ACADEMIC INFORMATION AND COLLEGE POLICIES RASMUSSEN COLLEGE in order to complete a degree. All new students will complete an orientation program prior to beginning classes. Online course activities and assignments at Rasmussen College are conducted via chat, email, message boards, and interactive websites. Tuition and fees for online courses are assessed at the same rate as for residential courses unless otherwise indicated. Online instructors receive training and support while operating in the online environment. A list of computer hardware and software requirements for online courses is provided to students upon enrollment. Course technology and resources, including eBooks and other resources required for online courses, are generally available within the online course. Additional resources required will be shipped directly to the student. Academic Honors Quarterly Honors and Dean’s List Recognition: Each quarter, Rasmussen College recognizes outstanding academic achievement by awarding certificates of achievement. Enrolled, degree seeking students who earn a quarterly grade point average of 3.25-3.749 will receive an Honor Roll certificate. Enrolled, degree-seeking students who earn a quarterly grade point average of 3.75- 4.00 will receive a Dean’s List certificate. Graduation Honors Rasmussen College recognizes outstanding academic achievement by awarding honors to graduates who meet minimum qualifications. Certificate, diploma, associate’s, and bachelor’s degree students who complete all graduation requirements and earn a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher will graduate with honors, which will appear on their diploma and transcripts, and they will receive gold cords for the graduation ceremony as a symbol of this achievement. The following honors will be noted on the diplomas and transcripts of bachelor’s degree students: Satisfactory Academic Progress, or SAP, is defined as the successful progression through an academic program within a prescribed timeframe. Cumulative grade point averages and successful completion of credits attempted are monitored quarterly, and students not meeting the standards are notified. SAP Components: All students must meet all three of the components that are used to measure a student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) towards the completion of an academic program. The three components are as follows: 1. GPA. Rasmussen College students are required to achieve and maintain a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.00. 2. Pace/Cumulative Completion Rate (CCR). This is the pace at which a student progresses through a program. CCR is calculated by dividing cumulative credits earned by cumulative credits attempted within a program (e.g., 6 credits earned ÷ 12 credits attempted = 50%). Minimum standards are listed in the chart below. 3. Duration of Eligibility. This is the maximum time frame for program completion and is equal to 150% of the number of total credits required for the program (e.g., maximum time frame for a 90-credit program = 90 X 150%, or 135 credits). Percentage of Credits Attempted Toward Maximum Time Frame Up to 25% Greater than 25%, up to 50% Greater than 50% Minimum Successful Completion of Cumulative Credits Attempted 25% 50% 67% Total credits are indicated for each program listing in the catalog. A student who exceeds 150% of the maximum time frame is no longer eligible for financial aid. In calculating Pace/CCR and Duration of Eligibility, the following grades will be considered attempted, but will not be considered as credits successfully completed or earned: F/FA/FD, U/UD/UN, W/WD/WF/ WP, I/IN. Financial Aid Warning: If a student’s CGPA falls below 2.00, or if Pace/CCR standards or Duration of Eligibility requirements are not met, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for the Cum Laude: Bachelor’s students who earn a cumulative grade point average of 3.50-3.669 Magna Cum Laude: Bachelor’s students who earn a cumulative grade point average of 3.67-3.749 Summa Cum Laude: Bachelor’s students who earn a cumulative grade point average of 3.75-4.00 RASMUSSEN COLLEGE STANDARDS OF SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS (SAP) subsequent quarter. A student is eligible for financial aid during the Financial Aid Warning period. A student who fails to meet any one of the components of SAP at the end of the Financial Aid Warning period is not eligible for financial aid. Not Eligible for Financial Aid: A student who fails to meet the minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements at the end of either the Financial Aid Warning or Financial Aid Probation period, and who does not successfully appeal, is not eligible for further financial aid funding. Appeals: A student may appeal his/her assigned status of Not Eligible for Financial Aid to the Academic Review Committee, which will determine whether mitigating circumstances exist, and, if so, will forward the appeal to the Senior Vice President of Compliance and Financial Services. All appeals must be made in writing and must address the nature of the circumstances that the student believes warrant exception to the policy stated above. All appeals will be reviewed and ruled on within ten business days, and students will be notified in writing regarding the outcome of the appeal. The ruling of the Senior Vice President of Compliance and Financial Services is final and cannot be appealed. Financial Aid Probation: If a student fails to make Satisfactory Academic Progress, but submits a successful appeal and has his/her eligibility for aid reinstated, he/she will be placed on Financial Aid Probation. A student is eligible for financial aid during the Financial Aid Probation period. At the end of the Financial Aid Probation period, the student must meet minimum SAP requirements to be eligible for further financial aid funding. A student who fails to meet either the CGPA, Pace/CCR, or Duration of Eligibility requirements at the end of the Financial Aid Probation period is not eligible for financial aid. Students must regain Satisfactory Academic Progress within two quarters or they will be terminated from the College. The decision to terminate may be appealed through the Academic Review Committee process. Students who withdraw