Class Information

Registration is not complete until tuition and fees are paid in the Accounting Office.

After the last day to add a course during the regular semester, students who have not returned will be dropped from all their classes and their academic status will be changed to Non Returning.

Enrollment Procedure. Returning students should schedule an appointment with his or her advisor to discuss class schedules. The advisor will enroll the student in classes or provide access for the student to enroll.

Returning student enrollment dates. Students may begin enrolling on the date indicated and continue through the last day to add for the given term. Student enrollment dates are determined by academic classification.

New Student Enrollment dates can be found on the Bethany College website.

Residency Requirement. A degree candidate’s program must have 31 out of the last 40 semester hours completed while in residence.

Study Abroad. Bethany College offers study abroad opportunities for students. Credit will be given for courses taken in study abroad programs which are approved by the student’s advisor and the Registrar. Students must complete the study abroad form, obtain the required signatures, and submit it to the Registrar’s Office before any aid or credits will be approved.

Information about study abroad programs is available through the Chief Academic Officer’s Office. Contact the Financial Aid Office for possible financial assistance. Bethany College institutional financial aid can be used to cover Study Abroad experiences. However, funds may be downward adjusted based on the charges the college is invoiced from the study abroad program.

Official Withdrawal from College. If students find it necessary to withdraw from Bethany College during an academic term, they must submit a completed Official Withdrawal from Bethany College form to the Registrar’s Office. A student who attends at least one class, but withdraws from school on or before the tenth day of classes, will receive the following transcript entry: “Withdrew from ____ hours after class attendance but before a grade of W would have been recorded.” Students leaving college without an official withdrawal may receive an “F” in all courses in which they had been registered. Refunds will be made, if applicable. The last official day to withdraw from the college is the same as the last day to withdraw from a full semester course without the penalty of an F.

CLASS INFORMATION

Attendance Policy. Each instructor shall set an attendance policy for each course taught. Academic Honesty. Students of Bethany College, as members of an academic community dedicated to the achievement of excellence, are expected to meet the highest possible standards of personal, ethical, and moral conduct. The discovery, advancement, and communication of knowledge are best achieved through commitment to these standards. Furthermore, without the trust that these standards are observed, an academic community cannot exist. The principle of academic honesty, therefore, applies to the integrity of every project, presentation, examination, or assignment presented by every student, and any departure from high standards of personal, ethical, and moral conduct shall be considered as academic dishonesty.

Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to: 1. Plagiarism (see definition below); 2. Submission of work that is not the student’s own, but is the work of another person; 3. Submission or use of falsified data; 4. Theft of or unauthorized access to an examination; 5. Use of alternate, stand-in, or proxy during an examination; 6. Use of unauthorized material, including books, notes, computer programs, or any electronic device in the preparation of an assignment or during an examination; 7. Supplying or communicating any unauthorized information to another student in preparation of an assignment or during an examination; 8. Collaboration in the process of an assignment unless specifically permitted or required by the instructor; 9. Submission of the same work for credit in two courses without prior approval of all instructors involved. 10. Writing papers for another student. 11. Giving aid to another student on any examination; e.g., being the alternate for an examination.

Plagiarism is defined as the wrongful act of theft of the research, work, and/or intellectual or creative product of another person by presenting that other person’s intellectual or creative product as one’s own. In an institution of higher learning, plagiarism includes the presentation, without proper attribution, of intellectual work of some person other than the student who expects to receive credit for the work. “Intellectual work” is defined as ideas, writings, analysis, conclusions, discoveries, compilation of facts, opinions, compilation of data, interpretations, phrasing, and/or words.

Student Responsibilities Under this Policy:

Every student has the responsibility to comply with this policy. Compliance includes honest and truthful participation in any academic disciplinary proceedings held under this policy. A student’s failure to cooperate with the academic disciplinary procedure may lead to separate disciplinary action, up to and including suspension or expulsion.

Faculty Responsibilities Under this Policy:

1. All syllabi should have a clear statement defining plagiarism in a manner consistent with this policy and other forms of academic dishonesty, as well as warnings about repercussions that may occur for violations of this policy, including dismissal from the College. Failure to have a clear statement on a syllabus does not eliminate or reduce student responsibilities under this policy. 2. Each faculty member has responsibility to explain what is considered plagiarism or academic dishonesty in the discipline and to clarify what constitutes legitimate collaboration for the course. Failure on the part of faculty to explain plagiarism or academic dishonesty does not eliminate or reduce student responsibilities under this policy.

