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POLICIES
STUDENT GRIEVANCE POLICY
Step One: Anyone with a grievance or complaint may speak with his or her faculty advisor or the Academic Program Coordinator.
Step Two: If a satisfactory solution to the problem is not reached following the conference with the advisor or Academic Program Coordinator the aggrieved party may appeal in writing (by letter, fax or e-mail) to the Dean of Academics.
Step Three: If the previous steps have failed to resolve the matter to the satisfaction of the student, he or she may appeal in writing to the Grievance Resolution Committee for resolution. The Grievance Resolution Committee will conduct a formal hearing within three (3) working days of receipt of the formal complaint and issue its decision in writing to the student within three (3) working days of the formal hearing.
STUDENT DISMISSAL/SUSPENSION POLICY
SUSPENSION FROM A DEGREE PROGRAM A student may be suspended from a Preston University degree program for the following reasons:
- The student’s GPA (Grade Point Average) falls below minimum accepted levels:
Undergraduate Programs: 2.0 (a C average)
Graduate Programs: 3.0 (a B average)
and is not brought to acceptable levels following a six month probationary period.
- The student fails to complete his or her degree program within the maximum allowable time unless mitigating circumstances prevail.
- The enrolled student fails to submit any assigned course work within a six month period, unless extension arrangements have been made with the Academic Program Coordinator.
DISMISSAL FROM THE UNIVERSITY
A student may be dismissed from the University for any of the following reasons:
- Providing the University with false application or enrollment information.
- Repeated disruptive behavior in classes or on University grounds.
- Cheating or helping others to cheat on course work, exams, assignments or written papers.
NOTE: In all cases of suspension or dismissal, the student has the right to appeal a decision through the University’s formal Student Grievance Policy as previously outlined. Standard tuition refunds will be granted to students who are dismissed from the university.
RE-ADMITTANCE TO THE UNIVERSITY A student who has been suspended from a degree program may apply for re-instatement by contacting the Dean of Academics.
Students who have been dismissed from the University may apply for re-admittance following a three-month waiting period. Tuition rates at the time of re-admittance will apply.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
All students are expected to adhere to the highest standards of academic ethics and honesty. This means that all course work submitted must be completed by the enrolled student and represents the unique efforts of that student.
Course work completed with the assistance of others must be identified as such and the nature of the help provided clearly described. Team efforts, help from others or external guidance is not discouraged, however, the student must acknowledge and describe the extent to which any work does not solely represent his or her individual effort.
All papers, projects and presentations which draw upon information sources of any kind must contain complete reference citations and full bibliographies listing all sources used. The preferred format and style for all written assignments in all academic programs follows the guidance contained in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
ACADEMIC ADVISING Every student will have one or more faculty advisors available for guidance, assistance and support during the course of study. The advisor may change depending upon the course or the student’s academic emphasis.
Students are encouraged to communicate with their advisors using: e-mail, telephone, fax and standard post at any time assistance or support is desired.
The Academic Program Coordinator is the first person to contact for assistance. The appropriate faculty advisor will be assigned by the Student Advisor to meet the student’s requirements.
TRANSFER OF CREDIT FROM OTHER SCHOOLS
Academic credits earned at recognized institutions with a grade of “C” or better may be transferred toward Preston degree programs. Recognized institutions are those that are accredited by an agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education or an equivalent approval from other countries. Course work and credentials from institutions that have been specifically evaluated by the university may also be considered for transfer credit. The Admissions Office will evaluate applicant transcripts and academic records to determine the amount of transfer credit accepted. Transfer credit may be given only for academic coursework completed; no transfer credit is awarded for life experience, portfolio assessment or any other non-academic achievements.
