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B.S. in Actuarial Science

Otterbein University Course Catalogs

2008-2009 Graduate Catalog 
    
    Nov 30, 2024  
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2008-2009 Graduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Academic Policies

Academic Appeals

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Academic Council, which is a standing committee of the College Senate, is an avenue for students appealing the College’s academic policies and is provided to all students. Details regarding the appeal process are available from the Office of Academic Affairs. Minutes of past Academic Council meetings are on file in the library.

Academic Standing

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Good Standing

Any student pursuing graduate level course work who maintains a minimum cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.0 is in good academic standing.

Probation

Academic Probation occurs when a student’s cumulative grade point average for Otterbein College graduate course work is below a 3.0. Students placed on Academic Probation are required to meet the academic requirements of their probation and be in good standing within two terms of enrollment.

Suspension

Suspension occurs when a student earns less than a 3.0 term graduate grade point average while on Academic Probation. A student will also be suspended when failing to gain good standing in the prescribed two terms. A student may apply for readmission after remaining out of school for at least one year. Graduate level credits earned at another school while a student is under academic suspension cannot be applied toward graduation at Otterbein. All readmission applications must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Programs and acted upon by Academic Council. Other information or steps may be required prior to consideration for readmission as determined by Academic Council. Readmission is not guaranteed. A student may reapply only once.

Dismissal

Dismissal occurs when a student is suspended for the second time or when a suspended student’s readmission is denied by Academic Council. Dismissal is permanent.

Program Specific Policies

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In addition to the College academic standing policy outlined above, some programs may have grade policies that must also be satisfied in order to continue the program. Please refer to your program’s section of this catalog for any additional academic or grade specific requirements.

Undergraduate Course Policy

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Students enrolled in undergraduate classes are required to maintain a cumulative undergraduate grade point average as described in the undergraduate catalog in order to be in good academic standing. Please refer to the Academic Standing portion of the undergraduate catalog. 

Grading

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Graduate school is a process of academic exploration reserved for students who are committed to the high level of work demanded by a master’s degree program. Graduate students are, therefore, held to a higher standard of achievement than undergraduate students. In order to reflect the minimum levels of achievement necessary to award a graduate degree, the grading philosophy, and the grade scales reflective of that process, are considerably different from undergraduate grade scales. Specifically, it is assumed that graduate students will pursue their course work at either an “excellent” or A level or at an “above average” or B level.

Grade policies specific to each program are listed in the appropriate program section. Each student can access his/her grades at the end of each quarter on-line via Cardinal Web for Students at www.otterbein.edu. A permanent transcript of all course work attempted and grades earned is maintained in the Office of the registrar.

Grade Symbols

The following grades from letter-graded courses are included in the calculation of the grade point average (GPA):

A = 100-93% (4.0)
A- = 92-90% (3.7)
B+ = 89-87% (3.3)
B = 86-83% (3.0)
B- = 82-80% (2.7)
C+ = 79-77% (2.3)
C = 76-73% (2.0)
C- = 72-70% (1.7)
D+ = 69-67% (1.3)
D = 66-60% (1.0)
F = 59% and below (0.0)

 The following grades are not included in the calculation of the grade point average:

F = failing from pass/fail graded course
IP = coursework is incomplete; temporary condition
NR = grade not reported by instructor; temporary condition
P = passing from pass/fail graded course
R = repeated course
S = satisfactory from satisfactory/unsatisfactory graded course
T = transfer credit from another institution
U = unsatisfactory from satisfactory/unsatisfactory graded course
W = withdrawal with permission

In-Progress (IP) Grades

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“IP” is the temporary symbol given when course requirements have not been met due to circumstances beyond the student’s control. An incomplete grade should only be considered when the majority of the work required for the course has already been finished. The pressures of a normal academic load or the desire to do extra work in the course are not sufficient reasons for granting an incomplete.

The amount of additional time permitted might be no more than a few days or weeks since it should be proportional to the student’s illness or absence, etc. while remaining fair to others who were enrolled in the course. The IP must be completed no later than the following applicable deadline or sooner if prescribed by the instructor: for Autumn IP’s, the last day of the Winter classes; for Winter IP’s, the last day of Spring classes; and for Spring and Summer IP’s, the last day of Autumn classes.

