The academic information in this section applies to the graduate programs at Benedict College.
When changes are made in the academic requirements, those in effect the year of the student’s most recent continuous enrollment apply. Otherwise, changes are effective upon publication in this catalogue. Students enrolled in the program are responsible for familiarizing themselves with and understanding the implications of all institutional policies, procedures, and requirements affecting progress toward their academic goals. These include, but are not limited to, degree and major course requirements, and the program’s grading and course repeat policies.
Registration
Students may complete early registration in the college’s online registration portal during the time period designated in the applicable Academic Calendar. A student is officially enrolled at Benedict College when he/she has cleared the registration process, including being financially cleared by Student Accounts, and attends at least one class on his/her schedule.
Enrollment Status (Full/Part-time)
To be considered full-time, a student must enroll for a minimum of nine (9) semester hours during the summer term and twelve (12) hours during each regular semester. The maximum course load for which students may register during fall and spring semesters will be determined by the dean or program director.
Any student enrolled for less than 12 semester credit hours during a regular semester is considered a part-time student. Students enrolled in less than 6 hours during the summer term are considered a part-time student.
Course Changes
Students may add and drop courses within the time designated in the applicable Academic Calendar. Before withdrawing from a class or classes, students should refer to the policies outlined by in the Financial Aid section of the catalogue in order to understand the financial implications for their student account.
Schedule Changes
The College reserves the right to cancel or discontinue any course because of small enrollment or for any other reasons deemed necessary. In order to assure quality instruction, the College reserves the right to close registration when the maximum enrollment has been reached and to make changes in the schedule and/or instructor when necessary.
Class Attendance
The college believes that class attendance and active class participation are integral to the success of each student. Given this philosophy, faculty are required to record attendance in the applicable learning management system for all their classes for two weeks beyond the census date. Additionally, student class attendance will be verified at midterm and after 60% percent of the class has passed. For all courses, including hybrid and online courses, specific details are to be provided by faculty in each course outline informing students of the required participation in virtual and in- person class sessions and activities. Faculty are encouraged to discuss with students the attendance and participation expectations, especially if they consider attendance as a factor in determining the final grade. Faculty may also initiate written requests through their department chairs and deans to have students withdrawn administratively from their classes before the last day to drop a class as designated in the Academic Calendar if students have not participated virtually or attended enough classes to master the course learning objectives.
Students are required to inform faculty in advance of class absences whenever possible. However, students may be allowed excused absences for emergencies such as the following: personal illness, severe family illness, death in the family, and court action. Students may also be excused from classes to participate in Benedict College activities such as field trips, academic tournaments, scholarly research and presentations, off-campus choir tours, band, dance and theatrical performances, ROTC, and athletic activities. Students may obtain official college excuses from the Vice President for Student Affairs upon presentation of satisfactory documentation.
Students who are absent from class for more than 50% of class sessions or learning activities (or who do not participate for two consecutive weeks) may be recommended by the faculty for administrative withdrawal. Students are responsible for informing the Office of Student Affairs when they will be absent or inactive for an extended period so that the appropriate academic actions can be completed. Documentation must be presented by the student and approved by the Office of Student Affairs for an Incomplete designation to be considered. Faculty are not required to provide opportunities to make up work in cases where an official college excuse has not been issued to the student.
Students are required to present the official college excuse to the faculty members within one week after they return to class. Faculty members are required to accept official college excuses for absences without penalty unless the student has been deemed excessively absent, as defined below. Although students may be granted excused absences, such absences do not excuse students from assignments that are missed. Faculty members are required to permit make-up work for excused absences.
Students may be considered absent excessively when the number of absences from the class exceeds the number of credit hours for the course. However, faculty members will specify on their course outlines how specific class attendance may affect the grading requirements for the class.
Attendance Guidelines for Online Classes
A student attends an online course (or the online portion of a hybrid course) by actively participating in class or otherwise engaging in an academically related activity. Examples of such activity include but are not limited to completing the attendance survey, contributing to an online discussion or text chat session; submitting an assignment or working draft; working through exercises; taking a quiz or exam; viewing or completing a tutorial, or initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a course- related question. Such academically related activities are readily tracked and documented through the College’s learning management system, email system, and in some cases, publisher websites.
Documenting that a student has logged into an online class or website is not sufficient, by itself, to demonstrate academic attendance by the student. For example, if a student simply logs into an online course on September 15th and logs out, without any further activity, the student did not attend the online class on that day and will not receive credit as being “present” for that class period. Attendance in all online courses will be based upon completion of activities and active participation, rather than merely signing in.
