Offices & Services
Academic Policies
Below is a summary of the policies pertinent to students and is not intended to override the Academic Policies described in the official College Catalog. Please refer to the College Catalog for further information/clarification.
Academic Honesty
When we engage in scholarship, we seek answers to questions we care about; we learn from others' work, and we add our contributions to a growing body of knowledge.However, we cannot honestly value that knowledge unless we also value truth.Acts of academic dishonesty are lies. They degrade our shared search for understanding as a community of scholars, and they undermine the integrity of that community by injecting falsehood into our dialogue. As a historically Quaker college, Whittier honors the Friends testimonies of truth, community, and equality, where equality reflects our conviction that we are all worthy of equal respect. Thus, when members of our community commit acts of academic dishonesty, they are not committing victimless crimes. By violating even in secret the respect which they owe their colleagues, they tear the fabric of our community. Further, by shrinking from the self-defining work of scholarship, they hurt themselves.
General Policy on Academic Honesty
Because the preservation of academic honesty is as fundamental to our shared enterprise as the transmission of knowledge, the faculty and administration of the College regard educating students in academic integrity to be as important as inspiring them to rise to the challenge of learning. Students are expected to produce independent work and to cite sources of information and concepts. When these principles are breached and a student misrepresents his or her level of knowledge, the basic framework of scholarship is broken. In these instances, students will be held accountable and will face sanctions that range from a warning to expulsion from the College. Ignorance of what constitutes plagiarism or cheating is not a valid defense. If students are uncertain of policies, they should consult the instructor for clarification. Adherence to the policies delineated below reflects the commitment of our community to a single standard of truth, a standard binding on students, faculty, and administrators alike.
Definitions
These definitions do not represent a complete list of possible infractions; rather, they are intended to generally reveal the range of conduct which violates academic honesty.
1. plagiarism - Submitted work should be one's own work and it should properly acknowledge ideas and words from others: ideas from another source should be cited in both the body and the works cited section of the paper, and exact words from another source should be placed within quotes. Plagiarism is submitting work done by others as your own work, and it is the failure to properly and appropriately reference and acknowledge the ideas and words of others. This can include submitting an entire paper downloaded from a website or another source, copying and pasting parts of different papers to form your own paper, failure to put quotes around exact wording used from another source, and failure to appropriately reference ideas from another person. Citation guidelines can be found in any writing handbook. While incorrect citation format may not necessarily be defined as plagiarism, individual instructors may penalize students for using an incorrect citation format. Please be aware that different disciplines use different forms for citing work. While each department should make these citation styles available, one is ultimately responsible for finding out this information. Students will be instructed on when and how to appropriately cite other people's work in their own papers in the College Writing Seminar and in the Writing Intensive Courses. Departments are also strongly encouraged to instruct students on appropriate citation in their introductory courses;
2. cheating Honesty involves presenting one's own level of knowledge as accurately as possible. Misrepresentation of one's knowledge is considered cheating; examples include copying or sharing exam answers, presenting work done by others as one's own, changing in any way work which may be reviewed in response to a grade consideration request, having a falsely identified person take an exam, or using notes, books and the like in closed-book examinations;
3. misrepresentation of experience, ability, or effort - One is expected to accurately and fairly present one's experience, ability, or effort for any purpose. Providing false information concerning academic achievement or background in an area of study is academically dishonest. Examples include falsely reporting the substance of an internship, falsely representing the content of prior coursework, or falsely representing effort on a group project;
4. unauthorized collaboration - In many course activities, other than examinations, collaboration is permitted and encouraged. Course syllabi and in-class instructions will usually identify situations where collaboration is permitted, but the student shares responsibility for ascertaining whether collaboration is permitted. Collaboration on homework, take-home exams, or other assignments which the instructor has designated as “independent work†will be considered academically dishonest;
5. submission of same work in two courses without explicit permission to do so- Presenting all or part of work done for one course in another course requires permission of the instructors of the involved courses. Connected or paired courses may require submission of the same work in the two associated courses; this will be explicitly stated for this type of assignment. Failure to gain permission from the instructors in submitting the same work will be considered academically dishonest;
6. falsification of records Records document a person's past accomplishments and give one measure of assessing those accomplishments. Any attempt to change grades or written records pertaining to assessment of a student's academic achievement will be considered academically dishonest;
7. sabotage Valuing community means that one should respect another person's work and efforts. Destruction of or deliberate inhibition of progress of another person's work related to a course is considered academically dishonest. This includes the destruction or hiding of shared resources such as library materials and computer software and hardware to tampering with another person's laboratory experiments;
8. complicity concerning any of the above Valuing community also means that one is honest with respect to another person's work as well as with one's own work. Any act which facilitates or encourages academic dishonesty by another person is itself an act of academic dishonesty.
