Academic Procedures
Registration
All students must register for classes during the scheduled registration period each semester. Prior to this official registration, students must meet with their faculty advisors during the scheduled conference period for Advisor Conferences to plan their academic work for the succeeding term. Students have the first two weeks of the 12 week session to add/drop a course and the first three days of the 3 week session to add/drop a course without receiving a grade of W (withdrawal) or paying an add/drop fee. A student must be registered for a course through the Registrar’s Office to earn academic credit. After registration, any changes in schedule must be made in accordance with the College’s add/drop policy.
3-Week Registration Policy
Under the Hiram Semester Plan each 15-week semester is divided into two sessions, one session comprised of 12 weeks and one session of 3 weeks. Each session, 12-week and 3-week, is an integral component of the 30-week academic calendar year. All students are required to engage in one three- or four-hour course or an approved equivalent course block during the 3-week session in each semester that they are enrolled at Hiram College . Graduating seniors who have completed all requirements for graduation at the end of the final 12-week session of their senior year are not required to register for course work in the subsequent 3-week session. Only those students registered for a minimum of three credit hours of approved course work may reside in the residence halls during 3-week sessions. Requests for an exception to this policy or for permission to register for more than four semester hours during the 3-week session must be approved in writing by the Office of the Associate Dean of the College prior to the start of the session.
Class Attendance
Class attendance policy is the prerogative of the individual instructor, and responsibility for class attendance rests with the student. A student who is absent from class for any reason is responsible for arranging with the instructor to make up the work missed. When academic activities or class trips cause students to be absent from classes, the professor responsible for the activity will give the names of all students involved in the activity to the Office of the Dean of Students.
Withdrawal From a Course
12-week session
A student may withdraw from a course within the first two weeks of each 12-week session. The student’s transcript would not reflect their enrollment in this case. After the first two weeks of the session, the student is financially responsible for the course. If a student withdraws from a course between the beginning of the third week and the end of the tenth week, a grade of W (Withdrawal) will be placed on the student’s transcript. If the student withdraws from a course after the end of the tenth week of the term, a grade of F will appear on the student’s transcript. If a student withdraws from a course after the second week of classes, the course will be counted in the total hours for the semester to determine the tuition charge..
3-week session
A student may withdraw from a course within the first three days of the 3-week session. The student’s transcript will not reflect enrollment in this case. After the first three days, the student is financially responsible for the course; the course hours will count in the total hours for the semester to determine the tuition charge. If a student withdraws from a course beginning with the fourth day and ending with the twelfth day, the student’s transcript would reflect a grade of “W” (withdrawal) for the course. If a student withdraws from a course after the twelfth day, the student will receive a grade of “F” for the course.
Formal Auditing of Courses
Hiram College courses may be audited with the permission of the instructor and subject to class size or space restrictions. Students must formally register for the course either on-line or with an add slip, complete an audit registration form in the Registrar’s Office, fulfill regular attendance expectations, and perform any additional tasks stipulated by the professor. If these conditions are satisfactorily met, the audited course will be recorded on the student’s official transcript, with the mark of AU. However, it is important to note that audited courses do not provide credits toward graduation and that a course cannot be changed from audit to credit status after the first two weeks of the 12-week session or first three days of the 3-week session.
An audit fee is charged per credit hour; the student is subject to all the general college policies on withdrawal and refunds.
Academic Honesty
Hiram College believes that the development of intellectual honesty is at the heart of a college education. The process of education is severely compromised if we cannot depend on the academic integrity of each member of the community. Moreover, the principles of academic honesty are aligned closely with the principles of good scholarship and research, principles of critical thinking and reasoning, and the standards of professional ethics. Thus, students who fail to practice academic honestly not only risk losing the trust of the academic community; they also fail to develop the most essential skills and abilities that characterize a college graduate.
Any student who violates the integrity of the academic process will be subject to punishment, including possible dismissal from the College. There are many forms of academic dishonesty including the giving or receiving of help in any form on an examination, the sale or purchase of papers and test materials, the abuse of computer privileges and regulations, the misuse or abuse of library resources, and any other action which debases the soundness of the educational process. Faculty members and librarians are expected to report all instances of academic dishonesty to the Associate Dean of the College who will provide advice on an appropriate action.
