Academic Regulations and Procedures

Academic Advising

Each new student is assigned an academic advisor who will assist in planning an academic program and in discussing academic goals and progress. The initial assignment is made, wherever possible, on the basis of academic interest. A student may change advisors with the consent of the new advisor. Change-of-advisor forms are available in the Office of the Registrar and in the Office of Academic Advising.

Admission

Students interested in admission to Ohio Wesleyan should contact the Office of Admission for information. Contact the office by phone (800-922-8953), email (owuadmit@owu.edu), or on the web (https://owu.edu/admission/).

What Are Your Entrance Requirements?

The Admission Committee has determined that a college preparatory course of study in high school will best prepare students for academic success at OWU. Minimum requirements include 4 years of English, 3 years of social science, 3 years of math and science, and 2 years of foreign language study (3 years recommended).

We accept scores for both the SAT and the ACT, although we require only one set of scores. We do not require the ACT writing test. If you’re interested in Ohio Wesleyan, ask that your scores be sent directly to us by indicating our institutional code on the score request form. OWU’s SAT code is 1594; the ACT code is 3316.

Note: OWU is now test-optional for many students. Read https://owu.edu/admission/apply/first-year-students/ for more information.

Admission to the University is offered on a selective basis. To be considered for admission, candidates must submit an application, official high school or GED transcripts, results of the ACT or SAT examination, a teacher’s recommendation, a personal essay and a summary of school and community activities. OWU requires that applicants have earned either a diploma from an accredited high school or the GED Certificate prior to enrolling at the University. Students who have been home schooled should consult with the Office of Admission.

Successful candidates for admission typically rank in the top quarter of their high school classes, have earned a minimum B average in their academic course work and have demonstrated involvement and leadership in school or community organizations. Standardized test scores generally reflect commensurate achievement and ability; however test scores are optional in the admission process.

Advanced Placement

The University makes provision for students of unusual ability or preparation who desire to accelerate the time required to earn a degree. For this reason, students who plan to enter Ohio Wesleyan are encouraged to take the advanced placement examinations of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB), administered by the Educational Testing Service, which also administers the Scholastic Assessment Test. Advanced placement and/or college credit may be granted in relation to scores earned and departmental standards. Students who wish to receive credit should have their official examination results sent to the Office of the Registrar for evaluation.

Advanced placement credit is given by the following departments:

Biology. A student who achieves a 4 or a 5 on the Advanced Placement test in Biology will be awarded credit for BIOL 120  . Those same students may be eligible to take proficiency exams for BIOL 122  , subject to strict time constraints (see Catalog section on proficiency exams for details). Contact one of the department chairs for more information.

Chemistry. A student who receives a composite grade of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Examination in Chemistry will be granted credit toward graduation for one term of CHEM 110  and may enroll in CHEM 111 .
Any student who receives a composite grade of 5 on the examination may enroll in CHEM 260 . If the student completes CHEM 260  with a grade of C- or better, the student will be given credit for both CHEM 110  and CHEM 111  in addition to the credit received for CHEM 260 .

Computer Science. A student who receives a grade of 4 or better on either Advanced Placement Examination in Computer Science will be granted credit for CS 110 .

Economics. Any student receiving a 4 or better on the Advanced Placement Examination in Economics will be given one unit of credit. This unit will be equivalent to ECON 110 .

Students receiving a 4 or better on only one part of the exam (micro or macro) will receive one unit of lower-level general Economics credit. THIS IS NOT EQUIVALENT TO OWU’S ECON 110  Principles of Economics course. Before this student can take additional economics courses, the student is required to attend class and pass the instructor’s exam for the portion of ECON 110  that the student did not attempt or did not score above a 3. Arrangements are to be made with the department.

Students with scores of 4 or better on both the Micro and the Macro exams will be given two units of credit: one unit equivalent to ECON 110  and one unit of lower-level general Economics credit.

English. Any student receiving a composite grade of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Examination in English Literature and Composition will be exempted from ENG 105  and will receive one unit of credit for an English literature course. Students receiving a score of 4 or 5 on the English Language and Composition exam will be exempted from and receive credit for ENG 105 . Students receiving scores of 4 or 5 on both AP exams in English will be exempted from ENG 105  and will receive one unit of credit for ENG 105  and one unit of credit for an English literature course. The literature credit received will not substitute for ENG 150  .

Environmental Science. Any student receiving a 4 or better on the Advanced Placement Examination in Environmental Science will be given one unit of credit. This unit will be equivalent to BOMI 233 - Ecology and the Human Future , and may be applied toward major and distribution requirements.

Fine Arts. Any student receiving a 4 or better on the Advanced Placement Examination in Art History will be awarded one unit of credit. This unit will be equivalent to ART 110  or ART 111 .

Any student receiving a 4 or better on the Advanced Placement Examination in Studio Art will be awarded one unit of credit. This unit will be equivalent to ART 112  or ART 113 .

History. Students receiving composite scores of 4 or better on the Advanced Placement Exam in European History will be given a unit of credit applied as HIST 112 . This unit will count as a European history distribution for the major or minor.

Students receiving composite scores of 4 or better on the Advanced Placement Exam in American History will be given a unit of credit applied as either HIST 113  or HIST 114 . This unit will count as an American History distribution for the major or minor.

Students receiving composite scores of 4 or better on the Advanced Placement Exam in World History will be given a unit of credit applied as HIST 120 . This unit will not fulfill any distribution but will count as an elective course for the major or minor.