Class Meeting Times:
Traditional Classes
Except for laboratory courses and performance courses, classes meet a minimum of 50 minutes per week per credit hour. A three-credit hour course that meets only twice a week meets for a minimum of 75 minutes each time. Courses may meet for more than 50 minutes per week if in the opinion of the College additional time is needed to achieve the desired student learning outcomes prescribed for the courses.
Blended/Hybrid Courses
Taking advantage of the newest technology, the College offers courses in its curriculum through a learning management system (LMS) that allows students to access course outlines, assignments, projects, discussions, tests, and other course components. These courses include Blended and Hybrid courses that have the same requirements as those taught entirely within the classroom including academic standards, contact hours, performance criteria, student participation, and integrity.
A Blended course is a course that has an online presence to augment the standard face- to-face meeting times. Benedict College utilizes the LMS, Canvas. Many course components, including the syllabi, resource materials, assignments, etc. will be posted in the learning management system (Canvas).
Hybrid courses meet a minimum of 25% (up to 75%) of the required meeting time face to face. The remainder of the required course time and class activities is conducted online or independently with guidance from the Instructor. Faculty may also require students to take some tests, examinations, and present major projects on-site.
Online Courses
Benedict College offers a variety of online courses across all disciplines. The courses are designed based upon the Quality Matters Standards for best practices in online and blended courses. Each course has been certified through Benedict’s eCollege Certification program. Online courses are conducted totally online and can be self-paced or Instructor driven, depending on the nature of the course. All online courses utilize free open-source educational materials that are provided within the course on Canvas. Online courses are clearly designated in the master course schedule and are offered for all terms. Benedict College does not offer any online programs of study.
Auditing
Permission to audit a course may be obtained from the Registrar and Director of Student Records. The student must pay a course audit fee and obtain the approval of the instructor of the course, the department chair, and the school dean. A student may not earn academic credit for a course he/she has previously audited.
Policies and Procedures for Consortia Courses
Benedict College is a member of several collegiate consortia through which cross institutional enrollment in online courses is permitted up to six (6) semester credit hours per academic term. These courses are labeled “Consortium Courses” and are denoted for student enrollment purposes with “CC” in place of course section numbers. Each course requires approval from the Vice President of Academic Affairs, Director of Specialized Programming, deans, and department chairs based on their review of information such as course descriptions, course credit hours and level, syllabi, current or projected course availability at Benedict College, and faculty credentials.
Upon completion of each CC course, the registrar of the teaching institution submits the final grade in the CC portal. Benedict’s Office of the Registrar and Student Records then posts the final grade on the student’s Benedict College transcript. This practice makes it possible for: (1) Benedict College to apply financial aid to the cover the cost of the courses; (2) Students to improve GPAs by substituting consortium course grades for Ds, Fs, or Ws; and (3) Full-time students to count the courses towards degree progression.
Previously posted final grades will remain on the Benedict transcript, however, the CC grades will be counted in the Benedict College GPA and the credits hours will also be counted in the “attempted” and “earned” categories for Satisfactory Academic Progress calculations. CC courses are not considered transient or transfer courses.
Benedict College will not intervene in grade disputes in cases where a Benedict student is dissatisfied with the final grade issued by the teaching institution. Additionally, students are responsible for adhering to course participation and policies of the teaching institution, which includes logging in on the course start date, submitting assignments, securing textbooks and learning materials, and following through on all required actions as stated on the syllabus and by the teaching institution.
Course drop dates are determined by the teaching institution, and Benedict College students must adhere to these dates accordingly. Benedict College will not intervene in disputes regarding course drops, withdrawals, and/or refunds in cases where the student did not correspond with the teaching institution per the deadlines for each CC course.
Consortia Course Enrollment Eligibility
Students must:
- Be enrolled full-time at Benedict College during the academic term in which they are seeking to take a CC course (CC courses will be included in determination of full-time status);
- Be in good academic standing. Students who are on academic probation are NOT eligible to enroll in CC courses;
- Be financially cleared at Benedict College in the academic term in which the student seeks to enroll in CC courses; and
- Graduate students may complete no more than 15 CC semester credit hours in their program of study.
CC Enrollment Actions
Students must request CC enrollment actions (add, drop, withdraw) through the Director of Specialized Programming or their graduate program director or dean.
Communication to Students about Course Requests
After a CC course request is submitted on behalf of the student, the Teaching Institution will send one of two e-mail communications to the student’s school email address:
- Denied, which requires the staff to find another course for the student
- Approved, which gives the student key information about the course start date etc.