Sanctions
Various sanctions exist which may be applied in response to an act of academic dishonesty. The severity of sanctions will correlate to the severity of the offense. Judgment of the severity of an academic dishonesty offense is the responsibility of the faculty member. The faculty member is encouraged to seek counsel of faculty colleagues, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and/or the Dean of Students in gaining perspective concerning the severity of the offense.
All grade related sanctions shall be levied by the faculty member teaching the course within which the offense occurred. The Associate Dean of the Faculty and the Dean of Students are available to provide guidance concerning appropriate sanctions. In addition, the following are some recommended sanctions for various degrees of academically dishonest acts.
Violations: Examples may include plagiarizing anywhere from one sentence to one paragraph in a paper, submission of the same work in two classes without the instructor's permission, and unauthorized collaboration on a minor assignment.
Recommended range of sanctions: Reduction in letter grade for the assignment up to a failing grade on the assignment. Repeated violations in the same course may result in a failing grade for the course.
Flagrant Violations: Examples may include plagiarizing an entire paper or most of a paper, cheating on a quiz or exam, and unauthorized collaboration on a major assignment.
Recommended range of sanctions: Failing grade on the assignment up to a failing grade in the course.
Faculty members who wish to apply sanctions other than the recommended range of sanctions listed above, must explicitly state this in their syllabus for a course.
The Process
Faculty members must provide the student with a written account of the offense and the sanction. Faculty members must also report cases of academic dishonesty to the Office of the Dean of Students, including a brief written account of the offense and the sanction levied through an on-line form, and a copy of the plagiarized paper. The Dean of Students must take a student to the Hearing Board if the student has a minimum of two flagrant violations or three total violations. The Dean of Students has the discretion to take students to the Hearing Board for fewer violations if there are other outstanding circumstances. Also, the Dean of Students must communicate with involved faculty members if a student is scheduled to appear before the Hearing Board.
The Hearing Board considers whether any further action should be taken which may include suspension or expulsion from the college. The Hearing Board does not reconsider the grade sanction given by the faculty member earlier in the process, but rather considers whether additional sanctions are merited. The Board will consider the entire student record of misconduct when making its decision and it will not limit itself just to acts of academic dishonesty.
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Academic Petitions Policy and Process
The Petitions Committee, composed of faculty and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, reviews and makes decisions on student petitions for waivers of admissions requirements, specific graduation requirements as outlined in the College catalog, or other academic requirements. The committee normally grants such waivers only in the presence of strong and sufficient evidence supplied by the student. The Committee considers petitions on an individual basis and does not grant blanket waivers of graduation or other requirements. Ignorance of College requirements and/or financial hardship are not sufficient reasons for the granting of a petition.
The procedure for filing a petition is as follows:
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The Student discusses a petition request with his or her faculty advisor and/or the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
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The Student fills out the petition form as completely as possible, paying particular attention to Petition Request and Rationale for Request.
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The Student reviews the petition with his or her faculty advisor and has it signed by the advisor. If necessary, the advisor provides additional comments.
