Course Policies

Appeals for Graduation Requirements, Course Equivalencies, Substitutions, and Transfer Credits

The registrar makes decisions about course equivalencies and substitutions concerning general education courses. Decisions about major and minor courses are made by the registrar in consultation with the school deans and program directors. These decisions are made following catalog and program policies, guidelines, and procedures. If students believe these processes have not been followed with their program of study, they may appeal in writing to the University Provost who has the right to make a final decision or refer the matter to the Academic Council for resolution.

Academic Grievance Policy for Classes in Process

Students with grievances or problems with the way a particular course is conducted and how their grades are being assigned should submit their concerns in writing to their professor. If the professor’s solution is not satisfactory, students may appeal to the professor’s department chair in writing for a review of the professor’s decision. If the department chair’s solution is not satisfactory, students may appeal to the department chair’s school dean for a final resolution. If a chair is the professor, the line of appeal would be to the school dean and then to the University Provost. If the professor is a dean, then the appeal would be to the University Provost.

Face-to-face discussions with professors and department chairs about concerns are appropriate, but grievances and outcomes need to be in writing to ensure that all decisions are made with a mutual understanding of the issues.

If a final grade for the course has already been submitted to the Office of Academic Records, the guidelines outlined in the Final Grade Appeal Policy and Procedures section of the Catalog should be followed.

Final Grade Appeal Policy and Procedures

Trevecca Nazarene University recognizes a student’s right to appeal decisions and practices that affect his or her academic status without fear of punishment or unfair treatment. A student can expect the University to deal with a final course grade appeal sincerely, objectively, within a reasonable time frame, and as appropriate, in confidence. Appeals will be heard when the student alleges that an arbitrary, capricious, or prejudiced evaluation or a mechanical error has occurred. The purpose of the appeal process is to treat all parties fairly and to alert all parties to the appeal procedure. During the appeal, the burden of proof is on the student, except in the case of alleged academic dishonesty, in which case the professor must support the accusation. The student may have an advisor or friend present during all meetings with faculty, administrators, and/or committees; he or she may counsel the student but may not speak for the student during the meetings. The grade appealed shall remain in effect until the appeal process is completed, or the problem is resolved.

Order of Appeal for Traditional Undergraduate Programs

(For the order of appeal for adult studies and graduate programs, see their respective catalog supplements.)

Should a student feel there is concrete reason to appeal a course grade, these procedures should be followed sequentially:

1. The University supports and encourages responsive and respectful dialogue between faculty and students when there is a disagreement about a final course grade. Whatever the nature of the grade appeal, the student must make an effort to first discuss the matter with the faculty member. In order to begin the appeal process, students must initiate a complaint to the faculty member in writing or via e-mail within 15 calendar days of the posting of a final grade. The faculty member will provide a written response within 15 calendar days of receiving the letter or e-mail from the student.
2. If the student is not satisfied with the faculty member’s response or lack of response, the student shall contact the person designated in the table below as the second level of appeal (either the program director or department chair) within 30 calendar days of the posting of a final grade. The contact needs to be in writing. Upon receipt of the written appeal, the program director or department chair will communicate with the student within 30 calendar days to attempt to resolve the issue.
3. If after the meeting with the program director or department chair, the student is still not satisfied with the decision, the student may choose to file an appeal to the school dean in which the course under appeal is housed. This appeal must be in writing within 15 calendar days of the previous contact with the program director or department chair. The dean will contact the student within 15 calendar days of receiving the appeal in an attempt to resolve the issue. The dean may elect to include or consult with others in evaluating the appeal. The decision of the dean is final.

The following diagram illustrates the order of appeals for traditional undergraduate programs. In the event the professor happens to be a department chair, program director, or dean, the appeal will be submitted to the next higher academic officer. In other words, every student will have the right to have his/her appeal heard by the professor and two other academic administrators.

The student may elect to discontinue the appeal process at any level.

The failure of the student to proceed from one level of the appeal procedure to the next level within the prescribed time limits shall be deemed to be an acceptance of the decision previously rendered. All further considerations and proceedings regarding that particular appeal will cease at that point. Under unusual circumstances, deadlines may be extended.

The following table illustrates the specific person to whom an appeal is directed, depending upon the academic program in which the course under appeal is offered. The three levels of appeal must be followed sequentially.

Traditional Undergraduate

Career Internships

A career internship is a credit-bearing course which places a student in a professional setting in his or her career field. The student is under the contract supervision of a professional for one semester. The purpose is to provide the student an introduction to job search skills, a clarity of career focus, an apprentice learning experience, and networking opportunities for future career employment.