Billing Students
Students pay their Home Institution’s tuition rate per credit hour for the CC course; financial aid may be applied to cover CC course cost.
Students who exceed full-time enrollment due to the addition of CC courses will be charged overload tuition and fee rates per the published Benedict College tuition and fee schedule.
Students are responsible for all learning material costs, including textbooks, as determined by the teaching institution. Textbooks for CC courses are not included in the Benedict College tuition and fees.
Transcribing Courses
Benedict College will use a “CC” section designation and a course number that is the same as the equivalent Benedict course. Course numbers may vary from the strict Home Institution equivalent, but in all cases approved CC Courses have been determined to promote equivalent learning outcomes.
Grading System
Benedict College graduate programs use the following system of grading student performance.
| Grade |
Meaning Numerical Equivalent |
|
Quality Points Earned |
| A |
Superior |
90-100 |
4 |
| B |
Good |
80-89 |
3 |
| C |
Passing, but Weak |
70-79 |
2 |
| D |
Unsatisfactory |
60-69 |
1 |
| F |
Failing |
Below 60 |
0 |
| I |
Incomplete |
0 |
| CR |
Credit |
0 |
| WC |
Withdrawal- From a course or courses |
0 |
| WU |
Withdrawal - Unofficial |
0 |
| WS |
Withdrawal - Special Circumstances |
0 |
| WA |
Withdrawal - Administrative
(for academic, disciplinary, attendance or other reasons as determined by the College) |
0 |
| AU |
Audit |
0 |
Student Code of Academic Responsibility
Strength of character is as important as academic achievement; therefore, the college expects everyone in the academic community to maintain personal integrity and avoid any conduct designed to gain an unfair advantage in obtaining a grade or assessing academic performance. Academic dishonesty may include but is not limited to plagiarism, cheating, falsification of records, and collusion with others to defraud. Any student found guilty of academic dishonesty will be subject to disciplinary action which may include loss of credit, suspension, or dismissal from the college.
- The adjudication of claims of plagiarism begins with the faculty member, who allows the student(s) suspected of engaging in academic dishonesty the opportunity to explain/defend his or her work. The faculty member can allow the student to resubmit their work or assign a letter grade of F for the assignment.
- If the accused student(s) believe they have been wrongly accused, they may request a review by the program director. The program director will review the evidence and hear the responses of both the accused student(s) and the accusing faculty member. If the accused student(s) disagrees with the judgment of the program director, then the student(s) may request a review by the Dean.
- The Dean will review the evidence and supply a judgment. If the accused student(s) disagrees with the judgment, then the student(s) may request review by the Vice-President of Academic Affairs.
- After reviewing the evidence, the recommendations by the Vice-President of Academic Affairs will be taken. These recommendations might include: a) Written reprimand by the faculty member with a letter grade of F for the assignment. b) The assignment of a letter grade of F for the course if the document where the breach of academic dishonesty was a major requirement for the completion of the course. c) Major violations of this policy may lead to suspension from the College.
- The accused student(s) may request a review by the President. The decision by the President is final.
Penalties
A graduate student who fails a course due to academic dishonesty will be suspended from the program for one academic year. At the end of that year, the student may apply for readmission to the graduate program. The graduate business faculty will make a decision whether or not to readmit the student. If readmitted, the student can retake the course. Both grades will appear on the transcript, and the course hours attempted will continue to be calculated in figuring the student’s grade point average.
Incomplete Grades
An Incomplete (I) is given, upon approval of the faculty member, when documented illness, excused absences, or other legitimate reasons prevent the student from completing the course. Incompletes are normally only considered for students who have completed at least 60% of the course requirements. If the student is prevented from completing the course, taking the final examination or completing a major class project on time, he/she may request an “I” designation from the instructor.
The faculty member must complete the Incomplete Designation Form which lists all the requirements that the student must complete in order to remove the “I” designation by the dates designated in the prevailing academic calendar, except for prospective graduating seniors, which are subject to modification according to circumstances. An Incomplete that is not adjusted during the period becomes a failing grade of “F” unless the faculty member requests an extension, based upon extenuating circumstances, to the next prescribed deadline period. The form will be submitted by the faculty member and approved by the graduate program director and the dean. It must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office at the time that grades are submitted for the “I” to be accepted officially.
A student should not enroll in a class in which he/she has received an “I” (designation). Rather, the student is only obligated to complete the requirements as outlined on the Incomplete Designation Form. Based upon the student’s class schedule, he/she may sit in the class in which the Incomplete is being removed to complete the designated assignments with permission of the faculty member.
