Academic Policies

Academic Appeals

The Academic Steering Committee (ASC), together with the Registrar’s Office, acts as the decision maker for all questions related to academic policy, probationary questions, exemptions, etc. An academic petition form (available online or from the Registrar’s Office) must be completed and returned to the Registrar’s Office to initiate the petition process. The petition form should carefully explain the nature of the request and include the appropriate signatures. An appeal of the petition decision may be sent to  the Office of the Provost.

Course grade appeals and appeals of sanctions for academic dishonesty are heard by the Student/Faculty Ethics Committee. Appeals should be made through the Office of Academic Affairs. The procedure for appeals is found in the Student Handbook.

Academic Honesty

Cheating on examinations, plagiarism, improper acknowledgment of proper sources in written material, and inaccurate claims of work done are serious offenses in an academic setting. These forms of unethical behavior will be subject to severe disciplinary action.

The Carroll University Policies and Procedures on Student Academic Integrity can be found in the Student Handbook (available on the University’s Web site) under the section entitled Academic Policies and Procedures. Instructors indicate penalties for academic dishonesty in their course syllabi.

Academic Standing

All Master of Business Administration, Master of Education, Master of Software Engineering students are subject to the following policy regarding academic standing.

Progression policies within a particular program will supersede the University policy below.

Good Standing

All students are expected to maintain at least a B (3.00) grade point average in all graduate course work. Any student who earns a grade of C or lower or who does not maintain at least a 3.0 semester or cumulative grade point average in graduate course work is subject to academic action following a review by the Academic Steering Committee (ASC).

Probation

All graduate students with any number of attempted credits are eligible for probation. As soon as a student’s graduate semester or cumulative grade point average drops below a 3.0, that student is placed on academic probation.

Students not currently on probation will be placed on academic probation if a grade of C is earned in any graduate course and/or if the earned GPA is between 2.5 and 3.0. In the Master of Education Program, courses in which grades of C or lower are earned do not count toward certification, licensure, or degree completion. All courses with an earned grade of a C, D or F must be repeated. Students currently on probation must earn a better than B average in the subsequent semesters after being placed on probation. Students will be continued on probation with a better than B average when the student’s semester GPA is greater than a 3.0 but their cumulative GPA is not yet a 3.0. NOTE: Students may be continued on probation for one semester only.

Suspension

All graduate students with 6 or more attempted credits are eligible for suspension.

Students not currently on probation who achieve a GPA below a 2.5, have earned a C or lower grade in a previous semester or have earned a grade of D and/or F in any graduate course will be suspended for one semester and the adjacent summer. All courses with an earned grade of C, D or F must be repeated.

Students currently on probation who fail to meet the terms of their probation will be suspended for one semester and the adjacent summer.

Dismissal

All graduate students with a minimum of 9 attempted credits are eligible for dismissal.

Students not currently on probation who have earned all D’s and/or F’s with 9 attempted credits or students who have previously been suspended and have earned below a B average in the semester or have a cumulative GPA below 3.0 will be dismissed from the program.

Students currently on probation who were previously suspended will be dismissed if probation conditions are not met.

Students may appeal any probation, suspension or dismissal to the Academic Steering Committee (ASC).

Reapplication Process

After the lapse of one full academic year, students returning to Carroll must reapply for graduate admission. If a student has been suspended from a program, they must complete any conditions or requirements following the suspension and reapply for graduate admission.

A student has a total of seven years to complete any graduate program. Upon re-acceptance, the student will receive a letter indicating their remaining time to complete the program.

Note: Graduate programs admit qualified students regardless of race, color, creed, sex, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, or disability that does not interfere with the performance of professional practice.

Adding or Dropping Courses

A student may add a course only during the first week of the fall or spring semesters. For summer sessions and other specially timed courses, refer to the published timetables for deadline dates to add courses. A student may drop a registered course through the eighth complete week of the fall or spring semesters. For summer sessions and other specially timed courses, refer to the published timetables for deadline dates to drop courses. (Drop policy may vary for specific programs.) The course will appear on the transcript as attempted credits; however, the grade will be a W (withdrawal) and will not affect the grade point average. Courses improperly dropped will be designated by the grade of F.

