Academic Regulations and Procedures:

Academic Standards
Under general University regulations, graduate students are expected to maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale to remain in good standing. Individual programs may have additional or more stringent academic standards for retention of graduate students in the program and may assess progress in other ways as well (e.g., permissible number of ‘C’ grades). The student handbook of each graduate program specifies the academic progress standards that apply to that program. The faculty of each graduate program are responsible for maintaining the standards of the program, within general University guidelines.

No fractional amount of credit is given for less than completion of any course or academic experience.

Graduate Grading System
At the end of the course, letter grades are awarded as defined:

• A (4 quality points per semester hour) Excellent. Denotes work that is consistently at the highest level of achievement in a graduate college or university course.
• B (3 quality points per semester hour) Good. Denotes work that consistently meets the high level of college or university standards for academic performance in a graduate college or university course.
• C (2 quality points per semester hour) The lowest passing grade. Denotes work that does not meet in all respects college or university standards for academic performance in a graduate college or university course.
• F (0 quality points per semester hour) Failure. Denotes work that fails to meet graduate college or university standards for academic performance in a course.
• Cr (Quality points are not calculated in grade point average) Pass. Denotes pass with credit at least at the level of C work, in graduate courses that are graded Cr/NCr.
• NCr (0 quality points per semester hour) No credit. Denotes work that fails to meet graduate college or university standards for academic performance at least at the level of C work.

Students are reminded that, with the exception of courses that are offered only on a Cr/NCr basis, no graduate courses may be completed under this grading system.

Incomplete Grades (I)
Under Aurora University regulations, a student who has done satisfactory work in a course but has not completed some of the specific course requirements may petition to receive a grade of “I” (Incomplete). A grade of “I” may be assigned only in cases of illness, accident or other catastrophic occurrence beyond the student’s control. All work must be completed by the deadline specified by the instructor, which must be on or before the last day of the fourth week of classes in the next term, excluding summer session. Petitions for incomplete grades are available from the Registrar’s Office.

Deferred Grades (X)
A deferred grade (X) is for use in certain courses in which it is anticipated that the student’s learning experience will continue beyond a regular academic term. The deferred grade is available for use in the cases of field experiences, practicum, internships, independent study, application or research projects, and sequential courses for which a deferred grading situation has been contracted at the initiation of the experience. An approved list of courses for which the deferred grade may be used is available from the Registrar’s Office and is listed below.

Listing of Courses for Deferred Grade Option

Grade Point Calculation
Two Grade Point Averages (GPA) are calculated by the Registrar’s Office:

1. Type 1: Term GPA A=4, B=3, C=2, F=0, NCr=0, Cr=Not Calculated into GPA. Based only on courses taken in a given term at Aurora University, the unit of credit is multiplied by the quality points assigned to the grade earned. The sums are then added and the total quality points divided by the calculable credit units producing the Term GPA. (If a course is repeated only the higher grade is calculated into the GPA and, of course, only academic credit from one can be counted toward graduation.)
2. Type 2: CUMULATIVE GPA of courses AT AURORA UNIVERSITY Calculated in the same way as the TERM GPA but is based upon all work taken at Aurora University over all terms of attendance. Graduate credit accepted in transfer is not calculated in the cumulative GPA.

Change of Permanent Grades

1. Permanent grades (A, B, C, F) may be changed by the instructor who originally issued the grade to correct computational or clerical errors.
2. Changes of permanent grades must be approved by the jurisdictional dean before they are forwarded to the Registrar, and must include an explanation for the change.
3. Changes in permanent grades arising from clerical or computational errors must be received by the Registrar no later than 30 days following the date when the original permanent grade was filed with the Registrar.
4. In cases where it is necessary to correct a grading error on the part of an instructor who has left the University or who cannot otherwise be contacted in a timely fashion, or in cases where an instructor fails to correct an evident error in a timely fashion, the jurisdictional dean may assign another faculty member to review the relevant materials and correct the error.
5. Changes may be made in grades to reflect coursework completed after the deadline for grade submission only in instances in which the student received a grade of I or X for the course.
6. All changes in permanent grades other than those arising from clerical or computational errors are addressed under the University regulations for appeal of alleged capricious grading.