Prospective graduating seniors who remove incompletes after the official date of graduation for a specified semester will be considered a graduate of the next applicable academic enrollment term.
Repeated Courses
It is the policy of the College that a grade will not be removed from a student’s record for repeated courses. In instances where a course is repeated to achieve a higher grade, the lower of the two grades is forgiven (i.e., excluded from qualitative (GPA) calculations); however, both instances are included in the quantitative calculations (credit hours attempted).
Please note the following:
- Unless approved through a consortia agreement, a student may not repeat a course at another institution to remove a grade of “D” and “F” that was earned at Benedict College.
- Financial Aid may not be used to pay for a repeated course in which a grade of “C” or higher has already been achieved.
- Course credit hours may only be counted once toward graduation.
Repeating D or F Courses
Any course in which a student receives a grade of “D” or “F” must be repeated and the student must obtain at least a grade of “C”. In these instances, the lower of the two grades will be excluded from the qualitative calculations; however, both instances are included in the quantitative calculation. If a course is repeated more than once, all additional attempts are included in both qualitative and quantitative calculations.
Grade Reports
Grades for all coursework are determined at the end of each academic term and may be viewed by students electronically. All students have a right to consult with faculty members to verify the accuracy of their grades and to receive an explanation for their grades were determined.
Students may appeal or protest the grades assigned by the faculty member through the faculty member, the faculty member’s school dean, and the graduate program director. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome, he/she may appeal to the Vice President for Academic Affairs no later than one academic year after the grade was posted, regardless of the enrollment status of the student. The President may review these decisions at his/her discretion.
Transcripts
The Office of the Registrar has partnered with Parchment to allow for transcripts to be conveniently ordered 24 hours, 7 days a week. Please visit www.parchment.com www.benedict.edu/registrar to order. Transcripts are only issued to current and former students who do not have outstanding financial balances with the College. Any outstanding balances must be cleared through the Office of Student Accounts prior to issuance of transcripts. Transcripts are processed within 3-5 business days from the receipt of the request. Time to process legacy transcripts, peak times and holidays may affect this schedule.
Grade Change Policy
Under very strict conditions, faculty may change a grade assigned to a student. Upon approval, the grade is changed on the student’s transcript by designated personnel in the Office of the Registrar. The school dean, Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President may administratively change grades when, in their judgment, circumstances such as faculty error, incorrect calculations, unfairness, inconsistency, or violations of College policy so justify.
Acceptable reasons for changing a student’s grade are:
- Completion of work required to remove Incompletes;
- A demonstrable error in the computation of a grade;
- A substantial error in the evaluation of student performance;
- Completion of course requirements not completed during preceding semester due to good cause such as illness, death in the family, military service, or other sufficient reasons;
- Satisfaction of requirements for removing an assigned incomplete designation; and
- Extraordinary circumstances as determined by the school dean, the Vice President for Academic Affairs or the President.
All faculty-initiated grade changes must be approved by the graduate program director and school dean.
Quality Points
Quality points determine rank in class and satisfactory academic progress. To graduate from the Benedict College graduate program, a student must complete at least 36 semester credit hours with a cumulative quality grade point average of at least 2.5.
Withdrawals
Withdrawal–Official (W)
A student may withdraw officially from the College during a given semester or session during the time period designated in the applicable Academic Calendar. For a student to withdraw officially from the College, he/she must notify the Office of the Registrar in writing of his/her intent to withdraw from the College or complete the College’s official Student Withdrawal Form.
Withdrawal- Withdrawal (Drop) From Courses (WC)
A student may withdraw from course(s) during a given semester or session within the time period designated in the applicable Academic Calendar in order to have the WC designation posted to his/her transcript. The hours attempted, however, will count towards hours attempted but do not count towards the calculation of the student’s GPA.
Withdrawal– Unofficial (WU)
An unofficial withdrawal (without notification) occurs when a student no longer attends classes, but he/she fails to complete the withdrawal process outlined under Withdrawal-Official. The notification date for unofficial withdrawals for a student who attended at least one class is the midpoint of the semester or the college may use the student’s last date at an academically related activity, as documented by the college. A student is officially enrolled at Benedict College when he/she is financially cleared by Student Accounts and attends at least one class on his/her schedule.