Students successfully completing A-levels will receive one credit to be applied to the appropriate departmental area to be determined by the department.

Human Geography. Any student receiving a 4 or better on the Advanced Placement Examination in Human Geography will be granted one unit of credit, equivalent to GEOG 110 .

Latin. Any student receiving a composite grade of 3 or better on either of the Advanced Placement Examinations in Latin will be given credit for LATI 110  Beginning Latin I and LATI 111  Beginning Latin II and will be exempt from the language requirement. Students scoring less than 3 will be examined by the Classics faculty.

Mathematics. Students earning 4 or 5 on the AB exam in Calculus will receive one credit (for MATH 110 ) and should begin any further math study in MATH 111 . Students receiving a grade of 3 on the BC exam will receive credit for MATH 110  and should begin with MATH 111 . Students who earn a 4 or 5 in the BC exam will receive two credits (for MATH 110  and MATH 111 ) and place into MATH 210  or MATH 250 . A student with an excellent calculus background, but for whom the advanced placement examination was not available, should contact the department regarding placement in mathematics.

Modern Foreign Languages. A student receiving a composite score of 3 on the Advanced Placement Examination in Chinese, French, German, Italian, or Spanish will receive one unit of credit (110) toward graduation not to be counted in the major. With a composite score of 4 or 5 the student will receive two units of credit (110 and 111) toward graduation (not to be counted in the major) and will be exempt from the foreign language requirement.

Music. Any student receiving a 5 or better on the Advanced Placement Test in Music Theory will be awarded one unit of credit. This unit will be equivalent to MUS 110  and MUS 155 .

Physics. Any student receiving a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Physics 1 Exam will receive 1.25 units of credit toward graduation for PHYS 115. Any student who receives a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Physics 2 Exam will receive 1.25 units of credit toward graduation for PHYS 116. Any student receiving a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Physics C: Mechanics Exam will receive 1.0 unit of credit toward graduation for PHYS 110C. Any student who receives a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism Exam will receive 1.0 unit of credit toward graduation for PHYS 111C. Students should be aware that PHYS 110L and PHYS 111L may be required for some majors.

Politics and Government. Any student receiving a 4 or better on the Advanced Placement Examination in American Government and Politics will be given one unit of credit. This unit will be equivalent to PG 111 .

Any student receiving a 4 or better on the Advanced Placement Examination in Comparative Government and Politics will be given one unit of credit. This unit will be equivalent to PG 113 .

Psychology. Any student receiving a 4 or better on the Advanced Placement Examination in Psychology will be given one unit of credit. This unit will be equivalent to PSYC 110 .

Statistics. Any student receiving 4 or better on the Advanced Placement Examination in statistics will be given one unit of credit for MATH 105 .

International Baccalaureate

Ohio Wesleyan recognizes academic work taken toward the International Baccalaureate and grants course credit for specific performance levels on the higher exams. For each higher exam on which the student scores a 5, 6, or 7, two units of credit will be awarded, except in the departments granting specific credit or additional criteria listed below. Students also may petition individual departments for credit, if the student has earned a 4 on the higher-level examination or the student believes additional credit is warranted. Students who have completed the International Baccalaureate and wish to obtain credit should have their official examination results sent to the Office of the Registrar for evaluation.

International Baccalaureate credit is granted as follows:

Biology: A student with a 5 or higher on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination in Biology will be awarded credit for both BIOL 120  and BIOL 122 .

Chemistry: The chair of the department will determine credit after consultation with the student.

Computer Science: A student who received a grade of 5, 6, or 7 on the high-level International Baccalaureate in Computer Science will receive credit for CS 110 - Introduction to Computer Science and Programming .

Economics: A student who received a grade of 5, 6, or 7 on the high-level International Baccalaureate in Economics will receive credit for ECON 110 - Principles of Economics  and one unit of credit for a general lower-level course.

English: A student who received a grade of 5, 6, or 7 on the high-level International Baccalaureate in English will receive credit for ENG 105 and ENG 001 (general credit not counted toward the major, but will count toward the 34 units required for graduation).

Film: A student who received a grade of 5, 6, or 7 on the high-level International Baccalaureate in Film will receive credit for ENG 254 - Introduction to Film .

History: Students receiving composite scores of 5 or better on the high-level Baccalaureate in History of Europe and the Islamic World will be given credit toward graduation for HIST 111 - Introduction to Early European History . Those receiving a 5 or better on the high-level 20th Century World History examination will receive a unit of credit toward graduation in HIST 900 lower-level history. Students receiving 5 or better on a high-level (International) Baccalaureate in history will be given credit toward graduation. If the completed course resembles an existing 100-level course, to be determined by the department, the student will be given credit for that course. Otherwise, credit will be awarded as HIST 126 - IB History .

Mathematics: A student who received a grade of 5, 6, or 7 on the high-level International Baccalaureate in Mathematics will receive credit for MATH 110 - Calculus I .

Psychology: A student who received a grade of 5, 6, or 7 on the high-level International Baccalaureate in Psychology will receive credit for PSYC 110 - Introduction to Psychology  and a second generic unit of credit for coursework in the psychology department. Students who score a 4 or lower will not be exempt from the course nor will they receive a generic unit of credit.

Sports, Exercise, and Health Science: A student who received a grade of 5, 6, or 7 on the high level International Baccalaureate in Sports, Exercise, and Health Science will receive one unit of credit for Health and Human Kinetics 900 lower-level Health and Human Kinetics. Students may work with the chair of the department if they feel additional credit is appropriate.

