Academic Policies and Regulations

Graduate Student Classifications

Graduate Student: A student who has completed a bachelor’s degree and has been accepted into Fontbonne graduate coursework.
Degree seeking: A student accepted into a graduate degree program.
Unclassified: A student accepted into graduate coursework but not into a degree program.
Full-time graduate: A student who carries six or more credit hours per semester.
Part-time graduate: A student who carries fewer than six credit hours per semester.

Residency Requirements

All required coursework for a master’s degree must be completed at Fontbonne University with the exception of the credit hours that may be transferred (see Transfer of Credit below).

The final semester/term of graduate coursework must be completed at Fontbonne, regardless of the number of credit hours taken.

The deadline for the receipt of the official transcript(s) must be met for the student to graduate.

Transfer of Credit

Each graduate program director will determine the number of transfer credit hours that may be accepted for his/her program, based on the following guidelines:

The student must submit official transcripts of all work completed at other accredited, degree-granting institutions before transfer credit may be awarded. Each course must have been completed with a minimum grade of B-. A transfer course must be comparable in content to the Fontbonne course. The Fontbonne course replaced by the transfer course will be determined by the program director and approved by the college dean or department chair. Some programs may have more strict policies for transfer of credit.

Statute of Limitations

After official acceptance into a degree program, a graduate student must complete all the requirements for the graduate degree within six years of the date of the first course taken.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

To earn a Fontbonne University graduate degree, a student must complete all requirements for the specific graduate program and the degree.

Federal regulations require the university to establish standards for satisfactory academic progress as an eligibility requirement for financial assistance.

A degree-seeking graduate student at Fontbonne University is expected to perform at a satisfactory academic level by:

• earning grades of B- or above in all graduate courses,
• achieving and maintaining a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0, and
• following all academic requirements specific to the graduate program.

The following policies apply:

C and/or F Grades

A student who earns a grade of C in a graduate course will immediately be sent a letter of concern by the graduate program director with a copy sent to the advisor and a copy placed in the student’s file. A student who earns a second C will be dismissed. The student may appeal the dismissal and request immediate reinstatement to the program by petitioning the college dean and with their permission may retake one of the two courses in which the C was earned as soon as the course is available. The dean may set the conditions for retaking the course, including which of the two courses should be repeated.

A student who earns an F in a graduate course will be dismissed from the program and the university.

Repeating Graduate Courses

A graduate student may repeat one graduate course and repeat that graduate course one time only.

Since many graduate courses are not offered each academic semester/term, the student who earned a first grade of C in a graduate course may, with the approval of the graduate program director, be allowed to take a limited number of additional graduate courses until he/she has the opportunity to repeat the course in which the C was earned. Additional conditions pertaining to continued enrollment may be set by the program. A letter stating the conditions will be sent by the program to the student, the Office of Academic Affairs, and the advisor, with a copy placed in the student’s file.

Graduate Online & Blended Courses

Fontbonne University offers fully online, accredited, graduate degree programs in multiple disciplines Fontbonne University’s online courses are student-centered, just as the traditional face-to-face courses are. The learning environment is an asynchronous one, giving flexibility to the online course. The asynchronous nature of the course does not mean that the course lacks structure and/or deadlines. Students are expected to participate in class discussions and activities and have weekly assignments and deadlines. Course requirements may include weekly group discussions, online quizzes, individual and/or small group assignments, readings, problem solving, or the critiquing of articles. Online undergraduate courses may require proctored testing on campus or at an approved location.

Fontbonne also offers several degree programs in a blended format. This requires some on-campus meetings. The number of face-to-face meetings varies depending on the program.

Prior to taking the first online course at Fontbonne University, a student must complete the Blackboard Tutorial, a free tutorial, which introduces the student to Blackboard, the online course environment, to our sponsors, the Sisters of St. Joseph, and to Fontbonne University history. Students who register for online courses, or courses for which the Blackboard Tutorial is a prerequisite, will automatically be enrolled in the tutorial. The Blackboard Tutorial is available beginning several weeks before the start of every semester and before each eight-week term. Access information will be sent to all students enrolled in the tutorial; this information will be sent to the students’ Fontbonne University email address.

Students should prepare themselves to begin all online courses on the first day of the semester or the first day of the scheduled course duration. For new online students, this preparation includes completing the Blackboard Tutorial in advance of the semester start date. Students must complete the Blackboard Tutorial at least one business day (Monday thru Friday) before the start of courses to be prepared to begin their course on time. Students who do not participate in their online course on the first day will be reported to the Registrar’s Office for non-attendance and may be dropped from their course.

