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.

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

A student with a grievance concerning a faculty member, a method of instruction, or dismissal from a program should follow the informal and formal grievance procedures described in the respective program documents, if applicable.

For those programs without specific written grievance procedures, the student should attempt to resolve the matter informally first with the faculty member, then with the department head or program director, and then with the appropriate dean. The formal grievance process is used when the informal procedures have been exhausted with no satisfactory resolution. For a formal hearing, the student must submit a request, in writing, to the appropriate dean within 14 business days of the incident.

The request must contain:

1. the specific injury to the student
2. the date(s) on which the injury(ies) occurred
3. name(s) of person(s) involved
4. measures taken by the student to rectify the particular incident
5. any other pertinent information

The dean will review the formal request to determine its merit and to ensure all avenues for resolution have been exhausted by the student. An answer/decision will be issued to the student in writing within seven business days of receiving the formal grievance. If the student wishes to pursue the matter further, they must submit a written request to the provost within three (3) business days for the matter to be reviewed. The provost will issue a decision in writing within seven (7) business days. The decision of the provost is final.

Matters other than instruction should be taken to the vice chancellor for student affairs.

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

UAFS is committed to helping students attain their highest level of academic achievement. That achievement is predicated on a foundation of scholastic integrity in all aspects of students’ academic work. This absolute standard of academic honesty lies at the heart of any pursuit of learning and the award of any degree or certificate. All students, faculty, and staff of UAFS are responsible for understanding and abiding by the academic honesty policy. The university supports faculty and staff in the good faith application of these policies as they conduct their official duties.

This policy is only one element of the university’s commitment to academic honesty; students will find this institutional value, and the practice of scholastic integrity, reflected in many ways in all university programs and services. Academic dishonesty in any form, including using unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise; plagiarism; forgery; falsification of records; unauthorized possession of examinations; any other actions that may improperly affect the evaluation of a student’s academic performance or achievement; and the assistance of others in any such act, is forbidden.

Academic Dishonesty Policy and Procedures

Academic dishonesty in any form, including using unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise; plagiarism; forgery; falsification of records; unauthorized possession of examinations; any and all other actions that may improperly affect the evaluation of a student’s academic performance or achievement; and the assistance of other in any such act, is forbidden.

A faculty member who has proof that a student is guilty of academic dishonesty may take appropriate action, up to and including, assigning the student a grade of F for the course, and suspending the student from the class. The F will be the final grade and the student may not withdraw from the course with a W. A description of the incident and the action taken will be reported to the appropriate academic dean and will be placed in the student’s file in the Registrar’s Office. Documentation of all academic dishonesty will also be added to Navigate to track all academic dishonesty cases, not only those that end with a grade of F.

The student may appeal either the finding of academic dishonesty or the penalty, or both within seven (7) business days of notification to the Dean of the College in which the course originates and the Academic Integrity Committee.  The Dean, or designee, will inform the student and the Academic Integrity Committee of their findings in writing within five (5) business days of receipt of the written appeal from the student.  The Academic Integrity Committee shall be convened within 5 -10 business days of receipt of the petition.  The committee shall submit its recommendation via email to the Provost no later than 15 business days from receipt of the petition.  The student, faculty, and dean relevant to the case will be carbon copied on the email.  The Provost will notify the student of the decision, ordinarily within seven (7) business days of receipt of the recommendation by the committee, and the Registrar.  The decision of the Provost is final.  The Registrar will clear the student’s file as needed.  Appeal forms may be obtained from their advisor. Upon appeal, a student will be allowed to continue in class until the appeal is adjudicated. The Academic Integrity Committee acts as arbitrator in such situations, presenting its findings and recommendations to the Provost for review.

In cases of repeated offenses, the Provost may take appropriate action, up to and including permanent suspension from the university, or solicit the recommendations of the Academic Integrity Committee. A copy of such action will be placed in the student’s file in the Registrar’s Office. Repeat incidents of academic dishonesty could result in the assignment of a grade of FX on the transcript, clearly indicating the failing grade was the result of academic dishonesty.

Attendance

Students are expected to attend all classes. After an unavoidable absence because of illness or an emergency, students must take responsibility for contacting faculty members to make up 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 know 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 given the opportunity 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.

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 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.

College Hours/Course Load

A semester hour is earned when students satisfactorily complete class work to which they devote the equivalent of one hour per week for 16 weeks. In laboratory courses, it is necessary to spend more time for each semester hour of credit. Students may carry up to 18 hours in the fall or spring semester without special permission; however, the average is 15. No more than seven hours in a single summer term and no more than a total of 14 hours in one summer 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.

Grade Petitioning

A student who believes an error has been made in the assignment of a final grade must contact the faculty member to resolve the issue(s) no later than the last day of the next regular (fall or spring) semester.  Failure to act within that time disqualifies the student from further pursuit of the matter.  Should the student remain dissatisfied, they may appeal to the department head or program director (if applicable) and then to the dean of the college in which the course originates and the Academic Integrity Committee.  The Dean, or designee, will inform the student and the Academic Integrity Committee of their findings in writing within ten (10) business days of receipt of the written appeal from the student. The Academic Integrity Committee shall be convened within 15 business days of receipt of the petition.  The committee shall submit its recommendation to the Provost no later than 20 business days from the receipt of the petition.  The student, faculty, and dean relevant to the case will be carbon copied on the email.  The Provost will notify the student of the decision, ordinarily within seven (7) business days of receipt of the recommendation from the committee, as well as the faculty, dean relevant to the case, chair of the Academic Integrity Committee, and Registrar. The decision of the provost is final.  Grade petition forms are available from an advisor.

