Academic Standards

Academic Appeals

A student who has a problem with a professor or disagrees with a course grade should begin by going directly to the professor to share the concern or complaint within two weeks of the occurrence or grade report. If the meeting with the professor does not resolve the issue, the student may continue the appeal process in accordance with the policy in the following paragraph.

Student complaints and/or other problems relating to academic matters such as course content, grades, academic/course policies, are handled through the Division of Academic Affairs. All student complaints must be submitted in writing on the Student Complaint Record Form for Academics. Students must complete the Student Complaint Record Form: Academic and provide a written narrative describing the complaints and/or other problems relating to academic matters. The Student Complaint Form can be found on the website at: https://www.faulkner.edu/undergrad/student-life/living-on-campus/student- services/student- complaint-process/.

Policy on Academic Honesty

Cheating on an examination or an assignment undermines the ethics of the academy and the specific Christian purposes of Faulkner University. Accordingly, students who cheat on examinations or assignments will face serious consequences. Plagiarism is a form of cheating. Plagiarism is the transmission of another’s ideas, words, or materials as one’s own and/or the failure to credit accurately the ideas, words, or materials of another. Plagiarism also includes passing off another’s work (a friend’s, parent’s, a website’s) as one’s own. Plagiarism undermines the ethics of the academy and the specific Christian purpose of Faulkner University.

Accordingly, students who engage in plagiarism in papers submitted will face serious consequences, as outlined in the policy below.

Penalties for Academic Dishonesty

1. On the first offense, the student will receive a 0 for the examination or assignment.
2. Professors shall send documentation of the first offense to the appropriate chair, the dean of the appropriate college, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the Dean of Students.
3. On the second offense, the student will receive an F in the course. Professors shall send documentation of the second offense to the appropriate chair, the dean of the appropriate college, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the Dean of Students.
4. If the student receives an F in two courses for cheating and/or plagiarism, he or she will be suspended from the university.

Professors should maintain the highest standards of academic honesty both in and out of the classroom. Professors must report and apply the rules regarding cheating and plagiarism through appropriate channels.

(The above penalties govern ONLY those situations in which they do not contradict a program specific handbook or supplemental handbook.)

Course Numbering

Consistent with acceptable practice, Faulkner utilizes the standard numbering system endemic to academic institutions to denote level of graduate credit. The following system (comprised of four digits) is employed:

The first digit shows the level of the course. Courses numbered 5000 and above are indicative of graduate level comprehension, with 5000-6000 used to denote master level programs and 7000 and above used to denote the doctoral programs.

The second digit shows the semester hours of credit (the basic unit of credit is the semester hour). For example, BI 5300 is a three-hour course. Each semester hour of credit represents 750 minutes of instructional contact time.

Grades and Grade Point Averages

Unless otherwise stated below, grades are recorded for graduate courses in recognition of certain levels of achievement and are interpreted as follows:

1. No grade below C will count toward degree requirements. Students are allowed two grades of C in their courses. A student receiving a third C will repeat one of the courses to improve his or her grade for that course to B or better.
2. A grade of W is posted when a student drops a course before the deadline specified on the University’s Academic Calendar. A grade of F will be posted when a student drops a course after the specified date in the Academic Calendar. These standards apply whether the student withdraws from a course voluntarily or non-voluntarily.
3. An I (Incomplete) is awarded only when necessary and not for the convenience of students who wish more time to complete their work. If an I is not replaced by another grade by the last day of classes of the following term, it automatically becomes an F.
4. AU is the grade assigned for a course audited or otherwise taken without credit. If an auditor discontinues, a W is assigned.
5. R is the grade assigned a course which is being repeated or duplicated. Credit will not be given twice for the same course. The last grade earned will be the one used to determine if requirements have been met and in calculating averages unless the student withdraws before the announced deadline. A failing grade may be removed from GPA calculation only by repeating the course failed at Faulkner University.
6. S and U grades are used when it is not feasible to evaluate achievement more precisely or when work is still in progress and not overdue. After a final grade has been awarded, it cannot be changed except when it is quite clear that a major error has been made. Students will not be given additional time to raise a grade.

Repeating Courses

A student should consult with his or her academic advisor before repeating a course in which he or she has a low or failing grade. The purpose of this consultation is to examine the cause(s) of the previous poor work and to discern specific steps necessary to succeed in the repeated course. When a course is repeated, the last grade is used in the computation of the GPA.

Grade Point Average

Scholarship level is expressed in terms of a grade point average (GPA) calculated by dividing total quality points earned by credit hours attempted. Semester and cumulative averages are recorded on the permanent academic record and on semester grade reports. Averages are used to determine academic probation and suspension, renewal of academic scholarships, and eligibility for degrees.

Grade Reports

Students may check their final grades online at the university website. The student should review low grades promptly with his or her advisor. Official notice of academic honors, probation, or suspension is indicated on the grade report.

Class Attendance

On-ground Attendance Policy

This 2025-26 university policy prescribes the maximum number of unexcused absences a student may accumulate in a class. This policy does not apply to Jones School of Law and graduate courses in the College of Health Sciences. Instructors may choose to set forth course-specific attendance policies in the course syllabus.

