Academic Information

Academic Course Work

Each instructor is in charge of class activity, course requirements, grading procedures, and student discipline within the context of the classes they are assigned to teach. If assistance is needed, contact the instructor, or if necessary, the department head of the appropriate program. Full-time instructors are available by appointment or for walk-in or online assistance during their posted office hours. Part-time instructors will announce their office hours during the first or second class meeting.

General Course Syllabi

Academic Catalog: Course Descriptions

UAFS to UA System Common Course Number Lookup

What is a Grievance?

If you are unhappy about something at the university that is not related to student behavior or discipline, that’s called a student grievance. You can file a grievance if you have an unresolved issue with a faculty or staff member, another student, student group, or administrator. To file a grievance, you need to show that a university rule, policy, or practice has been violated. You must provide evidence to support your claim. Please note, that this process does not prevent the university from changing its rules, policies, or practices. If you have a complaint about the outcome of a student conduct hearing, that needs to be appealed through the Student Conduct Appeals Board, not the grievance process.

See the Grievance Addendum at the end of this handbook for more information.

Academic Grievance Process

To learn more about the Academic Grievance Process, follow the link provided below.

Academic Catalog: Academic Grievance Process

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA)

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith (UAFS) is approved by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE) to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) to offer online programs and courses to out-of-state students. NC-SARA provides states a mechanism for monitoring the quality of online programs delivered by out-of-state colleges and universities to its citizens. Institutions that are members of SARA are authorized to provide online education to students from all SARA member states.

SARA applies solely to distance education activity conducted across state lines. It does not apply to the distance education activity of an institution within its home state or to on-ground campuses in any state.

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Distance education courses and programs are approved by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

UAFS is committed to ensuring that its distance learning programs and courses are intellectually stimulating and professionally rewarding. Online classes are taught by qualified faculty who are highly trained in using the Blackboard LMS for course development and delivery.

Complaint/Grievance Procedures

Complaints regarding student grades or student conduct violations are governed entirely by UAFS policy and the laws of the state of Arkansas. The UAFS Academic Grievance Process is outlined in the UAFS Undergraduate Academic Catalog and the UAFS Student Handbook.

Please note that students who wish to file a complaint relating to an online course or program offered by UAFS must first go through the UAFS procedures for resolution of grievances. If after exhausting the institutional process a student feels a complaint has not been adequately addressed, the student may file a complaint with the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE) by completing the student complaint form. Resolutions by ADHE are final.

To file a complaint regarding an online course or program, please complete the following form: https://adhe.edu/students-parents/student-grievance-form or email provost@uafs.edu. You will be contacted within five (5) business days after the complaint is received.

Academic Honesty

To learn more about Academic Honesty, follow the link below.

Academic Catalog: Academic Honesty

Academic Dishonesty Policy and Procedures

To learn more about our Academic Dishonesty Policy and Procedures, follow the link provided below.

Academic Catalog: Academic Dishonesty Policy and Procedures

Attendance

Students are expected to attend all classes. After an unavoidable absence due to illness or an emergency, students are responsible for contacting faculty members to make up any missed work. Each faculty member’s specific attendance policy will be distributed with other course information at the beginning of each semester. It is the student’s responsibility to understand the policy and comply; When absences exceed the number allowed by the faculty of the class, they have the authority to give the student a grade of F at the end of the semester or to drop the student from the class within the withdrawal period by the following procedure:

1. The faculty member notifies the student of their attendance status.
2. The student is allowed to discuss their status with the faculty member.
3. If attendance is subsequently unsatisfactory, the faculty may drop the student from the class by completing the withdrawal notice and filing the form with the Registrar’s Office.

This procedure does not remove the primary responsibility of the student for taking official withdrawal action. Students dropped by a faculty member receive a W through the 12th week of a regular semester and the fourth week of a summer five-week term. Courses dropped by a faculty member may be subject to the return of Title IV funds. Refer to the Financial Aid and Scholarships section for additional information.

Withdrawals will end on Friday of the 12th week of the regular semesters and the fourth week of the five-week summer terms and other five-week courses. Courses which do not correspond to these time frames will be handled on a prorated basis.

In accordance with Arkansas Acts 340 and 341, the Arkansas ACCESS Acts, the institution will not grant excused absences nor authorize student walkouts for political protests, social or public policy advocacy, or attempts to influence legislation.

Absence Due to Participation in University Sponsored Events

Students engaged in sanctioned extracurricular activities in which they are representing the university should be excused from class and be allowed to make up work without penalty. Students are responsible for all material covered and for any class activities missed during the absence. Students are required to contact each of their instructors at least one week prior to the absence to discuss requirements for completing missed assignments. Exceptions to this policy will be handled by the appropriate academic dean, with the provost being the final arbiter.

Auditing Courses

Students who audit courses must be officially admitted to the university and pay the regular tuition and fees for the course. Those who audit courses will receive a grade of AU. An auditing student may drop a course or be dropped by a faculty member following normal withdrawal procedures at any time during the withdrawal period and receive a grade of W. Audited courses are not eligible for financial aid.

