Academic Policies

Academic Appeals Policy

General Academic Decision Appeals Procedure
A student who has a question about an academic decision that does not involve a grade or course substitution should consult the University official responsible for the decision. If the matter is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction, the student may appeal in the following order to the next highest level in the appropriate chain of responsibility: instructor, department chair or dean, and the Educational Policies and Standards Committee (EPSC). Decisions of the EPSC may be appealed to the Provost of the University, but only on the basis of additional evidence unavailable at the hearing, improper procedure, or a sanction inconsistent with the incident. The Provost’s decision is final. The student must initiate all appeals in writing on his or her own behalf no more fourteen (14) business days after the date of the start of the following fall or spring semester.

Denials of Requests for a Course Substitution of a General Education Requirement
A student who has followed the proper procedure for requesting a course substitution of a general education requirement and is dissatisfied with the decision may appeal in the following order to the next highest level in the appropriate chain of responsibility: to the instructor; to the department chair or dean; and the General Education Committee (GEC). Decisions of the GEC may be appealed to the Provost of the University, but only on the basis of additional evidence unavailable at the hearing or improper procedure . The Provost’s decision is final. The student must initiate such appeals in writing on his or her own behalf no more fourteen (14) business days after the start of the following semester (exclusive of summer semesters).

Grade Appeals
A student who has a question about a grade not involving an Honor Code violation should consult the instructor as soon as possible. A student who believes a grade to be inaccurate or unfair may appeal in writing and in the following order to the instructor, department chair or dean, and the Educational Policies and Standards Committee (EPSC). Decisions of the EPSC may be appealed to the Provost of the University, but only on the basis of additional evidence unavailable at the hearing, improper procedure, or a sanction inconsistent with the incident . The Provost’s decision is final. The student must initiate such appeals in writing on his or her own behalf no more fourteen (14) business days after the start of the following semester (exclusive of summer semesters). Email notification of approved and processed grade changes will be sent to the student, the instructor, and the advisor.

Academic Appeal Filing Forms and General Education Requirements Substitution Forms may be obtained from the Forms section of WebbConnect. The appeal document must include the student’s local or permanent address, University email address, student ID number, and a current phone number where he or she may be reached. Furthermore, all appeals must be signed and dated and include a thorough justification for the requested resolution. Appeals made on behalf of the student by another party (e.g., faculty, official of the institution, another student, or a parent) will be dismissed. Supporting documentation submitted by a member of the faculty or administration to augment or clarify the student’s appeal is welcome and will be given full consideration. The Dean of Student Success will assist students with academic appeals if requested.

Academic Standing and Retention Standards

Standards for acceptable academic progress at Gardner-Webb University are set to assist students in assessing the quality of their performance. Academic probation and suspension are used to alert students to potentially serious academic difficulty in their progress toward degrees.

Students are placed on academic probation as a warning that their level of academic achievement is falling below the level expected of students in their class. Should their academic achievement not improve, they are in danger of being suspended from the University.

Students will be placed on probation when their Gardner-Webb grade point average falls below these minimum standards.

Freshmen 0 to 29 hours	1.5
Sophomores 30 to 59 hours	1.7
Juniors with 60 to 89 hours	1.9
Seniors with 90 hours and above	2.0

A student placed on academic probation remains on probation for the entire semester. The student will register for no more than 15 credit hours during any semester on probation. In order to be removed from academic probation, the student’s Gardner-Webb GPA must return to the appropriate minimum standard. If the student fails to bring the grade point average to a satisfactory level during the probationary semester but the semester’s GPA is at or above the minimum required, probation will be continued for another semester.

If at any time while on academic probation the student’s semester GPA and Gardner-Webb GPA fall below the minimum requirement, the student will be suspended for one semester. After the one-semester suspension, a student desiring readmission must submit a formal application for readmission to the University through the standard application process. If approved, the student may register for classes and will be automatically placed on academic probation.

Should a second or third academic suspension occur (even if the first or second suspension is waived on appeal), the student must remain out for at least two semesters. After a two-semester suspension from the University, the student must submit a formal application for readmission to the University through the standard application process. If readmission is granted, the student may register for classes and will be automatically placed on academic probation.

Readmission requires the approval of the Readmission Committee. Students suspended from the University are not automatically reinstated upon reapplication. Readmission approval may include recommendations or be contingent upon specific stipulations determined by the Readmission Committee. A student who wishes to appeal the denial of reinstatement may do so through a written appeal to the Provost. A student who wishes to appeal being placed on academic suspension may do so through the Office of the Provost. Suspensions that are waived on appeal are still noted on the student’s academic transcript.

Students on either academic or disciplinary suspension are not allowed to participate in dramatic, musical, athletic, or other practice sessions since they are not to represent the University or participate in the public performance of such events.

Summer study at Gardner-Webb University may be used to improve one’s academic standing. A student’s academic standing can be affected as a result of summer school enrollment. However, a student who is on academic probation or suspension may not use study at another institution to improve his/her Gardner-Webb academic standing.

See “Readmission of Former Students” for policies concerning students seeking readmission after leaving Gardner-Webb University while on probation or suspension.

Academic Renewal Policy

The purpose of the Academic Renewal Policy is to allow students who have done poorly during past enrollment at the University to start anew and have a chance to complete their undergraduate degree at the University. To be eligible for academic renewal, a student must not have been enrolled at Gardner-Webb for the previous four years prior to applying for readmission nor have received academic renewal previously. For students who have attempted more than 60 credit hours of work at Gardner-Webb, only the first 60 hours are eligible for academic renewal. All of the eligible hours must be considered; a student may not choose the hours to which this policy applies. Only Gardner-Webb credit hours are eligible for academic renewal. Coursework at another institution must be treated according to the current transfer credit policies.

A student who is accepted under the academic renewal provision is considered in good academic standing and is eligible for all academic awards and honors. All transfer work from other institutions will be considered for credit, even if the course is a repeat of a course in which the student earned a “D” or “F” at Gardner-Webb. A student who is admitted under academic renewal may have a career total of six repeat courses. This number does not include courses repeated prior to the student’s admission under academic renewal for which they do not receive credit upon their readmission to the University or courses repeated at other institutions.

Under this policy, all eligible Gardner-Webb University hours will be treated as transfer credit, i.e., grades of “C” or better will be given credit, but not counted in the grade point average (GPA). Grades below “C” will not be counted as hours earned or in the GPA, with the exception of "FX" grades. "FX" grades will remain on the student’s record and will be counted in the GPA. All Gardner-Webb credit hours approved for academic renewal will be treated as transfer credit for determining academic awards.

The Gardner-Webb Readmission Committee will consider a student for academic renewal when reviewing an application for readmission. Any student who applies for readmission and is eligible for academic renewal may request consideration for such at that time. In addition, the Readmission Committee may recommend a student applying for readmission for academic renewal. If approved, the student will have the right to turn down academic renewal if it is not desired. All previous records at Gardner-Webb will be considered during the readmission process, including academic and disciplinary actions. If a student is accepted for readmission, nothing in these records should preclude eligibility for academic renewal. Students may not apply for or be considered for academic renewal after they have been readmitted and have enrolled in their first course.

