Academic Policies

The Academic Council, a committee of faculty, administrators, and students, is responsible for developing the academic policies of the University. The Teacher Education Committee and Graduate Teacher Education Committee are responsible for Teacher Education policies. The Graduate Committee sets policy for graduate programs.

Application

Enrollment in a graduate program requires an applicant to apply to the specific graduate program. Application procedures are specific to each graduate program, and applicants should familiarize themselves with the deadlines and materials required for their program of choice in the specific program section of this catalog.

Advising

Because Trevecca's graduate programs are non-traditional and have standardized curricula, advising, though significant, does not follow the traditional pattern. All students begin with a group that takes the same courses on the same schedule. The only exceptions are nondegree seeking students, students who have earned transfer credit, or the occasional student whose program is interrupted. Advising information unique to a program will be given in the specific program section of this catalog. Please read carefully the information in your program section.

Cohort Groups

Most of Trevecca's graduate programs use the cohort model in which an entering group of learners stays together for the entire program. Students receive the schedule of classes for their entire program when a new group begins. Students must be flexible to make up days that may be missed due to inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

Academic Load

Academic Load policies are specific to each program. If you have additional questions, please refer to the program section of this catalog.

• Students in the MSM/MBA Program are considered full-time and are not allowed to take concurrent course work from Trevecca or any other college or university while enrolled, except by special permission of the director.
• Education graduate students at the master's level who are employed full time in the teaching profession may not enroll for more than six hours during the fall and spring semesters. During the summer semester, it may be appropriate to register for up to 12 hours. Master's programs for non-teaching professionals may vary in course load per semester. To receive financial aid, students must be enrolled for a minimum of three semester hours. Six hours is considered a full-time load during the academic calendar year.
• In the Education doctoral program, the maximum class load that may be taken during the fall or spring semester will be four semester hours, plus dissertation project hours. Students will take two courses totaling seven or eight hours during the Intensified Summer Learning Experience.
• In the Clinical Counseling doctoral program, students enroll for nine hours each semester until the third year of the program, which consists of two semesters of six hours each.
• Organizational Leadership is an online two-year program of 36 hours. Learners progress as a cohort one course at a time. Each course is 6 to 8 weeks with one week between courses. The program includes some time off in the summer.

Time Limitations

Course work must be completed within certain time limits of the date of the first registration in a degree program. Students not completing within these time limits must re-enroll and will be charged the tuition rate in effect at the time. The University is not responsible for any changes or delays in graduation for students who change groups, cycles, or who join a cycle already in progress.

• All requirements for master's degrees and the Ed.D. in Clinical Counseling must be met within a six-year period of the beginning date of program.
• Due to the cohort model, all requirements for the doctoral program in Education must be completed within five years.

Withdrawal

A student may withdraw by the end of the second class meeting and receive a grade of W. If a student withdraws from the program, he/she must submit a letter for withdrawal. If the student was in good standing upon withdrawal, the student needs to apply for readmission with the program coordinator/director. The student must meet the degree requirements in effect at the time of re-entry.

Graduation Application

Degree candidates are personally responsible for meeting all requirements for graduation. All candidates for a master's degree must signify the intention to complete the requirements by submitting a completed Application for Graduation form. The form must be received by the date specified below.

Trevecca Nazarene University holds one commencement program in the spring of each academic year. Program specific graduation requirements are listed in the program catalog. All students must successfully complete all academic and professional requirements and satisfy all financial obligations in order to be eligible for graduation and/or for degree conferral.

Incompletes

Students who fail to complete all course requirements on a timely basis due to crisis circumstances may receive the grade of Incomplete (I) at the discretion of the course facilitator. A grade of "I" is given as a result of emergencies and not for unsatisfactory work or failure to submit work. Some reasons incompletes may be granted are sickness, death in the immediate family, required military service, and/or a major life crisis. Students may receive an "I" provided they have demonstrated effort toward meeting the course requirements. In order to receive a temporary grade of "I" and receive an extension of time to complete a course offered through Trevecca, a requests for an incomplete must be made in writing as directed by the individual programs. All requests must be made before the last class session.

The "I" grade must be removed before the end of the following semester or grade becomes a permanent "F." Seniors expecting to graduate must have all "I" grades removed prior to the conferral date.

Change of Grade

After an instructor has submitted a grade in a course, changes may be made only with approval of the dean of the school in which the program is housed. Grades changes are submitted to the individual in charge of the graduate program and must then be submitted to Academic Records.