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The Student returns the petition and any supporting materials that may assist the committee in the evaluation of the request to the Registrar's Office.
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The Petitions Committee reviews the request and provides a written response to the petition.
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Students may appeal Committee decision. The procedure for appeal is as follows:
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The Student reviews the Committee's decision with the faculty chair of the Petitions Committee (the name of the chair can be obtained from the Registrar's Office or the Advisement Office).
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The Student reviews with the faculty advisor the decision of the Committee and the explanation given by the chair of the committee. Before an appointment to appeal the decision is made, the student should be sure to discuss any new and relevant arguments or materials that might persuade the Committee to re-evaluate the original request.
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The Student makes an appointment, through the Registrar's Office, with the Petitions Committee. All appeals must be made in person before the Committee. Students are entitled to bring an advisor to the meeting. Most students bring their faculty advisor, but any member of the faculty may accompany a student to the appeal.
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Academic Progress Policy
Whittier College students are expected to make continuous progress toward their educational goals. In order to monitor student progress, a faculty committee reviews all academic records after the end of each semester. Students who have received any grades of non-completion have their records placed in an advisement file. Students who have encountered more serious academic problems are advised to seek assistance from their faculty advisor, the Advisement Office, and the Office of Student Life.
Continuing academic problems may result in academic probation with restrictions on enrollment and extracurricular activities. Students who do not meet the obligations of probation or who cease to make satisfactory progress may not be permitted to register for one or more semesters.
Academic Review
A. Good Standing
Students are considered in Good Standing if their overall and last semester grade point averages are both 2.00 or above.
B. Academic Difficulty
Students who earn a semester grade point average of below 2.00 will be categorized as follows for the next semester:
1.50 - 1.99 into Partial Probation
1.00 - 1.49 into Full Probation
.00 - .99 into Suspension
C. Partial Probation
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Students on Partial Probation who received a semester grade point average above 2.00 will continue on Partial Probation if their overall grade point average is below 2.00; they will resume Good Standing if their overall grade point average is above 2.00.
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Students on Partial Probation are not restricted from participating in any activities except that they may not join a society.
D. Full Probation
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Students on Partial Probation who earn a semester grade point average below 2.00 will be placed on Full Probation. Students on Full Probation may not hold any office in student government, the residence halls, or a society, or participate in athletics, club sports, drama or music productions, the yearbook, or the Quaker Campus, unless required to do so for graduation. Other conditions may be attached to Full Probation by the Academic Review Committee on an individual basis.
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Students on Full Probation who earn a semester grade point average of 2.00 will be moved to Partial Probation if their overall grade point average is below 2.00; they will resume Good Standing if their overall grade point average is above 2.00.
E. Suspension. Students on Full Probation who earn a semester grade point average below 2.00 will be suspended for at least one semester.
F. Academic Review Committee. Students placed on Partial Probation, Full Probation or Suspension will receive a letter of notification from the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic Advisement.
Students who wish to appeal the conditions that pertain to their level of academic difficulty (Full Probation or Suspension) may request a meeting with the Academic Review Committee. This committee, comprised of faculty and administration, meets prior to the onset of the fall and spring semesters.
G. Guidelines. The following guidelines may be applied by the Academic Review Committee as it deems appropriate:
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The above policies are designed primarily for full-time students.
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In considering suspensions, some consideration may be given to the total number of units earned toward graduation.
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Students may appeal Committee decisions to the Associate Academic Dean. In the case of successful appeal of a suspension, students will be reinstated on Full Probation and additional conditions may be attached to the probation.
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Students finishing Incompletes successfully may have the severity of the sanction reduced.
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Incompletes, W's, CR's, and Evaluations will not be used in calculating grade point averages.
Appeals
There are two avenues of appeal, one applicable to appealing grade sanctions, the other applicable to appealing suspension or expulsion decisions. The Grade Appeal Committee of the faculty will consider appeals of grade sanctions. The Dean of Faculty will hear appeals of suspension and expulsion sanctions. No further opportunities for appeal are available.