Attendance Policy

Gardner-Webb University is grounded in the idea of educating its students holistically within the traditions of Christianity and the liberal arts. At the center of both guiding principles of the University is the idea of community and interpersonal relationships. Spiritual, moral/ethical, and intellectual growth are all broadened, enriched, and made more meaningful within a community of individual growth. Therefore, in order to ensure that students interact with others engaged in this search for growth and knowledge, Gardner-Webb University requires that students regularly attend and participate in the class meetings and activities designed to encourage aspects of this growth in each of their courses. This provides that philosophical foundation for the University's Attendance Policy which follows.

Regular class attendance is highly correlated to academic success. Students are responsible for all coursework conducted in class meetings and are required by University policy to attend a minimum of 75% of the scheduled class meetings. Failure to meet this attendance requirement in any course will result in an attendance failure reflected as @F on the academic transcript. A grade of @F negatively impacts the student’s grade point average. All absences, regardless of reason, apply toward the 25% threshold.

External licensing agencies with attendance requirements differing from University policy must be approved by the University Provost.

Instructors will maintain attendance records through the University’s approved attendance application. Students are responsible for knowing the number of absences accumulated. The instructor will clearly state the university attendance policy in the syllabus.

Excused absences include military deployment or active duty in the US Armed Forces (see Military Deployment Policy in the Academic Catalog), University sanctioned activities such as participation in academic, athletic, or other school recognized events, and personal and family emergencies.

The instructor will afford the student opportunity to fulfill required academic obligations without academic penalty for excused absences as long as the student has provided documentation for the absence and reasonable advance notice when possible. Absences that fall outside of the categories listed above will be considered unexcused, meaning that students may not be allowed to make up any missed assignments or examinations.

In face-to-face classes, attendance is counted from the first scheduled meeting. Absence from class does not excuse the student from responsibility for class work. Planned class absences for foreseeable personal circumstances or official University business must be negotiated with the instructor prior to the absence.

In online classes, attendance is counted from the student’s completion of the Enrollment Verification Activity or first required course activity or assessment, whichever comes first. Attendance satisfying the 75% requirement is measured by the documented weekly participation in the class on the part as defined by the instructor in the course syllabus. Logging into a course in Blackboard does not constitute participation or attendance in the class.

Hybrid courses will be a combination of face-to- face and online attendance. Attendance is counted from the first scheduled meeting, or from the student’s completion of the enrollment verification activity or first required course activity or assessment, whichever comes first. Hybrid courses will utilize both an attendance record keeping from scheduled face-to-face meetings and documentation from weekly participation.

Final Examinations/Assessments Comprehensive final examinations or assessments are required in every course during the scheduled examination time (see the Registrar Services website). If a comprehensive exam is given, a student who does not take the examination at the scheduled time will receive a failing grade in that course unless excused by the instructor.

Comprehensive Articulation Agreement Policy

Gardner-Webb University is a signatory school to the 2015 Independent Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (ICAA) with North Carolina Community Colleges. Community college graduates of the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree programs who have earned 60 credit hours in approved transfer courses with a grade of “C” or better and an overall GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale will receive at least 60 credit hours of academic credit upon admission to Gardner-Webb. Students enrolled at a North Carolina community college prior to Fall 2014 are subject to the conditions and protections contained in the ICAA in place at the time of their initial community college enrollment as long as they have remained continuously enrolled.

The Independent Comprehensive Articulation Agreement provides numerous benefits to North Carolina community college graduates as well as students who have not yet completed their associate’s degree. Interested applicants are encouraged to speak with a Gardner-Webb University enrollment counselor to find out how the ICAA will affect their course of study.

Guidance for requirements specific to a student’s intended major at Gardner-Webb may be found on the University’s website.

Participation in the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement does not preclude or negate minimum requirements specified by individual departments at Gardner-Webb University. Every student is also required to earn credit for the upper-division General Education requirements (REL 300 and REL 301). Transfer students can review the departmental requirements under Additional Requirements for Transfer Majors for specific courses required in their major.

Honor Code Policy

Policy of Academic Honesty

Preamble

As a community of scholars founded upon the ideals of Christianity, Gardner-Webb University expects its students to develop and display a strong sense of academic integrity. As in any community, this institution must be governed by ethical principles; and like the laws of any community, these principles function best when they are fully understood, accepted and cherished by each and every individual member of the community. Therefore, all students and faculty members are expected to be familiar with and to base their actions upon the principles of academic honesty.

Student Responsibilities

Students should recognize that the regulations governing academic integrity exist for the protection of the honest and that dishonesty in an academic setting will not be tolerated.
Students are responsible for their own work. Any assignment turned in by a student is assumed to be the work of the student whose name appears on the assignment.
Students are ultimately responsible for understanding a faculty member’s instructions for any assignment. If instructions are not clear, students must seek clarification from the instructor.
Students must understand the definitions of plagiarism and academic dishonesty.
Students should familiarize themselves with the proper use of citations and quotations in order to avoid accidentally passing someone else’s work off as their own.
Students are expected to report incidents of academic dishonesty to their instructor.
Any student who threatens or coerces another student or faculty member for reporting an actual or suspected instance of academic dishonesty will face disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion.
Students are responsible for ensuring that any artificial intelligence (AI) tools they use comply with the academic honesty policy and for not generating work that is plagiarized or otherwise violates the policy.These tools include but are not limited to: ChatGPT, iA Writer,MidJourney, DALL-E, etc.It is the student’s responsibility to consult the instructor for policies regarding the use of AI tools in class. If faculty provide authorization to use AI tools, students must properly cite any AI-generated material used in their work. Any unauthorized use of AI tools, such as an AI Generator, to produce assignments will be considered plagiarism.If AI-generated work is found to be in violation of the academic honesty policy, the student will be held responsible, regardless of whether they intended to plagiarize or not.

Faculty Responsibilities

Faculty must explain all assignments as thoroughly as is reasonable and should address any extraordinary limitations on outside assistance.
Faculty members should take reasonable precautions in giving tests to ensure that violations do not occur. The fact that a faculty member did not take a specific precaution does not, however, constitute an excuse for any form of academic dishonesty.
Faculty members must be willing to investigate suspected instances of academic dishonesty, and, if circumstances warrant, seek sanctions as allowed by this Policy.
Faculty members must complete and file an Academic Dishonesty Official Warning Report any time they issue an Official Warning.
Faculty members must complete and file an Academic Dishonesty Formal Charge Report when they or University Administration determine that Formal Charges should be brought.
Faculty members must seek to be fair in their dealings with students. Students must not receive Official Warnings or be subject to Formal Charges based on suspicion alone.
Faculty members may ask students to sign a statement of academic honesty prior to turning in an exam, term paper, or project to their professor stating: “I have neither given nor received unauthorized help on this assignment.”