from the College and later reenter are treated as continuing students and must meet progress requirements. Reentry does not negate previous academic status or satisfactory progress requirements. Satisfactory Academic Progress calculations for a reentering student who changes programs will include only the grades and credits attempted and earned for courses that are part of the student’s new program; standard CCR requirements will be followed from the reentry point and for each quarter thereafter. If other courses have been taken at another institution and can be transferred in, the courses will be included in SAP calculations as described elsewhere in this section. A student terminated due to SAP may not reenter the College unless he/she has completed coursework elsewhere that is acceptable for transfer into the College and will bring the student back into good standing. TRANSFER OF PREVIOUSLY EARNED COLLEGE CREDIT AND PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENTS General Transfer of Credit Policy • Rasmussen College reserves the right to accept or deny transfer of credit based on the guidelines below. • Students who wish to transfer credits to Rasmussen College must first apply for admission to the College. • Students must request that official transcripts containing coursework for review be sent directly to Rasmussen College. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all official transcripts have been received by Rasmussen College. • As part of the acceptance process, official and unofficial transcripts will be evaluated for transfer of credit. Students will receive notification regarding the total number of credits accepted for transfer and the equivalent Rasmussen College courses. • Students in programs following the 12-Week Quarter (6-Week Sessions) academic calendar will be withdrawn from the College if official transcripts are not received by the Friday of the thirteenth week of enrollment. • A student may send copies of transcripts or documents during the initial admissions process for estimation purposes only. Any transfer credit conditionally awarded in fulfullment of a pre-requisite or co-requisite through the use of an unofficial transcript will be rescinded if an official transcript is not received by Rasmussen College at the time the required course is scheduled due to curriculum sequence. All necessary credits will be required to be completed in order to graduate. • College-level courses completed at regionally or nationally accredited institutions of higher learning as recognized by the Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or recognized by the American Council on Education, will be considered for college transfer. • Students must complete 33% of their program requirements at Rasmussen College, and no more than 67% may be completed via transfer credits, course waivers, credit by examination, or other means, except as noted below. 1. Students in the Medical Assisting, Medical Laboratory Technician, Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology, and Surgical Technologist programs must complete at least 50% of their program requirements at Rasmussen College, and no more than 50% may be completed via transfer credits, course waivers, credit by examination, or other means, with the exception of “block transfer” candidates for the Surgical Technologist Associate’s Degree and Health Science Associate’s Degree – Medical Assisting Specialization. 2. Students in the Professional Nursing Associate’s Degree program must complete at least 45% of their program requirements at Rasmussen College, and no more than 55% may be completed via transfer credits, course waivers, credit by examination, or other means. 3. Students eligible and approved for the Surgical Technologist Associate’s Degree Completer Block Transfer must complete 33% of their program requirements at Rasmussen College, and no more than 67% may be completed via transfer credits, course waivers, credit by examination, or other means. 4. Students in the Nursing Bachelor’s Degree program must complete at least 25% of their program requirements at Rasmussen College, and no more than 75% may be completed via transfer credits, course waivers, credit by examination, or other means. • Rasmussen College awards quarter credits. In considering transfer courses, a semester credit is equivalent to 1.5 quarter credits. The calculated number is rounded down. Transfer credits based on a different unit of credit than quarters will be subject to conversion prior to being transferred. • International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES approved organization (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) or by AACRAO International Education Services * These include official and unofficial transcripts and grade reports for courses completed at regionally or nationally accredited institutions of higher learning, as recognized by the Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). 104 rasmussen.edu (IES) to ensure the student’s credit transfer is equivalent to Rasmussen course content. The evaluation is the student’s responsibility. • Transfer credit is evaluated based on the program in which the student is applying for or is currently enrolled in. • Credits earned at Rasmussen College will be transferred directly from one Rasmussen College campus to another. Only the classes that are applicable to the current program will be posted or calculated. • Grade points from institutions other than Rasmussen College will not be computed in the Rasmussen College grade point average, but will be counted as credits attempted and earned for determining Satisfactory Academic Progress. All credits considered to be earned toward program completion, including test-out, transfer, and course waiver credits, are also credits attempted. • Courses which have been accepted for transfer will be listed on the student’s transcript with a Transfer (TR) designation. Transfer credits which have been conditionally accepted pending the receipt of an official transcript will be listed with a Pending Transfer (PT) designation. Any pending transfer credits still remaining at the end of the student’s program will be removed and the student will be required to complete the program requirements in order to graduate.