Due to extraordinary circumstances, an IP completion deadline may be considered for extension. To receive consideration, the student (not the instructor) must submit a written request/rationale to the Vice President for Academic Affairs no later than the fifth Friday of the term the IP is due for completion.

It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor to arrange for completion of the work, and it is the instructor’s responsibility to submit the final grade. When no grade is received, the default grade previously provided by the instructor will be assigned.

Graduate nursing students enrolled in either the Adult or Family Nurse Practitioner clinical courses that require 8-16 hours of clinical hours each week may  receive an IP when all course work is completed with the exception of clinical hours. The clinical hours must be completed within the next two quarters. Graduate nursing students who choose the thesis or scholarly project capstone option will be given an IP until completion of their work. The IPs will then be changed to the appropriate grade.

Grade Discrepancies (Grade Changes)

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Grades submitted to the Registrar’s Office are considered final unless (1) evidence of an error can be presented, or (2) the student is convinced his or her academic performance was evaluated on other than an academic basis or in a prejudiced or capricious manner. Grades may not be changed by arranging to complete additional work or by meeting criteria not in accord with those applied to all otherstudents enrolled in the course.

To appeal a grade, the student must consult with the instructor (or the department chairperson when the instructor is away from campus) no later than the following applicable deadline: for Autumn and Winter grades, the end of Week Three of the following quarter; for Spring and Summer grades, the end of Week Three of Autumn Quarter. Resolution and submission of the revised grade to the Registrar’s Office must occur by the end of the 10th week of those respective quarters. Signatures of both the instructor and the instructor’s department chairperson are required to change a grade.

When a grading issue cannot be resolved through discussions with the instructor or department chairperson, the student may present evidence in writing to the Vice President for Academic Affairs indicating an error, the prejudicial basis, or the capricious manner used in evaluating his or her performance. In all cases, this step must be taken no later than five business days beyond the applicable 10th week deadline indicated in the previous paragraph. The Vice President for Academic Affairs shall consult with the student and instructor after which the appeal may be passed on to the Appeals Council for its consultation and judgment. The actual grade change, if deemed in order by the Appeals Council, shall be determined by the Vice President for Academic Affairs in consultation with the student and the instructor involved (or the applicable Department Chairperson if the instructor is unavailable).

Auditing Courses

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College policy does not permit students to audit graduate courses at Otterbein College.

Repeated Courses

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Students may repeat any course in which they receive a grade lower than an “A”. Both the original and the repeated course and grade earned will remain on the college transcript, but only the most recent grade will be counted as credit earned toward graduation requirements and in the cumulative grade point average. Courses repeated after graduation will not change the graduation GPA.

Reasonable Academic Progress

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The Office of Graduate Programs may deny future registration to a student whose enrollment over three terms does not fulfill program requirements. The  decision to deny registration will be made on the recommendation of the Department’s Director of Graduate Programs. No student will be denied future  registration without first being notified by the Office of Graduate Programs.

A student who has been denied registration and is otherwise eligible to enroll just contact the Department’s Director of Graduate Programs to request permission to reenroll. The Department may determine specific conditions which must be met in order to continue in the graduate program. Upon receiving written permission, the student may reenroll in the original program.

Plagiarism, Cheating and Dishonesty

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It is necessary to ascertain with accuracy an individual’s strengths and weaknesses in order to prepare a proper academic program for students and to evaluate their work. Thus, the “high standard of personal integrity” in the classroom means that an individual will not receive credit for work which is not their own.

In the taking of examinations, any attempt to receive assistance from persons, papers, or printed materials without the permission of the faculty member constitutes dishonesty. This definition applies not only to activities within the examination room, but also any attempt to obtain beforehand copies of examination questions without the faculty member’s consent, including attempts to obtain them from students taking the exam at an earlier time during the year. In short, all such unauthorized procedures constitutes dishonesty. A student who willingly provides assistance not condoned by the College to another student is also in violation, whether or not the student providing the assistance has completed the examination.