Theatre: A student who received a grade of 5, 6, or 7 on the high-level International Baccalaureate in Theatre will receive credit for THEA 101 - The Art of Theatre . Any credit beyond that would be subject to department review, interview, and audition.

Examinations for Placement and/or Credit

Examinations for placement in a foreign language course will be administered without charge during Summer Orientation and at other times specified by the department. No college credit is granted, and the examinations may not be repeated.

Examinations for college credit in other courses may be taken by any student during the first semester of the freshman year without charge. Arrangements to take such examinations should be made with the appropriate academic departments. After the first semester of the freshman year, examinations for credit will be subject to the procedures stated in the following paragraph.

Examinations for credit in any course except those meeting basic requirements may be taken within the first four weeks of a semester at the request of any student who, in the opinion of the department concerned, is qualified for such an examination. Application for a proficiency  examination must be filed in the department no later than the third week of the semester. The student will be billed an initial fee for the administration of the examination (see Fees ). The examination will be comprehensive and can be expected to include any of the materials normally covered in the course. It will be read by at least two faculty members, and a subsequent report will be made to the Office of the Registrar. If the student’s performance is at least C-, the Registrar will enter appropriate credit on the student’s academic record, and the student will be billed an additional fee for the application of credit to the record. The credit will be entered as “S” and will carry no credit points. No record will be made of failure in such examinations. The proficiency examination is not to be used to change a grade previously received in a course. Upperclass students may not attempt proficiency examinations in courses numbered 100-249.

Examinations for credit in professional work or foreign studies that a student has pursued outside the usual, accredited college framework may be taken without charge. Arrangements should be made with the appropriate departments, and evidence of completion of the work must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

Registration in Courses

In order to complete a degree in four years, a student must average 8.5 units of credit each year. Enrollment in four unit courses and 4.25 total credits is the normal academic load for a regularly enrolled student, and full-time students must be enrolled in at least 3.25 units of credit. A non-degree student with fewer than 3.25 units of credit per semester shall be designated as a special or part-time student. Such students will pay the per course tuition fee for this registration, but they will not be required to pay other general and miscellaneous fees nor be eligible for the services that these fees support.

Unit of Credit Full-or Part-Time Enrollment

Ohio Wesleyan’s unit of credit is defined as equivalent to 3.75 semester hours or 5.5 quarter hours.

After the completion of 16 units, part-time non-degree students must apply and qualify for admission to the University. If the student is admitted as a degree candidate, further enrollment must be on a full-time basis. Students wishing an exception to this policy may petition through the Academic Status Committee.

Course Overload

Students in good academic standing may enroll for as many classes as they and their academic advisor agree are appropriate up to 5.50 units. Students who wish to exceed the 5.50 unit maximum must file a petition with the Academic Status Committee before registering for an overload. Any additional tuition and fees assessed for exceeding the 5.50 unit maximum are the student’s responsibility and cannot be waived. Students on academic probation (less than 2.0 cumulative grade point average) must also file a petition with the Academic Status Committee before registering for more than 4.50 units of credit in a semester. Petitions are available in the Office of the Registrar or on their website under Forms. Please see the Fees section of this Catalog for information on the tuition charged.

Independent studies, tutorials, directed readings, or practicums may be included in the schedule at pre-registration with a signed change-of-schedule form. Students may obtain a form in the Office of the Registrar or on their website under Forms. Regular unit courses taken in excess of four must be added during the designated registration portal that opens after each class has had an opportunity to register.

Change of Schedule

Once registered for a set of courses, students who wish to change their registration may do so online until one week after the start of the term. Subsequent schedule changes require either a submitted digital or completed paper change-of-schedule form to be returned to the Office of the Registrar. Classes may be added or dropped, and credit/no entry may be selected, through Thursday of the second week of classes of any semester or first-module. Second module courses may be added or dropped, and credit/no entry may be selected, through the second Tuesday of the Fall semester, second-module or the second Thursday of the Spring semester, second-module.

After the drop deadline, students may withdraw from full unit courses through Tuesday of the tenth week of the Fall semester and Thursday of the tenth week of the Spring semester. Students may withdraw from first module courses through Thursday of the fifth week of the module. Students may withdraw from second-module courses, through the second Tuesday of the Fall semester, second-module or the second Thursday of the Spring semester, second-module.  

Withdrawal from courses is permitted as long as students maintain full-time status (enrolled in at least 3.25 units of credit for the semester). Students who find it necessary to withdraw to part-time status must receive permission from the Academic Status Committee through the petition process. The students’ transcripts will indicate a “W” as the final grade.

After the tenth week (fifth week for modular courses), students may withdraw only with permission of the Academic Status Committee by petition, and such permissions will be based only on extenuating circumstances beyond the students’ control. For such courses, instructors will submit final grades of “WP” (withdrawn with passing work) or “WF” (withdrawn with failing work), depending on the instructors’ evaluations of the students’ work prior to the withdrawal. Petition forms are available in the Office of the Registrar or on their website under Forms.

Students may not withdraw from classes for any reason during the last four class days of any semester or half-semester module. No tuition will be refunded for withdrawals from classes.

Attendance

Students waiting to be admitted to a course may be given the places of those who are not present on the first day of class. A student who fails to attend a class during the first five days of the semester and who fails to utilize the procedure for dropping a course will receive a grade of “F” in that course, and  no student may claim credit in any course unless the student has been officially enrolled as shown on the student’s schedule in self-service or on a change-of-schedule form on file in the Office of the Registrar.