Withdrawal– Special Circumstances (WS)
If a student did not provide official notification of withdrawal during the semester in which he/she was currently enrolled, the College, through the Office of the Registrar, may consider documented claims from the student to be withdrawn for special circumstances relative to illness, accident, grievous personal loss, or other circumstances beyond the control of the student. All special circumstances must be made in writing to the Office of the Registrar, with appropriate documentation, no later than 45 days after the semester ends (particularly regarding financial considerations) in which the student claims special circumstances.
Withdrawal– Administrative (WA)
Students may also be withdrawn administratively from the college at any time by the Registrar and Director of Student Records upon the recommendation of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Student Affairs, or declaration by the President. Such withdrawals may be made when students fail to meet financial obligations, for disciplinary reasons, for violations of academic regulations and policies, failure to pass any courses at the midterm of any given semester, failure to attend classes regularly, violation of class attendance policies, and for the good of the college.
Withdrawal From Block Courses
Students enrolled in block and full-semester courses may withdraw from full-semester or second block courses within the prescribed period in the prevailing Academic Calendar. However, final grades that have already been posted for Block I courses will remain on the official record (transcript). Students enrolled under these circumstances may not withdraw from the College during a semester where final grades have already been posted for courses. Students may withdraw or be administratively withdrawn from any courses in which they remain enrolled (Block II). A student may not request withdrawal from a completed course in which a grade has already posted on the transcript all posted grades will remain on the official record. Notably:
- Students may not request withdrawal from a Block I course once the Block I semester has ended.
- Students may not request complete withdrawal from the college if grades have been earned in Block I courses.
Taking Courses at Other Colleges
Before taking graduate courses at another institution for transfer credit to Benedict College’s graduate program, a student must be in good financial standing and must have a minimum cumulative 2.5 grade point average.
The student must secure prior approval by completing an “Academic Course Approval” Form. Also, a student may not repeat a course at another institution unless approved through consortia agreement.
During the graduate program, candidates may earn or transfer in up to 9 semester credit hours at another institution.
A candidate may not repeat a course at another institution to remove the grades of D, F, or WC designation that were earned in those same courses at Benedict College. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Graduate Program Director and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Grade Point Average Required for Graduation
Graduate students must have a Cumulative Grade Point Average of at least 2.5 in order to graduate. The total credit hours required to graduate are at least 36 but may vary depending on the student’s program of study and degree sought.
Statute of Limitations
A student has the right to appeal a College decision up to one academic year after the ruling was determined, unless its expiration is prescribed otherwise, after the decision has been made. The College is under no obligation to hear appeals that are more than one academic year after the specific incident occurred.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policies
Satisfactory Academic Progress is assessed at the end of each academic semester (including summer terms) for all enrolled students - both Undergraduate and Graduate, Full- and Part-Time, and regardless of payment method or funding source.
Qualitative SAP Standard
To demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progress, a graduate student must earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5. All local hours applicable toward completion of current and active degree programs will be counted in this calculation.
Minimum Cumulative GPA = 2.5
Quantitative SAP Standard
In addition to maintaining the GPA standard listed above, all students must have successfully completed 2/3 (66.6%) of the cumulative credit hours they have attempted. All local or transfer hours applied toward completion of current and active degree programs will be counted in this calculation.
Cumulative Earned Hours /Cumulative Attempted Hours = .666 or higher
Academic Status Definitions
Meeting Standards (M)
Students must meet both the qualitative (GPA) and quantitative (credit hours or pace) standards listed above to be considered in good academic standing. Students who meet both standards will be designated as Meeting Standards (M).
Academic Sanctions Resulting From Failure to Meet SAP Standards
Graduate students who fail to meet either the qualitative or quantitative standard will be subject to the following academic sanctions.
Academic Probation (P)
The first time that a graduate student fails to meet either the qualitative or quantitative standard, he/she will be placed on Academic Probation (P) for the following enrollment period. The student will have one enrollment period to reach the required SAP standards. Students on P-Academic Probation (P) may enroll in Benedict courses subject to any academic and co-curricular restrictions outlined by the academic program. If a student is not enrolled in the enrollment period immediately following their placement on probation, the one (1)-term probationary period will begin when the student returns to the college.
Note: Students on Academic Probation (P) will also be placed on Financial Aid Warning. During the period of Academic Probation/Financial Aid Warning, the student remains eligible to receive federal financial aid.
- If the cumulative SAP standards are met by the end of the P-probationary term, the student will return to Meeting Standards (M). (Students who are Meeting Standards are eligible to receive federal financial aid.)
- Students who fail to meet the cumulative SAP standards by the end of the probationary term will be placed on Academic Suspension (S). (Students on Academic Suspension will also be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and are not eligible to receive federal financial aid.)
