Policies and Procedures

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Privacy of Student Records — The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Buckley Amendment) gives students and former students certain rights, consistent with the privacy of others, to review records, files, and data about them held on an official basis by the College. The Act also gives students and former students a right to challenge the content of those records, files, and data which they believe is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of their privacy and other rights. Individuals may directly request review of the records maintained about them from the appropriate offices. Any challenges to the content of the records, files, and data that cannot be resolved directly should be made in writing to the Office of Academic Affairs.

Information assembled prior to January 1, 1975, under promises of confidentiality, explicit or implicit, will not be made available for review by the concerned students without the written consent of the authors.

Course Enrollment

Students should enroll at least 5 days before the course start date. Most course start dates, unless otherwise noted, will be the first day of the month, and most course end dates will be calculated as 12 weeks from the start date with some program-specific variations.  Student’s financial accounts must be in good standing prior to course enrollment.

• 12-week & 10-week term based programs will have a specific registration period before the start date of the term.  Please consult with your academic advisor for registration deadlines.

Enrollment Schedule

Students must follow their enrollment schedule, as defined by their program of study and initial course start date.  All programs offer four, 12-week terms per year, with the exception of the Master of Business Administration and Master of Accountancy programs, which offer five, 10-week terms per year.  Students who choose not to enroll for a term during their program must speak with their academic advisor.

Students’ initial course start date determines their enrollment schedule * for their program, as follows:

 *  Course terms cannot overlap,.  Example:  Students cannot begin a 12-week course on 1/1 and another 12-week course on 2/1.
 

Course Load

New students may enroll in a maximum of two courses concurrently. After the student successfully completes these first courses, s/he may exceed the two-course maximum with the Academic Advisor’s and/or Program Director’s approval, provided s/he maintains satisfactory academic progress. Satisfactory academic progress is defined as regular participation in a course and submission of assignments according to the syllabus schedule (fixed term courses) or a unit every 2-3 weeks (flexible term courses).

Assignment Submission, Online Courses

All units must be submitted in order to earn a final grade. Students enrolled in flexible term courses should submit a course unit every 2-3 weeks. Students must wait for instructor feedback before submitting additional work, in order to incorporate the feedback in the next unit. This practice will improve the quality of the work and promote higher achievement. Submission of multiple units or out of sequence units will delay grading and could impact student performance.

Students cannot submit more than one unit per course at a time. The student may submit the next unit upon receipt of feedback and grade from the previous unit. In the unlikely event that the student has not received feedback and grade from the instructor within one week, the student may submit the next unit on the eighth day after the original submission.

What is a proctor and how do I select one?

A proctor is a person who is approved to administer final examinations to you on behalf of Saint Joseph’s College. The proctor must be qualified to serve in this capacity and agree to abide by the examination procedures and rules. Once approved, the proctor may serve in this capacity throughout your program of study or until circumstances arise that require you to select a new proctor candidate. A new proctor form does not need to be completed with every new course. It is your responsibility to initiate and maintain an ongoing relationship with the proctor. If it is determined that the relationship needs to be terminated, you must find a new proctor candidate.

If you currently do not have a proctor on record, you will need to complete a Proctor Candidate Form, which can be obtained in Brightspace for courses that require a proctor, or from your Academic Advisor. This form is to be completed by you and the prospective proctor with all of the necessary information. It is essential that the proctor’s business address be accurate and that the form be signed by the proctor candidate. Return the form to the College as soon as possible. You may assume that your proctor candidate has been approved if you do not hear from the College.

What are the qualifications for a proctor?