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

Term GPA: GPA for all coursework for any specified term

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

It is the primary responsibility of students to know the graduation requirements of their academic programs, including all university requirements. Students must satisfy all graduation requirements and required college-level work. Any student completing degree requirements at conclusion of the spring semester or either summer term must apply by April 15 of the previous year; any student completing degree requirements at the end of the fall semester must apply by November 15 of the previous year.

A commencement ceremony takes place twice a year to recognize degrees and awards.

A student cannot receive the same degree in the same discipline of study twice. The highest degree will be announced, and all certificates and degrees will be listed in the commencement program.

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

Degree Program Requirements

A student’s degree program requirements are those specified in the catalog in effect at the time of declaration of the major and/or minor. If original courses are deleted, the student may be required to complete specific classes to replace the deleted courses in the degree program. If a student is not enrolled for at least two consecutive semesters (excluding summer terms), the student will be required to re-enter under the program requirements of the catalog in effect at the time the student returns to the university. The student is responsible for staying informed of program requirements and changes.

A student’s degree requirements are those specified in the catalog in effect at the time of declaration of major and/or minor. A student must complete graduation requirements under provisions of a catalog no more than seven years old at the time of graduation. If a student does not complete graduation requirements within the seven year period, they will be required to meet the graduation requirements of the current catalog. Please note that many types of financial aid, including Pell Grants and scholarships, may be exhausted prior to seven years. Contact Financial Aid for additional information.

A student must apply for graduation and have the degree posted within a year of the completion of all degree requirements.

Repeating Courses/Grade Replacement

Grade replacement will only be allowed as noted below. Students wishing to replace a grade must bring the completed Grade Replacement Request form to the Registrar’s Office. Students may elect to repeat courses for credit as they deem necessary; however, course hours will be applied only one time toward graduation requirements. Beginning in fall of 2018, grade replacement (the exclusion of individual course grades) will not be applied to all repeated courses. Grade replacement will only be allowed as noted below.

• May be used for a maximum of 12 hours. The first attempt with an “E” beside the grade to denote that it has been excluded from the GPA. The grade replacement will not be automatic. In consultation with their advisor, the student should select the courses to be excluded from GPA calculations and submit the appropriate form to the Registrar’s Office.
• Will only be allowed on courses in which the grades of C, D, or F were earned initially (no grade replacement permitted on courses with A or B grades earned).
• Can only be applied one time to any given course (in which case the second and subsequent grades will all count in the GPA).
• In all other cases, all grades earned will be included in the calculation of the cumulative GPA. All courses are included as attempted hours for financial aid purposes.
• Grade replacement is eligible only for courses taken before the first baccalaureate degree is awarded.
• Courses repeated for purposes of grade replacement must be the exact course. Students may not use substitutions for repeated courses. The department chair, the appropriate college dean, and the registrar will determine the application of the grade replacement policy in those instances where UAFS course numbers and/or titles have been changed.

This policy will go into effect for classes taken during the fall 2018 semester and beyond. Prior grade replacements will not be affected, nor will they count against the four allowed courses for replacement. The change in GPA calculation will be handled prospectively from fall 2018 forward. Students considering grade replacement should be aware that many graduate schools, professional schools, employers or other institutions, in considering admission or employment, recompute the GPA an include all courses attempted even though grade replacement has been granted. This means that if the cumulative GPA has been raised because of grade replacement, the recomputed GPA will be lower.

Please refer to the Acceptance of Transfer Credit section of this catalog for information about repeating transfer courses. Student may not attempt any course more than twice and be eligible for admission to some programs in the College of Health, Education, and Human Services. Student should discuss retaking courses with their advisor.

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

Students may withdraw from courses prior to the start of the fall, spring, and summer terms online through My.UAFS or through an advisor with a Change of Schedule form. This form must be received by the Registrar’s Office. Once the term has begun, students who wish to withdraw from a class or change classes are governed by the following policy:

1. Withdrawals through the 11th day of the fall/spring semesters and the fifth day of the summer terms are not recorded on the student’s permanent record.
2. During the first week of the fall and spring semesters, students will receive a 100 percent tuition refund for a dropped course only.
3. After the 11th day of the fall/spring semesters and the fifth day of the summer terms:
   • Students are required to have a Change of Schedule Form signed by their advisor and the faculty member teaching the course on the Change of Schedule Form in order to withdraw. Students who are on financial aid and/or are receiving a scholarship must meet with a financial aid representative and obtain their signature on the form.
   • Students withdrawing from a credit course prior to 5 p.m. on Friday of the 12th week (or the equivalent) of the fall or spring semester will receive a W on their permanent record.
   • Summer term students withdrawing from a credit class prior to 5 p.m. on Friday of the fourth week of the five-week term during which they are enrolled will receive a W on their permanent record.

Failure to attend and/or pay tuition does not constitute official withdrawal.

An appeal of the tuition and fee policy, drop dates, and late payment fee must be made in writing to the registrar no later than the last day of classes of the term in question. Appeals must demonstrate extenuating circumstances that prevented the student from adhering to the specific withdrawal dates and deadlines in the registration/academic calendar and must include documentation in support of the appeal. Only the student may file an appeal on their own behalf.

More Information

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