Academic Suspension (S)
A graduate student who was on Academic Probation (P) and fails to meet the cumulative SAP standards during their probationary term will be placed on Academic Suspension (S).
Note: Students placed on Academic Suspension (S) will also be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and are not eligible to receive federal financial aid.
- Academic Suspension will be applied for at least one enrollment period (Fall, Spring, Summer I, or Summer II). During the period of Academic Suspension, the student is ineligible to enroll in Benedict classes.
- Students who can demonstrate that extenuating circumstances led to their academic difficulties may appeal to the program’s graduate faculty council for immediate return to the college; however, in most situations, students are required to sit out for at least one enrollment period.
- Suspended students who serve their term of suspension will be required to apply for readmission to the graduate program; readmission is not guaranteed. The program’s graduate faculty council will determine readmission decisions and may provide binding stipulations for re-entry.
- Re-entering students who desire to be re-considered for federal financial aid programs must also appeal to the college-wide SAP Appeals Committee. Title IV aid eligibility can only be restored by the SAP Committee. (Note: A student may be re-admitted by the graduate faculty council but may be deemed ineligible by the SAP Appeals Committee to receive federal financial aid.)
- Students approved for re-entry by the graduate faculty council who do not complete a successful SAP Committee appeal may return under the status of Continued Graduate Probation (CG). Readmitted graduate students who successfully appeal for financial aid reinstatement will return under the status of Appeal-Approved Academic Probation (A2).
- Academic Suspension may only be applied once in a graduate student’s career. Subsequent failure by a probationary student to maintain cumulative SAP standards will result in dismissal.
Academic Sanctions for Readmitted Students:
The following academic status designations apply only to students who have been re-admitted after suspension: Continued Graduate Probation (CG), Appeal-Approved Academic Probation (A2), Meeting Standards After Readmission (MG), and Probation After Readmission (PG). Re-Admitted students must meet the terms of this SAP policy and any assigned academic plans in each enrollment period to remain eligible for continued enrollment.
CONTINUED GRADUATE PROBATION (CG)
A suspended graduate student who is approved by the graduate faculty council for readmission to their graduate program but who declines to appeal for financial aid reinstatement or is denied by the SAP Appeal Committee may be allowed to enroll with a status of Continued Graduate Probation (CG). Students on Continued Graduate Probation (CG) may enroll in Benedict courses but are ineligible to receive Title IV federal aid.
Note: Students placed on Continued Graduation Probation will remain on Financial Aid Suspension and are not eligible to receive federal financial aid.
- If the cumulative SAP standards are met by the end of the CG-Probationary term, the student will be re-classified as Meeting Standards after Readmission (MG). (Students with MG classifications are eligible to receive federal financial aid.)
- Students who fail to meet the cumulative SAP standards by the end of the CG-Probationary term but successfully meet the term requirements outlined in their academic plan will remain on CG-Academic Probation. (CG Students remain ineligible to receive federal financial aid.)
- Students who fail to meet the cumulative SAP standards by the end of the CG-Probationary term and who fail to meet the term requirements outlined in their academic plan will be placed on Academic Dismissal.
APPEAL-APPROVED ACADEMIC PROBATION (A2)
A suspended graduate student who is approved by both the graduate faculty council for readmission to their graduate program and the SAP Appeal Committee for Title IV financial aid reinstatement may be allowed to enroll with a status of Appeal-Approved Academic Probation (A2). Students on A2 Probation may enroll in Benedict courses and are eligible to receive Title IV federal aid.
Note: Students placed on Appeal-Approved Academic Probation (A2) are eligible to receive federal financial aid.
- If the cumulative SAP standards are met by the end of the A2-Probationary term, the student will be re-classified as MG - Meeting Standards after Readmission. (Students who are classified as MG are eligible to receive federal financial aid.)
- Students who fail to meet the cumulative SAP standards by the end of the A2-Probationary term but successfully meet the term requirements outlined in their academic plan will remain on A2 Appeal -Approved Academic Probation. (A2 Students are eligible to receive federal financial aid.)
- Students who fail to meet the cumulative SAP standards by the end of the A2-Probationary term and who fail to meet the term requirements outlined in their academic plan will be placed on Academic Dismissal (D).
MEETING STANDARDS AFTER READMISSION (MG)
A CG- or A2-student who subsequently returns to meeting both the qualitative and quantitative standards will be re-classified as Meeting Standards after Readmission (MG).