Please contact Jo Ann Mattson for more information about blended or online degree programs at Fontbonne or if you have any questions regarding the Blackboard tutorial: jmattson@fontbonne.edu or 314-889-4514

If you experience issues with Blackboard in any of your courses, or to ask a question about Fontbonne University email or other technology issues please contact AskIT at: askIT@fontbonne.edu or 314-719-8095.

Minimum Technology Requirements for Online Students:

• Minimum of 2 GB of RAM with DSL or high-speed Internet access.
• Windows and Office 2013 or higher for PC and Mac.
• Most online courses require Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, and many require Excel. Fontbonne University’s standard software platform is MS Office 2013. FONTBONNE STUDENTS GET FREE ACCESS TO MICROSOFT OFFICE 365! http://my.fontbonne.edu/msoffice (Scroll down to locate information.)
• Some courses require the purchase of additional course-specific software; this information should be listed in the course schedule or course syllabus.

Use of Fontbonne University email is mandatory for online courses. Students must have daily access to a computer. It is recommended that students have their own computer for use with online coursework.

Students planning to reside outside the United States while engaging in an online Fontbonne University course must obtain prior written approval from the Vice President for Academic Affairs before enrollment.

Students residing in states other than Missouri, please visit http://www.fontbonne.edu/stateauthorization to locate State Authorization information.

Online Students - Filing Complaints with Your State or Accrediting Agency

Students not residing in the state of Missouri during the time of attending online courses should also follow Fontbonne’s internal administrative procedures. However, if the issue or complaint is not resolved at the institutional level, a student may file a complaint within the state he or she is living in at the time of enrollment. Visit the following website to obtain student grievance contact information for individual states:
http://www.fontbonne.edu/stateauthorization

In order to maintain proper state authorization for distance education, it is vital that you inform Fontbonne prior to moving to a different state. Even if the move is temporary, Fontbonne University is required to submit the state in which the students are residing at the time of taking the online course. We are not currently authorized to enroll students in our distance education programs in all 50 states. Please contact Jo Ann Mattson JMattson@Fontbonne.edu or 314-889-4514 when relocating to another state.

Dismissal

A student will be dismissed from the graduate program and the university by the Office of Academic Affairs if the student:

• earns a second C in a graduate course; or
• earns an F in a graduate course

Substitution/Waiver of Degree Requirements

A student may apply to the program director for a substitution of one course for another or for waiver of a specific course where there is evidence that the requirements for that course have been met. A program director may decide whether to substitute one course for another or waive a course. The degree modification form, obtained from the registrar’s office, must be completed, including all signatures required, and returned to the registrar’s office. The total number of hours required for completion of the degree may not be waived.

Dual Undergraduate/Graduate Enrollment

A Fontbonne undergraduate student may be eligible to earn graduate academic credit for graduate level courses with permission from the department that is offering the graduate course.

To be eligible for dual enrollment, a Fontbonne undergraduate student must be classified as a senior (a minimum of 90 credit hours earned) and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Enrollment in graduate courses must be approved by the graduate program director, since preference is given to students enrolled in the graduate program.

Graduate credit hours may not be used toward the 120 hour requirement for an undergraduate degree. However, a maximum of nine graduate credit hours taken during dual enrollment may be applied to the total credit hours required for the master’s degree.

Pre-Registration/Registration Procedures

The scheduled dates for pre-registration are listed in the fall, spring, and summer course schedules. A student must be advised and obtain registration clearance before the student is able to register. Academic advisors and support staff are readily available to assist students during these pre-registration/registration times.

Changes in Registration

Any change in registration, including withdrawal from a course, must:

• be made on the appropriate form available in the registrar’s office;
• give the supportive reason for the change or withdrawal;
• be approved by the academic advisor, and signed by the business office, the financial aid office, and, if applicable, by the office of academic affairs; and
• be returned to the registrar’s office before the deadline date specified in the course schedule.

Independent Study

Independent study courses, available to qualified degree-seeking students, allow students to pursue interests not available in the established curriculum. An independent study course may take the form of research, a reading program, or a special off-campus project. Each independent study must have an instructor. Each independent study must be approved by the director of each program.

A formal independent study application, available in the registrar’s office, must be completed and on file in the registrar’s office at the time of registration. See academic departments for independent study course numbers and descriptions.

Class Attendance/Participation

Responsibility for participation in class rests on the individual student. Fontbonne University expects regular attendance/participation. Faculty who use regular attendance/participation as part of the course requirements for evaluation purposes will notify the students of the policy in writing on the course syllabus distributed at the beginning of the course.