A proctor is a person whose academic and/or experiential background indicates to Saint Joseph’s College that he/she has the ability to meet the responsibilities of proctoring an examination. Proctor candidates include the following:

• Academic faculty or advisors
• In-service educators
• Librarians
• Clergy
• Administrative personnel, including those in personnel or human resources offices

The proctor candidate should not be someone whom you have a personal relationship. Unacceptable candidates include the following:

• Friend or family member
• Direct supervisor
• Someone who works under the student’s supervision
• Current or past student of Saint Joseph’s College

If you have any questions, concerns, or problems with the selection of a candidate for proctoring your examination, please call Saint Joseph’s College at 1-800-343-5498 or 1-207-893-7800. The College reserves the rights to require you to select another proctor candidate.

Students’ scholarship rating in each subject is determined by the combined results of examinations and course work. The following system of grading is used by Saint Joseph’s College.

Criteria for Evaluating Student Assignments

The College has prepared a guide to be used by students and faculty for the preparation and evaluation of student assignments. For students, the criteria for reading, reasoning, arguing, documenting, organizing, and writing comprise guidelines for the most effective completion of a given assignment. The guide enables faculty to provide specific evaluation and focused feedback to each student and promotes a consistent approach among faculty in their review of students’ written work. In addition, the criteria may facilitate student-faculty dialog about the strengths and weaknesses of assignments. The guidelines are available in the online Student Handbook: online.sjcme.edu/pdf/Student-Handbook-Jan2011.pdf

Grade Appeal Procedure

Students are encouraged to resolve any discrepancy in the final course grade with the instructor. If resolution is not reached:

1. Students must submit the form for Review of Course Final Grade form and supporting documentation to the appropriate Program Director within 30 days after the date recorded on the student’s final grade. This form can be obtained from an Academic Advisor.

2. The Program Director will render a judgment and inform the parties within 30 days.

3. If the student informs the Program Director within 15 days that the decision is not accepted, a Request for Review and supporting documentation must be submitted to Chief Learning Officer.
4. Within 15 days the Chief Learning Officer will render a judgment that is final. The decision is filed and conveyed to the parties.

Incomplete Grades

In the event of extenuating circumstances, such as illness or emergency, a student can request an incomplete course grade, at least one week prior to the end date of the course.  Student must be making satisfactory course progress, in order to be eligible.  To do so, the student will speak with his/her academic advisor and then complete the online Incomplete Grade Request Form.  The instructor will review and approve or deny the request, and provide a new due date (either 3 or 6 weeks from the original course end date) for completion of all coursework, if approved.  A grade of “I” will be assigned and reflects an agreed upon course of action between the instructor and student to complete the course within the designated timeframe.  If all coursework is not completed within the established timeframe, a grade of “F” automatically will be assigned.

An Incomplete Course Grade may impact your financial aid eligibility and/or loan deferment status.  Please contact Financial Aid at 800-752-1266 or finaid@sjcme.edu with any questions.

Note: Students needing an Incomplete Course Grade due to ADA accommodations should contact June Irvine, Online ADA Accommodations Coordinator, at jirvine@sjcme.edu or 207-893-7825.

Students may request evaluation for a possible program change at any time. Requests must be made in writing to the student’s Academic Advisor. The student would need to submit all required application materials for the new program. The student would enter the new program under the most recent curriculum requirements and policies. Note: Nursing program change requests are reviewed with all other Nursing applications on a quarterly review cycle. Students should consult with their Academic Advisor for application requirements and deadlines.

Students have up to one year from their program withdrawal date to return to their program of study within the catalog year under which they were admitted. After one year, students must reapply through Admissions and are subject to the current admissions and program requirements. Note: Nursing program students are not eligible for reinstatement into their program of study after withdrawal of any kind. Withdrawn Nursing students must reapply through Admissions and are subject to the current admissions and program requirements.  

All student financial balances must be resolved with the Office of Student Accounts before enrollment in subsequent courses can occur.

Course Withdrawal

Students must complete the Withdrawal Form, and seek approval from their academic advisor to be withdrawn from course(s) without academic penalty.  If approved, the course withdrawal will result in a grade of “W” which is not computed into the students’ GPA.

