Academic Life
Student Success Center :: Advising Program :: Assessment :: Class Attendance Policy :: Dean's List :: Library Resources :: Policies Governing Academic Matters :: Special Academic Programs :: Student Records :: Student Addresses :: Withdrawal from the College

Academic Resource Center
Students needing assistance with reading, writing and learning strategies find guidance in the Student Success Center, located in the Hugh Stephens Library. Professional staff members work with you on skill development and academic counseling issues. Hours of availability are posted outside the center. No fees are charged for these services.

Tutors
If you need help with a particular class, visit the Academic Resource Center located in Hickman Hall or contact your instructor who can provide individual assistance or refer you to student tutors. If you are not sure where to begin, consult your faculty adviser or the Vice President for Student Services. Many academic programs maintain lists of available tutors for interested students. You will be responsible for any fees incurred. The mathematics/computer science tutors are available to help you with all facets of mathematics/computer science coursework. In some areas, student assistants schedule help sessions. Learning disabled students who need assistance with coursework should first contact their instructor and then the Vice President for Student Services for further assistance.

Advising Program
Stephens College takes pride in its advising program. Your faculty adviser will assist you in planning your individual program of studies and activities. Ideally, the advising relationship is one of mutual friendliness, confidence and respect. The ultimate objective is for you to become self-motivated and self-disciplined in active pursuit of your chosen goals. It is not necessary for you to select an adviser from your academic area. If your adviser is not from your academic area and you need additional information about your academic program, contact the program chair.

Changes in Adviser
It is important that you and your adviser have a good working relationship. If for any reason it is in your best interest to change advisers, contact the Office of the Registrar, or the Office of the Vice President for Student Services, 223 Stamper Commons.

Advising Days
Each semester, an advising day allows students to meet with their advisers in preparation for upcoming registration. On these days, no classes are scheduled. Students are responsible for setting up appointments with their advisers to discuss goals and plan degree programs.

Catalog
Keep the catalog of the year you entered Stephens available at all times. It is your guide to meeting all requirements in your degree program. You may change to a later catalog at any time but never to an earlier catalog.

Assessment
Stephens College uses assessment to continually enhance and improve your education. All students are required to participate in assessment activities. Your adviser and the Office of Assessment will give you information on assessment activities.

General Education Assessment
With guidance from your adviser, you will collect work done in general education courses, which you will use to demonstrate your ability in the areas of general education. It is very important that you save your academic work. It is strongly recommended that you create a file into which you place all of your papers, disks, and projects. Many of these will be placed in your general education portfolio, which you will be required to submit before graduation. The purpose of the assessment portfolios is for evaluation of the general education program at Stephens College, not the evaluation of individual student’s work.

Major Assessment
Each major has its own assessment plan. Check with your adviser or Program Chair for more information on the specific requirements of your major.

Class Attendance Policy
To confirm your registration, attendance at the first class meeting of each course is mandatory. If you do not attend the first class meeting, you may be required to drop the course and your space given to a student who has been on the waiting list for the course. If an emergency necessitates a late return to campus, call the Office of the Vice President for Student Services to notify instructors.

Students are expected to attend all regularly scheduled meetings of courses in which they are enrolled. Absence from class for any reason does not exempt you from completing required coursework. If you know in advance that you will be absent, it is your responsibility to notify the instructor prior to the absence and make arrangements to complete the work missed. It is the instructor’s prerogative to determine the work that may or may not be made up. If you have a prolonged absence due to illness or emergency, you also must notify the Office of the Vice President for Student Services.

Instructors determine the attendance policy for their classes, which is consistent with the College drop-add policy. Attendance may be used as a factor in determining a student’s grade or amount of credit granted. Any time you miss class, it is counted as an absence. Each instructor will announce the attendance policy at the beginning of a course; the policy will be stated in the syllabus or course outline provided to you.

Examination Periods
During the examination period, classes meet to complete the work in a course through a final examination, special project, critique or some other means determined by the instructor. Classes are to meet during this time according to the examination schedule published by the Office of the Registrar in the Schedule of Courses.

Guidelines for campus-sponsored trips
Students traveling to off-campus events sponsored by the College need to follow the guidelines set forth in this document.