NOTICE CONCERNING TRANSFERABILITY OF CREDITS AND CREDENTIALS EARNED AT PRESTON UNIVERSITY
The transferability of credits you earn at Preston University is at the complete discretion of an institution to which you may seek to transfer. Acceptance of the (degree, diploma, or certificate) you earn in Preston University programs is also at the complete discretion of the institution to which you may seek to transfer. If the (credits or degree, diploma, or certificate) that you earn at this institution are not accepted at the institution to which you seek to transfer, you may be required to repeat some or all of your coursework at that institution.
For this reason you should make certain that your attendance at this institution will meet your educational goals. This may include contacting an institution to which you may seek to transfer after attending Preston University to determine if your (credits or degree, diploma or certificate) will transfer.
Preston University does not have an articulation or transfer agreement with any college or university.
GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
All candidates for Preston University’s Bachelor degrees must earn a minimum of 36 semester credits of college-level general education as a part of the total bachelor degree requirement of 120 semester credits. Those general education credits must be earned from the four academic areas as shown in the following listing.
SOCIAL SCIENCES: 9 SEMESTER CREDITS
Courses in the following academic areas qualify as social science credits: History, Anthropology, Geography, Sociology, Political Science, Psychology, International Relations
HUMANITIES AND FINE ARTS: 9 SEMESTER CREDITS
Courses in the following academic areas qualify as humanities/fine arts credits: Art, English, Music, Philosophy, Religion, Theater, Literature, Foreign Language, Communication (Speech, Journalism, Debate)
SCIENCES: 9 SEMESTER CREDITS Courses in the following academic areas qualify as science credits: Chemistry, Physics, Botany, Astronomy, Biology, Meteorology, Life Science, Geology, Anatomy
MATHEMATICS: 9 SEMESTER CREDITS
Courses in the following academic areas qualify as mathematics credits: Algebra, College Math, Business Math , Trigonometry, Calculus, Analytical Geometry, Mathematical Finance, Mathematical Analysis, Other Advanced Math Classes
MAXIMUM DEGREE PROGRAM DURATION
The university understands that many students are working adults attending school part-time. Thus, most students’ academic programs will extend beyond the normal duration for full-time students. However, we encourage students to complete their studies as expeditiously as possible. The maximum time to complete any degree program is three times the normal length of the program unless mitigating circumstances such as illness exist. The normal length of each academic program is indicated in the curriculum description for the academic programs in this catalog.
COURSE NUMBERING SYSTEM
1000-2999: Introductory-Level Courses (Undergraduate)
3000-4999: Upper-Level Courses (Undergraduate)
5000-8999: Graduate Level Courses
Junior and Senior undergraduate students may take graduate-level courses as approved by their assigned faculty advisor or Academic Program Coordinator.
GRADING SYSTEM
All course work is graded according to a unified grading system as shown in the following chart.
| Grade |
Grade Points |
% Points |
Verbal Description |
| A |
4 |
90-100% |
Excellent |
| B |
3 |
80-89% |
Very Good |
| C |
2 |
70-79% |
Good |
| d |
1 |
60-69% |
Below Average |
| F |
0 |
Below |
Fail |
The minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) for remaining in Preston’s degree programs:
Undergraduate Programs: 2.0 (a C average)
Graduate Programs: 3.0 (a B average)
Non-evaluative Grades: these are not used in calculation of Grade Point Average
AU Audit
CG Credit Granted
I Incomplete
S & U Satisfactory & Unsatisfactory
W Withdrawal
AU Grade - Students may elect to audit a course and receive no credit for the experience. This election must be made when enrolling in the class. Tuition is required.
CG Grade - The CG notation is applied to transfer credits.
I Grade - An I grade is awarded for incomplete course work at the discretion of the instructor. A student has up to one year to complete the work required to replace an I grade with a letter grade. After one year, the I grade becomes permanent and the course must be retaken to receive an academic letter grade.
S & U Grades - These grades (Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory) are used for certificate, diploma and Doctoral courses where academic grading is not appropriate.
W Grade - This grade indicates the student withdrew from a particular course.
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