Definition of Academic Dishonesty

In general, a student has committed an act of academic dishonesty when two circumstances exist: (1) The student could reasonably be expected to know that his/her instructor would disapprove of some aspect or circumstance of the student’s academic work; and (2) the student submits work to the instructor for evaluation while hiding or failing to disclose to the instructor that particular aspect or circumstance. To do so is clearly dishonest because the instructor will evaluate the work as what he/she understands it to be. The student has deceived the instructor by misrepresenting the work, and the evaluation has not been rightly earned.

Furthermore, any student who knowingly gives unauthorized assistance to another student in order to assist that student in commission of an act of academic dishonesty is themselves guilty of academic dishonesty.

On tests and examinations academic dishonesty may occur when a student receives any assistance that the instructor has not expressly permitted. It may take the form of looking on another student’s test answers or bringing into the test site any information or materials not expressly permitted by the instructor. Academic dishonesty also occurs when a student knowingly allows another student to look at the first student’s test answers.

Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s words, ideas, or work, without properly documenting or identifying the source for the instructor. Plagiarism includes the act of rephrasing someone else’s words, ideas, or work and failing to identify them as those of someone else. If used, someone else’s exact words must be properly punctuated as a quotation and the source fully identified. Also, any ideas or work that have been taken from a source other than the student’s own personal knowledge—“book, article, interview, etc.”—must be properly documented, even though the student may be rephrasing the information in his/her own words. A student should consult the instructor about any question or uncertainty regarding proper documentation or research information.

Students are responsible for ensuring that any Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools they use comply with the academic honesty policy and for not generating work that is plagiarized or otherwise violates the policy. These tools include but are not limited to: ChatGPT, iA Writer, MidJourney, DALL-E, etc. It is the student’s responsibility to consult the instructor for policies regarding the use of AI tools in class. If faculty provide authorization to use AI tools, students must properly cite any AI-generated material used in their work. Any unauthorized use of AI tools, such as an AI Generator, to produce assignments will be considered plagiarism. If AI-generated work is found to be in violation of the academic honesty policy, the student will be held responsible, regardless of whether they intended to plagiarize or not

An instructor may often allow and even encourage students to work together on assignments or receive assistance from other students, other faculty members, other university staff members, friends, family or others. However, if the instructor has not expressly authorized such assistance, the student must assume that the instructor expects the assignment to be done entirely by the student; to do otherwise would be dishonest.

When class attendance is taken into account in grading academic dishonesty also includes attempting to gain credit without attending or staying for the entire class. A student assisting another student in such actions is also guilty of academic dishonesty.

The examples above are not intended to be a full list of the types of academic dishonesty. The best advice is this: whenever in any doubt, consult the instructor.

Academic Dishonesty Procedures

When a faculty member suspects a student of academic dishonesty, he or she must investigate the incident as fully as is reasonably possible. Faculty members must have evidence of academic dishonesty to issue an official warning or file formal charges. Such evidence need not be of the type that would hold up in a court of law. The evidence may consist of direct observation, reports from others, results from electronic plagiarism searches, or such other sources of information that the instructor deems to be reasonably reliable.

The academic dishonesty process begins with a conference in person, by phone, or by video conference attended by the instructor and the student involved. The instructor will explain the specific type of violation suspected, the reasons for suspecting an irregularity, and should also emphasize the importance of academic honesty to the student. In this conference, the instructor should also conscientiously listen to the student’s position as well. The instructor should direct the student to this Policy on Academic Dishonesty so the student may understand their rights hereunder.

If, after two requests, and without a reasonable excuse, the student fails to meet with the instructor, or otherwise fails, without reasonable excuse, to participate in any stage of these procedures, then the instructor may sanction the student for failure to cooperate in an investigation into academic misconduct. Such sanctions include the following:
• Requirement to resubmit assignment or retake a test
• Lower grade on the assignment or test
• Failing grade on the assignment or test

Upon completion of the conference, the instructor may: (a) conclude that no irregularity occurred, in which case the process ends; (b) issue an Academic Dishonesty Official Warning Report (“warning” or “report”); or (c) initiate Formal Charges by filing an Academic Dishonesty Formal Charge Report.

The instructor’s right to assign an appropriate grade on any assignment remains in effect.

Academic Dishonesty Official Warning Report

The purpose of the Academic Dishonesty Official Warning Report is to provide the instructor with a more flexible way of addressing instances of academic dishonesty. In essence, the Official Warning creates a way of responding to relatively less severe infractions to complement the existing system for handling more serious infractions (see Formal Charges section below). Faculty should issue a Warning when, in their professional judgment, they deem it academically appropriate; typically this will be when a student engages in academic dishonesty on a relatively minor assignment, or where the academic dishonesty affects only a small portion of a larger assignment. A Warning would also be suitable in cases where the instructor determines that the student’s actions, while unacceptable, were the result of ignorance rather than a deliberate effort to deceive. A Warning is also acceptable in other cases where faculty members who, in their professional judgment, believe that an act of academic dishonesty occurred, but that Formal Charges would actually be counterproductive under the circumstances.

Faculty intending to give the student an Official Warning must complete the Academic Dishonesty Official Warning Report. The Report should include details of the incident of academic dishonesty as alleged by the instructor (including copies of any documentation available), the student’s position and the faculty member’s rationale for not filing Formal Charges of academic dishonesty.

In the Official Warning Report the Instructor may propose (not impose) one or more of the following sanction(s)
• Grade reduction on assignment, from ___ to ___;
• ”0” on assignment;
• Grade reduction for course, from ___ to ___;
• Course failure for academic dishonesty;
• Other specified sanction which must not be as severe as course failure

Students may plead “responsible” or “not responsible.” If the student pleads “responsible” then the student has admitted the charge of academic dishonesty and accepted the sanction(s) recommended by the instructor. There is no appeal. In such cases the Official Warning Report may be used in future formal proceedings to prove both that the student had previously been warned and that the academic dishonesty alleged by the instructor actually occurred in that past instance.

If the student pleads “not responsible,” then the student has denied the charge of academic dishonesty and refused to accept the proposed sanctions. No sanction shall be imposed. While such denials shall not constitute evidence of an act of academic dishonesty in that particular instance, the Warning Report may be used in future formal academic dishonesty proceedings as evidence that the student had previously been warned about certain conduct on the issue of the appropriate sanction.

No Warning, however, shall count as a student’s First, Second, or Third Incident should a formal charge be filed at some future date. Because the student need not admit that the conduct alleged in a warning occurred, an Academic Dishonesty Official Warning is never appealable.

The Warning Report should be signed by both faculty member and student. The student’s refusal to sign does not invalidate the Report, so long as the student was given the opportunity to sign and refused. The completed Official Warning Report should be filed with the Office of the Provost for Traditional Undergraduate (TUG) students and the Office of the Dean of Adult and Distance Education for Online Degree Completion Program (DCP) students within one week of the faculty member’s conference with the student. It will become part of the student’s confidential academic file. If the student has pled responsible and faculty member has assigned a grade of “FX”, the office of the Provost (TUG) or the Dean of Adult and Distance Education (DCP) will send an additional copy of the Academic Dishonesty Formal Charge Report to Registrar Services.

