Academic Appeals
A student who alleges capricious or arbitrary treatment by a faculty member in the assignment of a course grade has the right to file an appeal of that grade. In such cases, the student assumes the burden of proof and must provide evidence in support of the charge. Procedures and timelines are described in UPS 300.030, Academic Appeals, and UPS 300.031, Academic Appeals Board.
Academic Safety
The University is committed to providing its students a safe environment in which to learn and study. Faculty members facilitate student safety by (a) informing students of risks inherent in the class or lab that involve hazardous substances, equipment, or procedures; (b) instructing students on how to properly and safely handle hazardous items or activities; (c) exercising a degree of supervision over class or lab activities appropriate to the hazards involved; (d) ensuring that students wear all required personal protective equipment; (e) enforcing all applicable safety policies developed by the department and Risk Management/Environmental Health and Safety; and (f) informing students of campus emergency procedures and explaining their application to the instructional setting. To find out more about a faculty member’s responsibility for student safety at the University, please refer to the Risk Management/Environmental Health and Safety website and the Emergency Preparedness website.
Adds/Drops, Change of Program
Procedures for adding and dropping classes (Change of Program) are described in the online Registration Guide and University catalog. Such procedures vary depending upon the time in the semester that request is made.
For further details, please visit the Registration and Records website and select the “Faculty/Staff” tab near the top of the page then select the appropriate registration guide.
Adding Classes
During the first week of classes, all classes must be added through Titan Online, except for those courses indicated as “restricted.” For these restricted classes, an electronic permit must be placed in the registration system by the department. After the permit is placed, students must complete the registration process through Titan Online by the deadline that is posted each semester.
During the second week of classes, the student must obtain an electronic permit, which is issued by the academic department for all classes on the Fullerton campus and closed classes at Irvine Center (open classes on the Irvine location do not need a permit.) The student is required to access Titan Online and complete the registration process before the permit expires at the end of the second week of classes.
During the third and fourth week of classes (late add period), the student must submit a Petition for a Late Addition of Classes form signed by the instructor, Department Chair, and Dean (or designee) to the Admissions and Records Service Center in LH-114.
The final deadline for adding courses is set and announced in the online Registration Guide each semester. For any question regarding registration issues or procedures, contact your Department Chair or the Admissions and Records Service Center at ext. 7601.
Administrative Drop
If a student is absent without notifying the instructor or departmental office no later than 24 hours after any meeting missed during the first week, the student may be administratively dropped from the class by the instructor. Faculty members may also administratively drop students who do not meet the prerequisites for the course. Each semester, the Office of Admissions and Records distributes the procedures for submitting administrative drops. Faculty members should print a copy of their class list from Titan Online, and for each student to be dropped, write next to the name “NS” if the student is a “no show” or “NP” if the student does not meet prerequisites for the course.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) strives to help students achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals. Counselors can help students improve coping skills, strengthen personal relationships, navigate the college transition, recover from traumatic experiences and engage in self-exploration. CAPS offers brief counseling for individuals and couples, group counseling, psychiatric services, referrals, crisis intervention, and workshops to eligible Cal State Fullerton students. CAPS counselors are also available to consult with faculty and staff about concerns related to student mental health. In addition, CAPS offers a doctoral internship training program (pre-doctoral internship) for graduate students in counseling and clinical psychology. Live counselors are available to assist students after hours via phone at (657) 278-3040.
CAPS staff members are required by law and professional ethics to protect the confidentiality of all communications with clients. Client information and client records cannot be released to anyone outside of CAPS without the client’s written permission. Client records are kept separate from academic, administrative, disciplinary, and medical records. No information (except those that are legally mandated) about a client’s contact with CAPS (including whether a student is a client at CAPS) is released without the written consent of the client. Legally mandated exceptions to confidentiality include: where there is reasonable suspicion of abuse or neglect of children, dependent adults, or elderly persons; where the client presents a serious danger of violence to another; where the client is likely to harm himself/herself unless protective measures are taken; and where a judge issues a court order to release information.
For further information, please visit the CAPS website.
Students with Disabilities Enrolled in Class
The University is committed to supporting all students and providing reasonable accommodations, access, and support services which promote student success. Students with temporary or permanent disabilities may receive assistance and support through the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) in UH-101, ext. 3112. This Student Affairs department is responsible for collaborating with others to make the University’s educational, cultural, social, digital and physical facilities and programs accessible to students with orthopedic, systemic/chronic, perceptual, psychological/emotional, and/or learning disabilities.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the department for an initial interview or can apply online first. During the initial interview, a DSS counselor will discuss accommodations or access that have been beneficial in the past and the courses and extracurricular activities you will pursue. A memoranda, Letter of Accommodation (LOA), will be generated by DSS specifying accommodations which the student will present to his/her professors/instructors for facilitating classroom accommodations. Presentation of these memos to faculty members will normally take place during the first few weeks of each semester. Students are encouraged meet with their DSS counselor a minimum of once each academic year in order to review and update, as needed, their accommodations. New students are encouraged to make multiple appointments in their first semester. This ensures that all their accommodations are set up properly.
