Academic Policies

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend all sessions of the classes in which they are enrolled. Students should contact the vice president of student services office in the Walter H. Nolte Gateway Center or 307-268-2201 if they are called for jury duty, subpoenaed as a witness, or ill or injured and unable to attend class for an extended period. The office will notify instructors of students on extended leave. This notification does not give students an excused absence and instructors may request that students provide appropriate documentation to the vice president of student services office upon their return and complete any make up work assigned. Contact the vice president for student services office at 307-268-2201 about documentation requirements.

Students should check with their instructors about their specific class attendance policies. Casper College encourages its faculty to make a reasonable effort to allow students to observe their major religious holidays or to participate in college-sponsored activities without academic penalty. Students are responsible for notifying their instructors as soon as possible of dates for which they plan to request an excused absence and for abiding by the instructor’s policies.

Faculty are required to report the names of all students who attend class irregularly or who are absent for several consecutive class sessions to the vice president of student services office, who will contact students about their intent to continue in the class. Excessive absences or tardiness may result in a lower grade or in a faculty-initiated withdrawal from the course.

Faculty sponsors or coaches submit a list of students who will miss class because of a college-sponsored activity to the student’s faculty and to the vice president of student services at least three days before the first scheduled day to be gone. Students should talk with their instructors prior to any absences. The faculty member has the authority to excuse absences and to allow make-up work.

Grades and Grade Points

Incomplete

An incomplete (I) is awarded when a student, for reasons beyond the student’s control, is unable to finish the course and when the student would otherwise have had a passing grade. A student who receives an incomplete must arrange with the instructor to complete the course. The student and the instructor agree on a date for the student to complete the course. The completion date must be before the end of the next full semester (excluding summer semester) or the student may file for an extension. If the student does not complete the course by the completion date and does not file for an extension, the incomplete (I) will be changed to a failed (F) grade on the student’s transcript.

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Courses that offer an S/U grading option are identified as such in the course catalog. Students may select S/U grading when they register for the course or prior to the withdraw deadline date. Instructor permission is required for any changes after registration. Grade points are not awarded for S/U or pass/fail grades, therefore, courses awarded an S/U grade are not included in the student’s GPA calculation. S/U grades may count toward degree, satisfactory progress, and athletic or activity eligibility requirements.

In Progress

An in progress (X) is awarded when a student enrolls in an open enrollment course too late in the semester to complete the course on time or when the course is self-paced and does not have a firm completion date. An X is an indicator of progress and not a grade. It is not included in the student’s GPA calculation. It is part of the student’s permanent record and the credit hours associated with the course may count toward satisfactory progress requirements and athletic or activity eligibility.

Audit

Students may opt to audit a course when they want to attend a class but, for a variety of reasons, may not want to receive credit or a grade for that course. Students who wish to audit a course indicate so at the time of enrollment. The college does not grant academic credit or a grade for audited courses. Students who satisfactorily complete an audited course, including regular attendance, will receive an audit notation on their transcript. The college charges full tuition to audit a course. Students who wish to change from taking a course for credit to auditing must acquire written permission from the instructor prior to the course withdrawal deadline (see the Casper College calendar for the deadline) and file the appropriate form with enrollment services. Changing from credit to audit may affect a student’s financial aid.

Withdraw/Drop

Students may drop a course at any time prior to the census date listed in the academic calendar (usually day 10 of the semester) using WebAdvisor or by coming to enrollment services. Dropped courses are not recorded on a student’s transcript. Students may withdraw from courses after the census date in WebAdvisor or by submitting a completed change form to enrollment services prior to the withdrawal deadline also listed on the academic calendar. Withdrawals are recorded on the student’s transcript as a withdrawn (W) course. After the withdraw deadline, a student may submit a completed petition with their instructor’s permission to enrollment services. Additional documentation may be requested, and approval is not guaranteed. Check the refund schedule for any applicable charges.

Grade Point Averages (GPA)

There are two types of grade point averages (GPA): semester and cumulative. Semester GPA is calculated by multiplying the credits a course is worth by the number of points the earned grade is worth to give the total grade points for that course. Do this for each course taken in a semester. Add the points for all the courses taken that semester and divide by the total number of credits attempted for that semester. The cumulative GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points earned at Casper College by the total number of semester credits earned.

Repeated Courses

If a student repeats a Casper College course, prior credit, semester hours, and grade points earned in that course will be excluded from the student’s cumulative grade point average, regardless of the number of repetitions. However, all attempts at a course are included on the student’s official transcripts. Repeated courses may or may not be financial aid eligible (See “Student Financial Assistance ” ).

Grade Reports

The college issues student grade reports twice a semester. The midterm grades indicate the student’s academic progress. The information on this report is not part of the student’s permanent record. Final grades are the student’s final grades for that semester. Students may view their grades online in WebAdvisor.

Transcripts

A transcript is a record of the courses that a student has taken. Students can download unofficial transcripts from WebAdvisor at any time. Students may request official transcripts in writing from enrollment services. No transcripts are released until all administrative holds have been satisfied. There may be a charge for official transcripts.

Academic Standing

Good Standing and Satisfactory Progress

Students who have attended Casper College for one or more semesters and have attained a 2.0 or better grade point average for that term or for their cumulative average are considered in good standing. Satisfactory progress is a term used with federal student financial aid recipients. The college issues student grade reports twice a semester. The midterm grades indicate the student’s academic progress and are not part of the student’s permanent record. Final grades posted for that semester are a part of the student’s permanent record. Students may view their grades online in WebAdvisor.

