Academic Progress Policies

Classroom Expectations

The instructor is responsible for setting standards for all physical or virtual classroom conduct, behavior, and discipline. Only enrolled students, administrative personnel, and persons authorized by the instructor are permitted access to physical or virtual classrooms. University policy and Colorado state law prohibit all forms of disruptive or obstructive behavior in a physical or virtual classroom or any action which would disrupt scheduled academic activity. All communications with instructors, whether in class, face-to-face, on paper, or by telephone, email, or other means are subject to the same standards for conduct, behavior, and discipline as classroom behavior. Standards of conduct outlined elsewhere (Student Conduct Code, Sexual Harassment Policy, etc.) also apply.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the adoption or reproduction of ideas, words, or statements of another person as one’s own either knowingly, carelessly, or without acknowledgment. Please review the complete Plagiarism Policy by clicking here.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) applies to all students and denotes successful completion of coursework towards a degree in each trimester. Students who fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and/or course completion rate (CR) in a Maximum Time Frame (MTF) will face academic consequences; up to and including university withdrawal and loss of eligibility for all types of federal and state aid administered by CSU Global.

The following credit hour guidelines are used when determining Satisfactory Academic Progress:

• All CSU Global credit hours attempted and earned are counted in the evaluation of SAP.
• All transferable credits are counted as credit earned and will count towards MTF and CR but not in the cumulative GPA calculation.
• Incomplete grades in courses will count as credits attempted but not earned until the final grade has been posted, at which point SAP will be re-calculated for MTF, CR, and cumulative GPA with the final grade.
• All repeated courses count as credits attempted but not earned and count toward MTF and CR. Repeated courses do not count toward cumulative GPA except for the final grade received on the last repeat of a course.
• Course withdrawals (grades of W) count as credits attempted but not earned, and count towards MTF and CR but not toward cumulative GPA.
• Students on SAP Probation may be ineligible to transfer to another program until SAP has been met, or an appeal has been approved.

Good Academic Standing

All students will be evaluated for SAP at the end of each trimester. To remain in Good Academic Standing, students must maintain the following standards:

Undergraduate Students

To remain in Good Academic Standing, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.00 and a minimum course completion rate of 66.66% of all courses attempted. The MTF for undergraduate programs is 150% the normal duration of program as measured in credit hours.

Note: The minimum course completion rate of 66.66% takes effect in July 2016. Any prior terms are based on the previous minimum course completion rate of 67%.

Graduate Students

To remain in Good Academic Standing, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00 and a minimum course completion rate of 66.66% of all courses attempted. The MTF for graduate programs is 150% the normal duration of program as measured in credit hours.

Note: The minimum course completion rate of 66.66% takes effect in July 2016. Any prior terms are based on the previous minimum course completion rate of 67%.

SAP Warning

Active students who fail to meet the minimum SAP standards after one trimester will be placed on SAP Warning. All students on SAP Warning will receive academic advisement to assist them in improving their academic progress, and will be registered for courses that will help to improve their GPA and/or completion rate. Financial aid students in SAP Warning status remain eligible for Title IV funds.

• Students on SAP Warning who achieve the required SAP minimums at the end of their next trimester will be placed back into Good Academic Standing.
• Students on SAP Warning who do not achieve the required SAP standards at the end of their next trimester will be placed on SAP Probation.
• Students on SAP Warning who have not registered and completed coursework within 12 months will be administratively withdrawn.

SAP Probation

Students will be placed on SAP Probation if they fail to meet the minimum SAP standards while on SAP Warning. SAP Probation status is noted on the transcript until the student returns to Good Academic Standing. In addition, students will receive notification of SAP Probation status from the Office of Student Affairs. All students that are placed on Academic Probation must submit an Academic SAP Appeal form in order to continue taking courses during the Probation period. Academic progress during the warning period will be reviewed, and if approved the student will be issued an Academic Plan that will detail what the student must complete in order to get back into good academic standing. The university will only approve a financial aid appeal if it determines that the student had a documented extenuating circumstance that occurred and prevented the student from successfully completing the coursework, and that the student will be able to meet minimum standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress during the next trimester based on the academic plan developed by the institution.

• If a student meets the required standard within one trimester, he or she will be placed back into Good Academic Standing.
• If a student cannot meet the required standards within one trimester, the student must have an academic plan on file in order to be able to continue.
• If a student cannot meet the required standards within two trimesters in SAP Probation, he or she will be placed on Academic Suspension.
• Students on SAP Probation who have not registered and completed coursework within 12 months will be administratively withdrawn.

SAP Academic Suspension

Students who fail to clear SAP Probation status will be placed on Academic Suspension. Students placed on Academic Suspension cannot re-enroll at CSU Global unless approved by the university via appeal.

Students on Academic Suspension who successfully appeal their suspension can return to the university in SAP Probation II status. Students on SAP Probation II will re-enter the university under the current catalog and university requirements. Students may be granted an administrative waiver to return under their previous program based on the committee decision. Students on SAP Probation II will remain under the guidelines of the catalog in effect at the time of re-entry to the University. Suspension Appeals must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs at least two (2) weeks prior to the start of the term in which a student plans to re-enroll. Students who are approved to return under SAP Probation II status are ineligible for Title IV funds. Students placed on Academic Suspension retain limited access to their Student Portal for account information and student services.