Attendance Policy
Faculty may, through the end of the fifth school day for semester classes, drop students who have never attended class.
Individual faculty members establish their own attendance policies for each course they teach. Students are advised to check with faculty members about the attendance policies for each class (Also see the Withdrawal Policy).
Auditing
Lecture and recitation courses may be audited without credit with the consent of the instructor. The normal audit fee is assessed. Courses such as laboratory or studio work may be audited, but regular tuition and fee charges apply. A student auditing any course takes no examinations and receives no grade or credit.
Class Standing
The total number of units earned, including those accepted from other colleges or universities, determines classification of undergraduate students.
Classification is established as follows:
Freshman 0 29 semester credits
Sophomore 30 59 semester credits
Junior 60 89 semester credits
Senior 90+ semester credits
Commencement
The College conducts one Commencement each year in late May. However, the date of the degree noted on the student's permanent record is the last day of the term during which degree requirements were completed.
Commencement at Whittier College is a very special event. The faculty are proud of the College's graduates and, as such, attendance at Commencement is a College requirement if clearance from the Business Office has been secured. Students may be excused only by approval from the Office of the Registrar.
In order to be listed in the Commencement program and to participate in the graduation ceremonies, all graduation requirements must be satisfied before Commencement. To be eligible as a summer graduate and participate in Commencement, a student must register and pay (or make suitable arrangements with the Business Office) for the courses needed in the summer at least three weeks prior to Commencement.
Concurrent Enrollment Policy
The purpose of concurrent enrollment is to allow currently enrolled students to take approved courses at other institutions and not lose their current enrollment status at Whittier College. A student must obtain a Concurrent Enrollment Form from the Office
of the Registrar and have prior approval for all courses taken at another institution. Concurrent enrollment courses may not be used for the Liberal Education requirements. A student may not register for credit at Whittier College and elsewhere simultaneously without advance permission from the Registrar. Credit will not be guaranteed unless the Concurrent Enrollment Form is filed and approved prior to enrollment at the other institution. Credit will be awarded after an official transcript has been received and evaluated by the Office of the Registrar. Actual grades from other institutions will not transfer to Whittier College; only the credits will transfer.
Credit by Examination
College credit totaling a maximum of 30 semester hours may be earned by satisfactorily completing approved examinations. Acceptable examinations include College Entrance Board Advanced Placement Tests and International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examinations. No more than eight units may be awarded from a single department.
Entering students who have passed Advanced Placement Tests with a score of four or five will receive credit toward graduation if the tests are in subject areas taught at Whittier and the academic department approves. The Registrar's Office can provide information on specific departmental policies on numbers of credits awarded and course equivalencies.
Entering students who have passed International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examinations with a score of five or above will receive credit toward graduation on a case-by-case basis with the approval of the academic department.
Dean's List
An undergraduate student will be awarded Dean's List honors if he/she earns a 3.70 GPA while completing 12 gradable units (letter grades of A through F) in the Fall or Spring terms. No Dean's List honors will be awarded for Summer or January terms.
Directed Study
Directed Study is a tutorial arrangement with a faculty member. Directed Study requires permission of the faculty member and operates under the following guidelines:
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The student should have completed the basic courses offered by the department in which the work is to be done.
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The substance of the study should not duplicate the work of any course listed in the catalog; however, students may petition to meet specific course requirements through Directed Study.
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The student may take only one Directed Study in a given semester.
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Directed Study courses may be arranged for one to three credits.
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Directed Study is offered at the discretion of the faculty member who will be supervising the tutorial
Distinction in the Major
The Whittier College faculty believes that students who have achieved excellence in their majors should receive recognition at graduation. Because this is an award for academic achievement, rather than service, the criterion will be either a superior grade point average in the major (3.5 minimum, at the discretion of the department) or other extraordinary academic achievement (published or publishable papers, presentation at a conference, significant research or creative project). The GPA will be based on seven semesters, including the first semester of the senior year. For transfer students, at least 50% of the units required for the major should reflect work done at Whittier College, or in programs under the auspices of the College, in order to be considered for the award. In addition to recognition in the graduation program, the student's achievement will be noted on the transcript.
Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act
The purpose of the Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 is to assure students at Whittier College access to any and all records kept by Whittier College that are defined as educational records and to assure the privacy of students by restricting the disclosure of information from educational records only to those persons authorized under the Act. Procedures and policies for access to specific records may be obtained from the appropriate office.
Information from educational records is not available to unauthorized persons on campus, or to any person off campus without the express written consent of the student involved, except under legal compulsion (e.g. subpoena, warrant), or in cases where the safety of persons or property is involved. In compliance with judicial order or subpoena, an attempt must be made in advance to notify the student. A signed consent from the student must be presented, where appropriate, to the Dean of Students, the Registrar, or other appropriate college officials, before information will be released to those persons who are not institutional authorities specifically authorized to inspect these files.
Students in attendance at Whittier College, and parents of such a student with prior written consent of the student, have access to any and all education records maintained by Whittier College, including the right of obtaining copies by paying copy fees.
The College will not disclose personally identifiable information from the educational records of a student without the prior written consent of the student, with some exceptions, except information that has been designated as directory information: the student's name, id number (not Social Security Number) address, telephone number, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student.
Whittier College will give public notice as to the information designated as directory information. The student has the right to prohibit the designation of any or all of the categories of personally identifiable information with respect to that student, provided that said student notifies the Office of the Registrar in writing that such personally identifiable information is not to be designated as directory information with respect to that student. Notification must be made to the Office of the Registrar within three days after the student registers each semester.
Final Examination Policy
It is the policy of Whittier College that all final examinations are to be given only at the officially scheduled time for the course as published in the schedule of classes each term. In addition, no take-home final examinations or papers assigned in lieu of a final examination will be due prior to the scheduled time of the final examinations.
Grade Appeal Policy and Process
The faculty of Whittier College believes that grading is the responsibility and prerogative of individual faculty members according to their professional judgments of students' performance, and that this responsibility and prerogative should be safeguarded. Nevertheless, the faculty also recognizes the need to safeguard students of Whittier College against possible bias or lack of uniformity in the evaluation process, and thus has provided a mechanism to address this concern.
The maximum time allowed for filing a grade appeal with the Associate Academic Dean, whether the student is enrolled or not, is one year from the date the grade was awarded.
This mechanism will be used only in cases where strong and demonstrable evidence of bias or lack of uniformity in assigning grades to members of a class exists, and only after all other avenues of appeal have failed to resolve this question.
I. The process to be observed prior to utilizing the grade appeal petition is as follows:
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The student will discuss a disputed grade for a course with the faculty member in person, in an attempt to resolve the differences over the grade. If no agreement is reached, then
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The student will consult with the chair of the department in which this faculty member is teaching. If the question is still unresolved, or in the event that the teacher giving the disputed grade is also the department chair, then
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The student will refer the question to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. The Associate Dean will inquire into the matter and attempt to bring about an amicable solution. If no agreement can be reached, and the Associate Dean decides that the matter requires further attention, then
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The Associate Dean of Academic Affairs will direct the student to complete a Grade Appeal Petition, which will be forwarded to the Grade Appeals Committee, composed of the Dean of Faculty, the Chair of the Academic Standing Committee, and one faculty member, appointed by the Faculty Executive Council.
II. The Grade Appeals Committee
The Committee will investigate the underlying facts of an appeal, which may include interviewing the student, faculty member, and any other persons whom the committee feels might be able to help it clarify the matter. If, in the course of this process, an amicable resolution of the difference can be affected, the Committee's consideration of the matter will end.