Plagiarism
The most common form of academic dishonesty is plagiarism. An essay or term paper is designed to develop a student’s own ability to think clearly and critically about a subject and to express ideas fluently. Similarly, a laboratory report is designed to develop a student’s capacity to record observed phenomena and to interpret them correctly. A creative work in the arts is intended to demonstrate the student’s own creative abilities. If a student corrupts these purposes by receiving unacknowledged assistance from a written source, he or she is guilty of plagiarism. To avoid any suspicion of plagiarism, students should acknowledge any work not their own; in other words, any language, illustration, information, or diagram which is not original must be documented. Students are urged to visit the Writing Center for help in understanding these guidelines.
Hiram College expects students to develop a thorough understanding of what constitutes plagiarism and to avoid it in all forms of campus communication. When plagiarism occurs in work submitted for a grade in a course, it is particularly serious and becomes a reportable offense. There are two categories of such offenses. Category I includes instances of plagiarism in which there is clear intent to falsify, mislead, or misrepresent another’s work as one’s own. An obvious example would be an attempt to hide the source of plagiarized material by not even including it in the paper’s bibliography. Category II includes instances in which there is not clear intent. Instead, there is evidence that the student made a simple mistake in citation, or did not fully understand what constitutes plagiarism.
The process for dealing with cases of plagiarism is intended to facilitate the development of the student as a scholar who practices academic honestly. First offenses usually involve some penalty, depending on severity. Students are expected to learn from these mistakes and, therefore, there is less tolerance for subsequent offenses.
Cases of plagiarism are handled in the following ways:
-
The course instructor judges whether the offense is Category I or II.
-
All cases of plagiarism are reported to the Associate Dean of the College who will maintain a database of plagiarism cases.
-
For first-offense, Category II cases involving an underclass (not senior) student, the course instructor has the option of allowing a makeup of the paper or assignment, or a penalty. These cases do not require a conference with the Associate Dean and the student. All other cases require a conference with the Associate Dean.
-
Category I cases, even if first offense, may result in an F in the course.
-
A pattern of Category II offenses, or any second-offense, will usually result in a suspension from the College.
-
Records of plagiarism are kept by the Associate Dean. The student’s advisor (for traditional students) or the Weekend College Dean (for WEC students) is informed of the results of plagiarism cases.
-
Appeals of plagiarism case decisions may be made to the Dean of the College.
Special Note on Collaborative Work
Students must assume that collaboration in completion of assignments is prohibited unless explicitly specified by the instructor. Students must acknowledge any collaboration and its extent in all submitted work. This applies to collaboration on editing as well as collaboration on substance. (This statement is not intended, however, to discourage students from forming study groups.)
Academic Status
Students are expected to maintain at least a 2.00 grade-point average and complete 30 credit hours each year. Failure to meet these criteria usually indicates that a student is not making satisfactory progress. Such students are asked to consult with their faculty advisors and counselors in the Office of the Dean of Students. A grade-point average of 2.00 must be achieved in the student’s major area of study, minor (where applicable), and overall cumulative grade point average in order to graduate from Hiram College.
Any Student whose cumulative grade-point average is below 2.00 does not meet the academic standards of the college and is subject to academic probation or suspension.
Students on probation must demonstrate satisfactory improvement to remain in school. Suspension from Hiram for continued unsatisfactory performance occurs only after deliberation by the Academic Review Board. A detailed statement of the Academic Review Board policies can be found in the Student Handbook.
Credits
Credits are expressed in semester hours. Thirty credit hours constitute normal progress for one academic year; 120 semester hours of academic credit are required for graduation.
Most courses carry three or four hours of credit. Science courses, introductory language courses, and some other courses meet for additional laboratory or other special instruction.
Classification of Students
Designations are made in accordance with the following table:
Class Credit hours
Freshmen................................................................ 0 to 23
Sophomores............................................................. 24-55
Juniors...................................................................... 56-89
Seniors...........................................................90 and over
Students who have been regularly enrolled in another college or university may register as transient (unclassified) students to take a limited amount of work at Hiram College without becoming candidates for a Hiram degree.
Grading System
Letter Grades Numerical Equivalents
A 4.00 points per hour
A- 3.67 points per hour
B+ 3.33 points per hour
B 3.00 points per hour
B- 2.67 points per hour
C+ 2.33 points per hour
C 2.00 points per hour
C- 1.67 points per hour
D+ 1.33 points per hour
D 1.00 points per hour
D- 0.67 points per hour
F no credit or points
I no credit or points
* no credit or points
NR no credit or points
W no credit or points
WF no credit or points
All levels of A indicate excellent work; all of B, very good work; all of C, satisfactory work; all of D, barely passing work.
