Rules and Regulations

Regulations

These regulations pertain to graduate certificates offered online through the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies. These regulations are subject to change. Norwich University students and faculty will be notified if changes are made during the academic year.

Certificates Awarded

The certificate awarded is at the graduate level for the Certificate of Teaching and Learning. If taken for credit, the certificate credits will be recorded on the student’s permanent academic record. The student will receive a paper certificate indicating the certificate name and date earned. Certificates taken for no credit will not be recorded on the student’s permanent academic record.

Requirements

All candidates for Norwich University graduate certificates are required to:

• Complete 12 credit hours of course work as prescribed by the program of admission.
• Maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or above.

Credits for Award of Certificates

Certificate requirements are measured in seminars and credits. Certificate students may take the certificate for credit, for no credit, or as an auditor. The specific seminars required for each certificate are:

Certificate in Teaching and Learning

• Teaching and Learning I (6 credits)
• Teaching and Learning II (6 credits) 

Course Audit

Students taking certificate seminars as auditors will receive the notation “AU” on their permanent academic record in lieu of a grade and credits if the obligations of the auditor have been satisfactorily met. If the auditing student’s performance is not deemed to have been satisfactory, no seminar entry will be indicated on the student’s academic record. Audit students are expected to participate as outlined by the relevant program director or department chair. Audited seminars may not be applied against degree requirements.

Student and Progress Records

All student academic records are available through the University Registrar. Unofficial records are available through the University’s Self-Service web pages at the completion of each semester. In-progress grades are maintained in the online classroom grade book.

Transcripts and Academic Records, Official Transcripts

The Registrar’s Office provides official transcripts of student academic records. Official transcripts will be withheld until all financial accounts are settled. Unofficial transcripts are available to students on the University’s Self-Service web pages via the online classroom.

Grades and Grade Points

Official grade reports are issued by the University Registrar within 15 days of the end of each seminar. Students may also retrieve unofficial electronic copies of final seminar grades through the University’s Self-Service web pages.

Grades of F are failing, and will prompt a student’s immediate academic dismissal from the University. Students will not receive credit for these grades and will be required to petition for re-enrollment to repeat any seminar in which a failing grade is received.

Grades and grade points shall be awarded as follows: 

Grade	Percentage	Grade Points
A	93-100%	4.0
A-	90-92.9%	3.7
B+	87-89.9%	3.3
B	80-86.9%	3.0
C+	77-79.9%	2.3
C	70-76.9%	2.0
F	0-69.9%	0.0
W	Withdrawal from program	0.0
AU	Audit	0.0

Grade Point Average

The grade point average (GPA) is computed by dividing grade points earned by credit hours attempted after applying the repeat seminar policy and including failing grades. Only grade points earned and semester credit hours attempted in seminars completed at Norwich will be included in computing the student’s grade point average.

Grades for Withdrawal

A student who withdraws from the University, for any reason, prior to the end of the certificate will receive a grade of “W” in each seminar not completed prior to the withdrawal.

Grading Practices Notification for Students

At the beginning of a seminar, on the syllabus within the online classroom, a student must be made aware of the method of grading in the seminar and of the weight that is attached to all seminar requirements.

Grade Reporting By the Faculty

Faculty will record assignment and final grades in the online classroom grade book. Students may view assignment, in-progress, and final grades for current seminars inside the online classroom. Students may view their final grades for all completed seminars by accessing the University’s Self-Service web pages via the online classroom. The College of Graduate and Continuing Studies maintains assignment grade records for a minimum of one year.

Grade Appeals

Final-grade appeals must begin with a written request from the student to the instructor. If resolution is not achieved with the instructor, the written grade appeal may be filed with the program director or department chair. Failing resolution at the program director or department chair level, the student may appeal in writing to the Vice President and Dean of the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies (VPAA). If the issue is still unresolved, the final avenue of appeal must be directed in writing to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs (SVPAA), who has final authority over matters involving grade appeal.