Each instructor is expected to give reasonable consideration to the feasibility of make-up work. Students are directly responsible to instructors for class participation and for work missed.

If a student chooses to stop participating in a course without officially withdrawing from the course (i.e., completing a change in registration [drop/add] form obtained from the registrar’s office) the student will receive a grade of AF for the course.

Note: The last date of attendance as recorded by the instructor may have financial aid implications for the student.

Grade Definitions

The following grading scale and definitions are used for graduate programs at Fontbonne University:

* Pass/No Pass (P/NP) Grading Option: The only courses a graduate student may take P/NP are courses designated as such by the department.

Grades and Quality Points

To express the quality of a student’s work in numerical form, letter grades are translated into quality points. Each grade carries a specific number of quality points. Fontbonne uses the following grades/quality points:

Grade Point Average

The grade point average (GPA) is calculated by dividing the quality points earned by the credit hours attempted. The grade point average is computed on the basis of credit hours attempted, not credit hours passed. Grades of pass (P), no pass (NP) and incomplete (I) do not carry quality points and are not computed in the GPA.

In the case of a repeated course, both the original and repeated course will appear on the transcript. Only the higher grade will be calculated in the GPA; the total credits earned will be incremented only once.

Note: Repeating a course may affect a student’s eligibility for federal financial aid.

Incomplete (I)

If a student is earning a passing grade in a course, but does not complete the requirements of the course in a timely manner due to extraordinary circumstances beyond the student’s control (e.g., serious illness) that occur within the last two or three weeks of the semester, the student may request an incomplete (I).

The student must obtain the request for an incomplete form from the registrar’s office and complete the form with the instructor, obtaining all of the required signatures before submitting the form to the registrar’s office.

An unchanged incomplete (I) will become a grade of F if the incomplete has not been changed to a letter grade by the close of day one week following the mid-semester date. In extenuating circumstances, the office of academic affairs, in consultation with the program director or the director of evening programs, the instructor, and the student, may extend the incomplete, but not beyond two months.

Deferred Grade

If, for some reason, the grade from a particular course cannot reach the registrar’s office in time for the semester report, the student will receive a deferred grade (X). As soon as the instructor completes the change of grade form, the grade will be recorded on the student’s transcript.

Grade Change

Once a semester is over, a grade may not be changed because a student submits additional work or submits work that was due during the semester.

Grade changes should occur only under any of the following three conditions:

1. To convert an incomplete (I) to a letter grade. The required change of grade form, available in the office of the registrar, must be completed by the instructor according to the date listed in the semester course schedule. (See incomplete above.)
2. To convert a deferred grade (X) to a letter grade. The required change of grade form, available in the office of the registrar, must be completed by the instructor as soon as possible, generally within the week grades are due. (See deferred grade above.)
3. To correct an incorrect grade awarded due to an instructor’s calculation or recording error. The required change of grade form, available in the office of the registrar, must be completed by the instructor by the end of first two weeks of the following semester.

Courses Taken Across Departments Within Fontbonne

A student must receive prior written approval from each of the program directors to enroll in another graduate program’s course that is not specifically required for the student’s program.

Change of Graduate Degree Program

A graduate student who wishes to change his or her graduate degree program must notify his/her current program director in writing of the intent to do so. The student must then complete the appropriate application materials required by the new program of choice.

When changing a graduate program, a student may be required to follow the current catalog if different from the catalog in effect at the time of the student’s initial matriculation.

Leave of Absence

A degree-seeking graduate student who has a pre-determined need to leave Fontbonne for one or two semesters (not including summer session) with the expectation to return may request a leave of absence.

The student must complete a request for leave of absence form obtained from the registrar’s office.

The student with an approved leave of absence may return under the same catalog and program requirements in effect at the time of the initial matriculation. If the student’s program curriculum has changed due to an accrediting/approval agency mandate, the student must follow the new requirements. To re-enter Fontbonne, the student must contact the registrar’s office to request reinstatement and to obtain registration materials, beginning at the time of pre-registration. The student must contact an advisor to obtain approval and web clearance to be eligible to register.

Withdrawals

Withdrawal from a Course

A student who, with proper authorization, withdraws from a course (see changes in registration under the registration procedures in this section) before the date specified in the semester course schedule receives a designation of W. A student who stops attending at some point after the third week of class does not complete the authorized withdrawal process receives a grade of AF.

A student may not request a withdrawal after the date specified in the semester course schedule. However, a student with appropriate and verifiable documentation may request, from Office of Academic Affairs, an exception to this policy. (See Withdrawal for an Extenuating Circumstance below.)

