2018–2019 CATALOG AND STUDENT HANDBOOK ACADEMIC INFORMATION AND COLLEGE POLICIES The program transfer will be granted if all other program acceptance criteria are met: • The returning student has not attended Rasmussen College within the past five years (sixty months) since their most recent withdrawal date • The returning student earned a credential from another college/ university after attending Rasmussen College • The returning student’s previous program from which he/she withdrew while not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress is no longer offered at Rasmussen College • The returning student’s previous program from which he/she withdrew while not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress is no longer offered at that campus (i.e., bachelor program now only offered through bachelor- completer) • An active student is requesting to transfer to the most recent catalog version of the program in which they are currently enrolled • An active student is changing credentials within the lower-level coursework, such as from an associate’s degree to a certificate or a diploma, or from the certificate to a diploma or an associate’s degree. A student who requests to move from an associate’s degree or certificate or diploma credential to a bachelor degree program must meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress program transfer requirements. If a student has exhausted their one opportunity for a program transfer while not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress the student may request a program transfer appeal to be reviewed by the College Academic Appeal committee. The process requires the student to complete and return a Program Transfer Appeal form and, in some instances, supporting documentation. The program transfer appeal process information is available to active students through their Advisor and to returning students through their Program Manager. If a returning student is granted a program transfer appeal, the appeal will be honored for a single reenter to take place within the next three months as noted on the approved Program Transfer Appeal. An approved program change appeal is only honored for the program the student appealed to enter. Students will receive written confirmation of the approval or denial to transfer programs. Students reentering into or transferring to the Physical Therapist Assistant program must complete the requirements as detailed in the Physical Therapist Assistant Associate’s Degree Program Reenrollment Policy. Independent Study Policy Independent study applies when a student contracts to meet regularly with a qualified instructor to fulfill the assignments, tests, projects, and other tasks necessary to achieve the performance objectives of a given course. Independent study requires a student to be motivated and organized. Because an independent study does not provide the student with the classroom interaction normally expected in higher education, it is to be offered only when there is no alternative and as infrequently as possible. Students may take, and the College may offer, a course through independent study when all of the following conditions are met: 1. The course is not currently offered on- site or online. 2. Completion of the course is necessary for on-time graduation. 3. The need for the course in the term/ session/quarter in question does not arise from the student’s decision to withdraw from the course in an earlier term/quarter, the student’s failure to satisfactorily complete the course in an earlier quarter, the student’s decision to change programs, or the student’s decision to accelerate graduation near the end of their program. 4. The student will complete work of a similar quantity and quality as required in a regularly scheduled course and will meet the standard performance objectives for the course. If the method for meeting and assessing the performance objectives differs from the standard course syllabus, the changes will be noted within the course section. 5. Within the first week of the independent study, the student and instructor must meet to review the course schedule and determine how the course and weekly objectives will be met and assessed. 6. If the independent study is held residentially, the instructor and student(s) will meet an equivalent of at least 11 hours which are distributed evenly across the weeks of the term/ quarter. Equipment Rasmussen College strives to maintain its role as an educational leader by incorporating current technology. Rasmussen College provides technology and computer access, and internet access at each campus. Students will also have access to printers, additional software packages, electronic databases, and a helpdesk lab as needed at a Rasmussen College campus. Academic Overload Policy An academic or credit overload occurs when a student registers for more than 20 credits per quarter or more than 12 credits in either a 5.5-week term or six-week session. In order to qualify for an overload, the student must have completed a minimum of 30 credits at Rasmussen College. The student must also be meeting the Rasmussen College Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.01 (3.5 for six-week programs) to apply for an overload. Students who qualify will be eligible to take up to 24 total credits in the designated quarter. Students who desire an overload should consult with their Advisor as well as the Academic Dean of the campus in which they are enrolled. Course Add Policy Students who are enrolled in courses at the beginning of a quarter may add Term/ Session 1 courses through the second business day of Term/Session 1 and add Term/Session 2 courses through the fifth business day of Term/Session 1, which is the close of the add period. Courses may be added through the second business day of Term/Session 2 only when Term/ Session 2 is the student’s first Term/ Session of attendance. Students may add 11-week courses through the fifth business day of the quarter, which is the close of the add period. Business days are defined as Monday through Friday, excluding any College holidays. Course Drop Policy Students may drop courses through the sixth business day of the term/session/ quarter. Students who are enrolled in courses at the beginning of a quarter may drop courses through the sixth business day of the quarter for all courses, including Term/Session 1 and Term/ Session 2 courses, which is the close of the drop period. For courses dropped prior to tuition billing, the student will be unregistered from the course and no grade will be assigned. Tuition is billed on the seventh business day of the quarter for all courses remaining on the schedule. If tuition billing has occurred, the student may drop a Term/Session 2 course through the sixth business day of Term/Session 2 and the student will receive a grade of CL; which does not have an academic impact, it may however have a financial impact. Beginning on the seventh business day of a quarter/ term/session a dropped course in the current term/session/quarter will receive a withdrawal grade per the Course Withdrawal policy. For Term/Session 2 courses a student who has already been billed tuition may swap courses for an equivalent credit-value course up through the 2nd day of Term/Session 2 . The student will need to work with their Advisor to determine if this is an option. The student cannot add courses to their schedule if tuition has already been billed. Business days are defined as Monday through Friday, excluding any College holidays. 127 Course Withdrawal Policy Course withdrawal dates vary depending on the scheduled length of the course. Once the Course Drop period has passed, students are permitted to withdraw from a course until 60 percent of the scheduled course length has elapsed. If a student receiving financial aid withdraws from a course or all courses, there may be financial penalties. During the withdrawal period the student will receive a withdrawal grade on their transcript for any classes from which they have withdrawn. The student’s grade point average will not be affected. However, the credits will be counted as cumulative credits attempted, and tuition will continue to reflect the tuition billed at the close of the course drop period. Once 60 percent of the scheduled course length has passed, the student will receive a failing grade on their transcript for any classes from which they have been withdrawn. The student’s grade point average will be affected, the credits will be counted as cumulative credits attempted, and tuition will continue to reflect the tuition billed at the close of the course drop period. Students who fail to notify the College that they have stopped attending and wish to withdraw from a class are still scheduled in the class, the credits for all courses will be counted as cumulative credits attempted, and tuition will continue to reflect the tuition billed at the close of the drop period. Online Courses Students may be required to take online courses 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.
