Academic Probation and Suspension

Academic Probation

Academic Probation. Means a student has not met the minimum threshold to be in good academic standing. It is intended as a corrective measure to help students improve their academic performance.

All students who receive one letter grade of “C” will be cautioned by their program director. A student who receives a second “C” in their graduate curriculum must meet with their advisor and work with their advisor/program director to acknowledge the student’s understanding of the grading policy and create an academic performance plan; the academic performance plan must be submitted to the Graduate College prior to the student registering for the subsequent semester.  A student who has a semester grade point average below 3.0 must meet with their advisor and have their advisor/program director submit and approved academic plan to the Graduate College prior to registering for the following semester. Students who have received their second “C” or have a cumulative grade point average below 3.0 will have a registration hold placed on their account and will not be eligible to participate in early registration.

A student who is admitted conditionally or on a non-degree basis who has not yet completed twelve (12) semester hours and holds a less than a 3.0 grade point average will be subject to suspension from Graduate College.

Academic Suspension

Academic Suspension. Means the student is dismissed from their graduate program and may not enroll in any classes at ATU, earn credit at ATU, or receive financial aid at ATU during the suspension period or one calendar year.  A student suspended from Graduate College may reapply for admission after one year. Reinstatement to the Graduate College will not necessarily mean reinstatement to a particular graduate program. Readmission does not reestablish financial aid eligibility, nor does it change the maximum timeframe for which a student's previous academic credits can be counted toward a graduate degree six (6) years.

Students who do not clear their conditional admission requirements, whose GPA falls below a 1.5, and/or students who are not able to raise their GPA to a 3.0 after being on probation for two consecutive semesters will be placed on academic suspension.

Students who do not clear their conditional admission requirements or students who are unable to raise their GPA to a 3.0 after being on probation consecutively will be academically suspended. 

A students' lack of Academic Progress may result in dismissal with no option to be reinstated.

Graduate Clemency Policy

In accordance with Act 1000 of 1991, a student who has previously attended Arkansas Tech University may apply to have the grades and credits earned for one or more consecutive semesters [1] removed from his/her grade point average provided the following criteria are met.

A graduate student who has previously attended Arkansas Tech University, whose graduate GPA is below a 3.0, and whose attendance has been interrupted for a period of at least one calendar year may qualify for academic clemency provided they were not found guilty of academic dishonesty. A graduate student may apply to have the graduate credits and grades earned at Arkansas Tech University prior to the separation removed from their grade point average for a maximum of two consecutive semesters.

Academic clemency may be granted only one time, is irreversible, and includes all credits earned during the semester/s for which it is requested. The student’s complete record will remain on the transcript with the added notation of “academic clemency granted” and the effective date. If the student and/or the Graduate Program Director elect to appeal the decision of the Graduate Council ad hoc clemency committee, their appeal should be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate College for review and final decision. Academic clemency does not restore eligibility for student financial aid, scholarships, or athletic eligibility nor does it change the six-year completion timeline.

Academic Dishonesty/Academic Misconduct

A university exists for the purpose of educating students and granting degrees to all students who complete graduation requirements. Therefore, ATU requires certain standards of academic integrity and conduct from all students. ATU expects an academic atmosphere to be maintained in all classes regardless of their format and delivery, such as in-person classrooms or online classroom settings. This atmosphere is created by both the professor and the students in order to enable all students enrolled in a class to reach their academic potential. All students, regardless of the format and delivery of their classes, are expected to: attend class (attendance policy is defined by the professor); conduct themselves in a non-disruptive manner; and refrain from cheating, plagiarism, or other unfair and dishonest practices. Students should also realize the class is under the control of the professor who will give students a statement of his or her class policies in a syllabus at the beginning of the semester.

Academic offenses involving dishonesty and misconduct are defined in the Definitions section below. These definitions are not all inclusive and conduct not expressly set forth in the definitions may also be considered academic dishonesty or academic misconduct.

Definitions

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty refers to the various categories of cheating and plagiarism in a class, regardless of the class format and delivery.

• Cheating on an examination, quiz, or homework assignment involves any of several categories of dishonest Examples include but are not limited to: a) copying from an examination, quiz, or any other assignment of another student; b) utilizing notes, messages, or crib sheets in any format which gives the student extra help on an exam or quiz, and which were not approved by the professor of the class; c) obtaining advance copies of exams or quizzes by any means; d) hiring a substitute to take an exam or bribing any other individual to obtain exam or quiz questions; e) buying term papers or other assignments from the Internet or any other source; and f) using the same paper to fulfill requirements in several classes without the consent of the professors teaching those classes.
• Plagiarism is stealing the ideas or writing of another person and using them as one's This includes not only passages, but also sentences and phrases that are incorporated in the student's written work without acknowledgement to the true author. Any paper written by cutting and pasting from the Internet or any other source is plagiarized. Slight modifications in wording do not change the fact the sentence or phrase is plagiarized. Acknowledgment of the source of ideas must be made through a recognized footnoting or citation format. Plagiarism includes recasting the phrase or passage in the student's own words of another's ideas that are not considered common knowledge. Acknowledgment of source must be made in this case as well.