Note: Students designated as Meeting Standards after Readmission (MG) are eligible to receive federal financial aid.
- If the cumulative SAP standards are met by the end of the MG term, the student will remain classified Meeting Standards after Readmission (MG).
- If the cumulative SAP standards are not met by the end of the MG term, the student will be classified Probation after Readmission (PG).
PROBATION AFTER READMISSION (PG)
An MG- student who again fails to meet both the qualitative and quantitative standards will be re-classified as Probation after Readmission (PG).
Note: Students on Probation after Readmission (PG) will also be placed on Financial Aid Warning but will remain eligible to receive federal financial aid.
- If the cumulative SAP standards are met by the end of the PG term, the student will be reclassified as Meeting Standards after Readmission (MG).
- If the cumulative SAP standards are not met by the end of the PG term, the student will be placed on Academic Dismissal (D).
ACADEMIC DISMISSAL (D)
A student classified as Continued Graduate Probation (CG), Appeal-Approved Academic Probation (A2), or Probation after Readmission (PG) who fails to meet either the cumulative SAP standards or their assigned academic plan standards during their probationary term will progress to Academic Dismissal. Dismissed students are ineligible to continue in the current graduate program.
- While approvals are rare, students who can demonstrate that extreme extenuating circumstances led to their academic difficulties may appeal to the graduate faculty council and SAP Appeals Committee for return to the college. The appeal must be submitted within one calendar year of the Dismissal action. Students are limited to one (1) dismissal appeal in their graduate career.
Special Considerations
Transferred Credits:
Only those credits that are accepted and applied toward the student’s current, active academic degree program(s) will be considered in SAP computations.
Withdrawals:
Withdrawals are not included in the qualitative calculations. However, withdrawals from any course applicable to the student’s current and active academic degree program(s) will be considered in the quantitative computations.
Incompletes:
Incomplete grades are not included in the qualitative calculations. However, credit hours for Incomplete courses are counted as hours attempted but not earned in quantitative computations. Probationary students are urged to satisfy course requirements and have incompletes removed as quickly as possible to remove the negative impact upon their academic record. SAP computations are conducted only at the end of each enrollment period, therefore, the effect of removing an incomplete will not be factored into the student’s academic status until SAP is recalculated at the end of the subsequent enrollment period.
Repeated Courses:
Only grades of C or better may be counted toward the graduate degree. All grades of D or F must be repeated and can only be completed at Benedict College. The lower of the two grades will be excluded from the qualitative calculations; however, both instances are included in the quantitative calculation. A course may be repeated only once to achieve a higher grade; therefore, failure to achieve a grade of C or better on the re-take of any required course will result in dismissal from the current graduate program.
Academic Program Changes (Change of Major or Minor):
Only those credits that are applicable toward the student’s current, active academic degree program(s) will be considered in SAP quantitative and/or qualitative computations.
Additional Considerations
Notification of Academic Sanctions:
Notifications of Academic Sanctions, Timelines for Academic Appeals, and Appeal Decisions will be communicated to students in writing via their official Benedict email address. Notifications are normally provided within two weeks of the close of each semester. Students receiving suspension or dismissal sanctions will automatically be removed from any pre-registered course enrollments.
Academic Work Completed While on Academic Suspension or Dismissal:
While the college encourages students on suspension and dismissal to take steps to improve their academic performance, the college will not accept transfer credits for courses taken at another institution during the period that a student is on academic suspension or dismissal.
Readmission After Academic Suspension or Academic Dismissal
Graduate readmission decisions are administered by the graduate faculty council of the applicable program. The privilege of requesting readmission does not imply an obligation on the part of the College to grant the request. The College reserves the right to deny readmission on the merits of the individual case or, if students are readmitted, to indicate the conditions under which they are to be readmitted.
Applicants for readmission who have attended another institution while on Academic Suspension or Academic Dismissal from Benedict College must submit official transcripts of such work to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment before readmission consideration will be granted. However, the College will not apply these transfer credits toward a Benedict degree program. In addition, the maximum time frame guidelines will be applied to these students.
If readmitted, the student will be required to complete an academic plan during registration. The academic plan will outline the academic and activity requirements/restrictions to be applied during the ensuing semester or (semesters) in order to maintain academic eligibility.
The Appeals Process
Students subject to academic sanctions have the right to appeal. The official letter of academic action is sent from the Office of the Registrar and will inform students of their right to appeal the impending sanction during a time period that allows a decision to be made for the applicable enrollment period.
