Academic Policies

Academic Integrity

(Adopted by the Faculty Senate, November 3, 2000)

1. Plagiarism:
   1. Using the ideas or writings of one’s own;
   2. Appropriating passages or ideas from another and using them as one’s own, as defined in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, New College Edition published by Houghton-Mifflin, 1980.
   3. Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:
      1. Using ideas, words or phrases, and/or wholesale scripts from another’s work without proper acknowledgement.
      2. Submitting the same work in two courses without the written permission of each instructor.
   4. Additional examples of plagiarism may be found in the textbooks for English Composition I and II.
2. Cheating:
   1. To deceive by trickery;
   2. To mislead;
   3. To practice fraud; and/or
   4. To act dishonestly, as defined in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, New College Edition published by Houghton-Mifflin, 1980.
   5. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to:
      1. Collaborating without authorization.
      2. Presenting work done by another as one’s own, either in part or in whole.
      3. Altering a paper or evaluation instrument after the grade has been assigned for the purpose of misrepresenting the students’ performance.
      4. Enlisting another person to take one’s evaluation procedure.
      5. Using prohibited sources of information for examinations or other testing procedures.
      6. Knowingly providing any unauthorized assistance to other students.
      7. Falsifying or changing information concerning academic achievement.
      8. Facilitating any act that promotes academic dishonesty, including the withholding of information concerning the academically dishonest conduct of another.

Academic Dishonesty Sanctions

Academic dishonesty is a Class C offense and is subject to faculty sanctions, and disciplinary sanctions falling under the Vice President for Student Development and should be reported to the Vice President for Student Development using the Academic Infraction Form. Faculty sanctions may include any of the following sanctions, or sanctions approved and included in the course syllabus:

1. Denying or reducing credit for an assignment or examination.
2. Requiring additional assignments and/or examinations.
3. Lowering the student’s course grade.
4. Issuing a failing course grade.
5. Recommendations for further actions that are recorded on the Academic Infraction Form routed to the Vice President for Student Life.

Academic Dishonesty Appeal Policy

Once an academic sanction is given by a faculty member, a student has the right to:

• Accept the decision and consequence.
• Appeal the decision to the division head responsible for the subject area. The appeal must arrive within five school days of the date of the imposed sanction. The appeal letter should include supportive information that justifies the reason for the appeal.

Upon receipt of an appeal letter, the division head will in a timely manner investigate the allegation, and if necessary, collect resources from the faculty member and from the accused. The accused will be given the opportunity to respond to any questions posed by the division head regarding the allegation. In addition, the faculty member making the allegation will also be given an opportunity to respond to any questions from the division head.

The division head may:

• Reverse the finding and dismiss the case.
• Confirm the finding and the sanction imposed.
• Confirm the finding and alter the sanction.

Notification of the division head’s decision will be issued to the faculty member and accused. Upon notification, all documentation will be forward to the division head’s dean. Upon notification, the student within five days may:

• Accept the decision of the division head.
• Appeal to the division head’s dean.

The decision of the academic dean shall be final and all documentation will be forwarded to the Vice President for Student Development.

Grade Appeal Policy

In a case in which a student has a grievance regarding a final course grade, the student should first attempt to resolve the matter with the instructor. If the grade dispute is not resolved at this level, the student may initiate a formal written appeal with the following provisions and/or guidelines:

1. Only the final overall course grade may be appealed.
2. No one may substitute personal judgment for that of the instructor in regard to the quality of the student’s work; therefore, evidence must be shown of any deviation from established procedure that adversely affects the student in the assignment of the letter grade for the course. Deviation from established procedure is defined as assignment of a grade on a basis other than the student’s performance in the course, assignment of a grade to a student by more stringent or different standards from those that were applied to other students in the course, or the assignment of a grade that does not align with the grading scheme outlined in the syllabus.
3. The appeal must be initiated within six weeks of the start of the succeeding regular academic semester (fall or spring) from the end of the course that is being appealed.
4. Any grade appeal must be submitted in writing using the Grade Appeal form obtained from the Registrar’s Office.
5. The formal appeal begins when the student presents the Grade Appeal form to the instructor for his/her signature.
6. The chain of appeal is:
   1. The student meets with the instructor to discuss the grade. If agreement cannot be made the course instructor should sign the grade appeal form for the student who will then submit the form to the division head.
   2. The division head/program director and dean shall collect information related to the grade appeal and meet separately with the instructor and the student. If the division head/program director and dean are in agreement that the grade should be overturned for the reasons outlined above, then they should change the grade and submit the form to have the grade changed immediately to the Registrar. If the division head/program director does not agree that the grade should be overturned, then they should sign the form and give a copy to the student.
   3. If the student wishes to pursue the appeal further, they should submit the form to the Provost with a request for a full grade appeal panel.
      
      The first two of the above stages should occur within 20 school days (days must occur within a regular semester, fall or spring) of the initiation of the appeal.
      
      If the instructor of the course is the division head or program director, the student may elect to initiate the formal appeal directly to the appropriate dean. In unusual cases in which the course is taught by the dean, the student may elect to submit the grade appeal to the Provost who will convene the Grade Appeal Panel.
      
      Any request for a review by the Grade Appeal Panel should be made within 20 school days (within a regular semester) of the most recent appeal decision. This request is made by taking the Grade Appeal form to the Office of the Provost. The Provost will send the form and any related written statements to the Academic Council.
7. The Grade Appeal Panel is to consist of three faculty members selected at random; however, faculty members from the division or college being affected are not to be members of the panel. If the grade appeal is for a graduate level course, then a member of the graduate council will also serve on the Grade Appeal Panel. The chair of the panel is to be selected at random from the panel chosen. The Grade Appeal Panel will meet in closed session after the formal hearing for further discussion as necessary. The Grade Appeal Panel will make its final recommendation to the Provost by simple majority secret ballot.
   
   Both the instructor and the student should be prepared to appear before the Grade Appeal Panel to present their cases formally. Witnesses may be called to support any evidence presented. A faculty member from the division affected may be called to answer any procedural questions.
   
   The instructor and the student will appear separately before the Grade Appeal Panel to present their cases formally. Additional parties attending the hearing will be limited to those who were witnesses to any pertinent events or can provide first-hand testimony of the essential facts of the case. In addition, a faculty member from the instructor’s division may be called to answer any questions related to the standard operating procedures of that division. At the discretion of the chair, the panel may separately recall either the student or the instructor to clarify any discrepancies in their respective testimonies.
   
   Note: This is the highest level of appeal. No further appeal is possible.
8. The recommendation of the Grade Appeal Panel will be forwarded to the Provost for action, with the understanding that there will be no grade change without the explicit recommendation of the Grade Appeal Panel. If the grade is changed, the Provost will complete and sign the Change of Grade form, which will be sent directly to the Registrar.
9. All of the appeal decisions are to be made within 24 hours of the conference or hearing. The results of the grade appeal will be put in writing and sent to the student and the instructor within two school days. The Change of Grade form will be sent directly to the Registrar. The entire grade appeal process should be completed within 60 school days of its initiation, unless they span over summer or Christmas break.
10. An initiated formal appeal that is withdrawn may not be resubmitted.
11. Confidentiality is maintained at all times in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Assessment

Assessment at SBU includes gathering information from students about student learning and student life, interpreting this information, and then using the information to improve instruction, student life, and student learning. Students at SBU are required to participate in this assessment program. Students at SBU participate in the following assessment activities:

* Alumni also are sent surveys for the purpose of determining to what extent the university experience has helped to prepare them for their chosen professions and equipped them for responsible living and lifelong intellectual and spiritual growth.