In cases where a student has already admitted to an earlier incident of academic dishonesty (either in an Official Warning Report or in an Academic Dishonesty Formal Charge Report), or has been found responsible for academic dishonesty based on Formal Charges (First or Second Incident), a Warning alone is not appropriate. In these cases, the Office of the Provost (TUG) or the Dean of Adult and Distance Education (DCP) will contact the instructor issuing the Warning to inform him or her of the student’s prior responsible outcome(s). The instructor must then file an Academic Dishonesty Formal Charges Report against the student and the procedures applicable to Formal Charge Reports (below) shall apply.

Academic Dishonesty Formal Charge Report

Faculty should pursue formal charges when, in their professional judgment, they deem it academically appropriate; typically this will be when a student engages in academic dishonesty on a relatively major assignment, or where the academic dishonesty affects a substantial portion of a larger assignment. Formal charges would also be appropriate in cases where the instructor determines that the student’s actions, no matter how minor, constituted a deliberate effort to deceive.

Faculty will follow the procedures for investigation of the incident and the conference with the student (as described above under PROCEDURES FOR HANDLING CASES OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS). Faculty intending to pursue formal charges must complete the Academic Dishonesty Formal Charge Report. The Formal Charge Report should include details of the incident (including copies of any documentation available), the student’s position and the faculty member’s rationale for filing formal charges of academic dishonesty.

Subject to the student’s right to appeal (see below) the Instructor may impose one or more of the following sanctions:
• Grade reduction on assignment, from ___ to ___;
• ”0” on assignment;
• Grade reduction for course, from ___ to ___;
• Course failure for academic dishonesty;
• Other specified sanction which must not be as severe as course failure

Students may plead “responsible” or “not responsible.” If the student pleads “responsible” then the student has admitted the formal charge of academic dishonesty and accepted the sanction(s) imposed by the instructor. The student has no right of appeal. In such cases the Formal Charge Report may be used in future formal proceedings to prove that the academic dishonesty alleged by the instructor actually occurred in this past instance.

If the student pleads “not responsible,” then the student may file a notice of appeal (see below Hearing based on Student Appeal). If, however, the notice or appeal is late or fails to contain all the specified information, then the right of appeal is lost and the Academic Formal Charge Report is final and may not be further appealed. That is, the charges set forth on the Formal Charge Report will be imposed.

The Formal Charge Report should be signed by both faculty member and student. The student’s refusal to sign does not invalidate the Report, so long as the student was given the opportunity to sign and refused. The completed Academic Dishonesty Formal Charge Report should be filed with the office of the Provost (TUG) or the Dean of Adult and Distance Education (DCP). The filing should occur within one week of the faculty member’s conference with the student. If the student has pled responsible, or fails to submit a valid notice of appeal, and the faculty member had assigned a grade of “FX”, the office of the Provost (TUG) or the Dean of Adult and Distance Education (DCP) will send an additional copy of the Academic Dishonesty Formal Charge Report to Registrar Services.

Hearing based on Second or Third Incident
Absent a student appeal (see below) the student’s plea of responsible and assignment of a penalty by the instructor constitute a final disposition of the Formal Charge unless the Provost (TUG) or the Dean of Adult and Distance Education (DCP) determine that the student has previously plead responsible to a formal charge or has been found responsible of a formal charge (“Second or Third Incident”). In that case, the Office of the Provost (TUG), or the Dean of Adult and Distance Education (DCP) will notify the Chair of the Academic Honor Court, who is the faculty representative to the Court appointed by the Chair of the Faculty for a three-year term. The Chair of the Academic Honor Court will convene a meeting of the Honor Court to determine whether additional sanctions should be imposed.

Hearing based on Student Appeal of Formal Charge
The Academic Honor Court will also be convened if:
a. the student pled “not responsible” in response to a Formal Charge; and
b. no later than 7 business days after receipt of the completed Formal Charge, the student files a written notice of appeal with the Office of the Provost (TUG), or the Dean of Adult and Distance Education (DCP); and
c. the written notice (which may be supported with documentation) describes the student’s view of the incident and requested outcome; and
d. from the face of the notice it appears that the student is pursuing one or more of the allowable grounds for appealing the charge (which are: inadequate or inaccurate evidence, material procedural irregularity, or excessive sanction(s)).

If a-d are satisfied the matter proceeds to hearing.

If a student who pled “not responsible” files a notice of appeal that fails to meet requirements b, c, and d above, then the Honor Court dismisses the appeal without proceeding with a hearing (which is a final decision), or, in the case of extenuating circumstances, the Honor Court may allow the student no more than 7 business days to correct their written notice. If the student then fails to timely fully correct the written notice, the Honor Court shall dismiss the appeal (which is a final decision). If the student timely corrects the notice of appeal, then the matter proceeds to hearing.

Hearing Procedures

The Online Degree Completion Program Academic Honor Court is composed of the following members or their alternate in case of a conflict of interest or unavailability:

DCP Program Member	Alternate
Faculty Representative (Chair)	Faculty Member appointed by Chair
Member of Alpha Sigma Lambda	Member of Alpha Sigma Lambda appointed by Chair
Student Representative to Degree Completion Council	Member of SGA appointed by SGA
Dean, not of college where incident arose, appointed by the Provost	Dean, not of college where incident arose, appointed by the Provost
Director of Academic Innovation and Digital Learning	Dean, not of college where incident arose, appointed by the Provost

The hearing is informal and the rules applicable to courts of law do not apply. At the hearing, both the student and the faculty member may present evidence regarding the current charges. Students may have one person from within the University community appear on their behalf at the hearing. Members of the Academic Honor Court shall hear and decide the case objectively and based upon the presentation of evidence.

Note that for purposes of both the hearing and appeal a procedural irregularity is grounds for overturning the instructor’s Formal Charge only if it was “material.” This means that the irregularity was in fact the cause of an incorrect outcome. A procedural irregularity that did not negatively impact the outcome is not “material” and is insufficient to overturn the instructor’s Formal Charge.

The Academic Honor Court may either uphold or dismiss the faculty member’s charges. The Honor Court will provide a written decision to the parties involved.

Should the upholding of the faculty member’s charges constitute a Second or Third Incident, the Court shall levy additional sanctions accordingly (see below).

Should it uphold the faculty member’s charges in the absence of a Second or Third Incident, the Court may, in addition to the faculty member’s sanctions, impose one or more of the sanctions set forth below under the heading “First Incident”

Absent a timely appeal, the Honor Court’s decision is final.

Sanctions Available to Honor Court

First Incident
The sanction for a first incident may range from penalizing the student’s grade on a specific assignment to assigning the student a failing grade for a course. Whenever a failing grade for Academic Dishonesty has been assigned, an FX will be recorded as a permanent indication of the incident on the student’s transcript.

