26
Admission, Enrollment and Graduation Requirements
final term of enrollment, with the exception of the transcripts and the academic record. Except in cases of clerical error, students' academic records are closed upon graduation. Attendance Regular class attendance is expected of all students. Classes are conducted in a manner that will encourage academic excellence and the growth of Christian character. The final authority for attendance and any effect that it might have upon grades rests with the individual faculty member. This is due to the tremendous variety of class size and purpose, and the specific requirements in attendance. Students who fail to meet the minimum attendance requirement of a course will be assigned a grade of "UW" (Unofficial Withdrawal) which will influence the GPA the same as an "F." Visitors and current students may visit a class for a maximum of one week (or the equivalent thereof, based on a 15-week course). After one week, registration in credit or audit status for the course(s) is required. Intercollegiate Athletics Class Attendance Policy Addendum Student-athletes will be excused to miss class only under the following circumstances per NCAA Division II rules and regulations. “Excused” means that the student-athlete will be given the opportunity to make-up any missed assignments or class work without penalty. The following information is provided to student-athletes, head coaches and faculty members and is intended to summarize Biola policies on missed class time due to athletics contests. • Student-athletes are not permitted to miss class for home practice activities including but not limited to: practice, weights/conditioning, film study, promotional events, or community engagement events. There are two exceptions: • When a team is traveling to an away-from-home contest and the practice is in conjunction with the contest. Bylaw 17.1. • Championship Practice. Student-athletes representing Biola at a conference or NCAA championship shall be permitted to miss class time to attend practice activities in conjunction with the event. Bylaw 17.1. • Student-athletes are permitted to miss class for competition, home and away, during the regular season and/or playoffs. No class time shall be missed for competition, including activities associated with competition, outside of the regular season and/or playoffs, per Bylaw 17.1. Student-athletes are not excused from classes that end prior to departure time on the day of travel. • Student-athletes are responsible to notify faculty within five business days after the first day of class concerning any future missed class time due to athletics contests using the Class Absence Reporting Form. This will ensure the individual faculty member has been notified of sport-related absences PRIOR to missing class. The form includes a section requesting accommodations for completion of any missed assignments. This must be completed fully by the faculty member and returned to the student-athlete within 72 hours of receipt. All missed class work and assignments must be completed according to the schedule established by the faculty member teaching the course. Per institutional decision, faculty members are expected to provide substantive learning assignments on this form for any missed in-class work and not penalize the student-athlete for missing class.
• Note: Any student-athlete that does not complete the form correctly or on time is not protected from missed class penalties under this policy. • In the case of last minute travel itinerary changes due to unforeseen circumstances, the student-athlete is responsible to promptly notify faculty (within 24 hours of the change). Individual faculty members will judge the validity of student-athlete absences from class and may require documentation for excused absences. In such cases the student-athlete will submit a written request to the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance to request that documentation be sent to the faculty member. For classes requiring mandatory attendance incompatible with the number of planned absences, student-athletes will be advised to register, if possible, during a semester in which they will not be participating in the university sanctioned activity. If a faculty member already has a policy in place that allows for a minimum number of absences, missed in-class assignments, and/or late assignments, then absences due to athletics contests will apply toward that policy first. As with any academic issue, student-athletes may exercise their right to appeal adverse attendance decisions. Should the faculty member and student-athlete be unable to agree on appropriate accommodation under this policy, either party shall have the right to request mediation. The person seeking mediation should contact the Faculty Athletics Representative. He or she may ask the student or faculty member to pursue resolution by meeting with the following individuals (in order) until the issue has been resolved: the Department Chair, Academic Dean, and the Vice-Provost. The Faculty Athletics Representative may also work to mediate the request for accommodation on behalf of the faculty member or student, and may choose to collaborate with the Director of Athletics in this process. The Intercollegiate Athletics Class Attendance Policy Addendum was developed in order to ensure collaboration between faculty members and the student-athlete in order to achieve graduation requirements. Grades The grade point average of a student is obtained by dividing the total number of grade points at Biola by the total number of credits attempted at Biola. (This calculation does not include courses transferred from another institution and starts anew for graduate programs). To graduate with a baccalaureate degree, a student must achieve at least a 2.0 in both cumulative and major (some programs require higher) undergraduate coursework. Higher standards are required for graduate degrees, as stated elsewhere in this catalog. Biola's policy requires that when computing the GPA, the GPA is recorded at the third number beyond the decimal point without rounding up. Quality of course work is graded on the following scale, with a system of grade points used to determine a student's general grade point average (GPA) or standing:
Grade Quality
Points
A
Highest Passing Grade
4.00 3.67 3.33 3.00
A- B+
B
Good
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