Academic Policies - Undergraduate

Students are expected to familiarize themselves with the academic policies contained in the catalog. Failure to do so does not excuse students from the requirements and regulations described herein.

Academic Honors

Honors are based on all grades earned at Gordon College.

Dean’s List. To qualify for the dean’s list for a given semester, students must complete at least 12 eligible credits (not counting satisfactory/unsatisfactory courses or Incompletes) with an average of 3.50-3.74 and no grade below C.

Presidential Honors. To qualify for presidential honors for a given semester, students must complete at least 12 eligible credits (not counting satisfactory/unsatisfactory courses or Incompletes) with an average of 3.75 or better and no grade below C.

Graduation Honors. Honors listed in the commencement program are computed on Gordon grades earned through the fall semester. Final graduation honors are awarded and recorded on transcripts for students.

Students who have completed a minimum of 42 credits at Gordon and who have the following final cumulative grade point averages:

Summa cum laude: 3.75 to 4.00

Magna cum laude: 3.60 to 3.74

Cum laude: 3.50 to 3.59

Students who have completed less than 42 credits at Gordon and who have the following final cumulative grade point average:

With distinction: 3.75 to 4.00

Adding/Dropping Courses

Courses may be officially added or dropped on my.gordon.edu or by processing forms through the Registrar’s Office website. Notification to the instructor or failure to attend is not sufficient. Changes may be processed without academic record or fee until the fifth day of the term. Please refer to refund policy for details.Thereafter changes may only be processed through the Registrar’s Office, and $10.00 will be charged for each withdrawal. Students may withdraw from a class through the third week of a class A “W” will be recorded on the student’s permanent record. Unofficial or late withdrawal from a course will result in a grade of F. Students should keep in mind the impact of course changes on tuition. See Registration Deadlines and Financial sections. Billing is based on total credits of registration during a semester, less any refund for dropped courses. Withdrawing after the full refund deadline does not remove the credits from the block tuition calculation. 

Academic Status

Good Academic Standing. To remain in good academic standing, students must

• maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) at or above the cumulative GPA consistent with their Academic Program Credits (see table below) and
• successfully complete at least 12 credits per semester as full-time students.

Note: Federal satisfactory academic progress requirements for financial aid vary from the College’s academic standards, and are monitored separately by the Student Financial Services Office. See Financial Aid Section.

A student’s academic standing will be checked at the end of each term. The following policy will be used to determine good academic standing.

*Academic program credits include credit hours transferred into Gordon and all courses attempted at Gordon, including failed courses. The cumulative GPA is calculated only on Gordon grades.

Academic Warning. When a student’s term GPA falls below 2.0 but the cumulative average is above the minimum required for good academic standing, the student will be placed on academic warning.

Academic Probation. When a student’s cumulative GPA falls below the minimum required for good academic standing, the student will be placed on academic probation. Any full-time student who fails to pass 12 credits or to earn a 1.25 term GPA in any semester is subject to being placed on academic probation regardless of cumulative GPA.

Removal from Academic Probation. At the end of the probationary semester, a student will be removed from academic probation only if the student’s cumulative GPA meets the cumulative GPA required for good academic standing as detailed in the table above.

Suspension. A student on academic probation whose cumulative GPA remains below the required cumulative GPA after the probationary semester is subject to suspension. Any student who earns a term GPA of less than 1.00 in a given semester may also be suspended without probation regardless of the cumulative GPA. Incomplete grades are excluded from the calculation when applying this policy. A full-time student whose cumulative GPA meets the GPA required for good academic standing but who fails to pass 12 credits for two consecutive semesters may be suspended. A student has the right to appeal any suspension.

Appealing Suspension. A suspension may be appealed within 15 days from the date on the suspension notification. Appeals must be in writing, must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office, and must include an assessment of the reasons for the academic difficulties and a rationale for the appeal. Appeals are reviewed by an academic programs subcommittee. The academic dean will make the final decision. If a suspension appeal is granted, the student will continue on academic probation one additional term with academic progress reviewed again after that term.

Readmission/Termination. Suspended students may apply for readmission after two semesters have elapsed. When applying for readmission, students must present evidence of academic turnaround and of potential academic success at Gordon College. Readmission is not automatic and is contingent upon evidence that the student has gained the ability and motivation to succeed at Gordon College. Requests for readmission will be considered by the Admissions Committee. If accepted for readmission, a student must meet the College’s academic standards. If this has not occurred after two semesters maximum, the student will be subject to termination.

Termination is permanent suspension with no option for readmission.