Attendance

Carroll University’s attendance policy is based on the Federal HEOA Policy that University’s need to be able to confirm student attendance. This is a requirement for schools that receive Title IV Federal Financial Aid. This means that we need to be able to confirm that students have attended class and be able to produce the last date of attendance for any student that does not successfully complete a course.

Attendance at clinical experiences is mandatory for all health sciences majors.

Faculty may cancel a class due to personal illness, or other personal reasons. The instructor must contact the Dean of the College and the Registrar. Students will be notified of the cancellation via email by the instructor or by the Registrar’s Office and a note will be posted near the classroom.

Carroll University requires all faculty to take attendance for the first two weeks of any semester in the Carroll University Learning Management (Canvas). Faculty will also be required to enter a last date of attendance for any student that has earned an unsatisfactory grade ( U or F) or has withdrawn from a course within the term.

Auditing Graduate Courses

With the instructor’s permission, students generally may audit all courses at Carroll, except for laboratories, education clinical courses, and health science clinical courses. The minimum requirement to receive an audit (AU) grade is regular attendance, but individual instructors may have higher requirements.

To audit a health science course, the student must meet program academic progression standards. Prerequisites must be satisfied for all course audits. No credit is received for successfully auditing a course.

Once accepted into a degree program, students may not audit required courses or those used to satisfy program electives. Students who audit a course and subsequently matriculate to a degree program, may be required to retake an audited course for credit. Students may not receive credit through “credit by examination” for an audited course. Students taking the course for credit have priority enrollment over students who wish to audit. Course auditing costs vary by program and can be found on the Tuition, Fees, Payments, and Refund Policies  page.

Awarding of Degrees and Graduation

Degrees are awarded three times a year (May, August and December) to graduates who have completed all degree requirements. The formal conferring of degrees for the year occurs at the Commencement ceremony in May. Students with academic deficiencies will be allowed to participate in Commencement as long as the deficiencies are within the following parameters:

• Graduate Students: 2 courses remaining

Applying for Graduation

Students should apply for graduation on their student portal a minimum of two semesters prior to their expected date of graduation. After the application is received and recorded, the Registrar’s Office will issue an official degree audit indicating remaining requirements to be completed.

Dismissed Graduate Students’ Participation in Commencement

A student may be dismissed from a Carroll University graduate program if they do not fulfill the academic progression requirements outlined by each program. If a student is dismissed from a graduate program, they will not be able to participate in the Commencement ceremony. The student may choose to appeal this dismissal by completing an Academic Petition form which is reviewed by the Academic Steering Committee. Depending on the outcome of the committee’s decision, the student may be eligible to participate in the Commencement ceremony the following academic year.

Credit Hour Policy

Carroll University follows the federal guidelines:

Federal regulation requires each institution to have policies and procedures on credit hours. This includes but is not limited to all types of instruction: face-to-face, online and blended. Carroll University’s policy on credit hours complies with the federal credit hour definition.

Carroll University assigns semester credit hours to all types of instructions. The acceptance of transfer coursework is converted into semester hours. The Academic Steering Committee reviews the assignment of credit hours at the time a course is approved. Courses are reviewed for time and content during regular program reviews.

A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally-established equivalency that reasonable approximates not less than:

1. One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester; or
2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other activities as established by an institution, including laboratory work internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading toward the award of credit hours
3. One credit is granted at the completion of a semester for each applied music lesson (on half-hour per week), ensemble or practicum course for which a student is registered.

Grading System and Grade Point Calculation

A system of letter grades is used in courses for which degree credit may be earned. A 4.00 grade point system is used under which a student earns grade points for each credit completed.*

*This is the general grading system of the graduate programs. Grading policy may vary for specific programs.

Grade Point Calculation

The grade point values when multiplied by the number of course credits give the total number of grade points earned for that particular course. In a three-credit course, for example, a grade of B yields 9 grade points; a grade of A yields 12 grade points. The grade point average is the ratio between total academic grade points and total academic hours: that is, the quotient obtained by dividing the total number of academic grade points earned by the total number of academic hours attempted. For example, a program of 12 academic credits in which 36 grade points are earned will yield a grade point average of 3.00 or an average of B (36 divided by 12 = 3.00).