Second Incident
In addition to the Second Incident, the Academic Honor Court should consider the severity of the First Incident. Any student convicted of a Second Incident will receive no less than a failing grade for the course and placement of an FX on their transcript. Students responsible for any Second Incident will also be ineligible for academic honors. When the First and/or Second Incidents have been particularly serious, such as dishonesty on important exams, or major assignments, the Honor Court may suspend or expel the student.

Third Incident
Any student found responsible for a Third Incident of any kind will be expelled from the University with the action so noted on the student’s transcript.

Appeal of Honor Court Decision

The student or the faculty member may appeal the Honor Court’s decision to the Provost, in writing, within 7 business days of receipt of the decision. The student’s grounds for appeal are additional evidence unavailable at the time of the hearing, inadequate or inaccurate evidence, material procedural irregularity by the faculty member or Honor Court, or excessive sanction(s). A faculty member may appeal an Honor Court decision only on the grounds of material procedural violation by the Honor Court, or inadequate sanction(s). The Provost may meet with one or more of the persons involved, or decide the appeal based on the available written information, in the Provost’s discretion. The Provost’s decision is final.

The results of the Online Degree Completion Program Honor Court proceedings and any appeals will be filed with the Office of the and the Office of the Provost.

Academic Dishonesty Outcome Reporting

In accordance with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (“FERPA”) it is University Policy to inform in writing the following people and/or offices of the outcome of an academic dishonesty hearing, and any appeal thereof:

The accused student
The accused student’s appeal advisor
The instructor bringing the charges
Members of the Academic Honor Court
The accused student’s academic advisor
Registrar Services
Provost and Executive Vice President of the University (TUG)
Dean of Adult and Distance Education (DCP)
The accused student’s academic file

The University reserves the right to notify any other University employee or office with a legitimate academic interest in the outcome.

Repeating Courses in which Academic Dishonesty Occurred

Students are allowed to retake courses that they fail due to academic dishonesty; however, the course hours attempted will continue to be calculated in figuring the student’s grade point average. For more information on the Academic Honesty Policy and Procedures, see the current Online Undergraduate Degree Completion Program Student Handbook.

Course Credit Policies

Advanced Placement

Students achieving a minimum score of three on an Advanced Placement exam of the College Board will receive credit for the specific course covered by the test as determined by the appropriate academic department of the University. Students achieving a score of four or five may receive additional advanced credit. AP credits are not counted toward the senior-college-credit-hour minimum (60).

College-Level Examination Program

Gardner-Webb accepts credit earned through the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) based on exams taken prior to, and through the end of, the student’s first semester of enrollment. CLEP credits are not counted toward the senior-college-credit-hour minimum (60).

Gardner-Webb University grants credit to students submitting test scores from the College-Level Examination Program on the following basis.

Credit will be received on the same basis as transferred credit from accredited institutions of higher learning.
Credit will not be granted in an area for which the examinee has attempted or earned college credit.
Credit earned will be computed in the examinee’s academic record as “CR,” which is hours credit only.
Unsatisfactory scores will not become part of the examinee’s academic record.
A CLEP test on any subject may be submitted only one time.
Students can only receive CLEP credit within their first semester.

The Department of English Language and Literature will grant credit for English 101 (3 hours) to students who make a score of 60 or higher on the English Composition with Essay CLEP test. To earn this credit, students must take only this specific CLEP test, which is offered, administered, and scored by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Students are responsible for ensuring ETS sends official notification of the English Composition with Essay score to Gardner-Webb’s Department of English Language and Literature. CLEP credit is not available for English 102.

General examination guidelines are as follows.

The student must submit a score at or above the minimum score set by the American Council on Education listed for each examination.
The number of credit hours granted will be the total normally granted for the area covered by the test with the following restrictions.
1. A maximum of six credit hours of credit may be granted for each test.
2. A maximum of three credit hours credit may be granted on the basis of a subscore, provided the area is appropriate.
3. Credit thus granted may be applied to the student’s course of study only as basic courses or free electives.

Subject examination guidelines are the following.

The student must submit a score at or above the minimum score set by the American Council on Education listed for each examination.
The number of credit hours granted will be determined by the scope of the material measured as indicated by the American Council on Education.
Credit thus granted may be applied to the student’s course of study without restriction.

A detailed list of AP and CLEP equivalencies is available on the Registrar Services section of the website.

International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO): The University accepts credit for Higher Level courses completed with scores of five or above. A detailed list of IBO equivalencies is available on the Registrar Services website.

Armed Service-Related Programs

Veterans who have successfully completed a course or courses under the Service School Training Program or through the United States Armed Forces Institute may submit these courses for credit consideration. Gardner-Webb recognizes the Joint Services Transcript transfer recommendations of the American Council on Education and may offer college credits for military service equivalencies. Credit may be applied or University requirement satisfied depending on the student’s specific academic program requirements.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)

Students having documentation of prior learning experiences that align with specific courses may submit that documentation for evaluation and may possibly gain academic credit. The policies and procedures are set in the context of the Kolb model of adult learning and in conformity with standards of the Council for Adult Experiential Learning.

Course by Arrangement

A course by arrangement is restricted to a degree- or licensure-seeking student (i.e., is not a transient student) in a Gardner-Webb University program of study and a Catalog course which is not offered by the University during a given semester or which cannot be scheduled by the student. The course may be offered to the student on a one-to-one basis, provided the option is limited to instances of extenuating circumstances.

Course by Arrangement requires junior, senior, or graduate standing and the approval of the following: the instructor offering the study, the student’s major department/school, and the appropriate Associate Provost. A course by arrangement must be scheduled before the end of the schedule modification period of each semester. It will not be used to repeat a course unless the course will not be offered within twelve months from the end date of the course to be repeated. No more than two course by arrangements may be applied toward graduation requirements. No more than one course by arrangement can be taken in any one semester.

Credit by Exam

Credit by exam is an in-depth and comprehensive assessment of the student’s ability to answer questions in course content. An acceptable grade on the examination will permit the student to receive credit for the course. To request the opportunity to receive credit by exam, the student must present, in writing, justification for such an examination to the dean of the school or chair of the department in which the course is offered. The dean of the school or chair of the department will appoint a committee to review the request. If the request is approved, the dean or chair will appoint the examining instructor or committee and inform the Student Accounts Office that the student should be charged a per-credit-hour examination fee. If the examination results are acceptable, the examining instructor or committee will report the results, via the Certification of Successful Challenge Examination Form, to the dean of the school or chair of the department. That dean or chair will send a copy of the form to the Registrar, who will credit the student with the appropriate number of hours for the course. No grade will be assigned or averaged into the quality point average.

Independent Study

The term “independent study” is reserved for those courses specifically designed as guided reading and/or for student-initiated research that includes a written project/paper. Independent study requires junior, senior, or graduate standing and the approval of the following: the instructor offering the study, the student’s major department/school, and the appropriate Associate Provost. The student’s proposal must be submitted and approved by the end of the semester preceding the study. An independent study will not be used to repeat a course and is restricted to a degree- or licensure-seeking student in a Gardner-Webb University program of study. No more than six hours of credit in independent study may be applied toward graduation requirements. No more than three hours of independent study can be taken in any one semester.