Appeal

If a student thinks he or she is being treated unfairly and not in accordance with announced academic policies, and discussion with the faculty member proves unfruitful, he or she may seek redress through the following procedure:

1. The issue should first be discussed with the student’s success coach in an attempt to resolve it at the lowest level.

2. If a perceived injustice is not resolved in this manner, a student may seek formal resolution by stating the case in writing and submitting it to the Dean of the School of Graduate, Professional, And Extended Studies. This decision is then final.

Attendance Policy

Gordon College is committed to a holistic view of learning that encourages students to participate in a variety of educational opportunities both in and beyond the virtual classroom. Faculty members have jurisdiction over attendance policies in their classes, and students are required to abide by the attendance requirements described in course syllabi.

Catalog Requirements

Since curricula may change from year to year, core and major requirements are determined by the catalog in use during the year in which a student enters. A student has the option of declaring a catalog in use during any year of attendance at Gordon and meeting all the requirements of that catalog. Core, major and/or degree requirements may not, however, be selected from more than one catalog. The College reserves the right to alter some program requirements as necessary to remain in compliance with licensure or guild standards, or to reflect curricular changes.

Classification of Undergraduate Students

Full-Time Students: Degree candidates taking 12 or more credits per semester.

Half-Time Students: Degree candidates taking 7-11 credits per semester.

Part-Time Students: Degree candidates taking 6 or fewer credits per semester.

Course Load

To be considered full-time, students must take 12 or more credits per semester. A full load is 16 credits. 

Credit and Course Organization

Gordon’s 120-credit baccalaureate degree program is conducted within a semester academic calendar. The academic year is divided into six 8-week terms (including summer). Sixteen credits per term constitute a normal registration. The unit of credit for courses is indicated in semester hour credits. Normally each course carries 4 credits.

100-199 Introductory courses
200-299 Open to all students with necessary prerequisites
300-499 Open to upper-level students with necessary prerequisites

The College reserves the right to withdraw a course and/or to restrict registration where enrollment warrants such action.

Deferred Enrollment

Students who expect to re-enroll at Gordon within a year of leaving must complete a deferral form. Deferred students who do not return in one year lose Gordon status and must apply for readmission. If no deferral form is completed, students may encounter difficulty clearing financial accounts, obtaining records and transcripts, and returning to Gordon at a later date.

Degrees Granted

Bachelor of Arts. The Bachelor of Arts degree is awarded to students who graduate with majors in the following areas:

Enrollment Check-In

All students enrolled in courses are required to check in at the start of each semester. An enrollment check-in reminder will appear at the start of the term on both my.gordon.edu and Canvas. The process includes a review of and an opportunity to update the name, address and emergency contact information on file at the College. Failure to complete this process indicates a student will not be taking classes at Gordon and may result in removal from class registration and other privileges of a Gordon student.

Extensions

The instructor has the right to grant an extension up to-but not beyond-the due date for grades. No work may be submitted after that time unless the instructor has submitted an Incomplete grade request form prior to the end of the term. A final grade or an incomplete must be reported for every student. Faculty should notify the Registrar’s Office of last date of attendance if a student stopped attending without official withdrawal.

Foreign Language Proficiency

The core requirement in language study at Gordon College is two semesters of study of the same language at the elementary or beginning level. The requirement may also be fulfilled in the following ways:

• Students may submit to the Registrar’s Office official scores for either the Advanced Placement Exam or the SATII Achievement Test in order to validate either one or two semesters of Gordon’s language requirement as follows (Gordon’s code for the SATII Achievement Test is 3417):
  • A minimum score of 400 in French or Spanish will place a student in FRE 102 or SPN 102, respectively;
  • A minimum score of 500 on any SATII language test will fulfill Gordon’s one-year language requirement;
  • A minimum score of 4 on any Advanced Placement language exam will fulfill Gordon’s one-year language requirement. Official scores must be sent directly from the College Board to the Registrar’s Office.
• Students who have taken two years or less of high-school language may begin at the elementary (101) level in the same language. Students who have had more than two years of high-school language instruction must take an online placement test if they wish to validate the core requirement for that language or to continue their language study in the same language. The placement test is a diagnostic tool administered with no academic credit awarded. Tests are available for French, Italian, Spanish, German, Korean, and Mandarin. Students may not take the placement test more than once in the same language.
• Students who have earned high school credit for level three of a language other than French, Latin or Spanish, or those proficient in another language, must independently arrange to take either the SAT Achievement Test (www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/SAT/about/SATII/whichlang.html) or a language correspondence test through Brigham Young University (flats.byu.edu). Official scores must be submitted directly to the Registrar’s Office by the appropriate testing agency. Contact the Graduate, Professional and Extended Studies Office for more information.
• In the event that students do not have prior foreign language training, Gordon offers Latin I and II fully online to meet the language requirement.
• Students whose native language is not English may use a TOEFL or IELTS score or a transcript from a secondary school where instruction was conducted in the native language, to validate Gordon’s language requirement. Official TOEFL or IELTS scores must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office directly from the testing agency. Official secondary school transcripts are required in order to be considered for validating the foreign language requirement.
• Students may not receive credit for a Gordon language course which they have validated by testing or for which they have received transfer credit.

