Academic Policies

Ricks College Religion Requirement

Policies

Academic Standards

Credits and Grades

Mid-Semester (Block) Registration

Veterans Benefits

Confidentiality of Student Records

Registrar's Office
The Registrar's Office processes all student records after the student has been accepted by the Admissions Office. Registration, graduation, and the handling and dispersing of all forms that affect student records are processed by the Registrar's Office. Transcripts are posted here and mailed out upon written request from the student.

RICKS COLLEGE RELIGION REQUIREMENT

POLICIES

Transcripts Requests
Transcripts of your academic record cannot be ordered over the telephone. You must come to the Registrar's Office and present your photo ID to request a transcript in person. If you are requesting a transcript by mail or fax, the following information must be included: Full name and all names used while attending Ricks, your U.S. Social Security Number, or the Ricks ID number, date of birth, your dates of attendance, your current mailing address, and the address where the transcript is to be mailed. Your request must include your signature. The fee for each official transcript requested is $2.00. If the request is received by fax, you must include credit card information (card number, expiration date and name of cardholder). A minimum fee of $5 will be charged to your account. The fee may be more if multiple transcripts are requested. If a transcript is to be faxed, the fax charge is an additional $3.00. The Registrar's Office fax number is (208) 356-1035.

Full-Time Student Status
Students must be registered for 12 credit hours to be considered full-time. Full-time status is required for International students, for full Pell Grant awards, Stafford Student Loans, SLS, PLUS, private scholarships, on-campus employment, health insurance coverage, varsity athletic competition, Social Security benefits, full Veterans' benefits, running for student government offices and fulfilling major appointive offices in student government. The full-time equivalency for Block registration is 6 credit hours and 4 credit hours for the Summer terms.

Attendance and Absence From Class
Students are responsible for class attendance. No absences, whether approved by the College for participation in College-sponsored activities or necessitated by sickness or other personal emergencies, are "excused" in the sense that the student is relieved from work assigned or carried out by the class during the absence. To ensure continuity, students must make up work missed. In most cases, repeated absences will result in a lower grade or a failure.

Academic Honesty
To be in compliance with the Ricks College Code of Honor, students are expected to be honest in all academic work and to help others fulfill the same responsibility. One serious form of academic dishonesty is plagiarism, i.e., presenting another person's writing or ideas as if they were one's own. Most writing required at Ricks College will consist of the student's own composition. To avoid plagiarizing, care must be taken to accurately identify and credit information that is not original with the student.

Minor offenses will result in an "F" on the exam or assignment. It may also be necessary to repeat the work and still receive a reduced grade for the course. Major offenses involving premeditated cheating will result in an "F" for the course and action by the Dean of Students Office such as probation or dismissal from school. Some offenses may also have legal implications.

Accused students will always have the right to know the specific charge, hear the evidence and have an appropriate hearing, if needed.

Adding and Dropping Classes
Whenever class changes become necessary, students may obtain specific information from the Registrar's Office.

Instructor-Initiated Drop Policy

Students in Audition Courses
In courses requiring an audition, the Instructor will initiate a drop for those students not selected. These administrative drops will be processed without penalty and must be filed by the Instructor with the Registrar's Office no later than the tenth class day of the semester.

Students who do not attend the first two class meetings
Students in high-demand courses, i.e., English, Religion, etc., who do not attend the first two class meetings may be dropped by the Instructor and replaced with another student. In some instances such action may jeopardize financial aid or health insurance eligibility. In such cases Ricks College assumes no responsibility. Students who have attended at least one class period are not subject to this policy. Students who have registered but have no intention of successfully completing a course should officially drop the course rather than risking an "F" by assuming the Instructor will process an administrative drop. Classes may be dropped by submitting an Add-Drop Card.

Withdrawal From College
Official withdrawal from Ricks is initiated in the Dean of Students Office. Failure to withdraw correctly will result in failing grades in all classes for which the student has registered.

When a student withdraws from school for academic reasons in the middle of a semester/term, the student must apply for readmission. Non-academic reasons would include (1) fatal illness or death of an immediate family member, or (2) serious illness of the student. Each of these non-academic circumstances must be documented. Students who withdraw from Ricks after the Last Day to Withdraw from School Without Receiving Grades Earned, will have grades recorded on their academic record.