Students who miss the deadline to add or drop a course must petition the Academic Status Committee.

Instructors will grant excused absences to students who miss class in order to participate in University-sanctioned functions such as theatrical and musical performances, field trips associated with classes, and intercollegiate athletic contests. Students so excused will be expected to meet all course requirements. This policy in no way removes the instructor’s right to determine the conditions under which the work missed by the student is to be made up, if such is possible. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor in advance of such absences and of the sponsor to provide written verification of the student’s participation.

Auditing

A full-time student at Ohio Wesleyan may audit a course with the permission of the course instructor. Persons not enrolled at the University may audit a lecture course (not laboratory, studio, or computing courses or service courses in physical education) by completing an Audit Application available in the Office of the Registrar. The instructor’s permission is required, and there is a fee for auditing except for senior citizens 65 years of age or older (see Fees ).

Regular students may not audit a course and then attempt a proficiency examination for the same course.

Reports and Grades

The University places upon each student the responsibility to inform parents or guardians about the student’s academic progress. Final grades are issued electronically to the student and academic advisor through OWU self-service. Students may provide others access to their grades through the self-service portal using the Shared Access function.

Grades

At the end of the semester, grades are issued on a four-point scale as shown below. This scale went into effect beginning Fall 2006 semester.

Other grades are: W (withdrawn), WP (withdrawn with passing work), WF (withdrawn with failing work), CR (credit by examination, credit but no grade is computed in semester or cumulative average), S (satisfactory, credit but no grade is computed in semester or cumulative average), I (incomplete), PR (progress), NR (no grade reported), T (transfer credit, credit but no grade is computed in semester or cumulative average), U (unsatisfactory), and WVR (waiver, no credit and no grade is computed in semester or cumulative average).

Midterm Estimates

Students receive midterm estimates for full semester courses taken at Ohio Wesleyan falling within the normal academic calendar with the exception of the summer session. Estimates give students an overview of their academic status at mid-semester. Appropriate midterm estimates are as follows:

Progress

The grade of PR is permitted in courses that may require more than one semester for completion. Such courses are limited to tutorials, independent studies, directed readings, apprenticeships, seminars, and advanced experiential courses. No credit is given for a PR, and the student continues the course for a grade in the following semester, after which the grade must be submitted to the Registrar. An extension beyond two semesters may be granted only through approval of a petition, which may be obtained in the Office of the Registrar or on their website. Unless the Registrar is informed to the contrary, the grade of F will be assigned to all Progress grades not  removed by the end of the semester following the one in which the PR was given.

No Grade Submitted

When no grade has been submitted for a student enrolled in a course, the designation of NR for “No Grade Reported” will appear on the student’s grade report and transcript.

The faculty member involved will be asked to submit a grade to the Office of the Registrar by the  end of the 15th class day of the semester following the one in which no grade was submitted. If no grade is submitted as requested, and unless the Academic Status Committee takes alternate action in response to a written statement from the professor and/or the student, the Registrar will assign a grade of F at the end of the next semester in which the student is regularly enrolled. NRs on a student’s record must be removed by appropriate action before a student can be graduated.

Credit / No Entry

The credit/no entry option may be selected by students for no more than four courses (two modules in the same department may be counted for one course) in the 34 units required for graduation. No more than one credit/no entry may be taken in any semester, and credit/no entry courses may not be taken in the major area of study nor in any courses to be used for the general requirements in English composition and foreign language or for the distribution requirements. Courses taken on a credit/no entry basis may be counted in the minor at the discretion of the department or program under which the minor is offered.

Students must elect the credit/no entry option by the Thursday of the second week of classes of any semester, and approval of the academic advisor is required. The student will receive a regular lettergrade in the course, and this grade will be converted to the credit/no entry notation. If the grade earned is C- or better, the student will receive a grade of S (credit) on the transcript. If the grade is lower than C-, no formal entry of the course will be made on the transcript.

If the student receives credit for the course (C- or better), the student may request that the grade be included in the cumulative average in writing to the Associate Registrar. Such requests must be filed no later than the first ten days of the semester following the one in which the credit/no entry enrollment was taken. These courses will still count in the total number of credit/no entry allotted to each student.

Repeated Course

Students who repeat a course by taking that course on a credit/no entry basis the second time will have their record adjusted in the following way. If credit is earned the second time, the initial grade will be removed from the average only if that grade is D+ or lower.

Students may repeat at Ohio Wesleyan University any regular course in which the grade was D+ or lower. Students may not repeat any course in which they have received a grade of C- or higher. The transcript will record the grade each time the student takes the course. Only the second (last) grade will be counted in the cumulative grade point average even though the last grade could be a lower grade than one received earlier. If a student repeats a course for which the grade was C- or  higher, only the original grade earned will be counted in the cumulative grade point average.

Credit will be granted only once for satisfactory completion of any Ohio Wesleyan course. A course being repeated will count as a normal course for the purposes of computing tuition charges and determining a student’s academic load. Courses such as Directed Readings, Independent Studies, Apprenticeships, and Tutorials cannot be repeated to replace a grade.

Failures

Any course(s) that a student fails will not be counted toward graduation.

Honors Grade

An honors grade in a course is awarded to a student satisfactorily completing a project beyond the normal requirements; the student also must receive a course grade of B or better.