Guidelines

• The student must be a junior or senior with a GPA of 2.5.
• The internship must be in the student’s major or career field.
• The student must be in good standing with the University.
• The internship site must enter into a learning contract with Trevecca.
• The student must register for the internship during the semester of participation in the internship.

Career Internships, offered only in majors where professional experience is not already built into the required curriculum, are coordinated by academic programs and require a faculty sponsor within the academic department. Career Internship planning should be initiated the semester prior to the internship and must be done according to processes described in Trevecca Internships Guidelines. A student may earn one, two, or three credit hours per internship, with 55 work hours required for one credit hour, 110 for two credit hours, and 165 for three credit hours. A maximum of six credit hours total may be earned for all internships. Two internships are recommended prior to graduation.

Class Attendance

Trevecca Nazarene University is committed to the idea that regular class attendance is necessary for student success; consequently, students are expected to attend all class sessions of courses for which they are registered. When absent, the student is personally responsible for all class work assigned in a course, even during the absence, and should take the initiative to contact the instructor and discuss an appropriate course of action. Attendance counts from the first day of a course whether students are registered or not.

The total number of excused and unexcused absences for a student should not exceed 20% of the total class time, and students who exceed this threshold will automatically fail the course unless they officially withdraw from the course or an appeal, initiated by the student, is approved (see procedures below). Discretion is granted to faculty to make exceptions, within reason, for students whose excused absences cause them to exceed the 20% threshold above, especially when a student has a significant number of university-related excused absences (e.g., intercollegiate athletics, field trips, official university travel). Exceptions granted by faculty, however, are generally reserved for students who otherwise regularly attend class and are actively engaged in the course (e.g., prepared for class, attentive and participatory in class discussions, consistent in communication with instructor, submits quality work, and meets assignment deadlines).

Traditional Undergraduate Program Students

A course attendance policy is included on each University traditional undergraduate course syllabus. The maximum number of allowed absences in full semester traditional face-to-face courses (the 20% threshold) are documented in the following table:

A traditional undergraduate student enrolled in an online course must meet the course attendance policy for an online course as stated in the following section on “Students in Online Courses.”

Excused absences for traditional students are determined by the instructor and generally limited to an illness verified by a licensed medical professional or for participation in an approved university-related event. University-related events for which these students may be excused include, but are not limited to, prearranged class-related field trips, official assignments by the University, and participation in scheduled intercollegiate athletic events. Absences for any other reason may be excused only upon approval by both the course instructor and her/his immediate supervisor. Faculty are not required to allow students to complete make up work for absences that are unexcused.

The Office of Academic Affairs sends out notification to the faculty for university-related events, and the Center for Student Development and/or Clinic will provide notification to faculty only if a student has an extended illness requiring multiple absences. The Clinic will provide a receipt of service to students who request one as documentation of an excused absence, but these will not be automatically provided to the student or faculty member. Students with chronic illnesses that may impact class attendance should communicate with the Coordinator of Disability Services at the beginning of the semester. In all cases, it is the student’s responsibility to communicate every absence due to illness to the instructor and provide appropriate documentation. It is also the student’s responsibility to contact professors to make up work, even in the case of a university-related excused absence.

Medical Leave of Absence

In those instances that a student must be hospitalized, a medical leave of absence may be granted (generally 1-2 weeks). However, the total number of absences (those before and after the hospitalization) should not exceed 20% of the total number of classes for the semester as outlined in the attendance policy. A medical leave of absence can be obtained through the Coordinator of Disability Services. Additionally, students can seek a medical withdrawal (see below) if their hospitalization extends their absences beyond 20% of the total number of classes for the semester.

Medical Withdrawal

A medical withdrawal is reserved for situations where a medical or mental health emergency requires a student to miss an extended amount of class time and/or forces a student to miss beyond 20% of the total number of classes. In those cases, students can take a medical withdrawal, resulting in “W’s” for the semester. This process can be initiated by contacting the Coordinator of Disability Services. Additionally, students returning from a medical withdrawal must be granted clearance by the Coordinator of Disability Services.

Non-traditional Undergraduate and Graduate Students

A course attendance policy for each course in a non-traditional face-to-face undergraduate or graduate program is included in the course syllabus, program catalog, or program handbook. Students are allowed one absence in courses that are five class sessions or more in length and no absences in a course that has four class sessions or fewer. There are no excused absences in these courses.

A non-traditional undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in an online course must meet the course attendance policy for an online course as stated in the following section on “Students in Online Courses.”

Students in Online Courses

Students enrolled in online courses are allowed one absence in courses that are five class sessions or more in length and no absences in a course that has four class sessions or fewer. There are no excused absences in these courses.