For financial aid purposes, the instructor must be able to provide the last date of attendance when a student stops attending or petitions to withdraw from a course.

Note: A student should be aware that failure to attend class does not constitute a withdrawal and may affect the student’s federal financial aid status. A student must notify the financial aid office, business office, and registrar’s office immediately upon the student’s decision to stop attending a course.

Withdrawal for an Extenuating Circumstance

A student may request to withdraw from Fontbonne University at any time throughout a session of enrollment (fall, spring, summer) for an extenuating circumstance.

An extenuating circumstance is an unexpected or unusual situation beyond a student’s control which makes it impossible for the student to complete his or her coursework during the enrollment term. Personal or immediate-family medical or non-medical issues, financial problems, trauma, and military deployment are examples of extenuating circumstances.

A graduate student must obtain information, procedures, and forms concerning a withdrawal for an extenuating circumstance from the office of academic affairs. At the latest, the withdrawal procedures must be completed and all documentation submitted to the office of academic affairs within 30 business days following the last date of exams for that enrollment session.

Involuntary Withdrawal for Non-attendance

A student who registers for a course and never attends the course will be withdrawn from the course ordinarily after the third week of classes. The registrar’s office will notify the student in writing of non-attendance; the student will have one week to respond by either immediately attending the course or immediately withdrawing from the course. Failure to officially withdraw from the course will result in the student receiving an involuntary withdrawal (WI).

A student receiving a WI will be responsible for any incurred costs. A student who receives a student refund must return the refund to Fontbonne University. (See the university’s refund policy in the semester course schedule.)

An involuntary withdrawal will result in a change in a student’s registration. Based on federal financial aid regulations, this may require a recalculation of the student’s financial aid package and adjustments to the student’s aid award. These adjustments may result in aid being removed from the student’s award and a balance due on the student’s account.

Dismissals

Academic Dismissal

See: Satisfactory Academic Progress and Statute of Limitation above in this section.

Non-Academic Dismissal

A student may be dismissed at any time from Fontbonne University for a variety of non-academic offenses. These include, but are not limited to, behavior or attitudes unworthy of a good campus citizen, an unsatisfactory financial record, or violation of any policy of Fontbonne University.

Academic Appeals Process

A graduate student, who wishes to petition the academic appeals committee for a hearing for a final grade appeal or for a hearing for an academic matter other than a final grade, must consult with Office of Academic Affairs which will provide the student with a copy of the academic appeal policy, procedures, and timelines.

The academic appeals committee, comprised of five elected faculty members and eight students selected by the office of academic affairs in consultation with department chairs, serves to offer a fair hearing to the student. Three faculty and three graduate students are selected from the committee to serve with the committee chair at any hearing.

Appeals ordinarily are not heard in the summer session.

Academic Appeal Regarding Matters Other Than Final Grades or Dismissal

If a graduate student wishes to appeal an academic issue other than a recorded final grade or dismissal, the student must consult with the office of academic affairs as to the appropriate process to follow as it relates to the appeal issue. Within one calendar week following this consultation the student must provide a formal letter of appeal to the office of academic affairs, who will then direct the letter to the appropriate individual/committee for resolution.

Final Grade Appeal

If a graduate student wishes to challenge a recorded final grade, the student must obtain a written copy of the academic appeals process for a grade appeal from the Office of Academic Affairs. This written copy of the process must be obtained no later than the end of the first three full calendar weeks of classes of the fall or spring semester following the semester (including the summer session) in which the grade in question was issued. The request by students in traditional courses for the written copy of the appeal process is handled preferably in person; the request by students in online courses may be handled by email or fax.

Appeal Regarding Dismissal

A student who is dismissed from a graduate program and the university may appeal the decision by submitting a letter of appeal to the Dean of the college in which the student is seeking a degree within thirty calendar days of being dismissed as indicated by the date of the dismissal letter. Appealing a dismissal is not a guarantee of re-admission. Appeal letters should be formally written and include at least the following information: 1) The reasons for the student earning the grades that led to their dismissal, and 2) What has changed that will alleviate the reasons listed for point number one. Second dismissals are final, and therefore appeals will not be considered for second dismissals.

Readmission

Requests for readmission will be considered only after clearance has been obtained from the Business Office and Registrar. Additionally, students applying for financial aid must obtain clearance from the Financial Aid Office. Once these clearances are acquired, the student may proceed to their advisor for registration.