Students may request to withdraw from course(s) after the deadline above, with approval from their academic advisor.  If approved, these course(s) withdrawals will result in a failing grade of “WF” which is computed in the students’ GPA.

Ceasing to submit required unit assignments does not constitute an official request for course withdrawal.  Students who do not officially request to withdraw from course(s), and fail to meet the course requirements outlined in the syllabi, will receive a final course grade of “F” at the end of the enrollment period. 

Program Withdrawal 

Students desiring to withdraw from the program must speak with their academic advisor and complete the Withdrawal Form request for approval. Please refer to the Enrollment Policy to determine Academic Penalty.

Ceasing to submit required unit assignments does not constitute an official request for program withdrawal. Students who do not officially request a withdrawal, and fail to meet the course requirements outlined in the syllabi, will receive a final course grade of “F” at the end of the enrollment period.

Inactivity Withdrawal

Students may elect not to enroll in courses for one enrollment period (as defined by their program of study) following completion of their current enrollment period. Students who do not register for the subsequent enrollment period after this time will be administratively withdrawn from their program, effective the end date of their last enrollment period. Students have up to one year from their program withdrawal date to return to their program of study within the catalog year under which they were admitted. After one year, students must reapply through Admissions and are subject to the current admissions and program requirements. Note: Nursing program students are not eligible to return to their program of study after withdrawal of any kind. Withdrawn Nursing students must reapply through Admissions and are subject to the current admissions and program requirements.  

Note: Please see the Financial Aid and Deferment of Prior Loans policy for in-school deferment eligibility details pertaining to enrollment.

The college will consider a retroactive refund of tuition and fees on a case-by-case basis.

Students may be eligible for a refund under the conditions below; the student must submit the required written notification of withdrawal with sufficient authoritative evidence to document the reason for withdrawal to their Academic Advisor. A decision will be made based upon the documentation and conditions presented.

Involuntary Withdrawal Policy for Active Duty Students

Specifically, involuntary withdrawal requests, from students who are called to active duty into the armed services, must be substantiated with copies of military orders that show proof of date of entry. The individuals commanding officer or another appropriate official must sign the orders. 

Students may repeat courses taken at Saint Joseph’s College in the event the initial grade for a course is either an”F” or “WF”, or fails to meet the minimum grade required by the student’s academic program of study. Courses may only be repeated once at Saint Joseph’s College and once elsewhere (for a total of three attempts). Nursing students may only repeat nursing classes once. All course attempts will appear on the student’s academic transcript. In such instances, all grades will remain on the student’s transcript, with only the latter grade used in computing the grade point average. In the event a course is repeated to meet a minimum grade requirement, the initial grade(s) will be excluded from the GPA and duplicate credits removed from the cumulative total earned. In all other cases, all grades will remain on the transcript and be used in the grade point average computation. Pursuant to the College’s transfer credit policy, courses repeated at other institutions will not calculate into a student’s grade point average. 

A leave of absence (LOA) is a temporary interruption in a student’s program due to extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to: documented medical issues, death of an immediate family member, military deployment, natural disasters and other unforeseen temporary events. Students must be in good academic, disciplinary, and financial standing to be considered for a leave of absence.

Matriculated online students may request a leave of absence not to exceed two enrollment periods from the end date of their current or last enrollment period. Students will not be granted a leave of absence from a course.

Students must complete the required Request for Leave of Absence form and forward it to their Academic Advisor for review. Students are required to complete the following information on the form:

• Reason for Request
• Date of Request
• Signature of Student 

Requests for a leave of absence are reviewed by the Associate Director of Enrollment Management and/or the Program Director. If approved, the effective start date of an LOA is the end date of the student’s current or last enrollment period. Students who are approved a leave of absence will be assigned a reasonable leave end date. Failure to enroll for the next enrollment period following the leave end date will result in a withdrawal from the program, effective on the end date of the student’s last enrollment period. Carrying with it the intention of returning to Saint Joseph’s College, a leave of absence guarantees readmission to the College. 

