Academic Expectations and Polices

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

The academic program of the University includes all persons and activities related directly to registration, the program of instruction, and the recording and reporting of grades. Details concerning academic requirements and procedures are contained in the Academic Catalog. Information in this part of this handbook is designed to be explanatory in nature and should not be used as a substitute for your Academic Catalog.

REGISTRATION FOR CLASSES

Course schedules are generally available in October and March for the next semester. Students should schedule appointments with the advisor to select courses for registration. Registration opens in early November and early April and remains open for approximately three weeks. Registration is prioritized by class level with seniors having the first opportunity to register, then juniors, then sophomores, and then freshmen.

ADDING, DROPPING, OR WITHDRAWING FROM A COURSE

Students may make changes to their current academic schedule during the specified DROP/ADD period. Students are not permitted to add classes after this date but may withdraw from courses in progress up to the published withdrawal date.

When making changes to schedules, students should always be aware of the number of hours in which they are registered, as changes in full-time/part-time status or overload fees may affect financial aid, residential, or athletic eligibility status.

ACADEMIC ADVISING & SUPPORT SERVICES

Each student is assigned a faculty advisor and success coach prior to initial registration who assist the student in all matters related to academics, including selection of a major, which courses to take, and academic requirements for graduation.

Students are encouraged to stay in contact with their faculty advisor concerning academic performance. The University provides several support services to aid students in their academic endeavors. The Writer’s Studio, the Quantitative Literacy Center, and other Tutoring which includes rtutor.com, provide tutoring in various subjects. Information on these services can be obtained from your advisor from Student Success. Other people who can be of help are the Residence Life staff, Student Success Coaches, and the University Counselor(s).

ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS

Intellectual honesty and integrity are the cornerstones of Coker University’s educational mission. Student academic work is expected to represent unquestionably the student’s own thoughts and words. Students must thoroughly and appropriately acknowledge sources for words or ideas that have been generated by others, to include AI/ChatGPT. It is each student’s responsibility to be familiar with appropriate citation techniques and to acknowledge the intellectual and creative contributions of others in all academic work done at the University.

Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism, or failing to appropriately cite sources. Any form of academic dishonesty is wholly incompatible with the Coker University Student Covenant, the Mission of the University, and generally understood standards of ethical academic behavior. Academic dishonesty is among the most serious of violations that might be committed at the University; for that reason, penalties for academic dishonesty may include:

penalties assessed to the assignment, or
penalties assessed to the course grade, or
suspension or expulsion from the University

In cases of academic dishonesty, the instructor may elect to take direct action or refer the matter to the Office of the Provost to arrange review by an academic hearing panel composed of members serving on the Academic Standards Committee of the Faculty Senate. Should an instructor choose to take direct action, the instructor should inform both the student and the Office of the Provost. The Office of the Provost maintains a record of all reported academic dishonesty cases and multiple offenses may result in additional penalties. A student who believes a penalty has been unduly or unfairly assessed may appeal by way of the grade appeal process articulated in this section.

Cheating:

A student is guilty of cheating when the student wrongfully gives, takes, or receives unauthorized assistance or information in the preparation of academic work to be submitted for course credit, or in fulfillment of a University requirement, including re-purposing material from another assignment or course without providing proper attribution by citing the original content.

Plagiarism:

A student is guilty of plagiarism when the student submits work purporting to be the student’s own, but which in fact, borrows ideas, organization, wording, or anything else from other sources — a published article, a chapter of a book, a friend’s paper, AI/ChatGPT, etc. — without appropriate source acknowledgement. Plagiarism, as a form of cheating, also includes employing or allowing another person to alter or revise the academic work the student submits as the student’s own. Students may generally discuss assignments among themselves or with an instructor or tutor, but the actual work must be done by the student alone. When an assignment involves research with outside sources of information, the student must carefully acknowledge exactly what they are, and where and how they have been employed.

Source Acknowledgement:

All members of the Coker University community are expected to adhere to the strictest standards regarding acknowledgement of the use of another person’s words, ideas, opinions or theories. Individual instructors and disciplines may employ different methods of citation and acceptable sources (e.g., Sources taken from the Internet may not be acceptable in some classes). It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with the guidelines for citation in their various courses.

Direct Quotation:

All verbatim quotations, regardless of length, must be appropriately footnoted or otherwise attributed to the original source.

Paraphrase. To avoid using extremely long quotations, paraphrasing is recommended. Any paraphrased ideas or phrases must be appropriately footnoted or otherwise cited.
General Acknowledgement. If a piece of academic work has been generally or specifically influenced by the words or ideas of another person, that source must be cited, even if quotation or paraphrasing of text is not employed.
Collaboration. Only when permitted by the instructor are students allowed to collaborate with others in their work. If collaboration is permitted, the use of another student’s ideas or work must be properly cited.

Students should contact their instructors for the specific standards and methods that might apply to individual academic assignments or courses. The information above should serve only as a general guideline for acknowledgment of sources at the University.