Disciplinary Procedures for Academic Dishonesty:

1. In a class, when academic dishonesty is suspected, three courses of action are possible for the instructor. a. Upon investigation, the professor determines there was a misunderstanding or an honest error and there was no overt act to commit academic dishonesty or intellectual fraud. In this circumstance, the situation is left to the instructor and the student to resolve in an appropriate manner. b. If it is determined that an act of academic dishonesty occurred, the instructor and student may reach an agreement appropriate for the offense. A form (Academic Dishonesty and Resolution Form) acknowledging the act of dishonesty and indicating the agreed upon resolution, signed by both the instructor and the student, is sent to the Registrar and Chief Academic Officer. The form shall be entered into the student’s academic file. c. If the student and the instructor cannot reach an agreement for an appropriate penalty, or the student disputes the accusation of academic dishonesty, the instructor shall report the incident using the Incident of Academic Dishonesty and Resolution Form to the office of the Registrar. In this case, the student has the right but not the obligation to appeal the instructor’s decision. The faculty shall notify the student and the Registrar that the Academic Dishonesty and Resolution Form has been filed with the Registrar’s office. 2. In the case of a student providing inappropriate aid; e.g., writing papers for another student, the Chief

Academic Officer (or his/her designee) shall investigate and be responsible for making a determination of responsibility for academic dishonesty. Documentation of academic dishonesty with the Academic Dishonesty and Resolution Form will occur. The student may appeal the CAO’s decision through the appeal process. 3. Multiple instances of academic dishonesty, whether occurring concurrently or sequentially are grounds for dismissal from the College. The Chief Academic Officer (or his/her designee), upon conference with senior faculty leaders shall be responsible for determining any sanctions as a result of multiple instances of academic dishonesty. The student may appeal the CAO’s decision through the appeal process.

Student Appeals of Academic Dishonesty:

1. Every student accused of academic dishonesty is entitled to a hearing of the charges against himself or herself provided he or she requests such a hearing in accordance with the above procedure. Furthermore, the college must be diligent in its commitment to academic integrity. For these reasons, a hearing of the Academic

Dishonesty Hearing Committee will be convened in accordance with the procedure set forth in this policy to determine the innocence or guilt of the person charged with academic dishonesty when requested by the student or required by rule. 2. If the student wishes to appeal the academic dishonesty decision, they must notify the Registrar of his/her wish to appeal the decision. The request for an appeal must occur within 10 days of the student receiving notification of the submission of the Academic

Dishonesty and Resolution Form. 3. The Registrar shall make every effort to schedule within 30 days of receipt of the request for a hearing by the

Registrar. 4. The Academic Dishonesty Hearing Committee shall be composed of two students appointed by the President of the Student Congress, three faculty members selected at random by the Chief Academic Officer, and the Registrar, who will serve as chair. A committee member shall recuse himself or herself from a hearing in the event of a possible conflict of interest. The student may see the list of potential members. The student may remove one member of such Committee, without giving a reason. The chair in ruling on this issue shall attempt to assure both parties of a fair, impartial and unbiased panel. The chair may add additional students or faculty to the Committee if members of the

Committee have recused themselves or been dismissed pursuant to the above procedure. 5. The chair shall not vote except for the purpose of breaking a tie. 6. In all hearings before the Academic Dishonesty Hearing

Committee, the student shall have the right to question his or her accuser(s) in a respectful and appropriate manner and to respond to the evidence brought against him or her. The Registrar shall have the authority to ensure that the hearing is conducted in a respectful manner that is consistent with the academic mission of the College. The student shall have the right to call witnesses or friends to speak on his or her behalf. A student is encouraged to bring a member of the

Bethany College faculty, staff, or administration as a support person. The rules of evidence applied in a courtroom (such as the hearsay rule) are not applicable

to these proceedings. The hearing should be informal with the intent of being fair to all parties as determined by the chair. The Chair shall be guided by the principle that each party should have the opportunity to present and respond to all evidence that is relevant to the issue to be decided. 7. To find that a student has committed an act of academic dishonesty, it is required that a majority of the