Academic Grievance Policy for Classes in Process

Students with grievances or problems with the way a particular course is conducted and how their grades are being assigned should submit their concerns in writing to their professor. If the professor's solution is not satisfactory, students may appeal to the professor's department chair in writing for a review of the professor's decision. If the department chair's solution is not satisfactory, students may appeal to the department chair's school dean for a final resolution. If a chair is the professor, the line of appeal would be to the school dean and to the associate provost and dean of academic affairs. If the professor is a dean, then the appeal would be to the associate provost and dean of academic affairs.

Face to face discussions with professors and department chairs about concerns are appropriate, but grievances and outcomes need to be in writing to ensure that all decisions are made with a mutual understanding of the issues.

If a final grade for the course has already been submitted to the Office of Academic Records, the Final Grade Appeal Policy procedure described below should be followed.

Final Grade Appeal Policy and Procedures

Trevecca Nazarene University recognizes a student's right to appeal decisions and practices that affect his or her academic status without fear of punishment or unfair treatment. A student can expect the University to deal with a final course grade appeal sincerely, objectively, within a reasonable time frame, and as appropriate, in confidence. Appeals will be heard when the student alleges that an arbitrary, capricious, or prejudiced evaluation or a mechanical error has occurred. The purpose of the appeal process is to treat all parties fairly and to alert all parties to the appeal procedure. During the appeal, the burden of proof is on the student, except in the case of alleged academic dishonesty, in which case the professor must support the accusation. The student may have an advisor or friend present during all meetings with faculty, administrators, and/or committees; he or she may counsel the student but may not speak for the student during the meetings. The grade appealed shall remain in effect until the appeal process is completed, or the problem resolved.

Order of Appeal

Should a student feel there is concrete reason to appeal a course grade, these procedures should be followed sequentially:

1. The University supports and encourages responsive and respectful dialogue between faculty and students when there is a disagreement about a final course grade. Whatever the nature of the grade appeal, the student must make an effort to first discuss the matter with the faculty member. In order to begin the appeal process, students must initiate a complaint to the faculty member in writing or via e-mail within 15 calendar days of the posting of a final grade. The faculty member will provide a written response within 15 calendar days of receiving the letter or e-mail from the student.
2. If the student is not satisfied with the faculty member's response or lack of response, the student shall contact the person designated in the table as the second level of appeal (either the program director or department chair) within 30 calendar days of the posting of a final grade. The contact needs to be in writing. Upon receipt of the written appeal, the program director or department chair will communicate with the student within 30 calendar days to attempt to resolve the issue.
3. If after the meeting with the program director or department chair, the student is still not satisfied with the decision, the student may choose to file an appeal to the school dean in which the course under appeal is housed. This appeal must be in writing within 15 calendar days of the previous contact with the program director or department chair. The dean will contact the student within 15 calendar days of receiving the appeal in an attempt to resolve the issue. The dean may elect to include or consult with others in evaluating the appeal. The decision of the dean is final.

The following diagram illustrates the order of appeals for specific programs. In the event the professor happens to be a department chair, program director, or dean, the appeal will be submitted to the next higher academic officer. In other words, every student will have the right to have his/her appeal heard by the professor and two other academic administrators.

The student may elect to discontinue the appeal process at any level.

The failure of the student to proceed from one level of the appeal procedure to the next level within the prescribed time limits shall be deemed to be an acceptance of the decision previously rendered. All further considerations and proceedings regarding that particular appeal will cease at that point. Under unusual circumstances, deadlines may be extended.

The following table illustrates the specific person to whom an appeal is directed, depending upon the academic program in which the course under appeal is offered. The three levels of appeal must be followed sequentially.

Traditional Undergraduate

Criminal Justice

Management and Adult Studies

Graduate Education

Graduate MSM/MBA

Graduate Organizational Leadership

Graduate Physician Assistant

Graduate Psychology

Graduate Religion

Rights and Responsibilities

Academic Student Rights

Every graduate student at Trevecca Nazarene University has the right to:

1. Respect as an individual and to forthright, friendly, tactful, and helpful treatment.
2. Ask sincere questions and receive appropriate answers.
3. The expectation that course material reflects the current state of learning in the field.
4. Information in a printed syllabus as to course objectives, requirements, evaluation procedures, and attendance policy.
5. Information from instructors at regular intervals regarding his/her progress in courses.
6. Assignments returned within a reasonable period of time, including corrections and criticisms (oral or written) of the work.
7. A personal consultation with instructor and/or advisor.
8. Consideration of issues related to grades or academic matters relating to a course.
9. Make appeals about grades or academic matters relating to a course using the appeals policy given in this catalog.