Student Guidelines, Expectations, and Rights

Gardner-Webb University is a community of students, faculty, and staff who are dedicated to learning and personal development in a Christian environment. As in any community, certain standards of conduct are necessary to protect the safety, rights, health, and general well-being of all members of the community. The University strives to promote concern for the good of the entire group as opposed to selfish individualism. Each person, whether student, faculty, or staff, voluntarily joins the University community and thus is expected to abide by rules and regulations that have been adopted to ensure reasonable standards of conduct. The Code of Student Conduct describes conduct which the University does not tolerate. By enrolling in the University, each student agrees to abide by University rules, regulations, and expectations. The Board of Trustees has approved minimum penalties for certain of the prohibited behaviors. The University assures fundamental fairness to any student accused of involvement in prohibited behavior. The Online Undergraduate Degree Completion Program Student Handbook describes the Code of Student Conduct and the student conduct process used in the event a student becomes involved in prohibited behavior. The Handbook is available online. Gardner-Webb University supports and is fully committed to the concept of a drug-, tobacco-, and alcohol-free campus community. In order to comply with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989, Gardner-Webb publishes these policies and makes them available to each student.

Gardner-Webb will impose disciplinary sanctions on students who violate the terms of paragraph 1. If found responsible, the appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from the University and/or satisfactory participation in a drug and alcohol abuse assistance or rehabilitation program approved for such purposes by a federal, state, or local health, law enforcement, or other appropriate agency, will be taken. More specific penalties are outlined in the Online Undergraduate Degree Completion Program Student Handbook. Violations may also be referred to the appropriate civil authorities for prosecution under local, state, and federal law.
Local, state, and federal laws prohibit the possession and distribution of illicit drugs, alcohol, and weapons. The applicable legal sanctions for various offenses are listed in the North Carolina Criminal Law and Procedure book, a reference copy of which is maintained by the University’s Campus Police Department.
Information describing the health risks associated with the illicit drugs and abuse of alcohol is made available to all students. Additional information and individual counseling is available through the University’s Counseling Center. If necessary and at the student’s expense, referral can be made to an outside agency.
Consistent with North Carolina Statute 14-269.2 banning weapons on campus, it is a violation of Gardner-Webb University policy to possess, store, carry, or use any weapon on the University Campus or at a curricular or extracurricular activity sponsored by the University, except as otherwise specifically provided by law.

Withdrawal Policies

Withdrawal, Suspension, and Expulsion Policies

Voluntary termination of enrollment during a semester or summer term is defined as withdrawal. Dismissal from school for a specified period of time is defined as suspension. Dismissal from school for an expulsion is permanent. The University reserves the right to suspend or expel any student or students when it believes that such action is in the best interest of the institution and/or the student(s). This action will take place only after careful consideration and consultation with the student or students in question and all other parties with information pertinent to the matter at hand.

Any student withdrawing from school before the end of a term (up until the last day of classes) is required to submit the online “Withdrawal Form for Degree Completion Program Students” in WebbConnect under the Registration link.

Involuntary withdrawals will be processed by the University for any student that receives a disciplinary suspension or expulsion from the University. The involuntary withdrawal will be processed and dated based on the date of the suspension or expulsion.

Students leaving the University for disciplinary reasons will not be eligible for any reduction and will be liable for the entire semester charges.

Any withdrawal will require reactivation. See Readmission of Former Students.

Removal from Class

Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that does not distract from or disrupt the educational pursuits of others. Should an instructor determine that a student’s conduct is distracting or disruptive to the educational environment in the classroom or online environment, the instructor may request the disruptive student to leave the class or online environment immediately. Such students may not return to the classroom or online environment until they have met with the instructor and offered assurances that they can conduct themselves in an appropriate manner. The professor should inform the Dean of Adult and Distance Education as soon as possible. If the student is dismissed from the class permanently because of disruptive behavior or other violations of the Code of Student Conduct, the student’s final grade will follow the grading period for a “W” or a “WP/WF,” depending on the date of dismissal.

In the event a student refuses to remove him/herself upon request, the instructor should contact University Police immediately, or in the case of an offsite facility, local law enforcement to remove the disruptive student from the classroom. The instructor must report the incident promptly to the Dean of Adult and Distance Education for possible disciplinary action.

Medical Withdrawal Policy

Any registered student who experiences medical trauma or a chronic illness that may prevent completion of the semester may apply for a medical withdrawal from the University. A medical withdrawal is a complete withdrawal from the University (i.e., not from a particular course). A request for a medical withdrawal must be submitted prior to the beginning of final exams for the semester in which the medical withdrawal is desired. A medical withdrawal request is initiated through the submission of the online Withdrawal Form located in WebbConnect prior to the beginning of final exams in the same manner as a general withdrawal from the University. In addition to the online request, the student must also provide a statement from a licensed medical or mental health professional trained in the diagnosis of the student’s medical condition. The statement should verify that the medical condition prevents the student from participating in classes or carrying out course requirements.

The statement from the medical or mental health professional must be submitted on official letterhead, addressed to the Gardner-Webb University Registrar, and include the practitioner’s name and title. The statement should indicate that the student is unable to continue in school and include the date on which the student became unable to continue (or the closest possible approximation to the date).

The student will be notified by the Registrar of the decision made by the Medical Withdrawal Committee. If the request is approved, the student will receive a final grade of “W” for each class (except in instances of Academic Dishonesty). Any adjustment in tuition will be made on a prorated basis. Once granted a withdrawal, students must apply for readmission to the University in order to continue their studies. All program admission requirements, programmatic and degree requirements, departmental student handbook, and accreditation requirements at the time of the student’s return will apply.

Any appeal for a retroactive medical withdrawal must be initiated by the end of the next Fall or Spring semester. Documentation for these appeals includes the same materials required for other medical withdrawal requests but must also include an explanation as to why the medical withdrawal request could not have been made by the normal deadline (i.e., by the beginning of final exams for the semester in which the medical withdrawal is desired).

As with any other readmission, stipulations may apply. The student must provide a statement from the same medical or mental health professional stating that the student is now able to continue studies at the University. This documentation should follow the same format as above.

Military Deployment Policy

A currently enrolled student may request withdrawal from courses if called to active military duty. Non-punitive grades of “W” or “WP” will be issued for the course(s) for the student’s academic record for the semester, regardless of the student’s current grade in the course(s). If a student is deployed toward the end of a semester, but still wants to complete the course, the student must contact his/her instructors to reach agreement on the terms of the completion, which may include requesting an “Incomplete.” The Student Accounts Office will give special consideration to student bills when there is a military-deployment-related withdrawal. A copy of the student’s military deployment orders is required.