Conditional Failure

The grade of E (conditional failure) is normally given when a student has completed all work in a course but, for reasons to be determined by the individual instructor, the instructor remains undecided as to a final mark of D or F. A student who receives the grade of E is permitted to take a reexamination within the first 15 days of the next semester excluding the summer session. An extension of this time limit will be granted only through approval of a petition, which may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar or online. No fee is to be charged for the reexamination. If the student passes this examination, a grade of D may be given; should the student fail, the instructor then informs the Registrar to record a permanent grade of F for the course. In all cases, however, the grade of E is treated by the University (for purposes of semester and cumulative point average) as an F until the reexamination has been taken. Should the examination not be completed within the specified time, the grade of E is to be changed to F by the Registrar.

Incomplete

The grade of I (Incomplete) is given when the student, for reasons beyond his or her control, cannot finish the work in a course. Such reasons should be limited to serious medical problems or a major family crisis. Verification of these circumstances may be required by the instructor. The pressures of a semester’s work load or the desire to do additional work in the course are not sufficient reasons for giving an incomplete.

The student and the instructor assume joint responsibility for the removal of the incomplete. The student must complete the remaining work by the end of the third week of the next semester, excluding the summer session. The instructor is responsible for reporting the course grade to the Registrar by the end of the fifth week of that semester. Extensions of these time limits can be granted only through approval of a petition, which may be obtained in the Office of the Registrar or online. Should the student fail to complete the work within the specified time, the instructor may assign a grade on the basis of work completed. Unless an extension has been granted, the grade of F will be assigned to all incompletes not removed by the end of the fifth week of the next semester. A student who receives an incomplete during the final semester of enrollment will not be graduated until the I is removed.

Residence Requirement

In order to receive a degree, a student must be enrolled full-time for the junior and senior years in academic residence at Ohio Wesleyan. Participation in organized off-campus programs, whether foreign or domestic, may apply to this residency requirement provided such participation has been approved by the Director of International and Off-Campus Programs (or by the Committee on Teaching, Learning & Cross Cultural Programming). Study undertaken during the academic year at other colleges or universities may sometimes apply to the residency requirement at the discretion of the Academic Status Committee, providing a minimum of four semesters (16 units of credit earned) is spent at Ohio Wesleyan.

Academic Probation and Dismissal

After each semester, the grades and satisfactory progress of each student at Ohio Wesleyan are reviewed by the Academic Status Committee of the Faculty. Because Ohio Wesleyan requires at least 34 units of credit with a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average for graduation, it is imperative that students work toward achieving both goals each year at Ohio Wesleyan. Students may be placed on probation or dismissed from the University if their grades or progress fail to meet the following standards.

Any student who earns grades in a given semester that yield less than a 2.0 cumulative grade point average will be placed on academic probation unless the student’s semester grade point average is less than 1.0. Regardless of the cumulative average, any student who earns less than 1.0 in a given semester will be academically dismissed from the University.

To earn a degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in four years, a student must average 4.25 units of credit each of eight semesters. To achieve this goal, students must make satisfactory progress, which is defined as earning at least seven (7) units of credit by the start of the second year, at least fifteen (15) units by the start of their third year, and at least twenty-three (23) units by the start of their fourth year. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress may be placed on academic probation for one year. If, at the end of the probationary year, satisfactory progress has not been reached, students may be academically dismissed from the University.

Students who have been placed on academic probation will be permitted to continue at Ohio Wesleyan if their performance in the next semester raises or maintains their cumulative grade point average. By the time the student has earned 15 graduation units (normally the start of the third year), the student must have and must maintain the cumulative 2.0 grade point average required for graduation. Students with 15 or more graduation units will be dismissed if their cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0.

A student who is academically dismissed from Ohio Wesleyan for the first time has the right to appeal the dismissal on the basis of verifiable, extenuating circumstances and may be permitted to enroll the following semester on a conditional basis. If the student is not permitted to enroll the following semester, the student may apply for reinstatement to Ohio Wesleyan after at least one semester, excluding summer, away from the campus. A student who is dismissed a second time is not eligible to appeal the dismissal but may apply for reinstatement after at least one semester, excluding summer, away from campus. A student who is dismissed a third time may not appeal the dismissal or apply for reinstatement at any time.

Academic Honesty

I. Preamble, Definitions and Examples

Scholarly work in every discipline involves the use of others’ thoughts, work, and experimental results, published and unpublished. Academic honesty requires that such use be frankly and fully acknowledged. Failing to make such acknowledgment constitutes academic dishonesty.

All members of the Ohio Wesleyan community are obligated to maintain academic integrity and to foster it in others. Participating in, tolerating, or ignoring academic dishonesty must result from a radical misunderstanding of the nature of an academic community. Ignorance is no excuse for academic dishonesty. The Academic Honesty Policy is published in The Ohio Wesleyan Catalog which is available to each student throughout the year. Students will be held accountable for violations of the Academic Honesty Policy even if they claim they have not read it.

This policy is designed to make clear, in part by the penalties imposed, the seriousness of the University’s commitment to academic honesty. It also is intended to promote thinking about the conventions of academic honesty, the process of learning those conventions, and the consequences of violating them. Its definitions and examples are not exhaustive.

Definitions:

There are many forms of academic dishonesty, including:

Cheating, the use of unauthorized, prohibited, or unacknowledged materials in any academic exercise;

Fabricating, the falsification or invention of information, interpretation, or source materials;

Facilitating Academic Dishonesty, the conscious participation, in any manner, in another student’s commission of any academically dishonest act;

Plagiarizing, the representation of words, ideas, figures, or materials from other sources (print, audio, visual or digital, including the Internet) as one’s own.

