Academic Policies

Class Attendance

Classes are conducted with a view to helping students develop in knowledge and character. Student’s attendance is assumed. If absences occur, the student is responsible for work missed. Because classes differ in purpose and character, individual teachers determine their specific requirements in course syllabi. All faculty are to include their attendance policies, if any, and to define absences, tardies, early exits, and the effect that these may have upon grades. Appeals relating to attendance are addressed first to the teacher.

A student who is absent from all classes for more than two weeks consecutively without contacting the Registrar or Office of the Provost to explain the reason for his or her absences may be dropped from all course enrollments with grades of “F” and administratively withdrawn from the University.

Class absences necessitated by required participation in University-sponsored activities are excused through the Office of the Provost. The faculty or staff member submits a list of students participating, and the Office of the Provost informs teachers of times the students are to be excused.

Class Schedules

Most classes are scheduled in fifty or seventy-five minute periods. Normally the instructional day begins at 8:00 a.m. and runs until 9:20 p.m. during weekdays. Selected courses may meet on Saturdays. A chapel service, during which no classes meet, is scheduled at mid-morning on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The student arranges a schedule according to the requirements of his or her own program. The University reserves the right to cancel any courses for which there is not sufficient registration.

End of Term Assignments and Final Exams

To insure that students are able to focus their attention more fully on preparation for their final exam, Northwest has the following guidelines:

During the last three weeks of the semester and during finals week, all written assignments, daily assignments, papers, presentations, projects, exams or quizzes should be due only if they were part of the original course syllabus. To provide students adequate time to prepare, final exams and major unit exams must be given during finals week. Requests for exceptions to this policy must be made by departments to the Academic Affairs Committee. During the last week of classroom instruction every effort should be made by the campus community to minimize assignments and campus activities.

Special Courses

Periodically, the University offers students the opportunity to register for courses that do not meet in the traditional classroom format. At times, a Special Topic may be offered over a specific area of study to enrich the curriculum. At other times, a student may desire to work with a faculty member through Independent or Directed Studies in a specific discipline. The Courses of Instruction section lists Special Courses and a brief definition of each. In all cases, a professor will insure the proper quantity and quality of work assigned and performed. The student’s advisor must approve the registration schedule, including Special Courses. Ultimately, the student is responsible to insure that all registered courses satisfy specific degree requirements.

Course Repeats

Students may repeat any course for the purpose of changing a grade. The latest completed course grade is considered the grade of record as it pertains to credit toward graduation and to the official transcript. (Grades of W, WU, and WS are not considered completed course grades.) The earlier grade is replaced by an “R” designation and the credit value is not considered toward graduation or GPA computations.

Auditing Courses

An auditor is a person who wants to sit in a class but not be held responsible for the course work. At no time will an auditor have space priority over an enrolled student. Out of courtesy, the auditor will not participate in discussions except as allowed in consultation with the professor. An audited class requires the prior permission of the professor and is not recorded on the student’s transcript.

Academic Honesty

Northwest University expects honesty from students in all areas, including their academic lives. Academic dishonesty is a serious violation of Christian standards and may result in the students’ receiving an “F” in the course, being dismissed from the course, or possibly being dismissed from the University. Instances of academic dishonesty are typically reported to the Office of the Provost.

Academic dishonesty includes cheating on assignments or examinations, submitting the same (or essentially the same) paper in more than one course without prior consent of the current assigning professor(s), sabotaging another student’s work, and plagiarizing. Plagiarism is “using someone else’s ideas or phrasing and representing those ideas or phrasing as our own, either on purpose or through carelessness” (MLA).

Any student disciplined by a faculty member for alleged academic dishonesty has the right to appeal the disciplinary action. The student should initiate his/her appeal according to procedures outlined in the Northwest University Student Academic Appeals Policy, which is available in the Office of the Provost or the Student Development Office.

Enrollment Certifications

The Registrar's Office certifies official enrollment verifications after the last day to add/drop classes.