grades. However, the faculty recognizes that grades must
always be rigorously fair, and awarded on the basis of criteria that are
explained to the students at the beginning of each course. The following
points underscore the faculty’s grading framework:
Course expectations and grading are the sole responsibility of the
course instructor.
Grades are determined based on the
students’ mastery of the course materials and demonstration of the
skills required.
The grading standards shall be
appropriate to the academic level of the course and standards shall not
be set either so high that no one can attain an ‘A’ nor so low that it
is impossible to receive a grade of ‘F.’
Students have the right to information about how
they will be evaluated, so information about grading and grading
standards should be contained in the course syllabus.
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Grading Policy
The academic standards of an institution are
largely determined by the admissions policies of the institution and by
the standards of work required by the faculty. Once awarded, a grade may
not be changed as a result of reevaluation of work submitted by a
student. The only justification for a change of a grade is to correct a
clerical error on the part of the instructor. The submission of
additional work by a student (except to remove an Incomplete resulting
from illness or similar circumstances) is not justification for altering
a grade, once it has been recorded.
Most courses at Whittier College are
graded from A to F with the awarding of (+) or (-) grades is a the
discretion of the instructor; however, at the outset of the class, and
at the discretion of the instructor, the student may be given the choice
of Credit/No Credit(CR/NC) or Letter of Evaluation. Freshman Writing
Seminars cannot be taken for CR/NC.
When an instructor allows a student to
select a grading option, the student is required to indicate that choice
by the fourth week of the semester.
The grade option cannot be changed
after it has been submitted to the Registrar’s Office. All letter
grades, including D’s, F’s, NC’s, UW’s and W’s, will be recorded on the
student’s permanent transcript.
When an instructor is unable to submit
his or her grades by the time all grades are to be posted, then the
Registrar will assign NG (no grade reported) to each student. The grade
will be treated as an Incomplete for all purposes of evaluation.
The three grading options are:
| Grade Option I |
(Grade Points) |
Grade Option II |
Grade Option III |
| A |
4.0 |
|
|
| A- |
3.7 |
|
|
| B+ |
3.3 |
|
|
| B |
3.0 |
|
|
| B- |
2.7 |
CR |
EV(*) |
| C+ |
2.3 |
|
|
| C |
2.0 |
|
|
| C- |
1.7 |
|
|
| CR |
|
|
|
| D |
1.0 |
NC |
(Grades of D and F in courses taken for |
| F |
.0 |
|
CR/NC will receive No Credit) |
| W (**) |
|
|
|
| UW (***) |
|
|
|
(*) Evaluation grades do not guarantee a passing
grade or credit.
(**) Withdrawal
(***) Unauthorized Withdrawal
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Graduate Standing
Those who have been granted baccalaureate degrees
(or equivalent) from accredited colleges and universities are admitted
for fifth-year work as graduate students if they have met the
requirements for degree candidacy as determined by the Whittier College
faculty.
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Honors at Commencement
Each year Whittier College grants academic honors
to deserving seniors at Commencement. The determination is based on
grades received throughout all undergraduate studies at Whittier
College. Honors at Commencement are based on students’ grade point
averages rounded to the nearest hundredth. Students will receive the
highest level of honors for which they are eligible. Those students with
the following grade point averages will receive the corresponding Honors
at commencement:
3.70 - 3.79: Cum Laude
3.80 - 3.89: Magna Cum Laude
3.90 and above: Summa Cum Laude
To graduate with academic honors, the
student must have earned at least 60 credits at Whittier College.
Two-thirds of the total credits earned must be letter grades.
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Incomplete Grades Policy
A grade of Incomplete may be issued to a student in
a course for which the student has been unable to complete the
requirements due to extenuating circumstances. The student must request
a grade of “Incomplete” using the Application for Incomplete Grade
form found on the Registrar’s Forms web page. An incomplete may be
assigned at the Instructor’s discretion and only when exceptional
circumstances, circumstances beyond the control of the student, have
prevented the student from completing the final assigned work or
examination. The instructor will note requirements to be completed on
the application form. Incompletes may not be granted to students for
improper time management, academic overload, or outside employment
conflicts.
All
requirements to satisfy the incomplete grade must be completed no later
than 10 weeks following the last day of the term in which the incomplete
is issued. Failure to complete the work within the time allotted will
result in the student receiving a non-passing grade for the course.
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IP In-Progress Grades Policy
Assigned when an
educational experience (e.g., student teaching, internship, or
practicum) is designed to extend beyond the traditional grading term. A
grade of IP must be accompanied by a date at which a final grade is due.
If a grade is not submitted to the registrar by the specified date, a
grade of “I” will be assigned. Thereafter, the course is governed by the
policy of “Incomplete Grades”. A grade of IP cannot be assigned for a
traditional course as a means to extend the grading period beyond the
traditional term.
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Non-Degree Standing
For those interested in academic pursuits outside
of any degree requirements, “non-degree” standing is permissible on
either a part-time or full-time basis with the approval of the
Admissions Committee. A non-degree student must satisfy the English
proficiency requirement for degree candidates at the College. A student
may transfer no more than 30 credits of courses taken at Whittier
College under non-degree status toward a Whittier College Bachelor of
Arts and no more than 12 non-degree credits toward the Master’s degree
at the College.