Elaboration and Examples:

Cheating
Unless told otherwise by their instructors, students should assume that examinations are to be completed without the use of books, notes, or conversation with others, either in person or electronically. Students who use or attempt to use unauthorized information in any academic exercise, including exams, are cheating.

Fabricating
Fabrication is the unauthorized falsification or invention of information in an academic exercise. For example, it is academically dishonest to “invent” information in a laboratory experiment. Also, students who, without notifying their instructor, attempt to submit academic work that has already been submitted for another course—whether that work has been graded or not—have fabricated their assignment.

Facilitating Academic Dishonesty
Students who make their work available for another student to submit as his or her own, whether exactly as is or in altered form, are facilitating academic dishonesty, as are students who allow others to copy their answers on examinations. Aiding and abetting other students’ dishonesty is a serious breach of the Academic Honesty Policy and is itself punishable just as cheating, fabricating, and plagiarizing are.

Plagiarizing
The Random House Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language defines plagiarism as “the unauthorized use of the language and thought of another author and the representation of them as one’s own.” Any failures to accurately and completely document all uses of source materials in an academic exercise constitute academic dishonesty. Source materials may include, but are not limited to, printed books, electronic media, oral reports, speeches, statistical information or analyses, anecdotal comments, visual media, musical performances, theatrical performances, or official and legal documents.

Plagiarism most commonly occurs in academic assignments when source materials are quoted, paraphrased, summarized, borrowed, or referenced WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED. The following are rules for citing source materials:

Provide a source for every direct quotation….

Document all ideas, opinions, facts, and information in your paper that you acquire from sources and that cannot be considered common knowledge….

Document all ideas, opinions, facts, and information in your paper that your readers might want to know more about or might question….

Provide content notes as needed, but sparingly….

Provide dates, identifications, and other information to assist the reader. (Hairston and Ruszkiewicz, The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers, 4th ed. [New York: HarperCollins 1996], 567-570.)

For examples and specific guidelines pertaining to documentation requirements, consult Part IV of The Scott, Foresman Handbook (“Research and Writing”). The handbook provides definitions, models, and examples of the conventions for citing sources and the standards for citation formats in different styles. Documentation formatting guidelines vary considerably among academic disciplines and courses; students should consult instructors in the appropriate discipline for information regarding citation formats and documentation standards. The responsibility for seeking this information and using it rests with each individual student.

II. Penalties for Violations of Academic Honesty Policy

1. The penalty for a first violation can range from a zero for the assignment to failing grade in the course. Students who commit only one act of academic dishonesty during their tenure at Ohio Wesleyan will have the record of that offense kept by the Dean of Academic Affairs expunged at the time of graduation.
2. The penalty for a second offense is a failing grade in the course with a special notation on the student’s official transcript denoting “failure for reasons of academic dishonesty” and suspension from the University for a period of not less than one semester. For students found guilty of a second offense, the notation of “failure for academic dishonesty” will remain on their official transcripts for one year following their graduation or separation from the University and will be automatically expunged by the Registrar at that time.
3. The penalty for a third offense is expulsion. For students found guilty of a third offense, the notation of “failure for academic dishonesty” will remain on their official transcript for three years following their expulsion and will be automatically expunged by the Registrar at that time.
4. A student found guilty of a first act of academic dishonesty is required to receive instruction as to what constitutes academic dishonesty and must sign a statement verifying that instruction was given (see III. c. below). A student who fails to seek and receive such instruction within fifteen class days of notification by the Dean will have his/her transcript amended to note that the student has been charged with academic  dishonesty in the particular course in which he/she was charged. This notation shall remain on the student’s transcript for three years after graduation or withdrawal from the University.

III. Procedures

1. When the instructor determines that academic dishonesty has occurred, he or she either assigns a penalty or refers the case to the Academic Conduct Review Board (ACRB). The instructor must also send a report to the Dean of Academic Affairs identifying the student and summarizing the case and the penalty assessed; the Dean will send a copy of this report to the student.
2. The Dean is responsible for the following: (1) keeping records of all cases of academic dishonesty; (2) communicating to the student the report filed by the instructor in III.a. above; (3) ensuring that any student convicted of academic dishonesty receives instruction in the concepts of academic honesty and the procedures for its enforcement at Ohio Wesleyan, including the penalties for second and third violations; and (4) convening the ACRB as required and as necessary.
3. Instruction in academic honesty may be given by the instructor of record or by a faculty member (normally the Dean of Academic Affairs); in either case the student must sign a statement verifying that the instruction was given. This statement will be kept on file by the Dean.
4. When a penalty has been assigned by the instructor, the student may appeal the charge of academic dishonesty or the penalty within fifteen (15) class days of receiving a copy of the report sent to the Dean. Appeals are to be presented by the student him/herself and heard by the ACRB. If the ACRB upholds the instructor’s decision, the student may then appeal to the Provost. The appeal must be made to the Provost by the student. Once the Provost has ruled, no further appeal is permitted.
5. If the ACRB hears a case referred to it by the instructor, the ACRB determines whether the student did or did not violate the Academic Honesty Policy. If it decides that the student violated the policy, the ACRB assigns a penalty and sends a full report to the Dean, who distributes copies to the student and to the instructor of record. The student may appeal the ACRB’s decision to the Provost. Once the Provost has ruled, no further appeal is permitted.
6. The ACRB consists of three faculty chosen by faculty vote, two students chosen through WCSA, and the Dean (who chairs the ACRB but has no vote). In instances involving a possible conflict of interest (e.g., the instructor of record is a member of ACRB), the faculty alternate, elected by the faculty, shall serve as a substitute with voting power. If the conflict of interest involves one of the two student members, the Dean of Academic Affairs shall ask WCSA to select an alternate who shall serve as a substitute with voting power.
7. In determining the penalty for a second offense, “one semester” is taken to mean a semester during the regular academic year. Thus a penalty of suspension of one semester, incurred during a summer session, would be enforced during the following semester.