Students on Academic Suspension who successfully appeal their suspension must enroll and complete classes in the next available term or the appeal will be negated and the student will be suspended.

Appeal Process For SAP Academic Suspension

Students who wish to appeal their Academic Suspension are responsible for initiating the process by submitting a SAP Suspention Appeal form to the Student Appeals Committee. Appeals will only be considered if all outstanding student account balances have been paid. If additional college credit has been earned since the last enrollment with CSU Global, the student should submit official transcripts as part of their appeal. If a suspension appeal is approved, students may be required to pay cash until they have returned to good standing and are eligible for federal financial aid.

The Appeal Letter must address the following questions:

• What extenuating circumstances occurred during your previous enrollment to prevent you from successfully completing your coursework?
• What are your goals in pursuing a degree?
• How will you adjust your schedule and commitments to ensure that you have at least 10 hours per week to devote to class participation?
• What is your support network to ensure that you will be able to keep your commitment to school work? How will the people supporting you help to ensure your success?
• What plans will you have in place to address the possible obstacles that could arise, i.e. computer breakdowns/access issues, changes in commitment or needs related to work, family needs, etc.?
• How will you communicate with your advisor, instructor and/or the Office of Student Success when you encounter issues or concerns?
• How can CSU Global best support you accomplish your goals and help to keep you on track?

If the Appeals Committee has denied the appeal, the student may appeal the decision to the Provost or his/her designee. The appeal, with responses to the questions above, must be filed within two (2) weeks of the receipt of the decision of the Appeals Committee. The Provost may request additional information as determined necessary. The Provost or his/her designee will review the submitted documentation and recommend approval or denial of the appeal. No later than three (3) weeks from the filing of the appeal with the Provost, the Provost or his/her designee will notify the student of the final decision of the appeal. The determination of the Provost or his/her designee is final.

Late Policy

The academic week at CSU Global begins on Monday and ends the following Sunday.

CSU Global has designed programs and courses around best practices in adult and online learning theory. Courses are offered in an eight (8) week accelerated format. Therefore, it is expected that students will gain maximum benefit from courses and stay on pace for successful completion when they are participating fully in each week’s activities and completing each week’s assignments according to the course schedules. The CSU Global late policy supports maximum classroom success.

Discussion Boards (DB)

The Original Post must be completed by Thursday at 11:59 p.m. MST and Peer Responses posted by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. MST. Please note that late posts will not be accepted after Sunday at 11:59pm MST

Mastery Exercises (ME)

To maximize learning, it is strongly recommended that students complete Mastery Exercises no later than one week after the assigned module. However, students may access and retake mastery exercises until they achieve the score they desire through the last day of class.* Attempts completed after the last day of class will not be accepted unless an Incomplete Grade Request has been approved.

* For courses utilizing Cengage MindTap and Pearson’s MyLab and Mastering software, Mastery Exercises are limited to 3 attempts and must be completed during the week that they are assigned. The late policy goes into effect after midnight the Sunday the week the module ends. Exams do not have a late policy, as they are required to be finished during the midterm and final week, respectively.

Critical Thinking (CT) And Portfolio Milestones

CT assignments and milestones are due Sundays at 11:59 p.m. MT. Students are permitted a one week (7 day) grace period during which they may submit an assignment after the original due date without incurring a penalty. Papers submitted between 8 and 14 days after the original due date will be accepted with a potential 10 percent total reduction in grade for late submission. Papers submitted 15 or more days beyond the original due date will not be accepted unless the student has made arrangements with the instructor prior to the original due date of the assignment. Any arrangements for extension must identify the assignments to be included and a due date. Assignments not submitted within 14 days of the original due date will not be included in a request for incomplete grade. All outstanding CT assignments, milestones, and the portfolio project must be submitted no later than the last day of class. No assignments will be accepted after the last day of class unless a student has requested and been approved for an incomplete grade in accordance with the Incomplete Policy.

Portfolio Projects

No late Portfolio Projects will be accepted beyond the last day of class unless a student has requested, and been approved for an incomplete grade in accordance with the Incomplete Policy.

Student Attendance

Students are expected to actively engage in coursework every week in order to effectively master the course material. Active engagement is defined at CSU Global as a submission of an assignment to the grade book, completing a mastery exercise, posting a response to a discussion board, or responding to a student’s/instructor’s post on a discussion board. Active engagement is defined at CSU Global as a submission of an assignment to the grade book, completing a mastery exercise, posting a response to a discussion board, responding to a student’s post on a discussion board, or asking a question regarding the material to the instructor within a course forum.

Academic engagement will be monitored on a weekly basis. Students who have not actively engaged for 14 consecutive days will receive an At-Risk Email requesting that the student academically engage in their course within seven days or they will be administratively withdrawn from courses. If the student has not participated after 21 days, the student will be administratively withdrawn from the course.

Students are still responsible for all tuition charges related to courses if a student is withdrawn for non-attendance after the drop deadline each term. Withdrawal for non-attendance may have an impact on financial aid eligibility.