Honors and Standings

The college uses semester or cumulative grade point averages to determine eligibility for the following honors or standings (see “Grade Point Averages” in this catalog).

Honor Rolls

• President’s Honor Roll: This honor is granted at the end of the fall and spring semesters to full time, degree-seeking students who completed at least 12 credits with a 3.5 or higher grade point average in the given semester.
• Dean’s Honor Roll: This honor is granted at the end of the fall and spring semesters to part-time, degree-seeking students who completed at least six but fewer than 12 credits and nondegree-seeking students who completed six or more credits with a 3.5 or higher grade point average in the given semester.
• Graduate with Distinction: Students receiving associate’s degrees who have earned a minimum of 32 semester hours (semester hours attempted as defined in grade averages) at Casper College and have attained a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or better in Casper College coursework graduate with distinction.

Honor Societies

• Alpha Mu Gamma: This is the National Collegiate Foreign Language Honor Society, which recognizes achievement in foreign language study and encourages interest in foreign languages, literature, and linguistic attainment.
• Phi Rho Pi: This national organization recognizes excellence in forensics competition and is open to any student who is interested in competitive speaking.
• Phi Theta Kappa: An invitation to join Phi Theta Kappa, a national two-year college honorary scholastic fraternity, is dependent upon meeting several qualifications. The student must:
  • have a Casper College cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher at the time of initiation;
  • have completed at least 12 credit hours of Casper College coursework; and
  • be enrolled in Casper College for at least six credits in the semester that he or she becomes eligible for membership and is initiated.

Academic Probation and Suspension

The registrar notifies students who are not making academic progress and are on academic probation. The college places students on academic probation when:

1. The student does not meet the minimum qualifications for admission or
2. The student does not meet the minimum grade standard to be considered in good standing

The college removes students from academic probation who attain a semester grade point average that meets or exceeds the minimum requirements to be considered in good standing. Students who fail to achieve good standing after one semester on academic probation are subject to academic suspension.

The college issues an academic suspension when a student fails to achieve good standing after one semester on academic probation or for an act of academic dishonesty. Students on academic suspension may not register for academic courses for at least one semester unless they receive an approved petition for exception.

Financial aid probation and suspension are issued in accordance with the rules and regulations governing the specific form of aid received and are determined separately from academic probation and suspension.

Corrective Measures

Corrective measures come in the following forms:

1. Current semester problems. A student experiencing difficulty with any course may withdraw from the course or the college (see “Schedule Changes ”), change from taking a course for credit to auditing a course (see “Audit”), or request an incomplete or in progress (see “Incomplete” and “In Progress”).
2. Academic standing. Academic standing is based on either semester grade point average or cumulative grade point average (see “Academic Standing”), thus allowing redemption in one semester regardless of past record and avoiding penalty for one below par semester in an otherwise satisfactory record.
3. Academic Forgiveness. A degree-seeking student currently attending Casper College may petition the registrar to remove up to two semesters, in their entirety, from the calculation of the student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) and degree credits. The registrar will approve the petition if the student has completed 24 semester hours of college level courses with a 2.5 GPA after the last semester listed on the forgiveness petition. This is a one-time-only option.

Disciplinary Probation, Suspension and Expulsion

Disciplinary probation, suspension, and expulsion procedures are addressed in the student handbook. Only the president is empowered to expel students for disciplinary reasons. However, a judicial hearing body is responsible for making an expulsion recommendation to the president.

Cheating and Plagiarism

Casper College demands intellectual honesty. Plagiarism or any form of academic dishonesty may result in the offender’s failing the course in which the offense was committed (See Casper College Student Handbook Code of Conduct).

Student Conduct

Casper College is dedicated to providing an academic environment that supports learning and the development of responsible personal and social conduct. Students are expected to treat others with civility, dignity, and respect and abide by all federal, state, and local laws and all college policies, rules, and regulations both on and off campus. Casper College reserves the right to take necessary and appropriate action to protect the safety and well-being of the campus community. The Casper College Student Code of Conduct is a means to communicate the goals of the college and maintain a healthy campus environment (See student handbook).

In addition to policies listed in the Casper College Policy Manual, Academic Catalog, Student Handbook, and any school, department, or program requirements, the Casper College Student Code of Conduct outlines student rights, responsibilities, and prohibited behaviors. The specific items are not meant to serve as an exhaustive list but as a general guideline. Students residing in campus housing are subject to the conduct standards described in the Casper College Residence Hall Handbook, “Terms and Conditions for Occupancy,” and other campus housing materials. Students participating in campus activities and college sports are subject to conduct standards set by the campus team/activity and regulations set by conference, regional, and national organizations responsible for the sanctioning of the sport or activity. Students are responsible for becoming familiar with all conduct policies, rules, and regulations specified in official college publications.

Students who violate the standards may be disciplined. Students have a right to due process to ensure that sanctions taken are appropriate for the code violations, serve as a deterrent, and are educational and corrective. Only the president can expel a student for code violations. Removal from college housing for conduct violations that endangered or have the potential to endanger the life or safety of any person, including the student, or resulted or may result in damage to institutional or private property is considered a reasonable safety response and not a disciplinary sanction for the purposes of this code.

Student Complaints

Students who believe that the college or its employees have treated them unfairly or inequitably may seek resolution through the student grievance policy. The full policy and procedures are available at caspercollege.edu/policies. The vice president for student services is available to review the policy with students. Students may not grieve college policies, procedures, or regulations or sanction issued for code of conduct violations.

Grievances may be addressed through an informal resolution, formal resolution, or grievance hearing. Sexual misconduct violations are referred to the Title IX coordinator and addressed in the sexual misconduct policy.