Academic Grievance Policy

Membership in the Ohio Wesleyan community requires a devotion to the highest principles of academic and personal integrity, a commitment to maintain honor, and continuous regard for the rights of others. There can be no rights without individual responsibility.

Ohio Wesleyan assumes that its faculty is composed of mature and conscientious individuals, committed to teaching and learning as a career and a profession. Each teacher is presumed to develop and use methods and techniques which enhance learning and which best fit his or her personality and subject matter area. At the same time, the instructor is expected to abide by the general principles of responsible teaching, which are commonly accepted by the academic profession.

Students are free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any course of study. While they may reserve judgement about matters of opinion, they are responsible for learning the content of any course in which they are enrolled.

In the event of an academic grievance, all parties involved are referred to Joint Statement on Rights and Freedoms of Students and the Complete Text of Endorsements by Sponsoring Organizations, which have been adopted by the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs, the Faculty, and the Board of Trustees. They are also referred to the statement on academic honesty and plagiarism, which is above.

Grievance Procedure

Any student who is convinced that his or her academic performance has been treated in a prejudicial or capricious manner or evaluated by criteria other than those appropriate to the course has the right to file an academic grievance. In some cases, the student may believe that direct pursuit of the alleged violation by him or herself could result in prejudicial treatment of this case or in jeopardizing his or her relations with the faculty member or department involved. If this is so, the aggrieved student is urged to seek the advice of the academic advisor or other faculty member. As a result of these discussions, the student may ask a faculty or administrative staff member, not to include the President, the Provost, or the Dean of Academic Affairs, to act as intermediary in the case. Should that person agree to act as intermediary, the same procedure should be followed as when students are acting in their own behalf (outlined below). It is understood that in their nature, some complaints cannot be pursued, or pursued to final solution, without the student’s name being known to the faculty member or department involved.

In order to preserve academic freedom and still provide an avenue for appeal for a student who seeks redress of an academic grievance, the following procedure is established. The discussion and resolution of a problem between a member of the faculty and a student or students shall follow these steps:

1. The student should make an appointment to discuss the grievance with the professor involved. The student shall provide appropriate documentation of the grievance. If the grievance is not resolved, the student may proceed to step 2.
2. The student should now make an appointment with the chairperson of the department involved. Again, the student should provide appropriate documentation of the grievance. The chairperson should ask the professor to provide rebuttal material, if appropriate. In cases where the chairperson is the instructor involved in the grievance, another full-time faculty member in the department, the student’s academic advisor, or another faculty member may serve in this mediating capacity. If the grievance is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student and the faculty member involved, the student may proceed to step 3.
3. The student should make an appointment to discuss the grievance with the Dean of Academic Affairs. This step must be initiated by the end of the fifth week of the semester immediately following the one in which the grievance arose. The student should provide appropriate written documentation of the grievance, including the results of steps 1 and 2. The written documentation should be provided to the Dean at least one day in advance of the appointment to discuss the grievance. The Dean will investigate the complaint by obtaining data and statements from all parties involved and will attempt to resolve the grievance by mutual consent of the student and faculty member.

If the case cannot be resolved based on the information available, the Dean shall convene an advisory committee of two faculty members, preferably with little or no prior knowledge of the grievance. The student will select one other faculty member. The faculty member may be from the department involved or from related disciplines. Each party may exercise one peremptory challenge. The committee shall decide the outcome of the complaint with the advice of the Dean who will then notify the student and faculty member. In cases where a change of grade is deemed appropriate, the Dean shall initiate the change of grade at the Office of the Registrar and shall notify the student, the faculty member, and the chairperson (or other mediator) that he/she has done so. The grievance shall normally be resolved by the last day of the semester in which the grievance has been filed.

The decision of the committee is final, and no further appeal procedure shall exist within the University.

Responsibility for Meeting Requirements

Students are ultimately responsible for their own academic program and for meeting the degree requirements. Students and advisors can view a student’s real time progress at degreeaudit.owu.edu. In the fall of a student’s junior year each student should fill out an application for graduation with their advisor and turn this in to the Registrar’s Office located in University Hall Room 007.  The submission of this application is what triggers the Registrar’s Office to carefully review a student’s progress via degreeaudit.owu.edu.  If the graduation application is turned in then the student will be notified in the summer prior to the senior year with an email summary of what requirements are left for the student to complete in their senior year.

Final Examination Policy

In any particular course, the course instructor determines whether or not a final examination is appropriate and to be given. In staff-taught courses, the department(s) make such determination. Such determination shall be announced in class early in the semester.