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Readmission
Those students who have interrupted their studies
at Whittier for a semester or more must be readmitted by the Registrar’s
Office. Transcripts must be submitted from any other college(s) attended
during the absence from Whittier. Readmitted students may begin classes
at the beginning of the fall, January, or spring terms.
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Registration and Class Scheduling
The Office of the Registrar is the principal source
of information concerning registration procedures. Details are contained
in the Schedule of Classes published each semester prior to registration
for the upcoming semester.
Student must complete
registration during the assigned period at the beginning of each term by
paying tuition and fees and by filing the completed registration form
with the Registrar. A new, re-admitted, or continuing student who did
not pre-enroll must register during regular registration periods. No
credit will be given for a course in which the student is not officially
registered.
Flexibility for learning is built into
daily and weekly class scheduling. 50-minute and 80-minute class periods
are available throughout each week day. Frequency of weekly meetings
varies, depending upon the credit value of the particular subject.
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Registration Changes
Once the student has filed the registration form
with the Registrar, any necessary changes must be made on the
appropriate form during the period stated in the Class Schedule and
Registration Guide. The faculty mentor or advisor must approve all
program changes. One classes have started, individual instructors must
approve the addition of any student to their classes. No change is
accepted after the third week of the semester.
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Repeated Coursework Policy
A course may be repeated, but degree credit will be
given only once (except for courses designated in this catalog as “may
be repeated for credit”). The grade assigned for each enrollment shall
be permanently recorded on the student’s transcript. A course originally
taken for a letter grade may not be repeated on a CR/NC basis. In
computing the GPA of a student repeating a course, only the most
recently earned grade shall be used.
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ROTC
Although actual ROTC courses are not taught on
the Whittier College campus, “cross-town” agreements with other
institutions exist to allow qualified Whittier College students to
participate in the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps (AFROTC) or
the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps (AROTC).
Upon the registrar's approval, academic credit
earned in these programs may be counted as elective units toward
fulfillment of Whittier College graduation requirements. Additional
information is available at the Office of the Registrar.
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Special Course and Laboratory Fees Policy
Some courses have expenses associated with them
that are not covered by regular tuition and fees, and in such cases the
College may charge additional fees in amounts approximately equal to the
added instructional or laboratory costs. Special charges may be made
according to current costs for the following:
- Courses requiring equipment, facilities or materials not
available on campus, for science and certain field courses.
- Courses requiring use of high technology equipment, e.g.,
computer courses.
- Private instruction in music and similar arts.
- Courses requiring field trips or travel.
- Noncredit courses, conferences, workshops, postgraduate
seminars and similar educational offerings.
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Study Load
For Undergraduate students, a minimum full-time
study load is 12 credit hours per semester. (One credit hour is
equivalent to one semester hour.) A normal course load for students
planning to graduate in four years is 30 credits per year; this could be
accomplished by taking 15 credits each semester or, in some years, by
taking 13 credits each semester and a 4-credit course during the January
Interim. Credit hours taken in excess of 15 require additional tuition
charges. An extra study load, more than 17 credit hours per semester,
must be approved by the student’s mentor or advisor and certified by the
Registrar. Forms for an extra study load are available in the
Registrar’s Office.
For Graduate Students, a minimum full-time study
load is 9 credit hours per term.
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Transfer Credit Policy
Whittier College accepts courses in transfer as
long as the courses were completed at a regionally accredited
institution. Whittier will not accept courses that earned a grade lower
than a C-. A student may not receive credit for courses taken at a
community college after completing 70 units of college work. A maximum
of 70 credits from a community college and 90 credits from a four-year
institution can be transferred.
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Transcript of Whittier College Record
A transcript of the academic record will be issued
upon written authorization of the individual. Only credits accepted for
transfer from other institutions will appear on the Whittier transcript
along with credits earned at Whittier College.
Transcripts carry a fee of $5.00 payable upon
submission of the request.
Transcripts and diplomas will be
withheld for any student who has outstanding financial obligations to
the College.
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Withdrawal Policies
Instructor Drop
Faculty may, through the end of the fifth school
day for semester classes, drop students who have never attended class
(also see Class Attendance policy).
Dropping Classes
With the approval of the advisor, students may drop
a class without record of enrollment (W grade) during the first three
weeks of a semester course.
Withdrawing from Courses
Until the end of the sixth week of a
semester course, students may withdraw from a course for any reason. A
grade of “W” will be assigned. After this period, withdrawals will be
allowed only for reasons of health or serious personal problems.
Academic difficulties or lack of interest in the course are not
sufficient reason for late withdrawals.
Unauthorized Withdrawal from Courses
If, in an instructor’s judgment (not
the student’s), a student has an excessive number of absences in a
course, an instructor may recommend to the Associate Dean for Academic
Affairs and the Registrar that the student be administratively withdrawn
from the course. The student’s record will show a mark of UW for the
course. This policy is designed only for those students who have stopped
coming to class and for whom there is insufficient course work to
produce an earned grade. It is not to be used to allow students to
withdraw from a class because they may not like the grade they have
earned, nor is it a way for students to circumvent the processes for
students to initiate a class withdrawal, as described in this catalog.
Withdrawing from the College
A withdrawal is generally requested
when a student does not plan to return to Whittier College or plans to
transfer to another school. A leave of absence is granted to a student
who plans to return to Whittier within one academic year. Students who
plan to do either must apply through the Advisement Office. Withdrawals
will be recorded on the transcript as a W.
No withdrawals of any type will be
granted during the last week of any course.
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