1. Terms
   1. Excused: University-approved events (e.g., athletics, band, chorus, etc.); military service, subpoena for a court appearance, or jury duty; natural disasters; incidents of student illness for which students provide clear documentation in a timely manner; death or serious illness of a close family member; similar unavoidable circumstances due to no fault of the student and at the discretion of the course instructor. Work missed for excused absences may be made up subject to terms and schedule set by the instructor.
   2. Unexcused: any absence not covered in the above “Excused” definition. Work missed for unexcused absences cannot be made up.
   3. Withdrawal date: the date set by the Registrar as the last day to withdraw from a course.
   4. FA: A final grade that indicates “failure based on attendance” and counts toward the GPA the same as an F. Please note: the FA may affect the eligibility of student athletes.
2. Responsibilities
   1. Instructor: the instructor is responsible for keeping accurate, timely attendance and marking that attendance in the university attendance system; clearly articulating his or her classroom attendance policy in the course syllabus; and creating a course wherein class attendance proves pivotal in successfully completing the course.
   2. Student: the student is responsible for keeping track of his or her attendance, including excused and unexcused absences, communicating clearly and effectively with the instructor concerning any absences, providing appropriate documentation for excused absences, and, at the student’s discretion, initiating a withdrawal prior to withdrawal date and in accordance with the Registrar’s procedure.
   3. When a student is held subject to the withdrawal from course consequences of the attendance policy as stated in the syllabus, the instructor will notify the student via email and assign an “FA” in Regent.
   4. The student may appeal to the college dean by email within three days. Successful appeals require a clearly defined response from the dean to all parties with prescribed conditions. Appeals denied by the dean may be taken to the vice president for academic affairs. Students may continue to participate in class pending final resolution of an appeal.
   5. A student failing to withdraw by the withdrawal date, and exceeding the allowed number of unexcused absences will be assigned a grade of FA as specified above.

Online Attendance Policy

1. Terms
   1. Attendance/Participation
      1. Online attendance is measured in terms of student participation.
      2. Logging into the course’s learning management system does not count as participation.
      3. Attendance includes:
         1. The submission of any course assignment (e.g. discussion, quiz/exam) even if they are not graded
         2. Synchronous video conference sessions
   2. See the full Online Attendance Policy for the complete definition of online attendance.
2. Responsibilities
   1. The instructor is responsible for keeping track of online student participation, reporting nonparticipation to the appropriate office, clearly articulating the attendance policy to the students, and requiring adequate participation from students at regular intervals.
   2. Students are responsible for keeping track of the upcoming assignment due dates, communicating with the instructor in a timely manner if something happens to keep them from being able to complete an assignment on time, and monitoring announcements from the instructor regarding any changes to the course calendar.
3. Attendance Policy
   1. Administrative Withdrawal for Non-participation
      1. Students who do not participate in a course within the first 7 days will be reported as not participating. They will be contacted to encourage participation in the course.
      2. Students who do not participate in a course within the first 14 days will be administratively withdrawn.
      3. Appeal Process
         1. Administratively withdrawn students may appeal to the department chair/program director to be reinstated.
         2. If allowed back in the course, the student must participate immediately by submitting an assignment. Should the student not submit an assignment in a timely manner, he/she will be administratively withdrawn without an opportunity to appeal.
         3. If the reinstatement request is denied by the department chair/program director, the student may appeal to the dean of the college by following the university’s academic complaint process.
   2. Failure for Attendance (FA)
      1. Full-term classes: a student will receive a grade of FA if he/she participates in a course, but then stops participating for a period of 21 consecutive days.
      2. Classes 8 weeks or less: a student will receive a grade of FA if he/she participates in a course, but then stops participating for a period of 14 consecutive days.

Academic Standing, Probation and Suspension

Graduate students must maintain a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.00 to remain in good academic standing. Evaluation of academic standing occurs each term. Since many graduate students carry part- time loads, each graduate program may set this evaluation at the number of hours considered a full term, rather than by the calendar. MJA handles probation and suspension on a case-by-case basis.

Students should consult their particular sections of this catalog for details.

Probation

The first semester a student’s cumulative graduate GPA falls below a 3.0, he or she will be placed on probation. A student may be placed on continued probation for one more term if the term GPA is 3.0 or higher during the first term of probation.

Suspension

The second successive semester a student’s cumulative graduate GPA falls below a 3.0, he or she will be suspended from the graduate program for one semester, unless the student has a 3.0 or higher GPA that semester, in which case he or she will remain on probation. The third successive semester a student’s cumulative graduate GPA falls below a 3.0, the student will be suspended from the graduate program regardless of his or her GPA for that semester.

Any time a student’s semester GPA falls below a 2.0, he or she may be suspended immediately regardless of his or her previous average. Grades below C may result in academic suspension or termination at the discretion of the graduate faculty.

Full-Time Status

The following table lists the required number of credit hours for each graduate program (except those offered through Jones School of Law) that a student must enroll for to be considered as having full-time status.

Graduation Requirements for Graduation Degrees

The student must complete an approved program of study meeting all requirements for the program, with any exceptions approved by the Dean of the appropriate college.

The student must complete at least one third of the course work applicable to the degree with Faulkner University. Due to the limited hours accepted for transfer credit, all programs handily exceed this minimum.

GPA requirements are found in the specific section of each program.