Grade Changes

Instructors assign final grades after careful and thorough evaluation of a student’s academic performance in the seminar. A final grade will be changed only for cause and only at the request of the instructor and with the approval of the Program Director or Department Chair and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies. Requests for change of grade must be made within 120 days after the grade was awarded. If a seminar is repeated, only the last earned grade will be calculated in the grade point average. Tuition and fee rates in effect at the time of the repeat enrollment apply to all repeat seminars.

Minimum Grade Standards

Students enrolled for credit in certificates must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 in order to satisfactorily complete the certificate.

Discipline

A student’s online behavior is expected to be professional, ethical, and in compliance with university rules and regulations and the Norwich University Honor Code.

Attendance

Online students are required to be active and participate academically in the online classroom on a weekly basis. Students who fail to access the online classroom and participate for more than fourteen (14) calendar days without prior instructor approval will be administratively withdrawn from the university. Students who are unable to maintain weekly attendance in the online classroom due to an expected absence are required to notify their instructor in advance of the absence.

Withdrawals

A withdrawal is generally a permanent separation from the University. Either the student or the University may initiate the withdrawal process.

Withdrawals Initiated by the Student

When a withdrawal is necessary, the student must direct the following requests in writing to the appropriate institutional officer. 
 

• Requests for withdrawal must be submitted in writing to the program's Student Service Advisor.
• Requests for a refund must be submitted in writing to the University Bursar.

 
Students using financial aid in the form of federal loans, who anticipate returning to the university within a reasonable length of time from the withdrawal, should notify their Financial Aid Advisor in writing of their intent.

Norwich University must make commitments to faculty and staff in advance of actual student enrollment, therefore only a partial refund of tuition paid will be made if the student leaves for any reason prior to the end of any semester. The only exception to this policy is for activation or deployment of military personnel to a combat zone or in direct support of or proximity to a combat zone during the period of enrollment (see Military Activations and Deployments to a Combat Zone).

Scholarships, grants, and federally funded loans will be refunded, in the appropriate ratio, using federal guidelines for financial aid, either to the University or to the agency from which the aid funds were received. In many cases, this will result in an additional amount due from the student to the University.  

Withdrawals Initiated by the University

The University, through the Dean of the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies, may also initiate an Administrative Withdrawal. Such instances might occur for student failure to participate, unexcused absence of 14 days or more, violation of the academic honesty policy, failure to pay tuition, or in cases where the student is a distraction to other students and instructors. 

Military Activations and Deployments to or in Support of a Combat Zone

1. Students serving in the military who are notified after the start of enrollment that they are being activated or deployed to a combat zone or in direct support of or proximity to a combat zone, or;
2. Any student, or the spouse of a student if the student has a dependent child, who is a member of the National Guard or reserve forces of the United States and who is ordered to state military service or federal service or duty may:

• Withdraw from the entire registration and receive a full refund of tuition and mandatory fees;
• Make arrangements with the student's instructors for course grades, or for incompletes that shall be completed by the student at a later date. If such arrangements are made, the student's registration shall remain intact and tuition and mandatory fees shall be assessed for the courses in full;
• Make arrangements with only some of the student's instructors for grades, or for incompletes that shall be completed by the student at a later date. If such arrangements are made, the registration for those courses shall remain intact and tuition and mandatory fees shall be assessed for those courses. Any course for which arrangements cannot be made for grades or incompletes shall be considered dropped and the tuition and mandatory fees for the course refunded, or;
• If having successfully completed at least 60% of a seminar or course and whose cumulative grade represents sufficient knowledge of the seminar or course, request to have a grade assigned at the time of withdrawal. In lieu of requesting a grade, certificate students may submit to their Program Director a study plan outlining how the final weeks of academic work will be completed. Upon approval of the study plan, a grade of Incomplete will be assigned. Incomplete grades assigned as a result of approved study plans for activated or deployed students must be resolved within 180 days of the issuance of the original incomplete grade.

Students will be required to provide a copy of orders confirming that the date of activation/deployment was during the currently enrolled academic semester. Upon any future re-matriculation at Norwich University, the student will be charged tuition and fees at the rate in force at the time of re-matriculation.