Grades/Grade Changes/Enrollment Discrepancies

Students are responsible for checking each term’s enrollment and grades on the my.gordon.edu website. Grade reports are not mailed to the student except by special request. Any discrepancy in enrollment should be reported to the Registrar’s Office immediately. Students who feel there may be an error in a grade should contact the faculty member within the first 30 days of the following term. Requests for changes of final grades must be submitted by the instructor and received by the Registrar’s Office within the following semester.

Grading Policy

Grades are indicative of the level of achievement with respect to such qualities as initiative, intellectual curiosity, creativity and mastery of subject matter.

Grades. A student is expected to maintain the 2.00 cumulative grade point average required for graduation-unless the major department has a higher minimum cumulative GPA. A “D” grade, while sufficient to receive credit for a course, reflects performance below the minimum required for satisfactory progress or the minimal course grade required by some major departments. 

The GPA is calculated on the credit hours attempted at Gordon, and is determined by dividing total quality points earned by the total GPA hours. If a student repeats a course, both attempts will appear on the record, but only the credits and grade from the course with the higher grade earned will be used to calculate the grade point average. Grade points are assigned according to the following chart:

Graduation Requirements

To qualify for graduation, a student must:

• Apply for graduation
• Earn a minimum of 120 semester credit hours
• Meet the requirement of a minimum of 32 credits earned at Gordon; take 32 of the last 40 credits for the degree at Gordon. No more than eight credits of core courses may be taken off-campus after matriculation at Gordon.
• Have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above
• Fulfill the liberal arts Core Curriculum requirements specified in the catalog
• Fulfill the major course or other requirements specified in the catalog, taking a minimum of 20 credits in that major at Gordon and earning any specified minimum GPA or course grades in that major. Major courses which also fulfill core requirements may be used towards both core and major requirements.
• Complete all coursework in the final semester (no incomplete grades) unless a petition to change degree status is approved in advance
• Take all required examinations

Students are entirely responsible to fulfill all graduation requirements. Since curricula may change from year to year, core and major requirements are determined by the catalog in use during the year in which a student enters. A student has the option of declaring a catalog in use during any year of attendance at Gordon and meeting all the requirements of that catalog. Requirements may not, however, be selected from more than one catalog. The College reserves the right to alter some program requirements as necessary to remain in compliance with licensure or guild standards.

Incomplete Grades

The grade I (Incomplete) is allowed when requested by a student who fails to complete course requirements on time due to unpreventable and unforeseeable circumstances, if the instructor considers the student’s reason valid. Incompletes normally may not be granted solely on the basis of a request for more time or a desire to submit additional work to earn a higher grade. Faculty must submit the Incomplete Grade Request form by the last day of the term detailing the remaining work to be completed and providing the grade to be entered if additional work is not received. The Incomplete must be made up no later than 7 weeks from the end of the course date. The instructor may set an earlier date at the time the Incomplete is granted.

The final grade must be submitted by the instructor by the due date. If no final grade is provided, the grade on the Incomplete Grade Request form will be processed. If no grade was provided on that form, the incomplete will revert to an “F” or failing grade.

The Incomplete is recorded in the term in which the student began the work, and the final grade replaces the “I” on the transcript in the term taken. Deferring or withdrawing from the College does not extend an incomplete or waive remaining requirements. When an Incomplete is given, the course is counted as part of the student’s load in that term. If the incomplete grade reduces the credit earned to less than 12 credits, the student is ineligible for the Dean’s List or Presidential Honors. Students graduating in May may not receive an incomplete in the final spring term. September or December degree candidates participating in graduation must complete all their work in the summer or fall respectively and are not entitled to grades of incomplete for their final term of study.

Internships

Internships are academic experiences intended to allow students to make practical connections between their fields of study and the world of work. As such, they should be seen as important and useful experiences for students and should carry the full weight of and respect for academic rigor found in any other academic experience in the majors.