Leave of Absence Policy

The Leave of Absence Policy is designed for students who have had significant life circumstances impact their ability to maintain good academic standing and who may need to take a break from their current academic coursework (e.g., illness of family member, personal illness, significant financial distress, or life-changing circumstances).

Online students who will not be registered for Gardner-Webb University academic credit during a given semester (Fall/Spring) may apply for a leave of absence. A leave of absence is approved when there are extenuating circumstances that prevent the student from attending classes. Listed below are typical reasons a student would request a leave of absence.

Students who have officially withdrawn from semester courses but plan to resume their education at Gardner-Webb University within two years.
Students who obtain credit while on a leave from another institution in conjunction with a Gardner-Webb University program (transfer credit will be reviewed by the appropriate Gardner-Webb University personnel for possible credit).
Students who, for other reasons, will not be registered at Gardner-Webb University for a semester or more. Institutional forms of financial aid will be renewed at the same level upon return provided students meet the standard renewal requirements (GPA, application renewals, etc.).

Federal and state financial aid will be determined as a result of the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Students must be otherwise in good academic, student conduct, and financial standing. All program admission requirements, programmatic and degree requirements, departmental student handbook, and accreditation requirements, at the time of student’s return, will apply. Policy may be appealed under certain circumstances.

Upon formal approval of the leave, a specific termination date by which a student must either re-enroll or request an extension is assigned. An extension of the approved leave of absence can be applied for by emailing the Dean of Adult and Distance Education, Dr. Elizabeth Pack (epack@gardner-webb.edu), with a request for the amount of additional time needed. A leave of absence, including extensions, is not given for more than two years during the time a student is pursuing an undergraduate degree. A student who does not re-enroll by the end of the approved leave of absence is considered to have voluntarily withdrawn from the University. The maximum of two years allowed on leave of absence applies even when those semesters are not consecutive.

Forms requesting a leave of absence are available in WebbConnect under Registration; the student must then obtain the signatures of the Student Accounts Office, the Success Coach/Advisor, and the Dean of Adult and Distance Education.

Readmission of Former Students

Students who are not in attendance for one or more semesters or who withdraw during a semester for any reason must submit a formal application for readmission. Students who have been out more than 24 months must meet the curricular requirements of the current Catalog in the academic year of their return.

Former students who have attended other institutions subsequent to their enrollment at Gardner-Webb must provide an official transcript from each institution attended. Those regulations concerning the advanced standing of transfer students apply to these students.

Students who leave Gardner-Webb University while on probation may request an evaluation of courses taken at other institutions after returning to good academic standing. Approval must be granted by the applicable Associate Provost. A request may not be made for summer courses taken immediately after being placed on probation at the end of spring semester.

Students who leave Gardner-Webb University while on suspension may request an evaluation of courses taken at other institutions after returning to good academic standing. Approval must be granted by the applicable Associate Provost. Courses taken during the semester or semesters the students were suspended are not eligible for evaluation. A request may not be made for summer courses taken immediately after being placed on suspension at the end of spring semester.

Students on suspension or probation may attend summer study at Gardner-Webb University in order to improve academic standing.

All University holds must be cleared before acceptance for readmission. These may include academic, Student Accounts, or financial aid holds. The student will receive an acceptance letter for readmission.

Deceased Student Policy

Gardner-Webb University will process a Complete Withdrawal Form upon the death of a student who is currently enrolled. Non-punitive grades of “W” or “WP” will be issued for the course(s) for the student’s academic record for the semester.

The Student Accounts Office will review the student’s account and will give special consideration in terms of any remaining charges on the student’s account.

Grade Point Average (Minimum) Policies

The following are minimum GPA requirements.

A minimum grade point average of 2.00 on a 4.00 scale based on the University grading system on all work attempted at Gardner-Webb is required for graduation.
The student must have a minimum grade of “C’’ (2.00) on each course counted toward the major. Gardner-Webb Online students must complete at least one quarter of the major at Gardner-Webb University.
The student must also have an overall “C” (2.00) average on all work counted toward any minor. A grade of “D-” (0.67) is a passing grade for courses in the minor.
A grade of “D-” (0.67) is a passing grade for General Education courses.

Transfer Credit Policies

According to the terms of the North Carolina Independent Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (ICAA), students who have earned an Associate in Arts or an Associate in Science degree from a North Carolina Community College are considered to have met Gardner-Webb’s General Education requirements with the exception of upper-division General Education requirements of REL 300: Old Testament and REL 301: New Testament. Credit for REL 300 and/or 301 may be transferred as part of these students’ community college coursework. Associate of Applied Science degree holders are not eligible for consideration under this provision.

Any student applying to Gardner-Webb who has not earned an Associate in Arts or an Associate in Sciences from a North Carolina community college, but who has earned 60 hours of credit from a regionally accredited two- or four-year institution will have their transfer credits evaluated against the 44-hour minimum standard of General Education hours as established in the ICAA (visit the Gardner-Webb University website to view these General Education requirements). Students who are within six hours of meeting this standard may complete this six-hour deficiency in their first year of study at Gardner-Webb.

Some, though not most, major programs have specific Gardner-Webb General Education courses as requirements or prerequisites, a practice permitted under the ICAA. All transfer students are required to meet these Additional Requirements for Transfer Majors either by acceptable transfer credit or by earning credit for these courses at Gardner-Webb. These Additional Requirements for Transfer Majors area listed in the Catalog description of each individual major program’s specific course requirements.

Students transferring credit from an accredited institution who have not received an associate’s degree will have their credits evaluated using the following criteria.

Courses which correspond to a Gardner-Webb University General Education course or to a Universal General Education Transfer Component designated course under the North Carolina ICAA will receive appropriate credit for the course within the General Education curriculum.
Courses which are not eligible for consideration within the General Education curriculum will be evaluated for application to the student’s major, minor, or as an elective course if the course is substantially similar to courses offered at Gardner-Webb.

Credits presented for transfer from a non-regionally accredited institution will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may require supplementary documentation for consideration. Supplementary documentation will usually consist of a copy of the syllabus, credentials of the instructor, and possibly evidence of student work.

Transfer Credit from Two-Year Colleges

Students transferring from accredited two-year colleges may transfer up to 60 credit hours. An additional 60 credit hours must be taken on the senior-college level, with the final 30 credit hours for graduation taken at Gardner-Webb.

Community college graduates with an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree from a North Carolina Community College should see the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement section of this Catalog.

Transfer credit for courses taken in an Associate of Applied Science program in an academic area offered in the Gardner-Webb University Academic Catalog will be applied based on standard course equivalencies.

Transfer Credit from Four-Year Colleges

Students transferring from accredited four-year colleges may transfer up to 90 credit hours. For a bachelor’s degree, the final 30 credit hours for graduation must be taken at Gardner-Webb. Candidates for the associate degree must take their final 24 hours at Gardner-Webb.

Transfer Students Minimum Hours Policy

Students who transfer into the Gardner-Webb Online must complete at least one-quarter of the degree program at Gardner-Webb.