Discontinued class participation and unit submission does not constitute an official leave of absence. Students are still subject to the College’s withdrawal, academic, and attendance policies within the catalog.

Students are required to consult with the Offices of Student Accounts and Financial Aid to discuss any potential impacts on Title IV funding and student account charges.  Students who have educational loans are encouraged to contact their lenders directly to learn about options and requirements for in-school deferment eligibility.

Note: Students active in the military who are subject to deployment should contact their Academic Advisor to discuss incomplete grade and leave of absence options.

All members of the Saint Joseph’s College community are expected to adhere to the principles of academic honesty central to the College’s mission. Plagiarism, collusion, falsifying the results of one’s research, cheating on examinations and any form of misrepresenting one’s own work, or collaborating in the misrepresentation of another’s work, are contrary to the traditions and goals of the institution. Instances of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action and/or academic sanctions.

There are a number of ways academic dishonesty can occur.  An example of academic dishonesty is when a student sells or uploads their work to be sold/used to other students. Selling or uploading assignment work are actions that may violate SJC’s core values of respect and integrity.  This includes distributing course information in open warehouse sites, such as CourseHero, Oppapers, MedLibrary, etc.   In addition, a student must not reuse one’s own work that has been previously submitted in other academic courses without permission from the instructor and proper citations, as these actions are considered self-plagiarism.  This includes copying and pasting portions of previously submitted material or submitting duplicate assignment material, such as essays, discussion posts, audio/video submissions, problems/solutions, and/or any other assignment work.  Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and academic dishonesty are serious issues which can lead to disciplinary action, including dismissal from the college.

You are expected to cite any sources upon which your work is based through the use of bibliographical lists, footnotes, end-notes, and the like. All uses made of the content, style conceptualization, organization methods, and factual materials of others, or of other work you may have produced must also be documented.

As an educational institution, our primary goals regarding plagiarism are to help students understand the ethics of information in today’s world and to give them the tools and knowledge they need to remain academically honest. Faculty may use plagiarism detection services, such as Turnitin.com, to help identify potential plagiarism in students’ written work.

Procedure in Cases of Academic Dishonesty

When a breach of the Academic Honesty Policy is suspected (or determined), the Instructor must contact the Program Director to discuss the concern.  In collaboration, the Program Director and Instructor will decide what action should be taken, including failing the assignment, the course, or even dismissal from the college, depending on the number of violations or degree of dishonesty

The student also will be provided information for learning more about correct citation of sources. SJC’s Wellehan library can be accessed for assistance with avoiding plagiarism, as well as understanding APA, MLA, etc. formatting and citations. These resources can be accessed at the following link: http://www.sjcme.edu/library/getting-help-with-citations

Actions may include:

1. Discuss the concern with the student and decide to take no further action
2. Discuss the concern with the student and require that the student’s work be resubmitted with appropriate changes
3. Assign a failing grade for the work submitted
4. Assign a failing grade for the course
5. Dismiss the student from the program or the college.

Regardless of the action taken, the Program Director will notify the Operations Department of the Online College and may notify the Office of Academic Affairs and a warning letter from that office will be sent to the student.  The Operations Department will track all reported offenses.  The Program Director will notify the student’s advisor that a letter is being sent.

A student accused of academic may appeal his/her case in writing to the Office of Academic Affairs and the appropriate Dean will then convene the Academic Review Panel.  The role of this Panel is to evaluate the accusation in light of the circumstances bearing upon the case, and then advise the Dean.  The decision of the Dean shall be final.

Plagiarism occurs when a person uses the words, ideas, opinions, research, or creative expressions of another as if they were her or his own.

Plagiarism can take many forms. One common type of plagiarism occurs when a person uses another’s words without adding quotation marks around the words and clearly stating the source. The words of another may be used only when both of these conditions are present (quotation marks and clear citation of the source). Not using quotation marks implies that the words are created by the student.