Internships are defined as being limited to a maximum of 8 credit hours in a student’s undergraduate program of study, with a minimum expectation of 28 on-the-job hours for each academic credit hour earned. A student who meets the minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 may apply for an internship. The internship must be approved by faculty and the registrar prior to the student’s beginning the internship and must be done with a professional practicing in the field; requires a minimum of two personal visits by the supervising faculty; and will be graded following the same guidelines as for other academic experiences. The deadline to enroll in an internship is the same as other registration deadlines. Tuition for internship credit is the same as for any other academic credit. Internships may not be repeated; subsequent internships must be thoroughly different experiences and with totally different organizations.

Participation in Commencement

Students who wish to participate in graduation ceremonies prior to final completion of their degree may petition to do so if they meet certain conditions. Petitions will only be considered which reflect realistic arrangements for fulfilling remaining requirement(s) and which meet the following requirements:

• Petition must be received by the Registrar’s Office prior to March 15.
• No more than 8 (eight) credits may remain on Commencement Day. Unmet requirements may be fulfilled either through Gordon or off-campus courses preapproved by the department and the Registrar’s Office. Advance registration at Gordon or approval of off-campus courses must be completed/obtained before the student’s name may go on the commencement program. Participation in commencement ceremonies prior to completion of academic requirements is a privilege extended to students by Gordon College and assumes a serious commitment to complete outstanding requirements within the stated deadlines. Failure to complete requirements and/or submit official transcripts of off-campus work will result in a replacement diploma fee and a degree date reflecting the later completion or date the final official transcript of off-campus work is received by the Registrar’s Office. Remaining requirements must be completed during the summer or fall immediately following commencement.

All work must be completed and submitted before the first day of fall term for an August degree or by the end of the fall semester for a December degree. Transcripts of all off-campus work must be received by the end of September for an August degree or by the end of January for a December degree. After that date, the degree will automatically be awarded as of the next degree date following receipt of the transcript (not when work was completed).

Petitions

A petition process exists for students who find it necessary to seek an exception to any academic policy, procedure or regulation. A petition form is available online or from the Registrar’s Office. The request should be stated clearly and specify the conditions or circumstances supporting an exception. Approval of petitions will be granted only in cases in which extenuating circumstances are evident and substantiated. After the Academic Programs Subcommittee considers the petition, the student, appropriate faculty and administrative offices will be notified of the decision. No assumption of approval should be acted on in advance.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites are listed under the departmental course descriptions. A student is responsible for ensuring that he or she has satisfied all prerequisites before registering for a course. A student who has registered without satisfying prerequisites or obtaining permission may be required by the instructor to withdraw from the course.

Privacy of Records and Directory Information (FERPA)

Gordon is in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974; thus, most records pertaining to enrolled students may be reviewed by the student upon request and by appointment. In January 2012, the FERPA regulations expanded the circumstances under which education records and personally identifiable information contained in such records may be accessed without consent. Federal or state authorities may allow access to records to third parties evaluating a federal- or state-supported education program, to certain researchers, or to longitudinal studies linked to other federal or state data sources. A complete statement of the College’s policy and procedures is available from the Office of Student Life.

FERPA permits release of “directory information” without authorization unless the student notifies the Registrar’s Office, in writing and within the first two weeks of a term, of a specific request that the College not release such information. Careful consideration should be given to the consequences of a request to withhold directory information, and the

College cannot assume responsibility for any consequences from honoring an instruction to withhold directory information.

Directory information includes a student’s: name; month/day and place of birth; major field of study; full- or part-time status, dates of attendance; degrees, honors and awards received; most recent previous educational agency or institution attended; and photograph, video or web image. Weights and heights of members of athletic teams may also be released.

Privacy Policy. Gordon’s privacy policy allows access to current and permanent addresses, telephone listings and email addresses. All other personal data is restricted to only Gordon faculty, staff and student workers, pursuant to their College responsibilities, or to contractual agents of the College, such as an attorney, auditor, the National Student Clearinghouse or a collection agent. Gordon College may make use of an individual student’s photograph, video or web image, or campus scenes including the individual, in College publications, promotional materials or on the website. An effort will be made to obtain permission for use whenever possible.

Readmission

Withdrawn students who wish to return to Gordon must apply for readmission with the Admissions Office. Readmits who return after five years will have their credits reevaluated by the registrar and be responsible for the requirements of the current catalog. If courses in the original catalog are no longer offered or if professional requirements have changed, the Core Committee and/or departments must be consulted for alternatives and additional requirements may need to be met. See Grading Policy.