Faculty members should be aware that students present DSS with documentation throughout the semester. Once evaluated, the University is required to provide accommodations; consequently, students may present accommodation memos later in the semester. Faculty members are not obligated (nor encouraged) to accommodate students before receiving the memo from DSS. However, a student who has been interviewed but unable to meet with their counselor before a test or quiz is scheduled can request a special memo from DSS for that particular class.
DSS provides a range of academic accommodations for students with disabilities, including accessible formats of instructional materials, readers, note-takers, tutors, ASL Interpreters for deaf students, alternative testing, Disabled Persons (DP) parking information, application assistance, and referral to other resources both on and off campus regarding housing, transportation, health services, and advocacy. In addition, the DSS department provides limited personal counseling, career counseling, diagnostic assessments, and academic advising.
Faculty members may be required to modify their methods of instruction to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities. Examples of modifications include: making their face visible to a student to reads lips, using accessible instructional media or PowerPoints, reading aloud material written on a whiteboard, or re-arranging classroom group work during discussions to accommodate deaf/hard-of-hearing students or students with psychological conditions. Students often require accommodations with respect to exams, including extended time to complete exams, ASL Interpreters for instructions, braille or large-print exams and answer sheets, and transcribers. Testing accommodations will be managed through an electronic data base, TITANable, starting in fall 2016. Video tutorials on the DSS web site explain how students and faculty utilize the Test Accommodations online.
Questions about accommodations for students with disabilities should be directed to DSS at ext. 3112. Some accommodations are unique or more procedural, such as use of a memory aid in testing, allowing for absences or providing for changes in deadlines due to medical issues. These will be discussed with faculty on a student by student basis. Accommodations recommended must take into consideration the essential knowledge and skills being evaluated, that are integral to a course. Accommodations must not create a ‘fundamental alteration of the course objectives.’
Discrimination on the basis of disability is illegal under 42 USC § 12132, §504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the American with Disabilities Act (as amended). For additional information, please consult with DSS (UH-101) at ext. 3112. Faculty are not advised to refuse an accommodation which has been authorized by DSS, but should consult with a counselor or the Director regarding any questions or concerns they have. Additional information may also be found in CSU Executive Order 1097 and on the Disability Support Services website.
Disputes/Problems with Students
Occasionally, students may voice their disagreement with faculty members over the evaluation of student work, the assignment of grades or course requirements. If a student dispute should arise, the faculty member should work to resolve the situation effectively with the student in a professional and timely manner. However, if the dispute cannot be resolved with the professor, the student should be directed to the Department/Division Chair. Faculty members should remain professional and considerate at all times when handling student disputes. For additional information, see the Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities (UPS 300.000), the procedures for Academic Appeals (UPS 300.030), and the procedures for Academic Appeals Board (UPS 300.031).
Dropping Classes
Students who wish to drop a course may do so during the first and second weeks of classes using Titan Online. After the second week of classes, students may withdraw from a course only due to documented serious and compelling reasons and by submitting a Request for Withdrawal form with the required signatures and documentation. The withdrawal forms should be online for easy access beginning in the fall of 2018. Once submitted online by the student, a work flow process should move the document along for required signatures. The final deadline for course withdrawal is set and announced in the online Registration Guide each semester.
For any question regarding registration issues or procedures, contact your Department Chair or the Admissions and Records Service Center at ext. 7601.
Grading (Use of +/- Grading)
In reporting the course grade, faculty members can choose whether or not the final grade incorporates plus/minus (+/-) grading (e.g., A-, B+, C-) or the final grade does not incorporate +/- grading (e.g., A, B, C). The system that will be used must be disclosed to students on the syllabus. It is worth noting that if a student must earn a grade of C or better in a course, a grade of C- may not be sufficient. In terms of calculating a student’s Grade Point Average, a grade of A+ and A each count as 4.0, a grade of A- counts as 3.7, a grade of B+ counts as 3.3, a grade of B counts as 3.0, etc. Even if a faculty member uses +/- grading, s /he may not assign a grade of F+ or F-.
For further information, please see UPS 300.020, Grading Practices.
Grading Symbols
There are several administrative grades the University and the California State University (CSU) use for various purposes.
Audit (AU)
The symbol “AU” is used in those instances where a student has enrolled in a course either for information or other purposes not related to the student’s formal academic objective. Enrollment as an auditor is subject to permission of the instructor, provided that enrollment in a course as an auditor is permitted only after students otherwise eligible to enroll on a credit basis have had an opportunity to do so. Auditors are subject to the same fee structure as credit students and regular class attendance is expected. Once enrolled as an auditor, a student may not change to credit status. A student who is enrolled for credit may not change to audit after the fourth week of instruction. An auditor is not permitted to take examinations in the course; therefore, there is no basis for evaluation or a formal grade report.