Incomplete Grading

A report of incomplete means that the student has been unable to complete the required work for a valid reason; it is not given for neglected work. In order to receive an incomplete, the student must initiate the request by submitting a properly completed form (available online at www.carrollu.edu/academics/registrar/ and at the Registrar’s Office) to the instructor prior to the end of the term. If the instructor agrees with the request, the completed form is signed by the student, the instructor and the director of the graduate program and is then submitted by the instructor to the Registrar. Upon receiving the form with all relevant information and appropriate signatures, the Registrar will post the incomplete grade to the student’s transcript. An incomplete must be removed by the end of the next semester or it automatically becomes a failure. An extension may be granted only with written consent from the student, the instructor and the director of the graduate program.

Independent Study

Independent study may be offered by individual graduate programs. See specific program for detailed guidelines regarding independent study. Independent study courses must be approved by the instructor, program director and college/school dean.

Internships or Work-Orientated Experiences

Internships and field experiences are under the direct supervision or coordination of a member of the Carroll University faculty. Such courses are taken for academic credit with the appropriate grading (letter grades or S/U) from an assigned instructor. Each individual program will determine whether an internship or work-oriented experience will be offered. These courses are subject to the general regulations that govern any course offered, including registration within the time period allowed for an on-campus course. A student must consult with the program director or an appropriate faculty member to arrange for an internship or field experience.

Medical or Personal Leave

If a student must be absent from the program for an extended period of time for medical or personal reasons or jury duty, written notice must be given to the director of the specific graduate program. Written notice must also be given to the director of the specific graduate program prior to the student’s return to the program. If applicable, the student may be asked to verify that they have complied with any technical standards previously imposed and with conditions for the leave. In addition, remediation or course repetition may be required of the student dependent on the length of the absence or curriculum revisions approved during the leave.

Any course, laboratory, outside learning experience or full-time clinical make-up or remediation is dependent upon academic scheduling and professional faculty and facility availability.

Method of Course Delivery

Carroll University offers several different methods of instruction. Please see the descriptions below.

Traditional and/or Enhanced

Course instructor and students meet at specified days, times, and location. All or nearly all instruction and course content are presented in the classroom. Some technology may be used for instruction and delivery of course content. This can include posting content (related to learning goals) to Canvas, use of discussions, blogs or wikis (either through course management system or other), or using technology in the classroom (e.g., clickers).

Hybrid

Hybrid courses are denoted in the schedule of courses using the following section letters: HY, HX, HZ, etc.

Twenty-five percent (25%) to seventy-five percent (75%) of instruction takes place in an online environment. As noted, physical on-campus meeting time is generally one quarter to three quarters of a traditional course. For example, a course that typically meets 4 hours/week in a traditional course will meet for 2 hours/week in a 50% hybrid course.

Online

Online courses are noted in the schedule of courses using the following section letters: WW, WX, WZ, etc.

Instruction is delivered completely online, often through CANVAS.
Typically, there are no face-to-face meetings, though an introductory first meeting may occur at the beginning of the semester and/or for the purpose of proctoring exams.

Military Obligation Student Absence Policy

Overview

Carroll University is committed to supporting our students who are active military, Reserve or National Guard members and recognize that they may have to periodically report for training or other military-related obligations. 

Per this policy, students may not be penalized for missing class in order to participate in military-related obligations provided the student shared, with the course instructor and the School Certifying Official in the Registrar’s Office, a copy of their military orders.  Students are responsible for notifying their instructors in advance of their participation in such events with exception made for events rescheduled due to unforeseen events.  Students must understand that missing multiple classes can negatively impact their academic performance.  

Implementation

It is the Carroll University students’ responsibility to communicate with instructors any circumstances that conflict with class attendance.  The student is expected to manage class absences using the following guidelines, which apply equally to all courses:

1. All students are expected to be in class unless otherwise excused for a military-related obligation.
2. Students should email a copy of their military orders (please redact any confidential or sensitive information), including planned dates and times the student will miss class, to their instructor and the School Certifying Official in the Registrar’s Office reg@carrollu.edu. 
3. Students are responsible for submitting all assignments on time.  In addition, students are responsible for making arrangements, in advance, for any test, quizzes, and labs to be missed.  Should a student fail to notify, in advance, the faculty of a planned military-related absence, normal grading/absence policies for the course will be followed.
4. For absences resulting from unforeseen circumstances, students will communicate with their instructors and the School Certifying Official as soon as possible. 