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct concerns a student's inappropriate behavior in a class regardless of the class format and delivery. Such behavior includes interacting with the professor and other students in a manner that disrupts the learning environment of a class. Examples include but are not limited to:

1. engaging in a discussion with other students that is not beneficial to the class or acceptable to the professor;
2. interrupting class unnecessarily;
3. attempting to monopolize the professor's time and attention;
4. being chronically late to the class; and
5. failing to engage in a class in a manner that is required by the professor, such as chronically late submission of assignments.

Misconduct also covers verbal or nonverbal harassment and threats in relation to classes. Student behavior must not infringe on the rights of other students or faculty during a class.

Academic Grievance/Appeals Procedures  

Since charges of academic dishonesty may have serious consequences, a professor who suspects a student of any category of academic dishonesty must have facts and/or evidence to support the charge.

1. The professor will meet with the student and present him or her with a written outline of the alleged academic dishonesty, the evidence supporting the charge, and the penalty. In circumstances that require a student to attend a meeting and the student cannot meet in person, such as with online distance courses, the meeting may take place via telephone or a technology-based format. Penalties for various levels of academic dishonesty vary from giving an F on a particular assignment, quiz or exam, to giving an F on a term paper or other written work, or giving the student an F or W for the course. The professor may also have different penalties for particular cases of academic dishonesty.
2. The professor will notify his or her Department Head and graduate program director (or Graduate Dean if the professor is the Department Head or the graduate program director) of the charge, evidence, and penalty.
3. If the student accused of academic dishonesty denies the charge or disagrees with the evidence presented by the professor, the student should make an appointment with the relevant Department Head and graduate program director (or the Graduate Dean if the professor is the Department Head or the graduate program director; in which case, skip step 4). The student may remain in the class during the appeal process.
4. If the student is still dissatisfied after meeting with the Department Head and graduate program director, he or she should make an appointment to meet with the Graduate Dean who will seek resolution of the problem.
5. If a resolution is not found, the Graduate Dean will refer the student to the Graduate Academic Appeals Committee (“Appeals Committee”), whose composition is described in the Appeals Procedures section below.
6. The student should then submit a written appeal to the Chair of the Appeals Committee, or to an alternate member of the Appeals Committee who is not involved in the matter (“alternate member”) as described in the Appeals Procedures section below; and the Chair or an alternate member will select a Sub-Committee as described in the Appeals Procedures section below.
7. If the Sub-Committee determines academic dishonesty has occurred, it will confirm the recommendation of the professor concerning the penalty. Such a decision will be given both to the Chair of the Appeals Committee or an alternate member and to the Graduate Dean. The student will be notified of the Sub-Committee's decision by the Chair of the Sub-Committee that sat for the appeal. The Chair of the Sub-Committee shall also notify the Vice President for Academic Affairs of the decision. The Vice President will review the case and forward the outcome to the Registrar after the appeal period described below in this section.
8. The student shall have the right to appeal the decision of the Academic Appeals Sub-Committee by filing a Notice of Appeal. The only basis for appeal shall be: 1) Alleged failure of the Academic Appeals Sub-Committee to follow the procedures set forth in the Academic Dishonesty/Academic Misconduct policy, or 2) Consideration of new evidence that was not available at the time of the hearing before the Academic Appeals Sub-Committee. The appeal should be in writing and submitted to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs within five (5) working/business days of receiving notification of the Sub-Committee's decision. The decision of the Vice President for Academic Affairs will be final.
9. If the Sub-Committee determines academic dishonesty has not occurred or that the evidence is insufficient, the Chair of the Sub-Committee will forward all pertinent information to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Vice President will confer with the Graduate Dean, and the relevant Department Head, graduate program director, and professor to facilitate the return of the student to class without penalty. The Department Head or graduate program director will notify the student of the decision.

Academic Misconduct Procedures

Please note that the procedures listed in this section do not apply to extreme incidents of academic misconduct, such as verbal or physical abuse or threats, which will be dealt with immediately by asking the student to leave the classroom. If the student refuses to leave the classroom, Public Safety personnel will be called to remove the student, and the Dean of Students will also be informed of the behavior. For such extreme incidents of academic misconduct in an online course, the student may be temporarily or permanently removed from the Blackboard course and the Dean of Students will also be informed of the behavior.