Appeals are considered by the college-wide SAP Appeals Committee, composed of representatives from Academic Affairs, Financial Aid, the Office of the Registrar, and the Office of Admissions and Recruitment. The Committee is charged by the College to determine financial aid eligibility for graduate appeals.
APPEAL CATEGORIES
- Those requesting immediate readmission without serving the Suspension
These appeals require proof of extenuating circumstances that significantly impacted the student’s academic performance and demonstration that the situation has been resolved.
- Those who have served their Suspension or Dismissal who are seeking reinstatement of financial aid eligibility
Removal or completion of an academic sanction does not signal the removal of Financial Aid Suspension. Students who have received a Financial Aid Suspension must appeal to the SAP Appeals Committee to determine financial aid eligibility. Reinstatement of financial aid requires proof of extenuating circumstances that directly affected the student’s academic performance.
SUBMISSION OF APPEALS
Appeals may be submitted online via the Tiger Portal, emailed to SAP.committee@benedict.edu, or mailed to the Vice President for Academic Affairs at 1600 Harden Street, Columbia, SC 29204 by the date stipulated in the student’s official letter of academic action.
Written appeals must include:
- a clear explanation of any extenuating circumstances that contributed to the student’s academic difficulties during the period in which the student failed to meet SAP standards e.g., hospitalization or extended severe illness; death of an immediate family member; eviction or housing insecurity, etc.);
- objective documentation to support and confirm information stated in the appeal (e.g., hospital discharge paperwork showing the dates of hospitalization; funeral programs or obituaries; eviction notice or cancellation of rental agreement, etc.);
- an explanation of how the student will perform better if readmitted and description of what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow them to demonstrate that they are making satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation.
APPEAL DECISIONS
Students will be notified in writing of the committee’s decision via an email to their official Benedict College email address.
SAP Appeals Committee decisions are considered final and may only be challenged on the basis that the appeals process was flawed. Students may request an administrative review of the Committee’s decision by providing evidence that all their documentation was not considered or that the process was otherwise flawed. All requests must be made in writing within 72 hours of receipt of the committee’s decision. Such requests for administrative review must be submitted via email to SAP.Committee@Benedict.edu.
Requests for review of academic sanctions must be submitted to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs 1600 Harden Street, Columbia, SC 29204 or emailed to Academic.Affairs@Benedict.edu
Student Grievance Policy (Academic)
Whenever a student has a complaint or grievance against a faculty or academic staff member, the first attempt should be to settle the matter through a conference with the involved faculty or academic staff member. If the matter cannot be adjusted amicably through a student-faculty or academic staff member conference, the student should present the grievance to either the Graduate Program Director or the Dean of the School.
The Graduate Program Director or Dean of the School will attempt to mediate the complaint between the student and the faculty or academic staff member. A written report shall be maintained of all conferences conducted and the decision reached on the merit of each complaint. The report shall contain the student’s statement of the complaint and the date(s) action was taken.
If the student or the faculty or academic staff member is dissatisfied with the action taken by the Graduate Program Director or the Dean of the School, the matter may be appealed to the Graduate Program Special Committee. In such case, a written report of previous conferences will be presented to the Graduate Program Special Committee and the student should complete the Written Complaint and Resolution Form.
Student complaints will usually embrace matters such as those set out below. However, matters not appearing on this list may be considered if violations of students’ rights allegedly are involved:
- Scheduling Problem
- Conflict with Faculty or Academic Staff Member
- Disagreement with Assessment by Faculty Member (Grades)
- Discrimination (i.e., race, gender, disability, etc.)
- Improper Classroom Management
- General Academic Concern
- Family Issues
- Medical Issues
Benedict College recognizes the importance of providing a prompt and efficient procedure for the resolution of a student grievance. The Student Grievance Committee was established to resolve grievances in a fair and equitable manner. A grievance is a complaint arising out of any alleged unauthorized or unjustified act or decision by a member of the College community that in any way adversely affects the status, rights or privileges of any student. A student must seek redress within 90 days of the alleged grievance. The burden of proof rests with the person making the complaint.
Any student alleging violation of rights based on race, color, religion, ancestry, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, national origin, ethnicity, gender, veteran’s status, or marital status shall contact the Office of Student Affairs. The Vice President for Student Affairs shall designate the appropriate College officer to investigate the allegations. The Human Resources Officer shall investigate all cases alleging discrimination based on race, color, religion, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, veteran’s status or marital status. The Title IX Coordinator shall investigate all cases alleging discrimination based on gender. The Coordinator of Disability shall investigate all cases of alleged discrimination based on physical or mental disability.
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