Readmits who meet the following criteria at the date of withdrawal will be given the option of completing either their original or the current catalog requirements.

• Completed and filed an application for graduation before withdrawing 
• Taken at least 32 credits at Gordon; at least 20 major credits fulfilled at Gordon; 32 of the last 40 credits at Gordon
• No more than 8 credits remained to complete degree

Registration

Registration instructions are distributed by the Registrar’s Office. Students register online via the my.gordon.edu website. During registration students register for the entire semester. See Registration Deadlines. Students must be officially registered for a course to receive credit. The deadline to register for the term is the first day of class each term.

Repeated Courses

Students may repeat courses previously passed or failed to improve grades. All grades remain on the transcript, but only the highest grade earned is used to calculate the grade point average and credit is only awarded once. Substitutes will not be made for courses no longer offered. Courses repeated at another institution will not alter the grade point average at Gordon. Repeats do not qualify for financial aid eligibility under Title IV funding. Contact the Registrar’s Office and Financial Aid Office.

Student Success Coach

Students are introduced to the Student Success Coach after acceptance into the degree program. The Student Success Coach acts as an advisor who may be consulted regularly to assist with class registration, academic planning, and career development. The Student Success Coach will assist in monitoring student academic progress and course involvement and will contact faculty and program directors on an as needed basis. While the Success Coach offers support throughout the degree program, it remains the student’s sole responsibility to be familiar with College policies and deadline and to complete all graduation requirements.  

Transcripts

The Registrar’s Office is responsible for issuing official transcripts of work completed at Gordon. All obligations to the College must have been met before a transcript is issued, including all financial accounts with Gordon College and compliance with the terms of any student loans. While requests are processed as quickly as possible, allow up to five working days for verification of clearance and processing. A transcript fee is charged.

Current students may process an electronic transcript request through my.gordon.edu. A credit card (Mastercard or Visa) is required to order transcripts online, and there is a $1 transcript fee plus a $3.00 processing fee. Former students who do not have access to my.gordon.edu may order transcripts online from Gordon’s website at www.gordon.edu/transcripts.

Transcripts may be sent electronically through a secure web-based process, sent by U.S. mail, or picked up in the Registrar’s Office. Electronic delivery of transcripts is possible wherever web access is available with a high level of security. Recipients are notified of availability by email, and the student is notified by email when the transcript is sent, when it is viewed and by whom it was opened.

Transcripts may also be requested by a written, signed request submitted to the Registrar’s Office by mail with a check or money order to cover the transcript fee. A transcript fee of $3 is charged for each transcript ordered through the Registrar’s Office. Allow five working days for verification and processing. Credit cards may only be used with the online transcript ordering service. A paper transcript is only official when it bears the signature of the registrar and the raised seal of the College.

Transcripts or copies of transcripts from other colleges or institutions used during admissions or for evaluation of transfer credit may not be released by Gordon. Copies of transcripts must be obtained by the student from the institution holding the original record.

Transfer of Credit after Matriculation

Current Gordon students wishing to transfer academic work to Gordon must obtain advance course approval from the Registrar’s Office. Off-Campus Course Approval forms are available on the website (www.gordon.edu/regforms). Students must indicate on the form the equivalent Gordon course or the requirement the course should meet, with approval by departmental advisor(s). To be approved, courses must be from an accredited institution and be comparable to those offered at Gordon. Transfer credit will only be granted if an official transcript is received and work is completed with a grade of C minus or above. Documentation of satisfactory completion (C or above) must be provided for any Pass or Satisfactory grade. Grade points are not transferable; thus, a grade point deficit cannot be reduced by taking non-Gordon courses.

Verification of Enrollment or Degree

Degrees and enrollment are verified through the National Student Clearinghouse. Enrollment verification for current students can be done through my.gordon.edu. Students not able to obtain a verification there, or who need verification of degree, should contact the Registrar’s Office or mail verification forms to the office. 

Withdrawal from the College

Students not returning to Gordon must complete a withdrawal form. An exit interview with Student Financial Services is required by the federal government for students who have received any federal or state loan. Accounts must be paid in full. If full payment cannot be made, students must enroll in a payment plan through Student Financial Services. Students who withdraw during the first four weeks of a semester may receive a tuition refund (see Financial section). Students who plan to re-enroll at Gordon within a year of leaving should complete a Deferral of Enrollment form to eliminate the reapplication process (see Deferred Enrollment).

Students who withdraw unofficially, or withdraw after the deadline to receive W grades, receive automatic F grades and incur full financial obligation for the semester not completed. Failure to officially withdraw may result in an inability to obtain a financial refund.