Academic Student Responsibilities

1. Attend classes regularly and participate in class discussions.
2. Complete all assignments on time to the best of his/her ability.
3. Know the academic policies of the University as stated in the University and Graduate Catalogs including requirements for graduation.
4. Maintain honesty and integrity in all academic work.
5. Take proper care of equipment and materials used in academic work, such as in the library.
6. Maintain a standard of professional student conduct in the various areas, such as the classroom, library, and practicum sites. The University reserves the right to withdraw any student not in compliance.
7. Communicate through e-mail and appointments with faculty and university personnel.
8. Comply with policies related to dress and conduct as outlined in official university publications.
9. Comply with "Human Subjects" or "Research Requirements." All research involving human subjects must be approved prior to initiating data collection in accordance with guidelines and procedures available from the Institutional Review Board. This information can be accessed on the Institutional Review Board web site: (www.treveca.edu//academics/research/index.html/IRB.html)

FERPA

FERPA ACT

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 guarantees each student the right to know what information the University maintains about individual students and the right to ensure the accuracy of that information. The written institutional policy is as follows:

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students the right to consent to disclosure (release) of personally identifiable information with respect to their educational records. Trevecca Nazarene University designates the following categories of student record information as public or directory information: student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, previous school(s) or college(s), dates of attendance, class, major field of study, awards, honors, degree(s), expected date of completion, full or part time enrollment status, past and present participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and weight and height of athletes.

Students may restrict the release of directory information listed above by submitting a written request to the Office of Academic Records during the first two weeks of the Fall semester.

Trevecca Nazarene University is subject to the provisions of the FERPA (Buckley Amendment) that affords to students certain rights of access to educational records and imposes obligations on the University in the release and disclosure of those records to third parties. The Buckley Amendment regulations, however, allow the University to provide academic progress reports and other academic information to parents if the student is the parent's dependent for federal income tax purposes.

Privacy

Trevecca Nazarene University informs students annually through the Student Handbook of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. This act, with which the institution intends to comply fully, was designed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records, to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings, and to establish guidelines for the release of or access to student records. Students also have the right to file complaints with the Family Educational Right and Privacy Act Office (FERPA) concerning alleged failures by the institution to comply with the act.

Policies for Research Involving Human Subjects

Institutional Review Board

Trevecca Nazarene University's Institutional Review Board (IRB) is responsible for ensuring compliance with established federal and university procedural and ethical guidelines for research.

The mission of the Institutional Review Board is to:

1. Guard and protect the rights and well-being of human subjects,
2. Promote the integrity of researchers in demonstrating leadership and compassion in dealing with their research subjects,
3. Foster community respect for Trevecca's process in carrying out quality research while ensuring the dignity of research participants,
4. Ensure compliance with established federal and university procedural and ethical guidelines.

Responsibilities

The Institutional Review Board will review all research involving human subjects. The IRB may approve, modify, or disapprove any research project not meeting the principles and ethical constrains of governmental or the university's guidelines concerning treatment of human subjects.  The board will be responsible to review initial projects, projects continuing past a 12-month time frame, and any project where the methodology changes substantively.

Researchers under the auspices of the Institutional Review Board:

Everyone whose research involves human subjects should submit an application for approval:

1. All Trevecca faculty, staff, and administrators
2. All doctoral candidates
3. All students doing non-class related research (must be under the supervision of a faculty mentor)
4. All non-Trevecca persons applying to use Trevecca's students, faculty, staff, or administrators in their research
5. All faculty members requiring class-related research must submit a general outline of their students' projects to ensure the safety of human subjects and to establish accountability.

Training

Any research involving humans or human tissues conducted under the auspices of Trevecca Nazarene University must be reviewed by the Trevecca Nazarene University Institutional Review Board (IRB). Research with minimal involvement of human participants, such as surveys or questionnaires, require some procedural IRB review. Anyone whose research project requires IRB review must submit a completed certificate indicating that he or she has completed the training.

The following people may require training, depending on their research:

Doctoral students

Doctoral advisors

Management and Human Resources (MHR) students whose thesis research involves human subjects

MHR thesis advisors

Students conducting non-class-related research under the guidance of a faculty member

Researchers applying to use Trevecca Nazarene University's students, faculty, staff or administrators in their research

For further details and training instructions check Research on the Trevecca Web site: http://www.trevecca.edu/academics/research/index.html/IRB.html

Contact Information

For questions about the Institutional Review Board, human subjects research, or other research-related issues, contact the Chair in the Institutional Review Board via email at IRB@trevecca.edu or by regular mail at the following address:

Institutional Review Board
Office of Academic Affairs
Trevecca Nazarene University
333 Murfreesboro Road
Nashville, TN 37210