The mark F means failing work; it is computed in the grade-point average. The course must be repeated at Hiram College if the student is to receive credit. Successful repetition of the work does not remove the original grade from the transcript but does remove the F from the student’s grade-point average. The grade earned from the most recent enrollment in a repeated course is computed in the student’s grade-point average.
The mark P indicates passing work without specific reference to quality; it is not included in the grade-point average. The grades CR (credit), NC (no credit), ANC (no credit in audit course), *(delayed) and I (incomplete) are not included in the grade-point average. The NR (grade not reported) is only assigned by the Registrar’s Office in cases where no grade has been reported by a faculty person.
The NR grade is not included in the grade-point average.
The mark I indicates work incomplete for reasons beyond the student’s control. Normally, the student will have completed at least 75 percent of the course work. The student and instructor jointly file a formal contract which states the reasons for the incomplete and sets a precise deadline for completion of the work. The contract form is available from the Registrar’s Office. Upon expiration of the contract, which may not exceed one calendar year, the instructor is obliged to record a permanent grade determined by the degree to which course requirements have been met. If no grade is reported by the instructor, the incomplete grade is permanently recorded as an F.
Upon graduation, all course work listed on a student’s transcript must have a grade. Any incomplete course work must be assigned a grade by the instructor. If no grade is reported by the instructor, the incomplete grade is permanently recorded as an F.
Pass/No Credit Regulations
Students are not permitted to take courses in their declared major, minor, or core curriculum under the pass/no credit (P/NC) option. Courses taken to fulfill the requirements for graduation cannot be taken pass/no credit. Pass/No Credit (P/NC) credit may be earned in two ways:
1) Some courses are only offered on a pass/no credit basis. For a course to be offered P/NC, a faculty member’s request must be approved by the faculty, and the course must be so designated on the course schedule;
2) Students may elect, at the time of registration, to take a regularly graded course on a pass/no credit basis. Students must complete an add slip and a pass/no credit registration form in the Registrar’s Office. Students may change the P/NC status of a course during the first two weeks of the twelve week session or during the first three days of a three week session. Traditional letter grades are submitted to the Registrar by faculty members for all students in the course. If the course is taken P/NC, the Registrar records a P or NC on the student’s transcript and stores the letter grade; the grade of P is recorded if the student receives a C- or better in the course. If a student receives a grade of NC for a course, no hours will be awarded. If available, letter grades are revealed only to other colleges and universities in the event they should require them for the transfer of credit or admission, or to prospective employers, and then only at the request of the student. Students are permitted to know the letter grade for courses taken P/NC. Students preparing to attend professional or graduate schools are reminded that excessive use of the pass/no credit option may endanger admission or the granting of graduate fellowships. Students may elect to take only one pass/no credit course per semester. Study Abroad trips cannot be taken pass/no credit.
Transfer students may take a maximum of 1/6 of their Hiram course work under the P/NC option.
Grade-Point Average
To determine a student’s grade-point average, the total number of points earned is divided by the total number of hours attempted. Thus, a student taking 30 hours of work and earning 90 points would have a grade-point average of 3.00. Grades of W, P, CR, NC, ANC, I, * (*=delayed), and NR are not included in this computation. When a course is repeated, the grade from the most recent enrollment in the course is the grade included in the student’s grade-point average. See each academic department for procedures for determining grade point average in departmental major.
Change of Grade
The grade submitted to the Registrar by the faculty member is regarded as the final mark in a course. A grade cannot be changed unless the faculty member requests it, and then only with permission of the Academic Review Board. There will be a one-year time limit for challenging a grade, after which students forfeit their right to petition to change their grades unless extraordinary circumstances intervened. These circumstances must be explained to the Associate Dean of the College in writing.
Withdrawal and Readmission
Students who withdraw from Hiram College are not considered officially withdrawn until they have submitted a completed withdrawal form to the Dean of Students and have had an exit interview. Students who withdraw from the College after the official drop period due to medical or extraordinary circumstances must contact the Director of Counseling to initiate that process. All students who wish to return to Hiram College after having withdrawn for any reason must apply for readmission.
Readmission forms are available from the Registrar’s Office. Readmission procedures must be completed prior to the beginning of the term for which the student has applied. Those who need financial assistance should contact the Director of Student Financial Aid, since previous loans, jobs, or scholarships are not automatically reinstated upon readmission.
Please Note: Application materials for Readmission following academic dismissal should be obtained from the Academic Review Board Chairperson.