Transfer Credit Appeals

Appeals of the evaluation of transfer credits for specific University course equivalencies or of whether transfer credits fulfill specific major or minor requirements are made by the student, in consultation with his/her advisor, to the University department/school that houses the specific course, major, or minor. In consultation with Registrar Services, the department chair or school dean makes the final decision on course equivalencies and on what meets the program’s major and minor requirements. The decision of the chair/dean cannot be further appealed.

Students requesting to substitute transfer credits which have not been evaluated as equivalent to a specific University course that is designated as meeting a General Education requirement must appeal to the General Education Committee if they wish to have that transfer credit considered as meeting any General Education requirement. General Education Requirement Substitution Forms are available in WebbConnect. All decisions of the General Education Committee are final and cannot be further appealed.

Transfer Credit Appeal for Non-Regionally Accredited Institutions

If a transfer student attended a school that is not regionally accredited, the student will need to follow the guidelines below in order for Gardner-Webb to consider the courses individually for transfer.

All courses reviewed for transfer must be related to General Education or the major subject area chosen by the student. There are currently two ways in which we can review these specific courses:

If any course(s) has recommendation from an agency listed below, that recommendation will be used to aid in the evaluation. In the event the recommendation is vague or unsatisfactory, the Gardner-Webb department chair for the subject area of the course being evaluated will be contacted for aid in determining the full appropriate credit to be granted. The agencies from which we accept recommendations are: American Council on Education, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
For coursework that does not have recommendation from the guides listed above, the student must complete the following procedural steps for each course he or she wishes to have transferred:

a. Produce a syllabus for the course requested for transfer.

b. Request the academic institution previously attended to submit a record of credentials for the teaching faculty member(s) of each course requested for transfer (a catalog showing degrees earned, faculty vita, or a letter from the academic dean indicating graduate-level work and area of graduate work for the faculty member(s).

These credentials will be reviewed by the Dean of Adult and Distance Education for authenticity and credibility. Once the credentials are approved, the Dean's Office will contact Registrar Services to permit review of the course syllabi for possible transfer of courses.

Note: Courses completed multiple times at prior institutions will only be counted once toward completion of a Gardner-Webb University degree.

Institutional Credit Policy

The last academic year (30 credit hours or more) must be taken at Gardner-Webb.

Repeat Course Policy

A student may repeat up to six courses in which he or she earned a “C-,” “D+,” “D,” “F,” “D-,” “@F,” or “WF” to improve grades for GPA purposes. Beginning with the seventh, all repeat attempts will be counted in the GPA. Multiple repeats of the same course will count toward the six allowed. In the first six courses being repeated, only the higher grade will be counted in computing the Gardner-Webb overall grade point average, although the lower grade remains on the official transcript.

Students may repeat up to two courses in which they earned a grade of "C" or higher in an effort to improve their GPA. In these cases, the higher grade will be utilized for GPA calculations although the lower grade will remain on the transcript. No additional credit hours can be earned in these course repeats. These repeats do count towards the maximum of six course repeats.

Transfer credit may not be used to repeat or replace a grade earned in a Gardner-Webb course.

University policy on repeating courses is not applicable in a situation where an “FX” was assigned because of academic dishonesty. An “FX” that is assigned as a penalty for academic dishonesty will remain a part of the academic transcript. It cannot be removed by a course repeat and will be factored into the grade point average.

Designations appearing on the transcript at the right end of a line describing a course indicate how that course’s quality points were calculated. An “E” designation on the transcript refers to a course excluded from the grade point calculation as the result of a repeat. An “I” designation on the transcript refers to an inclusion in the grade point calculation of a grade as the result of a repeat. An “A” designation refers to a course whose quality points were averaged with those of another course as the result of a repeat in excess of the limits for replacing grades.

Transient Credit Policy

Transient credit is credit taken from another institution while a student is currently enrolled at Gardner-Webb (including summers). Students who wish to ensure that courses taken at other accredited institutions during a regular term or summer session are applicable for Gardner-Webb credit must complete a “Request to Recognize Transient Credit” form. The online form is located in WebbConnect under the Registration link. This form must be submitted to Registrar Services no later than the last class day of the semester prior to the requested semester of study.

Transient credit requests will be considered only for students who are in good academic standing at the University, and thus may not be used to improve academic standing at Gardner-Webb.

The following restrictions apply to the approval of transient credit. Transient credit will not be accepted for

Students not in good academic standing (i.e., students on probation or suspension).
Students who attend institutions other than regionally accredited colleges or universities.
Students wishing to repeat a course in which a grade of “C-“ or lower was made at Gardner-Webb. Once a course has been taken at Gardner-Webb, a student may not receive transfer credit to replace the course.
Students majoring in Biochemistry, Biology and/or Chemistry taking a science course with an online lab.
Students taking a natural science course that has a two-course sequence where the first course has an online lab.

Gardner-Webb students are expected to complete the final semesters of their programs exclusively through GWU. Therefore, students enrolled in BS or BA degree programs who have earned 90 hours of credit or more are allowed to attempt to earn transient credit only in extraordinary circumstances. These circumstances must involve scheduling situations clearly beyond the student’s control (e.g., a course is only offered at the same time as another required course or the course will not be offered before a student’s anticipated graduation date). Requests involving General Education courses, which are offered regularly in multiple sections, will only be granted in exceedingly rare instances where the student can demonstrate that taking these courses earlier was not feasible and cannot be scheduled during their remaining semesters at Gardner-Webb. Students with credits beyond the aforementioned thresholds who desire to earn transient credit must submit a “Request to Waive Transient Credit Limit” form, which requires the student to demonstrate clearly the extraordinary circumstances behind their waiver request. This form must be submitted to Registrar Services at least two weeks before the last class day of the semester prior to the requested semester of study. The form can be found in WebbConnect under the Registration link.

In order to ensure that transient credit is properly documented, the student must request an official transcript from the host institution be forwarded to the Gardner-Webb Registrar. For a student taking a transient credit during the final semester of study, all such transcripts must be on file in Registrar Services prior to that semester’s Commencement ceremonies. Transient transcripts not received by this deadline will cause the student’s graduation date to be delayed.

TUG/Gardner-Webb Online Status Change Policy

Students who desire an immediate transfer into the Traditional Undergraduate Program and who are in good academic standing may appeal to the Readmission Review Committee. Special consideration will be given to students who wish to pursue a major not offered in the Gardner-Webb Online, as well as those who have relocated to the area and desire to pursue a residential program at Gardner-Webb University. Appeals will not be considered for students in the final 30 hours of their current program except in extreme circumstances. Students considering an appeal should contact the Advising Center for more information. Residential housing is not available to students in the Gardner-Webb Online (with the exception of the Hunt School of Nursing’s RN to BSN program).

Student Responsibility Policy

The student bears the final responsibility for the selection of a program of study and adherence to all published regulations and requirements of the University, including academic policies and the requirements for graduation. The student is responsible for making official application for graduation to the Registrar by the deadlines published on the Registrar Services website. The student cannot transfer these responsibilities to his/her success coach or faculty advisor.