1. The professor of a class being disrupted by academic misconduct will speak with the disruptive student. Proper behavior and possible consequences for not modifying the behavior will be discussed with the student.
2. If the student ignores the professor's requests to discuss the behavior, it will be considered that the student received an official warning that his or her classroom conduct is inappropriate. If the student continues the disruptive behavior, the professor will warn the student a second time to cease the behavior.
3. If the student has refused to respond or has ignored the professor's first and second warning, the student will be suspended on an interim basis, and notified of the suspension from the professor of the class in which the warnings were given. Within two (2) working/business days after the date of the interim suspension, a notification will be sent by the professor to the Department Head, the graduate program director, and Graduate College, who will notify the Chair of the Appeals Committee or an alternate member who is not involved in the matter.
4. An Appeals Sub-Committee will be appointed and a hearing will be conducted by the Sub-Committee within three (3) working/business days after the date of the notification to the Appeals Committee of the interim suspension.
5. On the same date the notification of the interim suspension is sent to the Chair, or an alternate member of the Appeals Committee, the student will be advised by the Department Head or the graduate program director that he or she has the right to submit a written statement to the Sub-Committee addressing the alleged incident of academic misconduct. The student's written statement as well as the professor's written statement shall be submitted to the Chair of the Sub-Committee at least 24 hours prior to the hearing.
6. The Sub-Committee will consider the written statements of the professor and the student involved in the alleged incident of academic misconduct. The Department Head or graduate program director will also provide a statement that the warning procedure has been followed and the student has been suspended on an interim basis from attending the particular class, pending the decision of the Sub-Committee. The Sub-Committee has the right to pursue further information from the professor, Department Head, program director, and student.
7. If the Sub-Committee determines academic misconduct has occurred, it will confirm the recommendation of the professor concerning the penalty. Such a decision will be given both to the Chair of the Appeals Committee or an alternate member of the Appeals Committee and to the Graduate Dean. The student will be notified of the Sub-Committee's decision by the Chair of the Sub-Committee that sat for the appeal. The Chair of the Sub-Committee shall also notify the Vice President for Academic Affairs of the decision. The Vice President will review the case and forward the outcome to the Registrar after the appeal period described below in this section.
8. The student shall have the right to appeal the decision of the Academic Appeals Sub-Committee by filing a Notice of Appeal. The only basis for appeal shall be: 1) Alleged failure of the Academic Appeals Sub-Committee to follow the procedures set forth in the Academic Dishonesty/Academic Misconduct policy, or 2) Consideration of new evidence that was not available at the time of the hearing before the Academic Appeals Sub-Committee. The appeal should be in writing and submitted to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs within three (3) working/business days of receiving notification of the Sub-Committee's decision. The decision of the Vice President for Academic Affairs will be final.
9. If the Sub-Committee determines academic misconduct has not occurred or the evidence is insufficient, the Sub-Committee will forward all pertinent information to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Vice President will confer with the Graduate Dean, Department Head, graduate program director, and professor to determine the course of action to be followed and the status of the student in regard to the class in question. The Department Head or graduate program director will notify the student of the decision.

Appeal of an Academic Course Grade

The assessment of the quality of a student’s academic performance is solely and properly one of the major responsibilities of university faculty members. A grade appeal is not appropriate when a student simply disagrees with the faculty member’s judgment about the quality of the student’s work. Grade appeals should be based on problems of process and not on differences in opinion concerning academic performance. A student who is uncertain about whether or not a grade can be appealed or who needs additional information about the grade appeal process can contact the department head’s office (or dean’s office should the instructor be the department head). This policy is implemented within the college that administratively houses the department through which the course was offered, irrespective of a student’s major or class standing.

Appeal of Academic Dishonesty/Misconduct 

The Graduate Academic Appeals Committee is an official committee of ATU and will be formed each academic year as a pool of qualified faculty and students to hear graduate student academic dishonesty and academic misconduct appeals.

Appeal of an Academic Graduate Program Dismissal

Appeal of a program dismissal must be made by the student directly affected and must be made immediately, within 10 calendar days, following the departmental decision to the department head.

Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination

Arkansas Tech University will, through its strategic plans and other campus initiatives, have specific and result-oriented procedures to apply every good faith effort to achieve prompt and full utilization of minorities, women, those with disabilities or veterans at all levels and all segments of its workforce.

Additionally, Arkansas Tech University will continually monitor and evaluate its employment practices to ensure that they are free of bias or discrimination based upon race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status.

Arkansas Tech University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in any of its practices, policies, or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to, employment, admissions, educational services, programs or activities which it operates, or financial aid. Arkansas Tech University complies with all applicable state and federal laws including, but not limited to, Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1974, Age Discrimination Act, Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act, Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991.