Hiram College reserves the right to deny readmission to any student for reasons including but not limited to outstanding financial obligations, academic deficiencies, college disciplinary actions, or convictions of criminal activity. Students will be informed in writing about the College’s readmission decision. Students can appeal a denial of readmission through the Enrollment Management Committee. Appeals must be made in writing within 3 business days of received denial and submitted to Virginia Taylor, Hiram College Registrar’s Office, PO Box 67, Hiram, OH 44243.
Leave of Absence
Students who need to take a semester away from college and plan to return to Hiram College , may apply for a Leave of Absence. Leaves of Absence might be appropriate for several reasons including:
-
financial circumstances
-
personal or family circumstances,
-
educational or career exploration,
-
or simply for a break from academic life.
While on a Leave of Absence, students would be considered Hiram College students on leave, and welcomed back at the end of their time away. Students must apply for readmission through the Registrar’s Office, a simple process which insures that the student is in good standing and eligible to return.
The College will maintain regular contact with the student regarding routines such as housing plans, registration procedures for the next semester, financial aid and billing. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain contact with the College through the Dean of Student’s office to confirm a return date.
Counseling to prepare for a Leave of Absence will be coordinated by the Dean of Students office and draw upon the resources of the Director of Counseling, the Career Center , the Director of Academic Services, the Director of Ethnic Diversity Affairs, and the student’s academic advisor. Students should apply by contacting the Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Students, so that appropriate planning can take place.
Under special circumstances, a student may request an additional semester of Leave of Absence which would also be arranged through the Dean of Students office. Call or visit the Dean’s office in Bates Hall for more information.
Additional information pertaining to the effect of a Leave of Absence on financial and eligibility is contained in the Hiram College Student Financial Aid Handbook.
Transient Coursework
A currently enrolled Hiram College student may take courses as a transient student at another accredited college or university. A Transient Student Authorization Form must be completed and submitted to the Registrar’s Office for written approval of the courses prior to the student registering for the courses. Students must receive a letter grade of C or higher and prior approval in order for the credits to be considered transferable toward their Hiram degree. If courses are to be applied toward a student’s major or minor written approval from the student’s major department or advisor must be obtained on the Transient Student Authorization Form.
Official Transcripts
A maximum of twenty (20) transcripts are issued without charge to each student. All transcripts mailed to or picked up by the student will be stamped ‘issued to the student’. Transcripts to be used for admission to another college may not be accepted if they are first issued to the student. It is up to the other institution as to whether student issued transcripts will be accepted. No transcript will be issued if a student owes Hiram College any part of tuition or fee account, library fine, or other obligation, or holds library books which belong to the College. All requests for transcripts must be made in writing and either mailed or faxed directly to the Registrar’s Office.
Student Records
Academic records are maintained in the Office of the Registrar in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. These records are made available upon request for review by the student to whom they pertain.
Hiram College designates the following student information as public or “Directory Information” which may be disclosed by the institution for any purposes, at its discretion. This information includes: name, address, campus telephone number, date(s) of attendance, date of birth, previous institution(s) attended, major field(s) of study, degree conferred, awards received, past and present participation in officially recognized sports and activities, and physical characteristics of athletes.
Requests to withhold disclosure of directory information or to release a hold on disclosure of directory information must be made by the student in writing to the Registrar’s Office.
Departmental Honors
Graduating seniors may receive Departmental Honors if they meet the following criteria:
-
An overall grade-point average of at least 2.8 and
-
A departmental grade-point average of at least 3.6 and
-
A sum of grade-point average (1 and 2) which equals 6.8.
-
Further requirements for departmental honors such as papers, examinations, performances, or productions. These will be determined by each department conferring the honors.
In addition, the student must be recommended by the department for these honors.
Graduation With Honors
Students may graduate cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude from Hiram College . Students who receive one of these honors are judged on the basis of cumulative grade-point average. The minimum grade-point requirements are 3.50 for cum laude, 3.70 for magna cum laude, and 3.90 for summa cum laude. Summa cum laude will be awarded only on the basis of an academic record with no more than three pass/no credit courses for a total of 12 semester hours elected by the student. Summa cum laude will be awarded to transfer students only on the basis of no more than two pass/no credit grades elected by the student under the pass/no credit option.
Commencement Ceremony Participation
Only students who have successfully completed all of their graduation requirements from Hiram College before commencement are permitted to participate in the commencement ceremony each year in May. Other students who have not successfully completed all their graduation requirements are encouraged to complete them and participate in the following year’s commencement exercise. The degree is officially awarded upon successful completion of course work and fulfillment of all academic requirements.