If, after making a full inquiry into the matter, no resolution is reached, the Committee will decide the outcome of the grade appeal. Possible decisions may include leaving the grade as it is, changing the grade to correct demonstrated evidence of bias or lack of uniformity in grading, or working out other possible solutions as the Committee sees fit. No grade may be changed unless the Committee reaches consensus on the proposed change.
Academic policies and procedures for post-baccalaureate and graduate students may differ from those cited above for undergraduates. Please see the document, Academic Policies and Procedures for Graduate Programs and Programs in Education, available in the Education Department, for details.
Grade Definitions
| A | Excellent | Generally reserved for the very highest level of academic work |
| B | Good | Meeting course requirements with a high level of performance |
| C | Satisfactory | Awarded for satisfactory completion of all or most of the course requirements. |
| D | Passing | Awarded for barely meeting the minimum standards of the course. |
| E | Failing | Not meeting the minimum standards of the course. |
Grading Philosophy
The members of the Whittier College faculty regard the evaluation of student performance as one of their most important responsibilities. They further believe that grading is a vital element in this evaluation in that it allows for the reporting of student progress to the students themselves, to the college for the purposes of advisement and for the awarding of honors upon graduation, and to the outside world, at the request of the student, for the applications to graduate school and for prospective employment.
The awarding of grades by the faculty reflects the quality of the students' performance as measured against the individual faculty member's expectations based upon objective criteria, including the nature of the discipline and the faculty member's experience in evaluating student performance within that discipline. Thus, grading will not always be uniform from course to course.
Moreover, the boundaries of academic freedom allow discretion on the part of individual faculty members in the awarding of grades. However, the faculty recognizes that grades must always be rigorously fair, and awarded on the basis of criteria that are explained to the students at the beginning of each course. The following points underscore the faculty's grading framework:
Course expectations and grading are the sole responsibility of the course instructor.
Grades are determined based on the students' mastery of the course materials and demonstration of the skills required.
The grading standards shall be appropriate to the academic level of the course and standards shall not be set either so high that no one can attain an "A" nor so low that it is impossible to receive a grade of "F".
Students have the right to information about how they will be evaluated, so information about grading and grading standards should be contained in the course syllabus.
Grading Policy
The academic standards of an institution are largely determined by the admissions policies of the institution and by the standards of work required by the faculty. Once awarded, a grade may not be changed as a result of reevaluation of work submitted by a student. The only justification for a change of a grade is to correct a clerical error on the part of the instructor. The submission of additional work by a student (except to remove an Incomplete resulting from illness or similar circumstances) is not justification for altering a grade, once it has been recorded.
Most courses at Whittier College are graded from A to F with the awarding of (+) or (-) grades is a the discretion of the instructor; however, at the outset of the class, and at the discretion of the instructor, the student may be given the choice of Credit/No Credit(CR/NC) or Letter of Evaluation. Freshman Writing Seminars cannot be taken for CR/NC.
When an instructor allows a student to select a grading option, the student is required to indicate that choice by the fourth week of the semester.
The grade option cannot be changed after it has been submitted to the Registrar's Office. All letter grades, including D's, F's, NC's, UW's and W's, will be recorded on the student's permanent transcript.
When an instructor is unable to submit his or her grades by the time all grades are to be posted, then the Registrar will assign NG (no grade reported) to each student. The grade will be treated as an Incomplete for all purposes of evaluation.
The three grading options are:
| Grade Option I | (Grade Points) | Grade Option II | Grade Option III |
| A | 4.0 | ||
| A- | 3.7 | ||
| B+ | 3.3 | ||
| B | 3.0 | ||
| B- | 2.7 | CR | EV(*) |
| C+ | 2.3 | ||
| C | 2.0 | ||
| C- | 1.7 | ||
| CR | |||
| D | 1.0 | NC | (Grades of D and F in courses taken for |
| F | .0 | CR/NC will receive No Credit) | |
| W (**) | |||
| UW (***) |
(*) Evaluation grades do not guarantee a passing grade or credit.