Exceptions to College Policy
Students wishing to appeal any Ricks academic policy must submit a petition to the Exceptions to College Policy Committee through the Registrar's Office. These exceptions may include dropping classes or withdrawing from school after published deadlines. Only Ricks College policies can be appealed; Federal guidelines and/or requirements cannot be appealed through this Committee.

ACADEMIC STANDARDS
Probation, Suspension,Re-Admission, and Dismissal

Your academic standing at Ricks is determined by two measures of your work. One is your GPA (grade point average). and the other is the satisfactory progress you make in completing courses in which you enroll each semester. Grades are considered to be either "progress" grades or "non-progress" grades. "Progress" grades are in the D- to A range; "non-progress" grades are "F and W".

Satisfactory Academic Standing
You are making satisfactory academic progress when your cumulative GPA is 2.0 or above and when more than 75 percent of your final grades in your most recent semester are "progress" grades. The 75 % policy is tracked only for full time (12 or more credits) students; it is not tracked for Second Block students or Summer School Term students.

Academic Probation
You will be placed on academic probation when your cumulative GPA, (including transfer courses) is between 1.00 and 1.99 or when your progress is below 75 percent in your most recent semester.

If, while on probation, you complete the next semester/term with a 2.0 or better (calculated on 12 earned semester credits/6 credits for block/4 credits for the Summer Terms), but do not raise your cumulative GPA to a 2.0 or better, you will be continued on probation rather than being placed on suspension. You will be removed from probation only when your Cumulative GPA reaches 2.0 or better.

When you are placed on probation, you should contact your faculty advisor immediately. It is also recommended that you take advantage of the resources in the Study Skills Lab, Reading Lab, Writing Center and Tutoring Center. You should also plan to repeat those courses in which you received a D or F grade.

If you are receiving college or federal financial aid, check with the Financial Aid Office to see if you are still eligible. If you have an on-campus job, check with the Student Employment Office to see if you are still eligible.

Academic Suspension
One or more of three situations will cause you to be placed on academic suspension:
(1) When your first semester/term, or any subsequent semester/term, GPA is below 1.0, you will be suspended immediately;
(2) When on academic probation, you fail to bring your cumulative GPA to 2.0 or above, or when you fail to receive at least a 2.0 GPA for the semester/block/term (with 12 credits/6 credits/4 credits); or
(3) When you fail to achieve 75% satisfactory progress in two consecutive semesters.Suspended students are denied continued enrollment at Ricks. Therefore, if you are suspended and desire to return to Ricks, you must meet the provisions for re-admission as explained below.

If you have pre-registered and/or paid any tuition for a subsequent semester/term, you must withdraw from school and arrange for a tuition refund.

Re-Admission
After being placed on academic suspension, two conditions for readmission must be met:
(1) Students on academic suspension will not be allowed to return to Ricks for twelve months (two major semesters and all three Summer Terms). For example: If you are placed on academic suspension in December 1997, you may not apply for re-admission until Winter Semester 1999 (missing Winter 1998 Summer 1998, and Fall 1998; or if you are placed on academic suspension in May 1998, you may not apply for re-admission until Fall Semester 1999 (missing Fall 1998, Winter 1999, and Summer 1999).
(2) Students will be allowed to return only if they have completed 12 semester (18 quarter) credits with a 2.0 GPA at another college or university; or if they have completed a full-time mission for the Church.

Academic Dismissal
Students who have been academically suspended from Ricks for a second time are usually placed on academic dismissal. Your academic history will be carefully reviewed by the Academic Standards Committee, and school officials may determine that you have exhausted your opportunities to study and progress academically at Ricks. If you wish to continue your formal education, you will need to seek other options.

CREDITS AND GRADES

Credits Earned
Credits may be earned and recorded at Ricks College in accordance with the following provisions:
a). In residence - Consists of attendance in regular school classes or extension classes in established residence centers for which a passing grade is received.
b). In nonresidence - Consists of correspondence or extension work in nonresidence centers. Total residence and nonresidence hours may not exceed a normal level.

