PS Academic Policies

SNU seeks to support and promote qualities of academic honesty and personal integrity in all aspects of life. Serious offenses against the SNU community include cheating, plagiarism, and all forms of academic dishonesty. Cheating or academic dishonesty is defined as the deception to others about one’s own work or about the work of another. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to:

1. Submitting another’s work as one’s own with or allowing another to submit one’s work as though it were his or hers.
2. Failure to properly acknowledge authorities quoted, cited, or consulted in the preparation of written work (plagiarism).
3. The use of a textbook, notes, information on the internet, etc. during an examination without permission of the instructor.
4. The receiving or giving of unauthorized help on assignments.
5. Tampering with experimental data to obtain a “desired” result or cheating results for experiments not done (dry labbing).
6. Tampering with or destroying the work of others.
7. Submitting substantial portions of the same academic work for credit or honors more than once without permission of the present instructor.
8. Lying about these or other academic matters.
9. Falsifying college records, forms, or other documents.
10. Unauthorized access of computer systems or files.

Academic dishonesty in a computer assignment will be suspected if an assignment that calls for independent work results in two or more solutions so similar that one can be converted to another by a mechanical transformation (Policy in the Undergraduate Catalog).

Students who are guilty of academic integrity violations such as these can expect to be penalized; any student who knowingly assists another student in dishonest behavior is equally responsible.

Faculty members are required to communicate with students involved in an integrity issue and are required to report all infractions of the integrity policy using the Academic Integrity Violation Reporting Form. Subsequent violations at any point in the students academic career will result in the involvement of the VPAA for Professional and Graduate Studies or the Provost and penalties up to and including dismissal from the university may be applied.

Any SNU personnel discovering violations of these policies should report to their direct supervisor, who will report incidents to the Office of Academic Affairs.

Violations of these policies will be dealt with in the same manner as violations of other SNU policies and will result in disciplinary review. In such a review, the full range of disciplinary sanctions is available. This includes, but is not limited to immediate dismissal from SNU (Policy in the Undergraduate Catalog).

Zoom Etiquette: To be counted “Present” in class, we ask that you follow these protocols for the sake of contributing to a positive learning environment:

• Keep the camera turned on with your face in the video frame. Make sure the name label that appears with your video feed includes your first and last name. Be aware of your background, lighting, and any visual distractions. Occasionally, you may need to temporarily turn your camera off to minimize distraction while still remaining engaged in the course activities. For an extended disabling of the camera while in class or if connectivity becomes a problem, please send a courtesy explanatory email to your instructor. 
• Keep your microphone muted until ready to speak. Be mindful of background noises. Use the “Raised Hand” icon if you have trouble capturing the attention of the instructor.
• Avoid multitasking. You will retain the classroom discussion better if you refrain from replying to emails or text messages during class.  Avoid activities like walking around with your laptop or having conversations with others who are not part of the class.
• Attend the entire class session. Sign in to Zoom by 6:00pm and stay until the class is dismissed.  Participate in all activities and class discussion as best possible. Stay focused and engaged.

Our hope is that you will consider the virtual classroom space the same as you would treat a physical classroom space since the goal is to foster a learning environment where everyone feels respected and valued. If you would not do something in a physical classroom, please also refrain from doing it in the virtual class session.

Virtual Access Disclaimer: While technology offers a great opportunity to participate in class as a virtual option, please note that technology disruptions sometimes occur within the classroom and/or for the learner. In the unfortunate event that your virtual access is disrupted, you may be counted “absent” and be required to make up the class session through other work.

As we embrace a posture of professionalism, we recognize that submitting late work can be counterproductive both in the workplace and in the classroom, especially in accelerated programs. All assignment deadlines conform to Central Standard or Daylight Saving Time. 

Learners are expected to communicate with their instructor(s) about any extenuating circumstances and the potential impact upon assignment submission and/or class attendance. Notification does not automatically result in a waiver of a late penalty.  

Late work will incur the following deductions in relation to an assignment’s full point value: 

• 10% deduction per day for the first four (4) days; 
• 50% deduction for day five (5) through seven (7); 
• No credit will be awarded after day seven (7), but learners may receive feedback at the instructor’s discretion.

Learners with accommodations through Disability Services can be best served by submitting a disability-approved accommodation plan to the instructor(s). Short- and long-term disabilities can impact learning at any time and SNU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable learners to complete learning outcomes equitably with their peers in meeting academic standards and requirements.

Military learners must contact instructors as soon as possible whenever military duties interfere with timely assignment submission. Official military orders or a signed memorandum from the service member’s unit commander is required before late work deductions are omitted.

Drop/Administrative Drop = no credit, not transcripted; Withdrawal = grade of W on transcript, no credit, no GPA impact

Attendance: Two absences result in an “F” for the course unless the student is absent the first two weeks which results in an administrative drop.  

Books/Fees: Students are responsible for book charges if books are not returned in accordance with Tree of Life’s book cancellation and return policy. In order to drop for full refund of fees, the student must email the advisor, program coordinator, or program director with stated intent to drop prior to the start of Week 1.

An incomplete grade (“I”) is given when a student lacks some essential requirements of the course and is only allowed in special cases where students come to the end of the course and experience illness or an unavoidable crisis. A grade of “I” must be requested by the student to the program director in cooperation with the course instructor. The incomplete form must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office within two weeks of the close of the course.  An “I” is not to be given to allow extra time to complete coursework that should have been completed during the length of the course. Incomplete work must be submitted according to the schedule determined by the course instructor and within six months from the last date of the course. Extension of the completion period requires approval by the VPAA of PGS.