In an online course, a student is reported absent for a week if there is no participation during that week in an academically-related activity specific to the course, such as attending a synchronous course activity, submitting an academic assignment, taking an assessment or exam, participating in an interactive tutorial, webinar, or computer-assisted instruction, participating in a study group or group project, participating in an online discussion assigned by the instructor, or interacting with the instructor about academic matters.

Failure, Withdrawal, and Appeal

If a student has missed more than the allowed number of absences in a given course for any reason, the student automatically fails the course unless the student officially withdraws from the course or an appeal, initiated by the student, is approved.

To appeal, the student should follow the guidelines outlined in the Final Grade Appeal Policy and Procedures section of the Catalog.

To officially withdraw from all courses for which a student is registered, the student must complete the appropriate forms in the Center for Student Development. This withdrawal process is necessary in order to clear the appropriate financial and academic records. Protracted absences or failure to attend classes does not constitute withdrawal from courses and will be treated as failure unless the withdrawal process is appropriately followed.

Class Schedule

A schedule of classes and examination times is published each semester for the next semester. The University reserves the right to cancel a class with fewer than ten students enrolled and to make necessary changes in schedules and programs.

Directed Study

A limited amount of directed study is available for students to do individual research, special projects, and further study in a particular subject area. Regular courses are not to be taken by directed study except in cases regarding unavoidable class schedule conflicts with graduation requirements in the senior year. Students are expected to arrange their work schedules to accommodate class schedules and should not request directed studies to accommodate work schedules. When regular courses are taught by directed study, they must have essentially the same requirements as those taught in the classroom, including exams. A student is limited to one course of directed study per term and a total of 12 hours credit by directed study. Students on academic probation are not permitted to take any courses by directed study. A failed course may not be repeated by directed study. Directed studies require the approval of the professor, the professor's department chair, and school dean. A fee is charged for a directed study. Post Baccalaureate students must pay regular tuition rate plus the directed study fee.

Online Courses

Trevecca offers online and hybrid traditional undergraduate class options as it is believed that the variance in course delivery adds to the overall educational experience. The flexibility of these options may provide a helpful alternative for students with scheduling conflicts caused by internships, student teaching, athletics, etc. Students should be aware that online courses are more intensive and shortened in length compared to a traditional face-to-face class. As a result, the coursework will be heavier throughout the duration of the class. There are a limited number of sections and seats per course and enrollment is first come, first served.

Students must meet the following guidelines to enroll in an online course during the fall and spring semesters:

• Must also be in a minimum of 9 face-to-face hours (exceptions considered at the recommendation of the advisor and school dean).
• If applicable, all prerequisites must be satisfied.
• Students can take only one online class at a time.
• First-time freshmen are not allowed to take online courses.

There is not a limit/restriction for online courses during the summer.

Examinations

A minimum of a mid-term and final exam are required in regular courses, although some courses may have three or four exams. Final examinations must be taken at officially scheduled times. Permission will not be given to take final examinations early. All exceptions for finals given at a later time must be approved by the school dean who schedules the course. Final exam schedules are available on the Office of Academic Records my.trevecca.edu page and on class syllabi the first day of class. Therefore, students are responsible to ensure that all travel arrangements are made so that all exams can be completed as scheduled.  A student may request to have a final exam rescheduled when they have three or more final exams scheduled on the same day.

Technology Policy

The Trevecca Nazarene University computer network exists to further the University’s academic, research and spiritual goals. Anyone who accesses resources is expected to practice common sense, decency and courtesy to all Trevecca Nazarene University (TNU) students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Acceptable Use Policies have been established for e-mail, internet, and wireless access. By using the technology provided by Trevecca Nazarene University, you agree to abide by these policies. Any violation of these University policies may result in disciplinary action, including the termination of your network, e-mail, and/or internet access.

The Acceptable Use Policies can be found at the following location: http://trevecca.edu/its.

Withdrawals from Courses

A student withdrawing from a course will receive a grade of W in a class anytime from the last day to add a class up to the calendar-scheduled last day to withdraw with a W. After that published date, students who withdraw will receive a grade of F unless they appeal to the school dean who schedules the course, who may approve a W for extenuating circumstances. If the student withdraws from any course without following the proper procedure with the Office of Academic Records and Office of Student Accounts, the grade in the course will be recorded as F or U.

Withdrawals, especially if student status drops to part-time, may affect financial aid, athletic eligibility, veteran education benefits, insurance benefits, and graduation plans. Students should consult appropriate advisors prior to withdrawing from a course.

A student who finds it necessary to withdraw from all of his or her courses must secure the proper forms from the Center for Student Development. The Center for Student Development processes all withdrawals and the Office of Academic Records is responsible for recording the student’s last date of attendance.