ACADEMIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURES     3

CLASS ATTENDANCE

Johnson Bible College attendance regulations are guided by the principle that in a traditional classroom setting students receive a benefit from the discussion, interaction, and emphasis of a class session which they can get no other way, even with the assignment of make-up work. To miss class is to experience a loss that may not show up on a final examination but is nevertheless real. Accordingly, the following regulations encourage faithful class attendance with allowances provided for necessary absences.  Class attendance policies only apply to summer sessions due to the nature of distance learning courses.  Because of the compact layout of the two week summer sessions there are no personnal absences.  Students are expected to be at all classes and to participate actively within the class.

DROPPING, ADDING OR WITHDRAWING FROM CLASS

Dropping a Class. 

v      Summer Session.  Students may drop a class during the first week of each session and receive a full tuition refund.  After the first week there will be no refunds – full payment is due.  Students who do not begin a class will not be charged for that class.

v      Distance Learning Bible Classes.  Except for the Ministry of the Master class, Bible classes begin their semester on July 10 and December 10.  In order not to receive a grade of F a student must drop these classes by August 31 and January 31.  No refund will be given after that time.

v      Distance Learning educational technology classes and Ministry of the Master.  Fall and Spring semesters begin at the same time as the undergraduate calendar. (See the college calendar for these dates).  Students who wish to drop a class and receive a refund must drop the class by the end of the fifth week of class.  No refunds will be given after that date.

To drop a class the student must notify the registrar’s office or the teacher education graduate office in writing (email is acceptable) by 5 p.m. by the appropriate deadline.                                                                Top

GRADES AND QUALITY POINTS

Grades and quality points are recorded as follows:

GRADE APPEAL PROCESS

A student may appeal a final course grade which he/she believes to be inaccurate.  This appeal must be submitted in writing within six weeks from the close of the semester to the office of the registrar.          Top

GRADE INFORMATION

Students may view their grades on Campus Connect at mid-term and following each semester.  A student may view his or her transcript at any time on Campus Connect.  Request for printed copies of grades must be submitted in writing in the Registrar’s Office.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Academic Credits.  The minimum academic requirement for graduation with a Master’s degree is completion of 39 semester credits with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.00. 

Attendance.  All students are expected to participate in commencement unless a prior request to graduate in absentia has been approved by the academic dean.  Letters should be submitted to the Academic Dean’s Office.  Even when special permission is granted, the graduation fee will still be charged. 

Graduation Fee.  A non-refundable graduation fee is paid which will cover the cost of diploma, cap and gown, and other graduation expenses.

Intent to Graduate.  The declaration of  Intent to Graduate form must be completed by the beginning of the academic year in which the student plans to graduate. Information for ordering diploma, cap and gown is determined from this form. These forms are available in the Registrar’s Office.  Submission of Intent after deadline will result in a student waiting until the next graduation ceremony.                                          Top

         PLAGIARISM AND RELATED PRACTICES

Students commit plagiarism when they deliberately submit the writing of someone else as their own work.  This offense may involve either submission of a paper written by someone else or directly copying from a printed source without using quotation marks or appropriate documentation.  For demonstrable plagiarism in a paper, students will receive a minimum penalty of “F” on that paper.  The penalty may include a failing grade for the course. The matter will also be reported to the dean of students. Disciplinary action may lead to suspension or dismissal from Johnson Bible College.

Excessive Collaboration.  (1) To write more effectively, students (like most writers) may discuss their ideas and plans for papers with others or may read a paper (or a section of a paper) to friends, making revisions based on their responses.  Normally such collaboration improves writing.  (2) Students may also seek help from a volunteer or hired typist.  For instructors to gain an accurate representation of a student’s work, the student must present the rough draft of any theme or research paper typed by someone other than the student.  The final copy must mention the typist’s name. 

Either of the above practices carried to the extreme constitutes excessive collaboration and prevents instructors from recognizing the real ability and progress of their students, thus inhibiting effective teaching and learning.  Students may receive the grade of “F” on a paper which shows unmistakable evidence of excessive collaboration. Since students often practice excessive collaboration without a deliberate intention to deceive, a professor, after conferring with the student, may allow a rewrite of the paper.

Insufficient Documentation.  Honesty and courtesy require that writers acknowledge their debt for information and opinions they draw from other sources.  Documentation provides both an acknowledgment of this debt and a kind of support for the ideas expressed in a paper.  Appropriate documentation may range from the mere mention of a name or title to the extensive footnotes and bibliography required in a fully documented paper.  Insufficient or inaccurate documentation constitutes a serious weakness in a paper and normally results in a lowered grade.  Students may receive the grade of “F” on a paper where insufficient documentation overwhelms the communication.

Inadequate Paraphrase.  In paraphrasing, students should carefully change the words and sentence structure of the original source while retaining the original sense of the source’s meaning.  Students must learn the ability to paraphrase.

Usually inadequate paraphrase represents a lack of knowledge and skill on the part of the student rather than a deliberate attempt to deceive.  Professors will treat inadequate paraphrase like any other writing deficiency, provided it does not also involve insufficient documentation.  Students may receive the grade of “F” on a paper where inadequate paraphrase makes up most of the communication.  In such instances, professors may require the student to rewrite the paper.  Inadequate paraphrase without documentation usually constitutes plagiarism. Top

REPEATING A COURSE

Whenever a course is repeated, either because of failure or in order to improve a grade, the grade earned the last time the student repeats a course will be used in any grade point computation. All grades will be placed on the transcript with an indication that the course has been repeated. There is no limit to the number of times a student may repeat a course.  Veterans should consult with the registrar or their V.A. representative regarding the latest regulation relative to repeating a course.

REGISTRATION

Students are required to register for classes prior to the beginning of each semester.  After admittance to JBC, necessary items to complete the registration process include financial arrangements, directory information, and I.D. pictures. 

Continuing students register about mid-term of each semester for the upcoming semester.  Students will be notified by email when it is time to register for the next course.

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS

To remain on good standing on the program, candidates must maintain a 3.0 CGPA.  A candidate whose CGPA drops below a 3.0 will have one semester to raise this CGPA back to a 3.0.  Candidates who do not achieve this will not be able to continue on the program.  In extenuating circumstances, candidates who are dismissed from the program may appeal to the Graduate Teacher Education Committee.                                                        Top

TRANSCRIPTS OF CREDITS

The registrar will furnish transcripts of credits upon written request. One complimentary transcript is available without charge. There is a charge of $5 for each additional transcript. The form may be printed from the JBC Website and mailed to the Registrar’s Office.  No transcript will be furnished until all financial accounts have been satisfactorily settled with the College.

WITHDRAWAL FROM COLLEGE