Exceptions may be granted to this policy through the Extraordinary Circumstance Request form. Students should contact their academic advisor or program coordinator for more information.

Our Common Commitment in PGS: We value the worth and dignity of all people. SNU strives to be a culturally responsive community where all members of the community are respected, valued, and appreciated. We believe all people are made in the image of God and a diverse community valuing the contributions of every person is essential to SNU and the Kingdom of God. Therefore, abstaining from racism of any kind, discrimination, hate speech, bullying of any kind, or a public disregard for any individual or group is expected. Loving others as ourselves is our goal, so treating all others with value, respect, compassion, cultural humility and responsiveness is expected.

The Incomplete form is found at the my.snu.edu site: click on the Forms button and find the PGS – Incomplete form link under the Advisors/Faculty header (click the + button). 

• SNU IT has instituted new security protocols for signing in to these forms. Click on the https://laserfiche.snu.edu/Forms/TokenRequest link to go to the User Access Token Request page. Enter your username (do not add the @mail.snu.edu for this form), date of birth, and click Submit. An email will be sent with you with an access token that is good for the day. Keep this email on hand if you have several incompletes to work on.
• Retrieve the access token from your email and return to the Incomplete Grade page to enter your username (again without the @mail.snu.edu) and access token.  
• Note that you can retrieve the Student ID from the grade submissions page on the Faculty Self-Service page (see above first page).

Please Note

• An Incomplete is only given for the most extenuating circumstances.  As stated on the form:

The “I” is given only in special cases where students come to the end of the course period and experience illness or an unavoidable crisis. It is not to be given to allow extra time to complete coursework that should have been completed during the course period.

Given the responsibilities and pressures that many of our PGS students carry in their life while trying to complete their degree, it’s reasonable that on occasion a life event precludes a student from finishing a course on time. This may include a sudden, unexpected turn of events such as a family tragedy, serious illness, hospitalization (or hospitalization for a cared-for family member), loss of a job, an unavoidable, extended business trip, etc. But it is not appropriate to allow extra time through an Incomplete simply because a student fell behind on coursework.

• Reason for Incomplete: It’s very important that faculty carefully fill out the Reason for Incomplete box. The description must go beyond simply writing “Personal issues” or “Family difficulties.” Using appropriate discretion, please describe with appropriate detail the unavoidable crisis that is the basis for the Incomplete.  
• Timing:  The Incomplete form timeline can be given for up to six months following a course but in general, this would only be appropriate for a serious and lasting illness or other long term crisis. The more succinct the timeframe, the better it is for the student and instructor.

Important Notes

• As an instructor, you are not required to grant an Incomplete. Each request for an incomplete should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Some instructors will reach out to students who fall behind in a course. Some instructors wait for the student to contact them. Whatever the case, it’s very important when granting an Incomplete to have clear communication with the student on remaining assignments and their deadlines, which must also be clearly delineated on the Incomplete form.
• When you submit an Incomplete, a pdf is emailed to the student and to your email address. At this point, it is incumbent on the student to complete the course (whether he/she reads the pdf or not) – please note this is an extension granted by the instructor to the student.  The onus is solely on the student to fulfill the conditions of the Incomplete.
• If the student does not complete the stipulations/deadline as stated on the Incomplete form OR if the instructor forgets to notify the Registrar of a change in grade once the conditions are met, the grade will revert to the default grade given on the form.

The Change of Grade/Change of Incomplete form is found at the my.snu.edu site: click on the Forms button and find the PGS – Change of Grade/Change of Incomplete form link under the Advisors/Faculty header (click the + button). 

• SNU IT has instituted new security protocols for signing in to these forms. Click on the https://laserfiche.snu.edu/Forms/TokenRequest link to go to the User Access Token Request page. Enter your username (do not add the @mail.snu.edu for this form), date of birth, and click Submit. An email will be sent with you with an access token that is good for the day. Keep this email on hand if you have several incompletes to work on.
• Retrieve the access token from your email and return to the Change of Grade/Change of Incomplete page to enter your username (again without the @mail.snu.edu) and access token.  
• Note that you can retrieve the Student ID from the grade submissions page on the Faculty Self-Service page (see above first page).

Please note for a Change of Grade

• In general, Change of Grade is used for one purpose: to change a grade when the instructor has made an error in recording a grade, calculating a final grade, or overlooking a submitted assignment that should have been graded. Occasionally, a student will email the instructor after course grades have been submitted stating, “Will you please check on this particular assignment to see if you graded it and put the grade into the gradebook?” Or perhaps a student informs you about an error in the recorded assignment grade. It happens to the best of us!  In these cases, it is perfectly appropriate to submit the Change of Grade form.
• Please consider that the Change of Grade form necessitates a high degree of scrutiny from the Registrar’s Office. Usually, a change of grade might occur within a couple of weeks after grades are submitted but should be extremely rare after that point in time. Always provide a clear reason for the grade change on the form so that the Registrar may understand the situation.  
• Please remember that the Grade Change form cannot be used to consider work turned in late after grades are submitted for a course.

Please note for a Change of Incomplete

• This form can only be used to change the grade for an Incomplete when the Incomplete form was properly filed prior to the submission of grades.  As noted above, the Change of Grade/Change of Incomplete form can never be used to consider work turned in late after the course end date – unless the Incomplete form was properly filed and the student completed the work according to the conditions set forth in the Incomplete form.

Thanks for helping us maintain the highest degree of academic standards!