In preparing essays, reports, and other out-of-class projects, any use of the words or ideas of someone else as though they were one’s own constitutes plagiarism. This definition applies to the use of both printed and unprinted sources, including the work of other students or faculty. To avoid plagiarism, all borrowed materials must be fully documented. Direct quotations, however small, must be placed in quotation marks or indented beyond the regular margins, and their sources must be clearly identified. Ideas or arguments not directly quoted but paraphrased must also be documented; merely altering the wording does not make their substance a student’s own work. Facts, formulas, and other types of information which are widely known and considered common knowledge in a field do not always require documentation, but a student may not falsely claim the independent derivation or observation of such materials, nor borrow without acknowledgment of someone else’s special arrangement or use of it. When in doubt, the student should consult a member of the faculty. If acceptable methods of documenting borrowed materials are not clear, the student is to consult beforehand with the faculty member who will receive the finished work.

The use of an identical or nearly identical piece of work to fulfill requirements in more than one course without the knowledge of the faculty members involved constitutes dishonesty. If a student wishes to prepare a single piece of work for more than one course, the written permission of both faculty members must be secured beforehand. If a student wishes to submit a revised version of an earlier piece of work, written permission must be secured beforehand and the earlier version must be submitted along with the final version. When in doubt, a student should check with the faculty member.

A faculty member who suspects the student may have committed an act of academic dishonesty shall:

  1. So inform the student and the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs in writing that a violation has occurred.
  2. If the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs informs the faculty member that this is a first violation, then the faculty member may be authorized to determine whether an act of academic dishonesty occurred. Such a final determination may be made only after the student has been given an opportunity for a personal meeting with the faculty member and a representative from the   Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs to discuss the allegation and to present relevant evidence. This meeting shall be conducted in a timely fashion.
  3. Proceedings in first-time violations as resolved by faculty members are informal. The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs will provide the accused student with a written notice of the scheduled meeting at least three days in advance. The purpose of the meeting will be to review and discuss the charges before a final decision is reached. The faculty member could rely upon documentary evidence and written statements as long as the student is allowed to respond to them in the meeting. Students may also be allowed to bring relevant witnesses who are members of the Otterbein community; legal counsel will not be permitted to participate. The faculty member and the representative from the Vice President for Academic Affairs Office who hear the case shall determine whether the student is responsible or not responsible for the act of academic dishonesty. The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs shall impose the sanction in consultation with the faculty member and the chair of the department. Wherever it indicates a violation of the code, the following sanctions may be imposed: failure on the given assignment or a failing grade for the course. The student may appeal such action through the Vice President for Academic Affairs to Appeals Council. A second violation will be reviewed by Judicial Council and may subject the  student to suspension or dismissal as determined by the Council. Decisions of the Judicial Council are subject to appeal to the Appeals Council according to the procedures in Article VIII of the College Bylaws.

Dishonesty

In addition to acts of plagiarism and cheating, acts of dishonesty include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. Furnishing false information to any College official, faculty member or office.
  2. Forgery, alteration or misuse of any College document, record or instrument of identification.
  3. Falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation of information before a judicial body.
  4. If a student provides false information related to his/her housing arrangements, he/she will be expected to pay  for housing costs for the entire academic year and be charged with falsifying  records.

Acts of dishonesty as aforementioned constitute a Level IV violation, and will be referred to Judicial Council. See The Honor Code for additional information.

Time Limit for Program Completion

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After a student has been admitted to the graduate program, continuous progress toward completion of the degree is expected. The time limit for the completion of graduate course work is five years for the Master of Arts in Education, Master of Arts in Teaching, and Master of Business Administration programs. The time limit is six years for the Master of Science in Nursing program and three years for the Post Masters in Nursing programs. The time limit is computed from the first date credit is recorded on the college transcript until the program curriculum requirements are completed. Extensions are only considered if there is adequate and unusual cause beyond the control of the student for failure to meet the time limit policy. Petitions requesting extension of the time limit must be submitted to the Program Director for the MAE, MAT, and MBA programs. Petitions requesting extension of the time limit for graduate Nursing programs must be submitted to the Nursing Curriculum Committee.

Graduation

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In order to participate in graduation, a student must:

  1. Complete all academic degree requirements.
  2. Request and submit a fully signed Application for Degree. This can be done online thru the Registrar’s commencement website, www.otterbein.edu/registrar.
  3. Submit any additional required paperwork as specified in the Application for Degree.
  4. Meet all outstanding financial obligations.

As the commencement ceremony approaches, detailed information will be sent to students who have applied for graduation. This same information is available at any time on the Registrar’s website, www.otterbein.edu/registrar. For specific program completion requirements, please refer to the applicable departmental pages in this catalog.

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