1. It is the intent of the University that its students receive a full 15 weeks of instruction per semester, and that any in-class final examination be given only on the day, and at the time, officially scheduled by the Registrar during the period set aside for this purpose.
2. Any assignment(s) that may substitute in a course for an in-class final examination shall be turned in at the time of the officially scheduled final examination for that course.
3. Final examinations in class shall be no more than three hours in duration.
4. Exceptions to a. and b. above may be necessary because of the early deadline for spring semester seniors expecting to graduate. Under this circumstance a final examination may be given at a time outside the official schedule at the mutual convenience of the instructor and seniors involved. In no case shall such an examination conflict with or overlap other regularly scheduled class or laboratory hours of the seniors.
5. No course examination given during the 15-week semester shall overlap or conflict with regularly scheduled classes or laboratories.

Although special examinations are to be avoided, unforeseen circumstances may make them necessary. In such a case, a special final examination may be given after approval is granted by the Academic Status Committee and the course instructor and after payment is made of a special charge for final examination service (see Fees ).

Exceptions to this policy shall be cleared in advance with the Dean of Academic Affairs.

Leave of Absence

A leave of absence may be granted to a student who wishes to interrupt, but not permanently discontinue, enrollment at Ohio Wesleyan. Leaves of up to one academic year may be granted for personal, medical, or emergency reasons. Requests for leaves of absence must be made in writing and submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

In the semester preceding their return to the University, students on leaves of absence will be eligible to participate in such procedures as pre-registration for classes and room drawing for housing assignments along with students who are regularly enrolled.

To be eligible for a leave of absence, the student must be in good academic, financial, and social standing and the request must be received prior to the start of the term in which the student plans to take leave. Students who have been dismissed for any reason from the University are not eligible.

While on a leave of absence, the student’s registration deposit ($300) will be retained by the University. If the student does not return to full-time enrollment, he or she will forfeit the registration deposit. The leave may be in effect for one academic year.

Withdrawal from the University

Students who find it necessary to withdraw from the University should report to a staff member  in the Office of the Registrar. A student voluntarily withdrawing by Thursday of the second week of classes of a semester will have no record made for that semester’s enrollment. After Thursday of the second week of classes of a semester and through the tenth week, grades of W will be recorded for each course. After the tenth week, grades will be “WP” (withdrawn passing) or “WF” (withdrawn failing). Withdrawal within the last week of classes or during final exams will result automatically in marks of F in all courses. Grades of W, WP, or WF are not counted in computing a student’s cumulative average, but will appear on the student’s permanent record. See the Expenses section of this Catalog for the refund of tuition policy.

Reinstatement

A student who leaves the University for academic or nonacademic reasons, except when on a leave of absence or on a University-approved and sponsored academic program elsewhere, should apply for reinstatement through the Office of the Registrar. An application form will be given or mailed to the student upon request to the Office of the Registrar. The reinstatement application must be returned to the Office of the Registrar at least one and a half months prior to the semester in which the student wishes to be reinstated.

Upon receipt of the student’s formal application for reinstatement and all other information pertinent to the decision-making process concerning reinstatement, the Academic Status Committee will determine whether the student will be reinstated. The decision of the Committee is final and cannot be appealed except in the case of procedural error. If a student’s petition for reinstatement for a given semester is denied, that student may again apply for reinstatement for a future semester when the student has a stronger case to support his/her reinstatement.

A student who has been dismissed three times is not eligible to apply for reinstatement.

Classification of Students

Ohio Wesleyan students are classified according to the number of graduation units completed. These classifications are:

Transfer of Credits

Under certain conditions, Ohio Wesleyan will award transfer credit for work taken at another college or university. The other college or university must be accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency, the student’s performance in the course must be at C- or better, and the course must be consistent with the liberal arts.

Students may not receive academic credit during the same semester from two different colleges such as OWU and another unless their enrollment at the other college is part of a defined program at OWU. This restriction does not apply to enrollment in summer session courses.

Students must have an official transcript sent directly to the Registrar at Ohio Wesleyan from the other college or university prior to enrollment at Ohio Wesleyan. Only credit will transfer to the student’s record at Ohio Wesleyan; grades earned elsewhere will not be placed on the academic record and do not become part of the Ohio Wesleyan grade point average. Courses taken elsewhere may be used to meet the University’s basic and distribution requirements. Students should consult with their major department if they wish to count transferred courses in the major.

Student-Initiated Courses

Student-initiated courses are available in accordance with the following procedures:

Prior to the course’s being listed in the pre-registration schedule, two faculty members who judge the content to be within their areas of competence and the student coordinator(s) shall file with the Registrar signed statements that they agree on the content of the course, on the format of the course, and on evaluation procedures for the participants in the course.

Although the student coordinator(s) should share in evaluating the course, the grading and therefore the issuing of credit remains the responsibility of the two faculty sponsors. They should follow the normal procedures for grading as outlined in this Catalog. It is assumed that to fulfill this function effectively, the sponsors will attend the class sessions on a regular basis.

The course syllabi and reading lists are to be filed with the Office of the Registrar at the time of the submission of the grades. Student evaluations of each course are to be filed in the Academic Affairs Office.

A special designation for these courses shall be determined in consultation with the Registrar. All new courses in the program must have the prior approval of the Academic Policy Committee. Funding for student-initiated courses may be obtained through the Academic Affairs Office.

Petitions

Exception to academic regulations, procedures, or policies will not be granted unless where warranted by documented, extenuating circumstances. In such cases the student must file a petition with the Academic Status Committee. These petitions are available in the Office of the Registrar or on their website under Forms. Petitions regarding a specific course must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the end of the fifth week of the following semester. Please also see the section on the University’s Academic Grievance Policy.