(**) Withdrawal
(***) Unauthorized Withdrawal
Graduate Standing
Those who have been granted baccalaureate degrees (or equivalent) from accredited colleges and universities are admitted for fifth-year work as graduate students if they have met the requirements for degree candidacy as determined by the Whittier College faculty.
Honors at Commencement
Each year Whittier College grants academic honors to deserving seniors at Commencement. The determination is based on grades received throughout all undergraduate studies at Whittier College. Honors at Commencement are based on students' grade point averages rounded to the nearest hundredth. Students will receive the highest level of honors for which they are eligible. Those students with the following grade point averages will receive the corresponding Honors at commencement:
3.70 - 3.79: Cum Laude
3.80 - 3.89: Magna Cum Laude
3.90 and above: Summa Cum Laude
To graduate with academic honors, the student must have earned at least 60 credits at Whittier College. Two-thirds of the total credits earned must be letter grades.
Incomplete Grades Policy
A grade of Incomplete may be issued to a student in a course for which the student has been unable to complete the requirements due to extenuating circumstances. The student must request a grade of "Incomplete" using the Application for Incomplete Grade form found on the Registrar's Forms web page. An incomplete may be assigned at the Instructor's discretion and only when exceptional circumstances, circumstances beyond the control of the student, have prevented the student from completing the final assigned work or examination. The instructor will note requirements to be completed on the application form. Incompletes may not be granted to students for improper time management, academic overload, or outside employment conflicts.
All requirements to satisfy the incomplete grade must be completed no later than 10 weeks following the last day of the term in which the incomplete is issued. Failure to complete the work within the time allotted will result in the student receiving a non-passing grade for the course.
IP In-Progress Grades Policy
Assigned when an educational experience (e.g., student teaching, internship, or practicum) is designed to extend beyond the traditional grading term. A grade of IP must be accompanied by a date at which a final grade is due. If a grade is not submitted to the registrar by the specified date, a grade of “I†will be assigned. Thereafter, the course is governed by the policy of “Incomplete Gradesâ€Â. A grade of IP cannot be assigned for a traditional course as a means to extend the grading period beyond the traditional term.
Non-Degree Standing
For those interested in academic pursuits outside of any degree requirements, “non-degree†standing is permissible on either a part-time or full-time basis with the approval of the Admissions Committee. A non-degree student must satisfy the English proficiency requirement for degree candidates at the College. A student may transfer no more than 30 credits of courses taken at Whittier College under non-degree status toward a Whittier College Bachelor of Arts and no more than 12 non-degree credits toward the Master's degree at the College.
Readmission
Those students who have interrupted their studies at Whittier for a semester or more must be readmitted by the Registrar's Office. Transcripts must be submitted from any other college(s) attended during the absence from Whittier. Readmitted students may begin classes at the beginning of the fall, January, or spring terms.
Registration and Class Scheduling
The Office of the Registrar is the principal source of information concerning registration procedures. Details are contained in the Schedule of Classes published each semester prior to registration for the upcoming semester.
Student must complete registration during the assigned period at the beginning of each term by paying tuition and fees and by filing the completed registration form with the Registrar. A new, re-admitted, or continuing student who did not pre-enroll must register during regular registration periods. No credit will be given for a course in which the student is not officially registered.
Flexibility for learning is built into daily and weekly class scheduling. 50-minute and 80-minute class periods are available throughout each week day. Frequency of weekly meetings varies, depending upon the credit value of the particular subject.
Registration Changes
Once the student has filed the registration form with the Registrar, any necessary changes must be made on the appropriate form during the period stated in the Class Schedule and Registration Guide. The faculty mentor or advisor must approve all program changes. One classes have started, individual instructors must approve the addition of any student to their classes. No change is accepted after the third week of the semester.