1. College-sponsored trips require that the names of all students traveling to an event be submitted to the Controller. Forms for this purpose may be obtained from the same office.
2. Students must have private medical insurance and they should carry insurance cards with them when they travel.
3. Students should travel in College-owned vehicles or use commercial transportation when traveling. Use of private, personal transportation is not approved by the college.
4. All rules governing student behavior, as listed in Within the Ivy, are applicable off campus. Students should always remember that they are representatives of the College and that their behavior should reflect the standards of the College.
5. The sponsoring faculty or staff member in charge of the trip is ultimately responsible for emergency decisions made off campus. Students are expected to respect those decisions, made both for student safety and for the benefit of the College-sponsored program.
6. The sponsoring faculty or staff member is responsible for creating specific guidelines for student safety. Specific event guidelines should be published by the sponsor, distributed to and signed by each of the attending students.

Dean’s List
At the end of each semester, students who have no incompletes and who earn a semester grade point average of 3.60 to 3.79 are named to the Dean’s List with Honors. Students who have no incompletes and who earn a semester grade point average of 3.80 or higher are named to the Dean’s List with High Honors. Dean’s List students are nominated for the National Dean’s List by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Student Services.


Policies Governing Academic Matters
Honor Code
The following Honor Code was adopted by SGA:
"We, the students of Stephens College, in keeping with the high standards of this institution, are committed to upholding the traditions of academic honesty and personal integrity. We promote an atmosphere of mutual trust among students, faculty and administrators — trust that Stephens students will conduct themselves honorably. We will not cheat or steal or tolerate those behaviors in fellow students. Each student is responsible for protecting these standards for the benefit of the entire Stephens College community."

Academic honesty must be paramount in a community devoted to learning and the exchange of educational information.

Grade Challenges
The purpose of the procedure outlined below is to provide the student with easily implemented means for petitioning a waiver of a college degree requirement (but not a requirement in the major or minor) or for appealing any final grade decision, academic suspension, expulsion or involuntary withdrawal which she/he considers arbitrary, capricious or contrary to College policy. In every type of academic appeal, except a grade appeal, the student petitions the Academic Standing Committee directly. Before initiating a grade appeal, or between any of the grade appeal steps outlined below, students are encouraged to seek advice from their academic advisers or the Vice President for Student Services.

Students not satisfied with the decision of the Academic Standing Committee can, in special circumstances, appeal the decision. The appeal should be addressed to the Vice President fro Academic Affairs. The decision of the VPAA is final and cannot be further appealed.

It is the responsibility of the student to initiate the grade appeal procedure at each level. The student must discuss her/his concerns with the instructor and may also consult the program chair. Each will advise her/him of due process procedures. If the student drops the matter after the conference with the instructor or program chair, the appeal will not be carried higher. The student also should bring all supporting evidence to the various conferences.

The following procedure outlines the steps of the academic, or grade, appeal. It is expected that all parties involved in these steps will make a good faith effort to resolve the issues.

Procedure
In all academic appeals, except a grade appeal, the student consults the Registrar and submits a written petition to the Academic Standing Committee. The written petition shall set forth all reasons and documentation as to why the student considers the academic suspension, expulsion or involuntary withdrawal to be arbitrary, capricious or contrary to College policy, or as to why it would be appropriate to waive a degree requirement. The committee will carefully review the petition, all other pertinent information and the records of the College, and will determine whether the academic suspension, expulsion or involuntary withdrawal was arbitrary, capricious or contrary to College policy, or whether it would be appropriate to waive a degree requirement. The appropriate College officials and the student will be notified in writing of the committee’s decision.

Grade Appeal
1. Before initiating a grade appeal, the student shall first speak with the instructor. The student may ask to see the instructor in the program chair’s office or she/he may ask her/his adviser or the student advocate to accompany her/him to the appointment. The student must take all graded work to the interview and inquire as to how the final grade was determined. The instructor may agree that a grade change is appropriate. If so, the instructor shall complete a Change of Grade form in the Office of the Registrar. An instructor may change a grade without review by the Academic Standing Committee if the change is processed within one semester after the grade is assigned. Grades that have been on record for more than one semester may not be changed unless approved after an examination of the circumstances by the Academic Standing Committee.
2. If the discussion with the instructor and the program chair does not resolve the issue, the student may petition (in writing) the Academic Standing Committee, giving the committee complete information, including the syllabus and all graded work done for the class, and why the student believes the final grade was arbitrary, capricious or contrary to College policy.
3. The committee will ask the instructor how grades were assigned for all students in the class and why the petitioner received the given grade.
4. The committee will carefully review all graded work and other pertinent information, and will decide whether to uphold the grade or change it. In exceptional cases where a grade change is called for, the committee, after consulting with the instructor, will direct the Registrar to change the grade. All parties will be notified in writing of the committee’s decision.

Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty refers to behaviors which violate the academic standards of the College. It includes but is not limited to the following:
1. Engaging in dishonesty in examinations, assignments or any other academic activity.
2. Committing plagiarism, which is a form of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism is defined as using another person’s phrase, sentence or paragraph without quotation marks; using another’s design, choreography, ideas or compositional structure without properly crediting the author, artist or composer; paraphrasing without introducing or documenting the source; using someone else’s design/art project, speech or composition, and presenting it as one’s own (i.e. buying a paper from any source).
3. Using copyrighted material or paraphrasing it as though it were one’s own. This includes works of all kinds, whether literary, musical, motion picture or other audiovisual productions, or works of art such as graphic arrangements, photographs, paintings, choreography, logo types and trademarks. One must credit the owner or author for any use of copyrighted material.
4. Willfully aiding another student in any act of academic dishonesty.
5. Falsifying College records, including the lack of declaration of all transfer credit.

Procedures to be Followed in Regard to Course-Related Instances of Dishonesty
Faculty members should inform students of policies concerning dishonesty in their classes. The general procedures are outlined below.
1. A faculty member suspecting dishonesty will first confer with the student.
a. If the teacher is convinced the student is innocent, the matter will be dropped. If the apparently unethical behavior was unintentional, the wrong will be explained to the student, who will be told how to avoid a future recurrence. No penalty will be imposed, although the faculty member must notify the Academic Standing Committee.
b. If the student admits guilt to the act of dishonesty or if the teacher is convinced the student is guilty, the faculty member may impose a penalty previously specified in the course syllabus, class announcement or another written form of advance notification. If the faculty member does not have a stated policy, the penalty will be no more severe than a grade of failure for that assignment, and that grade will be averaged in with the final grade. The Academic Standing Committee will be notified of the incident.
2. If the student does not admit to the act of dishonesty, or if either the faculty member or the student desires a formal hearing, the faculty member will withhold credit for the work in question and notify the Academic Standing Committee, pending the outcome of the hearing. If the student requests a hearing, she/he will submit a written statement, with reasons and documentation, explaining her request for a hearing, to the chair of the Academic Standing Committee.
The chair of the Academic Standing Committee will convene the committee for a hearing within two weeks of the receipt of the request by either the student or the faculty member. The student and the faculty member will be notified in writing of the time and place of the hearing at least three days prior. Committee procedures will provide the student with fundamental fairness and appropriate rights of due process.
3. The Academic Standing Committee will review all cases where a student has been found guilty of more than one incident of academic dishonesty. Hearings will be scheduled as appropriate.
4. In cases of academic dishonesty that affect a degree already conferred, the Academic Standing Committee will make a recommendation to the President of the College and the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees will determine whether or not the degree will be revoked.

Sanctions
1. In situations where the faculty member and the student come to an agreement on the events of the incident and determine that the student has committed an act of academic dishonesty, the following sanctions will be imposed:
a. For the first offense in any one course, the faculty member will determine whether the student should receive an F on the work in question or an F in the course.
b. For the second offense in the same course, the faculty member will give the student an F in the course. The Academic Standing Committee also will review the case and may add additional sanctions which could include suspension from the College for at least one semester.
2. In situations where the Academic Standing Committee is asked to hear the case and the student is found guilty of committing an act of academic dishonesty, the following sanctions will be imposed:
a. For the first offense, the committee may recommend to the faculty member that the student receive an F on the work in question or an F in the course.
b. For a second offense in the same course, the committee may recommend an F in the course in question and also may recommend that the student be placed on disciplinary probation or suspension from the College for at least one semester.
c. If a third offense occurs, the committee may recommend suspension or immediate expulsion from the College with no possibility of return.
3. In situations where the Academic Standing Committee reviews instances of two or more violations that occur at any time during the student’s college career and involve two or more courses, the following sanctions will be imposed:
a. If the student is guilty in two separate instances of academic dishonesty, in addition to the penalties assessed by the individual faculty members, the committee may recommend disciplinary probation or suspension from the College for at least one semester.
b. In the event of a third instance of dishonesty, in addition to the penalties assessed by the individual faculty member, the committee may recommend suspension or immediate expulsion from the College with no possibility of return.
c. In cases of academic dishonesty that affect a degree already conferred, the Academic Standing Committee will make a recommendation to the President of the College and the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees will determine if the degree is to be revoked.
4. Grade adjustments are reported to the Office of the Registrar with appropriate explanations.
5. A student may appeal the decision of a faculty member to the Academic Standing Committee within seven days of the decision. The appeal must be in writing.
6. The only appeal of decisions made by the Academic Standing Committee is to the President of the College.