Academic Dishonesty Hearing Committee find by a preponderance of evidence that such an act did in fact occur. The phrase “preponderance of evidence” means that it is more likely than not that the alleged conduct occurred. This decision shall be final, unless the student files a timely appeal pursuant to the procedure set forth below. The committee shall issue a written decision that sets forth the reasoning that supports its conclusions. 8. A student may appeal a decision of the Academic

Dishonesty Hearing Committee on the grounds that there was bias, discrimination in the proceedings, the incorrect application of College policies by the

Committee, or of new evidence not present at the time of the original appeal but not on the substance of the charge. The appeal shall be submitted in writing to the

Chief Academic Officer within 10 days of the student having received the written decision of the Academic

Dishonesty Hearing Committee. The decision of the

Chief Academic Officer should be issued in writing within 10 days of receiving the student’s appeal. The

Chief Academic Officer’s decision is final.

Academic Disputes. Students who wish to dispute an academic decision must do so by the add/drop deadline of the semester the decision is rendered or, if disputing a final grade, must do so by the first day of the next fall or spring semester. 1. A student seeking review of an academic decision which affects his or her educational interests is required first to seek informal resolution of the matter through regular administrative channels. A student wishing reversal or modification of an academic decision by a faculty member should consult first with the faculty member, and then with the head of the faculty member’s department. 2. It is recognized that in some instances, the student may find a direct informal approach difficult. If so, the student is encouraged to enlist the support of an oncampus advocate, whether another student or faculty member. Administrators may be consulted by the student to determine the nature and range of his or her rights and responsibilities, but may not take part in any informal resolution of the dispute. 3. In the event that informal meetings do not result in a satisfactory resolution, the student’s request for impartial review shall be referred to an ad hoc Academic Review Committee appointed by the CAO. A written request for this review must be submitted to the CAO; the request shall include a statement which explains the basis for the request. 4. The Academic Review committee shall consist of three (3) disinterested individuals: two faculty members and a student. The term “disinterested” specifically means that none of the members of the committee shall be personally acquainted with the student initiating the academic dispute. Faculty members assigned to the committee should represent academic areas removed from the situation of the conflict. At its first meeting, the Committee shall elect from its membership a chairperson and a recorder. 5. All involved parties (student and faculty member) shall be entitled to make a presentation and to submit germane written or testimonial evidence to the

Committee. The student may be represented by a nonattorney or on-campus advocate, and is entitled to invite any observer to the proceeding. Other individuals may be called by the Committee to make statements or to offer evidence which are germane to the issue. All involved parties have the right to question witnesses, and the right to be present for all sessions of the committee hearing, though that right may be waived. 6. The Academic Review Committee shall conduct its inquiry according to the following standards of review:

In matters of scholastic judgment, the scope of the

Committee’s inquiry shall be limited to determining whether the faculty member’s decision was biased, arbitrary or capricious, unlawful, erroneous, or contrary to institutional policy. In such instances, the Committee shall be restrained from questioning or reversing sound, professional evaluations based upon the individual faculty member’s subjective judgment. The burden shall be on the student to establish bias, arbitrariness or capriciousness, illegality, error, or a policy violation. 7. Proceedings will normally be conducted on an informal basis, but the Committee may determine that a case requires more formal procedures. A written record of all proceedings whether formal or informal, conducted by the Committee shall be maintained and shall be available for inspection at all subsequent stages of this review process. 8. If the student remains dissatisfied by the decision of the

Academic Review Committee, she or he may seek a review of that decision by the CAO. A written request for this review must be submitted to the CAO; the request shall include a statement which explains the basis for the request. The CAO shall have the authority to reverse or modify the decision in question. The CAO shall inform the student in writing of his or her decision.

The decision of the CAO shall be final. 9. It is expected that all informal and formal review stages shall be initiated by the student and administratively concluded within four or five weeks after the Academic

Dispute Committee begins its work. 10. No student, faculty member or administrator shall be subjected to any form of harassment as a result of utilizing or assisting others in utilizing these review procedures.