Repeated Coursework Policy
A course may be repeated, but degree credit will be given only once (except for courses designated in this catalog as "may be repeated for credit"). The grade assigned for each enrollment shall be permanently recorded on the student's transcript. A course originally taken for a letter grade may not be repeated on a CR/NC basis. In computing the GPA of a student repeating a course, only the most recently earned grade shall be used.
ROTC
Although actual ROTC courses are not taught on the Whittier College campus, "cross-town" agreements with other institutions exist to allow qualified Whittier College students to participate in the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps (AFROTC) or the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps (AROTC).
Upon the registrar's approval, academic credit earned in these programs may be counted as elective units toward fulfillment of Whittier College graduation requirements. Additional information is available at the Office of the Registrar.
Special Course and Laboratory Fees Policy
Some courses have expenses associated with them that are not covered by regular tuition and fees, and in such cases the College may charge additional fees in amounts approximately equal to the added instructional or laboratory costs. Special charges may be made according to current costs for the following:
- Courses requiring equipment, facilities or materials not available on campus, for science and certain field courses.
- Courses requiring use of high technology equipment, e.g., computer courses.
- Private instruction in music and similar arts.
- Courses requiring field trips or travel.
- Noncredit courses, conferences, workshops, postgraduate seminars and similar educational offerings.
Study Load
For Undergraduate students, a minimum full-time study load is 12 credit hours per semester. (One credit hour is equivalent to one semester hour.) A normal course load for students planning to graduate in four years is 30 credits per year; this could be accomplished by taking 15 credits each semester or, in some years, by taking 13 credits each semester and a 4-credit course during the January Interim. Credit hours taken in excess of 15 require additional tuition charges. An extra study load, more than 17 credit hours per semester, must be approved by the student's mentor or advisor and certified by the Registrar. Forms for an extra study load are available in the Registrar's Office.
For Graduate Students, a minimum full-time study load is 9 credit hours per term.
Transfer Credit Policy
Whittier College accepts courses in transfer as long as the courses were completed at a regionally accredited institution. Whittier will not accept courses that earned a grade lower than a C-. A student may not receive credit for courses taken at a community college after completing 70 units of college work. A maximum of 70 credits from a community college and 90 credits from a four-year institution can be transferred.
Transcript of Whittier College Record
A transcript of the academic record will be issued upon written authorization of the individual. Only credits accepted for transfer from other institutions will appear on the Whittier transcript along with credits earned at Whittier College.
Transcripts carry a fee of $5.00 payable upon submission of the request.
Transcripts and diplomas will be withheld for any student who has outstanding financial obligations to the College.
Withdrawal Policies
Instructor Drop
Faculty may, through the end of the fifth school day for semester classes, drop students who have never attended class (also see Class Attendance policy).
Dropping Classes
With the approval of the advisor, students may drop a class without record of enrollment (W grade) during the first three weeks of a semester course.
Withdrawing from Courses
Until the end of the sixth week of a semester course, students may withdraw from a course for any reason. A grade of will be assigned. After this period, withdrawals will be allowed only for reasons of health or serious personal problems. Academic difficulties or lack of interest in the course are not sufficient reason for late withdrawals.
Unauthorized Withdrawal from Courses
If, in an instructor's judgment (not the student's), a student has an excessive number of absences in a course, an instructor may recommend to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Registrar that the student be administratively withdrawn from the course. The student's record will show a mark of UW for the course. This policy is designed only for those students who have stopped coming to class and for whom there is insufficient course work to produce an earned grade. It is not to be used to allow students to withdraw from a class because they may not like the grade they have earned, nor is it a way for students to circumvent the processes for students to initiate a class withdrawal, as described in this catalog.
Withdrawing from the College
A withdrawal is generally requested when a student does not plan to return to Whittier College or plans to transfer to another school. A leave of absence is granted to a student who plans to return to Whittier within one academic year. Students who plan to do either must apply through the Advisement Office. Withdrawals will be recorded on the transcript as a W.
No withdrawals of any type will be granted during the last week of any course.