Incomplete Authorized (I)
The symbol “I” signifies that a portion of required course work has not been completed and evaluated in the prescribed time period owing to unforeseen but justified reasons and that there is still a possibility of earning credit. It is the responsibility of the student to initiate the request, bring pertinent information and any substantiating documentation to the instructor, and reach agreement with the instructor on the means by which the remaining course requirements will be satisfied in order to convert the “I” to a letter grade. The forms to be used to initiate this process are available in the department offices and the Admissions and Records Services Center (LH-114).
An Incomplete (I) must be made up within one year following the end of the term during which it was assigned. This limitation prevails whether or not the student maintains continuous enrollment. An extension of this time due to extraordinary reasons may be granted upon request.
Incomplete Charged (IC)
If the Incomplete (I) is not converted within the prescribed time limit or any extension, it will be replaced by “IC” (Incomplete Charged) and will count as a failing grade in calculating grade point average and progress points. More detailed information on the use of the I and IC grades is contained in UPS 300.017.
Report Delayed (RD)
The symbol “RD” is used when a delay in the reporting of a final grade is due to circumstances beyond the control of the student. The symbol may only be assigned by the registrar and must be replaced as soon as possible with a substantive grading symbol. An RD will not be included in calculation of a grade-point average. Whenever this symbol is used, an explanatory note must be included in the transcript legend. The registrar will notify both the instructor of record and the Department Chair within one week of the assignment of an RD.
Report in Progress (RP)
The symbol “RP” is used in connection with thesis, project or similar courses that extend beyond one academic term. RP indicates that work is in progress and has been evaluated and found to be satisfactory to date, but that assignment of a final grade must await completion of additional course work. Cumulative enrollment in units attempted may not exceed the total number applicable to the student’s educational objective. Work is to be completed within a stipulated period, which may not exceed one year, except for graduate degree theses or projects for which the time may be longer. However, the time period may not exceed the overall limit for completion of all master or doctoral degree requirements. The President or designee may authorize an extension of established time limits.
Withdrawal (W)
Withdrawal from a class after the (the first two weeks of the semester) is signified on the student’s academic record by a grade of “W.” Such grades are not included in the calculation of the student’s grade point average. The authorization for a student to withdraw from a course after the census date and prior to the last 20 percent of instruction in a term shall be granted for only the most serious and compelling reasons. Poor academic performance is not evidence of a serious and compelling reason for withdrawal.
Withdrawals shall not be permitted during the final 20 percent of instruction except in appropriately documented cases that the student cannot complete the semester (e.g., medical provider verification, court/legal documents, military orders) and when an Incomplete is not practicable. Such withdrawals must be due to circumstances beyond the student’s control. There is an 18 unit maximum on withdrawals during the student’s undergraduate career.
Withdrawal Unauthorized (WU)
When the student has not withdrawn from a class appropriately and when there is no clear indication of the student’s academic performance in the class, the instructor may assign the administrative grade of WU - withdrawal unauthorized. The most common use of the grading symbol “WU” is in instances where a student has not completed sufficient course assignments or participated in sufficient course activity to make it possible, in the opinion of the instructor, to report satisfactory or unsatisfactory completion of the class by use of the letter grade (A - F). The instructor shall report the last known date of attendance by the student. The symbol “WU” shall be identified as a failing grade in the transcript legend and shall be counted as units attempted but not passed (equivalent to a grade of F) in computing the grade point average.
Credit/No Credit Option (CR/NC)
Students may choose in certain courses to select the nontraditional Credit/No Credit grading option. Courses which have this optional grading pattern available are listed in the class schedule. Instructors will not be made aware of whether a student has chosen that option and will assign a letter grade to the student’s work. It will then be converted to CR (Credit) for satisfactory [equivalent to “C” (2.0) or better in undergraduate courses; “B” (3.0) or better in graduate courses] and NC (No Credit) for less than satisfactory work.
Inappropriate Consensual Relationships
The importance of individual faculty-student contact is clear, especially when this contact includes the encouragement of the student’s academic development. Occasionally, it is possible that a faculty member’s interests in a student’s well-being might be misunderstood, and faculty members and students might attract the romantic interest of one another. Therefore, faculty must avoid acting in a way that a student might interpret as encouraging anything beyond a professional relationship. In the event that any inappropriate student behavior should develop, the faculty member must consult with his/her Department Chair or Dean immediately. He or she in turn will involve the Title IX Coordinator and/or, Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion (HRDI), who may meet with the student for advice or counseling.
