2024–2025 CATALOG AND STUDENT HANDBOOK ACADEMIC INFORMATION AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES 151 ACADEMIC POLICIES Assessment Rasmussen University has developed an institutional culture wherein assessment is at the heart of the University’s daily functions. The Rasmussen University Comprehensive Assessment Plan (CAP) is the primary measurement for the Institution’s mission. The CAP is organized around the Mission Statement and the five purposes that support the mission. For each purpose, supporting objectives have been developed, and assessment tools are used to collect data and assess each objective. In this way, the University systematically assesses the purposes and, ultimately, the mission of the Institution. To guide this process, Rasmussen University has established five Councils, which align with the five purposes that support the mission; as such, the University provides its faculty and staff with a central role in the decisions that impact the future of the institution. In the spirit of this learning-focused approach to assessment, academic assessment at Rasmussen University follows a pattern of incoming, ongoing, and outcome assessment. The University has an academic assessment plan that it uses to evaluate and improve the quality of learning and teaching. The academic assessments used measure incoming student skills through a placement test to determine students’ reading, writing, and numeracy skills; ongoing skills in a formative fashion in individual courses; and end of program skills through various program outcomes assessments. Transferable Skills Assessment Transferable Skills are essential abilities which are valued by employers in many professional fields and form the basis for lifelong learning. Rasmussen University has identified the following six Transferable Skills as institution-level learning outcomes: Communication; Critical Thinking; Digital Fluency; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Ethics and Professional Responsibility; and Information Literacy. Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate these skills in various courses across their programs of study, especially in course projects across the curricula. Many of these projects have an authentic focus on the type of tasks students will perform in the workplace. Students may be assigned to submit a comprehensive Transferable Skills project in their program capstone courses as well. Class Content The University reserves the right at any time to make changes to improve the quality or content of the programs of study offered. The University reserves the right to cancel any classes or programs where enrollment is under 12 students. Students will be notified of changes impacting their program of study. Class Standing Rasmussen University determines class standing by the number of credit hours a student has earned. The University assigns class standings according to the following criteria: Freshman: 0–35 credits earned Junior: 72-128 credits earned Sophomore: 36-71 credits earned Senior: 129 or more credits earned Individual Progress Students may enroll in one or more courses at a time, or in succeeding quarters, without enrolling in a program of study. Courses beginning with CJK, HIM, MEA, MLT, NUR, PHT, PRN, PTN, RTE, or STS, or with a course level of 5000 and above cannot be taken as individual progress courses. For courses with prerequisite requirements, the prerequisites do not apply. To be considered for admission, individual progress students must complete the application form and attestation of high school graduation. The Rasmussen University entrance placement exam is not required for IP students. Individual progress coursework is assessed at the full cost per credit for each course. Individual progress students remain enrolled at Rasmussen University as long as they continue to select coursework and meet all additional requirements. Upon earning a final grade in their courses, individual progress students will receive a letter grade and be awarded credits. To enroll in a program at Rasmussen University, students must complete all remaining programmatic application requirements (including the entrance placement exam). Eligible individual progress courses will be applied to their degree program, and count as credits attempted and earned for purposes of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Auditing a Course A student who audits a course does so for the purposes of self-enrichment and academic exploration. Students who are not enrolled in an eligible program and elect to take courses without earning college credit are considered Audit students. This noncredit option is NOT available to students for courses beginning with: CDA, CEN, CET, CIS, CJK, CNT, COP, COT, CTS (excluding CTS2511), EEC, EEX, GRA, HIM, ISM, MEA, MLT, NUR, PHT, PRN, PTN, RTE or STS, or with a course level of 5000 and above. However, a student who is enrolled in a program or is a graduate of a program, in which any of the course prefixes identified above exist, may be eligible to take the course as an Audit if the student’s Rasmussen University transcript reflects that a prior passing grade was earned when they were enrolled in a program. An Audit student is not eligible to complete any laboratory or clinical components of a course or any externship or internship or practicum experiences. However, a student who is enrolled in a Health Sciences program may be eligible to audit a laboratory component of the course with approval from the Associate Dean or program coordinator. Graduates of Rasmussen University School of Nursing programs may audit a Nursing core course as an Individual Progress student based on course and space availability and with the approval of the Dean of Nursing/Nurse Administrator. Graduates of Rasmussen University School of Health Science programs with licensure or certification requirements may audit a course with one of the prefixes identified above as an Individual Progress student based on course and space availability and with the approval of the Associate Dean. Approval to audit a course in the School of Nursing or the School of Health Science must be received prior to enrolling as an Individual Progress student. Students who elect to complete courses on a non-credit basis are not guaranteed full technology access; however, every effort will be made to provide technology resources. Transcripts denote an “Audit” upon completion of the course. Students may choose to convert the Audit grade to a letter grade and earn credit for an additional fee. Audited courses with a clinical, practicum or laboratory component are not eligible for conversion to a letter grade. An Audit student is considered a learner and it is expected that the student will participate with reasonable regularity and do assigned work, particularly if they expect to convert the Audit grade to a letter grade at a future time. Competency-based education courses are not eligible for Audit. Audited courses are not eligible for Title IV funding. The ability to Audit a course is based on space availability. Developmental Education and Rasmussen University Placement Assessment Re-Test Policy The goal of Developmental Education is to provide students with a solid foundation of basic skills and knowledge as they move on to college-level courses. Placement into Developmental Education courses reflects the commitment Rasmussen University has to ensuring the success of all students, and to providing educational opportunities to those who enroll. Coursework in English and math that is numbered below 100 is considered to be Developmental Education. University Placement Assessment scores are used to appropriately place students in English and math courses according to skill level. See Placement Assessment Table for placement scores. The University placement assessment may not be retaken for initial placement purposes during the quarter in which a developmental level course is scheduled. However, a student may repeat the assessment at the end of a quarter in which the Developmental Education course was attempted and prior to the start of the following quarter in order to prove readiness for college-level coursework. If the student places into Developmental Education coursework following the re-assessment, the student must repeat the Developmental Education course in the following quarter as long as the student is still eligible to repeat the Developmental Education course. Developmental Education Courses Students are placed into Developmental Education courses based on the results of the Rasmussen University Placement Assessment. To help ensure student success, students requiring Developmental Education coursework must attempt one such course in their first term of enrollment. Students requiring two Developmental Education courses must attempt B080 Reading and Writing Strategies in their first term of enrollment and B087 Practical Math in their second quarter of enrollment. If a student withdraws from or does not pass a required Developmental Education course, the student must pass that course in the subsequent full quarter of enrollment or the student will be administratively withdrawn from the University. As such, any required Developmental Education courses must be completed no later than the end of the student’s third full quarter of enrollment, or the student will be withdrawn from the University. Students requiring two Developmental Education courses must attempt B080 Reading and Writing Strategies and one additional course in their program of enrollment prior to enrolling in the Developmental Education B087 Practical Math course. Students requiring two Developmental Education courses will not be scheduled into both courses in their first quarter of enrollment. If necessary, however, a student may be scheduled into both Developmental Education courses in each of the terms of the second quarter. Upon earning a passing grade in B080 Reading and Writing Strategies, and at least three credits of coursework in their program of enrollment with a grade of “C “or higher, the student will be allowed to take a full-time credit load, if desired. ALL CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BY ADDENDUM 151