Policy on Student Records

Several information sources are maintained concerning each student at Carroll University: the admission file, the permanent academic record, the student personnel file, the placement file, the alumni file, the publicity file and the financial aid file for students applying for aid. A student may review the applicable files, except for material provided in confidence, with a professional staff member under the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) as amended.

FERPA¹ gives certain rights to parents regarding their children’s educational records. These rights transfer to the student who has reached the age of 18 or is attending school beyond the high school level. Generally the school must have the student’s written permission to release any educational information to anyone, including the student’s parents. The law does allow for the following exceptions: school employees who have a need to know; other schools to which a student is transferring; certain government officials to carry out lawful functions; accrediting organizations; persons who need to know in cases of health and safety concerns.

Schools may disclose “directory information” or information published in the student directory unless the student signs a Right to Privacy form available at the registrar’s office. Carroll University has adopted a policy that will only allow the disclosure of directory information if the party asking for the information can identify himself/herself in writing (this Carroll University policy is within FERPA regulations, which allow individual institutions to determine their own policies concerning directory information).

FERPA also grants the student the right to review those records, files, etc., that are maintained by the university. The student must make an appointment with the university registrar to do so. Students may challenge any information they believe to be inaccurate. If the university official does not agree to modify the information, the student may file a written appeal and has a right to a hearing.

FERPA also states that all institutions must disclose graduation rates to current and prospective students. These rates are available in the office of admission and online at http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/.

¹ Furnished by the United States Department of Education, fact sheet.

Reapplication Policy for Dismissed and Withdrawn Students

The policy on reapplication defines the process by which students may seek readmission to the program following a withdrawal or dismissal of the student from the program for failing to maintain good academic standing. Readmission candidates may apply for readmission to the program no sooner than one semester after leaving the program and no later than two years from the date of the withdrawal or dismissal. Readmission candidates may exercise their reapplication option only once. Readmission candidates applying to the program must submit the materials required and shall be considered with all new applicants for admission. In addition, they must provide transcripts relating to any education experiences completed since leaving the program. A letter indicating why the readmission candidate believes they will succeed academically and technically in the program must accompany the application materials. Upon review of the materials, the program’s admission selection committee may render the following decisions which are final: 1) Approval of the request for readmission to the beginning of the program, 2) admission to the program with consideration (i.e. repeating specific courses, required ancillary learning activities, credit for prior work, etc.) 3) Denial of the request for readmission to the program.

Transcripts

The university will not process official transcript requests for any student who has outstanding financial obligations to the university. In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (1974), transcripts cannot be released without the express written consent of the student.

Transcript requests are completed online. To begin your order, click here.

Students may also call 847-716-3005 to place the order over the phone. There is an additional surcharge for placing orders over the phone. There is a $10.00 charge for all official transcripts.

Withdrawal Policy

Students who wish to withdraw from all classes must file an Official Withdrawal Form with the Office of Student Success. If a student is not able to visit the office (due to illness, emergency, etc.), they may contact the Office of Student Success to communicate their intent. The phone number is 262-524-7360.

Please refer to your specific program in the catalog for specific instructions as some programs have additional requirements for withdrawal.

Military Leave and Withdrawal

The University recognizes the sacrifices that those in the armed services make while serving our country. We are proud to have these individuals as a part of our campus community and therefore maintain the following policy:

• The student must provide the Registrar’s Office reg@carrollu.edu copies of official military orders for a leave of absence. The student will then be automatically withdrawn from all courses for the given semester. The academic record will reflect the non-punitive “W.”
• The student will be eligible for a full refund for tuition and course fees for any courses that are not completed during that semester/session.
• Once the student’s military obligations are fulfilled, Carroll University will accommodate the student’s intentions of returning to the program they were in before their military leave.  The student will be responsible to follow all program and degree requirements in order to complete this program.
• Any room and board charges will be prorated based on the date in the semester the student is required to leave and the remaining amount will be refunded.