Intellectual Property:

Intellectual property created by a student, the student shall be the sole owner of the property unless that property was created under contract to the University or the University provided unusual funds, facilities or other support for the creation of the property. In such cases, specific agreements between the University and the student will determine the nature of ownership of the property.

FINAL GRADE APPEAL(S) PROTOCOL

Occasionally there are serious misunderstandings between the student and the instructor as to the grade awarded to the student. For those unusual situations the following procedure should be followed.

Procedural Steps of Grade Appeal:

Within two weeks of the posting date of the grade report, the student must make a reasonable effort to discuss the problem with the instructor. If that is not possible*, or if the issue is still not settled as a result of the discussion, then the student should submit a written appeal** to the Dean of that School/College. This appeal must be submitted within thirty days of the posting date of the grade report. It is the prerogative of the Office of the Provost to extend this deadline.
- *For example, the instructor has moved or is on leave or is incapacitated.** The appeal should be made on a form supplied by the Office of the Provost and should specify the student's reasons for requesting a review of the grade. Any supporting documents should be attached. The appeal should also include an authorization to record personal testimony and to permit the School/College Dean, and potentially the Academic Hearing Panel and the Provost, to gain access to the student's records pertinent to the appeal process. If the appeal comes before the Academic Hearing Panel, all records pertinent to the appeal will be kept on file in the Office of the Provost.
The Dean will contact the instructor of the course in question for any written rationale and documentation the instructor would like to provide. Upon review of all submitted documents, the School/College Dean may A) attempt to mediate between the involved parties, B) render the appeal to the Academic Hearing Panel, or C) elect to render a decision by direct action.

Policies of the Grade Appeal Process at the Committee Phase:

The Academic Hearing Panel shall be composed of members serving on the Academic Standards Committee of the Faculty Senate. See “Participants in the Judicial System & their Responsibilities” under “The University Judicial Process & Policies” section of this Handbook for more information. The Academic Hearing Panel will serve as an unbiased board of review for grade appeals. Its decision may be to confirm, to raise, or to lower the appeal grade.
If a faculty member whose grade is being appealed is an Academic Hearing Panel member, that member will be recused from further deliberations on the appeal. If a student who is appealing a grade is a member of the Panel, the student will recuse him/herself from further deliberations on the appeal. A replacement member may be appointed at the discretion of the Provost. The Panel will have access to any relevant official records of the University and from the instructor as deemed necessary for its review. The Panel may request expert opinions from other faculty members and other university officials.
The review by the Panel shall normally be based on written documents. The Panel shall reserve the right to request that the student or the instructor be present for the hearing. In the event that the student or instructor is asked to be present at the review, the other party shall have the right to attend as well. In all other cases, the Panel shall make its review based on those written documents submitted. Therefore, both the student and the instructor should be sure to submit any documents they believe to be relevant to the review. The Panel should normally render a decision within 30 working days of receipt of all documents, exclusive of days in which the University is not in regular fall or spring semester session.
The Panel will not consider the appeal unless a quorum is present. If a quorum is present, a majority vote of those present will constitute official action by the Panel. The Panel Chair will inform the Dean of its decision regarding the appeal.
The Panel’s decision will constitute a recommendation for action by the Dean, who shall either implement the Panel's decision or demur, and will accordingly inform the student, the instructor, and the Office of Academic Records.
The decision of the Panel and/or the Dean is subject to appeal to the Provost of the University, who may review for direct action or may appoint a panel of no fewer than three faculty members not previously involved in the review to make a recommendation for action on the appeal. The decision rendered at this stage shall be final.

Timeline for Student Final Grade Appeal(s) Process:

Student makes reasonable effort to discuss problem with instructor.
If issues are not resolved, student should contact the Dean and explain the situation.
If issues are still not resolved, student should submit a written appeal (refer to Grade Appeal Form) within 30 days of the posting date of the grade report. The appeal should include student authorization for the Dean and the Office of the Provost to record personal testimony and to access to student’s records pertinent to the appeal.
The Dean and the Office of the Provost shall facilitate the remainder of the appeal’s process.

WITHDRAWAL POLICY

Withdrawing from the University (i.e., ceasing to be enrolled in any class) can have serious academic and financial consequences if not handled properly. A student should never simply stop attending class with no official notice to the University. When a student is considering withdrawal or transfer to another institution, the matter should be discussed with the student's advisor, another faculty member, and/or a member of the University staff. Once the student makes a decision to withdraw, he/she should obtain a withdrawal form from the Office of Academic Records. Residential students will need to vacate their room in the residence halls on the same day as their withdrawal.

If a student withdraws from classes after the drop/add date, but before the withdrawal date, a grade of “W” will be recorded. If the student wishes to request a withdrawal after the deadline due to extenuating circumstances (e.g. for medical reasons), he/she must furnish a written letter & proper documentation to the Office of the Provost outlining the circumstances under which he/she makes this request.