Honor Societies
Hiram College has local chapters of many nationally organized honor societies. Each of these in its own right reflects the seriousness of academic pursuits. Together they exemplify the liberal arts tradition of honoring academic excellence in Hiram College students.
Phi Beta Kappa membership has long been recognized as the highest distinction an individual can receive for scholarly excellence in undergraduate studies in the liberal arts and sciences.
It is a distinctive honor for an institution to be awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. Since the founding of Phi Beta Kappa in 1776 at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg , Virginia , only 262 additional colleges and universities have been deemed worthy of sheltering a Phi Beta Kappa chapter.
The Hiram College Chapter, designated Mu of Ohio , was instituted in the spring of 1971 and elected its first class of twenty seniors and two juniors in May of that year. The Chapter is an organization that exists independently of the College and is composed of professors and students. Admission to Phi Beta Kappa always represents a judgment by the Chapter about the quality of a student’s work at Hiram. Students who wish to be considered for Phi Beta Kappa must take courses in a broad range of liberal studies, including substantive work in the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The national organization of Phi Beta Kappa requires that all candidates study mathematics and a foreign language to a level commensurate with a liberal education. Criteria for membership in the Hiram chapter include a GPA of 3.7 or above (though students with GPAs of 3.6 or above who have extraordinary breadth may be considered); a year of college level foreign language study; at least one college level mathematics course (determined by consultation with members of the Department of Mathematical Sciences to exclude Mathematics 101-197). Courses of a pre-professional or vocational nature (i.e., accounting and related courses, music or theater performance, education methods courses, studio art, practica) cannot be considered in determining eligibility for Phi Beta Kappa. Any questions should be directed to the Secretary, Professor David Anderson.
Alpha Society membership is one of Hiram’s highest scholastic honors. Its members receive public recognition each year. Membership is limited to students who have completed 12 or more hours of graded course work at Hiram College and whose cumulative grade-point average is 3.75 or better.
Dean’s List is awarded each semester to students who, during the semester, complete 12 or more hours of graded course work at Hiram College with a semester grade-point average of 3.6 or better.
Kappa Delta Pi is a national education honor society of men and women devoted to the teaching profession. The purpose of Kappa Delta Pi is to promote excellence in and recognize outstanding contributions to education. Students who have reached junior standing, have maintained a 3.25 or better cumulative and education grade-point average, and have at least 12 semester hours of Professional Education courses are eligible for membership.
Lamda Pi Eta is a national communication honorary established at Hiram College in 1998. Membership is determined by an overall GPA of at least 3.00, a GPA in communication courses of at least 3.25, junior standing, and a ranking in the top 35 percent of the class.
Omicron Delta Epsilon is an international honorary society in economics for students who have demonstrated excellence and interest in economics. Eligibility requirements include junior or senior class standing, 20 semester hours in economics courses, a 3.5 or better grade-point average in those courses, a 3.0 or better overall grade-point average, and approval by the chapter.
Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society, was established at Hiram College in 1962. Juniors and seniors elected to membership hold responsible positions on the campus, have gained the respect of the student body for the quality of their achievements, and rank in the top 35 percent of their class.
Phi Alpha Theta is the national history honor society. Hiram College ’s chapter, Alpha Iota Pi, was established in 2001. Membership is open to students who have achieved a minimum of a 3.1 average in at least 12 semester hours of history courses, have attained a minimum of a 3.0 average in all other courses, and are in the top 35 percent of their class.
Course Numbering
Courses numbered 100-199 are normally freshman-level courses; courses numbered 200-299 are normally first year and sophomore-level courses; courses numbered 300-399 are normally sophomore-through senior-level courses; courses numbered 400-499 are normally junior- and senior-level courses.
Courses numbered 280, 380, and 480 are seminars offered for small group study in all departments.
Courses numbered 281 and 481 are offered for independent study and research respectively in every department and center. The 281 Independent Study may be taken with the permission of the instructor. The 481 independent research requires department chair or center approval. Only 8 hours of 281 may be taken in any one department or center without the approval of the department or center.
Courses numbered 298 and 498 are the two components of the Internship Program. Each department has Field Experiences (298) and Internships (498). Both field experiences and internships are jointly supervised by Hiram College faculty and onsite instructors.
Courses numbered at the 600 level are one-hour courses from academic departments.
The number of hours for which courses numbered 280, 380, 480, 281, 481, 298, and 498 may be taken are determined by the instructor and/or the department; they are not to exceed 4 semester hours.
Students are encouraged to attend at least one cultural event each term as part of their education. The instructor may require attendance when appropriate to the course.
All credits are expressed in semester hours.