Another common example of plagiarism is when an individual uses another person’s ideas or opinions and expresses them in his or her own words (called paraphrasing) but fails to cite the source. Although in this case, the words may be the student’s, the ideas have been borrowed from another, and that borrowing must be acknowledged.

Plagiarism can involve unacknowledged borrowing from any number of places, including published articles, a classmate’s paper, graphs, charts, the Internet or a video production. To take anything owned by another without proper acknowledgment is theft, and plagiarism is intellectual theft. Plagiarism occurs in research papers through failures of documentation, but it also can happen in class reports, essays, tests, and in any other situation in which a student may use the words or ideas of another.

Plagiarism is a serious violation of academic integrity; it always involves deceit, whether that deceit is intended or not. Ignorance and carelessness sometimes lead to plagiarism, but they are not acceptable excuses. Each individual student has the responsibility to understand and avoid plagiarism. Opportunities to learn about proper use of documentation include English Composition I, II courses and any number of college handbooks or research paper style guides.

The Wellehan Library’s home page, maintains a Ready-Reference page of useful links, including resources for reference citation formats. 

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA/Buckley Amendment), Saint Joseph’s College will not disclose “personally identifiable information” from a student’s educational records unless certain conditions are met or the student consents to disclosure. The College may, however, disclose “directory information” from a student’s education records, and the College may designate certain “personally identifiable information” as “directory information.”

The College has designated the following information as “directory information”:

• student’s name, address, telephone listing, and e-mail address
• date and place of birth
• major field of study
• participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• the weight and height of members of athletic teams
• dates of attendance
• degrees and awards received
• the most recent previous educational institution attended.

Students have the right to refuse to let the College designate as “directory information” any “personally identifiable information” such as their name, address, or other information that would make their identity easily traceable. If students do not want the College to disclose any personally identifiable information as directory information, they must notify the Office of Academic Records and Student Advising in writing and state the information they do not want designated as directory information. The College reserves the right to notify College officials and/or family members of formal actions taken regarding student academic and disciplinary matters when appropriate. 

Saint Joseph’s College requires that social security numbers be provided for a permanent and lasting record in accordance with the requirements of federal and state tax laws, certain laws that govern student financial aid, and various institutional policies that it has adopted under provisions of state and federal law that govern institutions of higher education.

Saint Joseph’s College will request that a student provide a social security number at the time of application to the institution. If not entered on the application, Saint Joseph’s College does require that a social security number be provided in advance of being enrolled in a course or courses at the institution.

The social security number will not be used as the student ID number but will be provided to entities requiring a social security number, including but not limited to the federal government for financial aid and Tax Relief Act (1997) reporting, Immigration and Naturalization Service and as required by court order in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Saint Joseph’s College uses social security numbers for various tax records and filings that are required under state and federal tax law. When possible, an alternative number will be assigned and used by the institution for all purposes, which do not require the social security number. Saint Joseph’s College is dedicated to insuring the privacy and proper handling of confidential information pertaining to students and employees. 

All forms of communications, written, e-mail, telephone, and face-to-face, within the Online Division shall be conducted with a mutual level of respect.  Adherence to the generally accepted norms for human communications, especially avoiding communications that are false or are likely to be considered as discourteous, malicious, unwanted or causing unjustified loss of prestige is asked of all students, faculty, and staff.

Disruptive classroom conduct negatively affects classroom environments as well as the educational experience for all of the students enrolled in the course. The Online Division defines disruptive classroom behavior as “any behavior that a reasonable person would view as substantially or repeatedly interfering with the conduct of a class”. Disruptive classroom behavior will not be allowed. Faculty members have the ability to ask a student to leave a classroom for disruptive behavior; that student will be marked absent for the entire class time.

Students who exhibit disruptive conduct of any type may be put on notice and may be dismissed from the program.