Responsibility for implementation and compliance with this Nondiscrimination Policy has been delegated to Melissa Riffle, Director of Human Resources, AA/EEO Officer who can be reached by emailing mriffle@atu.edu or calling (479) 968-0396. The Nondiscrimination Policy is housed in the University's Equal Opportunity, Harassment (Sexual Misconduct), and Nondiscrimination Policy.

Arkansas Tech University (ATU) is committed to providing a workplace and educational environment, as well as other benefits, programs, and activities that are free from discrimination and harassment based on a protected characteristic, and retaliation for engaging in a protected activity. To ensure compliance with federal and state civil rights laws and regulations, and to affirm its commitment to promoting the goals of fairness and equity in all aspects of the educational program or activity, ATU has developed policies and procedures that provide a prompt, fair, and impartial process for those involved in an allegation of discrimination or harassment on the basis of protected class status, and for allegations of retaliation. Consistent with these values and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, ATU prohibits discrimination against students, faculty, and staff based on sex (gender) in any of its programs or activities. The ATU Equal Opportunity, Harassment (Sexual Misconduct), and Nondiscrimination Policy and Procedures may be found online at https://www.atu.edu/titleix/policy.php.

Harassment (sexual misconduct) is a form of sexual discrimination prohibited by ATU and by Title IX. Title IX Sexual Harassment, as an umbrella category, includes the offenses of sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Complaints or notice of alleged violations of sex (gender) discrimination outlined in the Equal Opportunity, Harassment (Sexual Misconduct), and Nondiscrimination Policy and Procedures or inquiries about or concerns regarding this Policy may be made to the ATU Title IX Coordinator, Amy Pennington, via email at apennington@atu.edu or via phone at 479-968-0407. More information about the ATU Equal Opportunity, Harassment (Sexual Misconduct), and Nondiscrimination Policy can be found online at www.atu.edu/titleix.

Application for Graduation

In addition to satisfying all degree requirements, a candidate for a degree must file an Application for Graduation via their Degree Works audit. Students must apply for graduation by Reading day of the semester prior to the semester of graduation.

Degree Works

Degree Works is a software tool utilized by Arkansas Tech University designed to detail academic progression. It allows both students and advisors to monitor course progress towards degree completion and clearly indicates which course requirements have been met as well as how courses transfer into a program. Transfer courses must be approved through the use of a substitution/waiver form available via the Registrar for progress to display correctly within Degree Works. 

Degree Works will display course progression based on the current program of study, but a "what-if" scenario can be generated for any program to see how progression looks with the courses currently completed and in progress. Note that if you have applied to and been admitted to a graduate program while still finishing your undergraduate program, Degree Works will show your new program of study in the graduate program and you would have to generate a "what-if" query to see your undergraduate degree progress.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Arkansas Tech University will provide equal opportunity in employment to all persons. This applies to all phases of the personnel process, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, demotion, separation, transfer, training, compensation, discipline, and all other employment terms, conditions, and benefits. Arkansas Tech University prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status.

Arkansas Tech University will provide a copy of this policy to all applicants for employment. All faculty and staff will be notified annually of the policy. Further, Arkansas Tech University will consider through a designated grievance procedure, the complaints of any person who feels that he or she has been discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Title IX

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

Arkansas Tech University (ATU) is committed to providing a workplace and educational environment, as well as other benefits, programs, and activities that are free from discrimination and harassment based on a protected characteristic, and retaliation for engaging in a protected activity. To ensure compliance with federal and state civil rights laws and regulations, and to affirm its commitment to promoting the goals of fairness and equity in all aspects of the educational program or activity, ATU has developed policies and procedures that provide a prompt, fair, and impartial process for those involved in an allegation of discrimination or harassment on the basis of protected class status, and for allegations of retaliation. Consistent with these values and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, ATU prohibits discrimination against students, faculty, and staff based on sex (gender) in any of its programs or activities. The ATU Equal Opportunity, Harassment (Sexual Misconduct), and Nondiscrimination Policy and Procedures may be found online at https://www.atu.edu/titleix/policy.php.

Harassment (sexual misconduct) is a form of sexual discrimination prohibited by ATU and by Title IX. Title IX Sexual Harassment, as an umbrella category, includes the offenses of sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.

Complaints or notice of alleged violations of sex (gender) discrimination outlined in the Equal Opportunity, Harassment (Sexual Misconduct), and Nondiscrimination Policy and Procedures or inquiries about or concerns regarding this Policy may be made to the ATU Title IX Coordinator, Amy Pennington, via email at apennington@atu.edu or via phone at 479-968-0407. More information about the ATU Equal Opportunity, Harassment (Sexual Misconduct), and Nondiscrimination Policy can be found online at www.atu.edu/titleix.