Enrichment Opportunities

Independent Study

In order to enrich the curriculum and challenge capable students to develop research abilities, each division offering a major provides opportunity for independent study for university credit in areas not studied as part of the regular curriculum. Students are enrolled in independent study according to these guidelines:

1. Independent Study (4991-3) is to be designed to broaden students’ knowledge in their major fields by providing directed individual research or study in areas not covered in catalog courses.
2. These studies are limited to juniors and seniors who have at least a 2.75 GPA in their major field.
3. At least one-half of the course work required for a major must be completed prior to enrolling for an independent study course.
4. A maximum of three semester hours may be earned by independent study in any major field.
5. Students have full responsibility for initiating (in consultation with the supervising professor) the proposal for continuing the study and for completing all work for the course.
6. As a part of the application process, the student must do preliminary planning and complete an Independent Study Proposal form.
7. The Independent Study Proposal form must have the approval of the project supervisor, the division head, and the college dean.
8. Students may enroll in an Independent Study course within the regular enrollment period at the beginning of the semester and only after the Independent Study Proposal has been approved.

International Studies Program

The International Studies program provides students the opportunity to have an international education experience. This is in keeping with

Southwest Baptist University’s mission statement of “preparing students to be servant leaders in a global society.” The program provides opportunities for faculty and students to teach and study abroad and at home. The program welcomes international students to become an integral part of the Southwest Baptist University campus family. The University encourages all students to share in promoting cultural, educational, and social exchanges.

SBU offers students the opportunity to study abroad or at other locations within the United States. An explanation of the billing and payment process will be explained when the student meets with the Education Leader for the Center for Global Connections.

For most programs, a student must have completed two years of university-level study, have a GPA of 2.75, and have completed English Composition II or Honors English. If the language of the host country is other than English, students must have sufficient command of the language to benefit from lectures or be enrolled in a language instruction program in the host country. Courses to be taken overseas must be approved by the major advisor and the Education Leader for the Center for Global Connections. All courses must be taken for letter grades and will be posted to the student’s transcript once the student requests a registrar-to-registrar transcript. Fees are paid through Southwest Baptist University.

Consortium for Global Education

Nearly 50 private U.S. colleges and universities have come together in a consortium to assist in the development of international education. Working both individually and in small groups, CGE member institutions have established an estimated 300 partnerships with some of the world’s most prestigious universities in 80 different countries. The programs range from extended, two-way exchanges of students and faculty to summer programs for intensive study of culture and foreign language, seminars in economic development, delegation site visits, and brief conferences and symposiums for institutional representatives. Consortium members have a commitment to international education, service, and sharing. CGE encourages geographic diversity in its outreach through university programs. (For more information contact the Education Leader for the Center for Global Connections.)

Council for Christian Colleges and Universities

As an institutional member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), SBU students have a variety of additional study opportunities. (For more information contact the Education Leader for the Center for Global Connections.)

Fulbright Scholar Program

The Fulbright Scholar Program makes grants to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries. These grants are provided for a variety of educational activities, primarily university teaching, advanced research, graduate study, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Grants for foreign nationals are available through the bi-national commission/foundation or U.S. embassy in the country of citizenship. The Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program also provides opportunities for U.S. host institutions to sponsor visiting lecturers.

Athletic Advising Information

NCAA Eligibility Requirements

• Must earn 24 hours a year. Summer courses count in the previous year’s total. (Credits earned in summer count toward the 24 hours required from the prior year.)
• Of those 24 hours, a minimum of 18 hours must be earned during the regular academic year (fall/spring).
• A student must earn a minimum of 9 hours credit every semester in order to be eligible.
• GPA requirement of 2.0 prior to the beginning of each fall term and be in good academic standing at SBU, along with making progress toward degree completion.

Developmental Courses

• Developmental course (Cornerstone, Mathematical Literacy and English Skills) hours only count toward hours for NCAA eligibility in a student’s first year of college. If a student needs developmental courses after the first year, the following should be considered to help ensure the student meets the NCAA hour requirements:
  • It may be best to not enroll a student in more than one developmental course per semester.
  • In many cases, a student enrolled in a developmental course would need to be enrolled in at least 15 hours (12 countable + 3 developmental