Credit Hour Limit
The maximum number of credit hours students may earn and remain at Ricks is 80 credit hours. Students wishing to continue at Ricks must justify exceeding the 80 credit limit through a petition submitted to the Academic Standards Committee. Exceptions are automatically made for students majoring in Nursing, Interior Design, and Paramedicine programs.

Special Examinations
Permission to earn credit by special examination must be obtained from the Department Chairman involved. Application for credit by special examination may be made through the Registrar's Office.

Advanced Placement Policy
Students who complete an Advanced Placement course in high school and receive a grade of 3, 4, or 5 on the corresponding College Advanced Placement Examination may be granted up to 6 semester credits in that subject (see below). Contact the Registrar's Office for additional information.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Students may receive college credit for CLEP exam as specified on the approved list in the Registrar's Office. To receive credit, a student must score a minimum of 610 on the English general exam, 500 on the other general exam (with the exception of Math) and 50 on subject exam. Earned credit hours will be posted as CLEP credit with a "P" grade. Such credit may not be converted to a letter grade or correlated with an existing Ricks College course.

NOTE: BYU will not accept CLEP scores below 610 or subject exam below 50. Students intending to transfer credit by examination should check with potential institutions for specific credit-by-exam transfer policies.

Vertical Credit
Subject to Department Chair approval, students who have earned a grade of “C” or better in a class for which there are prerequisite course(s) they have not taken, may be given credit and a “Pass” grade for the prerequisite course(s). To apply, students must consult with the appropriate Department Chair. If he or she approves, an application may be picked up at the Registrar’s Office, where a credit fee will be assessed. The fee is $15 for 0.5 to 3.0 credits, with an additional $5 per credit, but not to exceed $25. Although vertical credit counts toward total credit requirements for graduation, no grade is given for GPA computation.

Grading System
Grades are determined by each Instructor based upon an evaluation of all assigned and completed course work. Classroom/laboratory participation, mastery of subject matter and promise of continuing success in sequential courses in related fields are all valuable criteria used to evaluate progress.
"A" is an honor grade indicating superior achievement.
"B" is an honor grade indicating commendable achievement.
"C" indicates satisfactory achievement.
"D" indicates substandard progress and insufficient evidence of ability to succeed in sequential courses.
"W" indicates a withdrawal from the class. However, if the class is dropped during the first ten class days of a semester, the first six class days of second block, or the first four class days of a summer term, no annotation will be made on the permanent academic record.
"F" indicates a failure to master pertinent information or skills.
"I" is a conditional grade indicating the student has earned a passing grade in work accomplished but has not completed all course work due to uncontrollable circumstances. It is not a substitute for a failing grade and may be given only when prescribed course work can be given without further attendance in the classroom. Fees and special instructions for the "I" are available at the Registrar's Office.

NOTE: The following table indicates each grade variant at Ricks College with its equivalent grade points:

Audit Classes
Tuition for audit classes is assessed on the same basis as for credit classes ( see Financial Poilcies). Students may not change class status from audit to credit after the deadline has passed for adding classes.Students who audit a class are not responsible for attendance, daily preparations or examinations, and, no grade is reported or recorded on the permanent record. An "I" grade may not be made up by repeating the class as an audit.

Pass/Fail Classes
Ricks College offers a limited number of "Pass/Fail" classes. Students in these classes receive no letter grade; instead, they either pass or fail depending on whether or not they have met the class criteria. All pass credits count toward graduation, but are not included in GPA calculations.

Amounts of Credit Per Term
Sixteen credit hours per semester are recommended for full-time students. Eighteen credit hours is the recommended maximum. Students may take additional credits after consulting with their faculty advisor. Students are charged a non-refundable fee of $30 for each credit beyond 21. Half credits are charged the same as one full credit.

Class Periods
Regular semester class periods last fifty minutes. Regular semester laboratory periods run either two or three hours. Three hours of laboratory work or two hours laboratory work and one hour outside preparation per week are required for one semester credit hour.

Repeating Classes
Some courses at Ricks are repeatable for credit (ie., 100-level classes and internship); however, these cannot be repeated without losing the credit earned the first time the course was taken. For example, if a student takes REl. 121 one semester and receives a passing grade, and takes the same course again in later semester, the student will earn only two credits, not four.