Policies Related to Falsification of College Records
Falsification of current College records or of records provided to the College is grounds for expulsion. Failure to declare college credit attempted or earned elsewhere is considered falsification of records. Incidents will be reported to the Academic Standing Committee which will hear the case. Students found to have falsified records are subject to probation, suspension or expulsion.

Beginning the Semester
Students will not be allowed to begin a semester course after the semester add deadline or begin a session class after the session add deadline. Independent studies can be arranged with the assistance of the Registrar and your academic adviser.

Procedures to be Followed in Regard to:
Revocation of a Degree
A degree granted on the basis of fraudulent information knowingly furnished by the student or any other person pertaining to the student’s academic performance is subject to revocation on the basis of academic dishonesty. When such charges are made, these procedures will be followed:

1. The charge will be reviewed by the Academic Standing Committee according to the guidelines published for allegations of academic dishonesty.
2. If the allegations are not well-founded, the committee will dismiss the charge.
3. If probable cause is found, the committee will interview and prepare reports from all persons directly involved.
4. The student will be notified in writing of the allegations and given a fair opportunity to present her/his position in writing. The student will have the right to a formal hearing, if requested. The notification sent to the student will include the range of sanctions or penalties that apply to allegations of academic dishonesty, including the possible revocation of a degree, assuming completion of degree requirements is brought into question by the charge.
5. The Academic Standing Committee will review all information brought to bear on the case. If the allegations are found to be true, the committee will determine the appropriate sanction or penalty according to the degree of academic dishonesty. If the penalty does not involve the possible revocation of a degree, the committee will notify the student of the outcome of the case and any penalties assessed.
6. If the penalty involves possible revocation of a degree, the committee will make that recommendation to the President of the College and the Board of Trustees.
7. The President of the College and the Board of Trustees will review the recommendation and determine the appropriate sanction or penalty, including if the degree is to be revoked.
8. The student will be notified in writing of the decision made by the President of the College and the Board of Trustees. The letter also will notify the student if she/he is dismissed from the College on the grounds of academic dishonesty or if she/he will be given the opportunity, under stated conditions, to complete degree requirements.
9. If allowed to complete degree requirements, the Academic Standing Committee will confer with appropriate faculty and administrators to establish the conditions that allow completion of degree requirements within a future degree-granting period.

Special Academic Programs
Study abroad
Stephens offers several study abroad opportunities (see Catalog). For a limited number of students, Stephens sponsors an honors program in Cambridge, where students are enrolled in Homerton College of Cambridge University. Applications for the Cambridge program must be submitted to the Study Abroad office by March 1 of the preceding year. Stephens also sponsors a program at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea. All classes are taught in English by experienced faculty and students have an opportunity to learn in-depth about the Asian culture and customs. For both the Cambridge and the Ewha programs, participants are chosen through a screening process and if chosen will pay all fees directly to Stephens College.

Programs offered through other colleges or universities must be approved by the Director of Study Abroad as part of a leave of absence. Such programs also must have the approval of your adviser and the program chair.

Mid-Missouri Associated Colleges and Universities
Stephens College is a member of MMACU, a consortium of colleges and universities located in central Missouri. Full-time students enrolled at Stephens College may cross-register at another MMACU institution without additional tuition. Beginning the second semester of the first year at Stephens, full-time students in good academic standing may choose this option. MMACU credit counts toward the maximum credit allowed in a semester. Students who cross-register are subject to the academic policies and special course fees, if applicable, of the MMACU institution for that enrollment. Course schedules for MMACU institutions and information about cross-registration are available in the Office of the Registrar.