Procedures for Use in Appealing Allegedly Capricious Term Grades of Students

1. Introduction
   1. The following procedures are available only for review of alleged capricious grading, and not for review of the judgment of an instructor in assessing the quality of a student’s work. Capricious grading, as that term is used herein, is limited to one or more of the following:
      1. the assignment of a grade to a particular student on some basis other than performance in the course;
      2. the assignment of a grade to a particular student by more exacting or demanding standards than were applied to other students in that course;
      3. the assignment of a grade by a substantial departure from the instructor’s standards announced during the first fourth of the term.
   2. The assessment of the quality of a student’s academic performance is one of the major professional responsibilities of university faculty members and is solely and properly their responsibility. It is essential for the standards of the academic programs at Aurora University and the integrity of the degrees conferred by this university that the professional judgments of faculty members not be subject to pressures or other interference from any source.
   3. It is necessary, however, that any term grade be based on evidence of the student’s performance in a course, that the student have access to the evidence, that the instructor be willing to explain and interpret the evidence to the student, and that a grade be determined in accordance with announced guidelines. These guidelines should be announced in and put in writing for each class at the beginning of each term.
2. Appeal Procedures
   1. A student who believes his/her term grade is capricious may seek clarification and, where appropriate, redress, as follows:
      1. The student shall confer with the instructor, informing the instructor of questions concerning the grade, and seeking to understand fully the grounds and procedures the instructor has used in determining the grade. The aim of such a conference is to reach mutual understanding about the grade, the process by which it was assigned, and to correct errors, if any, in the grade. The student should do this within two weeks of receiving his/her final grade.
      2. If after consultation with the instructor, the student believes that a grade is capricious, the student shall confer with the program chair, who shall consult and advise with both the instructor and student separately or together, in an effort to reach an understanding and resolution of the matter.
      3. If Steps One or Two do not resolve the problem, the student may submit a petition in writing to the Dean. This petition must be submitted to the Dean of the school or college not later than the end of the fourth week of the term following that for which the grade is being appealed, excluding the summer term.
   2. The petition shall request a meeting with the Dean and shall present evidence that the grade is capricious as defined above, and shall present the student’s arguments which substantiate his/her conclusions. The Dean shall refer the petition to the instructor and secure from the instructor a response in writing, setting forth the instructor’s position on the matter.
   3. On the basis of a consideration of the student’s petition and the instructor’s response, the Dean shall conduct an inquiry which shall include a meeting with the student and the instructor separately or together and ascertain and consider relevant facts. (The instructor and/or student may bring an advocate if he/she so chooses. If an advocate is to be present at a meeting, the Dean must be informed prior to the meeting.)
3. Decision. The Dean shall make one of these decisions:
   1. That the grade was not assigned capriciously and shall stand as assigned.
   2. That the grade was assigned capriciously and should be changed. The Dean shall then, as a result of his/her consideration, assign a grade different from the grade decided to be capricious. The Dean shall authorize the Registrar to make the grade change and such a decision shall be final.

Academic Integrity Statement
Part of the Aurora University mission is to educate students to be ethical. Aurora University students share with the faculty the responsibility for academic honesty and integrity. The University expects its students to do their own academic work. In addition, it expects active participation and equitable contributions of students involved in group assignments. The following acts of academic dishonesty are not acceptable.

• Cheating: using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aid in any academic exercise (e.g., an exam).
• Fabrication: unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise (e.g., a paper reference).
• Plagiarism: representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own in any academic exercise (e.g., failing to cite references appropriately or taking verbatim from another source).
• Facilitating academic dishonesty: helping or attempting to help another to commit academic dishonesty (e.g., allowing another to copy from your test or use your work).

Time Limit for Completion of Master’s Degrees

1. Students must complete all requirements for the master’s degree on or before five years from the official acceptance date into the program.
2. Any student not completing all degree requirements on or before the five year deadline will be administratively dropped from the program unless a petition for extension has been filed with the program chair no later than the completion deadline.
3. Petitions for extension are reviewed by the program chair in consultation with the program faculty.
4. Approved petitions for extension may include provisions for repeating coursework, additional coursework, or other requirements for completion of the master’s degree after the original deadline, at the option of the program faculty.
5. An extension of deadline may be granted only once and then for a maximum of two years.
6. Individual programs may establish more restrictive limits for initial and extended time deadlines for completion.