Students may repeat classes in the following ways:
a). Repeat at Ricks classes taken at Ricks.
b). Repeat at Ricks classes taken at another college. (A statement of equivalency must be supplied by the appropriate Ricks department chairman.)
c). Repeat at another college classes taken there and have the credit transferred to Ricks.
d). Repeat at another college classes taken at Ricks, and have the credit transferred to Ricks.

NOTE: When a class has been repeated, the grade used to calculate the GPA is the last grade earned and not the better of the two grades.

NOTE: When planning to repeat a class at Ricks that was taken at another college, students intending to transfer should be sure the transfer school will accept the repeated class.

NOTE: some classes at Ricks can be repeated for credit, ie., 100-level P.E. classes and internship.

Academic Renewal
Under certain circumstances, Ricks College allows students to petition for academic renewal. If approved, this eliminates previous poor academic work, either at Ricks or elsewhere, from the student academic record. Before petitioning for academic renewal, the following conditions must be met:
a). A minimum of four years must have elapsed since the most recent course work to be disregarded was completed.
b). The student must have completed at least one semester at Ricks as a full-time student (12 credits or more) with a grade point average of at least 2.5.

If academic renewal is approved, the permanent academic record is annotated to indicate that no work taken during the disregarded semester(s), even if satisfactory, shall be applied toward graduation requirements. All work remains on the records, however, to ensure a true and accurate academic history.

This policy may not be used for individual courses. Students intending to transfer to another institution should also be aware that this policy may not be accepted.

Academic renewal may be applied only once during an academic career at Ricks College.

GPA Requirements
Students must be making satisfactory academic progress (2.0 GPA) to represent the school in extracurricular activities.

Credit Requirements
To be eligible for various benefits, honors and activities, students must be enrolled in the hours indicated:14 semester credits -- Honor Roll.12 semester credits -- Ricks College scholarships, full Veterans benefits, full Pell Grants, selected loans and grants, campus employment, athletic competition, Social Security benefits, running for student government offices or fulfilling major appointive offices in student government, health insurance coverage, international students, Stafford Student Loans, and SLS and PLUS loans.9 1/2 semester credits -- student activity privileges and student voting.

MID-SEMESTER (BLOCK) REGISTRATION

To add flexibility, students may begin some courses of study at the mid-semester point and earn approximately one-half the regular full-semester credit. In such block classes, periods are doubled thus allowing the students to complete the course by the close of the regular semester. "Block" students may register for no more than 10 semester credits. Tuition and fees are reduced in accordance with the number of credits taken.

VETERANS BENEFITS

Students receiving Veterans benefits must make satisfactory academic progress. Any time such students change enrollment, which includes changing from semester to second block classes, their benefits are also changed. In such cases, the Veterans Affairs Office will determine the last date of attendance and report findings to the Veterans Administration Office.

CONFIDENTIALITY OF STUDENT RECORDS

With the passage of the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 specific requirements have been placed upon colleges and universities concerning student records.

Upon presenting appropriate identification, and under circumstances that preclude alteration or mutilation, students may inspect all records not considered to be confidential or private. Students are entitled to an explanation of any recorded data and may request a hearing, if necessary, to correct or expunge information they consider inaccurate or misleading.

Faculty and administrative officers who have a legitimate need for student records will be allowed access without the prior permission of the student. Data will also be furnished to college accrediting bodies and government officials without student permission.

No other party or person will be given access to student academic information without written consent of the student.

Public domain information may be released to the news media and authorized persons upon request. Such information includes the following:
1. Name of student.
2. Local address and telephone number.
3. Current class schedule.
4. Hometown, state and telephone number.
5. Year in school (freshman, etc.).
6. Verification of current enrollment
7. Dates of enrollment.
8. Department or division in which enrolled.
9. Academic degree verification.
10. Name of parent or spouse.
11. Student Photograhps.
12. Student E-mail addresses.

Students have the right to block the release of their public directory information (such as name, address, phone number, class schedule, etc.) by completing a “Request to Withhold Directory Information” at the Registrar’s Office. For complete confidentiality, this form must be completed within the first few days of each semester/term.

Copies of the Ricks policy on Confidentiality of Student Records are available upon request at the Registrar's Office.

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