Application for Degree

All students who wish to apply for a degree to be conferred must file their applications in the registrar’s office by August 1 for December conferral of degree, December 1 for May conferral of degree, and May 1 for August conferral of degree. Commencement ceremonies are held in May.

Commencement/Conferring of Degrees

Fontbonne University confers bachelors’ and masters’ degrees at the annual commencement ceremony in May. All graduate students who will have completed their degree by May or will complete their degree in August and who have enrolled in the courses required to do so are eligible for participation in the commencement ceremony the May preceding their August completion. All other students who wish to participate in commencement before completing all requirements may direct an appeal to walk in the commencement ceremony to the Office of Academic Affairs. Students may only participate in one commencement ceremony.

Record of Work and Transcripts

A student receives a semester grade report online after the close of each semester, and can access unofficial copies of their transcript through the student portal. A student may request official copies of the transcript for a fee.

To protect the right to privacy of a student, a student must make a written request for transcripts. A request should be submitted at least one week in advance of the time the transcript is needed. Fontbonne will not issue any transcripts until all indebtedness to the university has been settled in full.

To be considered an official transcript, a transcript must include the institution’s seal and be either received directly from another institution or sent directly to another institution.

Fontbonne will not release official transcripts from other institutions filed for the purpose of admission to Fontbonne. These become the property of Fontbonne University.

Academic Integrity/Honesty

According to its mission, Fontbonne University is committed to graduating students who are prepared to think critically, to act ethically, and to assume responsibility as citizens and leaders. Fontbonne University expects the highest standards of integrity from its students.

A violation of academic integrity includes, but is not limited to, any act of cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, dissimulation and any act of aiding and abetting academic dishonesty. In cases where academic integrity is in question, the following definitions and policies will apply.

Cheating is a purposeful deception in the preparation and/or submission of papers and assignments and the taking of exams, tests, or quizzes.

Plagiarism is the representation of the words and ideas of another as one’s own in any academic exercise. Plagiarism includes failing to give a citation for using work from another person or source. Modifications and rephrasing do not reduce the requirement for giving a citation. This also applies to information obtained electronically, such as from the Internet.

Fabrication is the deliberate falsification or invention of any information or citation in any academic exercise, such as making up a source, giving an incorrect citation, misquoting a source.

Dissimulation is the disguising or altering of one’s own actions with the intent to deceive another about the real nature of one’s actions concerning an academic exercise. Examples include fabricating excuses for such things as missing classes, postponing tests, handing in late papers, turning in a paper for one class that was originally written for another class (when original work is requested).

Individual instructors will set specific policies regarding academic integrity. In general, students may expect to receive a zero (0) on any assignment, exam, test, or quiz and perhaps fail a course when a violation of academic integrity has occurred.

Broader violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to:

Abuse of resources is the damaging of any resource material or inappropriately limiting access to resource material that is necessary for academic work. Abuse includes hiding library materials; removing non-circulating material from the library; hiding or stealing another person’s textbook, notes, or software; failure to return library materials when requested.

Forgery of academic documents is the unauthorized changing or construction of any academic document, such as changing transcripts, changing grade books, changing grades on papers which have been returned, or forging signatures. Other examples include completion of an application for any academic program that omits or falsifies any requested information. Such violations can result in the revocation of the application even if approval was previously granted on the basis of fabricated information.

Sabotage is the damaging or impeding of the academic work of another student. Sabotage includes ruining another student’s lab work; destroying another student’s term paper.

Aiding and abetting academic dishonesty is knowingly facilitating any act defined above.

Violations of academic integrity have a broad impact on the university and will result in university review and action. Faculty who observe violations of academic integrity are asked to report all violations to the office of academic affairs where records of violations will be maintained for five years. University review and action may include tutorials on the appropriate use of materials, academic probation, or expulsion, depending on the nature of the offense. All procedures for disciplinary action are detailed in the Griffin Scratch and Fontbonne policy manuals.

Assessment

To ensure the continuing quality of a Fontbonne degree, the university regularly collects data on academic programs, advising, student activities, and campus climate. Examples include course evaluations and advising evaluations which all students are expected to complete.

Student participation in periodic assessment, such as surveys and achievement tests, is expected and may be required for graduation. Because of the random sampling methods used to identify participants, not all students will be required to participate in the same assessment activities. Along with formal assessments, student work samples from individual classes may also be collected to provide authentic artifacts for internal and external program review.

The assessment program is designed to assist faculty, staff, and administrators in improving student learning, as well as the delivery of all campus services. Academic programs and student services are reviewed and revised based on a regular analysis of the data obtained from the assessment process. In this way, both the individual student and the institution benefit from assessment.