Ideally, students who wish to audit a course should declare their intentions when they enroll. Students may change from audit to credit status or credit to audit status through the fifth day of the fall or spring semester. Summer terms and off-schedule courses will follow a prorated time period. No change will be allowed after the fifth day of the term.

Individual faculty members will determine the degree of participation of students auditing a course.

Credit Hours and Course Load

Students may carry up to 18 hours in the fall or spring semester without special permission; however, the average is 15. No more than nine hours in a summer semester will be allowed without special permission. Special permission for additional hours must be obtained from the appropriate dean. Students should expect to spend two to three hours in out-of-class study for each class hour.

In keeping with Arkansas Department of Higher Education policy (as specified in Appendix A, Section 6 of AHECB Policies, 2015), a credit hour is earned when students satisfactorily complete class work to which they devote the equivalent of three hours (one hour academic engagement and 2 hours of academic preparation) per week during the period of instruction. The amount of credit awarded for a course is based on the amount of time in class (or its equivalent), the amount of outside preparation required, and the intensity of the educational experience.

• A formal lecture course with extensive assigned reading or other out-of-class preparation is awarded one semester credit for [a minimum of] 750 minutes or 12.5 contact hours of classroom instruction;
• A laboratory class with moderate out-of-class preparation is awarded one semester credit for [a minimum of] 1500 minutes or 25 contact hours of laboratory instruction; and
• Clinical, practicum, internship, shop instruction or other self-paced learning activities involving work-related experience with little or no out-of-class preparation is awarded one semester credit hour for [a minimum of] 2250 minutes or 37.5 contact hours of work-related instruction.

Grade Petitioning

To learn more about our Grade Petitioning Policy, follow the link provided below.

Academic Catalog: Grade Petitioning

Grade Reports

Mid-term and final grades for each semester are accessible through My.UAFS. Students can review and print unofficial copies of their current grades and transcripts through My.UAFS. Only the final grade is posted on the official transcript. Refer to the Transcript section for information on obtaining an official transcript.

Grades and Grade Points

UAFS uses the following system of grading:

AU, IP, CR, and W are disregarded in calculating grade point averages; detailed instructions for computing both semester and cumulative grade point averages follow.

GPA Definitions

Cumulative GPA: GPA for all coursework completed at UAFS

Institutional Cumulative GPA: includes all credit earned at UAFS, including any concurrent credit earned at UAFS

Term GPA: GPA for all coursework for any specified term

Transfer GPA: includes all credit earned outside of UAFS

To calculate your GPA:

1. Find the total grade points earned by multiplying the value of each grade times the number of credit hours for each course, using the table above for quality points. For example, 4 credit hours of A is 4 X 4 = 16, and 3 credit hours of B is 3 X 3 = 9; the total grade points earned is 25.
2. Add all credit hours attempted, including those for which you earned an F. For example, one 4-credit-hour course and one 3-credit-hour course = 7 credit hours attempted.
3. Now divide the grade points earned by the total credit hours. For example, 25 ÷ 7 = 3.57 GPA.

In-Progress Grade

At the end of any semester, a faculty member may assign a grade of IP if extenuating circumstances have prevented the student from completing all course requirements. An IP grade is appropriate ONLY in situations where the student has completed at least 75 percent of the course requirements, based on the professional judgment of the faculty member. The faculty member shall make a professional judgment, on a case-by-case basis, concerning the efficacy of assigning an IP grade.

If a grade of IP is assigned, the faculty member will make a written contract with the student, list the work to be completed, and provide a specific date for completion of the coursework. The faculty member will file the contract with the Registrar’s Office. All IP contracts must be approved and signed by the faculty member’s dean prior to filing with the Registrar’s Office.

If a final grade has not been assigned by the faculty member by the end of the next spring or fall semester, the Registrar’s Office will automatically change the IP grade to an F. However, if the contract on file in the Registrar’s Office has a later completion date, that contract date is the final deadline for changing an IP to an F. The in-progress grade contract cannot be extended beyond the original date without the permission of the college dean.

Graduation Requirements

See the Academic Catalog and your advisor for a detailed description.

Repeating Courses/Grade Replacement

See the Academic Catalog and your advisor for more information.

Transcripts

Official transcripts of a student’s work at UAFS may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office in accordance with federal guidelines. Official transcripts cannot be released if there are any outstanding financial obligations to the university.

Transcripts are sent electronically or via U.S. mail and are issued only at the written request of the student or appropriate institutions and officials. Requests for transcripts are made through the Registrar’s Office webpage or in person at the Registrar’s Office. Telephone requests are not accepted.

Transcripts which have been presented for admission or evaluation of credit become the property of UAFS as a part of the student’s permanent record and are not reissued. Transcripts from other institutions must be obtained directly from the original issuing institution.

For more information please visit https://uafs.edu/academics/academic-guidance/registrar/transcripts/transcript-request.php

Withdrawal From Courses

See the Academic Catalog and your advisor for more information. 

More Information

For more information pertaining to Academic Policies and Procedures is available in the Academic Catalog.