6.00

The College is committed to the educational and social development of its students.

6.01

As members of the academic community, students are encouraged to develop the capacity for critical thinking and to engage in the pursuit of truth.

6.02

The College will provide positive opportunities and conditions to facilitate those freedoms which are essential to the learning and maturation process.

6.03

The College guarantees students freedom of inquiry, freedom of thought and discussion, and the right to due process in disciplinary proceedings. The student is also guaranteed freedom from College interference and restriction of extramural activities unless placed on probation.

6.04

The responsibility for ensuring these freedoms rests with the entire College community. Students should endeavor to exercise and defend these freedoms with maturity and responsibility.

6.10

Rights in the Classroom
Faculty should endeavor to provide an atmosphere in the classroom that facilitates free discussion, inquiry and expression. Students should be evaluated solely on the basis of academic standards, not on the students' opinions or conduct unrelated to academic standards.

6.11

Protection of Freedom of Expression: Students are responsible for learning the content of their courses of study, but they should be free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered and to reserve judgment about matters of opinion.

6.12

Protection Against Improper Academic Evaluation: Students are responsible for maintaining standards of academic performance established by their professors, but they should have protection through orderly procedures against prejudiced or capricious academic evaluation.

6.13

Protection Against Improper Disclosure: Information about student views, beliefs and political associations which professors acquire in the course of their work as instructors, advisors and counselors should be considered confidential.

6.14

State law requires that any student in an institution of higher education who is unable to attend classes on a particular day or days because of his/her religious beliefs is to be excused from any examination or any study or work requirements. State law also stipulates that we have the responsibility to make available equivalent opportunities to make up work missed because of these absences and that students have the obligation to make up any work missed.

6.20

Grade Appeal
Students may appeal a final grade received in a course by providing written justification for a change of grade to the faculty member responsible for the course and a copy to the dean of the division responsible for the course. Grade appeals must be filed within forty-five (45) calendar days of the last day of classes for the semester in which the grade was received.

6.21

Appeals must be based on perceived discrepancies in the grading and evaluation system as described in the course outline given to students, computational error or error in data entry.

6.22

Faculty will provide a written response to the student within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of the appeal with a copy to the appropriate dean.

6.23

Students who cannot reach satisfactory resolution of the appeal with the faculty member may appeal to the dean of the division responsible for the course within fourteen (14) calendar days of the date of the faculty member's response.

6.24

In the event that the student feels that a satisfactory resolution has not been reached, s/he may forward his/her appeal in writing to the vice president for academic affairs within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of the division dean's response.

6.25

The vice president for academic affairs will have the chairperson of the Academic Policies Committee convene a three (3) member review panel to make recommendations to the vice president for academic affairs. The decision of the vice president for academic affairs shall be final and not subject to further appeal.

6.40

Withdrawal from Courses by Instructor: Appeal (See Section 4.26)