CSU employees shall not enter into a consensual relationship with a student or employee over whom s/he exercises direct or otherwise significant academic, administrative, supervisory, evaluative, counseling, or extracurricular authority. For additional information, consult CSU Executive Orders 1096 and Executive Order 1097 or contact the Title IX Coordinator or the Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation (DHR) Administrator listed in the Title IX section above.
Late Add
The campus late add policy is given in UPS 300.013. This policy states that no student will be allowed to add any course after the census date except upon the approval of the Department Chair and the Dean.
Open University
Open University allows students who are not currently in an admitted status at Cal State Fullerton to enroll in undergraduate and graduate-level courses on a space-available basis with instructor and department approval. Open University is administered by Extension and International Programs, and per UPS 450.400, all Open University students must consult with an academic advisor prior to registering for a class.
Petitioning to Add Class
Beginning the third week of classes and continuing through the University’s census date, students may, with the instructor’s permission, enroll in closed classes using a Late Add Petition form which is signed by the instructor, Department Chair, and Dean. After the Late Add Petition form is signed, it is the student’s responsibility to file the form at the Admissions and Records Service Center in LH-114 in a timely manner. Additional information is available in the online Registration Guide or from Admissions and Records.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in the Academic Dishonesty Policy (UPS 300.021) as the act of taking the work (words, ideas, concept, data, graphs, artistic creation) of another whether that work is paraphrased or copied in verbatim or near verbatim form and offering it as one’s own without giving credit to the source. When sources are used, acknowledgment of the original author or source must be made through appropriated citation/attribution.
For additional information, consult the University catalog or the Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Conduct, (located in TSU-243 or by calling ext. 3211).
Any case of plagiarism alleged to be committed by a faculty member should be reported to the College Dean or the Deputy Provost and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Plagiarism is considered a serious offense.
Recording and Transcription of Class Content by Students
Student recordings of class content includes audio recording, photography, video recording, scanning, screen capture, and the like. Each faculty member has the choice to permit or disallow class content to be recorded or transcribed by students except when such action is mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act or by other federal or state laws. Students who have disabilities, who receive accommodations from Disability Support Services (DSS), and who have an accommodation plan, are permitted to make audio or video recordings or have class content transcribed (which includes real time captioning/computer aided transcription).
Students who do not have disabilities and/or who are not registered with DSS may make recordings or have class content transcribed only with the prior consent of the instructor. Such consent is at the sole and absolute discretion of the instructor. UPS 330.230, Recording and Transcription of Class Content by Students, details the campus policy on recording and transcription of class content. A Recording and Transcription Agreement form (regarding the fact that these recordings are strictly for private use) is given to students who use this accommodation and must be signed by both the student and their faculty member.
Retention or Use of Student Work
All student work, research, and creative activity submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for a degree, program, course, or other certification by the University, whether or not produced employing State of California resources and materials, is the property of the student and must be returned. However, such work may be retained by the University, faculty or other academic employees for a reasonable period of time for the purpose of evaluation.
In all cases of delayed grades (I, RP, RD), the materials submitted must either be returned to the students or be retained until a final grade is assigned.
Different from scholarly or creative materials, a student has no right to the return of written work resulting from a test or examination. However, the student does have the right to examine and discuss tests and examinations with the faculty member involved and, at the option of the faculty member, these materials may be returned to the student. Examinations not returned to the students shall be retained on file for one semester after the last day of the semester in which the course was taken except when they become part of an academic appeal, in which case they shall be retained until the appeal has been concluded.
Information concerning the retention of student work can be found in UPS 320.005.
Faculty who publish/co-publish with students must take appropriate steps to acknowledge all student contributions to the work.
Risk Activities and Student Right of Non-Participation
Certain university activities either within or outside of the classroom may involve varying degrees of risk to participants. Instructors directing such activities must review with all potential participants the specific nature of such risks and obtain from them their expressed or implied consent prior to undertaking such activities.
Any student who at any time comes to believe that the risks presented, whether physical or psychological, are excessive has the responsibility to withdraw from participation at that time and to inquire of the instructor whether there are alternative means of fulfilling the requirements without penalty. If there are none, the student may petition for withdrawal from the course without penalty or appeal for an appropriate modification of the activity. The appeal may be made either to the Chair of the department concerned or to the College Dean, or both.
Student Privacy
The privacy of student records is strictly protected under requirements provided for in the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. 1232g) and the California Education Code §67100 et seq. Generally, the law requires that written consent of the student must be received before releasing personally identifiable data about the student from records to other than a specified list of exceptions. California State University, Fullerton has adopted a set of policies and procedures concerning implementation of the statutes and regulations on the campus. Information on student privacy is contained in the President’s Directive No. 17: Student Privacy and Education Records. If you have questions, please contact the Office of the Dean of Students.
|