Student Records
1. With the exception of materials collected on a confidential basis prior to Nov. 19, 1974, the following records are open for your review through the appropriate offices.
a. Your student folder and academic record (Office of the Registrar)
b. Placement files with the exception of letters designated by you to be confidential (Career Planning & Placement)
c. Health records (Health Services)
d. Your file in the Office of the Vice President for Student Services
e. Financial aid records (Office of Financial Aid)
f. Office of Accounting
2. If you believe that “inaccurate, misleading or otherwise inappropriate data” is included in your Stephens records, you may request a hearing through the Academic Standing Committee to obtain a review of any academic or non-academic information.
3. The following items are considered “directory information” and legally can be released without obtaining your consent:
a. Name
b. Address
c. Telephone number
d. Classification
e. Major field of study
f. Dates of attendance
g. Degrees earned and awards received
This information may be released in the College’s Student Directory and Curriculum Catalog listings, press releases from the Office of Marketing and Communications, alumnae publications and requested verification of attendance dates and degrees earned.
4. The College requires your consent before information in school records other than directory information is released to any person other than school officials, parents or specified representatives of state or federal government agencies identified by the law.
5. School officials and instructors who have an educational interest in you will have access to your records. They include your adviser(s), instructors, counselor(s), members of Academic Standing Committee, committees which may select you for awards and honors, and administrative personnel who work directly with you or review your status.
6. You and your adviser will be able to access mid-term or final grade reports at the end of each seven-week session through MyStephens. Students will have to provide information to anyone they want to have access to their grade reports. Paper copies of grade reports are not longer mailed to the home address.
7. At your request, the Registrar provides official transcripts and verifies your academic standing, the Career Planning and Placement Director provides credentials, and the Vice President for Student Services completes recommendations, employment forms and statements of good standing. Each office will secure a written release from you for the transfer of information from school records and, if desired, will provide you with a copy of the information.
8. A written request shall be secured from all persons, agencies or organizations desiring non-directory type information from your records. This request shall be kept in your file. A statement will accompany the information saying that it is provided with your written consent and that by receiving the information, the third party agrees not to permit any other party to have access to such information without your written consent.
9. If information is furnished in compliance with judicial order, or pursuant to any lawfully issued subpoena, you will be notified of all such orders or subpoenas in advance of compliance by the College.
10. According to the GLB Act, each student is now required to create a personal identification number. College employees in the office are unable to discuss any information related to a student at Stephens College without the person making the request knowing the personal identification number. Sharing of information is still governed by the Buckley Amendment, which limits college employees from discussing grades, health or psychological matters, among other things, with anyone but the student.
11. Beginning Fall 2003, students at Stephens College will no longer be identified by Social Security Number. A special identification number will be created for each student by the College when the student enters the first semester of attendance. Students are responsible for knowing their ID number and protecting their own identity.

Student Addresses
Students are required to notify the College of their permanent address and telephone, summer address and telephone, and the person to contact in case of an emergency. All permanent address and telephone changes and corrections should be brought to the Office of the Vice President for Student Services, first floor Stamper Commons. All vacation and summer address changes should be submitted to Office of Residence Life and the Stephens College Post Office.

Withdrawal from the College
Withdrawal and refund policy
Except for a $100 administrative fee, Stephens will refund all of the student’s comprehensive fees if he or she cancels his or her enrollment before the first day of the semester. In the event that a student completely withdraws, after the first day of classes, either voluntarily or at the request of the College prior to 60% of the completion of the semester, a pro-ration of comprehensive fees is calculated based on the number of days attended compared to the total number of days in the semester. Calender days (including weekends) are used, but breaks of at least 5 days are excluded. Comprehensive fees are credited and financial aid is charged back in accordance with Federal regulations in the following order: Unsubsidized Federal Stafford loans, Subsidized Federal Stafford loans, Federal Perkins loans, Federal PLUS (Parent) loans, Federal Pell Grants, and Federal SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant). “Official” notification of withdrawal must be given to the Vice President for Student Services in all cases of voluntary withdrawal. “Official” notification is a verbal or written notice provided to the Vice President for Student Services. If no “official” notice is given, the documented last date of attendance will be used. After the 60% point in the semester, a student will be charged 100% of the comprehensive fees and will be deemed to have earned 100% of their financial aid.

Summer Session Withdrawal and Refund Policy
The above policy also applies to the summer session.

back to top