WITHDRAWAL - MANDATORY/ADMINISTRATIVE

Occasionally a student is disruptive to the community or educational process of the University. This may occur if the student is deemed to be a danger to himself/herself, other University community members, University property, and/or there is a reasonable doubt whether or not the student can benefit from the educational programs at the University. In such cases, the Senior Director of Student Experience, or his/her designee, may impose an administrative withdrawal from the University. A student withdrawn under this procedure may not be re-enrolled in the University without approval of the Senior Director of Student Experience, or his/her designee. Prior to approval for re-admittance, the Senior Director of Student Experience, or designee, may outline certain requirements to be completed by the student.

Administrative withdrawal will become effective immediately and without prior notice when University officials or the Behavior Intervention Team feel that the continued presence of the student on campus will pose a threat to himself/herself, to others, or to the stability or continuance of normal University functions. Specific behaviors which may constitute grounds for administrative withdrawal may include, but are not limited to, suicide gestures or attempts; infliction of bodily harm; alcohol poisoning; drug overdose/abuse; refusal of medical transport; criminal charges; and concerns expressed by community members regarding extreme behavior.

If a currently enrolled student is charged with a crime that would also be a violation of University regulations, the student may be administratively withdrawn until the case has been resolved by the court system. Upon final resolution of the charges, the submission of an application for readmission, and presentation of final evidence of the court’s ruling, the Admissions Committee will review all information. The Admissions Committee reserves the right to accept or deny the application for readmission.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

A student may request an official leave of absence not to exceed one year. When a student anticipates being out of school beyond one semester, the student should complete a “Leave of Absence Request” form found under “Academics” in CobraStop. When official leave of absence is granted, it will not be necessary for the student to go through the process of readmission to the University if the student returns in the semester or term designated in the request and if the student informs the Office of Academic Records of his/her intention to return two weeks prior to the enrollment period. A student who has been on leave of absence may return under the requirements of the catalog when he/she was first admitted.

REFUND POLICY

The refund policy applies to all students enrolled at Coker University. Refunds will be administered under the policy in place at the beginning of the enrollment period. Students may find a copy of the refund policy in the current Academic Catalog, or it may be obtained from the Office of Student Accounts.

STUDENTS ON SUSPENSION FROM THE UNIVERSITY

Students on academic or judicial suspension from Coker University may not use any Coker University facilities nor participate in any of the activities, services, or programs of Coker University without special permission from the Vice President of Student Success. When the term(s) of suspension has/have been served, application for readmission may be made to the Office of Admissions.

ABSENCE FROM CLASSES FOR PERSONAL REASONS

If you experience an emergency or situation that requires you to miss classes, your responsibilities are to:

Contact your professors to inform them of your absence. Individual professors employ different policies on student attendance. It is recommended that you contact them by both telephone and e-mail. Concerns about absence policies and exceptions should be addressed to the Office of the Provost.
In the event communication cannot be made with the instructor, students should contact the Dean of Student Success (843-383-8035). For emergencies that happen at night, contact Campus Safety (843-383-8140).

If you must leave a message regarding your absence, remember to include the following information: name, phone number where you can be reached, length of expected absence, and nature of emergency.

You should be aware that even in cases of legitimate emergency, there may be negative academic consequences from your missing classes or exams.

Extended Leave of Absence from Campus

Academic Calendars are published well in advance of each semester. Students enrolled in seated classes are expected to be present on campus for classes from the beginning of the semester and through the end of the final exam period.

If a student is experiencing a situation that would require them to be away from campus for more than 1 week, that student should contact their dean via email, offering details about the dates of the expected absence (or their request to leave school early at the end of the semester) and a justification for why the request should be supported.

The dean will review the students schedule, confer with other deans whose faculty may be affected, and with the VP of Athletics where appropriate, and make a recommendation for how the student’s request should (or should not) be supported. This recommendation will be communicated with each of the student’s instructors. Where appropriate, officers in athletics, student life and the CARE team will also be consulted.

Recommendations could take (but are not limited to) the following forms:

Request Approved: Faculty should find ways to help the student complete all missed work, though this might require an incomplete with a plan for completion in the following semester.
Request Approved with Conditions: Faculty should support students in completing and submitting any work that would normally have been completed outside of class but should follow course policies for in-class assignments and exercises and policies for class absences. This could allow for some additional accommodation, but faculty are not required to adapt assignments and activities completed in class for the convenience of the student.
Request Denied: The student is expected to remain on campus to complete the semester. If the student chooses to leave, the student should not be accommodated with adapted assignments or exams.

Students in fully online courses who experience a crisis or life event that requires accommodation through extended deadlines should also seek approval from the dean.

Email Policy

All Coker University students are assigned an electronic mail (e-mail) user name and password upon enrollment. For security reasons, these login credentials should not be shared with anyone nor should students allow anyone to log in on their behalf.

This e-mail address is considered an official means of communication between the University and the student. Students are expected to maintain log-in information and e-mail accounts. Additionally,
students are responsible for information sent to their Coker e-mail address (i.e. assignments, account balances/statements/policy updates/university communications/residence life mandates/bills, judicial notices, etc.). Questions concerning e-mail accounts should be directed to the Department of Information Technology.